Legally Kidnapped [Contest Edit]

Chapter 1:1

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Anne Hathaway would love this room. She would giggle and squeal and flit around peeking at things and tossing her hair and throwing herself on the bed. And I think that’s what Elizabeth Cunningham is expecting me to do. She stands, looking from me to the room, to me again. She’s just smiling and smiling and my face is hurting for her. Or maybe my face is hurting for other reasons.4

Like the fact that Elizabeth Cunningham, my biological mother, has changed my life--for the worst. She took me away from my mother and expects me to be happy with this. The court ruled that I can’t have any contact with my mom at all until I’m eighteen! I’m fourteen. Peter and Elizabeth Cunningham made a “stunning, generous” allowance when they told me I could talk to my mother for timed, supervised phone conversations a few times a year. They’re all crazy.5

My mom didn’t commit a crime when she “kidnapped” me. I had been left a day care center alone for a weekend and she heard my crying, broke a window, and took me. I know it sounds far-fetched. I laughed when the Cunninghams tracked me down and accused Mom of kidnapping. But then Mom admitted it and accused them of neglect and child abuse. But the rich people won. The Cunninghams.6

After they told me I could only talk to Mom on supervised occasions, I bought a twenty dollar phone at Target. Among other things. I went on a little bit of a spree, buying tons of things that would give me a sense of connection with Mom and keep me as happy as possible for the next four years. Season’s sets of Gilmore Girls, bags of Starburst and Skittles, a $100 Starbucks gift card, a pair of old worn Levi’s for our Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants addiction. Those are just a few of our life-sustaining necessities. On our last day together, Mom took me to all of our most-loved hot spots and we went on an insane, blind spending spree. It actually helped.7

“So? What do you think?” Elizabeth brings me back to reality. I look at her. She’s standing with her hand on the doorknob looking extremely eager and nervous at the same time. And I can’t disappoint her. Sometimes I hate my conscience.8

“This is a really great room,” I tell her honestly. I set my bags down and explore. 9

It’s not one room, it’s a series of rooms. A huge bedroom with bright white walls with deliberate paint splatters in bright shades of orange and pink. There’s a hammock hanging in one corner, a balcony, a tiny room sectioned off with hanging beads which features a window seat. And on the floor are half a dozen plush, furry neon colored rugs and a huge zebra print rug. There are about five lava lamps in different colors, randomly placed around the room. A disco ball hangs in the center of the room. 10

The bed is what stands out in the room--it’s a dark cherry wood bed with a white canopy. It’s nostalgic and classic while the rest of the room crazy and fun. This is my dream room. I wrote a diary entry describing it once. The court “confiscated” my journals and gave them to my parents. Which made me really mad but apparently something good came of it.11

The next room is a bathroom, done in shades of black, grey, red, navy blue, and white tile. It’s got a huge, deluxe shower and bath that I can’t wait to use. Elizabeth has followed me in and she opens the mirrored drawers, “Look!” Inside are my favorite cosmetic brands, designer cosmetic sets, a ton of Garnier Fructis products, and three different Bath and Body Works bath sets.12

“Thanks,” I tell her. I don’t want to like her. I don’t want to relate to her but the vulnerable, open look on her face makes me give her a little hug. She doesn’t respond like I expect. You would think she would be happy or hug back but she stiffens up and looks stunned like a hug was the last thing she expected and she doesn’t know how to reciprocate.13

So I go into the next room. A full kitchenette. All the appliances--double oven, microwave, stovetop--are stainless steel. There’s a slate grey marble countertop with a television screen that rises out from in it, like Jason Stiles’ on Gilmore Girls. On the cute little round table for two, there’s a slim vase with a bright daisy in it. It’s fake but really compliments the room. “Wow,” I finally tell Elizabeth, “is this all mine?”14

“One more,” she says, leading me back to my bedroom and through another door, “your study!”15

