Left Behind: Left Behind Series #1 (3 page)

“But
for how long?” I can barely get out.

“We
may never know. The point I’m trying to make here is you helped him. You
changed his life. He might not realize it, but his parents do. You’re ready to
help more Lukes out there. I just want you to do it here. Come with me. I want
to show you something.”

I
follow Dr. Kelly out of his office, back through the main area, and into the
hallway. When he stops at the first classroom in the main hall, I realize what
he’s doing. He peers in and knocks on the door.

“Look
who’s here everyone,” a tall, thin blond announces from the front of the
classroom.

“Hello,
Dr. Kelly,” the class announces as a whole. The sound of their little voices is
enough to make me smile. Not just a small smile, either. I feel as though my
soul is being filled with happiness simply by being in the same room as them.

“Hello,
boys and girls. I’d like you to meet someone. This is Miss Foster,” he tells
them. I give a little wave and smile even bigger when they say hello to me. “Is
it okay if she reads you a story?” What kid wouldn’t agree to that since
they’re getting out of doing what their teacher wants them to do?

Dr.
Kelly instructs me to go to the front of the room and the teacher hands me a
book. “This is one of their favorites,” she tells me.

I
politely take the book from her and begin to read the story about an insect
with an overly large appetite for many different kinds of foods. As I read, the
kids ask questions or read along with me. One little girl asks to sit with me
on the chair. The looks on their faces help me recall why I chose this field to
begin with.

Heading
back down to his office afterwards, Dr. Kelly chuckles. “You’re glowing.”

“I
read them a story. No big deal,” I say under my breath.

“Oh,
no big deal, huh? Care to explain why you’re still smiling then?” he asks
sarcastically. When I try to stop, I just end up laughing.

Once
we’re back in his office, he becomes serious again. “My personal opinion is
you’re afraid of the commitment. As soon as you walk into the classroom, you
won’t be able to turn your back on those kids. You’re afraid of being tied down
in case things get rough with your parents because you won’t be able to run.”
Looking him in the eye is no longer possible. “Kacie, they don’t get to control
your life anymore. You are a grown woman with a bright future ahead of you.
Sooner or later, they’re going to find out that you aren’t going to medical
school. They will either accept it or not, but they don’t get to change
it.”          

“They’ll
take the house. It’s all I have left of her,” I whisper. I always thought Gram
would be here to support me. If no one else, Gram would be there. The possibility
she’d be gone never crossed my mind.

“Is
that the only reason we haven’t settled this yet?” he questions, leaning
forward with his forearms on the aged, wooden desk. “How about if the necessity
arises, I promise to help you fight for it?” I hear a bell chime in the
background, indicating a change for the students. He beams because he knows he
has me exactly where he wants me.

“Okay,”
I finally say. When it all comes down to it, getting a job here is one of the
main reasons I came back to Florida in the first place.

After
my future at Shining Stars is decided and we schedule the next time we’ll get
together to discuss where to go from here, I pull into my second destination
for the day. Even though I’ve never been here by myself, I know exactly where to
go. Very slowly, my car crawls down the long, narrow path, careful not to kick
up too much dust until it reaches the very last row. About half-way down, I’m
right where I need to be.

Upon
exiting the car, I look around and realize there’s no one else around for as
far as I can see. While others may find this to be a little unnerving, it feels
oddly comforting and peaceful to me. After gathering the few items I placed in
my trunk before leaving the house this morning, I slowly walk over to a large
headstone which reads FOSTER across the top of it.

“Hey,
Grandpop,” I whisper as I lay a bouquet of flowers in front of my grandfather’s
name. “I hope you’re taking good care of her up there.”

Then
I turn to my grandmother’s side and I’m unable to contain the tears that have
been threatening since arriving in Tampa yesterday. They start to flow and I
don’t bother to stop them. Through the sobbing, the words “I brought these for
you from our garden” come from my mouth. I slide down to my knees and my head
drops forward. I’m not even concerned about messing up my skirt.

