“Jessup, please speak correctly.” Mrs. Mason struck again but the look on her face was more effective than her words. She had just the right authority in her stare that made you want to never be on her bad side.
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered as he disappeared through the door. I stood there a second then took off behind him. We walked side by side past a few rooms before he said anything.
“Don’t worry about Mother. She’s not too bad most of the time.” I looked over at him and he glanced back. “Want some Skittles?” He pulled a half-eaten package out of his pocket and tilted the bag up to his lips.
I watched as he chewed the large wad of candy in his mouth. I’d never seen someone with eyes that color of blue against such tan skin. He must spend hours running through the sun. As I studied his face, I was fascinated by how very different he looked from my pale, ivory skin and faint, red lashes.
“Why’re you starin’ at me?” He wrinkled his eyes at me. Heat filled my cheeks, burning as red as my hair.
“No Skittles. Um, so, um, your name is Jessup?” I grasped for something to help recover from my embarrassment.
“No. Well, yes. I guess you ain’t from ‘round Arlis. Most people’s heard of the Jessups here. We own Sprayberry. It’s a ranch, ya know. The kind with like oil and cattle and stuff.” I nodded along like those were normal things to just own. “We’ve got horses, and it’s really big, like you can ride for hours before you get to the other side.”
I nodded as he kept talking and crunching at the same time. “Mother named me after ‘em. She was Eva Lynn Jessup before she married my dad. Family legacy thing. At least that’s what she tells me anyway. I think it’s stupid,” he said, kicking a wadded up piece of paper in the floor.
I tried to process everything he had just told me about the Masons and the Jessups. They must be pretty rich to have a ranch like he described. I tried to think of something to say back; it felt a little weird talking to a strange boy. I talked mostly to my father the last few months.
Jess pushed a few strands of shaggy hair off his forehead. I looked down at his jeans with holes in the knees and a faded-out T-shirt. Instead of sneakers, Jess wore one very expensive pair of cowboy boots. He looked a little sloppy, but it was in the rich kid kind of way.
“So your first name is Jessup and your family’s last name is Jessup. That kind of sucks having it the same, I guess.”
“Hey, that’s not nice.” He bumped my shoulder, catching me off-guard. I looked at him in surprise as he raised his eyebrows and smiled. I didn’t answer, so he just kept talking. “No one but Mother calls me Jessup. I’m really just plain old Jess. ”
“Nice to meet you. I guess I’m just plain old Alex.”
I felt those blue eyes looking me over. They slide from my hair to the ratty, gray canvas shoes. My little toe poked through a hole on the left one between the fabric and white plastic. He noticed but didn’t say much. Jess just shrugged and said, “I think you look like an Alex.”
I felt the heat flood my cheeks. Was that an insult? I rubbed my sweaty palms across my thrift store jeans. I knew they were boy jeans because they were the only ones that fit my long legs. My red hair was bobbed at my chin. Without my mother, it had been a while since my long hair held braids or bows. My father cut it off before the move to make it easier to manage. His fingers just couldn’t get the twisting into something that even resembled a braid. With the chin-length crop, I had the hair of Orphan Annie just without the curls.
I felt sad again, and so much older than eight. After moving around, sitting in hospitals, and taking care of my father; I grew up far beyond my age. It’s strange how the reality of a situation could appear out of nowhere and just slap you in the face. I was a poor, homeless girl with ugly hair and ugly shoes. I looked back up at Jess. At least my eyes had no tears left to further embarrass me.
“Let’s just get the plates and go back. I’m sure she’s waiting.” My tone was a little sharper than I’d intended. Something changed on Jess’s face, like I’d just yelled at him.
“Hey, what’d I do? I thought we were talkin’.” He studied me for moment trying to figure it out. “What’d I say, Alex?”
We really didn’t know each other. Maybe Jess didn’t intend to be mean. I tried to give him a smile, but it felt foreign on my face. I didn’t want to offend this boy. We needed the Masons right now. It was an irritating thought. As much as I hated the charity, I had to at least appear grateful until we could get back on our own. Making Jess mad might just get us kicked out the hospital.
“It’s ok. Let’s just get the stuff and go back to the room,” I finally said with a shrug. I fought the urge to turn my eyes to the floor. I just didn’t know how to do this anymore. I had to work harder to have a normal conversation with someone my own age.
Jess looked me over again without a word. The blue eyes scanned every dirty, grimy piece of me. An odd feeling spread through my chest as we stood facing each other. I was pretty sure he could see inside of me. Silent and watching, those clear blue eyes reflected how dark I felt. The anger, the shame, and the complete lack of hope. His eyebrows wrinkled into a frown while the wheels under his shaggy mop came to an internal conclusion.
“Stay here.” He flashed a quick smile and disappeared. I stood in the hall as Jess went into his father’s office and came back with the plates. I looked into his wide grin and twinkling blue eyes.
“Come on…race ya!” He took off running down the hall. I paused and then I ran after him. It felt crazy and strange. Our shoes pounded against the tile floor, like a pack of animals. My feet hurt in the tight canvas, but I didn’t care. I had a burning need to catch him. Jess brushed too close to a cart of supplies and it tipped over. The crash echoed through the hall. I accidentally kicked a nurse as I jumped over bed pans and containers covering the floor.
“I’m sorry!” I yelled back while trying to gain speed. Jess reached the doorway before I did. Running fast, I couldn’t slow down as I plowed right into Jess. We tumbled to the ground, laughing and out of breath.
“You might be some fun after all,” he said, smiling into my face.
“Yeah, well that wasn’t fair. I could have beaten you.” The words come out in short gasps while I sucked in air from running. “You had a head start and threw the cart at me.”
“Whatever makes ya feel better, Alex,” he taunted back.
“Ahem.” We turned to see the very upset nurse I’d collided with just moments earlier. Her arms were crossed, a deep scowl on her face.
“Where’s your mother, Mr. Mason? I’m sure she would love to know that you’re up to trouble again.”
We looked at each other a little longer. A giggle escaped my lips, and we both busted out laughing. As the sound echoed in my ears, I realized it had been a very long time since I’d felt like a real kid.
“Now, Mr. Mason. And your friend needs to come too.”
Jess turned, and I followed him into the room with the nurse behind us. Mrs. Mason had the food set out in a proper lunch display, despite the fact it was in a hospital room. My father was back, and they appeared deep in discussion. Next to my mother’s bed, a bouquet of fresh yellow flowers sat in a crystal vase. Just another gift from the Masons, I presumed. The thick curtains were open. As sunlight flowed through the window, the sickness faded into the ugly, painted walls of the room.
Our life had transformed into different scene from twenty-four hours ago. These Masons didn’t just come into your life slowly; they arrived with the force of a hurricane. I glanced over at the boy with bright blue eyes and he smiled at me. I felt the corners of my lips creep up on the sides. His happy face was more contagious than any infectious, nasty bit of cancer. In just a few short minutes, Jess Mason had made me truly smile from the inside out.
Chapter 7
When I was eight…