Forever Young

Chapter Fourteen

    "Earth to Laney." My mom's voice shook me out of my reverie. I'd been lost in thought for the better part of the morning, and breakfast was no exception. "What's wrong?"

    "Nothing, Mom. I'm fine." It wasn't a lie; nothing was wrong, but something was definitely weird.

    "Are you sure?"

    I sighed. "Yes." Like she'd notice -or care- if something really was wrong.

    "Good. Then maybe you can explain the meaning of this to me." She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket, and for a split second, I thought she'd found Leo's note. Then she unfolded it, and my stomach dropped. The letterhead was from UNC. It was my acceptance letter. The twins smirked, but remained silent. Even Brian must have felt the tension, because he folded his newspaper and placed it beside his orange juice.

    "I...um, that's, um... I applied there forever ago." It was all I could come up with.

    "I can tell. It's dated back in January. That's not what I asked. Laney, I thought you were going to college here. Remember, you said you'd help us out when you didn't have class?" She nodded toward the twins. "I thought that was your plan?"

    "No, Mom, that was your plan." I stood up, trying to control the rage that was building inside me. "Yours and his." I pointed to Brian.

    "But Laney-"

    "No buts, Mom." I fought to keep my voice calm and steady. "Going to community college was never in my plans. You know, most parents would be happy that their daughter was moving off to get an education. Getting in to UNC isn't easy, and I worked really hard to get accepted. Why can't you be happy for me?"

    "I am happy." I tried not to scoff at the contrast between her words and her expression. "I was just looking forward to having my little girl around for a couple of more years."

    I laughed, a short, bitter ha! Everyone looked at me. "You couldn't care less about having me around. All you care about is keeping Brian and the twins happy." She started to shake her head. "Just admit it. Its true. I know it, and I've made my peace with it. The only reason you want me around is to help with your new family." My voice rose with each word, and tears spilled down my cheeks.

    "Laney." Mom reached out to touch my arm.

    "Don't," I snapped, and moved out of her reach. "You constantly choose them over me, and I've had it. If you want your new family, fine. You've got 'em. But you can't have me, too." 

    I grabbed my acceptance letter and ran from the table. I paused at the top of the stairs and listened. For a moment, I thought Mom was going to follow me, that she would choose me. Then I heard Brian say, "What a bitch," followed by Mom's short laugh, and I realized that everything I'd said was accurate. Mom had already made her decision, and I wasn't a part of it.

    I ran to my room and closed the door. I didn't even make it to the bed before the sobs started. I sank to the floor and rested my head on my knees. I'd known my mother cared more for her step kids and husband than she did me, but it hurt to have her show it.

    I stayed in that position until my cheeks were stiff with dried tears. I stood up slowly, letting the blood drain into my feet, then walked over to the mirror.

    My cheeks were flushed, and my eyes were red and puffy. I was a mess. I started to turn away from the mirror, when something caught my eye. Rather than trust the reflection, I spun around.

    Leo was stretched out on my bed, holding my rose. "You really should stick this in water," he said and smiled.

    I gasped. "How long have you been here?"

    "Long enough to watch you run in and have a meltdown."

    I felt the heat flood my cheeks. They were already pink from crying; I could only imagine how red they were now. "Why didn't you say something?"

    "I thought you'd seen me. Besides, you seemed pretty bothered, and I didn't want to interrupt. I'm very sorry." He flashed his smile, and all my anger toward him dissipated.

    "It's fine. What are you doing here, anyway? Don't you have a village to rule?"

    "I wanted to see you again. And it's my father's job to rule, not mine. Yet."

    "But I'm not dreaming. Am I?"

    "You are not. But you drank the water. Therefore, you no longer have to be asleep to see me."

    "So I can visit the Village Ambrosia anytime I want?" Being able to escape my life for the next few weeks sounded amazing.

    Leo shook his head. "It's not that simple. You see, you've only drank from the spring once. That means you can see me -and anyone else from our village- outside of your dreams."

    "What if I drank it twice?"

    "Drink from it twice, and you'll be able to transport back and forth between our worlds. Three times, and you become like us -like me."

    "What do you mean, like you?"

    "It's complicated to explain."

    "Try it."

    "Well, okay. How old would you say I am?"

    I narrowed my eyes. I wasn't sure where he was going with this, but I played along anyway. "I don't know. Seventeen, eighteen??"

    Leo smiled at me again. "Good guess. Outwardly, I do look eighteen. But what would you say if I told you I was over four hundred years old?"

    Four hundred? He's gotta be kidding. "I'd say you need to see a shrink."

    Leo laughed. "It's true. And that's what happens when you drink the water three times."

    My mind was still struggling to keep up with him. Leo is over four hundred years old. That means he was born in the seventeen hundreds. Leo was born before the Revolutionary War.

    Suddenly all the pieces clicked together. The village, the water, the never-aging, Leo. I gasped. "You're -you're Ponce Dr Leon?"