Chapter Eighteen
Amelie
Lowkey banging comes from outside. Why the hell would they have maintenance men working this early on a weekend? It’s insane. Surely we deserve a sleep in on the weekends?
The banging stops and I manage to close my eyes for a while. Until the door handle to my room starts to jiggle and the door flies open.
“I hope you’re decent,” Elsie calls out. How the hell did she get in my room? “I tried knocking and had to get help.”
A body lands on mine, trapping me under my blanket. “I hope she isn’t decent, let me check.” Kalen lifts the blanket enough to stick his head under and annoyingly tries to wiggle underneath, his head close to my bare legs, though I have on underwear.
“No fair, she has on clothes.” Elsie laughs, she actually laughs at him. That's it, the apocalypse is here and they have no choice but to team up.
“I’m up,” I groan, pushing Kalen onto the floor, my blanket going with him. “Why are you here so early?”
“It’s lunch time, far from early and I have a surprise,” she says.
“Okay, I hate surprises,” I throw back, going to my suitcase and pulling out a hoodie. It falls to just below my ass, covering me enough.
“I went and had a talk with the headmaster.”
“You did?” I ask, surprised.
“She did,” Kalen says, popping up off the floor and back onto my bed, looking like he actually belongs there.
“Okay and how did he get involved?”
“So, I went and asked if you could get a day pass to leave the school - usually you can’t leave in your first year here at Knox but I thought since you are technically a second year, he may let you leave.
I had a speech and everything prepared to argue my case, but he just said yes, on one condition. ”
“What was that condition?” I ask cautiously, please do not let it include the incubator.
“Me,” Kalen pipes up.
“You?”
“Yes, well technically he just said one of his sons has to come but I figured Kalen is the most tolerable. That, and the twins wouldn’t ever talk to me, and I doubt Mr Knox would have wanted to hang with students.”
“I’m hurt, Vag…” I throw Kalen a look that has him quickly changing what he was about to say. “Elsie...that you wouldn’t have thought of me first, I’m the best Knox brother and we all know it.”
“Most annoying,” Elsie coughs under her breath.
“I get to leave this place for the day! Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”
“We tried, Kalen had to go get a spare key from his dad. When you didn’t answer we thought you may have died from alcohol poisoning.”
“Let's not waste anymore time! I want to get out of here.” I grab a pair of my chucks and slip them on my feet.
“Um, sis, you can’t wear that.”
“And why the hell not?”
“We predicted this would happen and I have something of mine, school rules, we have to take pride in our appearance if we want to leave the property, also another condition from our headmaster...”
“What is that?” I say, taking the bag Elsie holds out for me with an outfit in it.
I don’t bother arguing; it is some form of freedom after all.
Wordlessly, I take the bag and disappear into my en-suite bathroom.
Once safely shut away from Kalen’s prying eyes, I look in the bag.
Actually, Elsie didn’t do so bad, a plain tight long sleeved black shirt, a tartan skirt with attached suspenders and these weird stockings which look like ? socks and the rest fishnet stocking.
When fully dressed, I go back out into my room for approval.
“Throw on your boots and we can go,” Elsie says. Kalen just stares.
After my boots are on, I even run a brush through my hair and add some product to help tame the waves.
“Another condition…” Elsie starts.
“I thought you said there was only one,” I counter with suspicion. I hate conditions being added on.
“More like three: Kalen; buying you clothes and any supplies that you need; and we have to take your car.”
“Don’t forget, I want to get our costumes sorted for the Halloween party! It’s a week on Tuesday and you’re woefully under prepared.”
“Another party? We just went to one last night.” Kalen laughs at me.
“I hate costume parties.”
“Tough luck, sis. Suck it up, buttercup… Let's go spend my dad's money,” Kalen jokes. “And get some food, I'm starving.”
We go to the student car park where my car is kept, and Elsie shows the security guard our leave passes.
He radios down to the main gate to let us leave.
Kalen and Elsie fight over the front seat, but of course Kalen wins, only because Elsie gives up arguing with him.
I would do the same; the guy has a come back for everything.
I sit and stare at him for a moment. He really is handsome.
I could see myself being with him and, as much as that scares me, it really does sound nice.
I have always kept myself at arms’ length from any guys I have met, knowing that no one would have been accepted by Aadi and Smalls.
But now I have the chance to make connections with people and not be worried. It's appealing.
Then I feel guilty for thinking it. I couldn’t be with him; when I’m sent home, I will be on the first flight out of here and far away from the woman who birthed me.
Leaving these two behind will hurt, and hopefully they will still want to be friends, but I wonder if Kalen would even consider following me back.
“Earth to Amelie, can we get out of here?” Elsie says, snapping her fingers at the side of my face.
“Hey, stop rushing her, she was checking out my handsome face and amazing jaw line.”
“Pfft, in your dreams, loser. Huge ego much?”
“What was that, Vagitarian? I can’t hear you over my massive ego.”
“You are just jealous that I can eat pussy better than you.”
Kalen laughs. “Wanna put that to the test?”
