“Nan, you know I don’t believe in fairy tales.” As soon as the words left Mina’s mouth, a crash of thunder shook the cafeteria and the lights flickered on and off. Girls screamed in fright and the boys laughed out loud, pointing fingers and trying to re-scare some of the girls.
“Whoa…freaky!” Nan bobbed her head and looked around in wonder. “That was cool.” They looked out across the campus and could see the wind begin to pick up, but no visible rain yet.
“It’s just a storm,” Mina tried to answer carelessly. But her heart was racing with adrenaline. When it finally settled, Mina went on. “But Nan, if I believed in fairy tales, then wouldn’t there have to be a dashing Prince to save me from my pathetic life?”
“Well, you know,” Nan began to counter….
“Forget it. There are no happily ever afters. Look at my mom; she’s a maid for crying out loud, a widowed mother with two children. Where’s her happy ending?” Mina opened her chocolate milk and took a drink. “There are no such things as fairy tales.” Another crash of thunder shook the metal roof of the ceiling, causing Mina to spill chocolate milk down her violet jacket. A downpour of rain followed a second after, pinging loudly on the roof.
“Do you see what I mean?” Mina pulled her wet hoodie away from her body as she tried to wipe up the mess with a wad of napkins. “I’m cursed to be a loser forever.”
“You know, Mina.” Nan said thoughtfully as she grabbed napkins that didn’t have frosting on them to help her friend. “Not every tale has a happy ending. In fact, many of them are grim.”
Chapter 4
Mina couldn’t believe she was doing this. The only reason she decided to go through with it was because she heard a rumor that Brody was staying after school for a polo meeting. But still, you never knew. She was nervous just to meet Brody Carmichael’s mom.
She hoped if she rode her bike like a madman, she could drop off the folder and ride out without seeing him. So Mina did just that. It was a fifteen-minute bike ride to Sunset Drive and she was winded by the time she rode up to the palatial estate. Every house, including Brody’s, was surrounded by tall walls and heavy iron gates. She pedaled over to the call box and hit the green button.
“No solicitors,” a voice rattled through the high-tech electronic speaker. Mina looked around in surprise was and saw that a camera next to the gate had zeroed in on her.
Mina pushed the green button once more and leaned in. “Um, I’m dropping off an information packet for Happy Maids. We were told to bring it by this afternoon.” The voice didn’t come back on right away. Mina assumed it was because whoever was working the voice box was checking with the Carmichaels.
“Name?”
“Mina Grime.”
“Enter. Stay on the path. Don’t ride that thing on the grass!”
The giant iron gates swung inward and Mina rode up the driveway, mesmerized by the extravagance that money provided. What she had originally thought was the main house turned out to be the garage, which housed the family’s vehicles. Mina’s whole family plus the Wong’s could all live comfortably in the Carmichaels’ garage.
The main house sat back from the street, three stories tall with a terracotta roof. Majestic statues of horses were scattered throughout the estate and Mina could see gardeners trimming hedges and mowing the manicured grass. Behind the estate were training yards and stables for the Carmichael’s horses. Their prized racehorses were probably at another facility.
This was the first time Mina felt acutely aware of her family’s small income in comparison to others. She didn’t really care about money, but she understood the phrase "out of her league."
She was embarrassed when she got to the steps of the main house and couldn’t decide where to leave her bike. With the kickstand broken, Mina tried to lean it against a pillar and got a heated look from a maid. She went to lean it against a bush and received a horrified stare from the gardener. Giving up, Mina let it lay in the driveway, its back wheel spinning pathetically.
She took the front steps two a time and found herself in front of huge mahogany double doors with a silver mustang knocker. Knocking, Mina decided she would count to ten Mississippis and if no one answered she would do leave the packet and go home. She only got to seven when Mrs. Carmichael herself opened the door.
Mina recognized the soft eyes and elegant smile, not to mention signature pearls and perfect coif, from the tabloid magazines.
“Yes?” she asked sweetly.
“Hi, I’m Mina. I’m supposed to deliver this Happy Maids’ packet on behalf of my mom.” Mina thrust the packet toward Mrs. Carmichael, hoping to get this delivery over with. Mrs. Carmichael wasn’t cooperating because she didn’t take the packet.
“I’m sorry, what?” Her brow furrowed in confusion.
“My mother’s boss, Terry Goodmother of Happy Maids, said you requested an informational packet. I’m just dropping for them.” Mrs. Carmichael still looked confused, and Mina had a sinking feeling that this was a huge mistake. “I’m sorry. I must have the wrong residence.” She turned in embarrassment.
“Wait! What was your name again?” Mrs. Carmichael called out. Her eyes softened with compassion. Or it could have been pity.
Mina had made it to the bottom steps and turned to look back up at Mrs. Carmichael. “I’m Mina Grime.”
“Mina. You’re the one who saved Brody!” Her confusion disappeared and her face lit with happiness. “We have much to thank you for …oh, Brody, watch out!” she practically shouted.
Just when Mina started to wonder about Mrs. Carmichael’s strange re-enactment, she heard a sickening crunch of metal on metal and turned to see her bike crushed to smithereens beneath the wheels of a black car. “My bike!” Mina groaned.