Book One: Revelations - Chapter 1
From the author of "Living as Kahnerian". What happens when your whole life has been about secrets and lies? I have two full books completely written, so I will post new chapters often. I hope the story makes you laugh and cry often.
Jessica and I ran through the dark staying in the shadows of the gray stone buildings and ancient maple trees. The thick cover of fog enveloped us keeping us hidden from view of the faculty building. Only the windows above us in the student's dorm would provide a view of us escaping. The cool fall air was moist and heavy as it normally was about eighty percent of the time. I missed not seeing the stars at night. It was always overcast or foggy here making you feel even more isolated. We headed for the hole in the fence behind our dorm room. The fence that surrounded our campus was made of old rock and mortar. I pulled the bushes back from the fence revealing our escape path. Jessica turned around behind us to make sure we were not being watched. I followed her gaze then she slipped through the hole and I followed quickly behind.
Most nights we sneaked out after dark from the hole we made years ago in a section of the stone wall that was hidden by bushes. If the grounds keepers knew of the hole then they've never made any attempt at fixing it. I would like to believe the hole is so well hidden that they've never found it, but they have to trim bushes some time. You would think after almost six years they would have found it by now. We were very good at our escape routine by now. We took advantage of the never ending cloudy and foggy evenings here.
We lived at an all-girl's boarding school in Europe where I was exiled when I was 6 yrs old. Jessica arrived the same year and we have been friends ever since. We are complete opposites. I stay out of trouble, think through every action and I do what is expected of me. Jessica invites trouble into her life. She is carefree and never thinks about consequences. I envy her.
"Where are you heading tonight Sarah?" Jessica asked. She asked me every time and she knew I never told her exactly where I was heading. But that never stopped her from asking. Jessica was my best friend but I do not trust anyone with all my secrets, not even her.
"You know, I'm just heading into to town to get some fresh air. Maybe I'll go to a museum tonight! I need more culture in my life!" I teased her.
"Yeah right. A museum? Whatever Sarah!" Jessica rolled her eyes at me. "You better tell me if you ever find a boyfriend!" she warned me. She never pushed to find out the truth. It didn't matter to her what I really did in town.
"Jess, you would be the first to know if I found a boyfriend. You know I like to just get away from school. Besides, I live vicariously through your boy toy exploits. So who are you meeting up with tonight?"
"Ooh, I am meeting Jeremy. He is only sixteen though. He goes to our brother school. I think he might be too young for me, but he was so sweet with how he asked me out. I didn't have the heart to say no."
"Jess, you're seventeen! Why would you consider him too young?" I raised an eyebrow while I asked. You know the look that says "are you serious?"
"Don't look at me like that! You know I like more experienced guys. Besides, I'm giving the poor guy a chance aren't I?"
We made our way through the tall grass and brush until we met up with the road down from the entrance of the school.
"Okay, okay. Tell me all about your date in the morning." I said as we approached the waiting cab.
"Evening Ladies, where are we heading tonight?" Our regular cab driver, Joe, asked as he held the door out for us.
"Good Evening Joe!" I replied happily as I slid into the backseat and made room for Jessica.
"Hey Joe! Take me to the theater please and Sarah claims she is going to the museum tonight!" Jess said as she rolled her eyes.
Joe laughed as he closed the door behind Jessica.
On the ride to the theater Jessica told me all about her plans for my birthday party tomorrow. She was definitely more excited about my eighteenth birthday than I was. I hated birthdays and Jessica loved them. She used them as excuses to break even more rules. She loved to temp fate! I think she went all out on other people's birthdays because she was stuck with a July birthday. The time of year where everyone is back home on summer holiday so she wouldn't have anyone around to celebrate. I always felt sorry for kids with summer birthdays or birthdays right around Christmas. Jessica was an only child like I was and spent her holidays traveling between her mom's house in England and her dad's house in the States. She was never too specific on where her family lived, so I assumed her family liked or needed their privacy. I guessed the latter.
Joe dropped Jessica off first as he always did. "Have fun Jess and stay out of trouble!" I called, as she got out at the theater. She waved goodbye as I watched her approach a group of teenagers. A boy, who I presumed to be Jeremy, left the group to approach her and he had a huge puppy dog smile on his face. The poor kid didn't have a chance.
