Chapter 2. The girl between worlds
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The little antique clock that Karen was so proud of, a gift from Robert on their wedding day, struck twelve. Sarah was just closing the door of the bedroom, having made sure Toby was tucked up and sleeping. She went to her room and looked at her mirror with its pictures of her mother and Jeremy, and even the clippings tucked into the mirror frame. She sat down at the vanity table and looked at the mirror closer. It was like a shrine, and it was obvious in what was missing. Not one picture of Karen or Toby. Sarah looked at her own reflection, and didn't really like what she saw.
Turning from the mirror she looked about the room, needing to do something. She began picking up costume accessories that had been left scattered though the room, and was arranging them in the closet. She muttered to herself as she did. Once all the accessories were put back in the places they should be she sat down at the vanity once more.
It had not been Toby's fault he was teething, nor was it unusual that his parents were watching him with such concern. Sarah remembered her mother telling her that she'd developed a few ear infections at the time she herself was teething. Reaching for one of the clippings she wondered why it was she was letting herself be so jealous of a baby who needed to be cared for … he couldn't do things for himself… he was just a baby.
Sarah reached for another clipping, on of her mother and Jeremy at an awards dinner. She fought the urge to crumple the clipping, and tossed it to the vanity top. She stood up and took the rest of the clippings down and gathered them in a pile to put into a scrapbook where they belonged. She left the picture of herself with her parents on the mirror and vowed to get a picture of Toby that she could put into a frame with this one.
Sarah heard the front entry door open, and her father shout up to her. "Sarah, we're home…. Sarah… are you here?"
"Yeah, I'm here!" she shouted back, the looked at the mirror and smiled a nearly content smile. "I'm here."
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Sarah awoke on Sunday with a bit of a head ache and feeling like she'd run a marathon race. She went to her bath room and found the bottle of Tylenol empty. She carried it with her down to the kitchen where Karen was fixing her father's breakfast. "Do we have any more Tylenol,…Karen?" she asked quietly, almost respectfully.
Karen stared at her for a moment as if she were a Martian, then moved forward and placed a hand under the girls chin. "What's the matter?" Karen asked, her maternal instincts kicking into full gear. Sarah didn't flinch or pull away like she normally would.
Sarah shrugged, "I must have pulled something running home from the park… I ache all over…"
Karen could not feel a fever; nevertheless she looked at the girl with concern. "I've got more Tylenol in the pantry… sit down, and I'll get it for you and make you some nice herbal tea."
Sarah gave the woman who was showing consideration and caring a gentle smile. "Thank you." She took a seat beside her brother's high chair and held a finger out to the boy who quickly glommed on to it. "I think his tooth cut though last night."
Karen paused in her steps to the pantry. She looked at Sarah, then Toby, then walked to the pantry and wondered if she'd stepped though the looking glass. Who was that girl in Sarah's body? And could she keep her? The phone rang and Robert rose to answer it, going into the front hall leaving Karen alone in the kitchen with the two children. "Here's your Tylenol…" she put the tablets down for the girl. "I'll get your tea."
Sarah took the tablets with a glass of water, and looked at her stepmother. "How was the show last night?"
Karen had put the kettle on to boil and turned back to look at the girl; "It was very nice."
"I'm glad you both had a good time." Sarah said looking at the baby. "I'm sorry I was so late coming home… and I'm sorry I gave you a hard time about it."
Karen took a seat beside the girl, "Sarah… I was serious when I said I want you to have dates…" She kept the reason in her tone. "And I think you may be right… I've taken it for granted that you're not dating… and are free… I should check with you…"
Sarah leaned back in the chair and gave her stepmother a funny little smile. "Are we calling a truce?" Sarah chuckled softly.
The woman who had married her father smiled back. "Seems that way… what do you say? Truce?" She held out her hand to the girl.
"Why not…" Sarah placed her hand in that of the other. "So what do we do now?"
