An Imperfect World

By Lyoness Bradley

The year is 1978 and Leigh Webster yearns to escape from her overbearing parents and their plans to marry her off to the son of a wealthy family friend. Things are looking bad enough for her senior year, but when court ordered desegregation comes to her suburban high school, the entire school is suddenly in an uproar.

A chance encounter brings Leigh face to face with an attractive desegregation student, Chris Logan. They become friends and eventually fall in love, but they know their secret romance can never become public knowledge, not only will both their families forbid it, but their classmates would never understand.

Leigh breaks it off with Chris and begins dating Ron, who's father plans to help finance her college education. When Leigh arrives at Boston University she realizes that Chris Logan has ended up on the same college campus. She does her best to avoid him, but it seems impossible. Leigh is uncertain about her future with Ron, but after a brief affair with Chris, she ends it for good. Ron loves her and they get along well, she knows both their families will push for a marriage, life with Ron will be safe and secure, how can she dispute that?

Years later, when Leigh's family is affected by a terrible tragedy Chris Logan appears again. Will he be a comfort to Leigh in her time of need or a painful reminder of her past?

• Language: English
• Publisher: KIngsmuir Press
• Release date: Oct 7, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301486243

Book preview

An Imperfect

World

by

Lyoness Bradley

Published by Kingsmuir Press

Smashwords edition

Copyright © 2013 Lyoness Bradley

All rights reserved

Cover Image is a composite of multiple images courtesy of [e-mail]

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Dedication

Dedicated to my wonderful family. My husband Gareth, who is the love of my life and supporter of all my endeavors. To my two wonderful children Alexis and Spencer, who gave me the strength to make it through the hardest period of my life, who have enlightened every day to the fullest. I love you guys!

Chapter 1

When I look back over my life, sometimes I wonder.  Did God have a master plan for me?   Was everything that happened in my life a strange coincidence, or was everything meant to happen...in that particular order?  Were the people that seemed to come in and out of my life, seemingly by accident, really part of a larger plan?  Of course, I have no way of knowing for certain, except that now I like to think that everything happens for a reason, and that nothing is truly chance.

My senior year in high school was definitely the turning point in my life.  The year was 1978.  I was seventeen and extremely naive.  I was a good kid, I had never given my parents any trouble.  I was just enjoying the summer between my junior and senior year of high school.  The hot, sultry, summer was rapidly coming to an end.  I was happy that in less than a year I would be graduating and beginning a new chapter in my life.  I was also completely overwhelmed by the daunting choices that loomed ahead of me.  These decisions would effect the rest of my life and I was feeling very intimidated right now!

My friends and I were excited to be starting our senior year at Kennett South high school.  I had big hopes and dreams for the future as I stood there, ready to take the plunge into adulthood.  Unfortunately, I also had extremely overbearing parents who’s hopes and dreams for me were on a completely different path, from the path I imagined for myself.

St. Louis was miserable in August.  The heat was unforgiving and the humidity would make you feel as if you’d been slapped in the face with a hot, wet, towel. The only thing you could do when the weather was stifling like this, was find a nice air conditioned hiding spot or a swimming pool, if you were really lucky.

I was spending the day at my friend Kate’s house. We were lounging lazily by her pool, enjoying our last few, free days before school started again.  Kate was laying there on her lounge chair with her bikini straps untied, a towel covered her face from the baking sun.  I was completely covered in suntan oil and was flipping mindlessly through a college brochure.  I was still agonizing where I should go, and what I should do when my senior year was finally over.

What I really wanted to do, was go to a college somewhere far away from my parents, get my law degree and then go to work with my uncle Arthur, who dreamed that someday, I would be a partner in his law firm.  I had high aspirations and the good grades to go along with them.

Unfortunately, my father had different aspirations for me.  In my father’s opinion, it would be a waste of money to send me away to college.  He believed that women were supposed to get married and have children.  Why in the world would I waste my time, and all that money, getting a college degree?

In my dad’s opinion, I wasn’t smart enough to go away to college anyway.  I wasn’t number one, or even number two in my high school class.   My dad was essentially a genius, he’d been his high school’s valedictorian, he’d written textbooks, he’d done behavioral studies.  He had his Ph.D. and most people in the community worshipped him.

I had inherited some of his intelligence, though I wasn’t as perfectly brilliant as he was.  I did manage to be in the top ten percent of my class and I was the star of our high school’s debate team.  My father was our high school Principal, and one of the most loved and respected men in our community.

My mother, in stark contrast, was nothing but a fake.  She had given up her own teaching career to raise her three children.and she never ceased to remind us what a sacrifice it had been.  Mother was all about appearances.  My mother always looked good and spoke graciously of others when we were in public.  In our own house though, she was small minded and judgmental.  She heartlessly demeaned everyone, including me, my father, and my siblings.