"The usual spot?" Joe asked after Jess left the car.
"Yes please." Joe knew I did not go to some museum, restaurant, theater or whatever other excuse I used for Jessica. Joe kept my secret from Jessica because I told him she can't keep secrets. Joe didn't understand why it had to be a secret, so I just told him that I was over protected and my uncle would never approve. This was not a lie or an exaggeration.
My uncle, Laurence Thomas, became my guardian after my father was killed when I was 6 yrs old. My mother who was my uncle's only sibling died when I was a baby. Uncle Laurence decided it would be easier for me to adjust without the reminders of home, so he sent me packing to boarding school. I know my being exiled to boarding school was more for my uncle's sake than mine. My uncle isn't exactly the fatherly type. Dealing with anything emotional or closely related to being human is not one of his strong suits. He is very strict and we do not get along. He has never told me that he loves me and I sure as hell do not love him, I hate the man. He is my guardian on paper only.
Every year I return home to New England during the winter and summer holiday only because the school shuts down during these times. If I had my choice, I would not return until after I graduated from college and turned twenty one when the home and trust fund revert to me. I've already sent in a few applications to universities throughout Europe and the United States.
Fortunately when I am home, I rarely see my uncle because he is always away on business. His only positive attribute is that he does make sure I am always taken care of by our house keeper, Charlotte, who I always thought of as my grandmother. I am also watched over by my protector, Mr. Thompson.
My friends at my school are my family and have been my lifeline when I thought I couldn't imagine how to go on for the last eleven years. All of us came from money, but we also came from very dysfunctional homes. We never needed to explain ourselves when we were not quite ourselves when we returned from holiday. We all understood. We all had darkness we tried to hide from.
Jessica is in all tense and purposes my sister. We tell each other almost everything with only one big exception. We never discuss our dysfunctional and painful home life. We know the basics of each other's home lives and we suspect what the other person goes through, but we never talk about it. We keep each other out of trouble and we have a whole lot of fun doing it. We don't delude ourselves into thinking we have perfect home lives because we know that we don't. We both deal with our struggles in our own personal way. We both are able to push our pain into the backs of our minds and move on. I've always thought this is one of the reasons we are so close. We both have to fight demons and we both deal with our private pain in very similar ways.
Joe pulled the car over at my usual spot. "Same time for pickup?" he asked.
"Yes, thank you Joe!" I handed him the cash and ran to my appointment.
Most nights we sneaked out after dark from the hole we made years ago in a section of the stone wall that was hidden by bushes. If the grounds keepers knew of the hole then they've never made any attempt at fixing it. I would like to believe the hole is so well hidden that they've never found it, but they have to trim bushes some time. You would think after almost six years they would have found it by now. We were very good at our escape routine by now. We took advantage of the never ending cloudy and foggy evenings here.
We lived at an all-girl's boarding school in Europe where I was exiled when I was 6 yrs old. Jessica arrived the same year and we have been friends ever since. We are complete opposites. I stay out of trouble, think through every action and I do what is expected of me. Jessica invites trouble into her life. She is carefree and never thinks about consequences. I envy her.
"Where are you heading tonight Sarah?" Jessica asked. She asked me every time and she knew I never told her exactly where I was heading. But that never stopped her from asking. Jessica was my best friend but I do not trust anyone with all my secrets, not even her.
"You know, I'm just heading into to town to get some fresh air. Maybe I'll go to a museum tonight! I need more culture in my life!" I teased her.
"Yeah right. A museum? Whatever Sarah!" Jessica rolled her eyes at me. "You better tell me if you ever find a boyfriend!" she warned me. She never pushed to find out the truth. It didn't matter to her what I really did in town.
"Jess, you would be the first to know if I found a boyfriend. You know I like to just get away from school. Besides, I live vicariously through your boy toy exploits. So who are you meeting up with tonight?"
"Ooh, I am meeting Jeremy. He is only sixteen though. He goes to our brother school. I think he might be too young for me, but he was so sweet with how he asked me out. I didn't have the heart to say no."
