Carlson Melody - Stealing Bradford

Just then Taylor emerged from the steamed-up bathroom. She had on a thick white terrycloth robe, and even without makeup, she looked glamorous and beautiful as she fluffed her curly hair with a towel. But when she saw DJ with the Bible in her lap, she threw back her head and laughed. “No way,” she said. “You’re not turning into a Bible-thumping fanatic too?”

DJ closed the Bible and set it back on her nightstand and shrugged.

“What is this? Some kind of religious epidemic? First Rhiannon, now you? Who will be next to fall victim?”

DJ stood. “Are you done in the bathroom?”

“For now.”

DJ was surprised at the mess Taylor had managed to create this morning. The area by the sinks looked as if Macy’s cosmetic counter had thrown up in there. She wondered if Inez usually cleaned all this up after they went to school, or was Taylor simply being territorial, trying to make it clear that she dominated in the bathroom as she seemed to do in all things. Well, Rhiannon might’ve taken this, but DJ was not going to give in to Taylor’s selfishness. She used her arm to swipe all of Taylor’s junk over to one side, knocking bottles and things over as she crowded them around the other sink. Much better.

Then she took a quick shower, toweled off, and put on her rather shabby-looking aqua blue chenille bathrobe. It might not be as plush as Taylor’s, but it had been DJ’s mom’s, and she was not giving it up. Then she peeked out into the room to see if Taylor was still there or not. She was. So DJ lingered in the bathroom a bit longer, taking a little more care than usual as she put on her makeup.

“Are you about done in there?” asked Taylor as she opened the door.

“Sure,” said DJ lightly. “It’s all yours.”

Then with Taylor safely in the bathroom, DJ hurried to get dressed and then headed downstairs for breakfast. To her surprise, the other four girls were already heading out the front door, but Eliza waited.

“What’s up?” DJ asked her.

Eliza glanced up the stairs. “I’m taking these guys to school today.”

“A little early,” pointed out DJ.

“So Rhiannon doesn’t have to be around Taylor. We’re stopping at Starbucks to kill some time before school.”

“So I’m stuck with Taylor?”

Eliza gave her a sympathetic smile. “You seem to stand up to her better than the other girls. Do you mind?”

“I guess not.”

She patted DJ on the back. “Hey, you look extra pretty this morning.”

“Thanks…” Then DJ figured this meant she needed to compliment Eliza back. “I like your shoes.”

Eliza pointed a pretty red toe out. “They’re Jimmys.”

“Who’s Jimmy?”

“Choo.”

“Huh?”

“Jimmy Choo.” Eliza laughed. “I can see our work with you is not done yet, DJ. See ya.”

DJ had to appreciate that Eliza was trying to help Rhiannon. But she did not appreciate being partnered with Taylor. Rooming with her was bad enough, but going to school with her too? Then she remembered what she’d read in the Bible this morning about being kind to your enemies. Maybe that’s what this was about. Maybe God just wanted her to be nice to Taylor. Well, she could give it a shot. At least for a day…or maybe just this morning. She wasn’t too sure how long she could pull something this difficult off.

“Good morning, Desiree,” said Mrs. Carter. “Eliza took some of the girls to school early. Apparently they had something they needed to attend to.”

“Right.” DJ nodded as she sat down. “Eliza told me.”

“I’ve been thinking about something, Desiree.” She set her coffee cup back in the saucer.

“Yes?” DJ waited, unsure as to whether this would be a good something or a bad something.

“We seem to be in need of another vehicle.”

“Huh?”

“Ladies do not say, huh, Desiree. Pardon me .”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Her grandmother narrowed her eyes slightly. “Well, I suppose that Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

“Huh?”

“Pardon me.”

“What was it you were thinking?” asked DJ, desperate to move on.

“I think it’s time to get you a car.”

“Me?” DJ sat up a little straighter now. “A car?”

“Yes. We will go looking tomorrow morning. Please, plan on it.”

“Looking for what?” asked Taylor as she came into the dining room. Then she paused and politely said good morning to Mrs. Carter.

“A car,” said Mrs. Carter. “I have decided with six girls going in different directions, it would be wise to get a car for Desiree.”

“Cool,” said Taylor, winking at DJ.

“It isn’t that I mind driving you girls to school.” Mrs. Carter smiled. “But I have never seen myself as a chauffeur.”

“I have my Vespa,” said Taylor.

“That may be fine when the weather is nice like this, but winter in Connecticut isn’t like what you’re used to in southern California, Taylor.”

“Yes, I suppose.”

“Perhaps you would like to join Desiree and me in looking for a vehicle tomorrow morning.”

“Sure,” said Taylor. She looked around the table now. “Hey, where’s everyone?”

So Mrs. Carter relayed Eliza’s little fib, and then Taylor offered to give DJ a ride on her Vespa this morning.

“That’s okay,” said DJ quickly.

“You have helmets now?” asked Mrs. Carter.

“I do.”

“That would be lovely,” said Mrs. Carter. Then she frowned. “But you girls are wearing skirts today. That doesn’t seem very ladylike…to ride on a motor scooter like that.”

“Girls do it all the time back in LA.”

“Well, then…”

“And, of course, you can be assured that both Desiree and I will be perfect ladies while riding.”

Mrs. Carter smiled. “Yes, of course.”

DJ was tempted to say she’d rather walk to school than be stuck with Taylor on the back of the Vespa, but then she remembered today’s goal to be nice to her enemy.

“Have a good day, girls,” said Mrs. Carter. “By the way, Desiree, will you let the others know that I won’t be at dinner tonight?”

“Where are you going?”

“The general has invited me to go to the city with him. He has tickets to a show.”

“Which one?” asked Taylor.

“I don’t know. He wanted it to be a surprise, but he promises that I’ll be pleased. Apparently, it’s usually sold out.” She refilled her cup with coffee. “But don’t worry, girls, both Inez and Clara will be here…in case I get home late.”

DJ knew that meant that her grandmother would be quite late, and she had a feeling that Taylor suspected the same thing.

Riding to school on the Vespa actually turned out to be okay, and DJ was relieved that Taylor didn’t try to knock her off going around the corners.

“Thanks for the ride,” said DJ as she removed her helmet and handed it to Taylor.

Taylor set the helmets on the Vespa and then fluffed out her hair, removing her compact to check her image. She handed it to DJ. “Don’t you want to make sure you don’t have helmet head or bugs in your teeth?” she teased.

So, to pacify her, DJ checked. But everything seemed to be in place. She handed the compact back.

“Thanks.” Taylor frowned now.

“What’s wrong?” asked DJ.

She let out a sigh. “I don’t know…it just seems that no matter how hard I try to make friends, there’s this barrier. Girls just don’t like me. Including you, right?” Now DJ felt guilty. Still, she didn’t want to lie. “The truth is…you can be kind of hard to like, Taylor.”

“I suppose.”

“And, believe it or not, I am trying.”

Taylor blinked. “You are?”

DJ nodded.

“We better hurry or we’ll be late,” said Taylor. “And I’ve already been warned twice. I don’t want to push things too far in my first week here.”