~PART ONE~
Chapter Ten:
The Part with Surprises (that may not all be good)
I rushed home; I couldn't wait to share the news. I knew I'd have to deal with their sarcastic comments based on my…umm…"Behaviour" from that morning, but that didn't matter. My future was on the line now and it was looking bright! I rushed home without stopping when Milo and Jordyn spied me, obviously Kevin told them that I had been kept after class and were curious as to what I could have done.
I sprinted to Cherry-Tree Lane where I dashed across the park, I was about to cross the street at the designated area when the light was green when suddenly a car hurled down the road and ALMOST hit me. I was frozen in fear, with memories of when I had been hit back in New York, those quickly turned into more horrible memories when I realized this was where my mom had been hit years ago. The car stopped just in time as I got control of my body back and quickly dashed to the other side.
The driver rolled down the window. Out poked the head of a woman. She appeared to be about thirty-ish I would guess, and had blonde curly hair. "Hey, kid. What do you think you are doing?"
"Excuse me? But YOU Ran the light!" I snapped back, almost priggishly as Mary would say.
"You stood there like a statue in the middle of the road!" she barked back.
"You almost hit a kid! You saw me crossing yet you still ran the light and didn't even bother to slow till the last second."
"Well I Never…" she began and then I flipped her off and walked home.
I normally don't flip people off; it's stupid and very rude. But she had spoilt my good mood so she deserved it! I walked up through the gate at Number Seventeen and pulled the house key from my pocket and went inside. "Hello! I'm home!" I called out. "Anybody Home?"
Grandmother came downstairs "Selena? Is That You?" she asked. "Oh Hello. How was school?"
"Fine." I said, not wanting to give the news away before everybody was present. "Um, where is everyone?"
"Well Mary has gone to pick up Christianna from school, and Jeffrey ran to the store and will be back in a few minutes." She answered.
I nodded. "Alright." I went upstairs to change out of my uniform and to put my stuff away. When I returned downstairs, Daddy was there bringing in bags of groceries.
He noticed me descend from the staircase and spoke up; "Can you grab some of the others Selly?"
"Yup." I said. I headed out to the car to grab a bag when I found myself staring dumbstruck. That blonde bitch who had almost hit me was back and was now STEALING OUR GROCERIES! "Hey! What the Hell? Wasn't bad enough to almost kill me with your car, but now your following me and stealing my food? What is wrong with you?"
She looked up at me from behind the bread bag. "Excuse me? This is not YOUR food!"
We went back and forth for a moment until I snatched the bag from her hand and we began to fight over it.
"Let Go!"
"You!"
"Get over yourself!"
"What are you doing?"
"Girls, girls… please no need for this… there are enough groceries to go around." Came my dad's voice.
"Dad, this woman almost ran me over and is now taking our food!"
"No, she picked me up and is helping me bring everything inside, Come Tamera, let me show you to the kitchen."
"Wait… excuse me?" I called out, but nobody heard me.
I watched then talk together as Mary and Christianna approached us. It was then I figured it out.
"They're here." I said.
"Chrissy, help bring in the bags." Mary added.
Christianna picked up a bag with eggs sticking out and went inside. I turned to Mary sharply. "How could you?" I half asked confused and half said demandingly. I then dropped the bag of veggies on the porch and stormed inside and upstairs.
I heard her call after me but I slammed the bedroom door as she reached the foot of the stairs. I actually hadn't gone inside because I saw as I came up, dad come out and over to Mary. I wanted to hear what would be said. So I sat out front the nursery door, hidden behind the wall, listening intently. I then heard my dad ask her. "What's wrong Marianna?"
"Selena figured it out… and now she is mad…" Mary replied simply. I could feel her staring at the wall I hid behind… as if she suspected I was listening in.
"What part of it has her so angry?"
"Right now it's me knowing and not telling her… but expect that to change relatively fast,"
"Why? You think she can't stay mad at you?"
