Chapter 1
July 1920
"Really, sometimes father can be so unreasonable." I said as I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. I touched my fingers to the window, leaving fingerprints on the glass. I positioned myself farther into the pillows underneath the window. My bed was far more comfortable but I wanted to at least have a glimpse of what was prohibited to me: the outside world. Okay, so perhaps I was being a tad melodramatic. Of course I was allowed outside, but today we had company over and my father had this crazy idea I would be late… again. I gazed at the light yellow walls of my room, the dark wood vanity, the glass table lamps that I loved so much and then out the window again.
I wondered why my father opted for a two story house instead of a smaller one story house. It would make it far easier to climb out the window and to the beautiful green plains that I referred to as our backyard. The rest was covered in carefully harvested crops that, when the time was right, my father would skillfully sell to all the important figures in the marketing business. I looked around my room again and my gaze landed on the bookshelf. I headed towards it and looked at all the neatly arranged books, alphabetically of course. "I really need a new book," I whispered to myself and I ran my fingers across the bindings. "I've read everything here…at least twice!"
With a sigh I closed my eyes and twirled my index finger around and around. I made a sudden stop and my finger landed on one of the books. Just as I was about to open my eyes to see which book was graced with the pleasure of being selected I heard a small tap on the other side of the room. I turned around without even bothering to see which book I selected. Tap. There it was again, but this time I deduced it came from the window. Tap. As I neared it, I heard the noise again but this time I saw the culprit. Small pebbles were being thrown at my window. I reached the window and look out. Tap. Just then another pebble landed on the glass in front of my face. I jumped back startled but quickly came back to the window. I unclasped the lock and pushed the window open. Suddenly, a pebble whizzed by my head and hit the bedpost.
Before the person throwing these pebbles could cause an accident I popped my head out the window and with the loudest tone I dared to use I said: "Quit throwing pebbles! I'm right here!" Justin was in the process of winding back his arm with yet another pebble in his hand when I made my announcement. A big grin flashed across his face and he dropped the pebble to the ground. "Hey! Are you coming out or what?" He said looking up to my window and squinting as the sun hit him in the face.
"I wish I could, but I'm stuck in here." I said with a look of longing on my face. "We have company today, remember?"
"Oh right." He said as a look of comprehension crossed his face. Well, at least I think it was comprehension; the sun was still hitting him so he was still squinting ferociously. "Don't you think you could come out just for a while?" He said, bargaining with me. "Whoever's coming will be here by dinner right?"
"Well, yeah. But it's already four, Justin. I can't risk being late." I said, my resolution wavering.
"We have two hours, I promise to bring you back in plenty of time." He was really good at convincing me. Either that or I was really easily convinced.
"Peer pressure isn't nice, Justin." He chuckled as I said this and lifted up his hands in mock defeat. "It's only peer pressure if you do it, Gaby."
"One of these days I'll stop listening to you." I said as I closed the window and latched it up again. I quickly made my way towards the vanity and checked myself in the reflections. My hair wasn't having a good day so I quickly bound it with a ribbon. I scowled as I straightened my skirt. "I really wish mother would let me wear those pants that are much more comfortable." I tried to reason with her that they were much more practical when living on a farm, but of course she retaliated by saying that they were practical if I did any work on the farm. I didn't dare mention that father and she wouldn't let me even if I wanted to. They both thought that it was man's job to 'rough it out in the sun', as my father would say.
When the practicality issue didn't work, I said that they were really fashionable lately. She merely scoffed at that and mumbled something that sounded like: 'for boy's maybe.' I let the matter drop, knowing, or rather hoping that maybe someday she would come along. Who knew, maybe someday she would wear a pair herself. Pfft. Sure.
I opened my bedroom door ever so slightly and peaked out into the hall. I craned my neck to the left, then to the right. Perfect, nobody in sight. I quietly tip-toed across the hardwood paneled floor; I had never heard the floor creak once in the years I have lived here, but with my luck, I didn't want to risk it. I made my way down grand staircase and passed all the rooms quickly, hoping not to be noticed. I reached the kitchen and slyly looked through the arched doorway. In the rustic style kitchen, as it was to be expected, was our beloved cook, Teresa. "How do I get past her?" I mumbled incomprehensibly to myself.
Luckily, precisely in that moment, Teresa decided to enter the pantry, probably to retrieve some ingredients for tonight's special dinner. As I thought it, I felt guilty for sneaking out, but I shook it off. Hunching down beside the cabinets, I weaved through the kitchen and reached the back door. I opened the door quickly and just as I was halfway out I heard a voice behind me. So close.
