Disclaimer: The following is a prequel to Choices The Freshman and The Sophomore stories. It is a fictional adaptation. I do not work for Pixelberry Studios, the game developer or own the rights to the characters Chris Powell, Jo, Kyle or Nicole. All of the characters, story line and events were originally developed by me, some areas in part with @maxattack-powell, in conjuction to her adaptation of The Freshman.
Chapter 20: Wake Me Up
Monday
“Finally!” Ryan thrusts the passenger door to the Chris’s jeep open and steps out with a grunt, stretching his arms and yawning. He scratches the top of his head and looks around the parking lot.
“What do you mean finally?” Chris frowns slightly as he gets out of the jeep, looking over the top of it at Ryan on the other side.
“You drive like an old lady,” Ryan scratches at his shoulder blade. After three and a half hours in the car, Ryan was feeling like he was about to suffocate inside the jeep, antsy to arrive at their destination. “The way you were tippin’ down the road, I didn’t think we were ever going to get here.”
Chris ignores him and closes his eyes, letting the bright afternoon sun bath his skin in its warming light. He takes a deep breath, inhaling the briny scent of the ocean. He can already feel the tickle of grains of sand brushing over the hairs of his arm as the wind gusts. It’s in the upper 50’s, not as warm as the boys would like, but anything is better than the icy 20’s and 30’s they experienced for the last four months.
Ethan clambers out of the backseat, squinting as the sun hits his eyes. He reaches into his pockets and slides on his shades, checking out their surroundings.
For the next five days, they will stay at the Oceanic Inn of Old Orchard Beach, Maine. It’s just a few yards away from Palace Playland. The amusement park on the beach was a destination for all of the boys as kids, but they have not been in years. With the fun of amusement rides, the beach on Saco Bay and a boardwalk to stroll nightly, eat grease and sugar, and checkout girls, the boys decided it was the best spot for their final spring break as high school students.
Other than their camping trips and hikes, this is the first trip for the boys without parental supervision. Despite Ryan’s nagging in the car, there is something hopeful they each felt heading out on this trip. Cherryfield faded in the distance behind them as Chris sped up I-95. Feeling every bit of their youth, the excitement for college futures, and the freedom of being uncensored over the next few days, Chris, Ethan and Ryan are ready to shake off the angst and frigidness of the events from fall and winter and reclaim the spirit of their friendship.
Chris opens the back of the jeep and they each grab their bags before heading to the front office to check-in.
“Alright, I’m saying this now. House-Dad Ethan is officially off duty. You two can light yourselves on fire this week, not my problem,” Ethan announces as they walk towards the door.
“What if I light Chris on fire?” Ryan asks innocently.
“Not my problem,” Ethan replies flatly.
“Hey!” Chris frowns.
***
The Price family hit the road early on Saturday morning, the day after school let out for spring break. They had three college campuses to check out and Dr. Price had a special surprise for his daughter and son. Morgan had been talking about a vacation to some place tropical or, at the very least, some place with significantly warmer temperatures, since the first snow fell in November. Her senior year, Dr. Price felt like the surprise was in order. She would be leaving the nest soon and though she has not opened up much, he knows she has been through quite a bit this final year, with the demise of her friendship with Nicole.
On their agenda is a visit to each of the three colleges Morgan applied to for admission. Once business is out of the way, he hopes to provide his lonely eldest child with reason to smile.
They first visited Penn State on Sunday, allowing Morgan to walk the campus and check out some of the facilities. Maine’s spring break was much later than most of the college’s across the country and the campus was buzzing with activity. Morgan met with one of the student leaders from the School of Theatre and they showed her and the family around. She immediately fell in love with the rehearsal studios, the college offering several different rooms for jazz and ballet rehearsals and some extravagant facilities for productions.
After spending half the morning at Penn State, they drove just over two hours over to Carnegie Mellon University. They did not have an official visit scheduled, but there was a student production that they checked out that evening. The dancing and singing production left Morgan riveted. She imagined herself up on that stage. She watched the other college students around them interacting and wondered if she could be as happy there.
Morgan loved the beauty of the Carnegie Mellon campus and the School of Drama there was world renowned. She was in awe of the city of Pittsburgh, enjoying the campus’s close proximity to so many sights and sounds. It was such a massive contrast to little Cherryfield. That solitary fact was enough to peak her interest.
They packed up from the hotel very early this morning in Pittsburgh and are now back on the road and heading towards Durham, North Carolina. They won’t arrive until later in the day but Morgan had reached out to one of the department advisors and they will swing by her office as soon as they reach town.
After visiting two amazing schools, she was already having a hard time deciding which she loved more. She had not ruled Duke out yet either.
***
“Giddy up! Yeehaw!” Chris shouts and makes guns with his fingers and pretends to fire a pistol into the air. “Pew, pew,” he grins at Ethan who turns around and stares at him incredulously.
“What? I’m having fun!” Chris says as the carousel horse he sits astride lifts up and they continue their slow circular path.
