I'd always had a plan for my life. I was going to go to Julliard and make a name for myself as a famous actress and dancer. I wanted to be on Broadway and marry a fairytale man. Fame and fun was what I wanted. But I would've given up my dreams in a second when I met him, even though I should have stayed as far away from him as I could.
My parents split when I was ten years old. So from age ten I was bounced back and forth from San Diego, California with my father to New York, New York with my eccentric mother. Mainly I lived with my father because he was the responsible one. My mother was a crazy spunky singer who couldn't keep herself taken care of, let alone a child. So I grew up swimming the ocean, surfing the waves, shopping and most of all dancing. Dancing was my life. And I loved every minute of it. I was popular and had my mother's exotic look and oddly smart without even trying. I had the dream life. That was until my father drowned surfing. Then my world came crumbling down.
I was sixteen when it happened. My dad just had to be out there surfing that summer even with his heart condition. Except that's what killed him, one wave too big and one heart too weak. Now that I think about it, I think it was the best way for him to go, doing what he loved. But his last act on earth, dying, was what made my life change forever. I had to plan the funeral and pack away his things, either to give away or sell, while the lawyers took care of the rest. Selling our home, paying the bills, and most importantly contacting my mother.
It had been a couple of years since I'd really spent time with my mother. The last real time was at her wedding. The reason I didn't go and visit anymore was I always felt uncomfortable around my step father and his two teenagers. When she showed up, she looked the same as usual only different too. Her same long, perfectly curly black hair with her emerald green eyes that were so bright and vivid they looked unreal. Her pearly white teeth glimmered in the California sun. But she was paler than usual especially since it was summer and she looked more beautiful than ever. She wore a very expensive, long, black, sleeveless dress that draped of her shoulders and exposed her upper back to my father's funeral. She looked breathtaking.
So I went through the motions of the funeral. But I was slowly falling apart. I hadn't realized how much my father had meant to me and without him I felt like a part of me was missing. Worst of all I had to move to New York with my mother. I loved her she was fun and crazy but I had friends in San Diego, I had a life. But it was too late, my father was gone and I had to go. When I think about it now, I wonder how I could not have wanted to go. It was New York!
My mother flew back a week later while I stayed to finish packing. Once all my clothes were packed and the house was as well, I stood staring at my once lively beach front house. My eyes started to water and I blinked back tears. My life had been so perfect just a few weeks before. I picked up my suitcases and threw them into the trunk of my red Mercedes. I put on my sunglasses and started driving down my street. I was meeting the movers at airport where a woman was going to be driving my Mercedes to New York for me. When I reached the airport, there she was standing next to the moving van. Her black hair pulled into a neat braid and her jeans and shirt were completely unwrinkled and spotless. Meanwhile I was wearing sweatpants, a San Diego sweat shirt, my black sneakers, and the engraved necklace with my initials my father had given me.
"Miss Charlock," she said. "I'm Alicia Rodriquez. I'll be driving your car to New York for you."
"Take care of it. It's all I've got left that was once my dad's," I replied tears beginning to fill my eyes.
"Don't worry miss, I will." Alicia answered with a smile.
I grabbed two suitcases out and put them in the moving van. I took the other one and my purse with me and walked into the airport. After going through security and checking my suitcase in and waiting, waiting, and more waiting I finally was on my flight. Time for 14 hours of hell! The woman to my left soon fell asleep and started to snore and just as I was about to turn my iPod on as we headed out of Arizona, a teenage girl sat down next to me. Surprisingly she turn toward me and started talking.
"Hi!" she said. She was so perky I could've hit her. "My name is Mindy Smith. I'm on my way to live in New York with my uncle Paul!"
"Hey, I'm Katrina Charlock," I spoke slowly hoping to sound uninterested in talking. "I'm going to New York to live with my mom." My uninterested tone didn't seem to affect Mindy.
"That's cool. Where about in the city does she live?"
"Um…" I laughed a nervous laugh "I'm actually not sure. All I know is the address says it's on West Minor Street."
"Ohmigoodness!" Mindy cried. "My uncle lives on East Minor, there like two blocks away from each other! All the rich people live on these streets. My uncle's a plastic surgeon so he makes lots of money," Mindy explained.
"Oh great" I whispered, thinking of how loaded my mom's husband must be. When Mindy asked me what I'd said I just smiled sweetly and in a sugar coated tone replied "I said oh that's so great!" Mindy was beaming.
She talked endlessly about her old life in Arizona and how she couldn't wait to get to New York since her uncle Paul was just "Fantabulous!" and all I had to add to the conversation were some mhms, ohs, cools, and reallys. Soon she too got tired and fell asleep and then I did too. I awoke to the pilot telling us to fasten our seatbelts and prepare for landing. I looked over and saw Mindy smiling at me. How this girl could be so perky, I had no idea. I decided it might as well be good to have one friend in New York so I started talking to her again.
"Mindy, I don't think you told me before, why are you going to live with your uncle?" I asked. She got very serious then something I didn't think she could do.
"Because my father is an abusive, alcoholic and I couldn't take living with him," she told me curtly. "And my mother left last year and I have no idea where she went." She looked like she was about to cry.
