Comfortable Liar

strange; estranged, alienated, etc., as a result of being out of one's natural environment

I sat in the backseat of the strange car with strange people while having strange thoughts. I’m seeing a pattern here that I probably should have taken as a bad omen.

“So, Erika, how does it feel to be out of school?” my dad, Chris, asked.

“It feels pretty good. I was thinking of getting a job though. I’ve been saving up to get a car,” I said while looking out my window.

“A girl with goals. I like her already,” Karen, Chris’s wife, said.

“That’s me,” I said in a happy voice. If all Californians were this happy, I was going to go insane in a month. No, two weeks, tops.

“I think the ice cream shop not too far from the house is looking for help,” Chris said.

“Cool. I’ll check by there later,” I said without looking away from the scenery. I was used to trees and grass, but all I could see was the beach. Wait, the car was slowing down. They lived on the beach. Of course they lived on the beach.

“Well, here we are!” Karen said happily and opened her car door. I hesitantly stepped out of the car and looked up at my new home. It was a modest, one-story home that painfully looked like my house back home.

“So, what do you think?” Chris asked.

“I love it,” I said truthfully. It was a simple house, just like I liked them.

“Come on in,” Chris said and led the way inside.

“We went ahead and put your room together, but you can change it around if you want to,” Karen said sweetly.

“You didn’t have to do that. Really,” I said and smiled. Okay, so little pieces of me were slowly mending together. Mom had killed herself; she had ran. I was still here, and I wasn’t going to die with her. I was going to pick up the pieces and move on. Just like she had taught me.

“So, what do you think?” Karen asked as I looked around the room. There was a twin bed pushed into one corner, with a bedside table separating it from the wall. There was a desk, complete with a chair and lamp, and a good sized dresser with a mirror. I saw a small door, which I assumed led to the closet.

“You’ll have to use the hall bathroom, but it’ll be all yours. We have a bathroom in our bedroom,” Chris said.

“Sounds good,” I said as I continued to look around. A few of my things were laying on the top of the long dresser, and there was an alarm clock on the table next to my bed.

“Well, we’ll leave you to get settled and everything,” Chris said. I looked up and a pair of bright blue eyes similar to my own met mine. My hair had come from my other, but my eyes were all his. Dammit.

“Okay. And thanks, for…you know, letting me come here,” I said.

“I’d never turn you away, Erika,” Chris said. I looked away from him and nodded my head. My mom had been wife number one, and they had divorced because she had cheated on her. The other woman had been wife number two, and she had given him a son, my half-brother. He was born barely six months before me. Karen is wife number three, and I’ll let you guess how she got that title. As for my brother, he no longer lives with Chris. He’s only seventeen, and he’s living somewhere on his own.

I quickly cut my thoughts off and took another look around the room. The table next to my bed was just that…a table. It didn’t have any drawers or anything, and the only thing on top of it was the alarm clock.

I wandered over to the dresser and looked at the top of it. My jewelry box was on one end, and I was sure that my many assortments of jewelry was placed inside. My makeup case was also sitting on top of it. The drawers were empty.

There was nothing on the desk. I guess it would be handy when I started school, because it’d make doing my homework easier. It didn’t have any drawers either. There was a small lamp on one corner, and a nice chair was pushed underneath it.

All of my clothes were boxed up in the closet, and my small radio sat on top of them. I grabbed the radio and set it on my desk. I quickly plugged it in and then began the search for the box with my CD case. I found it after a few minutes of searching, and I began flipping through the pages of discs. I finally settled on one of my many Misfits CDs.

“Inside a wall street mind a psycho lurks, Lines of cocaine cut in hell, Obsessive hands gently grab your neck, Look into sick eyes…I hate people!” I sung as I began putting away my clothes.

By the end of the CD, I had everything the way I wanted it. My underclothes, socks, and pajamas were all in my dresser. I used the remaining three drawers for some of my favorite books. My jeans, shirts, and various jackets hung in the closet. My few pairs of shoes littered the bottom of the closet along with a box of unpacked books. The only other thing on my bedside table was a picture of me and my mom, taken three years ago.