As a result of her harsh criticism, I was pretty quiet and never attempted to seek acceptance from her.  It was a moot point, she never supported anything I did. Whatever the argument, she always took the opposing side. At best, the only hope I had for getting any sort of moral support at all, was from my uncle Art.  My uncle Art thought I was smart.  He was the one who encouraged me to get good grades.  He was the one who told me that I could do anything I wanted to, if I put my mind to it.  In fact, my uncle Art was really more of a parent to me, than either of my real parents.  Art didn’t have any children of his own, he had pretty much adopted me as his own.

It had been my uncle Art, who had planted the idea in my brain that I should go to law school.  He was planning for me to be his partner someday, he was encouraging me to work hard and get my law degree.  I had to admit, the thought was very intriguing.  I loved my uncle Art, and I did have good grades.  I had been working very hard over the past three years to keep my 3.9 average.

That blistering summer day in August, I was laying there stretched out on my lounge chair, completely lost in my thoughts when I was suddenly startled as a water ballon came barreling over the fence and busted right on Kate’s stomach, splashing water everywhere!  Kate screamed and jumped up from her lounge chair, in a moment, a second balloon came careening over the fence and hit me squarely in the head and soaking me completely.

Kate and I both jumped up and ran to look over the tall privacy fence, to see who had initiated this little prank.  I climbed up clumsily, and looked over the fence and caught a glance of two guys we went to high school with, Allen and Todd.  They were running toward a car parked in the street, and they were both laughing hysterically.

Jerks!  I yelled to them, as they both jumped into the car and squealed away.

I turned around to see Kate standing there bent over, laughing hysterically.  I shook my head miserably and rolled my eyes at the guy’s juvenile prank.  Of course my perfectly feathered hair was completely ruined now.  I raked my hand through it and pushed it back off my face, completely disgusted by the guy’s moronic behavior!

This is all your fault!  Todd Winter has got a crush on you, you know, said Kate, with a giggle.

I gave her a disgusted glare.  Todd’s an ass, I told her, shaking my head miserably.

He was just trying to get your attention, in fact, he’s been trying to get your attention forever! exclaimed Kate, excitedly.  You should be flattered, he’s like, the most popular guy in school and captain of the football team.  He’s a total hunk!

I grimaced. He’s got ground beef where his brain should be.  He’ll be lucky if he can even pass freshman algebra before we graduate, I told her, rolling my eyes disgustedly.

I was not happy at all.  It did seem as if lately, Todd Winter had been trying hard to get my attention.  I had to hide a sly smile from Kate.  I pretended not to notice the guys too much and exude an air of complete indifference.  Kate was the boy crazy one, I was the studious one.  In my entire life, I had only been out with one guy, a guy my parents had urged me to go out with. That entire charade had ended up a complete disaster! A disaster I was not willing to repeat.  As a result, I really didn’t date at all.

I had to admit, Todd was a muscle bound god, and his smile did seem to make my heart pound faster, but of course, looks weren’t everything.  He had an exaggerated opinion of himself as far as I was concerned!  Besides, my parents would never allow me to date him anyway, like I said, they kind of had their own agenda for me.

So what!  Not everyone can be smart as you, you know, said Kate, rolling her eyes back at me.

I realize that, I told her.

Then why don’t you just go out with him? asked Kate, staring at me as if I were completely dense.

Maybe it’s because he’s so stupid, he’s never even asked me out.  He just plays these juvenile games like throwing water balloons at me, or mooning me at the drive in, I told her disgustedly.

Kate giggled.  God, you really need to get laid, you know?

I gave her a dirty look, getting laid was Kate’s answer for everything, she thought it was completely unnatural that I was almost eighteen and the only boy-girl action I could boast about was an ill fated kiss, with a nerdy guy, last year.  I stood up and hastily wrapped my towel around myself.

If you think I’m going to screw that bonehead Todd, you got another thing coming, he’s nothing but a self centered, muscle bound, pretty boy! I told her, raising my eyebrows at her.

He’s got a dick, that’s all you really need. Brains are completely optional, said Kate, giving me a sly smile.

Hmmmpt, I snorted, folding my arms across my chest and rolling my eyes distastefully.  I would rather pull my fingernails out, one by one with a pliers.

Oh Leigh, don’t be so dramatic.  Where’s the fun in that? asked Kate, giving me a little pout.

What makes you think that being with Todd Winter would be fun? I asked her, rolling my eyes.

You never know, until you try, she said, giving me a seductive smile.  I knew that Kate was more than willing to take Todd out for a test drive.  I shook my head miserably.

I’ve got to go, I’m getting fried out here.  I’ll see you tomorrow, I told her as I sauntered slowly toward the gate.

