Chapter 14
“I’m not taking it,” I say. “I already have my English credits.”
“You did at your last school,” Maria says. “This one is different. They have different requirements.”
“Then I’ll take the class from another teacher.”
“You can’t. She’s the only one.”
“There’s no way I’m taking a class from that woman. She just met me and already hates me.”
“You could’ve been nicer to her,” Maria says under her breath.
“I was nice to her. And she still hated me.”
“She just needs more time to get to know you.”
“It wouldn’t matter. Did you see the way she talked to me? There’s nothing I could do that would make that woman like me. And I don’t care. I’m not trying to win her approval. Let her hate me.”
“I wouldn’t worry about Ms. Pruitt. She was probably just in a bad mood today.”
“She wasn’t when this other girl came in. When she saw her, she raced over to help her like she was her favorite student.”
“What girl?”
“Some blonde girl,” I say, not wanting to tell her I met Kristen at Jackson’s house. I don’t want to bring up Jackson again, knowing Maria doesn’t like him. I like Maria, but she’s not my mom. I don’t want her telling me what to do.
Her phone dings. She checks it and sighs.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Shayla’s covering for me today at a client’s house. The owner’s dogs made a mess and she can’t get the stains out of the carpet. I need to go help her.”
“Is Shayla coming over again? To Brock’s house?”
“Not with Brock there. He doesn’t like her filling in for me.” She pulls in the driveway and parks. “Why do you ask?”
I shrug. “We seemed to get along, and we’re the same age. I thought maybe we could talk again.”
She smiles. “She doesn’t have to be working for you two to talk. You can talk to her anytime. I’ll give you her number.” She pulls a business card from her purse, scribbles the number on the back, and hands it to me. “You can go ahead and go in. I’ll get the backpacks.”
“I can help,” I say, opening the door.
She grabs my arm, stopping me. “It’d be best if you don’t. Brock doesn’t like it when I ask for help. He’s even docked my pay for it.”
“Are you serious? That’s bullshit! I can help if I want.”
“Rumor, please.” She tightens her grip on my arm. “Just go inside. I’ll bring everything in.”
“I thought you had to go help Shayla.”
“It’ll have to wait. My shift doesn’t end until four. I’ll ask Brock if I can leave early.” She lets go of my arm and smiles. “Go ahead. Go inside. It’s a nice day. Maybe you could go for a swim.”
I look at her, trying to figure out if she’s scared or just worried about getting to the other client’s house in time to clean up the mess before they get home. She almost seems scared, but of what? Brock? He can be intimidating but not scary.
“Rumor, you need to go,” she says in an urgent tone, her eyes darting to the house.
I turn and see Brock coming out.
“Where have you been?” he asks as I get out of the van.
“At school. I asked Maria to take me.”
She’s standing next to me now, a nervous smile on her face. “She wanted to see the campus.”
“It wasn’t her idea,” I say to Brock. “I had to practically beg her to let me go.”
His eyes go to Maria, then back to me. “And what did you think?”
“Hated it. I want to go to public.”
He laughs. “You’re so dramatic. Perhaps you should consider acting after all.”
“I’m going inside,” I tell him. I pass by him, then turn back. “I need my backpack.”
“Maria will get it,” he says.
“I don’t want to wait. I’ll just get it now.”
Maria nervously watches as I open the back door of her van and pull out the black and green backpack.
“Let me at least carry it inside,” she says.
“I got it,” I tell her. I walk over to Brock. “You need to get me out of English.”
“It’s a required course.”
“But you have an in with the principal. You could get me out of it.”
“An in?” He chuckles. “I barely know Principal Edwards. He certainly doesn’t owe me any favors.” He pats my shoulder. “You’ll do fine in English. Ms. Pruitt is an excellent instructor. Now go inside. I’d like to speak with Ms. Gilroy.”
Glancing at Maria, I see the worry on her face. Why is she worried? She didn’t do anything wrong.
When I’m in the house, I look out the window and see Brock talking to Maria. He doesn’t seem angry. Maybe he just needed to tell her something.
As I go into my room, I notice the house is quiet. No loud music. No loud footsteps going down the hall. Braden and Trystan must be out doing stuff. I wish I had something to do. I’m so freaking bored, and when I’m bored, I think of my mom, which is something I’m trying not to do.
“Rumor,” Brock says, appearing at my door.
“I’m going for a swim,” I tell him, hoping it’ll make him go away.
“Before you do, we need to talk about the rules regarding the help.”
