To put it bluntly, nothing about my senior year in high school was planned. It was my expectation that my parents would not get divorced in my junior year. I had not planned on my father to knock up his 23-year-old secretary and leave us twisting in the wind. My mother was not supposed to get laid off four months before graduation and I never thought that I would have to spend the last month of my senior year in a new high school in a hick town that celebrated a fucking movie.
My mother opted for a quickie divorce because no matter what was going on between my father and her, she didn't want to spoil the relationship my father and I had. Before leaving, my father assured me that no matter what happened between him and my mother, he would always love me and would be there for me, no matter what circumstance. I believed him. After the baby he made with his new whore was born, he explained gently over the phone that he couldn't spend as much time as he wanted with me because "babies take a lot of time." When I didn't even get a phone call on my 18th birthday, I understood completely what my mother could never say to me. He didn't just abandon her. He abandoned us both.
A month later, my mom was laid off from a company she spent at least ten years working her ass off for. The mortgage became impossible. The shitty child support she was getting from my father dried up right after my birthday, so from that at least I knew he remembered. We had to sell the house. It sold surprisingly fast. My uncle Jack had a house upstate that he offered to my mom. It had a school that was a sister school to the charter high school that I was attending, so it seemed to them both that this would be a perfect fit. He found a few jobs for her near the city as well. One, an entry level job that she had too much experience in and a night job as a waitress in a coffee shop right outside of town. She wanted out of this situation just as much as I did and was willing to do anything to speed us up leaving. When I heard the news, I couldn't help but cry. None of this was fair. In my childish ways, I believed that I, and only I, was being punished. My best friend offered to let me stay with her and her parents for the duration of the school year. I happily asked my mom and she did say yes. Then I saw the look on her face and I knew I couldn't go through with it. If I stayed, I would be abandoning her too. I would be just as much of an asshole as my dad. So we both began our journey together to Ozian Creek.
To be fair, the town was lovely. It looked like a vacation retreat. A place for honeymoons or a family vacation spot. My uncle usually rents the place out. Not like he needed the money. He was rich, but he always said that if you can make money or not make money, why not make money? Jack is my mother's cousin. I'm not sure what the appropriate name for our relationship was. I always just called him uncle. He and my mom have been very close since they were kids and he was always a big part of my life. I had never been to this house of his, but he assured me that I would love it. In any other circumstance, I would have. I was angry and feeling very sorry for myself. Even the yellow brick road that led up the mountain pissed me off. We unpacked, and I prepared myself for the inevitable torture that would be June.
I arrived at the school early, as was requested, and I was assigned a class buddy. A senior, like me, that would show me the ropes. She led a tour through the high school, showing me the library, the cafeteria; like everything I don't give two shits about. The person assigned was the epitome of a person who would volunteer for that shit. Peppy, bubbly; everything about a person I could never be. Someone offered her bubble wrap and she lost her mind. She jumped up and down like a kid on Christmas. Over bubble wrap. I wish I was making this up.
She talked on and on about the extra-curricular shit she was into. Every single day, she was in some kind of club that met at lunch and each one, I just had to join. In the weekends, she volunteers for the school and cleans the bathrooms, classrooms, and whatnot. So, and I am quoting her, "the dirty immigrants can't." I said she was bubbly. I never said she was nice.
She asked if would like to come to her house after school. I really didn't want to, but my mom asked me to try and make friends with people here. Since everyone else pretended that I didn't exist, I accepted. It would be nice to have a homemade dinner that I wouldn't have to make myself. Her room looked like mine when I was ten. Dolls everywhere. Unlike mine, pictures of Jesus. Like he was in a boy band, they were all over her room. She just kept talking on and on. It was hard to pretend to listen. The garage door opened and she sat straight up. Her father was home and she always, I guess, made a production out of it. I tried to keep my eye rolling to a minimum. If he was anything like her mother, an adult size version of her, I needed to be ready.
My eyes were down when she ran up and hugged him. She told him about her day and how exciting it was to have a new student in her school. She was technically right about that. This never happens in charter schools. She looked over at me and motioned with her hands for me to come forward.
"Daddy, this is Cassidy! She's a senior and she just moved here!"
I looked up and I saw heaven. Standing over six feet tall, he had sandy blond hair, piercing blue eyes, a strong jawline, and a villainous smirk. I felt intimidated almost immediately. My hands didn't know what to do except sweat. His shoulders were round, his biceps, not bulging, but plenty noticeable. He looked like an adult sized version of a ken doll. Unlike the ken dolls I used to have, I'm sure that man had a penis. When I started imagining what his would look like, my face felt hot. I knew that I was blushing, but I couldn't control it. I was at a loss for words. I wiped my hands on my sides and shook his hand.
"Hello Mr. Kane." I said meekly. He looked me up and down for what it felt like to me, an eternity. He knew what I was thinking. I felt so embarrassed. So awkward. I've never been that nervous before meeting a parent. I've never gotten so aroused before either.
He held my hand in his longer than any handshake ever given before. Like he knew what he was doing and was enjoying the power he had over me. He let go and I had to wipe them down again. What was wrong with me? Why was I so scared and turned on?
"Hello, Cassidy" he finally replied, while his eyes still kept up and down my body. "What brings you to this area?" Before I could answer, his daughter, Kelly, I think that was her name, cut me off.
"She just moved here!" She was jumping up and down, saying a lot more, but I couldn't concentrate. His eyes were on her, but I could feel that he was still watching. I had to cross my legs to keep me from falling over. I felt so dizzy and alive and my panties were soaked. I wanted to flee. I was so out of control. He finally cut her off.
"Sweetie, I just came home. Let me settle, then I will meet your new friend properly."
She led me back into her room, but I could feel his eyes still roaming as we walked up the stairs. After about twenty minutes, dinner was ready. She had me sit right next to her and he sat right across from me. When the food was at the table, we all joined hands for a prayer that she insisted that she would lead.
