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Chapter 2
I didn't sleep well. I hadn't for nearly 17 years though, so I had grown sort of accustomed to the sleepless nights and early mornings. I was lucky if I fell asleep before 4 am. And one night I was
But the phone's shrill rings had no mercy. I rolled out of bed picking the phone off of the hook to save Emily from being woken up as well. "Hello?" I grumbled falling back onto my pillow with the phone held at my ear.
"Shit, I knew I shouldn't have called!"
I smiled realizing who was on the other end. "What a greeting, Rachel." I laughed shaking the remaining feelings of fatigue from my mind. "I'm awake, what's up?"
I heard her laugh over the blaring music in the background. "Why aren't you here with my now?"
"What are you talking about?" I laughed sitting up in my bed.
"What am I talking about?!" Rachel shrieked into the receiver. I held it away from my ear for a moment as she went on. "I can't believe you Courtney Matthews! I'm your cool aunt for god's sake." She laughed lowering the volume of her voice. I held the receiver back at my ear.
"Rachel what is the matter?"
"I'm getting married in two weeks, Court, and you are supposed to be here for my support and party planner!"
I laughed, "It sounds to me like you are finding parties on your own just fine."
"Oh this? This is a party for a friend and client of mine. Jesse Richards, maybe you've heard of him?"
I nodded, "Sure I have. Famous actor and model, I know."
"But that's not the point. The point is you and Emily need to pack your bags. Your flight leaves at 9 o'clock tomorrow night. I'll pick you up at the air port."
"What?" I gasped not sure whether to be happy or angry.
"Oh stop the dramatic act, you know you want to come. So just be on the flight, and let me take care of the rest! Look I need to go. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Rach." I laughed falling back onto the bed, getting no sleep the rest of the night.
I woke up the next morning almost forgetting the call I had received. But another phone call quickly reminded me. It was Rachel again warning me to make sure that Emily and I packed swim suits and 'party clothes'. What she meant by party clothes I wasn't quite sure of. But her response to this was to do 'a bit of shopping'. Now I knew what that meant. I would leave New York with ten times the amount of clothes I showed up with. I knew money wasn't much of a problem; Rachel had more than she knew what to do with.
I envied her so much. Somehow she had managed to follow her every ambition and succeed. It still amazed me. She had been just like me at my age. Not wanting to open her heart, and not sure where life was taking her. But now she was 29 and engaged with a solid future in the fashion industry. She owned the Coral Modeling Company which was given to her by her former boss and creator of the company, Jessica Coral-Davis. She had retired and handed her job off to Rachel, who was her top agent. I suppose that was her reward for making friends in high places.
I think that my dream of designing clothes was very distant for me now. I honestly just wanted anything that had to do with the modeling business. It just all seemed so appealing to me.
I was pulled from my thoughts by a sharp knock at my apartment door. Emily walked lazily out of her room blinking her eyes against the sunlight pouring through the open window. She glanced at me, and I gave her a slight shrug not knowing who was at the door, as she threw herself onto the couch.
I chuckled slightly to myself as I heard another knock on the door. "I'm coming," I called as I made my way to the door. I opened the door and had to fight the impulse to scream from shock. It was my mother wearing her usual smile that looked as if it were plastered onto her face most uncomfortably.
I glanced at her in shock, taking in her new look. It seemed that every time I set eyes on her she looked different. Her once bright blonde hair that matched my own had now been changed to a dark brown with sandy blonde highlights. To add to it, she had hacked off the hair that she hadn't cut since she was 30. It was now cut just past her ears with bangs hanging over her forehead. I wasn't exactly sure how to react to her. Not only had my mother showed up at my door, she didn't look like the mother that I hated as much as I did.
"Mom," I stopped there, not sure where I had expected the sentence to take me.
"Hi honey." She smiled at me brushing a loose bang out of her eye. It was then that I noticed the bag that was slung around her shoulder.
My eyes drifted from her new look and stared horrified at the bag that I could only fear was stuffed with clothes. "What are you doing here?" I asked still staring at the bag with a sudden pang of nausea.
"My house is having some work done, and we needed a place to stay." She shrugged as if I should have known all this without needing to ask.
"And what made you chose this house?" I choked out the words.
"You are my daughter, Courtney."
"By blood, yes I am." I said fighting the urge to punch that smile off her face. "But why didn't you stay with Kyle? Or better yet David. Christine is staying in her dorm now, you could have her room." I said referring to my uncle and his daughter.
