The Tourist Trap

Chapter 22

I practically skipped up the front walk to my house that afternoon, sun drenched and water logged, my lips still buzzing from a killer goodbye kiss.

It was so crazy.

When I woke up this morning, I had never been kissed. Now I've been kissed a lot. 

The entire time Christopher and Donna had been gone, which was about half an hour, Jared and I did nothing but splash around in the lake, laughing, hugging, and kissing. I paused and touched my finger tips to my lips, giddy. I was practically an old pro now.

Jared, Donna, Christopher and I spent another couple of hours swimming and lounging around and then Jared had driven me home in his BMW with the top down.

I wasn't even thinking about this morning's missing lessons or whether or not my parents were upset. Wasn't thinking about it, at least, until I heard my fathers crazed shouts coming through the window.

"I can't believe this is happening!" he yelled, slamming a kitchen cabinet so hard that is shook the window pane. "Who the hell do these Kents' think they are?"

I glanced over my shoulder as Jared's car pulled out onto Town Line road, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. 

I wondered exactly how far me and Lola could get before either of my parents or the police caught up with us. A life on the lam couldn't be that bad, could it?

"Thomas, calm down," my mother said. "You're going to burst a blood vessel if you keep this up."

I don't care," my dad shouted. Another slam, though this one sounded like he had punched the counter top. "Maybe if Robert Kent finds out he was responsible for my untimely death, he'll think twice about what he's doing."

I gulped for air. Wait a minute. Robert Kent?

Curiosity got the better of my paralyzing fear and I opened the screen door, letting out its telltale creak.

My father fell silent when I stepped into the kitchen doorway, they both stared at me. Dad's face was bright red from anger and exertion and my mom just looked tired.

"And where the hell have you been?" I said tremulously. "What's going on?"

"Hanging out with Donna? You missed three lessons to hang out with Donna?" my father said flatly. "You tell her what's going on, Terry," he said Turing away from me. "I don't even know how to talk to her anymore."

My heart clenched and I looked at my mom. She ran both hand over her hair, then put them on her hips.

"Your father was in town this morning and ran into Mayor Brick," she said, looking not at me, but at the bowl of fruits in the center of the island. "It turns out the Kents aren't just up here for a summer away. Robert Kent has made an offer on the old Lawrence farm." She looked up at me for the first time. "He wants to buy up all of the acreage and turn it into a strip mall."

"What?" I asked, all of the oxygen whooshing out of my lungs.

The Lawrence farm encompassed some of the most gorgeous property in Lake Logan, aside from the Kent place.

There were old orchards, a swimming pool, and a huge hill that the kids in town used every winter for sledding. 

As far as I knew, Mr. Lawrence, who had never had kids, had left the far to the town when he died.

Every fall the town held this huge apple picking weekend and people came from all over to pick bushels from the still thriving trees, paying five bucks a pound. All the money went to the local schools for books and arts programs. It was one of my favorite Lake Logan traditions.

"We're not going to let him do it." My father said. He flipped the water on in the sink and held a glass under the spout. "He thinks we need more options. A coffee shop, a deli, a nail salon? Who does he think he is, coming in here and telling us what we need?"

"Can you do that?" I asked, placing my back down on the counter. "Can you stop him?"

"We can definitely fight it," my mother said. "Most people in town already know about it and I doubt any of them are any more thrilled about it than we are."

"He's going to present his plan at the town meeting later this week," my father told me. "All we have to do is rally support before then. If the whole town shows up opposed to the plan, there's no way Brick and the board can justify selling to him."

I nodded, trying to dispel the pit that had formed into my stomach. How could anyone want to tear down that orchard and replace it with an ugly strip mall? What was Jared's father thinking?

"Cassandra, I know you and your mother think that you hanging out with this Jared kid is just fine, but you have to put a stop to it," my father said, taking a swig from his water glass. "There's no good in these people. They just walk around taking whatever they want. Doing whatever they please. Not caring about who they might hurt in the process."

"But, Dad-"

"I know, you think Jared's different," he said. "But how different can he be. Children are a reflection of their parents."

"But he's nothing like his father!" I protested. "It's not fair to judge him like that. Just this morning he set up a picnic for me and Donna because he thought she was mad at him and he wanted to make it up to her, Does that sound like something Robert Kent would have done?"

I realized my misstep about a second after I made it. The color in my father's face, which had calmed down a bit, was now back full force.

"That's where you really were this morning? Out with the Kent kid?" he blurted.

I swallowed hard. "Yeah... but-"

"You spent half the year begging me and your mother to let you take on more lessons and then you just ditched them without even telling us and now you're lying about where you were?" he shouted.

"I left a note. I didn't lie," I pointed out. "I was with Donna."

"Oh, that's rich. Where did you learn that from? From him?" my father said sarcastically. "I guess lies of omission are all good in the city, but they are not going to fly around here. Already this boy is having a bad influence on you."

"Dad, I'm sorry. But I wish you could just trust me. I'm not a little kid anymore." I said.

"Well, you sure are acting like one. Shirking your lessons. . . sneaking out of here. . . lying," my father said. "I was you to go get changed and get your ass down to the stable right now. Penny needs help grooming the horses. She's done enough of your work for you already today." 

I glanced at my mother, wondering if I should even bother continuing to argue, the look on her face told me no. She was just as annoyed as my father was.

"Fine," I said. "I'll go."

I turned on my heel, frustrated, and stalked down the hallway to my room.

*   *   *   *

And that's chapter 22 for y'all!!!!

A bit of a heavy one, ik ik. But I think y'all like the heavy ones, just let me know if y'all don't.

Also, I would love to thank every one of y'all for helping me achieve number one in Horselover!!!!! I ranked number one!!!! I am SOOOO thankful, I really am!!!!

God bless every one of y'all.

Much love, Kylie