Left Behind: Left Behind Series #1 Read online

  “Thanks.”

  “Anytime. Maybe I’ll see you at your brother’s party tomorrow,” he calls over his shoulder as we head back downstairs.

  “You better come. You can’t make me face my parents alone.”

  “You’ll have Jade. I don’t know anyone crazy enough to mess with the two of you.”

  “Her parents are crazy enough to mess with the damn devil,” Jade snaps from the sofa where she’s flipping through a magazine.

  Jake chuckles. “They haven’t seen you since the funeral, right? They should be excited.”

  “You’d think,” she says, turning the page a little harshly.

  “You coming home, Jade?” Jake asks.

  “No. I’m going to stay with Kacie tonight,” she says, closing the magazine and swinging her legs to the floor. She drops it on the glass coffee table as she stands up. “I’ll just come home in the morning to get ready for work, so none of your whores better be hanging around outside of your room half-naked when I get there,” she warns.

  “Jade, you don’t have to do that,” I say. “I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m not staying for your sake. I’ve been waiting a long time for you to come home, Kacie Foster, and I’m not ready to leave you just yet.”

  “Okay.” I smile at her.

  Jake shakes his head at us as he walks toward the front door. “Good night, girls. Don’t stay up too late,” he adds before closing the door behind him.

  “Told you he still has a thing for you,” Jade says confidently.

  “He does not. He’s just being a friend.”

  “Yeah, a friend who wants to get in your pants,” she says under her breath.

  I shake my head. “I’m going to take a shower. Meet you upstairs in a bit.”

  The moment I reach my bedroom, I grab my dark blue duffle bag and dash into the bathroom. I make sure to lock the door in case Jade decides to follow me in. Her pestering about Jake and the ridiculous notion that he still has feelings for me is not something I’ll be able to tolerate any more tonight. The hot water and the huge shower stall remind me of how I won’t miss bathing at my apartment back at school. There was never enough warm water to rinse my hair, let alone wash my whole body. I just may stay in here for the rest of the night.

  When I’m coming from my bathroom a little while later, Jade is already curled up in my king-sized bed. My room is a deep rose color. The furniture is dark brown, almost black, and my bedding just about matches the walls. There are French doors on the back wall that lead to a balcony which overlooks the pool and the bay. Many nights, Gram and I would sit out there, looking at the stars and watching the boats go by. I remember when I was little, she was afraid to leave me in here alone. She was afraid I’d go out on the balcony in the middle of the night. I won’t lie. I totally did.

  “Thinking about Gram?” Jade asks, bringing me back to the present.

  “Don’t I always?” I sigh and climb into bed next to her.

  “She’s still with you, Kacie. She’ll never leave you,” she reminds me, turning out the light.

  “It’s not the same,” I whisper. “It’s a little harder being here than I thought it would be.”

  “It will get easier. I promise,” she whispers back. “After all, you have me.”

  “That’s true,” I smile, even though she can’t see me in the dark.

  “Get some sleep. You have a long ass day ahead of you tomorrow.”

  “Don’t remind me. Good night, Jade.”

  She chuckles. “Night, Kacie.”

  Chapter Two

  Kacie

  Sunlight gleaming into my room reminds me where I am. If that wasn’t enough, the groaning of my best friend next to me snaps my eyes open all the way.

  “You need curtains,” Jade groans from underneath the comforter she pulled over her head. “I forgot how obnoxiously bright this room is in the morning.”

  “If I had curtains, I wouldn’t be able to see the water. You don’t get to see that on a college campus up north,” I inform her.

  She flips the blanket down. “I knew you’d miss Florida while you were gone,” she teases.

  “Of course I did,” I say, getting out of bed. “I just haven’t missed the bullshit that goes along with being in Florida.”

