The Lucky One

chapter 7

 Copyright © 2012 by akm

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Chapter Seven:

Trying To Hide It

Pam's POV

After Nathan came on my balcony and left too soon, the grin on my face would not leave. It stayed plastered, and if I tried to frown at myself in the mirror, it shot back up. It irked me at first, but I got used to it after a few hours. Until it started to hurt my cheeks and I couldn't control it.

I needed to chill.

Even when the twins stood right there at my door, both arms crossed over their chests, I stupidly chirped a hello and wandered out to get a drink of water. They stared at me with mouths hanging low and followed me to the kitchen. I hummed to myself and skipped to the cupboard for a glass of water. Remembering the dance, I twirled and reached for the handle on the fridge for grip. Slipping the glass under the water station, I looked up and realized they sat there in the chairs with wide eyes and mouths.

"Oh, hi!" I said cheerfully. "I didn't see you there!"

Christie looked to Katie and then back to me with a, "Are you on drugs?" look. It was pretty hilarious and I raised the glass of water to my lips.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Katie asked, slamming a hand on the table.

I giggled. What was wrong with me? "That's the thing; nothing is wrong now!"

I felt all loopy and joyful, laughing to myself. My voice echoed the quiet house and I danced around with my water. After I finished it and almost fell flat on my face, I placed the cup in the sink and took the stairs two at a time. My step-sisters followed again and wandered into my room. Even though I felt a little agitated, my anger melted away when I saw the balcony.

"Seriously, like, what are you on?" Christie asked.

"Nothin'. Nothin' at all."

"Nothing? Nothing?"

"Nope," I told them both, popping the "p" and shaking my head. "Can I go to bed now, officers?"

They exchanged looks again and raised their eyebrows. "Not until you tell us what's going on. And, uh, do you really think that you can sleep bouncing like that?"

I hadn't even noticed I couldn't stop moving. Huh. Weird. The bed shook when I flopped down on it and I laughed, rolling over the sheets and off the bed. The ground stopped my fall and I began to laugh hysterically into the carpet. Then an arm yanked me up and threw me on the bed.

"Woah, that was fast," I giggled.

"All right, look, we both heard voices in your room," Christie hissed.

"And one was a boy's voice," Katie added threateningly.

Huh. That was nice. I suddenly felt tired and a yawn escaped my mouth. They looked at me expectantly and I felt my arm pain. She was squeezing harder and her fingertips turned white as my skin reddened. The funny thing was, I felt so loopy it didn't hurt; it just seemed like she held it as gently as holding a baby.

"All right, look, I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm tired and I wanna go to bed now, 'kay? Bye-"

"Don't play stupid, Pam, we know you're hiding something," Christie cut me off.

"And we wanna know what," Katie put in.

No wonder Katie was a few minutes younger. And I lived with both of them. But my mood only hardened a degree and I smiled before I tried to close the door.

A foot stopped it and shoved hard. I fell back, barely catching my grip before Dumb wandered in with Dumber behind like a lost puppy. Christie searched around and I crossed my arms over my chest. Right when I almost told her she wouldn't find anything, a swift breeze swept through my open window into my room. Her gaze immediately shot to the balcony and I followed. The curtains swayed gently and Christie smirked at me.

"An open window late at night?" she asked dramatically.

I watched as she stepped closer to it and my breath caught when she fully stood in the sweet night. I became tempted to walk out as well, but I stayed put.

Now, I began to get annoyed.

"What are you looking for?" I asked, irritation hinted in my voice.

"A guy," she replied simply.

"A guy?" I questioned, slowly coming towards her.

She shrieked when I jabbed my fingers in her side and I quickly snatched her arm to drag her out. I gripped Katie's on my way and locked the door after I kicked them out.

I sighed and yawned, stretching as I made my way to my bed. The covers enveloped me warmly as I brought the edge to my nose and breathed in the fabric softener. Lilac and lavendar reminded me of my mom, when she used to wash the blankets and throw them on top of me when they came fresh out of the dryer. Of course, I always lost myself in it and she had to untangle me from the fabric. The memories brought a smile to my face.

I missed my mom a lot, but it was one of those things that always stayed in me and I got over it after a few years. I'd never given Rachel a chance because I thought she'd try to take her place, and I didn't want that. No one could take my mother's place and I hoped Rachel knew that.

My mother looked like me in a lot of ways; I had her amber-gold eyes and freckles. But I had my aunt's rusty auburn hair and my dad's face structure. He always mumbled how I looked just like her, and it made me sad to think I had to remind him every time I walked by.

I played with the ring on my finger. My dad gave it to her when he proposed and the police found it at the accident scene. So I secretly took it when I was younger and when it finally fit me, I kept it close. The gold band separated into two parts on each side of the sparkly blue gem nestled at the middle. I loved it, especially since it was mine and my mother's birthstone.

The necklace around my neck slid across my collarbone, tickling me. It had also been hers, to match the ring. A sparkling sapphire gem held in place hung from a thin gold chain. Every one at school complimented me, but it only reminded me of what I didn't have anymore.

When I was young and my mother was still alive, she and my dad always laughed and smiled. They couldn't walk in the same room without holding the other's hand and looking into their eyes. She loved him and he loved her. I wanted that. Exactly that; to love someone so much, I couldn't help but smile and touch their hand.

But then I smiled.

Maybe I did have that with Nathan. After all, I didn't even realize I loved him, let alone how much I did. I'd figure that out tomorrow, when I'd see him again. His face pictured in my mind and I felt a thrill. I giggled tiredly. Ah, Nathan, Nathan, Nathan, what did you do to me?

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