Unconventional Scars (3 page)

“No. I’m used to being by myself.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Oh. What all did Mrs. Alvarez tell you?”

“That you were basically left to fend for yourself most of the time. Just so you know, it won’t be that way with me. You’ll be very well provided for.”

“Are you
sure
you’re related to my mom?”

Phil laughed at this. “I used to wonder sometimes. We were completely different, even as kids.”

“Guess that’s a good thing.” Anna tried to keep the bitterness from her voice. It wasn’t easy.

****

With the initial barrier broken, they discovered
more about
each other
during the long drive home.

He learned that she’d frequented the public library because she loved to read, and that she loved music. He suspected she had used these activities as escapes. She didn’t appear to have had any friends, other than an elderly lady who lived in her apartment complex and served as a surrogate mother.

He learned that orange was still her favorite color, that she loved cheese pizza and anything chocolate, that
history
had always been her best subject in school, and that she’d never had any major illnesses. That she had taken driver’s education and had her learner’s permit, but not her license. That she’d once spent two weeks living in a public park
when she and her mother were homeless. That she believed her mother loved her and was only neglectful because she didn’t know any better.

She countered with questions of her own. Anna learned that her mother and uncle used to play practical jokes on each other when they were children and that as a result, he once washed his hair with shampoo laced with pink dye.

She learned that he had met Lisa when she sold him the house
where he now lived
and that on their first date they went canoeing and it rained most of the time but they had fun anyway. That he was thirty-six years old, enjoyed his career, went skiing frequently during the winter months, and ate takeout most of the time because he was a lousy cook. That he had been miserable in his first marriage.

They stopped around
three o’clock
at a rest stop to stretch their legs and use the restrooms. Phil had to admit
,
his niece was the perfect traveling companion. She seemed to have an infinite amount of patience
, never once asking how much longer the drive would be
.

They had dinner at a steakhouse just before sundown. As the wait
er
showed them to their table, Phil couldn’t help noticing that the
girl
’s step was peppier, that
her eyes were brighter
.
Oh, the resilience of youth.
She appeared to
now
be enjoying this little road trip, and the mountainous landscape fascinated her.
Undoubtedly
she had never traveled much,
aside from moving from place to place,
and it occurred to him that eating in a restaurant was
more than
likely a rarity for her
as well
. Considering his cooking skills,
that
would soon change.

By the time they reached the city limits of home, the sun had long since set and Anna had fallen asleep, her head resting against the car window. The lights from town woke her, however, and she lifted her head, blinking sleepily and looking around.

“We’re here!” Phil announced. “Smoky Hollow,
North Carolina
. Home sweet home.” He felt a bit like a tour guide as he pointed out some of the businesses. Anna was quiet, but scrutinized the sights with interest.

“There’s a video store right there -
they have a great selection.
That’s the post office over there. The library’s one street over. That Chinese restaurant is really good – I order from there all the time because they deliver.
I think I personally keep them in business.
And . . .
there’s the high school where you’ll be going.
East Emerson High.
” He thought he detected trepidation in her eyes as she gazed at the school, and once again felt sadness for this kid whose social life had been so warped. He prayed silently that she would fit in here.

Only a few blocks from downtown, Philip abruptly turned into a driveway and looked over at the familiar stranger by his side. “Well, here we are,” he said gently. They were home.

****

Anna was surprised by how chilly the March air was when she opened the car door. Even more surprising was the house itself. Still feeling a bit groggy from her nap, she couldn’t help but wonder if somehow she was still asleep and none of this was even real. Because this couldn’t
possibly
be her new home. No way! Oh, holy cow . . .

Even in the dark, she could see that the house was beautiful. It was a two-story log home with a paved driveway leading up to a garage, whose open door displayed a black Suburban with a ski rack on top. In front of the house were cedar steps leading up to a porch framed with wooden rails. As she walked closer, a light tripped by a motion sensor illuminated the area and the first thing she noticed was a swing hanging on the far side of the porch. The front door was flanked on either side by two huge windows, covered from the inside by thick drapes. There was even a
n expensive-looking
wreath on the door. It occurred to her that if anyone in her old neighborhood had ever put a wreath like
that
on the door, it would have
been swiped
by dawn the next day.

“Here, can you grab these bags please?” Phil had the trunk open and was pulling out his suitcase and her own plastic bags. She took them from him and he grinned at her wide-eyed expression. “So what do you think of your new home?”

“It’s . . . gorgeous!”
She didn't know what else to say. This was a far cry from anyplace she'd ever lived before.
No graffiti on the walls. No broken windows. No dealers hanging around the neighborhood. No reason to be afraid. Not anymore.

Slamming the trunk, Phil jerked his head toward the house. “Come on, let’s go inside.” With the relaxed ease of a person who is in their own familiar surroundings, he jogged up the steps, quickly located the house key on his key ring and opened the front door, clicking on a light as he entered. Anna followed behind, gaping. The front door opened directly into a living room with a vaulted ceiling and hardwood floor. Against the wall on the right was a stone fireplace. On the left of that was a huge oak entertainment center holding a large flat
screen television and DVD player. Beside this was a wall rack holding
hundreds
of DVDs and CDs, and nearby was a home audio system.

A tan leather sofa with red pillows faced the fireplace and television. End tables with matching lamps were on either side of the couch, and situated around the cozy room was more furniture – a
wine-red
recliner on the far side, a rocking chair with a red cushion nearest the window. The drapes covering the windows were a deep hunter green, with lovely designs of tan and red woven into them.