  Without thinking about it, I stroll over to the doors and open them. The fresh morning air coming off the water pulls me out onto the balcony. There are already a few boats out at this early hour. Leaning on the railing, I scan Gram’s backyard from one end to the other and back again. In that very moment, I promise myself that no matter what it takes, I’m going to be happy here. This is where I belong. This is what Gram wanted for me and there is no way I could let her down by turning the house over to anyone. “I belong here,” I repeat to myself, this time loud enough that Jade hears me from where she is standing just inside the door.

  “Yes, you do,” she says, smiling. She comes out to stand next to me. Since we are both about the same height, she leans her head into mine. “Everything will work out. I promise.”

  “It will. Now, get out before you’re late for work and Mary comes here looking for you. I’m not going anywhere,” I assure her.

  “I’m holding you to that,” she whispers. After a few moments, Jade clears her throat and collects herself. “Okay, so if Jake doesn’t come with us tonight, I’ll drive. You need to celebrate. Besides, you’ll need to drink twice as much since your parents will be there.”

  “Isn’t that the truth?” I laugh at her.

  “I know it’s not necessary, but good luck at the interview. Let me know how it goes as soon as it’s over.”

  “I will. Come over later to get ready.”

  “Yay! It’ll be just like old times!” Jade gives me a hug. “So excited. See you later!” I can’t help but laugh as she shows herself out of my room.

  There isn’t enough time to hit the pool like I wanted to this morning. Swimming will have to wait until later on this afternoon. While I could probably find something to wear in the bags that I brought from school, I decide to look in my walk-in closet. I kept nothing at my parents’ house. Everything is here. On my seventeenth birthday, I showed up at Gram’s door with a few suitcases and a handful of boxes. She smiled and said nothing about sending me back as she helped me carry everything upstairs. My parents didn’t care all that much. They made my old room into a bigger office for my dad, and my mom took over his old office downstairs for whatever it was that she needed a room.

  Standing in front of the mirror, my reflection approves of the outfit I selected. A straight, gray skirt, which falls just above my knees, and the black sleeveless top go perfectly together. Somewhere in this closet is the matching gray suit jacket, but I decide to skip it. No need for that in the middle of May. Eventually, I find the black shoes I borrowed from Jade a while ago, but never returned. She knows where to find them if she needs them.

  Almost an hour later, I walk up the sidewalk to the place where I spent many wonderful childhood years. The white stone building still looks just as beautiful as it did back then. I reach the front door and press the button to the left. You have to be allowed access from the inside. When I went to school here, security like this wasn’t necessary. There is a buzzing sound and the door automatically swings open toward me. Just before stepping through, I take a deep breath and exhale slowly. I can do this, I comfort myself.

  Once inside, my attention instantly focuses on the new picture now hanging on the wall opposite the entryway. Surrounded in a dark, antique frame is a picture of my grandmother. I cross the hallway to get a closer look. Even though the picture is in black-and-white, I know the suit jacket she has on is gray and the shirt underneath it is yellow. I remember shopping with her the day she bought it. Gram was a little irritated she had to get her picture taken for the school yearbook. This picture was taken a few months before she got sick.

  Below the frame is a plaque which reads:

  In Loving Memory of the reason we are all
here.

  Our founder. Our friend.

  Dr. Marie Simon-Foster

  “Kacie Foster, I cannot believe you are standing in my hallway!” a cheerful voice says behind me.

  Turning around, I see my grandmother’s long-time friend and colleague. I blink away the tears to smile at him. “It’s so nice to see you again, Dr. Kelly. This is a beautiful picture of Gram, but you know very well she’d probably be more than annoyed about you bringing attention to her.” He comes across the hall to give me a hug.

  “That’s why I put it there,” he jokes.

  This causes me to laugh a little. I’ve always wondered if my grandmother and Dr. Kelly were ever more than friends. They used to bicker like an old married couple. My grandfather had been gone for many years before she passed away, so I guess it was possible. I asked her about it once and she said, “Don’t be silly. I’m an old lady.” Then she winked, ending the conversation.

  “I still keep waiting for her to walk through the door and remind me how much work I have to do,” he whispers, peeking at the picture.