“My study?”16

“Come see!”17

My study is a round room with a wall of windows. There’s a couch, a huge HDC TV, DVD player, stereo system, a cappuccino machine and an espresso machine. In a dark corner there is a funky-looking booth with a laptop on it. Behind that are two tall, black wood bookcases filled with books from textbooks, to nonfiction, to some of my favorite teen books.18

“That’s yours, too!” Elizabeth says, pointing to the laptop.19

“This is too much to take in.” I didn’t mean to say that, but sometimes the truth just pops out without permission.20

Elizabeth suddenly looks sheepish.21

“What?”22

“I guess now would be a bad time to show you the nursery.”23

“What nursery?”24

On cue, a baby cries. Elizabeth smiles weakly. “That’s the twins. For so long we kept your room empty but we had to have a place to put the babies, George was tired of them in our room. And it just seemed right they should be in their big sister’s room and you weren’t here so--”25

I can’t believe this woman is apologizing to me over where she put her kids in her own house. “Where’s the nursery?”26

It’s not until I get to the nursery that I see why she’s apologizing. All over the place are little sticky notes with instructions on them. For instance, on the microwave: Heat bottles for two minutes, shake well and taste for temperature. I look at Elizabeth questioningly. She’s wearing the same lame smile. “You like kids right?”
~*~
All I want is to sit down and relax and sleep and put my phone together and call Mom. And immediately, I love my little brother and sister. They’re adorable and sweet and I’m glad for the company but they are so demanding. And it seems like a family with this much money could hire a nanny. Finally, the little boy Ethan goes to sleep and I set Bethany on my bed. She’s the quieter one. She amuses her self with a soft, plush neon blue teddy bear. I keep an eye on her as I unpack.27

Like I said before…this is too much to take in.28

I quit unpacking, grab a handful of Starbursts from my duffel, and carry Bethany into my study. The laptop is already completely activated and installed. I immediately open a word processor.29

Saturday, October 21, 2006
Dear Diary,
On Thursday I said goodbye to all my friends. Yesterday I spent my last Friday night with my mom a home, just enjoying being near her. Now I’m a new me. I’m no longer Cameron Williams in this world. I’m Stephanie Cunningham.30

I’m fourteen, I like to sing, act, and dance. I’m a little boy crazy at times. I like being loud and crazy. I can be a nerd sometimes and I love to read. Now I’m living in a quiet house with conservative people who hate my mom and have forced me to be a live-in nanny to their kids, who, luckily, I love.31

They’re the only thing I love here, unfortunately. And my room. But despite that, if someone gave me a chance to miss four years of my life and jump to eighteen-years-old, I would.32

The day passes silently and I’m alone except for the twins. On Sunday, I get up, get dressed, dress the twins, and go downstairs for breakfast. Only to find out that the Cunninghams don’t go to church except on holidays. So I spend the day establishing a routine for my life. I wash my favorite outfit for school the next day: dark wash jeans, long black cami, a hoodie, and my Pumas. I set my cell phone up and call Mom but she‘s not home. And I spend the rest of my day watching the twins, watching DVDs, and thinking. Before I know it, it’s Monday morning.
~*~
I woke up on time for once. I didn’t get much sleep. The twins woke up every two hours, squalling for food. I’m fourteen. I don’t need this! Not on my first day of school. At four I finally get up, bathing the twins and giving them another warm bottle so I’ll have the next two hours to myself while they sleep. I call Mom.33

“Hey, Cam, I got your message last night but I didn’t call back in case you couldn’t talk. Can I call you?”34

“Sure, it only shows your number, not your name and if I can’t answer it I’ll just ignore it.”35

We continue talking and she sounds happy and sad. “It’s your first day of school and I’m not there.”36

“If you were here, it wouldn’t be my first day. What are you doing?”37

“Laying in bed, you?”38

“I’m getting the twins dressed. Then I’m going get some coffee and take a shower. Then blow dry and straighten my hair and then get dressed.”39

