Barbie World (Baby Doll Series) Page 13

  “A friend? Is this friend a boy?” she asks. Her question temporally disarms me.

  “Yes.” I am walking on broken glass; I feel the deep cuts from the glass that slices open my skin. I need to get out before I bleed to death all over her clean floors and she takes everything from me.

  She is blocking my escape route and my only way to Everett. I can go back out the back door, but I am not so sure she will not lock me out and call the police. I imagine them dragging me away, kicking and screaming. She knows that I will stay around for them to take me that I will not leave Everett. Never. I will have nothing without him. He is my world. Oh shit, I am going to be sick. My stomach rolls with nausea. I think I might vomit on her pink slippers, covering the little delicate roses with my horror.

  “Did you hear me,” she says, tapping her foot.

  “Yes, it was a boy,” I answer. She throws her hands up and mumbles something about teenagers going to be the death of her. “Let me just take Everett. I promise, we will be out of here. You will not have to deal with us anymore. Just let me get him, please.”

  “What are you talking about? I am not letting you take Everett anywhere,” she says, horrified.

  “Please,” I beg. I will fall to her feet and beg her for mercy. “Please, I know I deserve to be living in a home for troubled girls or much worse, but please, don’t punish Everett. I need to keep him safe. He needs me,” I sob.

  “You are not going anywhere. We had a deal and you broke that deal, therefore, you will have to suffer the consequences, but I am not throwing you on the streets or giving you over to the state.” No, what she has in store is going to be much worse. I am about to bolt, push her over and run for it, but in her ramblings something catches me. “… and therefore, there will be no TV or phone. You are stuck home for the whole week and if I catch you sneaking out again, so help me, I will put bars on your window,” she says.

  “What?” I ask, seeing if I heard her right.

  She sighs, “You heard me, bars, and I mean it. No Roxie or whoever this boy is.” I jump at her, wrapping my arms around her small frame. I catch her off guard and she stumbles back a little. She starts to laugh and hugs me back. “I am serious,” she says, laughing around her words and I squeeze her tighter. “Well, I sure wasn’t expecting this reaction; a fight, yes, but not this.” She shakes her head and hugs me back. “And don’t think Dylan is getting out of this, either; I know he has been covering for you.”

  Dylan has been covering for me? He knew I have been sneaking out all along and kept it to himself? Maybe I can trust him after all. I am to have no social life whatsoever and I could not be happier. I have never been grounded in my life so maybe that is another reason I don’t mind it, but the main reason, Everett is safe. I didn’t mess up things any more than I already have for him.

  “Oh, Barbie,” she says when I am about to skip up the stairs. “This boy. If he wants to take you out, he will have to do what any respectable young man would do and come to the door to get you and meet us. He must have you home at a reasonable time. Not like some hoodlum, dropping you off in the middle of the night.” I hop back down the stairs and kiss her on her cheek before taking the stairs two at a time. I haven’t felt this happy in a long time.

  ###

  I am grounded for a week, which is easy time. I have all privileges taken away. I am to be stuck at home; my only freedom comes in the form of the job Mrs. Knight got me that is happening this weekend. When I asked the lady on the phone if she needed more help, she was ecstatic to have Kai and Roxie join the crew.

  If this is this girl’s sweet sixteen, I can’t imagine what she is going to expect for her wedding. The sweet sixteen is a no expense spared, Moroccan themed party. Complete with servants aka us, elephants, monkeys, a snake charmer and belly dancers.

  There is no break between serving appetizers and running Shirley Temples to the little sister of the sweet sixteener so I don’t get to talk to Kai or Roxie much and I am missing them both. I didn’t think I would be lonely being grounded. For so long it was just me and Everett, but once I made friends, it really sucks when you can’t see them or talk to them on the phone. It is not until we are scraping birthday cake of the floor that I get to finally talk to them.

  I drop a tub of plates off to Kai who is elbow deep in suds. “Did I forget to thank you for getting me this great gig,” he says sarcastically. He takes a handful of suds and blows them at me. I side step them and drop the dishes in the water, sending a volcano of suds onto the floor. I decide it is about time to take a break and have some cake, so I grab a slice of some of the leftover cake and a fork that looks clean.