To the far left of the front door was a staircase and farther into the room was an open archway, where Phil was heading. He clicked on a light just inside and said, “Here’s the kitchen.” Anna followed and peeked inside. It was a lovely, spacious kitchen, with ceramic tiles and a large breakfast nook. Moonlight shone in through the sliding glass doors.

After giving her a moment to take it all in, Phil clicked off the kitchen light and pointed to a
hallway.
“My bedroom and bathroom
are down the hall on the right. The door across the hall
leads to
my office
. The computer's in there if you ever need to use it. Actually, we might want to get you one of your own. You'll probably need it for school. Anyway, the door next to that leads to t
he basement. Laundry facilities are down there. You can explore all you want later, but right now I’ll show you to your room because you look exhausted.
No offense.
”

Anna trailed after him up the stairs. “
The room on the left is just kinda where I store all my junk. Weight bench, skis, all that crap."
He turned to the right and opened a door. “This is . . . was . . . the spare bedroom. It’s yours now. I know it doesn’t exactly look like a girl’s room but you can personalize it later, however you like. Um, and it has its own bathroom too. Lisa already came over and stocked it with some stuff for you. I wouldn’t have a clue what you might need.”

All the time he was speaking, Anna stood frozen just inside the doorway. How could he be so nonchalant about all this? She felt as if she’d stepped into the home of some
flawless
family sitcom. That she, Anna Moore, was to be granted the luxury of residing in this paradise after living in squalor all her life was beyond comprehension. It was overwhelming.

Suddenly feeling cold, she began to shake. All the events of the past two weeks felt as if they were rising out of her and sticking in her throat
,
and without meaning to, without any warning, she began to cry. And the more she tried not to, the more futile the struggle to restrain her emotions became. The frustration of past years fought for release.

Even through her tears, she could see that poor Uncle Phil looked horrified. He had her sit on the edge of the bed and then joined her, awkwardly patting her back while attempting to soothe her by saying things like, “If you want I’ll have an interior decorator come in and redo the room however you want it! Please don’t cry! What is it? Are you homesick? Is it the color? We can paint it!
Anything you want!
”

If Anna
hadn't been
crying so hard, she
might
have laughed. Between sobs, she told him, “It’s not . . . that . . .
hiccup
. . . the room’s pretty . . .
hiccup
. . . I don’t . . . know . . . why I’m crying . . .
hiccup
. . . I’m sorry . . .”

Eventually her tears subsided and she sat hunched over, sniffling and feeling foolish. Phil gave her a hug and told her that she should go to bed, that she’d feel better in the morning after a good night’s sleep. “You can take a nice hot bath if you like. There’s towels and everything you need in there.” He stood up. “I know this has all been really rough on you. But things are going to get better, I promise. You won’t believe how much better. Trust me, you’re going to be happy here. I’m just downstairs if you need me.” Then he left, closing the door softly behind him.

Anna took a deep breath. She felt so stupid for coming apart like that. She also, oddly enough, felt a lot better.
Why do girls have to be so emotional?
she wondered.
Uncle Phil probably thinks I’m a basket case. He’s right though, a hot bath and a good night’s sleep are just what I need right now.

The bathroom was unbelievable. It was huge too, with a lovely garden tub, a separate shower, and plenty of counter space. A wide mirror filled the entire space above the sink. A towel rack on the wall held peach-colored towels and washcloths. And everything was so clean, it practically sparkled. Some items had already been placed on the counter and on the side of the tub. Soap, shampoo, conditioner, shaving gel, a package of pink disposable razors, toothpaste, a toothbrush, mouthwash . . . anything she could have possibly needed was right at her fingertips. Lisa had even included a box of tampons, which in Anna’s opinion was a really thoughtful gesture.

While running her bath Anna also discovered, to her delight, a bottle of scented bubble bath, and she added some to the steaming water. It smelled heavenly, sort of like honeysuckle. It felt a bit queer to undress in this strange new place, but she stripped off her clothes quickly and emerged herself in the foamy water. She felt less self-conscious underneath the bubbles.

For a while, she just lay there with her eyes closed, inhaling the fragrance and feeling luxurious. It was hard to fathom that this was to be her very own bathroom, that every day from now on she would have this
elegant
room
in which to bathe and get
ready for school. She tried to picture herself, standing in front of the mirror on weekday mornings, brushing her teeth and preparing herself for school. It seemed weird.

Anna thought about Uncle Phil. He seemed like an easy person to get along with. What would it be like, living here with him? So far everything seemed almost too perfect to be true. There was bound to be a flaw.
No doubt
that flaw would be school and trying to fit in there.
Well, a
t least there were only two and a half more months before summer vacation. She could take solace in that.

By the time Anna reluctantly left the bathtub, her fingers and toes were wrinkled. She wrapped herself in one of the thick peach-colored bath towels and padded across the sage-green plush carpet into her new room. As she got into her panties and nightgown, she inspected the area more thoroughly. The queen-sized bed was neatly made up with maroon-colored sheets and a pretty, if not exactly very feminine, brown and maroon comforter. There was a dresser with an oval mirror above it, a small desk and chair, and a door that led to a large closet. On one side of the bed was a nightstand with a lamp and a clock radio on it, informing her that it was long past midnight.