"No, I think that once I explain that I wanted to, but was told if I did I would be fired. She'll be unable to be mad about that, yet she'll want to still be mad so she'll find something else to angry about. My bet is on YOU not telling them sooner."
"I see… but in my opinion… she'll probably go to the fact that my girlfriend almost killed her by accident today, with her car."
It was official now… he had actually said it. I couldn't believe it
I crept inside the room as I heard Mary Climb up the stairs and enter the room. "Did you get all of that?"
I nodded.
"Are you still mad at me?"
I did that thing, where you tilt your hand from side-to-side that signifies "so-so". I can never remember what that's called, but you know what I mean!
"I'm mostly mad that he didn't say anything before bringing her home… I mean really! Doesn't he remember what happened when he unexpectedly sent you to get me for the first time?"
Mary sighed with a small smiling, remembering the incident well…
"…I mean I almost had you arrested!"
At about 3:45 Marianna was marching up the steps at Dowsley Academy for the Arts. The building was large and grand, and from what Marianna could tell it was elite too. The students dressed in Uniform outfits, which appeared to come in different variety. There were oxford shirts which came in white, Golf tee which was in Light blue and white, Long Black pleaded skirt, dress pants, a tie, and outdoor weather apparel like sweaters and coats. Marianna wandered the Main floor, as attempted to find the Auditorium.
As she walked a smartly dressed woman approched her. "excuse me, can i help you?"
Marianna turned to her. "Yes actually, I'm looking for the auditorium. I'm here to get Selena Banks."
The woman looked over Marianna. A Nice girl like her, looking for Selena. She had her pity. Selena came with trouble, and a mouth to match. "It's just down the hall, turn a left at the corner"
"Thank you." Marianna said, and she followed her directions.
Marianna finally reached the large oak doors that led to the Auditorium. She opened the door and couldn't believe her eyes.
The auditorium was a large and beautiful theatre. On stage, there was what appeared to be a rehearsal. On stage was two people. One male, one female. They appeared to be in a disagreement. The male was dressed in a snappy striped shirt with a lime green hat and pants. He was very clean looking and very snazzy. The girl was wearing half knee high pink sparkly boots, A knee length bright pink glitter skirt, a white tank with light pink rhinestones and a cropped pink leather sparkly jacket. She had curly blonde hair and looked familiar.
They two were singing a song about wanting to be famous.
"I WANT IT ALL..."
they sang cheerily.
"You want the world nothing less then the glam and the press to be giving you the best reviews." The duo sang together.
Extra Dancers in the background behind them were showing off their moves as they began to list a bunch of places.
"Tokyo"
"Moscow"
"Bollywood"
The chours began to slowly hum 'We want it'. By the time they hit 'It', the duo quickly chanted 'We want it all' They held the last note for a moment and the music cut as the lights flashed and miniature sparklers went off.
Marianna stood in shock. This was so surreal. She'd never seen anything like this before…
First of all. What were half of these Females wearing! They were showing more leg then she was ever used to.
Second, What was this? The sparklers, the music, the craziness on stage. What kind of rehearsal was this. It didn't seem like anything she'd ever seen before.
Marianna stared in confusion. It took her a moment to remember why she was there. When she did, she immediately walked up to the front of the stage. There was an woman upfront. She was giving complements and criticism to the performers on stage. So naturally, Marianna decided that she was the director.
"Excuse me?" Marianna asked, tapping the director on the shoulder. The director turned to her. "One moment dear." She said.
The director walked on stage and congratulated the duo Marianna had been watching earlier. They looked perfectly happy, cheerful and pleasant. After she was finished, the director addressed everyone. "All right everyone. Take 5, after we'll go over the upcoming auditions and then you can all leave. Please put all costumes BACK ON THE APPROPRIATE HANGER! Same with all props. They must all go back to their proper stop!"
"Yes Mrs. Beasley." The students repiled monotonely, as they did as they were instructed.
