WrongorWriteBoxedSetstripped Read online

  Wrong or Write

  Boxed Set

  By Sky Corgan

  Text copyright 2014 by Sky Corgan

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the author.

  Contents

  Wrong or Write

  Write or Wrong

  Damaged

  Wrong or Write

  Prince Charming

  Most little girls dream about being princesses and marrying their fathers when they grow up. No man is as wonderful and handsome as your father when you're five years old. You don't understand the concept of romantic love and what it means to be in a relationship. The admiration you have is innocent and sweet.

  I wasn't like most little girls though. While my father was an amazing man, my first prince charming was Dominick Parker. Not only did he look like a Disney prince, but he also acted like one.

  He was my sister's best friend, but he never made me feel excluded, even though they were both twelve years my senior. Instead of going off on their own all the time, they'd take me with them when they went to the movies or to theme parks. We even built my tree house together.

  When I was seven years old, my parents died in a tragic car accident. At the time, my sister Tammy was living in a dorm at college. She immediately moved back home to take care of me. She would have dropped college if it wasn't for Dominick. He decided to sacrifice his own free time to make sure that my sister and I were well cared for. He went to college during the day and worked at night. The only time I ever saw him was when he was handing his paychecks over to my sister.

  Thanks to Dominick, my sister and I were able to act as close to a normal family as possible. We'd both go to school during the day, but by the time the bus dropped me off, she'd be waiting for me at home. She wasn't a replacement for Mom, but I knew she tried her best.

  The years passed, and Tammy finished college and was able to get a job as a manager at the local bank. She made sure her schedule still allowed for her to be home before I got off school. With Dominick no longer needing to support us, he quit his job and started coming around more.

  It was strange seeing him and Tammy together again. Not quite how I remembered it when I was a child. Then again, at twelve years old, I was beginning to understand more about how the world worked. Love was no longer a foreign concept to me. I could see the way Dominick looked at my sister. But when she looked back at him, the sentiment wasn't returned.

  I thought about asking her why they weren't a couple, but the truth was that I didn't want them to be. One thing that hadn't changed through the years was my attraction to Dominick, though it had matured like the rest of me. It was a silly little girl's fantasy to one day have him as my husband. He was absolutely perfect, both physically and emotionally. Everything that a man should be.

  Like my sister, I enjoyed things the way they were. Dominick came around, treating us with all the love and respect that he always had. My sister wasn't dating him, so I could still daydream that someday he would be mine. He had stuck by us for all of those years, so I took for granted thinking that he would always be a permanent fixture in my life.

  Then Tammy started dating someone else, a doctor fresh out of medical school named Marcus Johnson. He was smart and caring and handsome. Not the same kind of handsome as Dominick. This man was well-dressed and into fashion. Dominick had always been more of a rugged jeans and T-shirt guy.

  Though I could tell it hurt Dominick to see them together, he still remained my sister's best friend. With this new man in Tammy's life, she seemed to need Dominick less. While he didn't disappear almost completely as he had when Tammy was going to college, we didn't see him as often, and that made me sad.

  A stupid part of me wished he would come around just for me, but I knew that was an unrealistic expectation. I was still a child. Dominick didn't see me in a romantic way. He never had, and I was almost certain he never would.

  While the man whom Tammy was dating was nice, I secretly began resenting him for taking Dominick's place. Though I hadn't wanted them to be together, I had never really taken the time to think about what would happen if someone else came into Tammy's life. Dominick had been around for as long as I could remember. I couldn't even imagine him not being there.

  There are two heartbreaking days in my history I will never forget; the day my parents died, and the day Tammy announced her engagement to Marcus Johnson. I remember the joy in her expression as she told me almost the second I had stepped inside the house after getting off the school bus. She was practically jumping, her cheeks rosy with excitement, her green eyes glimmering in a way I had never seen them before.

  “Kim. Guess what? Guess what? Guess what?” she said to me, fighting back a squeal. Considering that one 'guess what' had not been sufficient enough, I could only assume it was something good.

  “What?” I asked, smiling back, though I was confused.

  “Notice something different?”

  I scanned her up and down. Her perfect straight black hair looked no shorter. Her outfit definitely wasn't new. I looked at her nails to see if she had gotten them done. That's when I noticed the ring. My mouth dropped open.

  “Oh my God, Tammy. Is that what I think it is?”

  “Yes!!!” She cried out, wrapping her arms around me and twirling me around. I was only thirteen at the time, so I was still light enough for her to pick me up, just barely though. “Marcus finally proposed!”

  “I'm so happy for you,” I replied genuinely, though in the back of my mind, my thoughts were racing as to what would happen to us. Ever since our parents died, it had just been Tammy and I. It would be strange having a man in the house.

  “I know, right?” She set me down and then quickly straightened out her outfit. “Dominick is on his way over. I haven't told him yet. Act like you don't know anything. I want him to be surprised too.”

  “Alright.”

  I hadn't really thought about how Dominick would take the news. While he obviously hadn't been happy about Marcus and Tammy dating, he had accepted it. I figured he would accept this as well. What choice did he have?

  I waited outside for him, thinking about what this new engagement meant for my life. I liked Marcus, but how comfortable would I be with him living with us. Would a lot of things change? Tammy and I usually watched movies together on Monday nights and spent as long as we could in our pajamas on Sundays. Were those traditions now limited to the time before Marcus moving in? There would definitely be an adjustment period.

  Dominick pulled up in front of the house in his old Datsun. The thing was on its last leg. It looked about as bad as it sounded, with orange paint that was chipped in so many places that the thing looked spotted. He called it the Frankenstein car. Every time it died, he said he would do whatever it took to bring it back to life. The car had been in the shop more times than the number of years I had been alive. My sister always joked that there was no floorboard, and that he moved the car with his feet like Fred Flinstone.