"Well, let's see if we can clear up the misunderstandings between us." Karen offered. "I'm not trying to take your mother's place," she sighed. "I couldn't…"
"I've been a real brat, haven't I?" Sarah sighed. "I know it's not your fault that my mother ran off… and I'm glad you and Daddy are happy together."
The kettle sang out and Karen rose to pour the water into the tea pot that was prepared. "You're not a brat… not really." She brought the tea pot and a mug over to the table for the girl. "I'm sure it's all been pretty confusing to you… you were only ten when your mother and father broke up."
"I've had five years to get use to the idea… and still…" she shrugged, but looked at Karen with open eyes. "I had no right to blame you, or Daddy." Karen patted the girl's hand softly, Sarah let her.
Robert entered the room and observed his wife giving comfort to his daughter and wondered what he'd missed. "That was Todd Benson… he and his wife are having a few of the partners in for drinks at four today… should we get a sitter?"
Sarah looked at her father and rolled her eyes at him. "I'll sit with Toby!" she said strongly. "He's teething and shouldn't have to be with a stranger." Karen smiled at the girl.
What the girl said next surprised both her father and her stepmother. "I need some boxes… I want to pack away some of my old toys and things… I'm thinking of changing a few things in my room…okay?" The shocks kept coming. "Karen, could we go shopping for new curtains and a matching bedspread?"
"Yes… sure…" the woman stammered trading looks with Robert.
The girl sipped the hot tea and relaxed, maybe this growing up thing wasn't going to be so bad after all……
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Toby sat on Sarah's bed, quietly hugging the thread bare, well loved teddy bear. Sarah had packed away the rest of her stuffed toys, with no exceptions. Her vanity was cleared off and looked picture perfect neat. Her books had been put back on the shelf, neatly in order. She was looking at the posters that adorned her walls and decided to keep them, but to put them on different walls. She looked at the Escher print and wondered if keeping it in the room was wise… it still gave her the creeps. Reminding her too much of the strange dream she'd had… and she whispered under her breath. "It was only a dream, it was only a dream."
Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the phone in the upstairs hallway. She left Toby sitting on her bed, stepped to the hall and picked up the phone. "Williams' residence, Sarah speaking." She said with a mature confidence.
"Sarah, it's Karen… we're running late…" Karen didn't sound too happy about it either. "It's looking like we're going to be here for dinner too. Is that alright?"
Sarah had one eye on Toby sitting on her bed, not willing to take her eyes off him. "Fine…" she said slightly distracted. "I'll make Toby's dinner and eat with him… it's fine…Karen."
"Is something wrong?" the woman on the other end fretted lightly.
Sarah smiled, "No, I'm just watching Toby sit on my bed, talk to my old bear."
"Oh," Karen sighed and laughed lightly. "Don't scare me!"
"Sorry." Sarah laughed as well. "Have a nice time…" she hung up. Coming into the room she expected to find Toby sitting on her bed with the bear in his hands. He was on the bed, but the bear had fallen to the floor and Toby was staring out the window pointing to something. Sarah went to the window and saw something white flying off the branch nearest her window. "Looking at the birdies?" she asked her brother peering out the window now as well, she drew the curtain when she caught sight of the strange bird circling over head. "It's after a mouse most likely," she said aloud. "Come on Toby, let's go make some dinner…"
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Karen looked at the list Sarah has written up, "All this?" she asked apprehensively. "Don't you think you're trying to do too much in one sweep?"
"I've had the same stuff in my room forever!" Sarah complained softly. "Since before Mom moved out… it's time to update…"
"I know what you're saying," Karen fretted. "But…"
"Will it cost too much?" Sarah suddenly wondered if costs were a problem.
"I'm not worried about the cost." Karen said putting the folded list into her purse. "I'm worried about you having regrets later. As you said, you've had your room that way forever…"
Sarah looked at Karen, seeing not the monster that she'd painted her as, but a gentle and caring woman. "It's time for me to grow up a bit, Karen."