The director turned right back to Marianna. "Sorry to keep you waiting." She said as she walked back over to her. "How may I be of service?" she asked.
"I am here to get Selena. I'm am her newly hired nanny, and I have been requested to introduce myself to her and bring her home by dinner time." Marianna said, stopping herself when she realised she was babbling. Why was she babbling? Was she really that unsure about meeting this person.
"Alright." She said. Mrs. Beasley turned back to the stage. "Selena!" she barked. "Come here."
Marianna was expecting the brunette girl from the photos to come over. Instead the blonde 'Glittery' one waltzed over. "Yes, Mrs Beasley?" she asked ever-so sweetly.
"Some one here to see you, She is your new Nanny." Mrs. Beasley said. She looked as if she was curious as to what would happen. As if she knew something that Marianna didn't . "I'll leave you two to get acquainted."
Selena was smiling sweetly. So sweet. Too Sweet. Something didn't seem right!
Marianna looked up at the blonde girl. Almost instantly, after the director walked away. Selena's sweet, angelic smile and expression, Dropped to a cold, hating, and annoyed one.
"What the hell do you want?" she demanded rudely. Her fake sweetness had instantly melted away.
Marianna was slightly taken aback by this. Never in all her years had this happened. "I am Marianna. Your Nanny. Your Father has requested that I accompany you home this evening."
Selena snorted angrily. "Great! Now I need an escort. Dammit! Hold on, lemme change!"
Selena walked backstage. Marianna needed a moment. This may be harder than she thought. If that was a preview on what the rest of this would be like then there were some rocky waters up ahead. Selena hadn't even been gone for a minute, when she emerged from backstage.
Marianna couldn't believe her eyes! This Selena wasn't anything like that Glamour girl she'd seen on stage. The pink and the glitter had been traded in for some old worn dark jeans, a long white tee shirt, a yellow slightly puffy pleather jacket that cut off halfway down the stomach and bright red converse. As if the wardrobe wasn't enough, The first Selena had left with bouncy, girlie, pretty wavy curly hair. This New Selena had long dark kind of twisted hair. On her back was a worn Camo backpack by 'Dickies'. Her hair was in a basic ponytail. Although it worked on her, it was like a new phenomenon for Marianna. She'd never seen anyone dress like this. She'd never seen so much skin show. Their arms, upper chests and legs were showing like crazy. They wore freakishly high-heels and were constantly talking into their cellphones.
"Ready to go or what!" Selena barked.
"Huh? Oh, yes…, Come along." Marianna said as she led Selena out of the auditorium. Selena Instantly pulled herself. "I know my way around here damn it. I've been going here for years. I'm not a dog. I can take care of myself. We don't need you. Your only here because my dad thinks your going to be some sort of punishment for me because we got into an argument. Once he gets over it, you'll be gone. So just stay out of my way and we'll get along great!" Selena said acting just awful to Marianna.
Marianna didn't seemed bothered one bit. That Bothered Selena. "What your name again?" she asked.
"Marianna, but I must say. I do not quite agree with you. If you could take care of yourself you wouldn't need to be punished and hence that would mean I wouldn't be here. Now you listen to me. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. So you'd better get used to me!" Marianna said in an icy tone.
Marianna was giving Selena such a cold glare she could feel it in her blood. Selena just ignored it. "Is that a threat or a promise!" she demanded.
"Whats the difference?" Marianna asked.
"If I have to tell you, you'll never learn." She said. Selena then walked away at a rather quick speed. Marianna tried hard to hurry up and catch her. Selena looked over her shoulder and saw Marianna coming. "I just have one thing to say. If you knew what was best, you'd back off."
"You're not a very big threat to me Selena!" Marianna stated honestly.
"Don't say I didn't warn you…" Selena said in a cutesy mocking tone.