She laughs. “Can you do it without me?”40

“Well I called to get the step-by-step.” We chat for a little while longer but then I have to go before my birth parents wake up. They apparently never got the memo about knocking on doors before you enter. 41

I take a long, luxurious shower, using a Bath and Body Works warm brown sugar and vanilla set. I wash my hair with Clinique shampoo and gelled it with Garnier Fructis holding gel. I decide not to straighten it. I have a coffee-with-cream complexion and long black hair halfway down my back which is more than wavy but not completely curly. It tangles easily and is long and thick, but as far as looks go, it’s good hair. 42

I usually dab on some Chapstick and run but today I apply lip gloss, liquid eye liner, a thin layer of mascara and a little bit of eye shadow. I’m going for the smoky-eyed look. It actually works. I still wish Mom was here to help me. I miss her so much. I don’t know why George and Elizabeth took me away from here if they were going to ignore me--oh right. Free nanny.43

I push all negative thoughts out of my mind, check in on the twins, and head into the kitchen for a fruit smoothie and tater tots. While the potatoes are in the oven and the shake is blending I sit at the table and think. I hope today will be special and provide me with friends and a life and a reason to be here. And to like it here.44

I pray for a long time.
~*~
I don’t even see my birth parents before I go to school. This is unbelievable. I don’t even know if its okay that I leave the babies. But I do, finding the bus stop on the street, finding my counselor’s office, and my class. I get a lot of looks in class and the teacher makes me stand up saying, “You might have seen her in the news, this is our new student, Stephanie Cunningham.” This is laughable.45

I smile. “Actually it’s Cameron Williams.”46

The teacher raises her eyebrows. “Then why does it say Stephanie Cunningham on my chart?” she asks quietly, giving me a disapproving stare.47

“Typo?” I joke, stealing the quote from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.48

A guy in front of me turns around and shoots me a smile. He’s pretty cute. Especially when he smiles. 49

“Now let’s not let Stephanie’s late arrival disturb our class,” Mrs. Whiteny instructs and I can tell I’m not going to like her. But as I glance around the classroom again, I decide that this school is okay.
~*~
I hated sitting alone at lunch at my old school. And I never had to. But today I spy a little booth by the window and quickly snag it. The cool thing about this cafeteria is that its set up like a restaurant, round tables in the middle, booths on the side. It’s easier for loners or lonely people to sit by themselves without feeling conspicuous.50

I smile happily at my table. It’s in a peaceful corner but I can still observe everything going on. I can see the sunny landscape outside, and I’m away from all the probing eyes and nosy questions. Every time I went from time to class at least three people were around me asking about my previous mom and my current parents. “You’re a celebrity!” one girl told me. Apparently I was on the local news last night. I was on national news weeks before. I’ve always wanted to be a celebrity but not like this.51

But now I’m off by myself in my own little corner. I glance around quickly and pull my cell out of my pocket and speed dial Mom.52

“Hey, babe!”53

“Hey. You’re at work, right?”54

“Yeah. And you’re skipping school?”55

“No I’m at lunch.”56

“They allow phones there?”57

“No.”58

She laughs. “So what’s up then?”59

“I feel like I’m a freak show that came to town.”60

“Well you’re the new kid, what else would you feel like?” she jokes.61

“Thanks, Oprah.”62

“Seriously, why do you feel like that?”63

“They’re all surrounding me and asking me these totally bogus, outrageous, personal questions!”64

“Give them outrageous, bogus answers.”65

“I try! But there are so many--”66

“Like how many are we talking here?”67

“Um…I don’t know about--”68

“Excuse me?” A nasally, harsh-voiced woman says in my ear.69

I jump. “Oh! Hi.”70

“No cell phones in the cafeteria.” She holds her hand out for my cell. There’s no way I’m giving this to her. It’s my only tie to my mother.71

I shake my head at her. She raises her eyebrows. “Oh, no, I’m sorry, it won’t happen again,” I say slowly standing up and grabbing my bag and stuffing my giant and a napkin, and stuffing it in my bag.72