My mother shook her head, "I don't want to bother David. His wife and he are having a slight argument, and I don't need to get in the middle."
I let out a short laugh, "Since when was getting in the middle ever a problem?" I couldn't believe she was expecting me to let her in my home with open arms. And then my brain did a little loop back, and realized exactly what she had said. "Wait a minute...We?" I whispered scared of who might be coming with her.
Just then I heard footsteps coming from down the hall. I waited tensing up slightly. Emily had now come up behind me and was staring, just as I had been, at my mother. The mystery person soon walked around the corner. We caught eyes, and a smile erupted on both our faces. Jenny came running at me, her long brown hair thrown behind her. She jumped into my open arms and I hugged her tightly. I hadn't seen my sister in over a year. Every break she got at college she had felt forced to stay with either mom or dad, despite all the begging I did for them to let her stay with Emily and me for a while.
She pulled back still smiling at me, "I missed you so much, Courtney!" She laughed. She finally noticed Emily, and ran to give her a hug too.
I glanced back at my mother who looked incredibly bored at the reunion. "Mom, Emily and I are leaving town. We're going to," I suddenly cut off, not sure if bringing up Rachel's wedding was the brightest thing to do. "Well we're going to a wedding."
My mother laughed, "Honey, if you mean Rachel's wedding then no you aren't going."
I stared at her in shock. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"I am not letting you go to the wedding of someone like her." She said very calmly as if nothing she was saying could possibly offend the three girls staring back at her. "That woman tore our family apart."
"That woman is your sister!" I yelled. "And who are you to say who tore apart the family that you pretend to care so much about? I think that you tore us apart mom. No one but you."
"You are entitled to your opinion." She shrugged. "But as your mother, I am asking you not to go.
I smiled at her, "In that case," I laughed, "I'm definitely going. Good luck finding somewhere to stay." I smiled at her one last time before closing the door on her.
I heard her banging on the door screaming for us to let her in. She yelled for us to send Jenny out. I opened the door quickly before saying, "Jenny is coming with us. She'll be back in a few weeks and will be spending the rest of the summer at our house. So when we get back to California, you'll know because we'll drive up to your house to pick up her things. See you then mommy." I said sweetly closing the door once again. This time, there was no more banging to be heard.
Chapter 2
I didn't sleep well. I hadn't for nearly 17 years though, so I had grown sort of accustomed to the sleepless nights and early mornings. I was lucky if I fell asleep before 4 am. And one night I was
But the phone's shrill rings had no mercy. I rolled out of bed picking the phone off of the hook to save Emily from being woken up as well. "Hello?" I grumbled falling back onto my pillow with the phone held at my ear.
"Shit, I knew I shouldn't have called!"
I smiled realizing who was on the other end. "What a greeting, Rachel." I laughed shaking the remaining feelings of fatigue from my mind. "I'm awake, what's up?"
I heard her laugh over the blaring music in the background. "Why aren't you here with my now?"
"What are you talking about?" I laughed sitting up in my bed.
"What am I talking about?!" Rachel shrieked into the receiver. I held it away from my ear for a moment as she went on. "I can't believe you Courtney Matthews! I'm your cool aunt for god's sake." She laughed lowering the volume of her voice. I held the receiver back at my ear.
"Rachel what is the matter?"
"I'm getting married in two weeks, Court, and you are supposed to be here for my support and party planner!"
I laughed, "It sounds to me like you are finding parties on your own just fine."
"Oh this? This is a party for a friend and client of mine. Jesse Richards, maybe you've heard of him?"
I nodded, "Sure I have. Famous actor and model, I know."
"But that's not the point. The point is you and Emily need to pack your bags. Your flight leaves at 9 o'clock tomorrow night. I'll pick you up at the air port."
"What?" I gasped not sure whether to be happy or angry.
"Oh stop the dramatic act, you know you want to come. So just be on the flight, and let me take care of the rest! Look I need to go. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Rach." I laughed falling back onto the bed, getting no sleep the rest of the night.
I woke up the next morning almost forgetting the call I had received. But another phone call quickly reminded me. It was Rachel again warning me to make sure that Emily and I packed swim suits and 'party clothes'. What she meant by party clothes I wasn't quite sure of. But her response to this was to do 'a bit of shopping'. Now I knew what that meant. I would leave New York with ten times the amount of clothes I showed up with. I knew money wasn't much of a problem; Rachel had more than she knew what to do with.
