Chapter 4 #3
Once I was sure he was gone, I pulled my backpack from my shoulders and unzipped it to take out my phone.
Seeing the contents of my bag made my stomach swirl with irritation.
They expected me to go off to some strange school tomorrow, and all I’d brought with me was one change of clothes.
My mother had some serious explaining to do.
I found my phone at the bottom of the bag and dialed home. Mom answered on the first ring. “How was it? Did you meet him?”
“Oh, yeah, and my father’s a real peach. I can’t imagine why it took you seventeen years to introduce us.”
She let out a low exhale. “It didn’t go well then.”
“No, it didn’t. The man thinks I’m trash and seems to want to change everything about me. But, that’s not even the worst bit. Did you really agree to send me away to school?”
The other end of the line went quiet for a moment.
“Mom?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I agreed.” Her voice was low and filled with shame. Her guilt only flared my annoyance.
“And you didn’t think to ask me?”
“Well, I knew you’d be hesitant,” she rushed to explain.
“So, you just sent me here knowing I wouldn’t be coming home. Not giving me a chance to say goodbye. Fully aware I’d be gone for months.”
“Yes.”
“I only have one change of underwear!”
“Isobel …”
“Mom …”
“We figured it would be easier this way. He said he has everything you could ever need.”
Everything I could ever need? That was impossible when the thing I needed most in life was my mom. She was my best friend. We did everything together. I was too angry to tell her that though. “How could you do this to me?”
“How could I say no? To letting you attend one of the most prestigious schools in the country?”
“Uh, easy. You just say no.”
Mom wouldn’t be derailed though. “Isobel, you’re so smart. You deserve every opportunity in life, and going to Weybridge Academy will give you a real shot at getting into a great college next year. A college Matthew has offered to pay for …”
My mom sounded like such a sellout, and I struggled to reign in my anger. “Surely, if you wanted this guy to bankroll my education, you would have asked for his help getting me into this snotty school years ago. Why now? Why not last year or the year before that? What changed?”
Mom took a deep breath.
“Mom?”
“You changed,” she answered quietly. “You stopped dreaming, and I won’t let you waste your life.”
“I didn’t stop dreaming. I just decided I’m not going to college.”
“Why? Because you so desperately want to spend the rest of your life in Rapid Bay? I know that’s not the life you want, and I won’t let you stay here and be held back because of me.”
“People change their minds, Mom. I told you I don’t want to go to college anymore.”
“I’m not stupid, Isobel. I know I’m the reason you haven’t looked at colleges for next year. But I can manage the café just fine without your help.”
“I like helping out at the café.”
“I know you do. But Rapid Bay is the life I wanted. And if you go to this school, the possibilities for you will be endless.” She paused for a moment, and her voice calmed as she continued. “You don’t honestly want to go back to school here after everything that happened there last year, do you?”
I swallowed a heavy lump in my throat. “I’m not that fragile. Yes, I was upset by everything that happened, but that doesn’t mean I want to run away.”
“It’s not running away. You’ve been like a zombie all summer, and you haven’t seen a single one of your friends during the break. You deserve a fresh start, and you deserve the future you dreamed of. Matthew can help give you that.”
I scrunched up my nose at the sound of my father’s name on her lips. I hated to hear her say it. I still couldn’t understand how she ever could have been attracted to someone like him in the first place. My mom was so full of life, but I wasn’t sure if Matthew even knew how to crack a smile.
“What did you ever see in him? Was it the money?”
“Of course, it wasn’t the money,” she replied. “He’s not so bad, Isobel. Give him a chance, and you’ll see he’s got a big heart.”
It seemed far more likely the man had an empty cavity in his chest, so I found it hard to believe her. “Mom, I don’t want him in my life, and I don’t want to go to a school that’s so far away from you. Can’t I just come home?”
She didn’t even pause before she responded. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that. I’d never forgive myself if you wasted this opportunity. No. You’re staying right where you are. You may be angry with me right now, but one day, you’ll thank me.”
I was struck speechless by the finality in her voice. Mom never made decisions this way. She’d never forced my hand like this before. We’d always discussed these things together.
“Well, I guess that’s that then.” My tone was devoid of emotion, and I couldn’t help but feel hurt by how this had all played out. My mom had always told me there were things more important in life than money, but it seemed that was a lie. How could she abandon me this way?
“I guess I’ll see you when I see you then,” I said. “Maybe Thanksgiving or Christmas …”
“Isobel …”
“No, Mom, you don’t get to Isobel me. You’ve really hurt me. I can barely even talk to you.”
“Okay …” she murmured. “Well, call me when you get to school. I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
“Sure, Mom. I’ll talk to you then.”
I ended the call and walked over to the balcony doors.
I pressed my forehead against the glass and stared out at the rolling expanse of green lawns beyond.
The sun was starting to set, lighting up the sky with a pinky golden hue as it breached the horizon.
I normally loved a beautiful sunset, but I couldn’t appreciate this one.
Not when my whole life was about to turn upside down.
My dad was even worse than I’d expected, my mom had betrayed me, and tomorrow I was leaving behind everything I knew.
As I stepped back from the doors, I caught my reflection in the glass. My blonde hair was a mess, my eyes were wide, and my ripped jeans and stained top looked completely out of place in the lavish bedroom that surrounded me.
I didn’t belong here, and going to Weybridge Academy was only going to prove it. I’d felt like a fish out of water from the moment I’d arrived in this town. And it seemed that tomorrow I was going to have to figure out how to breathe air.