Faith In Clearview

By Vanika White

Faith In Clearview by Vanika White

__________________________________

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781634175692

Book preview

Faith

in

Clearview

Vanika White

Copyright © 2014 Vanika White

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc. 2014

ISBN 978-1-63417-568-5 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-63417-569-2 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

MeLee 

Standing on the curb motionless and numb, I didn’t even know I was crying. I was shaking from anger and being so scared of not knowing what would occur between us. Did this really just happen? 

I’m walking home as I normally did, when I saw Mayor Jackson’s Escalade creep up to me and stop. He rolled down his window with an awful sneer on his face, and I tensed with dread.  

I could tell he didn’t like me when I first met him. I just couldn’t figure out what I could have done to him in such a short period of time. Another thing, I was still not sure why I cared.  

MeLee, can I have a word with you? he asked. Hatred just spilled out with his tone. 

I couldn’t even believe this. I exhaled and just simply said, Yes, sir. 

Why am I letting this, better yet, him, get the best of me. He might have money, but that doesn’t make him any better than me. 

He started on me about Brad running to him with what was going on. I cringed at every word that he spoke to me. It was crazy how I knew I was not completely in the wrong here, but Mayor Jackson made me feel filthy and dirty. Like even the hottest shower wouldn’t cleanse me of this feeling.  

MeLee, the best thing for you and everyone else is for you to rid yourself of this horrible burden. 

It felt like I’ve just had my heart ripped out of my chest. My child was no horrible burden. Especially to me!  

He went on, If money is the object, we can help with that. This matter needs taken care of as quickly and quietly as possible. I’m sure you understand where I am coming from. He said, looking over his glasses at me. 

Neither him nor Brad would have to deal with this horrible burden. I was fully aware and ready to take care of my child. 

This was probably the longest five minutes of my life. What I wouldn’t give to be invisible like I had been so many times before.  

I tried to pull myself together enough to start home. I knew Mom would freak if she saw me upset like this. She would go for blood if she found out. I took some deep breaths and started again on my journey home. 

That peace was short-lived when I saw another oh so familiar truck headed right toward me. That want to be invisible came flooding back. It was Zander. I knew I couldn’t let him find out exactly what just happened but with him being that closed by, I knew he had to have seen Mayor Jackson pulled away. 

He pulled over and offered me a ride which I accepted because I was emotionally drained, and I was afraid I might collapse at any moment. He opened the door for me, I climbed in, buckled up, and sank into the seat, and tried to escape. I just wanted to forget it all ever happened but I knew that wouldn’t be possible because they didn’t get their way. And I knew that didn’t sit well with them. 

He drove me home, and it was comforting oddly enough. Even though not much was said, I felt a huge sense of understanding between us. He pulled up to my house and didn’t intrude once, and it made me feel guilty like I owed him an explanation. I would tell him, sometime. 

MeLee 

I’ve thought and dreamt many times of getting out of this little town. Everyone knew everyone, and everything that went on in it. There was no privacy, and I felt like I was smothering. Florida is a big state. Sometimes it was hard to grasp that a place like Clearview even existed! Will I ever be able to get out of here? 

I would have to focus and study hard to make sure I had a small chance with a full scholarship to a good college. This summer had proved that a job with little education would not do much for you.  

I had faith that things would work out. School was starting soon so it was my job to keep my grades up and make something of myself. 

Why, I wondered for the umpteenth time, does the first day of school make me so nervous?

Maybe because walking through the halls was sheer pandemonium. The usual cliques all huddled together, laughing and showing off their new clothes and gadgets. The new freshman struggled to get in their lockers for the first time, scared out of their minds. I remembered feeling that way. Colorful posters covered the walls announcing all the activities coming up, clubs to join, and schedules. So much was going on. It was truly overwhelming. Man, it’s only the first day of my junior year. 

As I came upon my own locker, I realized I’ve been holding my breath. I exhaled, glad I made my way down the hall without colliding with any jostling students. Working fifty hours a week this summer was a lot simpler than this. With my breathing back to normal, I closed my eyes, bowed my head, and said a silent prayer for the strength to make it through today. 

I was not sure why I was so anxious. I thought it was because our school—like our town—had clear, distinct social levels. I guessed my English teacher, Mr. Tuller, would call them hierarchies. You stepped outside your place even for a minute and life could get pretty awful real fast.  

Nobody talked about them. They just existed. 

No sooner did I say Amen than a roar of raucous applause erupted. I turned toward the commotion only to be swallowed by Brad Jackson and his crew of football buddies—all getting ready for the first pep rally of the year. 

My school was all about sports. I wondered if all high schools were like this. If so, guessed I’d better jump on board because college would be the same way.  

It happened in an instant. I lost hold of my books, and they fell, sliding out of my arms and across the floor. Brad and I both stooped to pick them up. He smiled easily at me, I thanked him and he was off to join his crew again.  