"Oh Mindy, I'm so sorry." I knew what it was like to lose a family member. "My parents are divorced and just a few weeks ago my dad died" I told her. Might as well be honest with her, I thought.
"Oh Katrina, I'm so sorry" Mindy looked genuinely sad about my father's death and in that moment I knew we'd be good friends, no matter how perky Mindy was. I hugged her and we laughed as we both wiped our eyes.
The plane landed and together we walked to luggage claim. As we gathered our luggage, I heard someone shout Mindy's name. She turned to look and saw her uncle standing about twenty feet away. She screeched and ran to give him a hug. I just watched holding my suitcase and purse until Mindy waved me over to her.
"Uncle Paul this is my new friend Katrina Charlock," she told him. "She lives on West Minor."
"Why hello there Miss Katrina," he said holding his hand out to me. "I'm Mr. Smith, but you can call me Paul. Whom are you living with on West Minor?"
"With my mother and step-family, the McCullers." I told him.
"Oh I am good friends with Suzanne and Jacob. I should have noticed you look so much like Suzanne with the same hair and beautiful green eyes."
I couldn't help it, I blushed. No older man had ever said my eyes were beautiful except my father. Especially not a man like Paul. He was young maybe only thirty and had brown hair cut shaggy and deep blue eyes. Paul offered to drive me to the McCullers and of course I accepted. If I could keep cab money, I was going to. When we reached my mother's new home I almost died. It was a huge Victorian style mansion that had to be at least four floors. It had one of those circular towers on the side. I'd always wanted to have a room in one of those.
I thanked Mr. Smith and told Mindy I would hopefully see her later and stepped out of the car with my bags. It was a cool, crisp midsummer night and as I stepped up onto the porch I felt the butterflies in my stomach flapping away. I rang the door bell and heard pairs of footsteps hurrying to the door. When the door opened I was faced with my mother's beautiful face and a man's face I hardly recognized. I soon realized that this man in jeans and a dress shirt with his hazel, gold eyes, pale skin, and blond hair was my stepfather Daniel. My mother and Daniel smiled and my mother hugged me. Now this was new.
"How's my little girl?" she gushed. "How was your flight? Who was that who just dropped you off? Are you hungry? Have you eaten? Come inside sweetheart."
I was a little frightened. My mother never acted like this, unless she had totally started caring recently. "Um I'm fine momma. Flight was fine. A little, haven't eaten. That was Mr. Paul Smith; I sat next to his niece on the flight. She lives on East Minor." I rushed to answer her questions.
"Oh Paul is a very nice guy," said a man's voice. I realized it was Daniel's. I'd forgotten he was here.
"Yeah, his niece Mindy is cool. Glad I know one person here." I answered looking around the house. The outside may be Victorian but the inside was modern, right out of the Martha Steward catalog.
"Here let me get Joshua and Clara to come down so you can reintroduce yourself," my mother suggested. "Clara, Joshua, come down please. Katrina is here!"
I heard feet up above me and then shoes on wood. At the top of the stairs near the front door I saw a beautiful blonde hair, blue eyed girl wearing a khaki mini skirt, a light sky blue polo that matched her eyes and golden heels with blue ribbons the same color as her polo. Her hair was cut short to her chin and was almost pixie cut like. Her skin was just as pale as Daniel's. She looked about fourteen and was short but skinny. As she walked down the stairs a boy that looked about seventeen appeared at the top of the stairs. He was tall and muscular and so hot. He was also pale but looked like a younger version of Daniel. The same hazel, gold eyes and blond hair but his was longer more surfer looking than Daniel's. He was wearing a pair of baggy, knee length shorts and a green American eagle shirt with AE 1981 across the chest and a big eagle on the bottom. I definitely felt underdressed.
The girl reached the bottom of the stairs and her brother soon following and they both gracefully walked over to me.
"Hi I'm Clara. You probably don't remember me it's been a while" she said.
"No, I remember you perfectly well Clara." I replied.
"That's cool. Just in case I'm Josh. Sup?" Josh asked so casually.
"Nothing much Josh, not much interesting things happen on flights," I replied.
"Yeah…" was all he replied before he turned toward the door which if I remember correctly was the kitchen.
"Well okay then! Clara why don't you show Kat where her room is," my mother said breaking the silence that had fallen upon us. "You'll love it Katrina, it's has a walk in closet and has a door to connect to the tower so you can have your own personally practice space for dance."
"Cool," was all I said.
I picked up my suitcase and purse and followed Clara up the first set of stairs which led to the second floor. On the second floor were a bathroom, recreation room, Daniel's office, and what I could only assume was a library/homework room with computers for us the kids. The next set of stairs was spiral and led to the floor with Daniel and my mother's room, Josh's room, Clara's room and two bathrooms. The spiral stair cases continues upward to the final floor which held my room, a bathroom, a guestroom and a large room with book shelves, couches, a fireplace, and a desk. Wow, they must really want me to feel at home if I get a whole floor to myself. I thanked Clara and she excused herself while I unpacked.
In three days all my stuff would arrive, along with my Mercedes. But in a week I would be starting Flaherty Private School for my senior year and hopefully with luck be attending Julliard in little more than a year.