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“Make sure you get back here in time to go to Bella’s for dinner.”
Jenna coughed and looked at the couch. It was a cozy place to rest, and they even had a fireplace in the living room.
“I think I’m coming down with a cold and by the time I get back I won’t be feeling well enough to go to Bella’s.” Amelia’s foot tapped harder, and Jenna gave up on the dream of sleeping on the couch with a roaring fire while Amelia went to dinner.
“I heard something similar the last time Bella invited us to dinner. This time she informed me I wasn’t to take a no from you. Unless you want her to come here and drag you to her house for dinner, and we both know she will, I suggest you be ready.”
Fire and tarnation. Amelia wasn’t lying. Bella would keep her word. Now that she thought of herself as a warrior, a pregnant warrior, she was much more hands-on.
“I’ll be here.” She opened the door before jumping back and slamming it shut. Something smacked against the door.
“What the?” Amelia opened the door to see the backs of two people running around the corner.
“Teenagers. How do they keep finding me?” This was the second house they rented since Amelia decided to live with her. She knew the question was rhetorical. Somebody said I saw her, and it eventually got around to someone with a reporter in their family. The reporter went underground and dropped her name and before you knew the entire city, if not, the entire world knew where she lived. It was getting tiring, and she wanted it to end.
Jenna was going to miss this place, but they couldn’t continue living there now that their cover had been compromised.
“Amelia, do you—.”
“If you’re going to ask me if I want to get a place by myself, I will tie you up and beat you with multiple wet noodles.”
Of course, she was going to ask that. One look at Amelia’s face told her to back up. “I was going to ask what time Bella wanted us to show up.” Amelia’s grin was enough to let her know she didn’t believe a word Jenna said.
“We need to be there no later than seven. You leave and I’ll clean up outside.” Jenna shook her head.
“I need to change. Thanks for cleaning up.” She escaped to her bedroom. They could smell the feces through the closed door. Teens weren’t all that creative when it came to the harassment of adults.
Jenna found a big floppy hat to wear. She applied a foundation that was three, maybe four, times darker than her skin. A salesperson at a counter in a store once told her a sister should look like a sister, and you don’t look like one. She handed her a sample and had the nerve to say, you’re welcome as Jenna walked away. Jenna had pocketed the sample and put it in a desk drawer when she got home and never thought of it again. She applied it liberally along with the longest false eyelashes she had. Those she bought for Halloween last year.
One look in the mirror showed a creature that might be a monster, but it didn’t look anything like her. The dark foundation was a brilliant touch. She wore an ankle-length skirt and a shirt that said I hate myself. No one would think it was her. She was proud of her body and the pounds she wore like a badge of honor. You don’t like your women thick, don’t look.
They were living in a ranch-style house. Everything was on one floor with a basement. There was no hope of sneaking past Amelia, who had the eyes of an eagle when it came to Jenna.
“What did you do to your face, and why are you wearing that hideous hat?” Amelia was right, the hat was hideous. It was an orange and yellow number that was supposed to be all the rage at the beaches. She highly doubted that. It helped to hide her face while throwing it in the shadows. Beggars couldn’t be choosey.
“The salesperson assured me this was all the rage.” She couldn’t remember where the hat came from, most likely online.
“You can’t wear that. Next time you go shopping, I’m coming with you.”
“I have to wear it at least once I bought it.” She gave her coz her best clueless and innocent look. She didn’t want Amelia to get a good look at the makeup beneath the hat.
Amelia opened and closed her mouth, looking like a fish, before throwing her hands up in the air.
“I swear you’re clueless, Jenna. Try to stay in the shadows or hug a wall.”
Jenna hit the wall by the door. She had a newfound hatred of walls. “I’ll be back soon.” She opened the door to see that Amelia had cleaned up the mess.
“I’ll start looking for a new place to live.” Jenna flashed her a smile.
“Sounds good. See you soon.” She closed the door behind her and walked down to the bus stop. She never drove because of the voices in her head.
Jenna stepped off the bus in front of the mall. This was the last place she wanted to be. Crowds made her nervous. The voices in her head, yes, they were actual voices, along with the visions, said she had to be here. When they first started, she was sure she was cursed. Her mother told her otherwise and was helping her deal with them. Then the sperm donor killed her mother. She was on her own after that.
Tugging the hat further down, she walked into the mall. The bus let her off at the front where there weren’t any stores. There were several benches to sit on and wait for the bus or a ride. People talked and mingled in this part of the mall. You were either coming or going and no one paid attention to whoever was hanging around. She hurried past and soon was standing in front of the first store with a wide-open door and large windows showcasing beautiful outfits. Unfortunately, that store didn’t sell anything in her size.
Jenna moved quickly. She came in on the second floor, but she needed to be on the first floor. She took an escalator down refusing to look up or stare at any of the stores she was used to shopping in virtually. The need to blend in was riding her hard. She grabbed a coffee and a pizza pretzel. At the end of the mall, there was a spot where they had Santa at Christmas and the Easter Bunny, along with all the other holidays. This time, there was a meeting of people who were mumbling and getting louder.
Jenna sat on a bench and wondered how the storefronts around the area felt about the gathering that looked like it could get out of hand. She casually looked around, not meeting anyone’s eyes, stopping when she saw a man in the corner. He was wearing jeans. She was sure that he paid several hundred for them. He paired them with a button-down shirt and a pair of brand-new tennis shoes. He was wearing an old bomber and a baseball cap pulled low over his head. It was the bomber and the cap that made him blend in. A shiver went up Jenna’s back. Was he the power behind the rants? Maybe.