The woman with strawberry blond hair looked at the dark haired young woman before her. "Within reason…"
"I'm not running off or eloping!" Teased the teen; "I'm just getting new bed linens."
Karen packed the baby's bag and handed it to Sarah along with the fold up stroller. "I understand what you're saying, but Sarah changes this drastic can have…consequences."
Sarah watched as Karen picked up the fussing baby. "I promise not to go overboard…."
An hour later they were in the large linen department of the department store where Karen bought linens for the room she had Sarah's father shared. "What colors do you want to look at?"
"Nothing virgin white," Sarah said gruffly. "Nothing that screams maiden or damsels… Something contemporary! Something that will go with the color of my walls…I still like the color of the walls…"
Karen pulled out the paint chip that had been used by Linda to pick the wall colors. "I found this in the store room down in the basement; I think it's the one for your room."
"Yep!" Sarah took the chip and smiled. "I picked this out all by myself."
"Very bold color." Karen commented; "Strong and so very much you."
Knowing she'd been complemented the girl blushed. "Thanks."
Karen tapped her chin with one hand and rolled the stroller with the other. "I've a suggestion… why not go with something… classical..."
"Classical?" Sarah asked skeptical. "I said I didn't want to go frilly, remember?"
The other laughed lightly, a pleasant laugh that up until now had driven Sarah up the wall. "Not frilly… but something that's not over the top… something; oh say," she pointed to the gold on amber print that was classical. "Something like that."
Sarah looked at the gold print, and nodded. "Yes, I like that." She moved just past the hour glass shaped printed fabric to one that had the same colors but had a dragonfly print. "Or this…"
Karen looked at the print that had attracted the girl. "Dragonflies…. Very nice… and very age appropriate." She felt the girl's eyes on her, "Sarah, you are only fifteen… you don't want a room that says thirty, do you?"
Sarah mulled the words over. "I see your point." She held the paint chip to the fabric. "Looks fantastic!" she took the sample swatch off the hook and took it over to some other fabrics. "And some neat throw pillows in this and this."
Karen nodded. "Good choices Sarah, you've a real good eye." She motioned one of the sales personal over and handed him a paper with the sizes of the windows and other measurements. "We will be making a complete makeover." She said firmly. "The young lady wishes to update her room."
The man nodded and took out his sales pad; "Floor to ceiling?"
Karen didn't like his attitude, but let it go. "Yes, new curtains, bed linens, pillows and a carpet. We've picked out the fabrics we like."
He looked at the dragonfly fabric and turned up his nose. "That's a bolt end… there may not be enough."
Karen looked at the man. "Make the bedspread out of the Dragonfly; we'll take this one for the curtains." She began to give orders for bed skirts and dust ruffles, ignoring the man's suggestions and going with what she knew Sarah wanted. She turned to Sarah, "Do you want bed curtains like you have now?"
"No," the teen said firmly.
"What about nice sheers, it will look so regal!" Karen had a nice amber colored swatch. "See?" The teen nodded at last, and Karen added the bed sheers to the order. "And a matching set for under the heavier curtain at the window… on a spate track!" Karen waited for the salesman to finish writing up the order. "I want the curtains professionally installed." She said as he began to close his pad.
"That's a separate fee." He snipped turning his nose up.
"I want the curtains installed." Karen insisted quietly. "I am not getting on a ladder, and I don't want my daughter on one either!"
"As you wish;" He added the fee and looked at her, "will this be cash or credit?"
Karen handed him her gold card and looked over at Sarah. "I think we should update some of your art work as well. There's a nice little gallery not far from here."
"I'm keeping only two of my posters." Sarah agreed. "I like the Escher and want to keep them both."
The man brought Karen the receipt and her card. "Delivery will be in four weeks. Good day, ladies."
Waiting until they were outside, Karen then sighed. "Insipid little worm."
Sarah laughed, hooked her arm into that of her stepmother and giggled to her. "Karen!"
