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“You are argumentative and standoffish to those that don’t know you. I guess I understand more knowing what I do about your mom and witnessing another of those conversations.”
“I’m only standoffish,” she said, “because I’m not into all the petty girl fighting and things.”
“You’ve got a point,” Sandra said. “A really good one. I’ve been dragged into more drama than I want to be. I supposed when we first met it was more guarded, but you loosened up in a day or so.”
“You were a stranger to me. I had no idea how you were going to be at first. I’ve got enough drama with my mother alone,” she said and slid off her bunk.
Sandra nodded. “Why don’t we go to a party tonight?” Sandra said. “You don’t get out much. I heard there is one a dorm over. We can have fun and put all this crap with your mother behind you.”
“It will never be behind me completely,” she said quietly.
“Then you need to learn to ignore it and what better way than to go out? Come on,” Sandra said. “Be my wingwoman.”
Sandra’s laughter and waving her arms around on the bed were getting to her. “You’re right,” she said. “I think I will.”
“Sweet,” Sandra said, jumping down. “And I’m going to get some lunch and go to class.”
Sandra left after that and Elise went through her drawers looking for something that was a bit more feminine. Maybe she’d do her hair too. Put some makeup on.
Tonight she was going to prove how shallow her mother was.
She was going to look the part her mother always wanted. She was going to drink and act that way too.
She just hoped she didn’t have too many regrets.
But wasn’t life just full of them anyway?
1
ON PRINCIPLE
Sixteen Years Later
“I don’t knowwhy I’ve got to go with you,” Elise complained to her father.
“Because we need two votes on a business proposition like this,” he said. “Royce had an emergency and you’re the one that always says two votes.”
She wanted to growl at her father but wouldn’t when he wasn’t saying anything she didn’t know or hadn’t said for years.
Not since her father had his heart attack years ago and she and Royce thought they were going to lose him.
She’d been heartbroken.
The only parent who cared about her in her life and he was too young to leave this earth.
He worked too hard. He stressed himself out. He spread himself too thin.
All the things her mother bitched about for years and part of the reason her parents were divorced.
After the heart attack, her father put half of the business in her and Royce’s names. She ran the office end of everything now. Her brother, Royce, ran the construction end.
Her father, he had his finger in all the parts, but he didn’t do a ton of physical work like he used to.
They’d had another scare when her father’s pacemaker had to be replaced months ago. All it did was reinforce the fact she was going to do whatever he asked...within reason.
“But this is the second building the Fierces want to go in on. The first one is going well. You know Royce and I will agree to it.”
Sometimes she gave him a hard time on principle. It was a game they played and both enjoyed.
