For Always Read online

  "Hey, girl, you wanna come over to my house today? It's supposed to be hot, hot, hot. I can come pick you up." How could she be so cheerful this early in the morning?

  "Sure. When do you want to come get me?"

  "I'm gonna run and get some breakfast, so I can come now. Are you even up? You sound like you're still asleep."

  "Yeah, I'm up. Just come on over here and eat. Grandmama made breakfast and there's plenty."

  "Okay. I'll be over in a bit," she said as she hung up, not even saying bye.

  "Well, she sounds like a ball of sunshine this mornin'."

  "Yeah, which is exactly what I need today." I finished my food and was gonna go change and get my bathing suit before Beth got here. "Is Max here? I need in my room."

  She kept her back to me, cleaning up the dishes, "He's not in your room, so ya can go on up." I knew where Max was, and what he was doing, but didn't let my mind go there. I finished eating and made small talk with her as I waited on Beth.

  I figured Beth would be getting here any minute, so I grabbed my present, trying not to look at it, and went upstairs, not wanting to have to explain to Beth where I got it. I sat it on my dresser, changed, and was stuffing my bathing suit in my purse when I heard her come in.

  I remember the very first time she came over. Beau had promised not to bother her, but did listen in on our conversation for a while. I'd laugh when he'd make a face at something she'd say, which made her look at me funny, making me laugh even harder. I told her I had taken too much allergy medicine and was getting loopy. Beau thought it was hysterical.

  I snatched my purse and headed back downstairs. "I'm so glad you invited me to eat. This is delicious…and free," Beth said, sticking a piece of bacon in her mouth.

  "What are you girls gonna do today?"

  Since I had no clue, I let Beth answer. "I thought we'd go shoppin' in town 'til it heats up, then go swimmin', then maybe go grab a bite to eat. Just hang out and do a whole lotta nothin'."

  "Well, that sounds like fun."

  "It better be, because I'm in desperate need of some fun," I said truthfully.

  "Yeah, I can tell, sleepy head." I was glad that she mistook my sadness for sleepiness. "If it ain't, you can take a nap."

  "Sounds good to me."

  * * *

  Our day ended up going exactly as she had planned: shopping, swimming, and eating. We chose not to eat at the restaurant, since we always did that, and went to another one down in town. By the time we got there, there was a wait, so we gave them our name and sat down.

  "Look who's here," I heard a high-pitched voice say. I turned to see who it was, and wished I hadn't.

  "Hey, Morgan," Beth said, appearing far less cheerful.

  I just smiled, but didn't say anything. "So, you're the new girl, the one from Lakeside, right? What was your name again?"

  I didn't recall ever giving her my name. "Malyn."

  "She's dating Jace now," Beth threw in, making me slightly uncomfortable.

  "Oh, really? I didn't know he was with anyone. He sure doesn't act like it," she said, looking at her friend and smiling.

  I wondered what she meant by that, but didn't ask; knowing she probably just said it to bug me. "Yeah, we've not been dating too long, actually." I returned her fake smile.

  "Sloan, party of two," the hostess called, which couldn't have come soon enough.

  "We'll see you girls later," she said as she got up. Then she looked at me and said, "Tell Jace I said hey."

  “Yeah, I’ll do that.” As they walked away, I looked at Beth. "Is she for real?"

  "I'm afraid so."

  I hoped she didn’t try to stir any trouble when school started. I usually had my fair share of harassment anyway, so I didn’t need help in that department. And if she was one of the popular girls, and she already disliked me, then that would already be one strike against me. But at least I had Beth, so I wasn’t going to worry about it the rest of the summer.

  We got seated at a table in the corner and I grabbed the seat that was facing the wall. I didn't want to have to look at Morgan or her friend, or accidentally make eye contact with the dead lady that kept coming in and out of the kitchen.

  * * *

  The next day seemed to drag on forever. I had to work all day, without Jace or Beth, in the restaurant. I had texted Jace the night before, making sure to tell him about our run in with Morgan, and what she had said about him. He said she was crazy, which I had to agree with. He continued to text me off and on during the day when he had a chance, but it didn't help pass the time any faster.

