Chapter 2
Natural Calling
Home was a grand house called Alice Springs after where Myra's parents had their honeymoon. Its old brick design was simi9lar to that of an old English state house. It towered high above the gravel drive and cast deep shadows in the late afternoon sunlight. Cream roses, a touch of Myra's mother, had entwined themselves gracefully around a wooden porch over a large, stone staircase leading up to the house. Paddy, or Patrick, was grumbling as he stirred the minestrone around the hot pan. He never grumbled unless Myra was late. Which she was. He peered out of the steamy window and saw her racing full-pelt up the gravel drive way. She noticed him looking her way and waved happily. He smiled as she tripped lightly up the stairs into the manor house porch. He could hear her stomping her way around the house and down the stairs to the kitchen. She takes after her father, he thought happily.
"Heya Paddy, sorry I'm late. I went to meet some friends in Jacksonville. I sort of lost track of time a bit really." She apologized shiftily.
"Hey, no worries. Were you by any chance with that boy…um…Alec?" he questioned with a mischievous look on his wrinkly face. Myra blushed and muttered under her breath.
"Yeah. I was."
Paddy shuffled around the kitchen slowly and collected the plates for dinner and served it up. Myra lowered herself down at the table and dug into the food. She adored Paddy's gourmet meals but she thought his home recipes were even better. The grievous pain slowly faded away to a dull ache. That was good. She could cope with that.
After dinner, Myra made her way up to her bedroom glumly. Tomorrow was going to be another boring day at school, staying away from Alec was difficult at home, but staying away from Alec whilst juggling homework and school was even worse! She rummaged through her books and found her school diary. Pencil cases and text books and clothes were strewn about her bedroom. Oh well. The cleaner was coming tomorrow morning so it didn't matter about the mess. Sitting on her blue carpet, she collected all her school books and shoved them into her battered turquoise Prada bag and swung it onto the back of the chair at her desk. Her thoughts drifted to Alec again. His coppery hair and chocolaty brown eyes made her insides melt. His soft warm hands around hers and the safety she felt with him, which wasn't often enough. Myra sighed deeply and loped into her ensuite bathroom. Staring at her reflections, she knew what her mother had meant from the start about her natural calling in life. Modelling had always been at the top of her priority list along with Miss America. Though she was incredibly tom-boy she could get away with any look. Her corn silk hair hung below her petite waist, her long legs lightly tanned from a holiday on the beach and her emerald eyes glinted above high defined cheekbones. She sighed yet again and made her way wearily to bed and checked the time. 2300. Sleep!