Once outside of the cafeteria, it takes me a long time to find the ladies room. Mom and I chat randomly but I can’t really confide in her now because there’s a group of kids wandering together just a little ways behind me. I finally find the little girl’s room and duck into a stall.73

“Like maybe fifty people, Mom.”74

“What kind of questions?”75

“Oh, ‘Did you keep a knife under your pillow?’ ‘Do you hate your old mom?’ ‘Are you gonna run away from the new people?’”76

Mom laughs. “You’re kidding.”77

“No, I’m serious.”78

“Then start carrying a knife, end of story.”79

I laugh too and let Mom quickly but discreetly change the subject. But I’m on to her. She doesn’t want to talk about her being “my old mom.” She wants to keep things as familiar and comfortable as possible. And I don’t blame her I want that too. But if I can’t vent to her who can I vent to?80

“You need to find a good friend,” she tells me before she hangs up. “Because we don’t know how long we can keep doing this. And even if this is indefinite you need someone there, okay?”81

And already, I can feel her pulling away from me. Again, I don’t blame her. It hurts less that way. But somehow you expect your mom to do what’s best, not what hurts least. She’s probably unaware that she’s even doing this, but I’m not. I tell her I love her, snap my phone close, and leave the stall. I stand in front of the mirror and study myself. I’m still having a good hair day and I look good. So why is everyone treating me like a freak? I realize that I’m here under weird circumstances but it seems like someone could overlook that.82

“It’s the first few hours of your first day,” I tell myself. Then I leave the bathroom, reaching into my messenger bag for a piece of my cookie. Outside the bathroom the group of kids following me are standing out there. And the guy from my class is leaning against the wall, closest to me. He looks up casually when I come out and so do three other girls.83

“Uh…hey,” I say, frowning slightly and starting to walk past them.84

The guy pushes off the wall. “Hey. You sitting with anyone at lunch?”85

I turn back to them slowly. “No…”86

“Well join us then,” says this preppy, peppy blonde girl wearing a mini, polo tee, and cute knit stockings. She tucks her arm in mine immediately, striking up a conversation.87

I swear, my mom’s clairvoyant.88

“Join you where?” I ask, walking along beside them and longing for my little corner and big cookie.89

“We usually eat on the lawn,” the guy from my class says.90

“And you’re allowed too.”91

“We are,” he informs me, then sticks his hand out. “I’m Jack.”92

“Hey. I’m Cameron,” I say with a smile.93

“We know,” they all say, laughing.94

I roll my eyes.95

“What?” asks the girl practically skipping along next to me. “The life of the rich and famous too hard for you?”96

“Uh…it’s definitely different,” I say carefully and Jack grins (!) at me. I think he gets it.97

“I’m Candi, by the way,” the girl says, rolling her eyes. “My parents thought it would be clever to name their kid Candi Kane.”98

I smile. “I like it. It’s cute.”99

“Yeah well you have a fun name like Cameron.”100

“It is a nice name,” says a male voice behind me. I feel weird walking along with this girl I don’t know, sort of flirting with this guy I don’t know, surrounded by other strangers. But it’s a good kind of weird.101

Finally we reach the end of the hallway and push through the doors, into the sunshine.102

I turn and smile at the guy who spoke. “Thanks. Who are you?”103

“Cameron,” he answers with a grin.104

“What do you have for lunch?” a brunette girl with blue streaks in her super glossy, straight hair asks me.105

“A cookie and a Fanta, want some?”106

She makes a face. “Some of us don’t have Nascar metabolisms.”107

Cameron shakes his head. “Carly’s a wannabe anorexic. She dances.”108

I feel my face light up as I smile at her. “Really? Me too! What do you take?”109

“Ballet,” she says in a bored voice, picking at a blade of grass.110

“Cool. That’s what I’ve done for the longest. I also to hip-hop, jazz, and tap though.”111