Ethan’s horse rises in front of him and he again looks back and laughs. “I’m bigger than this horse,” he says looking down at his feet that are almost dragging the ground.
Chris chuckles and turns to look at Ryan on the horse behind him. He frowns. “Get off your damn phone!” he says pointing at Ryan.
Ryan chews his gum, unconcerned as the horse lifts him up and down. He grips his phone in his hands, typing feverishly. “I’m on it ‘cause this is lame,” he says chewing. “Powell this stupid carousel ride was your idea.”
“I used to love this thing as a kid!” Chris defends.
“You would,” Ryan mumbles and rolls his eyes as he continues typing, leaning his chest into the gold carved pole the horse is affixed to.
“Alright, then. You pick what we ride next, but put your phone up dude,” Chris says continuing his up and down decent, painstakingly slow.
“Deal,” Ryan says. He types out something quickly and then shoves his phone in his pocket. “We’re hitting up that one ride we saw on the way in, um, Adrenalin.”
Chris looks over at Ethan who smirks.
“Fine. You got it Hawkins. Let’s do it!” Chris says confidently. Inside, he feels a bundle of nerves already collecting in his stomach.
They don’t wait for the carousel to come to a complete stop, hopping off their horses and stepping easily off the slow ride. A worker shouts something to them but they don’t pay attention as they exit and make their way to Adrenalin.
There is not a very long line. Chris looks up and watches the ride spinning in front of them as current thrill seekers shriek and scream from the tumbles and turns. He gulps. Ryan crosses his arms across his chest and smiles devilishly. Chris infamously hates most rollercoasters. It usually takes some extensive persuasion skills to get him to ride anything with a steep drop or a loop.
“You okay?” Ryan asks, laughter in the question.
“I’m cool,” Chris shrugs it off.
“You look a little pale,” Ethan says eyeing him. “You know Ryan and I can get on and you can stay-“
“No, no, no. I said I was going to ride the damn thing and I am!” Chris frowns and waves them off.
“If you say so,” Ryan smirks.
The ride stops and a few ladies in their 20’s clinch each other, trembling as they walk away, both repeating “oh my god” over and over. They pass by Chris and his eyes widen as they walk away trying to regain their composure.
Ryan looks at him, fighting off a laugh. “We’re up buddy. You can back out-“
“No!” Chris scowls. “I got this.” He nods his head once, then nods it rapidly as he tries to convince himself.
Ethan and Ryan exchange a knowing glance as the attendant pulls back the chain and allows their group of riders to enter.
Ryan selects a passenger cart and Chris takes a seat beside him, Ethan next to him. They each pull their shoulder harnesses down until they lock into place. Chris pulls his and triple checks the latch. He leans back in his seat, resting his head on the back and closes his eyes. Ryan and Ethan both look at him.
“Please don’t puke on me,” Ryan says matter-of-factly.
“I’m not going to puke,” Chris says, his eyes still closed.
“You look like you are about to now,” Ethan chimes in.
“Both of you can it. I’m fine,” Chris says putting his hands out in stop motion. Still, his eyes remain closed and his head back.
Ryan covers his mouth to keep from giggling, as he and Ethan share another glance. There is some jostling and then a loud buzz and the ride jerks. Chris takes a white-knuckled grip of the handles on the shoulder harness.
The pendulum ride begins to swirl, the boys still seated upright. Slowly the contraption begins to tilt to a 120 degree angle.
“Oh shit,” Chris says, eyes clinched tight as the ride picks up speed.
“Woah!” Ryan cheers, lifting his hands up.
“Ooooh,” Ethan laughs as the speed of the swaying increases and he feels his stomach drop.
“Powell, look! It looks like we are gonna swing into the water!” Ryan shouts.
“Shutup Ryan!” Chris snaps. “Woah….woah!”
Ryan and Ethan mix their shouts of elation from the thrill of the ride with laughter at their friend.
“Ahhhh!” Chris suddenly screams out as the pendulum tosses them high in the air and swoops back down. His feet kick wildly as he lets out another scream. “Ahhhhh!”
Ryan is laughing too hard now to shout, looking over at Chris, whose head is bent forward between the shoulder straps and screaming uncontrollably.
They feel another jerk and the ride starts to slow, the pendulum swings becoming less intense.
Chris sits back in his seat, finally breathing deeply, then pops one eye open, followed by the second as he peers around. He looks back and forth between Ethan and Ryan. Ethan’s face is red he is laughing so hard. Ryan turns his face away from Chris and laughs into the shoulder harness.
The ride stops and they unlatch their harnesses, lifting them over their heads and hopping off.
Chris takes a few steps, then stops and bends down, his hands on his knees.
“Uh oh, here it comes,” Ryan winces, lifting his leg and arm to shield himself.
“Not going to hurl. Just trying to get my bearings,” Chris says green in the face.
“Wasn’t it your idea to come to an amusement park?” Ethan asks folding his arms.
