A Second Chance

By MC Conner

A Second Chance is about a girl who got a second chance at life and love. She lost her dad, was left with a mean stepmother. But Brandy was lucky and had a best friend, Jenny, who helped her begin a new life with her Uncle and his family. She has some exciting events along the way into her new life. She meets a new best friend, Becky, who helps her excel and opens up into an even more beautiful person, starting in a new school with a speech handicap. Lives by the beach, and almost drowns with the help of a couple of idiots, but is saved by a handsome lifeguard named Martin who falls in love with Brandy. But they have more than their share of ups and downs. One when they go to different colleges and an ex-girlfriend comes into play. Then Martin's father does his best to break them up. But in the end they manage to get through all the hard times and obstacles that were set before them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 6, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483634784

MC Conner

Im 60 years old and always wanted to do just one special thing in life to make my life special and mean something

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Thomas was a hardworking engineer making a modest living. But the things he was really good at were investing and putting money back for his daughter’s college and for him and his wife to have a nice nest egg to live and travel on when the time came.

His second wife, Mildred, was a waitress at the local diner. She had reddish hair that she wore at shoulder length. Thomas had met her there three years ago after the death of his first beautiful, brown-haired, blue-eyed wife, Karen, who looked just like their daughter, Brandy. Brandy never did really care for Mildred, but as long as her father was happy, she wasn’t going to stand in the way of his happiness because she knew she would be going off to college in a couple of years and her father would be left all alone. But this way at least, he would have Mildred no matter how she felt about her.

Brandy was only thirteen years old when her real mother died. It’s hard for any child to lose a mother, but it hit Brandy really hard because they were so close and did everything together and there was so much love that when she died, Brandy felt a part of her died too.

So when Thomas had told Brandy of his intentions to marry Mildred, she’s thinking only of his happiness, and if this is where he found it, she had made up her mind that she wasn’t going to make it hard for him no matter what it took; she wasn’t that type of person.

Brandy was a sweet and loving person who was very shy and simple. Guess that had to do with being raised by a very loving and simple dad after the loss of his first wife. They had a small wedding and were only going on a short honeymoon because Thomas didn’t want to leave Brandy with the neighbors for too long. Brandy didn’t have any real friends that she felt she could stay with because she was a loner and stayed to herself at school. Getting into college with straight A’s was the most important thing to her. Thomas felt it was an inconvenience even though Elizabeth didn’t have a problem with it and Jenny, their daughter, was home from college and really enjoyed Brandy’s company even though there was a four-year difference in age.

Jenny was twenty years old, had short blond hair and blue eyes, and enjoyed spending some of her time with Brandy when she was home from college. She knew Brandy didn’t have any real friends and that she was a very sad and lonely girl.

She had known Brandy since she was six years old when they moved into the house next to them. It was a nice-size ranch home with three big bedrooms and two bathrooms and a large furnished basement.

Jenny was taking a course in real estate law in college and was a sophomore and was going to college at Bloomington State College so it wasn’t far, so she could drive home to visit her parents when she wasn’t working on extra credits because she wanted to finish school as fast as she could. She didn’t like being too far from her parents; they were a very close family too, and when she would be done with college, she was planning on working in the area so she could stay close to home.

Brandy liked that because she really enjoyed all the time she could spend with Jenny even when they didn’t have anything to talk about; they would just sit on the porch swing and have a nice cool glass of ice tea or just go for a walk in the neighborhood that they lived in, looking at their fancy yard with the trees and all the flowers everywhere.

Mildred hated Brandy; she felt she was always in the way and it was her fault she didn’t get the big wedding and perfect honeymoon she had always wanted. But Mildred was really good at hiding her feelings about Brandy around Thomas. (She was also able to hide the fact that the only reason she married Thomas was for his money.)

Brandy and Jenny really enjoyed their three days together. Jenny took her to the movies the first day, and they watched Dear John, and they had popcorn and soda there, and then they went out to eat. On the second day, Jenny, Brandy, and Elizabeth (Jenny’s mom, who also had short blond hair and blue eyes like Jenny) went shopping. They decided Brandy needed a woman’s touch with her clothing, but Brandy wouldn’t let them spend too much on her. On the third day, Jenny took Brandy to Holiday World Splash and Safari; that was by far the best day. Brandy said she hadn’t had a day like that since her mom died and hugged Jenny so hard Jenny could hardly breathe. Jenny told Brandy she had the best time too. It was as good as having a little sister. The next day, they just went for a walk because Brandy’s dad would be home around noon.