“You mean Maria?” I say, going up to him. “She has a name. And if you’re going to yell at me for going out with her today you can save your breath. I don’t care if you don’t like it. I needed to get out of the house and she offered to—” I stop, realizing I just revealed my earlier lie.
“So it was her idea,” he says.
“It was mine. I told her I wanted to see the school today.”
“And she offered to take you with her?”
“It wasn’t really an offer. I asked her if I could go.”
“Then why did you say she offered?”
“What difference does it make?” I say, going over to my dresser. “I wanted to go and she took me. What’s the big deal?”
He walks over to me. “Being seen with the help sends the wrong message. It implies she’s one of us, which she is not.”
I turn to him. “What are you trying to say? That Maria isn’t good enough for me to hang out with? Sorry, but I’m not a snob like you and your sons. Maria’s a nice person. I like her. And if I want to go places with her, I will.” I yank open a drawer, looking for a swimsuit.
Brock slams the drawer shut and steps in front of it.
“You will do as I say for as long as you live here. While I agree that Maria is a nice person, she is not one of us. She has her own friends. Her own life. Just like we do. Our lives are to remain separate, which she understands. You’re new so she doesn’t see you like she sees the boys.
Given how you act and how you dress, you’re more like her daughter, so I can see how she might’ve been confused.
But we’ve discussed it and now she understands. ”
“She can’t take me places?” I ask, folding my arms over my chest. “Is that what you’re saying?”
“She is not to be seen with you in public, especially at Twisted Pine where you need to establish yourself as a Halliway.”
“I’m not a Halliway,” I say, getting angry. “My name is Bennet. Rumor Bennet.”
He leans down to my face. “Your father is a Halliway. You should’ve had his name since the day you were born. If you had, you would’ve had opportunities children your age couldn’t even imagine.”
“I had plenty of opportunities,” I say, meeting his stare. “My mom and I had a good life. And I’m glad I have her name. Why would I want the last name of my drug addict dad who’s spent most of his life in rehab?”
“Nobody thinks of Devon when they hear the Halliway name. They think of me, and my success as an actor. That name comes with benefits.” He stands up straight. “You’ve been given a second chance. The opportunities you missed out on are now right in front of you. You just need to take them.”
“What opportunities? Living in a fancy house? Having money? Those aren’t opportunities. It’s just showing off to people like Maria who don’t have anything.”
“I’m talking about people. The opportunity to meet the right people is priceless. The right people with the right connections can change your life.”
“Like Miranda? The woman you only married because her dad was head of the studio?”
He chuckles. “You think you’re so smart.
You have no fucking idea.” He leans closer to my face.
“Coming here and going to Twisted Pine is your last chance to make something of yourself. Otherwise, you’ll end up like the rest of them.
A nobody, struggling to pay your bills, living in some run-down apartment.
Marrying some deadbeat who gets you pregnant, leaving you with even more bills you can’t pay. Is that the life you want?”
“If it makes me happy, then yeah. Money doesn’t guarantee happiness. Just look at your sons. And you.”
He slowly smiles as he backs away. “Go out and enjoy the pool. I’ll see you at dinner.”
“I’m skipping dinner. I’m not hungry.”
“You will be at dinner.” He walks to the door. “And you will not be going on any more outings with Maria.”
“I’ll do what I want,” I say, yanking open my dresser drawer.
“She’s already been instructed. She will not be driving you anywhere again.” He leaves and goes down the hall.
I race to the door and yell, “I’m not going to be a prisoner in this house!”
He ignores me and keeps walking.
I hate him. And I hate living here.
What does he expect me to do? Never leave my room? Braden and Trystan get to go wherever they want, while I sit here with nothing to do?
I don’t think so.
Slamming my door shut, I storm to my dresser and grab my phone and house key. I run back to the door and lock it, then go out the sliding door to the patio. Hurrying around the pool, I make my way to the stairs and down to the beach.
It’s really hot out today. A swim in the pool would’ve felt good, but I don’t have time for that now. There’s only one way to get some freedom in that house, and I’m determined to make it happen.
When I arrive at his house, I look up at the windows but can’t see inside with the glare of the sun.
He may not be home. If so, I’ll wait at his door.
I could text him and ask if I can come over, but there’s a chance he’ll tell me not to.
He seemed annoyed when I showed up earlier, probably because his girlfriend was coming over.
I didn’t mean to scare her away. It’s strange that she left like that.
It’s even stranger that she pretended not to know me when she saw me at the bookstore.