Chris looks up at him and winces, then stands up straight.
“Yup, it was my idea. So…what’s next?” he says and looks at Ryan and Ethan before suddenly striding away from the ride. Ryan raises his eyebrows and he and Ethan quickly turn to catch up with Chris.
***
Tuesday
“So what do you think Morgan? You want to be a Blue Devil?” Dr. Price eyes her from the rearview mirror as they pull away from the Duke University campus.
“She’s already a devil when she’s hungry and not wearing make-up,” Micah remarks. “Just needs some blue face paint, that’s all.” Micah says. Morgan reaches over and slugs his arm in the back seat.
“Ow!” He complains. “Mom!”
“You had it coming,” Mrs. Price says. “So, what did you think Morgan?”
“I liked it a lot,” she nods. “But, honestly, I think I liked Carnegie Mellon and Penn State more. I’m kind of stuck on which I liked better. Definitely liked being in the city though with Carnegie. Pittsburgh seems fun.”
“Well, now that you’ve seen all three, you can make an informed decision,” Dr. Price says.
“How long is it going to take us to get back home?” Morgan asks.
“GPS said the return trip home will be 27 hours,” Dr. Price says, glancing over at his wife with an amused grin.
“What?!” Morgan and Micah both exclaim in unison.
“Dad, it didn’t take that long for us to get to Durham though, even with the drive broken up,” Morgan shakes her head.
“From Cherryfield to Durham, no, it’s not quite as long. But from Miami back to Cherryfield, we’ve got a ways to go.”
Morgan freezes and then looks at the back of her dad’s head. Her mom turns to her grinning from ear to ear. Morgan throws off the seat belt around her, wrapping her arms around her dad from behind the seat. She embraces him quickly as he drives, careful not to grip his arms too tightly. He laughs delighted.
“Ah! I love you guys!” She shouts. She leans over and hugs her mom.
“We wanted to surprise you. We know you’ve had a lot going on your senior year, you haven’t had a lot of down time with the guys going to state and all, so…here is your fun in the sun,” Mrs. Price smiles.
Morgan sits back in her seat and puts her seatbelt back on. Micah is all smiles.
“We get to go to the beach?” he asks happily. “Like a real beach and not a Cherryfield beach?”
Morgan and her parents laugh.
“Yup kiddo. It’s going to be in the low 80’s when we get there. Didn’t you wonder why I said to pack some shorts and t-shirts?” Mrs. Price laughs.
“Best. Surprise. Ever!” Morgan beams. “Why Miami though?”
“Wanted to take you guys some place exciting you had never been before. Plus, my buddy Edgar, you know the one who came to visit in Harrington a few months ago?”
Morgan remembers the day of the visit, she was curled up in Ryan’s arms, dropping salty tears and snot on his hoodie. She simply nods. One of her dad’s oldest friends from college is a high-powered attorney. She’s never been sure of what type of legal counsel he provides, but whatever it is, it’s lucrative. He’s loaded.
“He has a place down here, offered to let us stay there for a few days. He’s up in Boston, so we’ve got the place to ourselves. His condo looks right out over the water,” Dr. Price explains.
Morgan feels the muscles in her body relax for the first time in months. She sits back and leans her head against the leather seat, closing her eyes as she puts her ear buds in. Tori Kelly’s voice lulls her to sleep, dreaming of warm days ahead in Miami with a smile on her lips.
***
Back at the room for a bit, what r u up 2? Ryan types. He sees the dialogue box pop up on his phone. He’s lived and breathed to see that little gray box and the ellipses inside it jiggle as she types back to him for the last few weeks.
Hanging with my Grandma still Tay replies. She returned to Pittsburgh for the break so she and her parents could visit family. It’s the first time since they took their friendship to a romantic level a month ago that she and Ryan have had to go more than two days in a row without seeing each other. They have begun to crave each other’s attention and affection.
Much to the irritation of his buddies, Ryan hasn’t been able to stay off his phone for more than one hour at a time, checking in with her or sending a playful note. Chris and Ethan have both figured out he is talking to a girl, neither has any idea who. Ethan suspects it might be Morgan.
Wish u were here Ryan returns.
Love my Gramps, but you are better company . Wish I could see you right now.
Reclined on the sofa, Ryan lifts his phone, an arm tucked behind his head, bicep bulging, and snaps a picture, sending it to her.
He smirks and waits.
This will do me good for about 30 minutes, going to need more though she replies.
He laughs out and quickly cuts it off. Ethan is sprawled across his bed, fast asleep. Chris is drifting. Ethan and Chris each took a bed and Ryan took the sofa pullout in their small motel room. Chris is watching a Matt Rodriguez action movie but hardly able to keep his eyes open.
Can I c u?
Ryan waits and a few seconds later a photo pops up. He opens it, enlarging the image and covers his mouth to keep from laughing again. He sighs and shakes his head. Tay has sent a picture of her knee.
