The Glass Secret (Chain of Secrets), page 17
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Invisible moments
On the last day of our vacation, I skipped breakfast and ran all the way to the schoolhouse to say goodbye to Jude. He was just opening up for the day, and I had spent all morning working up the nerve to ask him to take a photo with me in front of the schoolhouse. I wanted a keepsake of where he saved my life from the ghost and of course, him—my first love.
When he wrapped his arm around my shoulder for the photo, my knees wobbled in perfect rhythm with my rapid pulse. After his boss took the picture of us, he left us alone and retreated inside. He obviously knew that we wanted some privacy. This was the moment, the pivotal moment where my love grew even stronger for Jude. My stomach began to hurt. How was I going to survive without seeing him everyday? We were face to face, and I held my breath, waiting for him to ask if he could come to Manhattan to visit me. I just assumed that he would make the next trip.
When he took my hand into his, I almost fainted. Then it happened…he kissed me. My body shivered down deep inside from just the touch of his lips. He was the first man that had ever kissed me, and even though it was just on my hand, to me it counted as my first kiss. The wind encircled us, and I felt as if I was being lifted to Heaven. It was very powerful.
Jude waved the Polaroid picture into the air as it developed. I could hardly wait to see us immortalized on film. I couldn’t help but think that my grandmother’s tarot card predictions were in motion. She had seen someone taking pictures. Here I was with the man that I thought I would love forever. I could hardly contain my feelings.
“Thanks, Jude. I will treasure this forever,” I said as I felt heat rise to my cheeks.
“You’re welcome Brie-Brie” he said with a smile.
Please, don’t call me that...look at me, Jude. I’m not a girl; I am a woman.
“Good morning Jude,” a female’s voice called out.
I whipped around, and there she was—a beautiful blonde with big boobs bouncing to the beat of the band, and she was headed in our direction. As she walked toward us, her hair was blowing in slow motion, and it looked like she was stepping out of one of those Budweiser commercials. Time seemed to stop. Jude’s eyes were glued to her, all of her, if you know what I mean. So were mine. Where are the horses? I wanted them to come and stampede her over.
“Hey Amanda, looking good,” Jude’s voice shifted into low gear. She looked vaguely familiar to me.
I glared up at Jude, stunned. His smile appeared devilish and smeared across his face like smooth chocolate syrup. What is happening to him? His glistening green eyes pierced into her, throwing cupid’s arrows into her heart—his target.
“Would you like to spend time with me after you get off work tonight?” Amanda said, nearly singing her words. A gentle wind carried her question on its wings and straight into my Jude’s ears.
“Yes. I’d love to,” he practically sang back; I felt like throwing up.
Love...did he say love? I heard his breath drawing in deeply and picking up it’s pace. His smile was abnormally huge. Suddenly, he looked like an alligator to me. All of his teeth were beaming like a full moon at midnight. How could this be happening? His lips stretched from ear to ear like a tightrope. I wanted to reach up and snap them back into their natural position. He looked possessed...perhaps she was a ghost taking him over. If only she was, I would have damned her back to H… E… double-toothpick!
When Amanda reached us, I took notice of her beauty up close.
I know her face, I thought.
Her skin was a deep olive color and tanned. I was ten shades lighter, almost invisible next to her. I instantly did not like her. I felt like vapor in the wind next to her.
She looked like the beautiful swan, and I felt like an ugly duckling in her presence. Her hair was smooth, blunt ends and not a strand out of place; a golden blonde hue with traces of dark honey weaved on the underside. Meanwhile, I could feel the humidity causing mine to rise like a lopsided loaf of bread. I was clearly a hot mess.
“What would you like to do?” She sensuously licked her full lips.
Did she just lick her lips?
“Anything—would you like to drive over to the beach?” Jude asked, almost begging her.
You never asked me to go to the beach. I cried in my head.
“That would be lovely...I love watching the tide roll in at dusk and feeling the night air on my face and the wind blowing through my hair...it’s so peaceful.”
Then make a date with the wind instead of Jude!
“I can’t wait,” Jude exclaimed, and they embraced.
Let go of my boyfriend! Hello. What am I, invisible?
I felt as if I was their audience, no more like a weed that sprouted up between their feet. I held my breath, wishing that the ground would erupt and swallow this Amanda chick whole; then she could be dinner for the earth.
Still in their lingering embrace, she peered over Jude’s shoulder and fluttered her lashes before zoning in on me. If my looks could kill, she would be dead.
“Jude,” she whispered in his ear. “There’s someone here...a little girl.” Amanda disengaged their embrace.
Yeah. His girlfriend, bimbo! I screamed silently.
Where was Storm? My angel. I wanted him to make this man-eating, lip-licking, possessed evil witch disappear.
“Oh, this is my friend.” Jude scantily glanced in my direction. My heart stopped.
What happened to Brielle? Or Brie-Brie?
“Hello, Friend. I am Amanda,” she said, reaching out to shake my hand. I glanced at her slender arm, long, lean and full of grace. Mine arms were long and lean, too, but fell short of being graceful. Lanky and clumsily more like it. I slipped my hand into hers, and she felt fragile to the touch. I wondered if I did too.