"Jess, you're seventeen! Why would you consider him too young?" I raised an eyebrow while I asked. You know the look that says "are you serious?"
"Don't look at me like that! You know I like more experienced guys. Besides, I'm giving the poor guy a chance aren't I?"
We made our way through the tall grass and brush until we met up with the road down from the entrance of the school.
"Okay, okay. Tell me all about your date in the morning." I said as we approached the waiting cab.
"Evening Ladies, where are we heading tonight?" Our regular cab driver, Joe, asked as he held the door out for us.
"Good Evening Joe!" I replied happily as I slid into the backseat and made room for Jessica.
"Hey Joe! Take me to the theater please and Sarah claims she is going to the museum tonight!" Jess said as she rolled her eyes.
Joe laughed as he closed the door behind Jessica.
On the ride to the theater Jessica told me all about her plans for my birthday party tomorrow. She was definitely more excited about my eighteenth birthday than I was. I hated birthdays and Jessica loved them. She used them as excuses to break even more rules. She loved to temp fate! I think she went all out on other people's birthdays because she was stuck with a July birthday. The time of year where everyone is back home on summer holiday so she wouldn't have anyone around to celebrate. I always felt sorry for kids with summer birthdays or birthdays right around Christmas. Jessica was an only child like I was and spent her holidays traveling between her mom's house in England and her dad's house in the States. She was never too specific on where her family lived, so I assumed her family liked or needed their privacy. I guessed the latter.
Joe dropped Jessica off first as he always did. "Have fun Jess and stay out of trouble!" I called, as she got out at the theater. She waved goodbye as I watched her approach a group of teenagers. A boy, who I presumed to be Jeremy, left the group to approach her and he had a huge puppy dog smile on his face. The poor kid didn't have a chance.
"The usual spot?" Joe asked after Jess left the car.
"Yes please." Joe knew I did not go to some museum, restaurant, theater or whatever other excuse I used for Jessica. Joe kept my secret from Jessica because I told him she can't keep secrets. Joe didn't understand why it had to be a secret, so I just told him that I was over protected and my uncle would never approve. This was not a lie or an exaggeration.
My uncle, Laurence Thomas, became my guardian after my father was killed when I was 6 yrs old. My mother who was my uncle's only sibling died when I was a baby. Uncle Laurence decided it would be easier for me to adjust without the reminders of home, so he sent me packing to boarding school. I know my being exiled to boarding school was more for my uncle's sake than mine. My uncle isn't exactly the fatherly type. Dealing with anything emotional or closely related to being human is not one of his strong suits. He is very strict and we do not get along. He has never told me that he loves me and I sure as hell do not love him, I hate the man. He is my guardian on paper only.
Every year I return home to New England during the winter and summer holiday only because the school shuts down during these times. If I had my choice, I would not return until after I graduated from college and turned twenty one when the home and trust fund revert to me. I've already sent in a few applications to universities throughout Europe and the United States.
Fortunately when I am home, I rarely see my uncle because he is always away on business. His only positive attribute is that he does make sure I am always taken care of by our house keeper, Charlotte, who I always thought of as my grandmother. I am also watched over by my protector, Mr. Thompson.
My friends at my school are my family and have been my lifeline when I thought I couldn't imagine how to go on for the last eleven years. All of us came from money, but we also came from very dysfunctional homes. We never needed to explain ourselves when we were not quite ourselves when we returned from holiday. We all understood. We all had darkness we tried to hide from.
Jessica is in all tense and purposes my sister. We tell each other almost everything with only one big exception. We never discuss our dysfunctional and painful home life. We know the basics of each other's home lives and we suspect what the other person goes through, but we never talk about it. We keep each other out of trouble and we have a whole lot of fun doing it. We don't delude ourselves into thinking we have perfect home lives because we know that we don't. We both deal with our struggles in our own personal way. We both are able to push our pain into the backs of our minds and move on. I've always thought this is one of the reasons we are so close. We both have to fight demons and we both deal with our private pain in very similar ways.
Joe pulled the car over at my usual spot. "Same time for pickup?" he asked.
"Yes, thank you Joe!" I handed him the cash and ran to my appointment.
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