That’s a sexy knee Ryan writes back.
You like that, huh? I got two.
He stifles a chuckle again and looks at his friends. Chris is out. They spent part of the morning out on the beach today. The water was still too cold to venture in, but the outdoor air and sun on their skin still felt nice.
Lights out here, I think I’m gonna get some zzz’s 2, Talk later?
Gramps and I will try to keep the party from getting too wild. Talk soon.
***
Wednesday
The warm, humid Miami air feels like paradise to Morgan. Her long legs are clad in shorts, and she wears sandals she and her mom stopped to purchase at a local shop, along with a Spanish style swing top. After wearing nothing but sweatshirts and sweaters for months, having her arms and legs bare in the sun is delightful.
She sips an iced vanilla frappucino as she studies the various shops and vendors along Ocean Drive. The Price’s arrived late last night, but she and her mother were eagerly up before dawn, ready to see the city. Micah and Dr. Price, drag behind them, stopping at a book store to allow Micah to pick up the latest edition of a comic he likes.
Edgar Martinez’s Miami condo was more than Morgan could have dreamed of when her father mentioned the attorney was allowing them to stay there over the next few days. The back wall was entirely glass and you could see the ocean from every angle. There was a balcony, and despite the late time of their arrival, Morgan spent most of her night, leaned against the railing, looking out into the blackness of the ocean and hearing its roar even on the 15th floor. She could make out the foaming white caps as they rolled in, one after another.
She and Micah each had their own room with a bathroom at the condo. Morgan washed her hair and sank into the downy comforters and pillows and fell into a deep sleep. Cherryfield, Maine and its residents were as far away from her mind as she physically was from the town right then.
She and her mother continue to stroll down Ocean Drive, knowing Dr. Price and Micah will catch up soon. Morgan pauses at a hat vendor, spotting a white Panama hat with a large black ribbon. She grabs the straw hat and steps in front of a mirror, placing it on her head. She moves a few pieces of her hair out of the way as she positions it. She likes the look. She reaches up to take the hat off, but freezes when she sees a reflection other than her own in the mirror.
An older man, with a large bald spot with remnants of gray hair on the side of his scalp is watching her. He is wearing what can only be a Tommy Bahama shirt. Morgan slowly takes the hat off her head, frowning and letting him see the stern look on her face. She is about to call her mom when he steps closer.
“Forgive me, I’m very sorry, I don’t mean to startle you,” he says and Morgan turns around looking at him directly. She glances from side to side, hoping her mom is near and will see what’s happening.
“Um…” Morgan’s eyes narrow and she straightens her back, ready to scream, kick or do whatever she deems necessary to defend herself.
“I just, I was passing by and saw you put on the hat. I couldn’t help but to wonder what agency you are with?” he says.
Morgan’s frown deepens. “Agency?”
She looks up in time to see her mother walking swiftly towards them. She takes her place beside her daughter, scowling at the adult man engaging in conversation with her child.
“Excuse me, is there something I can help you with?” Mrs. Price says defensively.
The gentleman looks back and forth between Morgan and her mother, his mouth falling open before he quickly shakes his head, holding up his hands apologetically.
“I’m very sorry ma’am,” he begins. “I know I must seem like some jerk, but, there’s just been some confusion. I saw…uh, I’m assuming this is your daughter?” He questions. Mrs. Price nods but puts a protective arm around Morgan who is staring blankly back at him. “I saw her and I could have sworn I had seen an image of her before. I wondered what agency you are with?”
“Agency? Yeah, you said that,” Morgan shakes her head.
“What type of agency?” Mrs. Price asks agitated.
“Modeling,” he nods. “You’re a model correct?” he asks Morgan.
Mrs. Price and Morgan look at each other wide-eyed and then burst into laughter. “Modeling? Yeah, oh yeah, I’m a model,” Morgan nods sarcastically. “First name Tyra, last name Banks.”
The gentleman gives a confused smile and nods, not understanding.
Morgan continues to giggle as her mother shakes her head. “Good day sir,” Mrs. Price laughs and begins to guide Morgan away.
“Wait! Just a second!” he says walking after them. Mrs. Price turns around this time with a glare, keeping her arm around Morgan.
“I’m serious. Are you or are you not a model?” he asks looking Morgan in the eyes.
“I can guarantee you that I’m not,” Morgan lifts her eyenbrows. “The picture you saw was someone else.”
He pauses and frowns. “Huh. I could have sworn. It’s just…your cheekbones, and your eyes. There are so many young ladies in the business running around here, I thought I remembered you.”
“Remembered me?” Morgan frowns.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet, Mrs. Price putting herself in between him and Morgan. He pulls out a business card and hands it to Mrs. Price.
“Bill De La Cruz,” he says as she looks at the card. She reads over it. Under his name is the word “Photographer” and there is an email address, a phone number and an Instagram account link. She flips it over on the back and there is the name of an agency she has never heard of.
