Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Make A Wish

     Christmas break came to an end and Farrah came to school in style. Dana and Peter couldn’t stop spoiling her. “Nice kicks” was repeated over and over the first day back. At lunch Jake came over to her table and sat down. “Sorry, I couldn’t come to the Party, my Grandma got sick so we went to Cali to see her.”

     “Oh, that’s okay. Is your Grandma okay?”

     “Yeah, my mom said she was faking and just wanted to see us.”

     “Oh, that’s kind of sad.”

     “Yeah, I guess, we are gunna visit her more now. Hey I wanted to ask where you got those awesome shoes.”

     “I don’t know, they were a gift.”

     “Well they are uber cool. What are you doing after school?”

     “Besides homework, nothing really. Probably hanging out at the mall, that is where my brother works.”

     “Oh, would you care if I came and hung out with you?”

     “No, I think that’s fine, um Dana and my brother will be picking me up after school, so you can ride with us. But it is at your own risk. My brother just got his permit and the streets just aren’t safe anymore.”

     “That’s funny, I will text my mom and ask, I will leave out the new driver part.” Jake smiled at Farrah. “I got to go get my cell phone from class.” Jake did a one footed 180 degree turn and headed outside towards the modular.

     “He really likes you.” Veronica said when Jake was clearly out of ear shot.

     Farrah looked at Veronica, her chubby cheeks raised into a smile. “I wish. You think? I think we are just friends, he doesn’t like me like me.”

     “Yes he does, it is obvious. Look even Missy is Pissy.” Veronica began pointing her head in the direction of Missy’s table.

     “She does look mad. I think that Missy is pretty though that is why he dated her. She is like a Brats doll, and I am like a homemade rag doll.”

     “No, Missy may be a brat and a total plastic fake, but you are not a rag doll, you are like way more beautiful, if I could look like anyone it would be you, so you are like a porcelain doll.”

     “That is the nicest thing I ever heard, and the funniest, Missy the plastic brat.” Both girls burst into laughter and looked at Missy. Missy noticed right away and wrangled her posse. Not 10 seconds had passed, Farrah and Veronica were still trying to control their laughter.

     “What is so funny?” Missy said.

     Farrah and Veronica choked down the rest of their giggles, and very seriously Farrah said, “none of your business”.

     “Oh please anything at this school is my business.” Missy said.

     “No, actually Missy it’s not. Just leave us alone.” Farrah said.

     “Losers, you are just losers.” Rachel said.

     Farrah watched as Veronicas cherubic face twisted into a demonic light red. Her eyes flashed with passion. “You want to know what we were laughing about. I said you were a plastic brat, because you are fake and mean. You walk around thinking you can hurt anyone, do anything, but you can’t. That is why Jake likes Farrah because you are just a fake dressed up brat doll. But guess what no one wants to play with you.”

      Farrah thought that could have been said a little better, she could tell Veronica wasn’t used to standing up for herself, but Farrah was also upset by the comments. Farrah did not want Missy to know about Jake.

     “Well Veronica, I am glad you think I am like a brat doll because I would rather look like a brat doll, than a whale like you. As for Jake, if I wanted him back I could get him, and I’ll prove it.”

     What was with always proving things and this girl thought Farrah. She wondered what Missy was already planning.

     Farrah watched as a yellow Jeep, with a custom sign on the door that read Destiny Destinations stuttered to a stop. She knew Wes was driving. She looked around for Jake, to see if he was coming, but he wasn’t around. Then she saw him get in Missy’s car. He looked at Farrah and shook his head. What did that mean she thought? Farrah wanted to cry, but didn’t want to talk to Dana or Wes so she swallowed her tears and jumped in the jeep.

     At the shop Fee Fee and Cha Cha were being really unruly so Dana called Peter and asked him to come pick them up, he did and Farrah tagged along.

     Wes was making copies when Acacia walked in. She had a beanie on, and it didn’t help her sickly appearance.

     “Acacia are you ready for this?” Dana asked in excitement.

     “Yes I am so ready! I wish I had already left.”

     “Well we have to plan everything first. How about you let Wes help you, he needs the practice so he can book with other people, is that okay?” Dana asked.

     “Sure, why not.”

     Wes had no idea he was ever going to do anything besides be a paper jockey. He hadn’t even been trained to do much else, unless you count walking the dogs. What was he supposed to do?

