The Second Life of Magnolia Mae (5 page)

Sarah stood in the doorway, a glare of pure hatred marring her normally beautiful face. “I told you to stay away from Bash.” She ground out the words.

Magnolia shifted her bag. “I don’t recall asking your permission.”

“He was going to take me to the dance until you decided to throw yourself at him. Why would he want trash like you?” She spat out the words.

Heat coursed through Magnolia’s veins. For years, Sarah had taunted her, calling her names, saying the ugliest things about her parents, and now she had finally pushed her too far. “He has never liked you. Why would he? Did he ever once ask you out, Sarah? No, you assumed that he would be yours because you are used to buying whatever you want. Bash can’t be bought! He’s better than that. Better. Than. You.”

She walked toward the door, despite the fact that Sarah had not moved. She couldn’t go back because the other cheerleaders had come up behind her, blocking her retreat. Magnolia needed out of there before she did something she would later regret.

“He would have! If you hadn’t gotten in the way. Tramp! You ruin everything. You ruined your own family. You’re the reason your parents are dead.” Sarah spoke the last words with a deadly calmness.

Before she knew what she was doing, Magnolia had her up against the wall next to the door.

Sarah’s eyes grew big.

The cheerleaders behind her were calling out for a teacher.

“Never. Speak. Of. Them. Again.” Magnolia’s voice was cold as her fist balled up. She allowed it to drop and let go of the girl, but not before she was seen by Mr. Hanson, the assistant principal.

“Miss Romo, come with me,” the weaselly-looking man demanded.

Silently, she followed him down the near-empty corridors of the school with her head held high. She had not done anything to be ashamed of as far as she was concerned.

The few students who were loitering near the cafeteria gawked in her direction as he led her into the office.

“Sit down.”

Magnolia glanced at the seat he’d pointed at and sat, looking him square in the eyes.

He leaned against the edge of his desk and rubbed his hands together in a way that reminded her of an evil genius in an old movie. “Care to tell me what happened?”

“Does it matter?” she returned, finally fed up with the school and everyone in it.

“Either way, you’re suspended. Telling me what happened may decide for how long and whether or not I should call the police.”

“She wouldn’t let me leave. She said I was the reason my parents are dead.” Magnolia tried to keep her voice calm and her tears locked behind her eyes. “I have put up with her calling me names for years. There was no need to say anything about my parents.” It came out in a whisper.

“The girls told me that you hit her, unprovoked.”

Magnolia’s head shot back up, anger in her voice “Did it look like I hit her? She wouldn’t have been standing there if I had,” she ground out. “Call my brother — call the police if you have to. Get it over with so I can get out of here.”

“Miss Romo, watch your tone when you speak to me,” he answered before turning to pick up the phone.

She listened as he told Jace that she had attacked and hit another student, was suspended from school for five days, and that they were lucky he hadn’t called the police. When he set the phone down, he looked back at her with beady little eyes. “You are not allowed on school property until your suspension is over. Not even for extracurricular activities.”

“A shame.” Magnolia stood, shouldered her bag, and walked out of the office with Assistant Principal Hanson following her, escorting her out of the building.

When Assistant Principal Hanson and Magnolia reached the greenhouse, located right outside the agriculture room doors, she saw Sarah standing with Bash, trying desperately to keep his attention. Remembering that Bash had offered to give her a ride since Jace had picked up an extra shift, Magnolia tried to catch his attention.

“Miss Clemens, go to practice or go home,” Mister Hanson called to Sarah. Then he turned back to Magnolia. “Not a foot on school property until next Thursday.”

Magnolia nodded then walked over to Bash’s truck and hoisted herself up.

“Thursday?” Bash asked once the truck was started, and they were pulling away from the school.

“Suspended.”

“You did beat her up then?” He sounded impressed.

She slid her eyes in his direction to see a faint smile.

“No, I should have though.”

“What is Jace going to say?” His voice was serious this time around.

She leaned her head against the truck’s window and squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t care.” The tears were forcing their way forward. “Bash? Can you just take me home?” Her voice cracked as the first drops slid down her face.

Magnolia climbed the stairs and went to the room at the far end of the hall and pushed the door open. She came in once every other week to dust and vacuum, but other than that, the room was pretty much untouched. She stepped onto the plush carpet, her bare feet sinking into the softness, and crossed over to the dresser where her mother’s jewelry box, makeup, and perfume were kept. Magnolia picked up the small bottle of vanilla musk and uncapped it. She spritzed a little into the air and inhaled deeply, memories of her mother flooding back. Her mom’s laughter had always reminded her of jingle bells, such a merry and happy sound.

Magnolia crossed over to the bed, pulled the covers back, and slipped under them. In the warmth and safety of her parents’ bed, she allowed herself to cry. The sobs racked her body as she cried for the parents she loved so dearly. Could she have saved them? Was she the reason that they were gone? “I’m so sorry.” She sobbed into the pillow her father had always used.

“It is going to be alright, dear one.”

The voice sounded so much like her mother’s that Magnolia’s eyes shot open and searched out the shadows of the room. There was nothing — nobody — there. Closing her eyes, she snuggled farther down into the blankets and cried until she drifted off to sleep…

“It’s almost time. You need to be ready, dear one. Everything will change soon.” The woman before her had long blond locks with natural red highlights and eyes that reminded her of lavender. She was holding the hand of a tall handsome man with black hair, barely greying at the temples.
His
laughing golden eyes shone brighter when they
looked at
Magnolia.