“I’ve been doing photography for years here in Miami and I’ve taken pictures of literally thousands of models. I saw your daughter and assumed she was one. I don’t mean to come across like some pervert, that’s not it at all. It’s just, if she isn’t a model, she should be,” he says.
“Uh hungh,” Mrs. Price says skeptical. “How many other young girls do you lure with that line Mr. De La Cruz? Do you always hang out on Ocean Drive and wait for teenage girls to approach?”
“Woah, no ma’am, not at all,” he shakes his head. “I mean exactly what I said. Your daughter has a very photogenic face and with her height, I really believed I had done some previous work with her. I would like the opportunity however, to introduce you to some people who could help you.”
“Help me what?” Morgan frowns.
“Get a career,” he says flatly.
Morgan and her mother exchange concerned looks.
“I…don’t have any aspirations to be a model,” Morgan gives an uneasy laugh. “That’s nice and all, but…it sounds too good to be true. I didn’t ask for any help either.” She takes the card from her mother’s hand and attempts to hand it back to him.
“Tell you what,” he says and gently pushes her hand back, forcing her to hold on to the card. “I’m in town for the next five days, one of my longest stints of the year. I’m back and forth between LA and New York. Take a look at my card, look at my portfolio, do a little research. If after that, you aren’t convinced, then fine, I’m just some creepy old guy. But if you are…give me a call. I have a good eye for new talent.”
Morgan looks at her mother who shrugs.
“That sounds fair,” Mrs. Price nods.
“What’s your name young lady?” Bill asks. Morgan looks at her mother who gives a hesitant nod.
“Morgan….” She says cautiously.
“Morgan, I look forward to hearing from you,” Bill says with a smile and turns and walks away.
Mrs. Price and Morgan watch as he strolls off down Ocean Drive and enters a cigar shop a few businesses down.
“What in the world?” Morgan asks her mother.
“Let’s go find your dad,” Mrs. Price says turning and heading the opposite direction.
***
The boys are out on the boardwalk near Palace Playland after dinner. There is a restaurant there that serves chicken strips, burgers and fries and they chose it for tonight’s dining pleasure.
The boardwalk is a sparkle of neon lights, vibrating with music from booths and scented with popcorn and other fair foods.
Ethan, Chris and Ryan stroll casually along, each wearing shorts, despite a chill in the air. The ocean breeze tousles Ryan and Chris’s hair. Ethan has gelled his, keeping his shortly cut hair in place.
Ryan taps a message into his phone and slides it back into his pocket. After constant badgering from Chris and Ethan he is trying to be mindful to be on it less and in the present with them.
Hands in his pockets, Ethan listens to Chris recount a story of his brother Kyle trying to remove glue from his hair after he pissed off Jo. He chuckles and is silently grateful his siblings don’t bicker nearly as much. When he looks from Chris up the board walk, there are a group of four girls leaning against the wooden railing. At first Ethan thinks they are staring at Ryan and Chris. He keeps walking and a pretty girl with auburn hair and blue eyes grins shyly at him and looks down. Ethan’s steps slow a bit and Chris and Ryan pick up on it.
“What?” Ryan asks. He follows the path of Ethan’s gaze and sees the girls. “Oh,” he says disinterested. He pauses to reflect, then he smiles a little. “Looks like you’ve got an admirer Clark.”
Ethan blushes some and looks away from them, down at his shoes as he walks on with Chris and Ryan.
“You should go talk to her,” Chris encourages. “The red head? She’s smiling at you.”
“Nah, it’s cool,” Ethan shakes his head.
“Clark, go for it,” Ryan says.
Ethan looks from Chris and Ryan. “I don’t know, that’s never really been my thing. That’s you guys that can just walk up and start talking to some girl.”
“You can’t get better at it until you do it,” Chris says and pats him on the shoulder. “So go do it.” He shoves him forward and Ethan looks back at him and Ryan as he slowly walks over to the girls.
“Hi,” He smiles at the pretty red head.
“Uh, hi,” she says, her face colors intensely.
Her three friends are all staring at Ethan, smiling a bit dreamy-eyed. “I’m, uh, Ethan,” he says and nods.
“Sarah,” she smiles and takes a deep breath.
“You guys here on break?” Ethan asks.
“Yeah, you and your friends too?” she asks looking up at him. Her cheeks are still fiercely red in color as well as her neck, but her eyes are bright blue as she peers up. Ethan smiles at how cute she is.
“Yeah,” he nods. “Well, I uh, saw you a little while ago and…just wanted to come say hi….”
“I’m glad you did,” she breaths out. “We um, we saw you walking around earlier, and…I wanted to say something to you then but…I didn’t and then here you guys were again tonight so….”
“So here we are,” he smiles slightly. She looks at his lips curved upwards and giggles some at how good looking he is.
“We were going to check out a movie, there’s a theatre not far from here. Do you and your friends maybe want to join us?” Sarah asks Ethan and looks at him hopeful. Her hands fidget as she waits.