He would do you in a minute, I know he would, teased Kate from her lounge chair.

Yeah, well maybe I want more than a minute, I told her with a smile as I walked out the gate and closed it behind me.

I ambled slowly across the street and down our driveway.  I really didn’t want to go home, but I was done being under Kate’s scrutiny for one day.

I let myself in the back door of the house.  Our house was a huge victorian, blue with white trim, right across the street from Kate’s.  As I came in through the back door, I was greeted by the smell of something very overpowering being cooked in the kitchen.  My sister Laurel was helping my mother make dinner, I cringed when I heard her whining annoyingly about something.

Laurel was seven years old, she was cute, but it seems she was always whining about something, though living with my parents could do that to a kid.  Whining or not, there was no way you would ever get your own way.  It was useless to try.   I shook my head half heartedly as I walked into the kitchen.

Hey, what’s up? I asked, when my mother turned around and saw me standing there.

What’s up is Ron has called for you three times from Boston today and you have been nowhere around! cried my mother, spinning around and glaring at me with her hands on her hips.

I cringed at the tone of her voice.  It was impossible to make my mother happy, I had given up trying.  No matter what I did, it was always wrong.  I braced myself for the lecture.

I didn’t tell Ron where you were!  I don’t understand why you feel the need to hang out with that awful piece of white trash across the street!  I’ve told you before, you’re going to get a reputation just by associating with that little tramp.  Everyone will think you’re easy, just like Kate, snapped my mother, disgustedly.

I folded my arms over my chest and rolled my eyes.  My parents hated my friend Kate, my mother was still ranting on, barely taking a breath.

Upstanding guys like Ron don’t want girls with bad reputations!  All I can say is, at least you and Kate had the sense to just stay at her pool today.   Running all over town with with that girl will be your downfall, I’m sure of it! God, that girl is so boy crazy, she’ll be pregnant before she even graduates from High School, she’s such a little slut, barked my mother.

She’s on the pill, I told her with a shrug.

My mother ran over and covered Laurel’s ears. Don’t talk like that in front of your little sister, she’s impressionable!

You’re the one who said slut! I exclaimed, shaking my head miserably.  My mother was such a drama queen.

You should call Ron back right away, snapped my mother, then she flashed me the look.  The look was famous, it could cause you to freeze in your tracks, it was so evil.  I rolled my eyes miserably, she had made her point.

It’s long distance, you hate it when I call long distance, I told her with a smug smile.

Go call him now...and be nice, said my mother, flashing me the look, once again for emphasis.

I frowned as I ambled into the study, I picked up the phone.  According to my mother, Ron Vincent had a crush on me. Ron was the son of Edgar Vincent.  Edgar Vincent was not only, my dad’s best friend, he was also one of the wealthiest and most influential men in our community.

Ron was a year older than me, we had been in high school together last year, he had just left a week ago, to go away to Harvard.

Ronald Vincent, like my father, was a genius. He had graduated from high school last year with a 4.0 GPA and he had been his class valedictorian!  Unfortunately, poor Ron had almost no personality, and a little bit of a unibrow. There was really no attraction between the two of us, but for some reason our parents were hell bent on fixing the two of us up.

We’d gone out a couple of times last year, mainly to please our parents, of course.  I thought Ron was a nice enough guy, but I just wasn’t attracted to him at all. My mother, on the other hand, was pretty much planning our wedding.  I was sure there was someone out there for me somewhere, that wasn’t Ron Vincent.

I dialed the phone and listened impatiently while it rang.  Ron picked it up on the third ring.

Hello? I could tell by the stiff, monotone voice, it was Ron.

Hey Ron, it’s me Leigh.  Mother said that you called, I said.

Hi Leigh, said Ron, without much enthusiasm.

Well, how’s Boston? I asked.  He had to be excited to be in a new city, living in a dorm at the most prestigious college around.  I wanted to hear all about it.  I knew I would never be able to afford to go to a prestigious school like Harvard.

It’s okay, he droned, in the same monotone voice.  I frowned.

Did you get moved into the dorm okay?  Is your roommate nice? I asked, excitedly.

He’s fine, said Ron, blandly.

What’s his name?

What?

I said, what’s your roommate’s name?  I bit my lip trying to stifle a giggle, I was almost certain that Ron probably didn’t even know.  Ron was an intellectual, not a social butterfly.

Um, I think Doug...something, he said slowly.  I rolled my eyes and stifled a giggle.  That was Ron, Mr. Personality.

What’s your schedule like? I asked.

It’s fine, said Ron.

Are your classes pretty hard?  Do you have to walk very far?  I wanted details, this was completely ridiculous!