"I didn't see anything." It was Teresa and she was looking at me disapprovingly. The tension rolled off my body as I realized she wouldn't tell anyone of me leaving the house. I gave her a small apologetic smile as I stepped out into the warm sun.
I skipped past the stables and moved towards the place I knew Justin would be waiting. I reached the huge tree and sneaked up behind Justin and morphed my voice into a deep, manly tone. "What are you doing here?" I said in false anger.
Justin turned around and gave me a light shove. "You know that never works." I shrugged and sighed theatrically. "Maybe one day it will."
We started walking absentmindedly through the fields until we were far away from anyone that could get us in trouble. "So, how's you family doing?"
"Everything's going well. Dad's happy because the cattle are looking good." He said giving me a wicked grin. "So everyone is well then? That's good." I said hiding my curiosity over one specific member of Justin's family. "Yes," Justin continued. "Danny, though…" He trailed off, waiting for me to take the bait. "What's wrong with your brother?" I said, trying to keep my tone indifferent. "Well, he's been a little depressed because some girl won't even look at him." He said while looking forward. "Really?" I said, maybe a little bit too enthusiastically. Yes, I definitely let my guard slip. Justin was staring at me with a huge smile on his face. "Umm…I mean, how horrible. He'll get over it, hopefully."
"You can stop pretending you know." Justin said as he patted my back. "It's pretty obvious you like Danny."
I looked at Justin with a defeated look on my face. "Is it that obvious?"
"Well, considering you can't get through a sentence without stammering whenever he's around, I guess it is."
"Oh great, he probably thinks I have some kind of speech disorder or something." I said letting out a great sigh.
"I don't think so." Justin said in an effort to console me. "You get so red, he probably knows your just nervous." I just groaned loudly as a response. "Just forget about it Gaby, he's going to college soon anyways." Wow, Justin really wasn't one for making me feel better. "Gab-" but before he could continue to torture me I cut him off.
"I'll race you to the hill top!" And then I was off. I always loved running through the fields, and getting a head start on Justin gave me a tiny spec of hope that today I could finally beat him. I was gliding through the grass with my eyes focused on my destination. The inclination of the hill wasn't outstanding but it was high enough to give you a good sweat. The grass was slippery due to a slight drizzle of rain that had hit earlier in the day. Even though it was some time ago, the blades of grass still glistened with tiny drops of water. I looked over my shoulder quickly to see how far off Justin was. Not surprisingly, he was a few feet behind me, and gaining. I let out a yelp as I slept on the slippery glass while I attempted to pick up my pace. I fell to the ground and since I had just reached the hill top, I had no time to get back on my feet before I was rolling down the hill with no hope of stopping.
I could hear Justin laughing behind me and with the few glimpses I could see of him I could tell he had thrown himself on the ground and he too was rolling his way down the hill. I started slowing down as I reached the bottom of the hill. I heard a muffled scream which was warning me to move out of the way. I started scrambling to my feet as Justin rolled down full speed towards me but…too late. I had just gotten on my knees when Justin crashed into me. Once we had gotten off of each other we lay on the ground, side by side, catching our breath.
"Ow," I finally managed to say. "You have a hard head." I said as I eyed his red hair which now had a layer of dust and grass on it.
"You never hit my head," He said, growing defensive. "Now, you on the other hand, can kick hard." He said lightening his tone.
"Did I kick you?" I said, faking concern. "I am ever so sorry."
"Sure you are."
After a while of gazing at the sky and the passing clouds, Justin got up and brushed the dirt and grass off his pants as best as he could. Then he offered me his hand and I mimicked his movements hoping that I hadn't gotten a stain on my skirt. "There you are." I heard a familiar voice say behind us. I immediately tensed up and I could feel my face growing hot. "Hey Danny," Justin greeted his brother. "why are you here?"
"Dad wants you home to help out with the stables." He said with a look that I could have sworn was annoyance. "You know, I'm really tired of having to hunt you down all the time." I was right, he was annoyed. "Could you maybe play somewhere where human beings can actually see you?"
I had turned around when I had heard Danny and had been staring at him as he spoke with his brother. I was listening intently until I realized something.
"W-What time is it?" I said. I was aware of my stammering this time, probably because Justin was chuckling beside me. As soon as I finished my sentence though, his face turned to one of worry. He quickly took out his pocket watch and I saw as his face was slightly relieved; slightly. I braced myself for his announcement. "It's ten minutes 'till six." He said nervously.
"What!" I started to panic as I realized that I had ten minutes to return home and the only way to get there in time was if I ran…fast. Without contemplating the situation any further I started to sprint my way home but not without first screaming at Justin over my shoulder. "This is why I won't listen to you ever again!" And with that, I was off; gliding through the plains with my eyes intent on the silhouette of my house in the distance.