  “So, I want to ask you something.” I take a bite of cake.

  “Shoot.” Kai bobs ever so slightly and I see he has an ear bud in one of his ears, the other hangs down his back. I wonder what he is listening too.

  “Well, I was hoping that you would meet my… my… “ I don’t know what to call them the Knights are not my parents and I don’t really consider them guardians because I am using them as a stopping ground on my way to better things, but then again, I am grounded and really the only ones that have the authority to do that are either a parent or guardian and since I never had a parent ground me, I go with “guardians.” “I want you to meet my guardians, the Knights’.”

  He makes a face like he smells something bad. “Meet the rents? I have never been good with parents, sweetheart.” Kai says as he dumps a whole plate of food into a trash can. God, some people are so wasteful.

  “They are not my parents,” I correct him quickly. “They are… my guardians.” I have trouble saying the word; it sounds wrong in my mouth.

  I push him over and start washing the dishes with him. Submerging my hands deep into the dirty soapy water. I spray a plate with the hose, dripping the food onto the floor, nearly missing his shoes. The mess swims around his sneakers.

  “I don’t know, sweetheart.” He steps over the mess and looks up at me. I give him a dirty look and accidently spray some of the water towards him.

  “Ooops.” I smile at him and pull the trigger again.

  “Hey!” He ducks out of the way and I get him on the shoulder. He drops the plate in his hand and leaps over the counter. I laugh and spray him again, but he ducks out of the way. Kai begins to army crawl around the counter.

  “I can see you,” I warn him. I stay armed, ready to shoot as soon as I get an opening.

  “When I get a hold of you, you are going to be sorry,” he calls from behind the safety of the counter. Chicken.

  “Stay back. I am warning you.” I aim my hose in his direction, but he is too fast and he twists out of the way before he runs at me. I swerve, not fast enough, and try to spray him, but he grabs me from behind, lifting me off my feet, then grabs onto the hose and I hang onto it for dear life as together we spray it in the air, sending a shower over us. I squeal and try to wiggle out of his hold. His arms, however, stay tight around me.

  “Hey, you two, knock it off. Those dirty plates are not going to clean themselves. And her short and annoying is asking for another S.T.” Roxie comes in, holding a bucket of dirty dishes. Kai gives me a shrewd smile and we aim the hose at Roxie who jumps behind the door in the nick of time. “You guys are assholes,” she calls from the safety of behind the door. Kai aims the hose at the door, spraying the floor. “Grow up,” Roxie says. Kai releases me and kisses me in the same movement.

  “Fine,” he says.

  I turn back to the sink. “Fine what?” I ask.

  “Fine, I will meet your… guardians,” he says, like he is doing me a favor.

  “Don’t worry about it.” I shut off the water.

  “No, really, I want to meet them.”

  “Okay.” I smile.

  ###

  Roxie drops me off at the house. When I open the front door, I expect to find everyone sleeping, but instead, I walk right into the Knights. Did they wait up for me? The grave looks that they wear on their faces make my heart d
rop. I shut the door behind me, swallowing hard. I suddenly want to run. I feel like I walked straight into a trap.

  “Barbie, we need to speak to you.” Mrs. Knight pats the blue cushion next to her. My heart starts to pound. I knew it was too good to be true. She is about to pull the plug on our little situation. She changed her mind about me or she must have found out about Dylan and I.

  I make my way to her, my feet feeling like weights, yet my body is rigid, ready to run. I sit down next to her and avoid eye contact. Mr. Knight sits in the recliner, his brows furrowed, hands folded under his chin, deep in thought. I stare down at my chipped blue nail polish on my fingers and begin to nervously pick at it some more.