No, it’s all right, said Ron, in the same monotone voice.  I shook my head miserably.  I was wasting my time.  It was perfectly obvious that Ron really didn’t want to talk to me, and I wasn’t going to push the issue. His father had probably urged him to call me.  I was quite certain that giving me a call out of the blue, hadn’t been his idea.  I felt strangely foolish all of a sudden.

Well I’ve got to go, it was nice talking to you Ron, I told him, trying to disguise the uneasiness I felt.

Yes nice, good bye.

I hung up the phone and sighed miserably.  There was no relationship on the horizon for Ron and I.  I wished my mother would realize that.

I walked back into the kitchen and started pulling dishes out of the cabinet to set the table.  I glanced over to see what my mother was cooking for dinner, it looked suspiciously like eggplant meatloaf, I cringed inwardly.  My mother was always trying to disguise vegetables as meat, she was a vegetarian.  As a result, I didn’t eat at home much.

How was Ron?  Does he like Harvard? asked my mother, smiling at me excitedly.

Everything is fine mother, you know Ron.  He doesn’t talk much, I said, giving her a halfhearted shrug.

He’s shy, said my mother, with a proud smile.

Mother, he has the personality of a doorstop, I told her rolling my eyes dramatically.

Be nice, he’s crazy about you! said my mother, smiling broadly at me.

Yeah, well I guess that’s why when I called him, we had such a stimulating conversation!  Mother, the two of us have absolutely nothing in common, can you please just let it go? I was trying to be gentle about it.  He obviously had no interest in me whatsoever!  I would not pursue him like some desperate woman.  I had no feelings for him, though my mother always accused me of just being shallow.

Leigh, you could at least try to like him, he’s so intelligent, he’s going to Harvard, he’s going to be someone, said my mother, her voice raising in distress.

I did try mother, I went out with him, several times, in fact.  I told you, he’s nice...there’s just no attraction between the two of us.

My mother glared at me and continued to chop vegetables as if they were my head.  You young people, you think everything about is about sex! cried my mother angrily.

I’m not talking about sex, mother! I cried, suddenly infuriated with her.  She was always trying to control every single aspect of my life, who my friends were, who I dated.  It was driving me completely insane!

Don’t talk like that in front of your sister! cried my mother, covering Laurel’s ears again.

I rolled my eyes and walked out of the room with a toss of my long blonde ponytail.  My parents were both impossible!  I trudged up the stairs to my room and flopped down on my bed.

My parents were both so irritating!  One more year and then I would be off to college.  I giggled an evil little giggle.  I was suddenly thinking that maybe I should go to college in Boston.  I was sure that my mother would be all for that idea, just so that I could be near Ron, of course.

It would be my dad that would tell me it that it was a waste of money for me to go to college at all, since I was a girl.  As far as he was concerned, women were supposed to get married and stay home with the kids.  Why would I possibly need a law degree?

He thought my Uncle Arthur was a complete moron for putting such ridiculous ideas into my head, like becoming a lawyer.  My dad didn’t imagine Laurel or I ever having successful careers, he had placed all his hopes and dreams on my younger brother Leo.

Poor Leo, my dad had such high hopes for him.  Leo was two years younger than me.  My dad pushed him constantly to get good  grades.  He wanted Leo to go to some ivy league college and be successful.  Unfortunately Leo had some learning disabilities and barely read above a fifth grade level.  He pushed himself constantly, yet still, he was barely making his 3.0 average, which my dad thought was completely unacceptable!

I picked up a book I’d been reading and relaxed on my bed, the phone rang several moments later and caused me to jump.  I picked it up.

Hello?

Hey Leigh, it’s Todd Winter, said the voice on the other end of the line.  I frowned.

Hi, I said, blandly.  Sadly, I had seen this coming.

I thought if you weren’t doing anything, maybe you might want to go out tonight.  We could see a movie or something, said Todd, he sounded hopeful.  I frowned.  I didn’t want to go out with Todd Winter, what would the two of us even talk about?  Of course, knowing Todd Winter, he probably could care less about talking.

Um, sorry.  I have to work tonight, I lied.  I really wasn’t interested in Todd Winter.   Even though I thought he was pretty cute, I had no desire to date someone who I considered to be dumber than a box of rocks.

The truth was, I really had no plans to work today.  I had told my uncle Art I was going to take a little break today, I’d been helping him in his office everyday for the past two weeks, summer break was almost over.  Suddenly, I was considering helping him again tonight, just to avoid going out with Todd.

You have to work tonight?  I thought you worked for a lawyer or something, said Todd, obviously he was a bit smarter than he looked.

I do, he has a big case coming up, he’s been working late every night, I told him.

How late?  We could catch a late movie or something, he said, not about to be deterred by my odd schedule.

I bit my lower lip as I considered it.  Going out with Todd would most