Chapter Three

How was everyone last night? I hope you all had a chance to read Chapter 2. As for me, I was pathetically unproductive on the writing front. I didn't write a word of my new book - a time travel ghost story with a hint of Greek mythology. However, I did watch the season finale of my favorite summer show "Make It or Break It." What does it say about me that my favorite show also centers around older teens? I suspect a therapist might claim I have a Peter Pan complex. I prefer to think about it as being young at heart. Who wants to be an adult anyway? Honestly, I get enough responsibility and grownupness at work and as a Mom. I want to lose all of that stuff in my writing and entertainment. It's escapism at its best.

Poor Kate, on the other hand, would probably prefer that I had watched TV rather than write her next chapter. Her happy little life is about to experience a great emotional upheaval. It's worth it in the end, although she doesn't realize it now. For now, she has to try to do something uncomfortable for a teenager (and most adults). She has to think of someone else before herself.

Enjoy! Also, don't forget to tell your friends how amazing my BLOG is. Love you all!

Chapter 3

The echo of the bell could still be heard as Melanie and I ran out the front door of the school, jumping down the steps and gleefully twirling in the soft grass of the lawn. Erik, only steps behind, grabbed my waist and twirled me in a high wide circle.
“We’re done!” He pulled me tight, and we sank into a deep kiss. His arms wrapped around my waist, keeping me a willing prisoner to the passionate kiss.
“Get a room, guys.” Melanie laughed lightly.
My face blazed red when Erik finally set me down. “You’re just jealous, Mel. Where’s John?”
Melanie had started dating Erik’s best friend not long after Erik and I “discovered” each other. They seemed to work, even if Melanie’s attraction appeared to stem from John’s friendship with Erik. It was convenient if nothing else.
“He’s meeting me at the lake. He needed to run and pick up something for his Dad.”
The entire soon to be Senior class was meeting at one of the local lakes for an end of year cookout. It wasn’t one of Minnesota’s better lakes – it was always slightly green and held only inedible Bullheads rather than any decent fish, but it had a large picnic area with a couple of grills. Add in some recently freed teenagers, music, and a lot of food, and you had yourself a pretty good party. There were even rumors of fireworks, although I definitely hadn’t mentioned them to Mom.
“I need to run by Chic anyway. Why don’t you guys go ahead? I’ll meet you there.” Mom would want to congratulate me on the end of the school year. I’d hurt her feelings if I didn’t at least stop by the shop.
My car, a small non-descript sedan, was waiting outside the store. Although new (there were benefits to having an ex-movie star mom), it was rather plain and boring. I had asked for a little German number when I turned sixteen, but Mom refused saying it would be too conspicuous. Since Dad agreed, I lost the battle…thus the sedan.
I didn’t usually bother wasting gas to drive myself. Since I didn’t want to waste a moment of precious time walking the couple of extra blocks to the house to retrieve my car, I’d loaded it to the brim with picnic paraphernalia and parked it directly in front of the store to patiently wait for my return at the end of the day. Today was a special occasion, and summers were too short.
As I walked up the sidewalk towards Chic, I applauded my planning. A quick hello to Mom - then the lake. I was practically bouncing with excitement as I pushed open the door.
The store was full of early summer shoppers looking for “chic” summer outfits. Mom’s assistant was deftly attending to the customers. She waved to me as I headed towards the back of the store. It was odd that I couldn’t see Mom up front.
“She’s in the office,” Pam said, briefly breaking away from a tall well-dressed customer who was obviously from the Twin Cities.
Really odd. Mom was almost always on the floor, especially when there were so many customers shopping. She was well aware that she was as much of an attraction as the clothing she sold.
I could hear Mom’s voice as I approached the office.
“It’s a very interesting proposal, Peter. I’m pretty tied up here, though. Not that I’m not flattered.” Mom held the Oscar paperweight as she spoke, so absorbed in her conversation she didn’t see me in the doorway.
“I know. You’re right. I won’t get another opportunity like this. I suppose the timing could be worse. Can you give me some time to think?” Mom’s beautiful face was a study of yearning indecision. It was obvious that whatever Peter was offering she wanted.