Selena suddenly bolted. Marianna sped after her a lightning speed. Selena kept looking over her shoulder and she couldn't believe how she was tailing her. Selena looked ahead. There was a policeman a few crossroads away. She had a plan. Selena sneakily slowed down without her knowing. Marianna finally caught up and grabbed her arm.
"Selena! Don't Run Away From Me! Let me take you home with me now!" Marianna shouted over the voices.
"What?" Selena called pretending to not hear her. "Say that again."
"Let me take you home with me now!" she repeated.
The Policeman began to walk down the street in their direction. "LOUDER I CANT HERE YOU!" she shouted.
"LET ME TAKE YOU HOME WITH ME!" she shrieked.
Selena's eyes widened. People stopping to see what was going on. "I don't want to go with you. Leave me alone stranger." She said as a terrified look came over her face and she began to runaway from Marianna.
Marianna watched her run, so confused. Marianna was about to give up, when she noticed something. Or more correctly, lack of something. Selena had run off with her bag! Marianna's eyes widened and ran after her. "Selena come back here!" Marianna called after her.
Selena heard her and began to run faster. "Leave me alone. I don't want to go with you. I want to go to my home you freak."
The police officer was watching as Selena ran by him. He caught her arm. "Whats the matter child?"
"Let me go, she's trying to get me to go with her. I Don't even know her!" she cried as she broke free from the officer and ran again.
The officer stood dumbstruck at Selena's abruptness. Marianna pushed passed him calling her name. The officer instantly knew who she was. A pedophile!
He called for backup and ran after Marianna, who was running after Selena, who was running until Marianna was no longer a problem in her life.
Selena quickly ducked into a corner, as Marianna and the officer ran right past her. Selena, after she made sure that they weren't around, laughed wickedly to herself. Sometimes she was just to good to believe!
Now Selena only made one mistake. She hadn't gone straight home. Selena decided she'd give it an hour just to seem more realistic. She also needed to get her story straight on why Marianna wasn't with her. She had figured it out and was now on her way home.
"Oh daddy, it was awful. She had this crazed look in her eyes and it was terrifying. She then said she wanted to take me away. But I didn't want to go! So I ran away and hid for a bit. Until I was sure I was safe." Selena rehearsed.
Selena arrived at the front door and rang the door bell. She waited for someone to answer, when she heard a siren behind her. Selena turned around and saw a cop car pull up in front of the house. Out walked the officer from the street and the chief. She reconisged him from the times she's been 'downtown'.
The officer then went to the back door and opened it. Out stepped a tall, thin woman. With Peering Blue eyes that she could see from all the way she was standing!
"Ah crap!" Selena said.
To make matters worse, as they were walking over to Selena. The front door opened. Selena turned and her dad was standing in the doorway. "What's going on?" he said as soon as he saw the oh to familiar flashing lights. "Please Selena, please. Tell me this isnt about you!" Jeffrey begged.
"Well…not technically." Selena said meekly.
The officer, chief and Marianna walked up to Selena and her father. "How can I help you officers?"
"Nothing today, sir." The officer told him. "You daughter can though. After you ran, and we caught Marianna here. We got reason to believe that maybe what you were saying isn't true."
" I don't understand sir…" Selena lied, hoping to find someway out of this.
"Is this, or is this not your nanny!" the chief snapped.
Selena looked over at her dad, who looked confused. She knew she couldn't go through with it now. "Its my nanny…" she said glumly and defeated.
Marianna had a tiny victory smile form at the ends of her mouth. But it disappeared as fast as it came.
The police left and let Selena alone out front the house with her confused father, and her probably pissed off nanny.
"What was that all about?" Jeffrey asked to the both of them, but looking at Selena expecting her to answer.
What am I supposed to say? To prove that I can be responsible I had the cops think the new nanny was a pedophile who wanted to kidnap me. When she was really only after me because I stole her bag and ran off with it… Selena thought to herself. Yeah, because that after all is REAL mature…oh Dammit! I'm screwed!
She was doomed!