Brandy mentioned to Jenny that she really didn’t care for Mildred; she thought everything happened too fast and talked about how Mildred was mean and ugly to her when her dad wasn’t around. But she didn’t want to say anything to ruin her father’s happiness.

Jenny had asked her, Has she ever hit you in any way? ’Cause there’re people you can talk to about abuse.

"No, she’s never hit me. Just called me names and would say I was always in the way and called me a no-good slut-whore and that I was never going to amount to anything."

Jenny, that’s verbal abuse.

"No, I can’t hurt my dad that way, and I’ll soon be going to college, and I want to go to one a lot farther away because I won’t be coming home like you do. So please don’t say anything. I can handle it. I’ll just stay out of her way. My dad loves her, and he’s what’s most important. That’s all that matters—not the words Mildred says about me. They’re just words, and I can close her out very easily and just stay away as much as I can."

I don’t really like this idea at all! But I will say I won’t say anything for right now, but if it gets too bad, you will have to tell someone. And, Brandy, you will have to tell me, or I’ll say something now.

Thank you, Jenny.

Don’t thank me because I don’t think you should keep this from your dad. You’ve always been able to talk to him about everything. This shouldn’t be any different, and you know that, Brandy.

Well, later that day, when Thomas and Mildred got home from their honeymoon, Brandy ran into her dad’s arms and almost knocked him over, hugging him so tight.

I missed you so much, Dad.

I missed you too, and I brought you back something.

Brandy was so excited that she forgot about everything and everyone else.

Don’t you want to say hi to Mildred, Brandy?

Hi, Mildred. She said it the best she could, which wasn’t that good.

What did you get me? You said you got me something. You never go away and not bring me something back.

Well, wait until we go over and thank the Hendersons for watching and taking such nice care of you first! Don’t you think that would be the kindest thing to do?

Yes, and I really enjoyed my stay there with Jenny and her family. It was really nice.

So Thomas, Brandy, and Mildred all walked back over to the Henderson’s house. Thomas said, I don’t know how to begin to thank you for taking care of Brandy. I really do appreciate it, and I hope she wasn’t too much trouble.

Elizabeth said, She’s always welcome here anytime, and you know that, Thomas. With Jenny away a lot in college, it was like having her home again as a kid, and we really enjoyed spending the time with Brandy. We all had a really good time together, but we always do.

Okay, Daddy, what did you get me?

Well, I guess I better get her home and unpack before she drives me crazy till she finds out what I got her.

Thank you so much again for watching Brandy, Mildred said in her so-called happy voice with a scowl look on her face and tried to put a smile on it too. But she didn’t do it too good if you ask Brandy, and she thought Jenny picked up on it too and shot her a look.

See you later, Jenny, Brandy called back.

Bye, Brandy, said Jenny.

I really had a great time. Daddy, come tell me. What did you get me?

Okay, okay.

When they got home, he pulled out this big box.

What is it?

Open it and you’ll find out, sweetheart.

Brandy’s eyes got as big as silver dollars when she saw what was in the box. It was the camera she’d been wanting for a long time.

Thank you thank you thank you was all she could say. It’s beautiful. It’s great. I love it. I love you, Daddy. You’re the best in the whole world. When can we go try it out?

Well, I have to check in to work tomorrow morning, but how about when I get home? And then you can try it out, and we all can go to the park.

Okay, I guess, if I have to wait that long.

So it was Friday afternoon; they went to the park, and then as a surprise, they drove to Gray Mountain River, and she got to get even more pictures. She tried to get as many pictures of my dad without Mildred when she would finally let him go and without trying to hurt her feelings (not that she had any) ’cause she guessed her dad did love her. But she wanted pictures of her dad. She even asked and showed Mildred how to use the camera so she could get some pictures of her and her dad so Mildred wasn’t in them.