“A couple of days? That’s all? No, I understand. They’re moving that quickly, huh?”
I could hear the sound of mumbling from the other end of the phone. Even though I couldn’t hear the words, it was obvious Peter was continuing to push his case. Mom’s beautiful eyes were alight with excitement.
“Yes, I’ll call you back. As soon as I’ve read it. I promise. Yes, I will definitely think about it. Thanks for calling. It was great speaking to you again. It’s been too long. Bye.”
I watched Mom hang up the phone. She picked up her Oscar and held it close to her face as if trying to read the inanimate object’s small gold mind. Carefully, almost reverently, she placed it back on top of a pile of invoices. Her head dropped onto the empty space in front of her computer keyboard. I could hear her mumbling to herself, “Kate… God, how I want to do this.” Then, seeming to gather herself, she abruptly stopped and straightened up to look at her computer screen.
“Hi, Mom,” I said. She jumped guiltily as she turned to see me standing in the doorway.
“Kate! How long have you been standing there,” Mom questioned. Not the best reaction when I already felt a sick panic forming in the base of my stomach.
“Not long. Who was that?” I admirably kept my voice neutral.
She seemed reluctant to answer my question. “Peter Jenkins. My old agent,” she finally answered.
I looked at her, stunned, my eyes growing large. Mom hadn’t talked to her old agent in years. The overheard conversation was now made sense.
“Don’t worry, Kate. It’s nothing.” Great actress or not, I could tell she was lying. She glanced quickly away, suddenly intent on reading the screen in front of her.
“Tell me the truth, Mom.” I sat down in the chair across from her, no longer able to command my legs to hold me upright.
“Seriously, Kate, it’s no big deal. He just has a project he wants me to consider.” She couldn’t quite hide the excitement glowing in her eyes.
I should have seen this coming. Mom had been content when I was younger and dependent on her, but as I got older, I watched her grow increasingly lonely. I worried about it. I knew she’d given up everything for Dad and me, and Dad was already gone. What would she do when I was no longer around?
“What project?”
“The sequel to Midnight’s Dawn.” The excitement in her voice matched what I saw in her eyes.
Not good. REALLY not good. Midnight’s Dawn had been one of her biggest hits. It was the movie Mom and me watched last week – the movie she was making when she met Dad. Everyone knew a sequel was being produced. It was all over the entertainment shows and magazines. They planned to cast some young starlet to play Mom’s old role. Mom had been a slightly hurt when she found out; no one even called her to ask her thoughts or opinion. The fact that they were calling now……
“The director’s made a last minute change in direction for the movie. He wants me to be Anna.” Her voice rose in excitement on the last word. Anna. Her old role.
“It’s impossible of course. Peter says location shooting is starting right away, and then, after location shooting is done, I’d have to go to Los Angeles for a while. I can’t leave you like that. You need me here, and of course there’s Chic too.” The exhilaration radiating from her faded, replaced by the reality of the situation.
Not that Chic was the real problem. I was the problem.
She hesitated then started again, “I told him I would consider it. It’s the second chance of a lifetime. An opportunity to do it all over. Peter says they want me pretty bad. He’s sending me the script tonight by courier.” The excitement was back. I’d seen Mom happy, but this was something different. This was pure joy shining from her eyes.
“It’s impossible, of course,” she repeated, obviously trying to convince us both.
Not impossible. Not if I was willing to give up my normal life and go with her. She wouldn’t go without me, and she wouldn’t go without my full support. Mom was too self-sacrificing.
But how could I encourage her? Mom would be a star again. It was difficult to imagine the impact that would have on my life. And how could I leave Dad, Erik, and Melanie?? Even if I agreed to go with her, inevitably there would be times during filming when Mom and I would be separated. I’d be losing Mom too.
But how could I not encourage her to go? How could I be so selfish as to keep my Mom from something she obviously desired so strongly?
My mind whirled with possibilities.
I walked around the desk to stand beside her chair and put a calming hand on her shoulder. “Read the script, Mom. Maybe it sucks.” I could only hope. If it sucked, there would be no decision to make.
“Yeah, maybe it’ll suck,” she agreed, turning to gather me close for a hug. It wouldn’t suck. We both knew it.