“Yeah, hi, I heard him say your name,” I groaned sarcastically. Squaring my shoulders, I confidently introduced myself, “I’m Brielle Eden.” Jude hadn’t even bothered mentioning my name.
“I like your name.” Amanda complemented me.
“Thanks.” Despite my desire to be sick, I managed to flash her a turned in, tight-lined smile.
“What’s that...?” Amanda asked inquisitively, and her eyes fell on our photo.
I fixated on the instant photo in Jude’s limp hand. I felt tears straining against the back of my eyeballs.
“This...?” His eyes darted down to the picture. “It’s a photo of me and my new little friend, Brie.” He tilted it toward Amanda.
“You are so beautiful, very photogenic. Did Jude tell you I am a model for Elite in New York City?” She beamed.
Alarms rang in my head. It was her...Amanda Seymour. She was on the first season of Super Model a few months ago. She didn’t win, but she came in as the second runner up. Oh my God! I recognized that she was the girl on the cover of last months Glamour, too. There was this entire article about her and the show. Damn her, what is she doing here?
“No, he didn’t mention that to me,” I retorted. He didn’t mention you at all. You are very unpopular in my circle of friends; no one likes you. I glared at her. Unfortunately, when my brain processed certain things, my words would come spilling out with little thought. My own thoughts—my mouth betrayed me. “I know who you are,” I muttered. I hated that I had confessed to her that I knew who she was.
Jude piped in, a fraction behind the conversation. “That’s right Brielle lives in Manhattan, too. I almost forgot that.”
Of course you forgot...you barely remembered my name.
Amanda reached into the little worn leather brown bag that was cinched low on her rail thin hips. “Here’s my card. You should think about modeling. I started around your age. Call me sometime and I can introduce you to my agency. They will love you.” She smiled and handed me her calling card. I wanted to hate her, I really did, but she was actually very nice.
“Thanks.” I bit my lip. “But, I am going to be a writer.” My eyes flashed up toward Jude.
Please make her disappear like you did the ghost. Take me to the beach, instead, not her. I remembered we were actually leaving today. I will run away with you. Confusion stimulated my thoughts. I wanted to rip her card up into a million pieces and throw it into Jude’s face. How could he do this to me? Why did Amanda have to be so nice? Why did she have to be Amanda Seymour, the famous model? All my dreams suddenly went up in smoke.
“Here Brielle,”—Jude handed me the photo—“take this...maybe I will see you again one day in pictures, no pun intended,” he half-chuckled and so did Amanda.
That’s not funny assholes!
I fought to hold back my tears. So much for Grandmother’s predictions, I thought.
“I guess this is goodbye?” I managed to choke out as a single tear fell to the edge of my upper lip.
Jude looked befuddled. Clearly, he was embarrassed in front of Amanda that I had tears in my eyes. I couldn’t make eye contact with him. Instead, I eyeballed the photo. Jude and I stood next to each other with his arm wrapped around my shoulder; it appeared as if we were two good ole buddies. In hindsight, meeting Amanda explained why Jude hadn’t slipped his arm around my waist for the photo. It explained a lot.
Jude was a moth flying into the light and Amanda was that light, not me.
“Are you okay, Brie?” Jude asked.
No! I am not okay, dumb ass!
“I’m fine...the sun. It’s in my eyes.” My words trailed off as I licked away a tear. “Nice meeting you, Amanda.”
“Oh, sweetie, you too.” Her eyes met with my gaze and the thought that lay behind it. She knew and was aware that I had miscalculated my feelings—no—Jude’s feelings toward me.
“Bye, Jude,” I said then turned and walked away. A few yards from them I turned back around and they were now holding hands and watching me. Amanda eased her hand from Jude’s and ran to me. I turned on my heels, picking up my pace.
“Wait!” Amanda’s voice caught in the cool breeze that slapped against my face. A hard slap in the face, and it stung against my cheeks.
“I have to go, my parents are waiting,” I stammered. Once the tears released, I couldn’t hold them back. Amanda was on my heels.
“Brielle, please stop!” Her palm flailed against the back of my shoulder. I stopped and turned toward her.
“What do you want?” I implored. My cordial expression from seconds before turned icy. “You ruined everything.”
“Ouch...” Amanda grimaced.
“Yeah, ouch,” I mocked her.
“Brielle, I am sorry,” she spoke softly, I supposed so that Jude couldn’t hear her.
“I bet you do this all the time to girls like me,” I cried.
“Why would you say something like that?” she asked.
“Because you can, you’re so beautiful and perfect,” I mumbled in a raspy tone.
“Listen, life is not about how you look,” she said.
“Yours is...so don’t feed me that crap,” I growled, wry.
“Okay. I won’t lie. You’re right. Life can be easier in a world that puts so much emphasis on the way we look when people perceive you as beautiful on the outside. But, our pretty faces, even our lives can be taken away in a second. Nothing should be taken for granted.”
“Yeah, well, that’s easy for you to say,” I hissed.
“You don’t know my troubles. Please, it’s not been as easy as you think it has for me.”