     Acacia was excited to plan her dream trip, especially now that she had eye candy to enjoy while she did it. “Well Wes lets go, I don’t have much time.” She thought about how uncomfortable that probably felt to Dana and regretted saying it.

     “Wes make a list of everything, I mean everything she wants to see and then start from there.” Dana said.

     Wes joined the brittle figure at the computer and grabbed a scrap piece of paper.

     “Well first thing is I want to see my sister she is in Paris. She moved like 4 years ago to go to fashion school and barely ever comes back.”

     Wes scribbled Paris-Sister on his paper and nodded that he had gotten that. “Anywhere else in France? That way we can maybe keep it organized country by country.”

     “Yeah actually, there is this place, like an island castle place, I saw in a magazine. I am pretty sure it was in France.”

     “I have no clue.” Wes said. “Maybe we can google island castle near france.”

   “Mont Saint-Michel.” Dana said. “Wes you need to start learning about these sites.”

      He wrote Moe Say Michelle. He knew this had to be wrong but that is what Dana said, wasn’t it? “Well I do know one place you would probably want to go, at least I have always wanted to, Le Louvre.” He said this with confidence.

     “The art museum, right, yeah add that as a maybe.” Wes was beginning not to like this girl. How could she have The Louvre as a maybe?

     “I know I want to see Rome, Florence, Venice.” She trailed on listing half a dozen Italian cities.

     “Slow down, when did we get to Italy?” Wes wrote the cities while Acacia took a breath.

     “I think Wes is right, focus on one country at a time. If Italy is something you feel like seeing more, then go their first. Your sister isn’t going anywhere.”

     Wes and Acacia stayed an hour after closing while Dana busied herself with work. Acacia’s list was substantial; it included Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, Switzerland, and Ireland. They stopped there as Dana was ready to go home.

     Dana’s driving was not much better than Wes’. Wes watched as Dana slowly rolled through a stop sign instead of actually stopping. It was at the yellow light, that Dana went speeding through, that prompted Acacia to finally say something. “I kind of want to go on the vacation I am planning before I die.”

     “You have a problem with my driving?” Dana asked.

     “Oh, that is what you call this.” Acacia said. “Wes, who did you say was teaching you to drive?”

     “Hey leave me out of this; Dana is still better than walking.” Wes said. 

     “Well at least we are close to my house. “ Acaicia said.

     When they pulled into Acacia’s driveway Wes was astonished at the size. It looked as big as the entire apartment building he lived in. It belonged on the cover of a real-estate magazine. The yard resembled a golf course. This was a place Wes would dream of painting, but the lavishness kept him from dreaming of living there. Why hadn’t they paid the government for the cure for her cancer? It looked like they could afford to. The three story home had brilliant lights that shined like gold through most of the bottom level. Even in the dark the home resembled an Italian Villa, with stone walls and plants growing up the sides. Wes just wanted to ask, you actually live here. This could be on MTV Cribs. He didn’t. Acacia didn’t seem like it was something she like to talk about or even acknowledge.

     Acacia jumped out as the car came to a stop. “Thank God! I will live to see Paris again.”

     Dana laughed and said “find a different ride next time”.

      “I already texted for a driver, sorry Wes it won’t be you. Get a new teacher Wes, or you will spend more time on the side of the road getting tickets, then actual driving.”

      “Thanks for the advice.” Wes said.

     Acacia walked to the front door and waved as the yellow jeep pulled out of view. When she opened the door she heard Frankie playing on the Stereo. She wondered why her dad was home on a Monday. She was surprised to see both her parents there dancing to Fly Me to the Moon.  They looked really happy. She savored the moment and hoped that they would do this even after she was gone. It seemed like the sicker she got the further they became from each other. She hated that she caused that. Seeing her petite mom being whisked around in her Dad’s large arms reminded her of how she used to dance with him while never touching the ground. His large feet became the dance floor and she just floated there with him. She didn’t want to interrupt so she just waited and watched soaking in the love. When the music ended Acacia stepped into the room in full view.

      “Hi, why are both home? You are never both home. Your anniversary isn’t until June. What’s with the dancing?”

     “Dad, and I want to talk to you.” Iris said.

     “Well I know you’re not getting a divorce by the looks of it, so what is with the serious voice?”

     “Well you know how Sage was going to go with you after your stop to her in Paris.”

     “Wait was? What do you mean was?”

      “Well, yeah was. She’s got some fashion thing if she took off from it her position would be lost.” Bocca interrupted.