“I’m sure it will. Sequels always suck.” Her final lie followed me out the door.
The drive to the lake took longer than it should have; the miles dragged, letting my mind consider, reject, and then reconsider my various options. They were limited – dash my mother’s dreams or alter my entire life. Not a lot to work with there. Be a horribly selfish person or accept that my life would never be the same again.
Of course I knew what I would do. I’d known since seeing the joy on Mom’s face. All that was left was to convince myself that I could be like Mom. I too could be self-sacrificing.
The party was in full swing by the time I arrived. I could see Erik pacing the small parking lot in front of the picnic area. Both he and Melanie had tried to text me several times, but I had ignored their messages. Although I knew they’d be worried, I needed the time to think. Unfortunately, my conversation with Mom and the resulting time spent sitting in the car before I was able to force myself to turn it on had made me very late.
“Where have you been?!” Erik ran over, practically yanking me from my car in his haste to confirm I was in one piece.
I decided to avoid the subject of Mom’s movie. “It just took longer at Chic than I’d planned. I’m sorry I’m late.” My voice shook slightly with the effort of maintaining a believable level of composure.
“I was worried, Kate. Why didn’t you call me or text back or something?!”
“Oh, I didn’t see your text. Must have hit a dead zone.” That’s right, play dumb.
“Dead zone? There’s no dead zone between Chic and the lake.” He studied me in confusion. Guess I wasn’t going to take after Mom in acting ability.
“Forget it, Erik. I’m here now. Let’s go to the party.”
I reached up to kiss him, winding my hands in his curly blond hair. As I hugged him close, I began to feel desperation at the thought of our potential separation. What would I do without him? We were both breathing hard when I pulled back. When acting doesn’t work, try brute force and a lot of sexual chemistry. Works every time. Before he had the chance to resume our conversation, I took his hand and pulled him toward the picnic area and the familiar comfort of our friends.
The party passed quickly, the festivities occurring within a fog of unreality. I would forget leaving for a while then it would suddenly hit me again with a wallop. For once, I was the quiet one – a fact Melanie teased me about. It wasn’t often I let anyone out talk me, but I just couldn’t find it in myself to be completely normal. Erik occasionally looked at me with speculation; the effects of my kiss had apparently worn off enough for him to notice my odd behavior before.
As darkness spread over the lake, the fireworks were brought out, lighting the night sky with their multi-colored brilliance. Once the last firework faded, a strange mellow mood fell across those of us who remained. I had settled onto Erik’s lap when the fireworks started and couldn’t find the energy or desire to get up. Instead, I allowed the comfort of his strong arms to erase the tension that still gripped me from my earlier conversation with Mom.
“I love you, Kate.” Erik’s warm breath spread across my cheek as he whispered into my ear. The crowd had thinned to just a few couples reluctant to part.
“I love you too, Erik.” I cuddled into his chest trying to eliminate even the smallest space between us.
He leaned down, put his hand under my chin, and turned my head so I looked directly in his eyes. “Why won’t you tell me what’s wrong?”
Darn his stubbornness. “Nothing’s wrong. I promise.” I tried to turn my face away. It was hard to lie to him when looking directly into his eyes.
“Kate, I’ve known you almost your entire life. I know when you’re lying to me.” His lips met mine for a soft, sweet kiss.
“I’m not lying, not really. I just had a fight with Mom this afternoon. Not a big deal.” It was close to the truth at least. This time I was the one to reach up and give him a kiss.
We didn’t speak for a while. I could tell my words puzzled him a bit. I rarely fought with Mom. We just didn’t have that type of relationship.
“If you’re sure that’s all.” I could tell he wanted to be convinced. It felt weird, not telling Erik the entire truth. I’d never felt the need to keep anything from him before.
“That’s all. I promise.” I laid my ear against his chest, enjoying the warmth and the steady thump of his heart. He possessed such strength and beauty. He was good and loving and he was mine. No matter what, I wasn’t going to give him up – even if it meant loving him from afar. I’d find a way to make our separation work. We wouldn’t be apart long, it’d only feel like it.

© 2008 - 2009 Elizabeth Johnson