He looks back at Chris and Ryan. They have no idea what was said but can tell the conversation is positive. They are just happy Ethan is actually talking to a girl. Ryan gives him a thumbs up.
“Sure, that would be fun,” Ethan says.
***
Dr. Price exits the master bedroom of the condo, walking into the living room where his daughter, son and wife are all waiting. They stare at him expectantly as he takes a seat. He presses the speaker button on his phone.
“Edgar you there?” Dr. Price says.
“Yeah, hey Morgan, Micah, Trish, how you guys doing?”
“Hi,” the kids say together.
“We’re good Edgar, just really curious about all of this.”
“Well…I’ll tell you what I found. I’m forwarding an email to you now Stephen,” Edgar says his voice a bit hollow through the phone.
Dr. Price puts his phone down on the coffee table. He opens his email and opens the attachment from Edgar.
“Got it open Stephen?” Edgar asks.
“Yeah.”
“Trish and Morgan, is that the guy you talked to today?”
Morgan and her mom lean in and look at Dr. Price’s phone. They instantly recognize the face in the photo.
“Yeah, that’s him. He’s a pedophile or something right?” Morgan asks.
Edgar chuckles lightly. “Actually no. Turns out everything he said is legit. It all checks out.”
Morgan and her mother had caught back up with Dr. Price and Micah after the encounter. Stephen phoned in the information on the card to Edgar, who had vast capabilities to run background checks on people and validate the legitimacy of any claim. After a few hours of digging, his verdict was in.
Morgan looks at her parents wide-eyed, putting a hand over her open mouth. “Seriously?” She shouts to the phone.
She can hear the laugh in Edgar’s voice. “Seriously. Bill De La Cruz has worked with IMG and Wilhelmina Models, two of the biggest agencies there are representing some of the super models. His portfolio says he shot ad campaigns for Prada, Versace and Caroline Herrera. He’s done covers for Vogue and InStyle, not to mention some profiles in some of the bigger news publications like Time.”
“So…what do we do?” Morgan questions.
“That Morgan is up to you. If he wants to take photos and send them to some of his contacts, that would have to be done with Stephen and Trish’s approval because you aren’t of legal age yet. But really, if you want to try your hand at this Morgan, that’s your call. This really could be a once in a lifetime chance.”
“No shit,” she utters and then looks at her parents embarrassed and apologetic. “Sorry.”
“I think it was called for this time,” Trish replies. “I’m going to have a glass of wine.” She gets up and heads to the kitchen.
“Thanks for looking into this Edgar, we appreciate your help,” Stephen says.
“You bet. If you do decide to move forward with this and Morgan if anyone wants to sign you or represent you, talk to me. I’ll look over the contracts at no charge for you. Help you make a selection. But again, that all depends on what you want. So what’s it going to be?”
Morgan stares silently at her father. He sees the hope and fear in her eyes. He reaches over and squeezes her hand, giving a slow head nod.
***
Thursday
“Powell! Remember, if you aren’t first, you’re last!” Ryan shouts at him. He is wearing a helmet and his shades. The large engine on the go-kart causes his hands to shake. He has to yell over the noise for Chris.
“Ethan Clark, I feel the need,” Ryan says.
“The need for speed!” Ethan finishes the line from Top Gun.
“Come on, let’s go!” Ryan yells and hits his steering wheel. The attendant walks around and checks the safety belts on each of the guys.
He points to a list of rules plastered against the wall. Ryan nods, not reading a one. The attendant steps out of the way and a countdown begins from ten and when it hits one, a green light shines overhead. Ryan slams down on the gas of the go-kart and he’s off.
Chris is quickly right behind him. Ethan cusses at his slow vehicle, pumping down on the gas repeatedly, willing it to go faster.
Ryan rounds a corner, feeling that he is extending his lead. Instead he looks up and sees Chris right next to him.
“The fuck…” he shouts. He turns his steering wheel to the left and the side of his go-kart hits Chris’s.
“Hey! That’s cheating!” Chris yells. He punches the gas again but Ryan is still beside him. Ryan side swipes him again.
Chris reaches over with a hand and swats at Ryan as he steers with the other.
“Move over!” Chris yells.
“You move!” Ryan yells back.
Chris grips the steering wheel and sharply turns it to the right, slamming the side of his kart into Ryan’s. It causes Ryan to veer sideways and his engine stalls temporarily.
“Shit!” Ryan yells slamming his hand down on the steering wheel. Ethan passes him by laughing. Ryan’s brow creases in determination. He presses down on the gas again and takes off. He gains quickly on Ethan and rams him from the back.
Ethan’s head whirls around and looks back at Ryan who sticks his tongue out at him and rams him again. Ethan jerks forward.
“Hey! No bumping!” The attendant yells as the three continue around the track. Ryan waves at him and salutes and slams down on the gas once more. On a curve, he slides around Ethan, giving him the finger as he passes him.
That just leaves Chris for him to catch.