She raises her eyebrows slightly. “How long have you danced?”112

“Eleven years, since I was three, you?”113

She doesn’t answer and I take this to mean I’ve been dancing longer. I raise my eyebrows slightly to myself, and pull my cookie out of my bag.114

“I’ll take a piece,” Jack offers.115

“Me too,” Cameron says.116

I smirk and hand them both a chunk. “Why thanks, how generous of you.”117

Candi laughs. “How southern of you.”118

“What?”119

“’Why, thanks, gents,’” she drawls in a funny, but inaccurate imitation of me.120

I laugh. “There was no gent.”121

She gives me a stern look. “There should’ve been. A proper lady--”122

I give her a piece of cookie too. “Take this, and shut up,” I tell her smiling. The minute after it leaves my mouth I regret it. I used to joke with all my friends back home like that but I have no idea how this group jokes.123

But Candy takes my “hush money” with a smile and Cameron and Jack laugh. Carly appears to have some kind of attitude problem. But I’m not gonna let hers become mine. I’m sitting in the sunshine with potential friends, eating something sugary and drinking something caffeinated. Life is good again.
~*~
“We usually go to Baja Fresh or someplace after school, wanna come?” Candi asks after school.124

“I’d love to but I have to get home…I have some…stuff.”125

They all give me curious looks which I conveniently ignore. “Anyway thanks for…eating my food,” I joke, waving.126

“Well, wait,” Cameron says, coming after me. “Is your mom picking you up?”127

“I don’t think so. I took the bus here--”128

“Did she say she was picking you up?” Carly interrupts with a voice that implies I’m an idiot.129

“No, actually, we didn’t get a chance to talk today.”130

“What about your dad?” Jack asks actually looking a little concerned.131

“No, him either.”132

“So they’re just ignoring you?” Carly asks, interest piqued.133

Now I start to backpedal--from what I’ve seen of Carly she’s the kind of person who would report this to the news if she thought it would get her something. “No…we just didn’t talk about rides today.”134

“Well if you took the bus here, then we’ll take you home,” Cameron decides.135

“Um…well…okay. Thanks,” I say. I know it’s stupid to get in a car with strangers but its just as stupid to get in a bus full of stranger. My logic fails at the most convenient times. “So who drives?” I ask.136

“I do,” Jack says.137

“You’re sixteen?”138

“Yep.”139

“Cool,” is all I can think to say to this.140

“How old are you?” Cameron asks.141

“Fifteen in six weeks,” I answer.142

And that is the extent of our conversation until they drop me off at home, sans my directions. Carly’s the pissed, silent type but Candi seems happy and chatter-y. But she stares out the window silently. “Okay, thanks again!” I say, jumping out of the car, smiling at Jack, and slamming the door.143

The atmosphere in the house is the same as the one in the car. Silent and heavy. My room is not so silent. A strange girl about my age is sitting on the floor in my bedroom, playing with Bethany and Ethan.144

She looks up with a bright smile when I come in. “Finally. Hey! I’m Stacey--the temporary nanny.”145

I smile at her. “Cool! How long do you stay?”146

“’Til five. I’m only here on weekdays. I hear you take care of them on weekends.”147

“And after five, apparently,” I smile, taking off my hoodie. “Listen, I’m gonna go make something. You hungry?”148

“Depends on what you’re making,” she says with a smile. She’s a very smiley person which I really appreciate in this household.149

“I don’t know yet. I really feel like pizza, what do you feel like?”150

“Pizza sounds good,” she says.151

“Do you know Dominoes number?” I ask her.152

“Yeah,” and she rattles it off. She’s like a kindred spirit. Half an hour later we’re sitting in front of the TV, watching the first Pirates of the Caribbean, munching double pepperoni thin crust pizza on paper plates, and sipping Sprite from the can.153