  “This is hard for us to say.” She glances at her husband. “I guess there is no easy way to say it, but, that man… Ronnie has been seen around town. Oh honey, I know this is hard for you.” She scoops up my hand in hers. “We are here for you if there is anything you want to talk about.” I stare at my hand in hers unable to say anything. I feel numb inside, that numbness I have been crazing has finely come, and it is not from any boy. No this time the numbness comes from the man that tried to kill me.

  “The police ensured us that they are going to get him.” Mr. Knight says, his eyes wear the same dark expression as Dylan when he is angry. “The detective might be stopping back by to ask you some more questions about that night. Anything that you can remember that was not told to the police might help bring him in.” Mrs. Knight shivers and I, too, feel a cold shiver run up my neck. “I know you are scared.” Mr. Knight’s soft eyes, so filled with concern, scare me. Why is he concerned? Is it because of the danger I am now putting his family through?

  “I am not scared!” I blurt out.

  The Knights exchange a look between them. “Still we don’t think that it would be wise if you go anywhere by yourself for now. Stay close to the house. Dylan will take you anywhere you need to go, or I and Allen.” I nod my head, not wanting to bring any more stress to the night than I already have. Mrs. Knight starts to say something, but clams up quickly, deciding against it.

  “I will be careful, I promise,” I reassure them. “I swear!” I say louder this time. I look at Mrs. Knight, pleading with my eyes for her to believe me and not to send us packing. She bites at her bottom lip.

  “I know you will. I just can’t stand the thought of that man finding you or Everett. If he can do that to an innocent child like Everett, what else is he capable of… I will call detective Richard and let him know he can come on by.” She glance’s nervously at her husband and I stand to leave. “Barbie, if you need to talk to us about anything, we are here.”

  I smile at Mr. and Mrs. Knight “No, I have been dealing with my mom’s men a long time…I am okay.” I am not okay, though.

  I make my way back up to my room before coming apart. I crawl into the bed and pull the blanket over my head, burying my face into my pillow so the Knights don’t hear the sobs that escape my mouth.

  July

  Fear…it wraps around me like a blanket…

  Chapter 17.

  Dylan

  I tie pink and purple streamers on the oak tree. Taking a step back, I look up at the old oak. I know she has been shimmying down it at night. I hate the thought of her risking her life to sneak out. I hate the thought even more of who she is sneaking out to see, but what right do I have to say anything. She is not mine anymore. I sigh. Maybe I could cut the tree down, but she would find a way out. I don’t think anything can cage her in and I don’t want too; just stop her from seeing the one who is trying to steal her from me.

  “Is it looking good, Dill?” My mom spills some of the pink punch out of the bowl and nearly drenches herself, but she is too fast, dodging her feet from the sticky, pink mess. She sets the sloshing mix onto the table next to a three tier pink and white cake. For my birthday, all I got was an ice cream cake and a few birthday cards. Emmy doesn’t know how lucky she’s got it. “Will you go see if your sister and Everett are ready yet? The guests will be here in a few moments,” my mom calls over her shoulder at me.

  I walk passed my dad, who is sitting in his recliner in socks and pink fairy wings with a crown sitting on top of his head. He is licking a cup cake Emmy must have got for him.

  “Nice wings, Dad,” I say to him as I take the stairs two at a time. “Emmy,” I call out for her before I slide to a halt because standing outside her door is Barbie and, for a moment, I am transported into every dork’s fantasy of the elfin world.

  She has her hair wrapped up in two buns on each side of her head like princess Leia with pink and gold ribbons curling out of them. Her lids are dusted in blue glitter and she wears a baby pink dress with a tulle skirt. Gold fairy wings stick out of her back and her feet are bare with glitter on them, traveling up her legs.

  “Wow,” is all I can manage to say.

  A smile tugs on the corner of her mouth. “Really?” She spins around so I can take in the full view of her and I am amazed how she can be transformed into something so magical yet fitting. She looks like the angel I love.

  “Yeah, I have never seen anyone so beautiful.” Her cheeks flush.

  “Thanks. I’ve never been to a birthday party before,” she confesses.

  “Really?” I am shocked by her confession.

  “No, never. I know this sounds stupid, but I am really excited.” She rocks back and forth on her feet like a little kid.

