NIGHT SECRET

My life was about to change…forever! I got up just

like any other day and after hitting the snooze button

several times, I forced myself out of bed and slowly

walked to the bathroom, my eyes still half closed. I hated

getting up for school and couldn’t wait until it was over.

I was graduating this year. I never thought senior year would come, but it finally did. Now that it arrived, it

seemed to be dragging on and on. I turned the water on

hot, so it would get nice and steamy to help awaken my

senses. Taking my pajamas off, I pulled the shower

curtain closed around me. Ahhhhhh. Now this is just

what the day was asking for.

Pondering in the shower until the water ran cold, I

definitely felt awake now. I wrapped my hair in a towel

and went to my room to find something to wear.

Rummaging through my jeans, it hit me that today was

the day. “Mom and Dad are coming home today!” I

practically jumped with enthusiasm.

My parents had been gone for a month on a business

trip. I was left home to prepare for graduation and study

for exams. They would often go on business trips and

leave me with Jamison. He was our butler and also my

favorite out of everyone that worked for us, he’s been

with us for a long time.

You kind of get used to it after years of being left, but it

was always nice to have my parents home. Don’t get me

wrong though. I don’t resent them or anything, because

if they didn’t do what they do, we wouldn’t have the nice

things we have. My Jeep in particular. I loved my Jeep.

I can remember the day we went shopping for it right

after I passed my drivers test. Pulling into the car sales

lot, it was the first thing to catch my eye. Shiny silver with

dark tinted windows. “That’s what I want Dad. Right

there.”

We pulled up next to it and I jumped out of Dad’s car

before he even had it completely stopped, ecstatic at my

find. We were looking her over when a salesman came

up with the keys. “Want to take it for a test drive?”

“Are you kidding me? I’d love to!” I snatched the keys

from his hand and we all piled into the Jeep Cherokee,

and I was even more in love. Black leather heated seats a moon roof, fully loaded. This Jeep would be mine.

My alarm buzzing again brought me from my reverie. I

had forgotten to shut it off after my snooze button fiasco

this morning. Deciding on a pair of jeans, a ‘Shot In The

Dark 357’ baby tee, a black oversized zip up hoody with

a ‘Baby Phat’ kitty in the upper left chest. I pulled on my

black combat boots, steel toed, and went to dry my hair.

I pulled the towel off my head, letting my long red

waves fall to my back the cool wetness sending a shiver

through me. Standing in front of the mirror I threw some

make-up on, brushed my teeth, then dried and

straightened my hair. After a few spins in a circle viewing

my attire, I headed to my Jeep.

Jamison met me at the bottom of the stairs, holding my

keys. “I thought you were going to be late Miss Keara.”

“Jamison, I’m always right on time. You should know

that by now.” I grabbed my keys from his grasp.

“Of course Miss Keara.”

Looking up into his dark chocolate brown eyes and

smiling at him, “Please stop calling me Miss Keara. You

are like a second father to me.” I stood on my tip toes to

kiss his cheek. “See you after school Jamison.”

Watching him standing there with his hand over the

place on his cheek I kissed, I smiled hitting the button on

my key chain to unlock the Jeep doors.

“Miss Keara. Don’t forget your parents will be coming

home today. I’m planning a nice dinner.” I waved in

acknowledgement.

I slid behind the drivers seat, pulling my sunglasses

over my eyes. Starting the engine, I turned on the radio,

blasting Lil’ Wayne, and waved goodbye. Looking into

my rear view mirror, I saw him waving back. Jamison

was tall and lean, with thin, graying hair. I shook my

head, my heart warming knowing he would never

change. He would always treat me like a boss and call me Miss Keara. Man that irritated me.

I pulled into school to find my favorite parking spot.

Without really too much concern for my day I slammed on

my brakes noticing a red convertible sitting in my stall.

“Who the hell is this? People know this is my spot!” I

couldn’t believe it. Someone had nerve. Everyone knew

this was my parking spot. It has been all year!

After throwing a fit and saying a few choice words

under my breath, I moved along in search of an empty

space. Finding one I pulled in, taking a deep breath to

calm myself before heading in. This was not going to ruin

my day. I would let this pass for now.

Flinging my bag over my shoulder, swiping a stray

strand of hair behind my ear, I headed to Biology class.

Walking through the door I immediately sensed someone

new as my eyes instantly diverted to “him”. Wow. Now

that was some fine art. I couldn’t help but look at him.

Blonde wavy hair called out to be touched, and lapus

blue eyes held my gaze. Who was he? Could this be the

owner of that red convertible in my spot? If it was, I was

definitely going to let it slide.

After several minutes of staring, I finally took my seat,

forcing myself not to look back at him. Dr. Sprague

started class by asking a series of questions. I was just

about to raise my hand to answer, when there was a

knock at the door. Dr. Sprague answered it and when he

turned back, his face looked solemn. “Keara, you’re

wanted in the office.”

I looked at him surprised and stood up. “Um. You

might want to take your things with you,” he said.

Confused, I loaded my books in my bag, tossed it over

my shoulder and headed to the office. What the heck did

I do now? I didn’t even throw a fit about my parking. The

halls were empty, with only the echoes from teachers

talking behind closed doors and the squeaking of my heels on the freshly waxed floors.

Arriving to the office, I stood in front of the doors for a

second, looking in through the glass that separated the

’dungeon’ from the hallway. Dean Henderson’s door was

cracked open, giving me full view of the police officer.

“What now?” I opened the door and walked through.