I was satisfied with my room, but the walls looked a bit bare. I could fix that though. All I needed was a job, which was my next stop. I ran a brush through my hair and then walked towards the living room, where I could hear a TV. Karen and Chris were sitting on the only couch.

“Hey, is it okay if I walk around a bit? See the sights and everything?” I asked.

“Yeah, sure. Just be back by seven. We’re having pizza tonight,” Karen said.

“Okay. See you later,” I said a little awkwardly as I walked away. The warm ocean air greeted me as I stepped outside, and a smile spread over my face.

I could live here and make things right. Karen and Chris seemed nice enough, and we could get along. I could make everything work, even though I was miles from home.

My feet thumped on the sidewalk as I walked past the many shops and little stores. They all looked small and very busy. I’m sure there were tons of tourists here, since it was summer and everything. I’ve always heard that Huntington Beach is very popular with surfers. And, well, it’s just plain beautiful from what I’ve seen so far.

“Coney’s? Only in America,” I mumbled as my eyes found the small ice cream shop. There was a “Help Wanted” sign in the window, and cool air greeted me as I walked inside. The tables were filled with laughing families and blushing couples, but no one was at the counter except the girl working. I approached the counter and propped my elbows on it.

“Can I help you?” the girl asked with a smile.

“Yeah, I’m here about the job,” I said. The girl wrinkled her nose slightly and looked me over.

“Kelly doesn’t hire tourists, even if they’re here for the whole summer,” she said. She had a very thick accent, but I couldn’t place it.

“Oh, I’m not a tourist. I just moved here, and I was hoping to find a job somewhere close to home since I don’t have a car yet,” I said quickly.

“In that case…Kelly!” the girl yelled. A woman in about her mid-thirties walked out of a doorway and looked at the girl.

“What is it this time, Aiden?” Kelly asked.

“I think I found a possible employee,” Aiden said proudly. Kelly looked me over with the same look as Aiden.

“You know I don’t hire tourists,” Kelly said.

“She’s not a tourist,” Aiden said.

“I’m not a tourist,” I said quickly.

“Well, come on back,” Kelly said and waved me over. Aiden lifted a part of the counter and let me back, and I realized that there were two doorways. One led into where I guessed people took breaks and whatnot, and the other led to an office. Kelly led me into the office, and then she closed the door behind me.

She sat down behind a desk, and then she motioned for me to do the same. I slowly sunk into the leather chair, and my eyes searched hers. Kelly stared back, unashamed, and we remained quiet.

“You’re hired,” she said with a smile.

“Wait…just like that?” I asked.

“Just like that,” Kelly replied.

“Don’t you want to ask me any questions? A background check? Anything?” I asked.

“Your soul’s pure and innocent, I think that’s enough,” Kelly said.

“You can see my soul?” I asked. Kelly laughed lightly and shook her head.

“What’s your name?” Kelly asked me.

“Erika. Erika Mason,” I said.

“Erika, dear, you wear your soul in your eyes,” she said as she stood up.

“So, that’s it?” I asked and raised.

“That’s it. You start first thing in the morning. Be here at six thirty,” Kelly said.

“Okay. Yes, ma’am. See you then,” I said and nodded my head absently.

“See you then,” Kelly repeated as I walked out the door. Aiden smiled over at me as she talked to a customer.

“See ya in the morning,” she said with her unfamiliar accent.

“See you then,” I said for the second time. I walked home in a daze, trying to believe my luck and Kelly’s…unusualness. Chris and Karen were waiting for me with a homemade pizza. We ate and talked a bit, and then I took a shower before slipping between my sheets. I set my alarm for six and then snuggled into my pillow.

Everything just seemed so…strange. It was as if I was living someone else’s life. Erika Mason, Alabamian, Momma’s girl didn’t exist anymore. And I didn’t know who this new Erika Mason would be yet. It was all just so…strange.