Karen giggled as well; "What say we go to the gallery and then do lunch?"
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Sarah and Karen stood in the hall watching the two workmen four weeks later hanging the curtains. Karen nodded, "I'm so glad we choose those sheers! Look at how much more light pours into this room now!"
Sarah had to admit, Karen was a decorating wiz. "You were right." Karen heard Toby waking up from his nap and went to take care of the boy. Sarah stayed in the hall, watching as her room was transformed. She was looking at the cornice over her bed with its new sheers replacing the orange satin curtains that had hung there for more than five years. She heard the young man at the window curse and heard the crash of the weighty curtain and rod as it fell heavily to the floor below the ladder. It was the second time the curtain had refused to go up. The sheers on the spate rod were up and looked wonderful. The man muttered under his breath something about gremlins, Sarah narrowed her gazed and looked about the room. Sarah took a breath of relief as she found nothing out of the ordinary in her room. The man looked at the end of the rod he was attaching and then called to his partner.
"We have a mismatched end here, Kyle… get the other rod outta the truck for me, would you."
Sarah knew it was going to be a while before the room was done, and she really didn't want to wait in the hall. She entered the room and began to put the sheets and pillow cases on the bed, needing something to keep her occupied. She could feel the young man on the ladder looking at her and it was disturbing… nice… but disturbing.
"It's a pretty room." He said trying to make conversation. He was a few years older than Sarah herself, and a few inches taller. His hair was cut in a shaggy style, and his chocolate eyes looked at her through heavy brows. He looked like he was into working out, and had very muscular biceps. In fact his whole body looked muscular and fit. Sarah wondered to herself if he flexed would his clothes burst at the seams and if they did could she lock him in the room without Karen noticing? There was something lusty, and hungry in the way he looked at her.
Feeling suddenly as if she were naked, Sarah looked at the young man on the ladder who was obviously flirting with her. She was about to say something back when the ladder he was standing on unexpectedly collapsed, the young man landing on the floor on his backside. Sarah could have sworn she saw something dark dart under the ladder the instant it toppled. "Are you alright?" she asked.
He looked up at her with molten chocolate colored eyes, "I'm fine…" He snickered. "That's the second time this week that ladder has collapsed. I thought I checked the lock latch, guess that will teach me not to look at pretty girls when I should be working."
Blushing she turned her back, 'he thinks I'm pretty…' she thought to herself happily.
The young man picked himself up off the floor and fixed the ladder, "I'm Hank, Hank Henderson…" He said as he fixed the ladder.
"Sarah." She said quietly, feeling a bit shy. "Williams."
He leaned on the ladder, looking at the girl with a warm smile. "I know… you're in my sister's class at the Harper Academy…" he said with a gleam. "I've seen you a few times… you're the one my sister refers to as the dreamer." Sarah was not sure how to take his words…was he flirting or was he being mean? He quickly added; "Meg says you're one of the best Juliets she's ever heard…"
The teen blushed; she'd only spoken the words of Juliet once. "I don't recall anyone named Meg Henderson…."
"My last name is Henderson… Meg's is Kohler." He said easily. "My dad married her mom when Meggie was a baby…"
Meg Kohler was a name that Sarah did recognize. "We have speech and art together." She said thinking about the other girl. Meg was considered a bit wild by some of the students. She had a constant following of both boys and girls. She was intelligent and fun at the same time, and not a follower. She stood out in a crowd, even in the school uniform. "She's something else;" murmured Sarah.
"That she is," he agreed. "She'll either take the world over, or blast it and start again."
Sarah laughed easily at his gentle humor. Karen returned with Toby in her arms and looked at the girl and the young man speaking to her. "What happened, I heard a crash?"
Hank patted the ladder. "The latch on the ladder gave out and it went down… nothing broken…" He said, and looked again at Sarah.
Karen, concerned by the forwardness of the young man decided not to leave the room.
Hank seemed to sense the woman's unease, and said. "I was just telling Sarah, Mrs. Williams that she and my sister go to school together."
