Page 9 of Dreams
Chapter Three
The week passed slowly. Taylor hung around the house, playing with her little sister and reading. She loved books. They were the only thing that could get her out of her own head. It sounded cliché to call them an escape, but that’s exactly what they were for her.
Taylor looked up from her book when there was a knock on her bedroom door.
“Come in,” she called.
Her mom entered and walk towards her with her hands clasping something behind her back. “You have your stuff all packed into the car?”
“Well, it was already packed up from the move from Portland. So, yeah.” Taylor looked back down at her book, hoping her mom would get the hint.
“I found something when I was unpacking some boxes downstairs.” Her mom sat on the corner of the bed and held out the sketchpad she’d been concealing.
Taylor glanced up quickly and then looked away. “I don’t want it.”
“Honey, you used to love to draw.”
Taylor remembered that all too well. She used to sit for hours perfecting her sketches. It soothed her. Danny would sit with her, playing his guitar. They were perfect moments. Moments she couldn’t bear to corrupt by creating new ones without him.
“I used to love a lot of things, Mom.”
“Do you really think he’d want this, Taylor?”
“No, because he wouldn’t want to be dead.” She snapped the book shut.This conversation again,she thought.
“He also wouldn’t want you giving up everything that makes youyou. Swimming… drawing… even smiling.” She reached out to touch her daughter’s cheek, but then drew her arm back.
“First of all, I don’t swim anymore because I graduated high school. Drawing doesn’t hold an appeal. And smiling, well, there’s just nothing left to smile about.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You still have your family. You’re alive. Even Danny should still make you smile. His memory. Honey, it’s been over a year. I just want to see you at least trying to move on.”
Taylor stood, wanting to get away from her mother. The worst thing was that she knew her mom was right. She always was. But, she couldn’t feel anything these days. She knew they loved her, yet she didn’t feel loved. She knew this was a fresh start, but hope eluded her. Thinking of Danny made her both want to smile and cry, cancelling each other out and not allowing her to do either.
“Robin?” Taylor’s dad’s voice sounded from downstairs.
“Up here, Doug,” her mom called back.
“You ladies ready to go?”
Taylor’s mom looked at her pointedly and she nodded. They walked down the stairs in silence before Taylor got into her car and followed her parents towards her new school. The tower where Taylor would live for the school year was only about a twenty-minute drive.
She waited in line to get her key while her parents started unloading the cars. Surrounded by other students, Taylor found herself unable to look any of them in the eye.
She retrieved her key and before long, she was standing outside her new room with her family close behind. They set down their heavy loads as soon as they were through the door to the suite. Six girls would be sharing this living space as well as the bathroom.
Her room was the third one back. As she pushed open the door, she was all but accosted by a tall girl with curly blond hair that bounced as she walked. She threw her long arms around Taylor and squeezed once before letting go.
“Oh my God, hi!” She spoke with a thick southern drawl. “You must be my roommate!”
“Yeah.” Taylor adjusted her glasses and looked down at her feet.
“I’m Abigail.” The girl didn’t seem to sense Taylor’s discomfort as she remained close. “Abigail Stewart.”
“This is Taylor Scott.”Mom in for the save.
Taylor finally looked up and met Abigail’s shockingly blue eyes. The girl pulled on one of her curls as she regarded the quiet Taylor in front of her and then it bounced back into place.
Taylor’s dad walked in and dumped the final load on her bed.
