At First Hate (Coastal Chronicles)

“Marley and Maddox Nelson!” Gran called as soon as we walked into the house. “Where were you?”

“Uh… cheer meeting,” I tried.

She shook her head. “I called the cheer coach, and she said practice was tomorrow. Try again.”

I sighed heavily and let my head hang. “It wasn’t Maddox. I asked him to drive me.”

“Oh?” She held her hand out. “Maddox, keys.”

“Oh man,” he grumbled, passing them to her.

“No rehearsal this week. Go do your homework.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Marley, sit.”

I sat. “Gran, it’s not what you think.”

“What do I think?” she drawled as she eased back into her favorite chair.

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

“I think you lied to me. Tell me the whole story. Start from the beginning.”

I didn’t know how she knew, but she did. She always did. So, I told her what had happened—the party, the kiss, the kids at school, going to see Derek. She listened without comment through all of it. Even the kiss.

When I was finished, she finally asked, “And do you like this boy?”

“No!”

She arched an eyebrow. “Don’t lie to me.”

I huffed. “I don’t know him.”

“Yet you kissed him.”

“I… yeah.”

“I see.”

“I mean, we did talk before it happened. I felt connected to him. Like he wasn’t going to be a bad guy. But obviously, he was.”

“I’m going to tell you the same thing that I told your mom at your age.”

I groaned. “I don’t want to hear about Mom.”

“Don’t speak ill of your mother, chickadee. She gave you life. She deserves your respect.”

“Even if she hasn’t earned it?” I grumbled under my breath.

“Yes,” she said confidently. “Now, I told your mom that every person is going through their own struggles. You can never know what someone else is dealing with or why they act the way they do.”

“But, Gran…”

She held a hand up. “But if you let them take advantage of you once, they’ll do it forever.”

I froze in surprise at the words she’d uttered. I had expected a Christian lecture about treating people the way you wanted to be treated.

“So, if this boy did you wrong and you showed him kindness, you gave him a way out. Then, you need to make sure he understands that he can’t hurt you again.”

I tilted my head. “I like the way you think, Gran.”

She laughed and patted my hand twice. “Your mom never quite learned that one, but I think you will. You have to assert yourself, or you’ll be walked over your whole life.”

“Thanks, Gran. For everything.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie.” She kissed the top of my head. “Oh, and you’re grounded for a week too.”

I groaned. “But my driver’s test is Saturday.”

“I guess you’ll need to spend all your extra time studying.”

“And the game Friday?”

“It’s an obligation. So, yes, but there and back, and I’ll be driving you.”

I huffed in frustration but nodded before she could tack on more time. “All right.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too.”

She headed for the kitchen. “Get your brother, and I’ll grab Gramps out of the garden for dinner.”

I watched her go in frustration. The grounding sucked. But her words gave me a few ideas about what to do in regard to Derek.

6

Savannah

November 6, 2004

I twirled in a circle. “I did it! I passed.”

“Good job, loser,” Maddox said, punching my arm.

“Jerk!”

“Children,” Gran said with a shake of her head. She held her old-school Polaroid up to her eye. “Now, smile.”

We got close together and smiled wide. She snapped the shot, and the picture popped out of the camera. She shook it twice and then handed it to me.

“Congratulations, chickadee.”

Gramps pulled me in for a hug. “I always knew you could do it.”

“Aww, thanks, Gramps.”

“Celebratory ice cream,” Gran suggested.

“Leopold’s!” Maddox and I cheered at the same time.

“Of course. The one and only. Marley, you can drive.” She tossed me the keys to the minivan. “It’s all yours.”

“Mine?”

She nodded. “I spoke with Melody at the church, and she sold me her Camry. I thought you needed your own vehicle.”

I clutched the keys to my chest. A minivan was the last thing that I wanted. Literally any other car would be preferable. But tears still came to my eyes as Gran handed it off to me. I had my own car. My own car. No more relying on Maddox to not be a jerk. No chauffeuring to and from dance and cheer and school.

“Thank you, Gran”—I hugged her tight—“and Gramps.”

He squeezed me too. “You deserve it with all those straight As.”

I laughed. “Thanks.”

“If only you could convince your brother to care,” Gran said, arching an eyebrow at Maddox.

“Hey, I care,” he said with a shrug. “Sort of.”

I laughed. That said all that we needed to know. Maddox was easily as smart as me. He just wanted the challenge, and if it wasn’t there, he got bored. His grades suffered from his boredom.

“All right,” Gran said. “Let’s go.”

I trailed my family out of the DMV and stopped before exiting when I heard my name. I turned around in surprise to find Derek’s stepmom, Kathy.