  When I finally got off I was so ready to get out of there. Grandmama cooked spaghetti for supper and we played cards until late. I'm sure they were just trying to get my mind off of Beau, which I appreciated. It was weird being here now, knowing that Beau wasn't.

  When I started yawning, Max said, "You're sleepin' in your room tonight. I've already moved my stuff out. I don't like runnin' ya out of your space."

  "You didn't have to do that," I told him.

  "I know, just like you didn't have to give me your room in the first place."

  "Well, thanks. I appreciate it."

  I was really glad to get to sleep in my bed. Barbara, Jace's mom, had given me my birthday off, so I was looking forward to sleeping in. And sleep in I did. When I finally woke up, I changed and turned my phone on. I had three texts: LeLe, Beth, and Jace, all wishing me a happy birthday. I smelled breakfast and decided to text them back while I ate. I went to open my curtains and automatically looked toward the tree stump, only to find it empty, which made my heart ache. I took a deep breath and tried not to think about him.

  Grandmama and Max sang happy birthday to me as I walked down the stairs. My plate of French toast was made and waiting on me as I sat down. "I love you," I said as I took a big bite of my favorite breakfast.

  "Are ya talkin' to me or your food?" she teased.

  My mouth was full as I mumbled, "Both."

  "I have to admit, you make some of the best French toast I've ever ate," Max said as he grabbed another piece.

  "You two are gonna give me the big head," she said, obviously proud of herself. Then she leaned across the counter and smiled at me. "Malyn, when ya get done, ya need to go get ready. Me and you are goin' into Pigeon Forge today."

  "We are? What for?"

  "Much needed girl time. I figure we'd hit the big mall and throw some money 'round. You could use some new clothes, shoes, maybe a new purse, and so could I."

  "Sounds like a plan." I was excited. We hadn't been shopping in a long time. "You know what? I'm gonna get my hair cut while we're out."

  That took her by surprise. "Cut how?" she asked, seemingly worried, which made me laugh.

  "I'm not cutting it short, just getting some layers. It's been long and straight for so long, I'm tired of it. Time to change it up."

  "Well, I think that's a great idea."

  "Me, too," Max added. "Maybe I need to change mine up, too," he said as he ran his fingers through it making it stand straight up on top of his head.

  "Change ain't always good," Grandmama told him, making us laugh.

  "Okay, I'm gonna go get ready," I said eagerly as I sprinted up to my room.

  It didn't take me five minutes and I was ready to go. It didn't take long to get to Pigeon Forge from the house, and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the location of today's adventure. "Oh my word, it's huge!"

  "I know. There's every store ya could possibly wanna go to, all right here for our enjoyment."

  "Well, let's get to enjoying."

  And enjoy it we did…all afternoon. We finally stopped long enough to eat and I told her I was ready to get my hair cut. So when we finished, we put our bags in the car and walked back across the lot to a posh looking salon.

  "I called this mornin' and made us an appointment. We're a little early, but that's good."

  "It looks expensive."

  "It is. But we're worth it," she said as we walked
in.

  It was a very modern salon, mostly white and black with pops of color here and there. Everyone was dressed in black, making me feel like I was at a funeral—a very stylish and trendy funeral.

  "We have appointments under the name of Reed," Grandmama told the receptionist.

  "Appointments?" I whispered, emphasizing the 's'.

  She just smiled and winked at me as the receptionist took us on back. "They can start on your pedicures first," she said as she sat us in big massaging chairs. "They will be with you shortly."

  "Wow, you're going all out, huh," I said, relaxing into my chair. "I like."

  "It's good to splurge every once in a while. And what better day could I have picked than your birthday?"

  They filled our basins up and I stuck my feet in the hot whirlpool and sighed. "I could get used to this."

  They finished up our pedicures and gave us slippers to wear while we got our hair cut so our nails could dry. "How are you getting your hair cut?" She'd had the same, long hair for as long as I could remember, usually braided on each side. I couldn't imagine her with anything different.