     “Are you serious Dad.” Acacia felt slighted. Her own sister knew she was going to die and didn’t want to lose a position? She held back tears. She felt like she already had died, and life was going on without her.

     “Look Acacia,” her mom interjected. “Sage has worked really hard and she is really upset about this. That is why Dad and I have decided we will go with you. All together.”

     “No.” Acacia thought of a million reasons why she didn’t want them to go. She wanted to have fun. She wanted to drink. She hoped to maybe find a cute European guy to hang with. She wanted to experience the life that had already been taken away. “I will go alone.”

     “Told you Iris. Sorry Acacia that just isn’t happening. I had a feeling that is what you wanted. I know you are an adult you have already proven by turning down your chemo treatments, but you are not going alone.” Bocca’s baritone voice boomed in aggression.

     “Really, so my one thing. The one thing I want to do before I die, just see a little of this world and now I don’t get to, because you want to chaperone me like a little girl?”

     “Look Acacia” her mom broke out in tears, “what if you died before you got back?”

     Acacia’s body fell limp and plopped on the sofa. “I am going to die. I don’t know when. I don’t know where, but I am going to die.” She knew all this before but the actuality of it hit her. In that moment with her mom wondering if she was going to die on a train to Italy or in a bar in Germany, she to realized on a deeper level that she would have a last breath and it would come very soon. She thought that she had already accepted it, understood it and even longed for it, was she lying to herself?  She realized she pretended she was ready. That made it easier.  All the jokes, the brave façade, was crumbling right off her body and into her lap along with the tears that sprang out. Her mother’s comforting arms around her felt foreign, not because her mother had never held her, but because she didn’t know who this pile of rubble was. She thought she had. All she knew now was that she was terrifies of dying, no not dying, of dying alone.

     “I get it. I get that I can’t die alone. I still want to go. I still don’t want you to go with me. I am sorry. How could I enjoy it if I saw you look at me every day the way you have for 2 years. It reminds me that I am going to die.”

     “Acacia I can work on it. I can be positive. Dad and I both can.”

     “No, no you can’t. Mom, I want to live like I am never going to die, not die while never living.”

     “You are not going alone.” Bocca said.

     “I know I will get someone.”

     “Who? All your friends stopped visiting a long time ago.”

     Acacia knew this was true. It hurt knowing how superficial her so called friends were, how she used to be. It seemed like every stand of hair that fell out of her scalp was just another friend falling away as well. They started treating her like she was contagious, and Acacia felt horrible around them. They would talk about dances and things she couldn’t go to. She asked her mom to tell them not to come, that they might get her sick and hurt her chances of getting better. The only person she had even talked to in the last 6 months that was her age was Wes.

     “Wes, pay for Wes. He wants to see museums and stuff. He is a really good artist and this could help him.”

     “Wes? You don’t even know Wes.” Iris said.

     “Who is Wes? Is that the homeless kid?” Bocca asked.

     “He is not homeless he lives with Dana.” Acacia said.

     “Wes has the whole world on his shoulders already. You think he is going to up and leave his sister who he is fighting for?”

     Acacia didn’t know the ins and outs of Wes and his sister. She only knew what she had overheard at the party. Peter quit so Wes and Farrah could stay with them and Wes was fighting to keep Farrah. She always wanted to ask, but was afraid to.

     “Well, she can stay with Dana. I mean it is only 3 months right. What couldn’t she stay with Dana and Peter?”

    “I don’t like you going with a boy.” Bocca said.

     “Daddy, really. Like I am going to have time for boys. I am seeing the world.” And hopefully a lot of good looking boys she thought.  “Wes will be all about the art.”

     “That is true. That boy is very talented.” Iris said.

     “Well,” Bocca cleared his throat “if Dana and Peter think this would be okay I will trust their thoughts. We paying for this kid?”

      “Yes, Iris said. We are going to pay for him to go. Kind of like an employee, we pay for him and he keeps Acacia safe, and checks in with us.”

     “No! He comes as a friend, not a babysitter. You pay for him because he will never have an opportunity like this and he will call if anything goes wrong. That’s all.”

     “Only if Peter says he is okay.” Bocca reiterated.

    “Only if Wes agrees to go of course.” Iris said.

     “Deal.” Acacia said. What had just happened she thought, she just invited a boy who she barely knew to come with her on her personally financed Make a Wish trip. Acacia went to bed praying that Wes would say yes.