“Don’t even think about it,” I laugh when they both look at me. I take that as a sign to leave, and pull out of the garage and onto the road that leads to the main gate.
The car is toasty and warm, Elsie made sure to bring me a spare coat, something I will need to buy for myself today.
I’m not sure I would survive the year without one.
Where I live, we don’t see weather this cold unless it is the middle of winter.
Kalen and Elsie laughed about that. They think today is a generally nice day.
I think they’re insane; I’ve had a constant chill in my bones since I arrived here.
The address Kalen typed into the gps leads us to a quaint little pub and I’m starting to notice a pattern with him.
“This place has the best roast dinner,” Kalen says excitedly and jumps from the car when it’s barely even parked.
Elsie takes her time and throws her coat at me when she notices me rubbing my arms. It would look amazing on her, but it hangs past my knees.
She is taller and thinner than I am. I managed to get my incubator’s height, but not much else.
My curvy body comes from my Nonna, my breasts too large for my frame, my hips and thighs hold a little weight, just enough to make me look out of proportion for my height.
I’m not the kind of girl who gets all hung up on her weight, it is what I have to work with and I like the skin I'm in.
“Come on, we need to order, I’m so hungry I could eat the ass of a low flying duck…was that good, Amelie?”
I laugh. Kalen and I spend way too much time teaching each other slang and phrases. I have noticed a lot of similarities between our languages but so many more differences. It’s been fun.
We find a table and pick what we want to eat. Kalen insists on paying and goes to place our food and drink orders, leaving Elsie and I to talk.
“He really likes you,” she says.
“I know. I really like him too. I didn’t want to, but I do.”
“As painful as this is to say, what’s holding you back?”
“Lots. Unresolved feelings about a guy back home...wanting to go home...knowing that even if I start something, after three years - if it lasted that long - I would still go back to Australia. I don’t see my future here and, as slutty as this sounds, I am so confused about the other Knox brothers. They’re hot and cold.”
“Hmm, I want you to be careful. Kalen isn’t so bad; his heart is at least in the right place.
If I were you, I would take a leap, because you could die tomorrow.
All those problems will resolve themselves eventually.
You’re eighteen, have fun. It isn’t like you are looking for a husband.
The twins might back off if they see you with him”
That's the problem, I don’t know if I really want them to. I like the attention from them all. The connection I had that night with Sawyer was unlike anything I have ever felt before. “Maybe you’re right.”
“What is she right about?” Kalen asks joining us again.
“That you are the wrong guy for her and that she should just date Baxter.”
“Like hell will she date Branson!” he snaps and I wonder what the deal is with his family and Baxter.
“Why do you and your brothers have an issue with Baxter? He doesn’t seem that bad.”
“He is that bad Amelie. Stay away from him; that guy is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He’ll turn on you and you won’t even know. I wish my father would just kick him out. Far safer for everyone that way.” Okay then, Baxter is a sore subject. Elsie must feel the tension.
“Sooo, let's talk about you two.”
“Nothing to tell,” I answer
“She lies, there is lots to tell. I think you missed the sex part, because I happen to think that was very memorable.”
At least they are not at each other's throats, there's a slim chance they might even be friends one day.
We talk and joke for the remainder of the time at the pub and Kalen was right, the food is amazing, although I’m not sure how I feel about a thing called Yorkshire pudding. But that sparked an outrage.
Shopping with Elsie and Kalen is an experience.
Elsie is organised, knows where to go and where has the best deals.
Poor Kalen is stacked with bags, not that he seems to mind when we get to a lingerie shop and declares Elsie the bag ‘watcherer’ and takes off inside, holding up lace and silk against my body.
A lady measures me and Kalen starts grabbing so many things that I just let him go and take a seat beside Elsie.
We both watch him hold up items and look at them curiously.
I’m pretty sure we saw him add a pair of crotchless underwear to the pile, and at this rate I’ll be able to wear a new pair every day for the rest of the year.
Once he’s done, he hands the items to the sales lady and I join him.
“Your boyfriend is so thoughtful,” she gushes, jealousy written on her face.
“My sister needs a new style,” he says and the lady looks from him to me in horror. “Can’t have me bending her over…”
“Kalen, you are freaking the lady out and I am not your damn sister!”
She quickly scans the rest of the items, refusing to meet our gazes. She bags the items up and Kalen hands over his card. I shrug because both cards are paid for by Monty, so it’s pointless arguing about it.
By the time we leave the shops, costumes for Halloween sorted by Kalen as a surprise, the sun has gone down. Kalen agrees to drive us back, as long as he gets control of the radio. Neither Elsie or I care. Elsie rests her head on some of the bags.
I must nod off on the trip home, because the next thing I know Kalen is waking me, a lot more tenderly than I expected. “Hey, sleeping beauty, it’s time to wake up.” I blink and adjust to the darkness.
“Where is Elsie?” I ask.
“I dropped her close to her dorm. She said she’ll see you tomorrow.”
Kalen loads himself up with some bags and I have to grab just as many as he does. We leave some in the car and Kalen says he will come back for the rest tomorrow.