I envied her so much. Somehow she had managed to follow her every ambition and succeed. It still amazed me. She had been just like me at my age. Not wanting to open her heart, and not sure where life was taking her. But now she was 29 and engaged with a solid future in the fashion industry. She owned the Coral Modeling Company which was given to her by her former boss and creator of the company, Jessica Coral-Davis. She had retired and handed her job off to Rachel, who was her top agent. I suppose that was her reward for making friends in high places.
I think that my dream of designing clothes was very distant for me now. I honestly just wanted anything that had to do with the modeling business. It just all seemed so appealing to me.
I was pulled from my thoughts by a sharp knock at my apartment door. Emily walked lazily out of her room blinking her eyes against the sunlight pouring through the open window. She glanced at me, and I gave her a slight shrug not knowing who was at the door, as she threw herself onto the couch.
I chuckled slightly to myself as I heard another knock on the door. "I'm coming," I called as I made my way to the door. I opened the door and had to fight the impulse to scream from shock. It was my mother wearing her usual smile that looked as if it were plastered onto her face most uncomfortably.
I glanced at her in shock, taking in her new look. It seemed that every time I set eyes on her she looked different. Her once bright blonde hair that matched my own had now been changed to a dark brown with sandy blonde highlights. To add to it, she had hacked off the hair that she hadn't cut since she was 30. It was now cut just past her ears with bangs hanging over her forehead. I wasn't exactly sure how to react to her. Not only had my mother showed up at my door, she didn't look like the mother that I hated as much as I did.
"Mom," I stopped there, not sure where I had expected the sentence to take me.
"Hi honey." She smiled at me brushing a loose bang out of her eye. It was then that I noticed the bag that was slung around her shoulder.
My eyes drifted from her new look and stared horrified at the bag that I could only fear was stuffed with clothes. "What are you doing here?" I asked still staring at the bag with a sudden pang of nausea.
"My house is having some work done, and we needed a place to stay." She shrugged as if I should have known all this without needing to ask.
"And what made you chose this house?" I choked out the words.
"You are my daughter, Courtney."
"By blood, yes I am." I said fighting the urge to punch that smile off her face. "But why didn't you stay with Kyle? Or better yet David. Christine is staying in her dorm now, you could have her room." I said referring to my uncle and his daughter.
My mother shook her head, "I don't want to bother David. His wife and he are having a slight argument, and I don't need to get in the middle."
I let out a short laugh, "Since when was getting in the middle ever a problem?" I couldn't believe she was expecting me to let her in my home with open arms. And then my brain did a little loop back, and realized exactly what she had said. "Wait a minute...We?" I whispered scared of who might be coming with her.
Just then I heard footsteps coming from down the hall. I waited tensing up slightly. Emily had now come up behind me and was staring, just as I had been, at my mother. The mystery person soon walked around the corner. We caught eyes, and a smile erupted on both our faces. Jenny came running at me, her long brown hair thrown behind her. She jumped into my open arms and I hugged her tightly. I hadn't seen my sister in over a year. Every break she got at college she had felt forced to stay with either mom or dad, despite all the begging I did for them to let her stay with Emily and me for a while.
She pulled back still smiling at me, "I missed you so much, Courtney!" She laughed. She finally noticed Emily, and ran to give her a hug too.
I glanced back at my mother who looked incredibly bored at the reunion. "Mom, Emily and I are leaving town. We're going to," I suddenly cut off, not sure if bringing up Rachel's wedding was the brightest thing to do. "Well we're going to a wedding."
My mother laughed, "Honey, if you mean Rachel's wedding then no you aren't going."
I stared at her in shock. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"I am not letting you go to the wedding of someone like her." She said very calmly as if nothing she was saying could possibly offend the three girls staring back at her. "That woman tore our family apart."
"That woman is your sister!" I yelled. "And who are you to say who tore apart the family that you pretend to care so much about? I think that you tore us apart mom. No one but you."
"You are entitled to your opinion." She shrugged. "But as your mother, I am asking you not to go.
I smiled at her, "In that case," I laughed, "I'm definitely going. Good luck finding somewhere to stay." I smiled at her one last time before closing the door on her.
I heard her banging on the door screaming for us to let her in. She yelled for us to send Jenny out. I opened the door quickly before saying, "Jenny is coming with us. She'll be back in a few weeks and will be spending the rest of the summer at our house. So when we get back to California, you'll know because we'll drive up to your house to pick up her things. See you then mommy." I said sweetly closing the door once again. This time, there was no more banging to be heard.