When they got home, Brandy downloaded them on her laptop and viewed them as a slide show. From that point on, she took her camera just about everywhere she went and decided that it was something she wanted to do in college along with her love for editing for a writer. Mildred said, What kind of a living would that make for you besides nothing?

Brandy said, I’d like to someday own my own company.

And you think you’re smart enough for something like that, do you? You’re just a skinny, stupid, spoiled brat that isn’t going to amount to anything.

The next time Jenny came home, Brandy went over to ask Jenny if she could talk to her about something.

Of course, you can talk to me anytime.

I think Mildred is asking my dad why I don’t call her mom. She’s not my mom, and she never will be, and I don’t want to have to call her that.

Honey, that’s something you’re going to have to talk to your dad about. It’s something you’re going to have to be comfortable with, and with the way you feel about Mildred, I understand.

Well, I won’t because she’s not my mom. My mom died and is in heaven and is hopefully looking after me, and I don’t need another mom, especially one who really hates me. I’m worried about my and his feelings on this.

Jenny said, Just explain and say you need some more time before you would feel comfortable calling her mom, and I’m sure your dad will understand that.

With the way she talks to me when he’s not around, I’d never think of her as any kind of mom to any kid—not just me. But I can’t tell my dad that. But I also can’t call her mom either—no way.

Just play it down and tell him you’re not ready and you just need more time. Knowing your dad like I do, he’ll understand, and then you won’t have to tell him anything. But I do think you should tell him something like that if you don’t want to hurt his feelings, and it will put things off, maybe even stop the whole subject for a while, at least.

CHAPTER 2

Brandy was just about three-fourths through her sophomore school year, which meant it wouldn’t be long till her seventeenth birthday. She has had her driver’s license since she was sixteen, but she was hoping for a car for her birthday this year on June 11 and she would be able to drive to school on her senior year.

Brandy was a very slim and tiny girl, only five feet five, with very long thick hair (like her mom’s) that was all to the end of her butt; her eyes were the bluest of the blue, and she had a very pretty face, but she didn’t see herself as any of those things—only average. Even when half the boys in the school would always take that second look, she’d just think it was just to make fun of her or something else but never because of her looks. She’d just keep going on her way and would go to her locker to get the books she’d need for the next part of the day. She’d always keep her head down as she would walk from class to class and always sit at the back of the room. Brandy was very much a loner at school and kept to herself and didn’t have any real friends, and that’s the way she liked it.

When Brandy’s dad wasn’t around and was at work when she got home from school, Mildred would start with her verbal abuse, as Jenny called it; she was always telling her she was nothing and wasn’t going to amount to anything because she was so damn dumb and stupid and let everyone walk all over her. She said that’s why she didn’t have any friends at school—’cause no one wanted to hang with a dumbass.

Brandy and her dad had always lived in Bloomington, Indiana, with all its uptight and antisocial people that went to Dusty High School—a school where everyone thought they were above anyone who wasn’t up to their standard of society of fancy lawyers or doctors or lived in their mansions and had all the latest in fashion and gadgets that their mommies and daddies would buy them.

That’s what made them who they were, the so-called popular kids; everyone else was just someone who filled up one of the other empty chairs in the classroom.

They were also the ones who got laughed at and made fun of. To her, she was one of those. She didn’t want any part of the so-called popular kids, so she kept to herself and didn’t want any part of the cool, so-called popular kids. She didn’t care what everyone else thought or said and didn’t care if she got her clothes at the Kmart or Walmart stores. She has a very plain and simple style, one of her own that fits her fine, and she always knew it would only be a matter of time before she could get out of this town and school that she wasn’t worried about it. She had her A’s and 4.0 grade average to get her into a college so she could go and still be herself by herself and get through college so she could get out and finally begin her own life. But the only thing she would miss out on in this plan would be her dad—to hear him and feel him, to cheer her up and make her feel like she could do anything she set her mind to, and he’d always make her laugh. He was the greatest dad a girl could ask for, and she never went without telling him so and that she loved him, and he always did the same.

CHAPTER 3

Who would have thought a knock at the door and a couple of policemen could change your whole life in a split second.

On March 16, that’s exactly what happened. There was a knock at the door, and two police officers stood there when Brandy opened the door, and they asked