Eventually,
the weeping slows and some composure falls over me. “Sorry, Gram,” I apologize,
placing the flowers where I want them. “It’s been a while since that’s
happened. Coming home has been a little tough without you. I have no idea what
to do from here. No idea which direction to go or which decision is best for
me. You were always so damn good about coming up with all the pros and cons for
everything.” I take a deep breath, feeling my eyes start to fill again. “I just
want to make you proud. My greatest fear is letting you down after all you’ve
done for me. All you’re
still
doing for me. It’s been one hundred and
thirty-four days since you left and I got a job offer because of you. I almost
said ‘no’ until I realized this was you giving me a shot. For some crazy
reason, you always believed in me. You have my word that I will do my best to
honor your name in the school you built from the bottom up. I promise.”

Right
now, there isn’t anything else I need to say, but I’m not ready to leave her.
For a little while, I sit there, just staring at her name engraved in the gray
stone.

Kacie

As
soon as I get home, I swap my dress clothes for a new black bikini and head for
my favorite place. The lagoon-shaped in-ground pool is where most of my time
here at the house is spent. Across the back of it is a stone wall with a
waterfall, which cascades into the middle of the pool. The landscaping is
absolutely beautiful and typical of a tropical paradise. My grandfather spared
no expense when he had this place built for Gram.

With
every lap, my stress fades away almost to the point where my chest doesn’t ache
anymore. Almost. There’s still the issue of seeing my parents in a few short
hours. Just the tiniest thought of them has me kicking off the side and
attempting to make it to the deep end of the pool one more time. My lungs are
burning and my muscles are starting to tire, but there’s no quitting. As my
face breaks the surface of the water and my hand reaches up to grab the
concrete edge, my eyes open to a pair of handsome brown eyes waiting for
me.          

“Trying
to kill yourself on your first day back in the water?” Jake asks, squatting
down.

“How
long have you been here?” I gasp for air.

“At
least the last four laps. How many did you do before that?”

“I
really don’t remember,” I confess, still trying to catch my breath.

Jake’s
holding a towel for me. “Why don’t you take a little break?”

Swimming
over to the ladder, I ask, “What is it with you not working?”

He
laughs. “I’m the boss now. I work when I want to work. Besides, Jade hasn’t
heard from you all day so she asked me to stop by to check on you.” How could I
have forgotten to call her?

“She’s
such a worry wart,” I mumble, pulling myself up out of the water.

“Holy
shit, Kacie! You…you shouldn’t be walking around like…like that,” Jake stutters
as he throws the towel over my shoulders.

“You’re
in
my
backyard, Jake. If you don’t like it, go home.”

“It
has nothing to do with me not liking it. Trust me,” he grumbles which, for some
reason, makes me laugh. “Real funny.”

“Are
you coming with us tonight?” I ask, changing the subject before it gets more
uncomfortable.

“I’m
driving you and Jade to the club, but I’m not hanging out at the party. A
friend of mine manages the place, so I’ll probably hang out with him and some
friends. That way, whenever you’re ready to leave, I’ll be there.”

“You
don’t have to do that. I can drive,” I say as I lie back on the lounge chair.

“I
don’t mind. I offered and Jade took me up on it. It makes me feel better to
know you girls are safe,” he tells me, plopping down on the chair next to me.

“You’re
so good to her. She’s lucky to have such an awesome big brother.”

“Your
brother cares about you, too. It’s just harder for him to show it.”

“I
know,” I say. Somewhere deep down, I know that Noah really does care about me.
My brother is twelve years older, so we were never really close. Our father
always favored him. Noah felt bad about it and would try to make Dad see what
he was doing, but it never mattered. Now that he’s one of the top orthopedic
surgeons at Tampa General, where my dad is the chief of surgery, I’ll likely go
unnoticed for the rest of my life. Noah was the one who always did what he was
told. He never missed curfew. He always excelled in all of the sports he
played. Straight A’s were a given for him. My parents never understood that
some of us screw up once in a while simply in hopes of getting some type of
attention.

“Want
to talk about why you were pushing yourself so hard in the pool?” Jake asks,
sincerely.

“I
stopped at the cemetery today,” I whisper, looking out over the pool at the
garden.

“Gotcha,”
he acknowledges. His cell phone starts to ring. Without looking at it, he takes
it out of his pocket and hands it to me. “I’m sure it’s for you.”