  “It feels so weird being here without her,” I say. He gives me a sympathetic smile.

  “I have everything for our meeting set up in my office, but if it’s too much for you to go in there, we can move to the library or a conference room.” He’s concerned about me having to walk past Gram’s old office to get to his.

  “That’s okay, but thank you for asking,” I tell him.

  He nods. “Shall we get started then?” He leads the way to the main office of Shining Stars Private Elementary School. Even in his older age, Neil Kelly is a handsome man. He’s tall, average build, and gray hair, but he could still pass for a lot younger than he actually is.

  Everything inside still looks the same. The two administrative assistants’ desks sit behind a long counter. The mailboxes for the teachers and other staff are along the wall to the right. Even the wooden chairs I helped pick out a few years ago during a remodel are to the left in a small waiting area with a television. Other than Gram not being here, nothing’s changed.

  One of the ladies recognizes me immediately. “Hi, Kacie,” Monica greets me. She was Gram’s personal assistant for the last nine years.

  “Hey, Monica,” I answer back. “How have you been?”

  “I’m great. Thanks. What about you? You look fantastic.”

  “Thank you.” I smile. “I’ll stop by to chat on my way out.”

  “Okay. Be nice to her in there, Dr. Kelly.” She winks. He assures her everything will be just fine.

  As I walk through the office, I come to the first door and my nerves start to quiver. The door is open and even though I don’t want to look in, I do. All of the furniture has been replaced and the walls have been painted a different color. They are now a light shade of blue rather than the pale yellow they used to be. Different artwork hangs on the walls and there are pictures of people I’ve never met sitting on the credenza under the windows overlooking a garden. From behind the desk, a younger lady notices me and smiles.

  “Kacie, this is Rebecca Lawrence. She’s the new assistant principal here at Shining Stars,” Dr. Kelly says. When Gram passed away, Dr. Kelly took her place as head principal. “Becky, Kacie Foster.”

  “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Kacie,” she says, coming out from behind her desk. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

  “Hello, Ms. Lawrence,” I say politely, shaking her hand.

  “Please, call me Becky. Were you able to get settled in yet? I heard you just graduated a few days ago. You’re back already?”

  “No point in prolonging the inevitable,” I sigh.

  “True.”

  “We’ll be in my office,” Dr. Kelly interrupts from beside me. “Please handle any calls or issues for me in the meantime.”

  “Of course,” she tells him with a smile. “Good luck with everything, Kacie, and if there’s ever anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

  “Thank you.”

  Once we are in his office, Dr. Kelly closes the door behind us and motions for me to take a seat in the chair on the opposite side of his desk. Suddenly, he appears to be distraught over something. When he sits in his chair, his bright smile is gone and he closes his eyes, inhaling deeply before slowly releasing it. His recovery is quick, though. “I’m sorry. I don’t usually go in Marie’s…” He looks at me before continuing, “I mean, Rebecca’s office.” I return his smile, but I’m unable to respond. The feeling hits home. Something tells me I was right about him and my grandmother’s relationship. “All of her belongings are in storage, even her desk, chair, and bookshelf. She loved that office. I didn’t want anyone else to have it, but it couldn’t stay empty. I know that. If you want her stuff, it’s yours. I’m sure you could set it up somewhere in that house of yours. The only thing I’d like to keep is that, if you don’t mind.” He points to something over my shoulder. I turn to see the picture Gram had of the two of them from the grand opening of Shining Stars all those years ago.

  “Not at all,” I whisper when I turn back to him.

  “Thank you.” He clears his throat. “Now, back to you. Tell me. How was graduation?”

  I swallow to regain my composure the way he had before answering. “It was very nice. My speech went better than I thought it would. And by that I mean I didn’t throw up on anyone.” I laugh at myself. Public speaking is not one of my strong points and having to speak in front of hundreds of people was completely horrifying to me. It really didn’t help to know there was no one from my family in the crowd. Jade offered to fly up to attend the ceremony then drive home with me, but I declined. I needed the trip back to Florida alone to mentally prepare myself for things to come.