So it looks like I’m squared away in the friends department. Candi, Jack, and Cameron may not be the most reliable friends, they seem potentially fickle, but I feel like Stacey is a possible best friend. After the first Pirates, we watch the second, and then sit around chatting randomly and alternately bashing the second Pirates. At five, she glances at her watch and then looks at me.154

“If you still want help with the twins I’m willing to stay for free. The Cunninghams won’t mind and with you helping it won’t be like I need pay anyway. Do you need help?”155

“I think I’ve got it, but I won’t scoff at company,” I tell her.156

She makes a face. “So…this cold house. Your new life…leaving your mom. How is it for you?”157

“It’s…cold. And different. But it’s livable. It’s a little more than three more years now.”158

She smiles, looking genuinely relieved. “When’s your birthday?”159

“March 17,” I grin, getting ready for an elf joke.160

All she says is, “You should get like green color contacts and wear them on your birthday or something.”161

“Hey…good idea! Maybe you should get me some?” I joke.162

“Sure just ask your parents for a raise for me and we’ll talk. Should I not call them your parents?” she asks, having noticed my veiled grimace.163

I sigh. “It’s what they are, right?”164

She shrugs. “Under unfortunate circumstances though.”165

I laugh and change the subject. “So how old are you?”166

“Twenty-two.”167

“So tell me about your family.”168

“I don’t really have a family anymore.”169

“Oh.” I sit quietly for a minute. “Wanna elaborate on that?”170

“Not really.”171

“Okay. So what about your love life?”172

Her face lights up and monologues for about ten minutes before saying, “Sorry.”173

I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. I kinda broke up with my boyfriend before I left cause it wouldn’t be fair any other way. So let me live vicariously through you.”174

“Well, I’ve talked enough about Stephen. Tell me about that cute guy that dropped you off.”175

“Oh…I don’t know him.”176

“Yeah?”177

“I mean we just met today.”178

“And you let him drive yo home?”179

“Dumb, I know. But look--I survived.”180

She gives me a skeptical look. “But still…don’t do that anymore.”181

“Okay. So don’t let him drive me home anymore?”182

“Well, he’s okay, I guess. But in general, don’t get in cars with strangers. So tell me more about him.”183

I start to, but just then my door opens.184

"Oh! Stacey. You're still here," Elizabeth Cunningham is wearing an obviously feigned-surprised expression and pointedly peering at her dainty gold watch.185

"Yeah. Is that a problem?" Stacey asks, completely nonplussed. I try not to smile.186

"Well, actually it is," Elizabeth Cunningham says, being politely rude. Rich people are usually well-educated in that department. "We can't be expected to pay you overtime and your shift did end over half an hou ago. And I would like to speak with Stephanie. Alone."187

Stacey looks over at me then back at Elizabeth. "Okay. Then I guess I'm going. See you tomorrow. Good luck," she whispers in my ear as she stands up. I smile wryly and toss my staling piece of pizza onto the paper plate. I stand too. "I'll walk you out."188

"That's entirely unnecessary," Elizabeth says evenly, giving me a cool look.189

Stacy, now behind Elizabeth, shudders and makes a face over her shoulder, then leaves and shuts the door.190

I'm not experiencing a good feeling right now.191

"So. What did you want to talk about?" I ask Elizabeth.192

"I noticed that you didn't take the bus home," she says, getting straight to the point.193

"Well, yeah, right. I got a ride home from some friends," I say, gesturing uselessly. It's a nervous habit.194

"Friends," Elizabeth states, like she doesn't believe me. So what happened to the sheepish, vulnerable, weak little woman I met two days ago?195

I nod, twisting my hands. Where is this going?196

"On your first day of school."197

I nod, slower.198

She folds her arms and looks away for a moment, as if she has to compose herself. "I find it hard to believe that you already have friends. But that's beside the point." She sits on my bed and then pats the space next to her. I join her reluctantly.199