Ryan cuts over a grass median to ride alongside Chris. Open mouthed Chris looks at Ryan, he gives him a heads nod and a smile as he sails past him. Seeing Ryan go off track, just to win sets Chris off and he turns his wheel and bumps into Ryan again, sending him spinning on the grass.
Suddenly all three of their machines lose power and slow to a stop.
“No bumping! No going off track! You three are done!” The attendant says stalking towards them. “Belts off now. Please leave!”
“For real?” Ryan asks bewildered.
“Yes! The rules are very clear! Now get up out of the kart and get out!” He points towards the exit.
Chris and Ethan look at each other. Ethan tucks his lips to keep from laughing. Ryan pouts and rises out of his cart. The three take off their helmets and put them down in the seats of the kart.
The attendant glares at them as they walk off the track and down the exit ramp.
“Way to go Hawkins!”
“Oh come on! We were fine, that guy was just uptight!” Ryan says throwing his hands up.
“I can’t believe you got us kicked out of go-karts, that’s a new low even for you,” Chris teases.
“All I know how to do is win,” Ryan shrugs. “Win at all costs.”
“You cost us the ten bucks each we shelled out for what was supposed to be a 20 minute go-kart ride,” Ethan states.
“I thought you were off duty this week, dad,” Ryan retorts.
“Oh I am. But ten bucks is ten bucks,” Ethan looks at him pointedly.
“Dinner on me?” Ryan looks at them.
“You’re damn straight,” Chris nods.
“Unless of course you got plans tonight Clark. You were mugged down pretty hard with that Sarah chick last night,” Ryan elbows him. Ethan blushes some.
After following girls to the movie theatre the night before, Ethan and Sarah stayed behind to talk. Chris and Ryan mingled with the girls but it was purely platonic. Chris was not interested in any of them and neither was Ryan. He was far more concerned about getting back to the room to text a spirited blonde eating dinner on a TV tray with her grandmother.
The guys had politely walked the girls back to their hotel on the other end of the amusement park to make sure they arrived safely. Chris and Ryan stepped away allowing Ethan and Sarah a chance to talk. Ryan was typing on his phone, when a sharp jab in the ribs from Chris jolted his attention.
“Ouch, shit, what?” Ryan exclaimed.
Chris held a finger up shushing him before pointing. In front of the girls hotel room door, Ethan was standing in front of Sarah, head bent and lips pressed to hers. She was standing on her tip toes and threw her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss.
Ethan said goodbye to her and walked over to his friends, who did not tease him, instead both gave him a congratulatory pat on the back.
“Nah, she and her friends were going back today,” Ethan shakes his head.
“You get her number?” Chris asks.
“Oh yeah,” Ethan smiles.
“Well, dinner is definitely on me then tonight because this is cause for celebration,” Ryan laughs.
***
“Okay your profile now, turn to the left,” Bill says and clicks several rapid snaps. “Tilt your chin up slightly, there you go Morgan.”
Her face is bare. She is wearing a tank top and fitted jeans. Her hair not done, just the simple natural wave pattern it always has. She is standing in front of a blank white wall.
The photos Bill is taking are of Morgan’s natural state. They will go to a number of agencies although he has already told her he will make sure the top two look at them directly from him. They need to be able to gauge her natural look in order to decide if she is the right fit for their clients.
He was slightly fearful they would not call. After he left them at the hat store, he realized just how truly predatory it must have all seemed. He was relieved when they did call and he apologized again for the awkward greeting. Morgan’s parents were going to be very involved in the process and believed that to be beneficial rather than a hindrance. She would need that type of support. He had no doubt she could go far.
He stares at an image on his camera screen. He notes the pink pout and the slight cleft in her chin that he had not picked up on during their first strange conversation. When they called him the previous night, he had immediately lined up a space for them to take her test photos the following evening.
“Okay, Morgan, I think that’s more than enough,” Bill nods and smiles. He looks back at Dr. and Mrs. Price and Micah who were standing behind him against a wall, watching his every snap.
“So, what do I do now?” Morgan asks.
“You do nothing. I will take these and pick the best from all of them and send them over to a few friends of mine at some agencies. Then we wait to see who we hear back from and you can make a determination from there,” He says happily.
“What if we don’t hear back from any of them?”
Bill raises his eyebrow and approaches Morgan. “We will work on that confidence. That and your poses and walk will come with a little help. Your posture is already great. I can tell you have been in dance for a long time.”
Morgan looks at her parents and shrugs.
“Bill, thank you again for doing this but, I’ve got to ask why you wanted to do all of this,” Dr. Price says.
