Adventures of Alexis Davenport Series Read online

  Alex whimpered when she saw her reflection in the mirror shift. Please, not again!

  Alex was stunned to find that instead of a dirty face surrounded by dark hair, the girl had strawberry blonde hair piled high on her head with elaborate curls dangling over one shoulder. She had big brown eyes rimmed by dark lashes. Her hands covered her mouth and she had tears falling down her milky white cheeks. A string of pearls encircled her slender throat.

  A knock on the door caused Alex to spin in fright.

  “Let’s go Alex. You need time to shower and get ready for tonight.” Her mother’s muffled voice sounded like it was coming from a mile away.

  “Coming!” She was surprised to hear how calm her voice sounded. Is this what it’s like to be in shock? Alex left the restroom and followed her mother and aunt to the car. She felt as though she were moving in slow motion. Sounds were too faint, the light too dim. She wanted to scream but her throat was locked tight. She was surprised she could even breathe.

  Her mother and aunt chatted in the front seat and didn’t notice Alex’s demeanor. She sat in the back seat, her body thrumming with the fear pulsing through her veins. It took every ounce of will power to keep from crying.

  What am I going to do? She wanted desperately to tell someone of her odd adventures, but just couldn’t bring herself to say the words. She couldn’t add to her mother’s stress and worry and she wasn’t about to tell her new-found friends she was seeing strange girls in the mirror. I wouldn’t even tell my old friends about this.

  After she showered, she was afraid to wipe the condensation from the mirror. She brushed her hair quickly in the steamy bathroom. She bit her lip and considered going to the game without make-up. However, her anxiety at the possibility of Beau seeing her without make-up was greater than her fear of looking in the mirror.

  She used the mirror in her room and the only face she saw was her own. The excitement of the coming evening began to overshadow her fear of seeing the beautiful strawberry-blond girl. Alex even found herself wondering who she was and what time period she lived in. She is probably some rich princess from England or France.

  Paul arrived at 5:30 and came inside to meet her aunt and mother. He had all three laughing in no time with his wit and charm. Her mother slipped her some cash while the pair were on the way out the door. Alex smiled gratefully at her mom.

  Alex and Paul chatted about the game. The GJHS Tigers were playing their rivals, the Central Warriors. Paul complimented Alex on her choice of orange cammi and black shirt.

  “Gotta support my new team, don’t I?” Alex said.

  They met the others at Pizza Hut and sat at a corner booth. There were other students in the restaurant as well, all wearing orange and black in support of the Tigers. Jennifer sported two pigtails, one tied with a black ribbon and the other with an orange one. She had even drawn orange and black paw prints from chin to forehead. It looked as though a strange little tiger had walked across her face. She noticed Alex looking and took out orange and black make-up pencils from her purse. Alex laughed as she drew little paw prints on her cheeks.

  As they ate their pizza, Alex had an idea about how to ask about her strange experience in such a way that her friends wouldn’t be suspicious.

  “So what do you guys know about time travel?” Alex asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

  “Time travel? What in the world are you talking about?” Brittany asked, giving Alex a weird look.

  “This is kind of out there, even for you, Alex.” Amy teased.

  “I was watching this show on the History Channel about physics and they mentioned time travel, but it was over my head.” Alex regretted even saying anything at all. The last thing she needed was to give her new friends any reason to think she was a freak.

  Simon spoke up. “Well, the theories of going backward or forward are very different. It may be possible to go forward in time just by being in a fast-moving object. The person in the object would experience slower time than objects around it. There are also the theories of time-like curves and wormholes...”

  “Are you even speaking English, Simon?” Amy asked, her face a mask of confusion. She had sprayed small tendrils of her blond hair with orange and black spray.

  Simon rolled his eyes. “I have a thing for space.” He shrugged and looked embarrassed. “The theories of time travel are complex and confusing, and most experts believe it may be possible to travel to the past, but that it isn’t possible to travel to the future. But why think of all of this complicated stuff now?” He jumped up, his face alight with excitement. “Let’s go cheer our freshman team to victory!”

  The group paid their bill and walked across the street to the stadium. Alex had never been to a game before and she could hardly contain her excitement. The other girls were just as excited and walked arm-in-arm to the bleachers. Brittany left the girls while they were under the bleachers, telling them to go without her. She walked over to a group of students who were all dressed in black clothing.

  Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She looked to Alex. “Seems like she is too good for us these days. I mean, I just don’t get the appeal of dressing in black and acting all glum and depressed all the time.”

  Alex did not hear anything Jennifer said about Brittany. She had spotted Beau on the sidelines. She thought he looked so buff in his uniform. Alex hoped he would look her way as they walked past but he was intent on listening to one of the coaches.

  The group found seats right in the middle of the bleachers with a great view of the players. Alex found herself shouting and cheering along with the cheerleaders. She wasn’t surprised to see Catelyn front and center, full of school spirit, leading the other girls in the well-known chants, and urging the fans to show their support for the team.

  Alex couldn’t take her eyes off Beau. She found out by asking Simon that he played receiver. She jumped up and down when he would take off down the field, turning to watch for the ball, jumping with poise to catch the ball in mid-air, landing with feline grace to run for the end zone. Alex had never known anyone so amazing and perfect.