  She just smiled and said, "You'll see." I felt a pang of dread as they took her away. She had looked the same for so long, I was afraid of what they were gonna do. I didn't want them to take my country singing, hippy-loving grandmother away. But then again, it would take more than just a haircut to strip her of who she was. So I tried to relax and enjoy myself, letting the scalp massage that had just commenced help me do just that.

  After I was shampooed, I told her how I wanted my hair to look and she had started cutting. I was thinking this may have been a mistake. There seemed to be more hair on the floor than on my head, but the stylist assured me that there was no need to worry. So I just shut my eyes and let her do her thing. I didn't look until she was done and was shocked, but in a good way. My dark hair still fell to the middle of my back with layers that started right below my chin. When I shook my head, it had body and movement, instead of being lifeless like it used to be.

  "I love it," I told her as I continued to shake my head around. "Is Nellie finished yet?"

  "Not quit, so I have been instructed to send you to makeup now."

  "Makeup? I really don't wear any," I told her nervously, not wanting to turn into my own birthday clown.

  "You are today, birthday girl," she said as she introduced me to the makeup artist. I figured I'd let them paint on me and I would just wash my face when I got home.

  Before she was finished with my face, I heard a voice say, "Well, how do I look?"

  When I was finally able to open my eyes, I about died. I didn't even recognize her at first until I saw her holding her two braids up. She had completely chopped her long hair off into a chin length bob.

  "Oh…my…word!" I screamed. It was super sleek and shiny, with almost a blonde tint to it. "I never would've guessed this." I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but the makeup artist immediately blotted them away.

  Her smile faded away and her face fell. "Ya don't like it?"

  I shook my head. "No, I don't." Then I started laughing and jumped up and grabbed her shoulders. "I love it! I absolutely love it. Makes you look younger, even. Max is gonna love it, too," I said, winking at her.

  "Oh, Malyn, you look beautiful," she said as she spun me around to see the back of my hair.

  "It's awesome, right?" I hugged her. "Thank you for today."

  "You're welcome. What do ya say we get outta these slippers, get our shoes and head back. There's still more day left to enjoy," she said with a mischievous grin.

  I felt euphoric as we left the salon, but was still shocked every time I looked at her and her new A-line Bob, as they had called it. They had even put a glaze or something over it, which made it look like new hair. "We are two hot mamas."

  "Yes, we are," she agreed as we packed our bags in the car and headed home.

  * * *

  It took us a while to get through Friday traffic and get back to the house. When we finally did, I grabbed as many bags as I could before getting out. I stopped when I noticed a white Jeep sitting in the driveway. "Who's here?"

  "Nobody, I don't reckon."

  "Hey, girls! I thought y'all had—" Max got sight of Grandmama and stopped in his tracks. "Miss Nellie Reed, is that you?"

  She shook her hair at him, "Why, yes. Yes it is. Do ya like?"

  He gave her a cat-calling whistle as he walked toward her. "I really like."

  "Whose Jeep is this?" I asked Max, thinking since he had been here all day that he would know.

  "I don't know. Is it yours, Nellie?"

  "Nope, not mine." They both just looked at each other smiling. "So, I guess it must be yours," she said, holding the keys out in front of me.

  "Wh—what?" It took a minute for what she was saying to sink in. "It's…mine?"

  She smiled and nodded. "It's no cute little VW bug, or monster truck, but I thought it would be sturdy enough for ya. Happy birthday, Malyn."

  I dropped the bags I was holding and jumped up and down screaming. I finally pulled myself together and ran to look inside. "I can't believe this," I said as I jumped in the driver seat.

  "Now, don't mess up your makeup, Malyn," she said as she started patting tears away that I didn't even know were falling.

  I hugged her tight. "Thank you so much, Grandmama. I love it." I grabbed the key she had been dangling in front of me, stuck it in the ignition, and started it. "Love it, love it, love it!"

  "Well, it's brand new, so you better love it. And you'll get to test drive it in a minute, but now, ya need to go get ready."

  "For what?"

  "Just come in and put somethin' nice on, we're goin' out."

  "Again?" I laughed. "This is the best birthday ever."