"I know all of this is very new, and it might be a little challenging for you, but please try to remember that your duty is to your family and your schoolwork. First and foremost. Until I can see that you are responsible in these areas, I would strongly prefer if you didn't fraternize with your classmates. Especially certain Candi Kanes. The Kanes are very nice people, I'm sure, but their values differ from ours greatly."200

"Is that such a bad thing?" I blurt.201

She acts as if she didn't hear this. "Just remember what I said, Stephanie," then she smiles and pats my shoulder. "That's all I wanted to say!" 202

She reminds be of Brie Hodge from Desperate Housewives, the cookie-cutter homemaker who was very in touch with her inner-witch. Except I could actually get to like Brie Hodge--she was funny in her narrow-mindedness.203

I call Mom but she's not home. So I check on the twins, and start my homework. Not that I'm obeying Elizabeth, it's just that I don't have anything else to do.
~*~
The next day, when I get up, I’m not sure what I’m going to do about what Elizabeth said last night. I go through my morning routine--taking care of the twins and getting ready for school--and decide to cross that bridge when I get to it. Which is when I see the four of them tomorrow. If I see them and they look like they actually want to speak. Which might not happen, considering the weird ride home yesterday.204

I call Mom to see what she would want me to do, but she doesn’t answer. I slip into a long polka-dotted white tee and a pair of skinny jeans. I take the time to straighten my hair, and put makeup on. I never wore full eye makeup two days in a row in my old life. I hope I’m not really becoming Stephanie Cunningham.205

On the way to school, I sit on the bus and brood about hat I should do. I wonder what Elizabeth means about “different values.” Are the Kanes democratic? Are they man-eating cannibals? The first would make me happy. The second, not so much. It would be a cool story to tell though. “I used to have ten fingers--then I met this cannibal.”206

The bus pulling up in front of the school jars me out of my ridiculous ponderings. When I step off the bus, Jack is standing on the curb looking like he’s waiting for someone. I know I can’t walk past him without speaking so I just smile and say, “hi.”207

But when he notices me, he walks over, smiling back. “There you are. I got here disgustingly early to meet you.”208

“Why?”209

“You’ll see. Everyone else is waiting behind the school.”210

I follow him, rapidly trying to figure out why he’s here, what I’m doing, and where I’m going. Halfway around the school, I get it and start laughing.211

He looks over at me. “What?”212

“Is this some stupid initiation thing?”213

“It’s not stupid,” he says, frowning like a little kid who just got made fun of because of his finger-painted masterpiece.214

Just then, we come upon Carly, Candi, and Cameron. They’re standing in front of a stout, tall oak tree.215

“Okay,” Jack says when we reach them. “You climb to the top of that tree and you’re one of us.”216

I look at him. “How is this not stupid?”217

They all laugh, except Carly of course.218

“I’m completely serious. Who is ‘one of us’? And why do you think I want to be ‘one of you’? And how does climbing a tree prove anything?”219

Jack laughs. “Okay, so maybe this isn’t the most well thought out plan. But you get kudos for calling us on it.”220

“We just wanted you to be one of us so if we made it seem like we were some exclusive clique, you might want in,” Candi tells me.221

“You’re kidding.”222

She laughs. “Yeah, I am. We were just bored and wanted to see if you would do it.”223

I laugh. “Yeah, you guys are cool people. I totally want to be ‘one of you.’”224

“Quit that,” Cameron says. “It was a joke.”225

“Clearly, someone can’t take a joke,” Carly says snidely wand flounces off ahead of us.226

“Clearly someone’s still in the fourth grade,” I mutter and Jack overhears, laughing. We make our way into the school and its then that I realize I’ve disobeyed Elizabeth. I feel a tiny prick of guilt, but I really don’t care. She’s being irrational. ‘You should still listen to her,’ a tiny voice inside my head says. But I don’t. I need friends in this new life. And I don’t accept Elizabeth as my mother, therefore she has no veto power for my friends.227

‘She is your mother, though.’ I wonderful if cannibals eat consciences too.