When
I take the phone from his hand, there’s a picture on the screen of Jade
sticking her tongue out. “Did she put this picture on here?”

“What
do you think?”

“Hey,
Jade,” I answer. “I’m sorry I forgot to check in earlier.”

“Kacie!
I’ve been worried sick. What the hell happened?” Jade’s concerned voice rings
in my ears.

“I
went to the interview and on my way home, I stopped at the cemetery. After
that, my head was a little foggy and it slipped my mind. I’m sorry,” I
apologize again. Jake is cautiously watching me.

Jade
sighs. “I would have gone with you. You didn’t have to go by yourself.”

“I
appreciate it, Jade. I really do. It was just something I needed to do. Don’t
worry about me so much. I’m going to be fine. There are some things I need to
deal with on my own.”

“I’m
going to worry. That’s what I do,” she states, matter-of-factly. “How did the
interview go?”

“I
got the job,” I tell her.

“I
knew you would!” she cheers. “You can tell me all about it when I get there.
I’m bringing dinner. Tell Jake so he doesn’t eat anything. I’ll see you in a
few.”

“See
ya.” Handing his phone back, I say, “Jade’s bringing dinner.”

 “K.
You got a job?” he wonders. “So, you will be hanging around for a little while
then?”

“I
told you I was, Jake,” I remind him, making sure the towel stays wrapped around
me as I stand up.

“Where
at?”

“Shining
Stars.”

“What
are you going to do at Shining Stars?”

There’s
no reason to lie to Jake. He isn’t a fan of my family. He’d never tell them
anything I didn’t want him to. “If I tell you, you have to promise to keep it
between me, you, and Jade.”

“Okay…,”
he says, cautiously.

“I’m
teaching first grade.” When he appears thoroughly confused, I tell him the
rest. “I graduated on Monday with a degree in Education. My family doesn’t know
I changed my major freshman year. Gram knew that was my plan from the
beginning, but I told Jade right after I did it.”

“Kacie,
that’s awesome! Congratulations!” he says, giving me a hug. “How come no one
knows? Why does it have to be a secret?”

“Do
you know anything about my parents? They’re going to be so pissed. I can hear
it now how much I’ve let them down again.” I shake my head.

“Is
teaching what you want to do?”

“More
than anything,” I say with a full-blown smile.

“That’s
all that matters,” he tells me. Somewhere deep down, I know he’s right.

“Jake,
my parents think I’m going to medical school. I come from a long line of
doctors. According to my father, that’s the only acceptable occupation,” I
explain as we go into the house. 

“Your
lazy ass mother hasn’t worked a day in her life. And Gram was a teacher.” Jake
is trying to understand.

“Even
if I went back to school for a doctorate degree like Gram did, that still
wouldn’t be good enough for my dad. He doesn’t think being a teacher is enough
to support yourself. My dad always said that if it wasn’t for my grandfather,
Gram have would been on the streets.”

“That’s
the most fucked up thing I’ve ever heard!” Jake shakes his head in disbelief. I
hand him a cold beer. “Your family makes me happier about my dad being a drunk
who keeps to himself and my mom being a gold digger who will follow around any
rich guy who will let her.”

“See
why I went to college so far away?” I laugh.

“I’ve
always known you’d run as soon as you got the chance. That was obvious since
you were a kid. Can I ask you a question?” he says, sitting on a stool on the
other side of the counter.

“Depends
on what it is,” I hesitantly say.

Jake
ignores me. “If Gram didn’t get sick, would you have come back?” I notice how
he carefully phrased his question.

“I
don’t know,” I answer, looking around. “I’ve really missed this place and you
guys, too. But I don’t know if it would have been enough to bring me home.”

“You
still think of this as home?”

“I
do.”

Before
he can say anything else, we hear the front door opening and the sound of bags
rattling. “Hello?! I could use a little help over here!” Jade calls out. Jake
doesn’t waste a second going to his sister’s aid. Someday that man will make a
damn good husband for one lucky girl.