  I went upstairs and changed into one of my cute, new sundresses. I looked in the mirror to see how it looked and noticed my makeup for the first time. I was so caught up in Grandmama's hair that I hadn't even looked at it in the salon. I had to admit, I did look pretty; nothing like my usual plain self. I slipped my new sandals on and met them back downstairs.

  Max looked between me and Grandmama and said, "Goin' out with two beautiful women. How did I get so lucky?"

  "Lucky is right," she said, patting her hair. "Now, let's get goin'."

  We walked out the door and I was standing by my new, white Jeep when I had a thought. "It's been several months since I've drove. Are you sure I should? I mean, it's new…and unscratched."

  They both laughed at me. "Just relax, take your time, and go slow. You're gonna have to get used to drivin' again."

  I had gotten my license a year ago, but since I didn't have a car, I rarely drove. I started the Jeep and took a deep breath. "Okay, where are we going?"

  "We're gonna eat at the marina."

  "Lakeside Marina it is." I couldn't wait to show Beth and Jace my new Jeep. "Wonder what Jace has been doing? I ain't talked to him all day." I thought this was odd, especially since it was my birthday and all.

  "Probably just been busy."

  "Yeah, it's Friday, so I'm sure it has been." I hoped that was all.

  It took us a little longer than usual to get there, since I was driving like an old granny. But I did get us there in one piece. I was surprised to see just how crowded it was when we pulled up. "Dang," I said, looking at all the cars. "Glad I ain't working this mess tonight."

  Grandmama came around to my side and showed me how to set my alarm. "And this is your panic button. If ya hold it in, your alarm will sound."

  "Cool," I said, still smiling. I couldn't quit looking at it. It had a soft black top that Max said he would show me how to take off and put back on tomorrow. It also had shiny, expensive looking rims, which I loved.

  Max grabbed my arm like he was going to drag me in. "You're worse than a boy"—he laughed—"droolin' over a car. By the way, my present will be delivered to ya in a week or so."

  "You didn't have to get me anything."

  "I kno
w," he said he opened the door for us.

  I saw Beth as we walked in, who practically jumped into my arms when she saw me. "Happy birthday, Malyn! Oh my gosh, you look amazin'! Nellie! Your hair! I love it!" She looked at the other hostess and said, "Melanie, can you take over for me for a few, please?" She didn't wait for her to answer, she just kept gushing over our new looks as she walked us out toward the deck.

  I noticed that the deck was packed. "Are you sure there's room out there for us? It looks awfully crowded." Then I saw Jace, sitting on the rail looking at me with a big smile on his face. "What's Jace—"

  "SURPRISE!" Everyone on the deck yelled at me as we walked outside. 'Happy Birthday' came from several people, and that's when I noticed the balloons tied to all railings and the huge cake on the table. They'd even cleared off half the deck and had set up a karaoke machine.

  Jace jumped down and came over and hugged me. I looked at him, completely surprised, and said, "I can't believe you all did this! I had no clue."

  "I was surprised to see y'all, too. Nellie looks completely different. I didn't know it was her at first. And you look radiant. I didn't think you could ever look more beautiful, and then in you come tonight, looking like this," he said as he touched a strand of my hair, then picked me up and hugged me tight. "Happy birthday."

  Someone cranked up the music and the party officially began. We ate, had cake, and danced. I did more watching than dancing, though. Jace even hit the dance floor with his best friend, Ty, and some other guys, including the notorious Chad. It surprised me to see Jace out there because he's usually pretty shy. But I had to admit, he could dance.

  I was enjoying the show when Beth got my attention. "It's time to open your presents," she said as she pointed to a table by the door that had several gifts piled on it.

  "Presents, too?" I hated opening presents. Everyone always looks at you while you do it.

  She pulled a chair up for me and handed me hers first. Everyone quieted down and watched me, of course. "You're gonna love it," she sang.

  When I finally got it unwrapped, I saw that it was accessories for my Jeep: purple seat covers with white Hibiscus flowers on them and matching floor mats. "Thanks, Beth, I love them."