Chapter ONE: A Summer Away from Home
Late on Wednesday morning May 26, 1999, Commandant Jenkins roused Darien from her soft warm bed. Darien looked up at him. Jenkins threw open the curtains and the room filled with sunlight; she had slept in. She groaned, “Up missy. You have slept in far too long.”
“What time is it?” she yawned reaching for her digital clock, which sat next to her bed.
“Why it is twelve o’clock we were busy so you got lucky.”
“Where’s James?” she asked putting down the clock then sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
“James, um, he’s worried himself sick. You’re going to be going to live with Commandant Yearly and his family until he recovers.” He said pulling a suitcase out of her closet.
Darien’s bright green eyes widened as she glanced over at a picture of James taken only three weeks before. He seemed to be smiling back at her with his pale blue eyes and scraggly hair, which reached only to his ears. She then stared back at Jenkins and at his odd untamed hair, “Can I not stay here? I mean you‘ll be here won‘t you?” she asked.
“No, with James being sick and my being called away to a family emergency you’ll have to stay with someone. You’re lucky Commandant Yearly was willing to take you in and that he had not left for home yet. Besides it‘s summer, there are no teachers here.” He said pulling out clothes and packing them away.
Darien sighed, “Okay.”
“Don’t think I forgot it was your birthday, now get dressed,” he said walking out.
As soon as she was dressed and finished packing, she walked out with her suitcase and followed Jenkins down the empty hall then down three flights of stairs. When she saw Commandant Yearly, she hid behind Jenkins hoping that Yearly had not seen her. “Cadet!” Jenkins shouted. She instantly stood at attention next to him, “You’re going with Commandant Yearly for a while so be good.”
Darien slowly walked over to the tall African American; he smiled and took her suitcase putting it into his trunk. She looked back at Jenkins, as the two left, with puppy eyes.
Jenkins shook his head, and walked away so that she would not see him.
For three months she lived with him his wife and son Terrence, who coincidently had the same birthday as she though he was a year younger. Darien grew to love the family as if it was her own, but she decided to move back to the military school for she could no longer stand being away from Jenkins or James.
Terrence begged her to stay for the two had become very good friends. When she refused he decided to kiss her in order to make her stay, however Darien still refused and left early on an August morning.
 Flamegirl88 · Thu Mar 01, 2007 @ 01:25am · 0 Comments |