“I don’t understand. Time for what?” Magnolia held back the tears threatening
to
flood her cheeks. She could not take her eyes off her parents.
How were they sitting before her? They appeared so happy, completely in love. “I’m sorry…”
The words came out with a
stifled
sob. “I am so sorry.
I didn’t mean for you to get into that accident. I miss you, I need you. Jace needs you. I am sorry.” The tears refused to obey her commands to stay behind her eyes.

“My little one.” Her father’s deep voice wrapped around her. “What happened was not your fault.”

“It
was! I knew it was going to happen.
I saw it in a dream.
I could have saved you. I didn’t
need a ride home from you that night. I didn’t need for you to come get me.
I was selfish,
and it cost me you.
I lost you forever because I wanted to get home thirty minutes sooner.” Fat tears dripped off her chin. “I cut your lives short. You missed out on so much because of me… I am sorry, so sorry.” She dropped down to her knees on the green grass.

Four arms were around her the second she touched the ground. “We did not miss out on a thing. We are always with you and
Jace.”
Her
mother stroked her hair the way she had when Magnolia had been just a child who’d
awoken
from a bad dream. “None of this was your fault.
Understand that. Believe it, for you,
my dear one,
are meant for great things. Great things that you will never accomplish if you are always looking back on that night. Do not allow it to hold you back. Remember that you are loved. Look to your future.”

“I don’t know how,”
Magnolia
whispered into her father’s shoulder as she clung to the both of them.

“Your story will be passed down from generation to generation as it always has been, but now it is almost time for you to finish it.”

Her eyes grew big as the tears subsided. “I don’t understand. How can my story be one that has been told already? I’m
not
even eighteen.
How can it have been passed down?”

“Wolf
Pup, do you still not understand?”
her father questioned softly. His finger guided her chin up so that she was looking at the both of them. “You are nearly grown. You are now able to do what you need to do because of the life that you have lived.”

“In the closet, under the floorboards you will discover what you are seeking.” The melodic voice tugged at her heart. “I love you.”

“We are proud of you Wolf
Pup and will always love you.” They began to fade from her arms.

“No! Please don’t leave me. Please.
I need you.
Jace needs you.” She reached out for them,
but only emptiness
remained
where they’d
been
a few seconds before. “Please…”

“M&M?” Concern filled the voice that called to her.

A light flicked on, illuminating the room. She rubbed the tears and sleep out of her eyes.

“You were calling out in your sleep again. Was it another dream of Daciana?” Jace looked around the room, eyes misting over when his gaze fell on the nightstand that still held the last tie their father had worn. “Why are you in here?”

He did not step farther into the room until Magnolia jumped from the bed, throwing the covers back. She leapt to the floor, yanked open the door to the closet, and dropped to her knees.

“I need a flashlight…” She moved the few boxes that had been on the closet floor out into the room. “…and a flat-headed screwdriver.” She felt around the floorboards, trying to feel for a loose board.

Jace handed her the items she asked for without question.

With the flashlight on, she could see that two boards were slightly lighter than the others and appeared to be joined. The screwdriver soon popped the boards up. There, under the floor, was a tin box shaped like a treasure chest. The little treasure chest was about the size of a child’s shoe box and had been painted similar to the mural in Magnolia’s bedroom. Clutching it to her body, she stood and walked out of the room.

Jace followed her down to the living room. “M&M, what happened? Was it another dream?

“It was Momma and Daddy.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

A
S SOON AS THE
two of them settled down in the living room, there was a knock on the front door. Jace looked at his sister, who was staring at the box as if it held the world inside of it. He shook his head and went to the door to find Bash with a brown bag and three cups in a carrier.

“I wanted to check on Mag. I brought food.” He lifted the bag as he spoke, and Jace moved aside to let him in.

“She’s in the living room. What happened today?” He stopped Bash from going any farther.

“I don’t know the details. I was outside in my truck. From what I understand, Sarah opened her big mouth. We all know that nothing good comes out when that happens. When she said something about your parents, Mag lost her cool and shoved her against a wall. Sarah and her friends claimed that Mag attacked her for no reason. Sarah’s parents have the school in their pocket, so they suspended your sister.”

“What’d she say?”

“I don’t know. Mag was trying to hide tears on the way home. Is she okay?” Bash’s eyes filled with concern as he leaned to look around Jace into the living room.

“I found her in our parents’ room when I got home. I think she dreamt of Daciana again. She has been strangely quiet since she awoke.” Jace took the cup carrier from Bash then led the way to the living room. “Bash is here.”

Magnolia glanced up at them and smiled. “It’s locked.” She lifted the box to show her brother.

He took it from her hands after he’d placed the milkshakes on the coffee table.

“Eat, then we’ll figure out how to open it.” He set it down next to her before handing her a shake.

Bash passed out burgers then placed the brown bag in between them. It was half full of French fries. They ate in silence, the guys staring at Magnolia and she staring at the box.

Jace was the first done. He picked the box up to examine the lock more closely. It was shaped like a starburst about the size of a dime. He knew he’d seen it before but could not quite place it. “What did you dream about?” he questioned, watching as his sister ate the pickles that Bash had taken off of his burger and left for her.