  “That’s not stupid. You know what is stupid? I kind of want to go put on my Legolas Greenleaf costume.”

  Her brows scrunch. “Who?”

  I shake my head in shock of her lack of pop culture knowledge. “Lord of the Rings.”

  She shrugs, still clueless, “Oh-kay, well, I will see you at the party.” She points over her shoulder and slips down the stairs.

  I think Emmy invited the whole elementary school. I bet my mom is having second thoughts about those pixie sticks she handed out. I try to capture the red and blue mouthed fairies that zoom around the yard. I settle on the fairy that is sitting on the grass next to… I don’t know what, and a hobbit. I snap a picture of the three of them and walk over.

  “Who are you supposed to be?” I zoom in on Roxie’s face while she scowls at me when I snap a picture of her.

  “Um, a flipping fairy, can’t you tell? And who are you supposed to be? An annoying jerk who judges people at first glance? You know, people who live in glass houses shouldn’t through stones,” she snaps. Wow, she is a bitch. I know she blames me for that night, but she doesn’t have to bite my head off. I decide to take some of my mom’s advice and kill her with kindness.

  “You are right. I shouldn’t judge. I’ve just never seen a costume like that before and I think it is really cool.” Her mouth opens and shuts before she mumbles a thank you. Barbie is grinning at the interaction between us. Roxie is Barbie’s friend and, if I can get her on my side, perhaps that will help my chances of getting Barbie back.

  “Dude, when you said it was a fairy party, I thought that meant to dress up, not wear the same shirt three days in a row. Where is your Legolas Costume?” Third asks. I pick up the hem of my T-shirt and sniff the collar. It’s clean.

  “Dude, I said it is a seven-year-old girl’s fairy party.” I snap a picture of Frodo.

  “Hey, wait, get me holding my sword in a battle pose. “

  After a photo shoot with Frodo, my mom calls everyone to do the cake.

  “Wait, where is Everett? I promised him he could help blow the candles out.” Emmy says, scanning over the heads of the crowd around her.

  I too start to look around. I just saw him a few moments ago, playing with a group of girls on the play set. The play set is empty, the swings blow eerily with the wind.

  “He must have gone inside the house. I’ll go get him,” Barbie says and jogs into the house.

  Chapter 18.

  Barbie

  My heart beats wildly against my chest and my stomach drops to the floor. The house is empty. I start to
think irrational thoughts as I jog around the house, calling his name. What if, while we were out back, Everett came inside and Ronnie came looking for me, but found him instead? What if he wandered off and got hurt? A million thoughts run through my mind at a hundred miles an hour.

  Mr. Knight meets me around the house. “He is not here,” I say in a panic. “He is not-Oh, my God, what if-”

  Mr. Knight cuts me off. “It is going to be okay. We are going to find him. The other parents are looking in the neighboring property and Amy is on the phone with the police right now. Has he ever wandered off before?” Mr. Knight asks me.

  “Only once. He went to the Twisted Treat,” I say breathlessly. I feel like I am going to throw up.

  “Okay, I will go there. You and Dylan go drive up and down the roads, see if you can find him.” He takes off running to his car.

  Dylan is behind me. “Come on.”

  We drive up and down every road, calling out his name, but there is no sign of him. Not a discarded crown or a footprint in the sand. “Where could he have gone,” I choke as Dylan turns onto the highway. “This is all my fault.” My leg bounces up and down nervously.

  “This is not your fault,” Dylan tries to reassure me.

  “No, it is. He is my responsibility. If I was watching him… “

  He grabs my hand, holding it firmly between his. “It is okay. We are going to find him.” His words are soothing, his hand grounding. My legs still. We make a second loop around the neighborhood and still no Everett.

  Dylan gets off the phone with his mother; they still haven’t found Everett. “Let’s go back to my house,” I say. It is the last place I think he will go, but I need to make sure.

  “But my mom said he wasn’t there,” Dylan protests. It is funny that he considers his house mine, but I feel like an unwanted guest there.