  She watched him on the sidelines when it was the other team’s ball. His blonde hair stuck out everywhere and he was covered in sweat, but he had never looked better to her. She wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

  After the resounding win, Alex cheered until she thought her throat would burst. She willed Beau to look to the stands and realize she was cheering just for him. Instead, he smiled at Catelyn who had come running to throw herself at him, wrapping her long legs around his waist. He held her effortlessly.

  Alex turned away, hating to see them together. She did not say much as the group made their way back to the Pizza Hut. Paul drove her home, pointing out his neighborhood on the way.

  “Where do the others live?” Alex asked.

  “Jenn and Simon are out in Orchard Mesa. We hang out there near the river. There are some really cool places to explore. Amy lives up north off Orchard Ave and Brittany lives in Riverside.” He laughed when he saw her blank look. “I keep forgetting that you haven’t been here long. Okay, so Orchard Mesa is to the south of town and you have to cross the river to get there. Riverside is, well, right near the river and Orchard Ave is the next main drag north of North Avenue. Have you explored near your aunt’s place yet? There are some neat trails and rock formations.”

  “I was planning on that tomorrow actually. My aunt doesn’t need me at the store,” Alex hesitated for a moment. “Want to join me?” She hoped he would not take her invitation the wrong way. She didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. Paul was nice and all, but he was no Beau Johnson.

  “I gotta go to my Grandma’s house tomorrow. She needs some help with the yard and such. Thanks, though.” Paul dropped her off at the front gate to her aunt’s house, shouting that he would see her at lunch on Monday.

  She walked to the back of the house, cringing as the motion-sensor lights came on, nearly blinding her. She hoped the light did not wake an
yone. Her mother had left the door to the guesthouse unlocked. She padded softly though the house, which was still dimly lit from the lights outside.

  She lay in bed, and fell asleep wondering how to make Beau notice she was even alive.

  CHAPTER 8

  THE NEXT DAY DAWNED cool and crisp, a hint of the impending fall season. Alex wandered out of her room and found her mom already awake and eating breakfast.

  “Still going to explore today?” Patricia asked.

  Alex shrugged. “I guess so. Don’t have anything else to do.”

  “Stick to the trails and make sure you’re back in a few hours. I don’t want you wandering alone for long, Alex. And for heaven’s sake, don’t do any climbing! And stay out of dark holes! And...”

  “And don’t talk to strangers,” Alex laughed. “I got it, Mom. I’ll only be gone for a few hours and I promise to stick to the main trail just out in back of the house.” She grabbed a hoodie and a water bottle and set off.

  She was glad she had the hoodie. It was chilly, especially in the shade. Her body soon warmed as she climbed high into the sandstone cliffs. As promised, she kept to the main trail. There were a number of people out alone or in pairs, many walking their dogs. She felt safer knowing there would be plenty of people within shouting distance if she got into trouble.

  Tiny brown and grey lizards ran away from her as she made her way down the gravel and stone path. There were butterflies and bees flying among the various desert plants. She giggled when she saw a large lizard with a yellow head and green body, complete with black stripes around his neck. It sat on a rock covered in green and yellow lichen.

  “You blend in well with that rock, don’t you?” Alex said. The lizard merely looked at her, his head tilted to the side as she passed.

  Alex marveled at the browns, reds, and peaches of the rocks. The colors formed almost perfect lines, a geological map leading back eons. She could see where water had shaped the rocks, making strange formations and arches in the soft sandstone. The temptation to climb was strong but Alex decided that she was not quite brave enough to take up rock climbing unsupervised. The gruesome story of the hiker in Utah who cut off his own arm to save himself in a freak rock-climbing accident stood out in her mind.

  The sky was a clear, bright blue, a stark backdrop to the red of the rocks. There was very little vegetation, and it clung to life in small patches of dirt.

  Alex needed a quick rest after walking a short bit up a very steep hill. She stopped and took off the hoodie, wrapping it around her waist. She sat on a rock that had a large hollow filled with water. She glanced in and was surprised at how clean the water appeared to be.

  The image began to shift and Alex’s heart beat so fast she feared it would burst from her chest. She gritted her teeth and tried to force the reflection to return to her own face, but it changed into the girl with the strawberry blonde hair. This time, her hair fell in waves around her face. It looked to Alex as though she had just awakened from sleep.

  As the girl’s brown eyes met Alex’s own, Alex felt the same connection to this girl as she had to Aine in Ireland. She and the girl could be sisters, their features were that similar.

  But it was more than that. The connection went deeper, much deeper. Alex felt as though she was looking into her own eyes.

  She found it difficult to turn away. A part of her wanted to stare at the young woman and find out more about her, and another part hoped someone would come along and interrupt the moment.

  Alex found it strange that she did not feel the compelling urge to touch the water as she had the mirror. Perhaps it isn’t time for me to go through? Alex closed her eyes and willed the image to change back to her own face. She opened them and was quite shocked to find that the reflection in the tiny rock pond was her own once again.

  Maybe I’m learning to control it. Whatever it is.