Ms. Stein sat at her desk, the white bun wound tightly

atop her head the only thing to be seen as she stared at

nothing. Raising her head to see who walked in her eyes

widened ever so slightly before she regained her

composure. “Go on in Keara. They are waiting for you.”

She kept her voice neutral, but I could sense something

wasn‘t right.

I walked over to the door and knocked. Dean

Henderson greeted me. “Come on in Keara.” He put his

arm around my shoulders, leading me to the chairs that

sat across from his desk. The first policeman sat in one

chair, the one I could see from the hall, and another

policeman stood by the window. “You might want to sit

down here Keara.” Dean Henderson motioned toward the

chair.

“Did I do something wrong?” The tension in the room

was extremely noticeable. Something definitely wasn‘t

right. I had a feeling I was about to find out what was

going on.

“Oh no. You did nothing wrong at all. These officers

here would like to talk to you.” Dean Henderson took his

seat behind his large mahogany desk. He was a short,

chubby man, balding with only hair above his ears,

making a horseshoe around his head. His pale blue eyes

watched me from behind thick lenses.

I looked at him for a moment then to the officer sitting

beside me. “Keara Crosby?” The officer next to me

asked without hesitation.

“Yes. That’s me.”

The other officer by the window came closer to the

desk as the officer next to me stood up. “I’m Detective

Santonio. This is my partner, Officer Whitman. I’m afraid

we have some bad news.” Detective Santonio was dark

skinned, with teal green eyes and jet black hair. He was

muscular you could see, from the outline of his shirt.

Officer Whitman was smaller framed, less muscular with

brown hair and brown eyes, they both bore military cuts.

“What bad news?” I wasn’t really alarmed. It could be

anything.

“Are your parents names Patrick C. Crosby and

Shannon Crosby?” They waited for me to answer.

“Yes. That’s them.” I said, now puzzled.

“We’re sorry to be the ones to inform you Keara, but

the airplane your parents were on has been reported to

have crashed in the ocean. It departed from Kennedy

Airport, and was called in as a Mayday at 1100 hours. It

went down over the Atlantic. We're sorry…there are no

known survivors.”

Staring at them in disbelief, my brain tried to

comprehend what they just said to me. What? How can

that be? I must be dreaming. It’s got to be a dream.

Clutching my hand to my chest I could feel my throat

getting tighter, closing around my trachea and cutting off

my air. When I felt the dizziness wash over me, I put my

head to my knees to keep from passing out.

“Why don’t we give her a few minutes Officers.”

Though it sounded muffled to my ears, I knew it was

Dean Henderson speaking.

“Of course.” The officers spoke in unison.

“Keara, we’ll be right outside. Just yell if you need us.”

I nodded, my head still between my knees and heard

the door shut. I slowly raised myself to a sitting position.

My parents were dead? The tears streamed down my

cheeks. The pressure in my chest was replaced with sadness of reality. How could this happen? I just talked

to them last night and so excited that they were coming

home. I had been so wrapped up preparing for mid

terms, that I even rushed my mother off the phone last

night. Oh God! What was I going to do? Lowering my

head as far down as I could get between my knees, I

started to hyperventilate.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Someone knocked on the door and

slowly opened it. “Keara, I think you should go home

now. Call your family to come be with you.”

“I have no other family.” I whispered sitting up wiping

the tears from my face. Grabbing my things and pulling

my keys out, I looked to Dean Henderson before heading

for the door.

“Maybe you shouldn’t drive.” Dean Henderson stated.

“I’ll be fine. Really.” I knew it wasn’t very convincing

when my chest shuttered between sobs and Officer

Whitman took my keys.

“I’ll drive your vehicle. Detective Santonio can follow

us.” I nodded in agreement and walked out of school

behind them.

Feeling the eyes on me as we walked to the parking lot,

I could only imagine what the other kids at school would

be saying after this. Officer Whitman helped me into the

passenger side of my Jeep then got in and started the

engine. I turned the radio down, just wanting silence,

leaning back in my seat and closing my eyes. Without

looking at Whitman, I told him where to go.

“I know exactly where it is.” He stated with pride.

Great. A cop that finds gratification in any type of self

knowledge. Just great.

It seemed like only a few minutes before we pulled into

our long driveway. Officer Whitman offered to walk me to

the house giving that boyish smile, but I respectfully

declined. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for driving me home.”

After watching them drive off in the squad car, I slowly

turned around staring at my house.

I envisioned my mother kneeling in her flower bed. She

took pride in landscaping our yard and actually did pretty

good too. My gaze followed the cobble stone path up to

our front door, envisioning my father standing in the door,

ankles crossed, arms crossed and one shoulder leaning

against the door frame.

I looked up toward the roof. Our house was big, built

by my father. Light blue, with stone embedded into the

siding along the front porch. Large glass windows allowed

you to see into the gaming area, and the indoor pool

area. A balcony could be seen off the master bedroom,

overlooking a pond we had in our side yard. The house

was beautiful.

I heard the door open. Jamison was there to greet me,

hurrying to my side, compassion in his eyes. “Miss

Keara. Come inside.” He draped an arm across my

shoulders, grabbing my bag with the other. “It’ll be ok

Miss Keara. We will get through this.”

Letting him lead me into the house, I stopped just

inside the door. Staring at the spiral staircase that led

upstairs, I felt weighted down, helpless, and didn’t know

what to do. My feet didn’t want to move. I was numb.

“Go to your room Miss Keara. I will bring you some

tea.”

Staring at him a moment to long, I screamed. “I don’t

want tea Jamison. I want my parents!” Running to my

room and slamming the door, tears flooded my face and

depression washed over me.

TBC