My Secret Life
By
Rebecca Anna Coleman
Sequel To
Magnolia Blooms & Sakura Petals

-2-
Poolside Brainstorming

I took a deep breath as I gazed into the reflective, glass surface of the full length bedroom mirror that I'd brought on a whim from one of the many charity, second hand shops that lined main street. This one was from “The Treasure Chest”. The “The Treasure Chest” despite its grand sounding name was nothing more than one of those thrift shops slash charity shops that tried to sound a step-up on the social ladder by calling themselves “Antique Shops”. They often boosted their wares from some manner in England or some abandoned villa down Natchez way. But really it came from somebody's grandmother's house.

Anyway I'd stumbled into this shop about a day or so ago and well I knew the moment I laid eyes upon it. I just had to have it. It was something that just belonged in a girls bedroom. And it was a bloody steal at just twenty four dollars and fifty cents. Plus ten dollars to have the blasted thing delivered, unloaded, and brought into my bedroom. Of course being a proper southern belle in training I'd offered those two hard working delivery men a glass of cold, tall freshly brewed sweetened ice tea with a fresh slice of lemon and a sprig of mint from mom's herb garden.

Anyway pushing all of that to the side I took a deep breath as I gazed into the smooth, reflective surface of the mirror. It was good glass, free of any bubbles. The image that gazed back at me was a different one that I expected. And that pleased me. It vanished some of the fears that had been following the past two and a half weeks. I'd been dreading that I would look just like a boy in a bathing suit. Despite spending an hour and a half that morning chopping away at all the body hairs and doing my best to become smooth as silk, instead I looked like a flat chest girl. This girl had a flat chest, her shoulder length, blonde, golden hair had been divided down the middle and styled in two perfect, braided pigtails. Each pigtail had a cord of powdered blue ribbon tied into a little boy at the end. A girlish classic charm. After all, a hint of demure never hurt anyone.

She had a spray of freckles across her round oval face, she looked a bit underweight and her arms and legs were tanned but the rest of her body was white as flour.

“If I just had a little more up top.” I muttered to myself as I turned one way and then the other. “It would really fill out the suit more. Right now, I look like a flat chested tomboy.” I paused. “Okay I can call myself that but if anybody else does. I'm going to throw some hands and somebody is going to catch some paws.” I then giggled. “I sound like my sister..”

“Anyway this is just a test run..” I said smiling. “Tomorrow is D-Day!” I said grinning. Tomorrow was indeed D-Day. Tomorrow I will hit the mall. I had a shopping list already made out. And at the very top of my list was Victorian Secrets. Followed Body, Bath & Body Works, followed by a make-over at Sephora. After that was done it would be time to hit up the local Game Exchange to see if the newest Harvest Moon or Animal Crossing was in. And then finally to hit up FYE to see if any used anime dvds had arrived then Books-a-Billion the newest release of the reboot of Sailor Moon.
And to finish the day an early dinner at Steak Escape. And best of all my estranged father would be bankrolling part of this little shopping spree. And so with those delightful plans in my head I started to walk toward the pool in the backyard. I had brain storming to do. Shojo Kaiden would want their first story soon and I needed to give them something. I would also need something to send to Shojo Beat. And with those thoughts twirling around my head I stepped outside and took a deep breath. It felt weird stepping outside in nothing but a bathing suit. Shrugging my shoulders I started toward the pool deck. Anyway it was time for a nice swim and then some tanning and then maybe I could write something.

“Anyway this is just a test run.” I then paused. And then all of a sudden I changed my mind. Maybe I should postpone D-Day for a week or so. Cut a few more lawns. Save a few more dollars. Adjust my shopping list a little and maybe offer a quick prayer to Our Lady. Divine guidelines could never hurt after all.

Once I reached the wooden deck, I took a deep breath and reached down into a little shoulder bag I'd carried with me. I then pulled out a comical pair of oversized pink sunglasses. I took a deep breath and slipped them on and smiled as I leaned back in a long deck chair and allowed the sun to warm me. Yes, tomorrow I'll do something beside the mall. I'll find something to do. I'll test the waters first. But now I was content with laying out on the deck, and allowing the sun to warm my body.

“I wonder what dad would think.” I said to myself as I felt myself drifting off to sleep. “One second thought.” I paused. “I don't really care what he thinks about me. He can go drive his dumb truck off a bridge and straight into Deer Creek as far as I'm concerned.” I said, muttering to myself. “The deep part of Deer Creek, the part around Leland, were the waters deep enough to cover the truck and drown a man.” I muttered as I felt my eyes become heavy with sleep.

I did not fall asleep, no I just laid there with my eyes closed and allowed my thoughts to roam. I did fall asleep, but before I did I prayed a prayer I think most if not all teenage girls prayed the moment they turned from twelve to thirteen. I prayed for my bra to fill out a little more, I prayed for a boyfriend who would treat me like a princess. And when I fell asleep I dreamed of sparkling formal gowns, going to prom with a boy, and finally walking down an aisle in a white wedding dress.

The dream was getting good, me and my dream husband were about to consummate the marriage when a bright, flash of light woke me up from my nap. As soon as I opened my eyes I saw a dozen small orbs of light circling around my head followed by another flash of light.

“Did you get the picture?” I heard a voice from the other side of the fence.

“Four of them!” I heard another whisper.

“Are you sure that is the target?” The first voice whispered in a harsh tone of voice.

“Hell if I know! Let's get the hell out of here before the bitch comes to her senses.”

At this point I was just starting to come to my senses. I felt a blush creeping across my face as I rushed toward the edge of the fence. My first thought was to call the police. But what could I say? Hey I was sunbathing on my pool deck and some creeps peaked over the fence and snapped a few pictures of me? My second thought was to pick up something and toss it and try to smack one of those creeps on the head.
My third thought was to scream and run inside. Instead I rushed toward the fence and leered over it. I was just in time too, because I saw two teenage boys on sports bikes making their grand escape. Their backs were turned so it was impossible for me to see their faces and they were too far away to tell what kind of bikes the two were making their grand escape on. I mean a bike is a bike right. Still flushing red I stood there as I watched the two boys vanish around a sharp bend in the road and down the street. It then dawned on me, even if I called the police, I had no story.. nobody saw them but me. It made me feel uneasy.. but what could I do but try to put this behind me.

“I bet this is going to come back and bite me in the ass..” I muttered as I took a deep breath.

End of Chapter 2