  She decided that she had had enough of exploring and headed back to the guesthouse. It was becoming quite warm now that the sun was almost directly overhead.

  After a quick lunch, she decided to do some internet research about the strange things that had been happening to her. She also hoped she could make some sense out of what Simon told them at dinner about time travel.

  She couldn’t find anything about passing through mirrors but she found a ton of information on time travel. The material was quite over her head and she found her mind wandering as she tried to sift through the plethora of web pages on the subject. She was irritated to find that it was nearly impossible to sort fact from fiction.

  Alex wondered why she felt this odd connection to the girls in the mirror. She didn’t have siblings and wondered if she was feeling a connection that sisters shared. She shook her head. That last thought felt wrong, as if it didn’t quite explain the strange familiarity the girls in the mirror possessed.

  Alex sighed. She was getting nowhere staring at the computer screen and she certainly didn’t understand most of what she read about time travel. Time dilation, special relativity, all of it sounded like a foreign language to her.

  She watched some TV, idly flipping through channels and finally settling on a History Channel special about the Mayan empire. Alex watched the program until her mother got home.

  “I have something for you.” Patricia came in carrying several bags. She handed Alex the largest of the bags.

  Alex frowned. “Early birthday present, Mom?”

  “It’s from Karen.”

  Alex gasped in delight as she pulled several pairs of jeans and cute tops, and even a new pair of shoes out of the large paper bag.

  “Your aunt thought you could use some new clothes.”

  Alex gave her mom a glance. She had clearly heard something in her mother’s voice that didn’t sound all that happy.

  Alex tried on the new clothes, admiring how they fit. She had never owned a pair of skinny jeans, thinking she would look ridiculous in them, but she found that they actually looked good on her, especially paired with the long button down shirt. A wide gold belt perfected the look.

  She paraded in front of her mom and her aunt, who had come in to the guesthouse just to see Alex in the new clothes.

  “You really look good, Alex. Beau won’t be able to take his eyes off you.” Karen gave her niece a wink.

  Alex flung her arms around her aunt. “Thanks for the awesome clothes!”

  Karen invited the girls to the main house for dinner. C.C. made a delicious Tandoori chicken recipe. Alex had never tasted curry before, and loved the bold flavor of the dish. They ate outside on the patio, enjoying the cool evening air.

  Alex was rinsing off the dishes in the sink when she heard that all-too-familiar lowering of adult voices when they were speaking of things they didn’t want young ears to overhear. She bit her lip and turned the water down slowly, until she could hear their voices over the drizzling water.

  “I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t buy Alex all that stuff.” Patricia’s voice drifted in through the open window.

  “I didn’t mean anything by it...”

  “You never mean anything. It’s bad enough I had to come begging for help, but to have you rubbing it in my face...”

  “Rubbing what in your face?” Karen’s voice hissed.

  “The fact that you were right!”

  Alex was alarmed to hear her mother’s voice close to sobbing. Part of her wanted to turn the water back up so she wouldn’t hear anymore; but a bigger part just had to hear the rest, no matter what.

  “Do you really think that makes me happy?” Karen was asking. “I didn’t want to be right. I wanted to pretend that jackass had never grabbed me that way, or that Gary was the perfect gentleman and you two could live happily ever after.”

  They are talking about my dad! He grabbed her? A voice in Alex’s mind was insisting that she should really turn the water back up, that some things were better left unheard. And yet she stood riveted to the spot, unable to even pretend to load the dishwasher.

  �
��I never wanted to drift apart. I tried to keep in contact but it was just too hard. Call it the right of the big sister to hate seeing her little sis wasting her time with a loser who doesn’t deserve her.”

  When her mother started crying, Alex turned the water up, and hurriedly finished loading the dishwasher. She was shaking and her face felt hot. The last thing she wanted to do was walk back outside but she couldn’t stay in the kitchen of the main house forever.

  Alex walked out the back door, calling goodnight to her aunt and mother. She tried to act nonchalant so they wouldn’t know she had overheard. Both women merely waved before continuing their conversation.

  She had Spanish history homework so she read until full dark, but she couldn’t concentrate. The conversation between her mother and aunt kept running through her mind. There were things that a daughter should never know about her parents.

  Alex sighed and slammed her book shut. Trying to read is a waste of time. She reached for her iPod and lost herself for a time in the music blaring from the earbuds. When the numbers on her clock read 10:30, Alex put the iPod away, knowing that she needed to get to bed. She turned on her alarm, excited to wear her new clothes to school. She hoped Beau liked girls in skinny jeans.

  CHAPTER 9

  THE WEEKS PASSED quickly for Alex. She had her schoolwork and her new friends, as well as working part time at her aunt’s store to keep her busy. She was pleased to see the money in her cigar box building up to the point that she asked her mom if maybe she shouldn’t open a savings account.

  She proudly put most of the money she earned into it, hoping to be able to afford a phone some day. She spent very little when she went out with her friends. She was happy they usually spent their time hanging out at someone’s house, watching movies, or wandering around Orchard Mesa, an area to the south of Grand Junction, adjoining the Gunnison River. Alex thought Jennifer and Simon lived in the best part of town. There was so much to do and so many cool places to explore.