The bell rang, bringing me back to the here and now. Time for my first class. Hustling down the hallway, I was relieved not to be the only one late on the first day. I noticed a boy strolling in casually, not seeming to care that he was late. He had long shaggy hair. It suited him, and an outfit that’s of a retro punk band. He glanced around with the most electric green eyes I’ve ever seen. I noticed he also had a kind of natural dignity, a way of carrying himself that said he was comfortable in his own skin, although he looked like a tough guy. 

Luckily, my first class was my favorite subject, and I was pretty good at it to boot. English, my favorite language (also my only language). Being late to class meant all the good seats were taken. There was one in the very front row, right beside Brad Jackson. He whispered to me, So we meet again.  

Nodding, I just opened my book to get ready for our lecture. For some reason it was hard to concentrate on the lesson and take notes, feeling Brad’s eyes on me whenever the teacher’s head was turned to the board. It was uncomfortable in a flattering sort of way. I told myself this was the last time I’d be late again.  

Class was finally over so I gathered my things when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Turning, I saw it was Brad. You’re MeLee right? he asked. 

Yeah. 

He looked at me quizzically. Are you coming to the pep rally this afternoon? he asked. 

Yeah, I’ll be there, I told him. 

I’ll be watching for you. 

The day passed with a blur. Lunch was here before I knew it. The food was good although it took me a minute for me to decide what to eat. The chicken sandwich and fries looked awesome but the aroma the chicken Alfredo was giving off was mouthwatering. I chose the Alfredo with salad and garlic bread, and cranberry juice to drink. Not too bad for a school lunch. All the cliques were assembled again, keeping their place in the hierarchy. I chose to sit at the less populated end of the cafeteria. I looked for the green-eyed boy but didn’t see him in the crush of chattering, laughing kids. 

I could hear the cheerleaders as I walked toward the gym. The crowd was in a frenzy, the popular prep girls were still primping, getting ready for their fashionably late entrance. I crept in the back way trying not to be noticed while the student body was being led in a crowd involvement cheer. Two girls were doing back-handsprings the entire length of the basketball court while the rest of the cheerleaders lifted up signs for everyone to shout out loud.  

After that the gym teacher introduced the football coach. Another explosion of mania erupted because everyone knew what’s coming next: the football players and beyond that, Brad Jackson. He spotted me and winked. I felt my heart hammer. 

The end of the school day finally came around. I went to my locker to get my things together and started my walk home. It was not that far of a walk, and for that I was grateful. I got there in fifteen minutes depending on my mood and speed. As I reached the gate I began searching for my house key. 

I didn’t live in a mansion, but it’s not a shack either. I’d say it was a comfortable home. It had three bedrooms, living room, kitchen, two and a half bathrooms, and a pretty decent yard. The décor was pretty modern and sophisticated, dark bold colors inside with white siding and yellow shutters on the outside, a nice house to grow up in. The big open kitchen allowed the aroma of whatever you were cooking to travel throughout each room like your favorite fragrance of air freshener. I could live here contently for the rest of my life. It was all I’ve ever known.  

Walking inside, I realized Mom wasn’t home yet. I took my back pack to my room and checked the laundry basket to see if I needed to start a load. I didn’t, before heading off to start dinner. I knew she’d be beat once she got here. So I tried to lighten the home load as much as possible. I was old enough to do my part, and she worked hard to do for us both. So in my mind, I needed to as well. I got the meat out to thaw for beeftips and gravy, our favorite. Forty-five minutes later I was pulling the dinner rolls out of the oven as Mom walked through the door. Time to eat!  

I asked her about work which usually never changed. She asked about my first day of school, and I gave her the play by play from dropping my books in the swarm of football players to being late to class all the way to the pep rally. Leaving out the part about the green-eyed boy and Brad Jackson, her boss’s son. 

Brad was all I thought about. The All-American boy, blonde hair, blue eyed football captain that every girl wanted. He had a killer football body and rich father who was the mayor of our little town. Getting mixed up with him could hurt us both. Mom could possibly lose her job, and Heaven forbid, he could lose his social status at school from the likes of me. Why did he seem into me anyway? Was I just mistaking his kindness as flirting? I was not a total dog in the looks department. Long brown hair with brown eyes, pretty in my own way. It could happen, I guess, except this was a town where rich football captains with mayors for fathers didn’t fall the daughters of their cleaning ladies. It just didn’t happen. Even though I wished it did.  

Lying on my bed doing homework, I got to thinking it’s been over a month, and Brad was still paying so much attention to me. It wasn’t an always thing, but it was noticeable. So now I thought I was safe in saying it was flirting, while I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why. I looked back to his previous girlfriends and realize I was nothing like them. Whoa, that came out of nowhere! Who said anything about me being Brad’s girlfriend? Anyway he liked the blonde Barbie-doll type. That was really not me.  

In my favorite pajamas I walked to my closet to look in my full length mirror to see what he might see. Waist-length hair (which was in a mess on my head right now), big brown eyes, full lips, decent nose, and high cheek bones. I had a somewhat athletic build, though I’ve never played sports a day in my life. I was more in to books.  

Girls threw themselves at him all the time. I just didn’t happen to be one of them. But I noticed him, of course. Who wouldn’t? I forced myself to go back to my homework.