Bill exhales and sits the camera down on a table. “I’ve been in the business since I was 19. I’m 53 now. I’ve seen a lot of people, men and women, enter this business. I’ve become a student of faces. Your daughter has a stunning face. I just felt like it needs to be in front of a camera. Plus…I’ve gotten bored seeing the same old faces on ads now. The art of the model is being lost to Kardashians and other reality TV stars. Morgan is a model. The only thing I get out of this is the satisfaction of knowing I helped to discover her…and I get a 10 percent commission from the agencies when I bring them someone amazing, which has not been many,” he winks at Stephen who genuinely laughs. Bill has been honest and upfront. As a doctor, Stephen has come to be able to see through people’s dishonesty. He doesn’t’ get a negative vibe from Bill at all.
“So go young Morgan Price. Enjoy your spring break and I will be calling you in a couple of days,” he smiles and laughs. “Cherryfield, Maine, of all places in the world….”
***
Friday
Chris sits outside on the steps of the Oceanic Inn, looking down at the Palace Playland, boardwalk and pier. He looks across the parking lot at the ocean as the sunsets.
This trip has been more than a boys getaway. It has been food for his soul.
His senior year is almost over. In a couple of weeks there will be prom and before they all know it, graduation. When the year began, he had so many expectations for how things would be. He had assumed by now he and Nicole would be making plans for their time together at Hartfeld and she would be on this very trip with them now. Winning state had always been the goal, but looking back on the reality of it, the achievement of that dream, made it even more special.
He had hit some of his lowest points this year, but thanks to good friends and the love of his family, he had emerged on the other side of that pain and heartache. He just wished there had not been so many casualties involved during his personal journey.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He puts his headphones into his ears and scrolls down to the song that has been in his heart all day. At first it began as just an annoying ear worm, a song he was hearing over and over internally and couldn’t shake. Then he realized this was no coincidence. This song was in his mind and on his heart for a reason.
Feeling my way through the darkness
Guided by a beating heart
I can’t tell where the journey will end
But I know where to start
They tell me I’m too young to understand
They say I’m caught up in a dream
Well life will pass me by if I don’t open up my eyes
Well that’s fine by me
So wake me up when it’s all over
When I’m wiser and I’m older
All this time I was finding myself
And I didn’t know I was lost
He smiles as thinks about how far he has come. In the morning they will head back to Cherryfield. He’s ready to go home. It’s no longer a reminder of disappointments or of love lost, it’s his fortress. Cherryfield, Maine, a speck on the map in the general scheme of things, is the epicenter of all that Chris Powell cares about. His family, his friends, the school he represented and countless other memories are tied to life there.
He wonders what stories await him at Hartfeld. Who will he meet there? Will he have roommates that he likes? Could he possibly ever find love again?
Chris smiles to himself once more, realizing the beauty in that moment is that no one knows those answers. It’s life and his didn’t end when a teenage girl left it, it was only getting started.
The door to the motel room swings open and Ethan and Ryan step out.
“Ready to ride?” Ryan teases.
“I’ll ride that damn coaster six times in a row. I’m not scared,” Chris says of the Galaxi Coaster at Palace Playland. He has avoided the attraction since it was first built, but today he felt adventurous. He dared himself to try it. Several stories high and a ridiculous drop at the beginning, Chris had given himself a pep talk that he could handle it. He had endured worse and come out unscathed. He was realizing life was about stepping out of his comfort zone.
“You lead the way, Captain,” Ryan winks.
***
Sunday
Exhausted from the car ride the Price’s pull into the driveway of their home. Dr. Price has already informed Morgan and Micah they are not expected to go to school tomorrow. They are both relieved.
The whirlwind of the college visits, the miraculous meeting with Bill and the 2 days of driving home have left each of them physically and mentally exhausted. Morgan has been unable to relax, she’s been on pins and needles since Bill captured her shots on Thursday.
She and Micah help to drag the family’s bags into the house. Dr. Price heads out to the porch and retrieves the massive stack of mail from the box after a week of being gone.
He walks back into the house.
“Hey…Morgan?”
She yawns and rubs her eyes.
“Yeah?”
He holds up the stack. “Got some mail here,” he puts a few large envelopes on the table. “Penn State, Carnegie Mellon and Duke….”
She stares apprehensively at the table as Micah and Mrs. Price step into the kitchen looking at the pile.
“Big envelopes?”
“Big envelopes,” Dr. Price smiles. “All three.”
Morgan clasps her hands in front of her mouth and closes her eyes, tears coming to them. “Oh wow…” She reaches out and grabs the Carnegie Mellon envelope first. She begins to tear it open and Stephen’s phone rings.
“Sorry sweetie, I’ll turn my ringer off,” he pulls out his phone and is about to silence it when he pauses. “Uh…it’s Bill.”
The three look back and forth and then at Stephen. “Answer it!” They yell at him in unison.
He presses accept and greets Bill.
“Hold on, let me put you on speaker.”
“Morgan?” Bill says.
“Yes sir?”
“IMG, Ford and Wilhelmina, they all want you. Some others too but…those are the big three dear.”
Morgan, stunned, grabs a chair and takes a seat. She licks her lips as she tries to formulate a sentence. She looks down at the envelope in her hand and slowly places it back on the table.
College will have to wait.