CHAPTER TWO
Marissa Jordan was never so happy to leave her family in all her life. As a triplet, and also the sister of another set of triplets, her family was overwhelming.
For most of her life, they’d lived on the Victorian island in the old mansion along with her cousins, also triplets. It was a good life and there were always plenty of kids to play with but it would have been nice if they’d been closer to some of the other kids at Belle Fleur.
Every day they would take the boat across the bayou, have breakfast with the others and walk to school together. Every day. The problem for Marissa was that she never felt as though she had a moment to herself. There was always another sibling or cousin hanging around.
If she wanted to read in quiet, she would climb up to the top floor and hide on the gabled window seat.
When her siblings found that hiding spot, she had to find another.
It seemed as though there was never a moment that belonged just to her and there were never enough hiding spots to keep her siblings away from her.
“Hi bug,” smiled her father. “How was your day?”
“Dad. I’m almost eighteen. Please stop calling me that,” she frowned. Christopher looked at his daughter, his wife Ramey smirking at him.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No. Nothing is wrong. Just, well, you have to stop talking to me like I’m three, Dad. I’m leaving for college in a few weeks and you’re still treating me like I’m a child.”
“Because you are, bu-, Marissa,” he said, correcting himself. “You’re my child. You’ll always be my child and I’ll always treat you that way. If I’ve made you feel as though I don’t see you as a young woman, I apologize.”
“Thank you,” she said sighing.
“Now, what’s wrong?” he asked her. Her mother sat down at the kitchen table staring at her. She had a way of staring straight through Marissa, as if she knew every thought, every word in her head.
“I-I need to tell you guys something. I’m not going to LSU.”
“What do you mean? Are you going to work here for a while and start next year?” asked her mother.
“No, Mom. I mean, I withdrew my acceptance from LSU and took the offer from Duke.”
“Duke? As in Duke University in North Carolina?” asked her father.
“Yes.”
“You did that without telling us?” he frowned. “Duke is a lot more expensive than LSU, Marissa. We needed to know that.”
“I know. I know, but I got a partial scholarship and I already have a job in the lab on campus. Their chemistry department is superior to just about anyone and I really want to go away.”
“I see,” said Christopher staring at his wife.
“You should have spoken to us about this, Marissa,” said Ramey. “This is a big decision. A family decision.”
“How is it a family decision?” she said frowning.
“You didn’t make it a family decision when Brooks and Mitchell decided to become SEALs.
No one cared. No one said a word. They said, ‘hey, we’re joining the Navy and we’re going to become SEALs,’ and you all applauded.
But when I say I’m going to a different university you act like it’s the end of the world. ”
“It’s not the end of the world,” said Christopher, “but what your brothers are doing doesn’t involve financial support.”
“So, it’s about money? Fine, I’ll get two jobs.”
“Marissa, stop!” said Ramey scolding her headstrong daughter. “You know this isn’t about money. You can go to whatever school you want. We’re confused as to why you didn’t utter a word to us about this. You tell us just a few weeks before you’re supposed to leave. What are we supposed to think?”
“That I have a mind of my own,” she said frowning.
“Oh, we’re well aware that you have a mind of your own,” said Christopher. He stared at his daughter, remembering her stubbornness as a child. What he never acknowledged was that she hadn’t grown out of it.
The silence at the kitchen table seemed overwhelming until Ramey stood, nodding at her daughter.
“We’re proud of you, Marissa. Duke is an amazing school and you’re going to do great things. If that’s where you want to go, we support your decision.”
She waited for her father to say something but he just nodded at her.
“Thank you,” she said kissing her mother’s cheek, then her father’s. She ran out of the front door, probably afraid they’d change their minds. When her brothers walked in the door, her father stared at them.
“What? What did we do now?” grinned Brooks.
“Did you know? About your sister?” Now they were both worried.
“What happened? What’s wrong?” asked Mitchell.
“Nothing is wrong,” said Ramey. “Marissa is fine, it’s just that she announced to us a few minutes ago she’s not going to LSU. She changed her admission and is going to Duke.”
“Duke? In North Carolina?” frowned Mitchell. “Why?”
“We don’t know but she’s been different this year and we’re not sure why. She’s always been a bit more introverted than the two of you but it feels like she’s withdrawing completely now,” said Ramey.
“Do you want us to talk to her?” asked Brooks.
“No. No, she’ll think we sent you,” said Christopher. “Maybe you could do a siblings day before you all leave. Just the three of you.”
Brooks and Mitchell made that happen. They got Marissa into the boat with a lunch packed for all of them and headed to one of the outer islands, ready to relax and reminisce.
“Are you guys ready to be SEALs?” she asked staring at her brothers.
“We are,” smiled Mitchell. “We’ve been training for this since we were kids.”
“Will you be careful?” she asked.
“You know we will, Marissa. We’ll always come home,” said Brooks.
“You can’t promise that,” she said looking away. The brothers stared at one another, then reached for her hands.
“Hey, why did you change schools? LSU was closer to home,” said Mitchell.
“And that’s why,” she said pulling her hands back. “Since the day we were born we’ve been surrounded, literally surrounded by our entire family. We never got a moment alone. Not one second. It was always someone up our butts.”
“I don’t feel that way,” said Brooks. “If I wanted time alone I’d go to one of the islands or just walk the trails, ride my bike, something.”
“As a girl I didn’t get those options,” she frowned. “I had to have one of you with me. All. The. Time. And if it wasn’t one of you, it was mom or dad or one of the cousins. I was never alone.”
“We’re sorry,” said Mitchell. “I thought we were close and that we wanted to spend more time together. I didn’t mean to crowd you.”
Marissa let out a long slow breath and then looked up at her brothers.
“You weren’t crowding me. You guys were able to have more freedom than me because you’re boys. I didn’t get that option. I love you. You know I love you, I just need to have some time alone and college seems like the right time to do it.”
“Well, if that’s what you think will make you happy, then I’m all for it.” Brooks kissed his sister’s cheek and she smiled. Mitchell was slower to climb on board.
“Just promise me that you’ll call us if you need anything or if anything should happen,” he said staring at her.
“Mitchell, you guys will be in Virginia or maybe San Diego. You’ll have your own stuff to worry about. I’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
Marissa remembered that conversation every single day. Her first two semesters had gone well. She was making the Dean’s List, she was making friends, dating, but then things slowly started to change.
When her roommates decided to change schools in her junior year, she was suddenly in need of two new roommates. Interviewing candidates was a disaster so she relied on other friends to recommend people.
She should have never listened to them. She should have called home, asked the comms team to do a background on them, and then select them. Instead, she made an impulsive decision.
The two girls she allowed to move in were very different from Marissa. They were each only taking two classes a week and worked a nighttime job at a bar that caused them to have distracting hours.
“You guys working tonight?” she asked hopefully. She wanted her time alone and was considering calling her parents for the extra support to have a place by herself.
“No. In fact, we’re going out with some friends on a boat. Do you wanna come?” said Trina.
“Oh, I don’t think so. I’ll just hang back and get some reading done.”
“Marissa, you have to get out and have fun once in a while. We’ve known you for over a year now.
You’re in graduate school and always have your nose in a book.
You’re young, girl. These guys are awesome and we always have a good time.
No drugs but they do serve alcohol and have food. It’s just a good time relaxing.”
“I don’t know,” she said hesitantly.
“Listen, we go out with them usually two or three times a month. Think about it and if you wanna go next weekend, we’d love it,” said Daphne.
“Thanks for the invite,” smiled Marissa. “I promise I’ll think about it.”
Worst decision of her life.