  Almost as if he was reading my mind, he says, “You know I would have been there if I could. You’re just like one of my own grandchildren, Kacie.”

  “That’s very sweet of you.”

  He nods as he starts shuffling papers on the desk in front of him. “I’m not sure if you’re aware of this or not, but I’ve been in contact with Dr. Reynolds quite a few times over the last two months.” Dr. Josephine Reynolds was one of my professors and was my advisor from college.

  “I had no idea,” I admit, reluctantly.

  “Your grandmother had been speaking to her for the last year regarding your progress as a student teacher. I was instructed to finish this through,” he informs me. “In all honesty, this isn’t so much an interview for you as it is a sales pitch from me. I want you to be a teacher here at Shining Stars when the new school year starts in August. I have a first grade position open. Due to the Common Core Initiative, we use the same educational standards here in Florida as in Pennsylvania. I’ve already spoken to our other first grade teacher and she is more than happy to collaborate with you over the summer. I’m sure you and Madeline will get along just fine.” Dr. Kelly pauses, trying to gauge my reaction. “You know this is where you belong, Kacie.”

  “I know I belong here. I assumed I’d be coming in as an aide. Or to help file papers in the office. Even a custodian. I don’t know if I’m ready for a class all on my own. What if I fail?” I’m starting to panic.

  “You’re a Foster. Foster’s don’t fail.” He grins. “Tell me about Luke Myers.” Dr. Kelly leans back in his dark leather chair, causing it to squeak. He’s holding the tip of the pen up to his lips, waiting for my answer.

  “Luke was a student in the class I taught. How do you know about him?” I ask, curiously. The school system I was placed in is one of the poorest in the area. All of the children are from low income families with very limited resources.

  “Dr. Reynolds,” he answers.

  “I know where you’re going with this. The teachers there are overworked and underpaid. It’s not like here. I’m sure they saw the same thing I did. They just don’t have the time to speak up and look out for these kids,” I inform him. Luke Myers showed behaviors of an Autism Spectrum Disorder. I put in a referral for intervention an
d he was later diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.

  “The school still receives state funding. Someone needed to open their mouth about what they saw, but no one did…except you. I’m going to tell you right now, Kacie. Being a teacher isn’t about the money. It’s about taking a child, or a group of children, from one point in their lives and helping them progress to another. Getting them to learn and grow as much as possible in the small amount of time you have them. I understand how, most of the time, things are out of our control. However, this was out of your hands and you could have walked away, but you didn’t. Because of you, Luke Myers will get the help he needs.”

  “But for how long?” I can barely get out.

  “We may never know. The point I’m trying to make here is you helped him. You changed his life. He might not realize it, but his parents do. You’re ready to help more Lukes out there. I just want you to do it here. Come with me. I want to show you something.”

  I follow Dr. Kelly out of his office, back through the main area, and into the hallway. When he stops at the first classroom in the main hall, I realize what he’s doing. He peers in and knocks on the door.

  “Look who’s here everyone,” a tall, thin blond announces from the front of the classroom.

  “Hello, Dr. Kelly,” the class announces as a whole. The sound of their little voices is enough to make me smile. Not just a small smile, either. I feel as though my soul is being filled with happiness simply by being in the same room as them.

  “Hello, boys and girls. I’d like you to meet someone. This is Miss Foster,” he tells them. I give a little wave and smile even bigger when they say hello to me. “Is it okay if she reads you a story?” What kid wouldn’t agree to that since they’re getting out of doing what their teacher wants them to do?

  Dr. Kelly instructs me to go to the front of the room and the teacher hands me a book. “This is one of their favorites,” she tells me.

  I politely take the book from her and begin to read the story about an insect with an overly large appetite for many different kinds of foods. As I read, the kids ask questions or read along with me. One little girl asks to sit with me on the chair. The looks on their faces help me recall why I chose this field to begin with.