As
they come around the corner, I’m gulping down half my beer wondering if I’d
want that girl to be me. Life with Jake would be simple. He’s a laid back kind
of guy with a steady job. He goes out with his friends quite often, but he
isn’t the partying type. His dad has been a heavy drinker ever since we were
kids, so that’s probably why he doesn’t drink all that much. Many times over
the years, he’s shown an interest in me, but aside from worrying about my
relationship with Jade, I just don’t feel it. Does that make any sense? Without
a doubt, Jake’s one of the most gorgeous guys I’ve ever met, but my heart
doesn’t flutter when I’m around him. I don’t lose my breath or train of thought
when he’s near. There’s no longing to see him when we aren’t together. Come to
think of it, though, this has never happened to me before. Maybe that kind of
shit only happens in the romance novels. Leave it to books to totally screw up
reality.

“Hey,”
Jade says. “I bought stuff for tacos. Hope that’s okay.”

“I
love tacos. Let me run up to change and I’ll help you make them.”

When
I come back downstairs, Jake is lying on the sofa watching the news and Jade is
making a mess of the kitchen. It always looks like a natural disaster when she
cooks, but since she’s so damn good at it, no one will ever hear me complain. I
immediately jump in and try helping, but she directs me to set the table, pour
the drinks, and stay out of her way. We discuss what we will wear to the club
tonight and what we should do for my first weekend home. Jade thinks every
event requires a celebration. Over dinner, I tell Jade and Jake about my meeting
with Dr. Kelly earlier today. They are equally proud and impressed.

Once
everything is cleaned up, Jake heads home to get ready to be our driver for the
evening, while Jade and I head up to my room. Standard procedure when we get
ready to go out is a bottle of wine, loud music, and lots of laughing. Yeah,
it’s a little strange that two twenty-one year olds drink wine, but we’ve been
sneaking it from my grandmother for years. It’s old habit. I’m going to be
under the same roof as my parents. There’s no way I can show up sober.

Jade
and I walk down the stairs to find Jake coming in the door. He’s wearing dark
blue jeans and a navy button-down, long-sleeved shirt. Momentarily, I find
myself considering taking him up to my room, but I’m pretty sure that would
send the wrong message. The stupid alcohol is messing me up. Jake catches me
staring at him, so I divert my eyes to the next step in front of me, careful
not to fall down the rest of them.

“Oh,
man,” Jake sighs as we reach the foyer. “I said I’d drive the two of you, not
fight off every guy in the place.” Jade decided on a red strapless dress, and I
went with a light blue halter top I bought for a party back at school. I didn’t
think either one was anything for Jake to worry about.

“Don’t
worry, Jake. Kacie and I will be on our best behavior tonight,” Jade promises
on her way by her brother.

“Even
on your best behavior, you’re still trouble, Jade,” he tells her while still
staring at me.

“I
could go throw my bikini back on if you prefer,” I tease him, biting my lower
lip. Drinking wine makes me a little too talkative.

“Let’s
go,” Jake replies, giving me a warning glare. He opens the door for us and we
go out ahead of him, laughing all the way to his Camaro.

It’s
only eight o’clock, but there’s already a line out the door of the club and
halfway down the sidewalk. Skyline is one of the newer clubs in this part of
Tampa. It sits with its back to the water and it is one of the tallest
buildings around. The top floor, which I’m sure is the room my brother’s party
will be in, not only has a deck off the back overlooking the water, but has
windows all around the perimeter of the room. The view of the surrounding area
is absolutely beautiful, hence the name. I was here only once before when I
came home for a visit with Gram. She insisted I go out with Jade one night and
this is where my best friend took me.

“Good
thing we don’t have to wait in line,” Jade says as we walk past all of the
people waiting.

“How
come?” I ask.

“Jake
is good friends with the manager,” she whispers. “We never wait for anything
here.”

We
finally reach the door and the bouncer standing guard smiles as soon as he sees
Jake. “Hey, man,” he greets Jake with a handshake. “Haven’t seen you around.
Find a better spot to hang out?”

“Nah.
Never. Just working a little too much,” Jake says. “Joe, you remember my
sister, Jade.” Jake is a big guy, but he looks like a child next to the
bouncer. Joe must be over six feet tall and solid muscle. I wouldn’t piss him
off, that’s for sure.