The Cop cars pulled away, and Selena stood awkwardly between her father in the doorway and Marianna behind her. Although she was facing her dad, she could tell that Marianna's icy blue eyes were staring at her from behind. Just like they had back at the school.
"It's kind of a long story…" Selena began, but before she could continue Marianna cut her off.
"It was a misunderstanding, Selena ran off with my bag as a joke and when I chased after her they though I was planning to kidnap her." Marianna lied. "Isn't that right Selena."
She wasn't asking her if it was right. Marianna was telling her it was and that she'd better go with it. Marianna's lie was so convincing. Mainly because it sounded like something she would do. Selena almost believed it herself. "Yes it is."
"What a relief! I guess Marianna was what you needed. Keep it up!" Jeffery said to the two of them. "Now come along. Dinner's ready, and Christianna's waiting to meet you." Jeffery said.
Jeffery headed inside. Marianna walked inside, passing Selena. She turned to the teenager, who was staring at her curiously. She didn't understand. Why did Marianna lie for her? Selena tried to get her falsely arrested. Most people would have tattled instantly! Yet, Marianna had lied for her. Why?
"Are you coming?" she asked her. Something about the way she was looking at her made Selena scared. Selena was not easily scared. Very rarely was she even nervous.
"Why?" Selena asked her, and she wasn't talking about dinner.
"Because dinner's ready. Didn't you hear your father?" Marianna said looking subtly pleased with herself.
"You know damn well what I mean." Selena snapped.
Marianna and Selena stared each other down. A few moments later Marianna finally spoke. "I never explain anything!" she said and she walked off.
"Yes… you are just lucky that I did get a criminal record. Or else things would have played out VERY DIFFRERNTLY" she said half joking, yet half threatening.
"…well you could always be classified next to Selena…" came the voice of a teasing Christianna as she joined us.
"Oh shut up Christianna… Need I remind you about the park incident and your little con-artist trade?" I said back.
"Whatever. Dad want's everyone downstairs now, he said it's time to make an announcement."
"As if we don't know what it is already?" I said. "Oh… but there may be more than once announcement made." I added remembering why I had been in a rush to get home.
"Really?" said Mary, raising her eyebrow (as she usually does).
So dad finished up the announcement about his new girlfriend Tamera Lawrence. She apparently works at the London office of his and Uncle Jerry's company.
(I still have no idea exactly what they do… maybe one day I'll ask him… if ever I care enough to find out)
We were then called for dinner; about five minutes in I called attention. "Ahem…"\
Everyone turned my way. "I forgot that I myself had an announcement to make. Today I had my first day at PRIVATE school…." I said giving dad and Mary harsh looks on the word 'private'. "In which, last period I had Music: Piano/Vocal. My teacher is Ashlyn Bronson, Miss Bronson. And at the end of the period she spoke to us about the NYAM…"
"the NYAM?" said Grandmother and Tamera.
"What's the NYAM?" Chrissy asked.
"National Youth Artist Music competition." Said Tamera. "It's a very prestigious competition that lasts for a few months."
"The winner receives $10,000 and a contract…" Grandmother continued.
"… With Parrot Records, this makes the person to be a guaranteed success because Parrot Records is one of the biggest labels in the world!"
"Yes… I know… and Miss Bronson thinks I should win and has already entered me and all I need is you to sign the permission form."
"Really?" said dad.
I Pulled out the papers I had (conveniently) with me and handed them over.
(Alright I'm going to save you the trouble reading a cliché scene that happens all the time. I'm going to summarize it for you.
Dad says he's unsure
I say he has nothing to worry about
he said he's concerned that it will monopolize my life
I say I can keep a balance.
Dad says it would be a privilege and not a priority
I say I know
something bad happens
dad says no
I get mad
Mary &Grandmother talk to dad
Dad agrees and signs the form
All is well.
(See aren't I so nice? I saved you all so much time of lame cliché-ness! You're welcome.)
