Dare Series Collection - Shantel Tessier Page 0,2

foyer. Her bleach blond hair down and straight. Her makeup done as if she just finished getting ready for the day. Dressed in a pair of black slacks and a blouse to match, she looks as if she’s spent her day at an office.

She doesn’t work.

“Oh my gosh, you’ve gotten so big,” she squeals, pulling me in for a hug. The smell of her expensive perfume almost makes me sneeze.

“Hello, Celeste,” I say, giving her a half hug.

She pulls back but holds my arms and smiles. Her brown eyes soft. “Wow, haven’t you grown up?”

“That’s what kids do.”

She smiles at Raylan. “Please put her things in her room.” Then she takes my hand and starts dragging me out of the foyer and down the hall. We take a right into the elaborate kitchen. “Your father left these for you,” she says, patting the kitchen island.

I walk over and pick them up. It’s my school schedule, a set of keys, and a credit card. Along with a note.

I bought you a new car. Don’t wreck it. And here is some money. The limit is thirty thousand.

That is my father. Always buying shit. He paid my mother off. Bought us a big fancy house that she let go to shit. Gave her a fancy car that she sold for more money. He gives her more child support than we could ever need, but she uses it on drugs, alcohol, and her boyfriend. Anything to feed her addiction instead of me.

“He got me a car?” I question.

She claps her hands excitedly. “Want to go see it? It’s in the garage. I helped him pick it out.”

I shake my head, hoping she didn’t have it custom painted bubble-gum pink to match her personality. “It’s late. And I’m tired.”

It didn’t take very long to fly from California to this fucking town on the coast of Oregon, but she doesn’t need to know that. I could use some sleep.

She nods, her smile falling. “Of course. Let me show you to your room,” she says as if I don’t remember where I stayed last time I was here.

I leave everything on the island and follow her up the grand staircase, noticing the lack of pictures on the walls. My room is the first door on the left.

To my surprise, it doesn’t look like a teenager threw up in it. It’s large with a white sleigh bed and matching long dresser. It has big bay windows overlooking the forest in the back, and a TV mounted on the wall. It looks the same as it did when I was seven.

When she looks at me, I arch a brow, causing her to laugh nervously. “I don’t know what the trend is these days. But I figured we could go shopping this week and you can pick out some things for your room.”

“Thanks. Sounds good,” I say, reaching out and picking up a dark gray scarf from the bed.

“I bought you these today,” she says, holding up the other four in various colors. “It’s up into the fifties now, but it can still get cold at night. I wasn’t sure you had any since it stays pretty warm in California.”

“Thank you,” I say, dropping it onto the bed and rocking back on my Chucks. I just want her to leave. One thing about living with my mother was that I was always alone, and I liked it. I’ll take silence over endless chatter any day.

“So I’ll leave you alone to get settled in. I know it’s late.” She comes up to me and pulls me in for another hug. “I’m so glad to have you here, Austin.” Then she pulls away and walks to the door to leave but comes to a stop. “Oh, Austin. Be ready to leave by ten in the morning.”

I frown. “Where are we going?”

She smiles brightly. “Church.” Then she shuts the door.

I fall onto the bed and close my eyes. My mother ships me to my dad’s, and he has his young teeny-bopper wife babysit me. My life can’t get any worse.

I pull my cell out of my back pocket to see if I have any messages. Nope. I have a feeling my friends have already forgotten about me. I didn’t have many to begin with anyway. Digging into my purse, I pull out my journal. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember. It was like my therapy back when I needed someone to talk to but no one was there. The