“I would give anything right now to be in your shoes.” I glanced down at her shoes. Eww, they were dirty and torn. This was shocking to me. As my eyes scrolled back up to her face, I noticed a terrible scar high on the thigh of her leg. It was purple and deep almost as if someone had cut out a chunk of her flesh.
“What happened?”
“Oh that...it’s nothing.” She tugged on her shorts that had risen to reveal the scar.
“It looks like it hurts,” I said, trying not to stare.
“Not so much anymore, just here sometimes,” Amanda pressed her hand against her heart, and her eyes turned red. The tiniest tear fell from her lashes.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I am doing much better.”
“Well, even with that scar, I would trade places with you right this minute.”
“Brielle...you’re very pretty. I looked very much like you when I was your age. So natural, untouched and innocent, enjoy this time of your life.” Her words were so genuine and sincere.
“Now you’re embarrassing me.” I knotted my fingers together.
“It seems like I never say the right words.” She rocked slightly back and forth and more tears welled in her eyes. Real was the word that came to mind; she was real. And, despite the fact that she was so beautiful, on the outside, I could tell she was hurting somewhere on the inside.
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t try so hard,” I suggested.
“Awe, look at you, giving me advice now—young, beautiful and wise for your age. You win.”
“That’s not how I see it. Jude loves you, not me.”
“I know it’s none of my business, but I know how you feel...I knew you liked Jude. I could tell. You should know that he didn’t know how you felt about him. But...”—she glanced back at Jude—“he really thinks you are amazing—special.”
“Really?” I beamed, a little confused. “He likes me?”
“Oh yes, very much. He just didn’t want to get all involved because you live so far away.”
“Oh, that makes sense. But, what about you guys? You live far away too.” I bit the inside of my mouth, waiting for her answer. Amanda twisted her lips and sighed.
“I think the only reason he likes me is because he thinks I am a model with no brains and it makes him feel smarter....” She paused and glanced back at Jude again. He was busy entertaining some folks that were passing by. “I really hate to admit it, but he mentioned to me that you are one of the most intelligent girls he’s ever met.”
“I can be dumb.” I nodded.
“No, don’t ever dumb down for a man.” Her full lips stretched to a thin line and a hint of disappointment glowed in her eyes.
“But...”
“Never, it’s his problem, and I’m sure he’s intimidated by you—you know how men can be, right?”
“Of course I do. You are saying men don’t like girls that are smarter than them.”
Amanda shifted her eyes upward, which was a dead giveaway. She paused, probably trying to figure out what to say next. Her hesitation was clear to me. I knew what she was up to—trying to save me. How unselfish of her. I had to give her some credit; after all she was trying hard to help me. I got it. They were in love. So, I went ahead and played along with her, but only for a minute.
“Hum...something like that...They just don’t like to admit it. But, remember not all men feel this way. Please, don’t be upset about Jude, he—” I looked at her suspiciously and was now more than convinced my hunch was right on the money. She was trying to save me from suffering from a broken heart.
I interrupted her. “It’s okay. I think you are pretty smart, Amanda.”
“Me? No. Not like you.” She contorted her lips to one side of her face.
“Well, if you say so—but, I don’t agree. I think you are smarter than what you let on.” I coyly winked at her. “Playing dumb worked, even with me, thanks.”
“Come here.” She flung her arms around me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, thanks to you. I knew exactly what you were doing.”
“And you let me go on?” Amanda laughed. “I feel so stupid.”
“Yeah—wait, I don’t mean you’re stupid,” I gasped in a huge gulp of air, giggling. “But it was funny watching you trying to come up with something to say. Something believable you know.”
“Oh Brielle, you’re going to do more than fine when it’s your time to meet the right guy. Just remember to be yourself.” Amanda swept her arms beneath mine and gave me a hug. She held me so tightly. It was almost as if she was trying to steal a piece of me. I couldn’t help but wonder why. “I can’t wait to read your first book. Promise me that you won’t forget me when I am in line at your first book signing” Amanda whispered.
“Hey, I decided that I think I am going to model just like you. Then I can write on the side—play dumb when I have to, that way I will have it all—a hot guy, money and fame.”
We both laughed, almost like sisters would. It was nice.
A concerned look formed in Amanda’s eyes. “I don’t want to steer you wrong, and I feel like I have. Please, stick to your writing. You definitely have the figure and the face to model, but I have a feeling that you have more to offer the world by writing.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t give up on writing.” I sighed. “You know...I can see why Jude loves you so much,” I wistfully said.
“Aww, thanks.” She exhaled, seemingly relieved and pecked the top of my head with a kiss. She was a tall glass of water and as skinny as a ruler.
“Hold on. Stay right here, okay?” I pleaded.
“Okay.” A puzzled expression flashed on her face. I quickly ran back to Jude and gave him a super big hug.
“Hey, Amanda is awesome,” I buzzed in his ear. “You two should get married. Okay?” I practically demanded.
“I will try my best to win her heart.” Jude winked at me.
“Don’t try...just do it.” With my index finger, I drew an imaginary check mark in the air. “Bye, Jude.”
