A Whole New Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 1)

He had been watching me and I was on the team, just like that. I stood there, my insides all wrapped up around each other, stunned by how quick I’d been given this shot. Brian would’ve been proud. That was the first thought in my head. Then I remembered he was gone and my jaw tightened. My hands turned into fists. Just like that, in such a short span of time, I felt on top of the world and then my chest was tight. The anger was pounding through me again.

When I left the pool, I heard my name called out, “Taryn!”

Shelly had been waiting for me. She got out of her car, raised her hand, and waved. “Taryn! Hold on.” Then she ran to me.

I rolled my eyes.

“Hey, honey.”

Reaching for the car, I tossed my bag inside and turned around. “You look ridiculous.”

She frowned and pressed a hand to her chest. She was wearing a light scarf and it was billowing in the wind. Her hand settled it down, but she tugged at her sweater, closing it around her, and then smoothed out her skirt. With a string of pearls around her neck, her diamond earrings, and a pair of three inch heels, she looked ready for either a socialite dinner or church.

The corners of her mouth dipped down, but she lifted her chin again. It was like she had reaffirmed herself about something. She nodded and her shoulders dropped down to a ready position. “I can understand if you’re upset with me.”

“What are you doing here?” I didn’t want to hear anything she said. It would all sound pretty, but it would all be a lie. “Mandy called. She said you’re supposed to be at her graduation ceremony.”

She swallowed with an audible gulp. “That’s why I’m here. Kevin and Austin went. I came to see you.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re with one daughter. I’d like to be with the other one. And,” she gave me a timid smile, “I’d like to ask if you’d come to the house? We’re having a small get-together for Mandy. All her friends are invited. Everyone wants to celebrate how wonderful she’s done.”

I smirked. Of course. “You’re an idiot. You believed Kevin’s lie about adopting me and now this? Mandy dumped her friends. Wanna know why? Because they’re assholes. I hope you didn’t invite Devon, Jennica, and Amber? Mandy’s done with them and I’m proud of her for doing that.”

She blinked rapidly, as if shocked, then she forced a smile on her face. “Of course. I invited her friend Tristan and anyone Austin told me that was ‘cool.’” Her cheeks pinked and she laughed softly. “He told me to trust him with the invites so I did. If he invited anyone you don’t think should come, we can still toss them out. No one will impede on my daughter’s well-being.”

I was watching her. I cursed. “You mean it.”

She blinked, and her eyebrows bunched forward. “Of course, I do. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Kevin lied to you. You were brainwashed to adopt me. Are you not getting that?”

She shook her head. “No, Taryn. I wasn’t brainwashed and I wasn’t manipulated. I wouldn’t have taken you in if I hadn’t wanted to.” She stepped close. Her hands lifted and she took hold of my shoulders. Leaning forward, her voice lowered to a hoarse whisper, “The moment I saw your picture, I fell in love with you. Then I read your file and I fell even more in love.” Her fingers curled into me, holding on tight. “I am not happy with my husband. There are things we have to work out, but I am happy about you. I am so thankful that you’re a part of our family.” A tear slid down her cheek. She ignored it, giving me another shaky smile. “I’m not as blind as you think. I can see that Austin’s hurting. When we picked him up, he didn’t want to come home. He’s your fiercest defender in the house. He asks us every day when you’re coming home. And Mandy...” She closed her eyes. When they opened, there were fresh tears there. “I’m ashamed that I haven’t reached her like you have. I’m ashamed that so much was going on in my house and I never did anything about it.”

The tears. The heartfelt proclamation. I bit back a smart ass retort and fought from rolling my eyes. Then I couldn’t help it. It slipped out. “For real?”

“What?”

Her hands uncurled from my arms and she moved back a step. Searching my face, she saw the disbelief on my face.

I shook my head. “Who do you think I am? You really thought I would fall for that act?” I couldn’t forget the history. She left me with Austin. She took off whenever her husband called for her. Her daughter was a drug addict. “You shouldn’t be ashamed by what your husband has done. You should be furious. You should leave him.”

“Taryn,” she started.

“No.” I moved further away from her. “You’re one of the worst kinds of people. You’re the kind that sees something horrible has happened and you sweep it under the rug. You want it to go away so your life isn’t interrupted.”

Tears were rolling down her face, but it was like she didn’t feel them. She stared back at me. Her eyes were unblinking. There was a glazed look in them.

“Look at me. I’m the one who survived not having a family and I’m schooling you how to fix yours.” I snorted, feeling an empty void open in me again. “I can’t undo how I feel about Mandy and Austin. I already love them, but I’m thankful now that no relationship was built between you and me, or Kevin and me. So thank you for being shitty adoptive parents. You did me a favor.”

I sat in my car after that and waited. Shelly stood there, pale as a zombie, for a few more minutes before her phone rang. As she answered it, I heard her words muffled through the window, “I’m coming, honey. No…” Then she turned and went to her own vehicle.

I sat there, even after she drove off. I couldn’t bring myself to leave.

*

I hit the punching bag. They lied to me. It barely moved so I hit it again. They didn’t care that they lied. I gritted my teeth. My fist tightened and I rolled my shoulder back, lifted my wrist again, and bent forward into the stance. One foot was in front, the other behind, and I was on my toes. I was ready to switch them, jab back and forth, and bounce back as the bag should’ve been swinging to me.