The words seemed to do the trick and Karen looked pleasantly at the young man; "Oh really? Your sister attends Harper?"
"Yep," He saw his partner coming in with the new rod; "Excuse me; I'll finish this window now." Reaching for the rod he brushed Sarah's arm lightly. He went up the ladder swiftly and prepared to attach the rod to the wall. Karen, having seen the man brush against Sarah, motioned her to come out to the hall.
"Sarah, be careful what you do and say, that young man is a few years older than you…" Karen warned softly. "Boys that age are… more experienced and… well, they expect…"
The teen girl blushed beat red, "Karen, he was just making polite conversation…I'm sure he's aware I'm only fifteen." There was a bit of bite to her words and she rolled her eyes as she'd done when dealing with Karen before.
Karen let her eyes wander back toward the room they'd just exited. "I hope so."
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Standing in the finished room hours later as the sun had gone down; Sarah could not believe the differences. Gone were the stuffed toys, replaced by pillows. Sarah stood staring at the Escher prints; they seemed so out of place in the room. She took them down off the wall, and carried them into her bath. She took down the prints there, and replaced them with her two precious Escher prints. Returning to the bedroom she put some of the new artwork she and Karen had bought up in place of the removed prints. The room no longer resembled something out of a fairytale book. It was elegant and grown-up, but not old. It was the room of a young lady coming into her own, and it was full of confidence and fire.
Karen came into the room and her face showed approval. "It turned out really nice."
"Thanks for your help…" Sarah said distractedly, something flew past her window and caught her attention.
"I told you rearranging the furniture would make a difference." Karen crowed.
Sarah moved closer to the window. "Yeah… you did…" She looked back at her step mother slyly, "That boy…Hank… he was cute."
Karen sighed; "Yes, yes he was." She took a seat on the chair at Sarah's vanity. "But he's a bit too old for you…just now…"
Sarah blinked; "Just now?"
Karen nodded, "Sarah, you should be seeing boys your own age for now… boys who won't…try to make you …do things you're not ready for."
A tingling started somewhere deep within. "Not ready for?"
The woman bit her lower lip, and tired to find the right words. "Sarah, I'm not your mother, and it's not really my place to have this talk with you…." She motioned the girl to sit on the bed. "I'm sort of in a difficult position here."
"I don't understand…." Sarah said quietly. "I just thought he was cute…"
Karen raised a hand to her head and scratched thoughtfully. "Sarah… you're just starting to date… and you've bloomed so ….quickly…."
"Bloomed?"
"Developed…" Karen waved a hand at the hidden figure under Sarah's baggy shirt. "Boys are going to notice… no matter how much you cover up… and boys as old as Hank are going to want to… uncover…more…" Karen stopped, blushing madly. "Sarah have you had the sex talk with your mom yet?"
Now it was Sarah's turn to blush. "Sort of…"
Karen rolled her eyes heavenward. "I know your father is not good at this sort of thing… I'm not sure I am either…." She looked at her stepdaughter. "I'm in over my head."
Sarah cleared her throat, "I think I get the image of what you're trying to say…"
Taking this as a cue to exit, Karen stood up. "Date boys for now…leave the men until you're ready for them." She moved toward the door. "Dinner in an hour…"
"Okay." Sarah kicked off her shoes and lay down on her bed, closed her eyes and expected to have nothing but darkness greet her mind. She was surprised when the image of Hanks handsome face appeared. She tried to clear her mind, but found that his handsome leer would not go away. The tingling began, and her breast rose in response to that lovely tingle. Her mind began to spin an erotic fantasy to her pleasure. She began to feel the arousal and excitement, just as she had when she'd been at her mother's. Just as she started to get into the fantasy the cries of a night bird outside her window shocked her out of it. Guiltily, she sat up and clutched one of the fancy pillows to her heart. "It was just a dream," she whispered. "It was just a dream, and that was just a bird… it was just a dream…"