Remember me

Chapter 2

7 years later
Mia

"Come on, Mia!" My best friend Marley comes up behind me in the mirror, tugging on my braid.
"Let me do your hair for you, pretty please" she bats her long black eyelashes at me.

I look at my friends familiar face in the mirror and compare it to mine. Marley is all drama, with a sharp black bob, fringe bangs, and big green eyes. She is stunning and dramatic in all the best ways. I feel plain beside her with my thick dirty blonde hair (honey colored, according to Marley) and my brown eyes. My skin is olive compared to Marleys creamy white. I've always wondered if I could be part Hispanic but Marilee, my mom, is tight lipped on the birth father discussion. Honestly I'm not sure she even has any idea who my father is.

I was a mistake, as my mother so kindly puts it, conceived some night in a back seat of a truck outside of a random bar. She's not too clear on what night, or which truck, or even what bar.

I really shouldn't be so hard on Marilee though, she has changed in a lot of ways since she told me that. When I turned 13 she started dating a pastor at the local Baptist church. He helped her get into an AA program and she found Jesus and turned her life around. The relationship with the pastor didn't last, but she still goes to church. I try not to remember that old side of her, but it's hard to forget 13 years of abuse.

"Earth to Mia" Marley says, startling me out of my thoughts. She's unraveling my braid. "We're going to a party Mia, not church, let your hair down would you?"

My hair settles in loose honey curls around my shoulders and down my back. I have to admit it does look better this way. I smile at Marley and she hands me a tube of mascara. "Put this on, we've got places to be and people to wow, sister."

A half hour later Marley and I are walking into Kimmy Chambers house, holding hands so we don't lose each other in the crowd. Kimmy lives in a trailer out in the county without a neighbor for miles. Her mom works nights as a nurse so her house is the perfect place for the quintessential high school party. Parent free and no neighbors to call in noise complaints to the cops.

We move into the tiny kitchen filled with at least 30 teenagers and I stand up on my toes trying to spot Cole. Cole has been my boyfriend for the past 6 months. My first boyfriend. I've never been interested in dating, Marley had enough interest for the both of us. I could live vicariously through her, right? But after many sweet gestures, Cole eventually convinced me to let him take me out. He took me to a movie and ice cream afterwards and was a perfect gentleman. I didn't feel any grand fireworks but he was sweet and persistent and I decided to make myself try. I was going to be a senior after all. I needed some sort of boyfriend experience before going to college, right? He'd grown on me, but I still couldn't say I felt those fireworks.

Finally I spotted Cole in a corner with his baseball buddies joking loudly. I start walking his way when I see him throw back a shot glass. I stop short. "Ugggghh" I groan "He's drinking." Marley glances at me with a grimace. "Sorry babe" she says, squeezing my hand. Marley knows how much I hate it when he drinks. Sweet doting Cole turns into cocky sloppy Cole and it is not cute.

"Ignore him, have fun with me, please." Marley smiles widely at me, pulling her hand from mine and holding both of hers up in a praying gesture.

"Fine" I reply with a reluctant smile.

"Great, let's go!"

She hooks her arm in mine and drags me outside.