  Dominick strode up the driveway with a smile on his face. He took the porch steps two at a time and then leaned over to muss up my hair.

  “Hey kiddo,” he said in his husky comforting voice.

  “Hi,” I replied shyly and then followed him inside.

  Unlike she had been when I came home, Tammy had a straight face when she laid eyes on Dominick. They greeted each other with a hug, and then she offered to get him something to drink, and we went into the living room to sit down.

  The conversation started casually enough. Dominick asked how we'd
been and what we'd been up to. Tammy kept extending her hand and placing it on her knee, an obvious display of the ring, though Dominick missed it completely.

  Finally, when she got sick of waiting for him to see it, she said, “Do you notice anything different about me?”

  “You look more beautiful than the last time I saw you,” he replied without hesitation. While it was a sweet sentiment, it made my heart sink into my stomach. He loved her still. He would always love her, no matter what.

  “No, but thanks for the compliment.” Tammy grinned, though I could sense she felt a bit uncomfortable from his comment.

  “Then I'm out of guesses.” He reclined.

  The elated smile crept back across Tammy's face as she disclosed the good news. “Marcus proposed.” She held out the ring.

  I watched Dominick's face like a hawk then, my eyes seeking any change of expression.

  He leaned forward and gave the ring an appreciative nod. “A diamond fit for a princess.”

  If there was any negative emotion inside his heart, he hid it well. He took the news with the same regard as if they were talking about the weather. When he started asking her about the details of the wedding, I relaxed. Everything was going to be okay.

  With one less thing to worry about, I decided to go outside for some air. Since Tammy and I lived together, she could fill me in on the details later. I was sure the wedding would be all I would hear about up until it happened. It wasn't imperative that I subjected myself to it now. Besides, Dominick and Tammy so rarely got to be alone, I thought it was politer to leave them to themselves.

  When I went on the front porch, my mind returned to thoughts of how the marriage would affect my life. In a way, it was kind of like living with a single parent who was about to remarry. Tammy wasn't just going to abandon me. She had been playing the part of Mom since our parents died. Would Marcus step in and try to be my dad or would our relationship be something else?

  The door opened, and Dominick stepped outside. I thought about saying something to him, but I didn't. I don't know why at the time. Nothing seemed to be wrong. I had even heard him and my sister laughing as she walked him to the door. While the walls of our house weren't thin, sound still carried through, especially where I was sitting beside the dining-room window.

  Dominick simply stood there for a moment, staring out into our yard. Then I saw the light glistening in his eyes. When the first tear cascaded down his cheek, my heart completely shattered. The broken pieces clung to the walls of my stomach, afraid that he would see me.

  It had all been an act, the way he had seemed so cool and composed in front of my sister when she had told him the news. He had been sitting there dying inside, but he had done it with a smile on his face, never allowing us to see his true feelings. If he knew I was watching him cry, it would only add to the injury, so I did my best to stay as quiet as a mouse, to blend into the wooden swing I was sitting on.

  By some miracle, he didn't turn my way. He inhaled deeply and walked off of our porch. His long strides made it seem like he wanted to run. When he got into his car, that's when he really broke down. He wrapped his arms around the steering wheel and sobbed into them. As I watched his back heave, I couldn't contain my own sorrow. I wept with him, trying to be quiet as so not to draw my sister outside. I wasn't crying for myself or because of worries over the future. I was crying for him.

  For the first time ever, I wished things had gone differently. Life wasn't fair. He had been perfect. He deserved to get what he wanted. Didn't the hero always get the girl, the prince always get the princess? Dominick had done everything right. He had been there for my sister since they were kids. He didn't deserve to be replaced by some guy who had only been around for a year.

  Dominick looked up from the steering wheel, wiped his eyes, and started the engine. Part of me could hardly wait for him to drive away so that I could completely break down. Another part of me wanted him to stay there forever, fearful that I'd never seen him again. Nothing lasts forever though.

  Dominick put the car in drive, and as he pulled away, he turned to look at the house. Our eyes locked, and I died a little more inside.

  When Tammy found me crying uncontrollably, I told her that I was just afraid of what was going to happen to us. That wasn't true though. Somewhere deep inside, a part of me knew that Dominick had had enough. It was only a matter of time before he was gone from our lives completely.

  My fear was well merited. He never came by the house again. In fact, the last time I saw him was at the wedding. For a while, I didn't even think he was going to come. A few minutes after the ceremony began though, he sneaked into the back row. After it was over, he greeted the happy newlyweds and let Tammy and I know that he was moving out of state. My heart broke a second time from the news, but I knew it was for the best. He couldn't be around us anymore, not when it caused him so much pain.

  I had always resented Tammy for that, though I never told her about it. What could I possibly say? Marry the man you don't love. Dominick is better; he's always been here for us. It's your fault that he's going away.

  Tammy had explained to me before that she thought of Dominick as a brother, and I supposed that I could understand. They had pretty much grown up together, after all. We all had. But if she thought of him as a brother, then how come I didn't? Dominick had always been so much more to me. I knew there would never be anything between us, but like a stupid child, I had held on to some immature hope that maybe someday he could belong to me. If she didn't want him, then shouldn't he be mine?

  It was not to be though. Dominick left and he never looked back. We still heard from him around the holidays. At least, Tammy heard from him. He'd usually call while I was at school, so I never got to talk to him, but she'd relay the things he said when I got home.

  Apparently, he was doing well. He had been writing books for as long as I could remember, though he had called becoming an author a pipe dream. After he moved, he had gotten more serious about it. The first book he released to the public became an instant hit. Now he was a big success, taking up space on both the New York Times and the USA Today Best Seller lists.

  I was happy for him. Dominick deserved all the good things in life. Perhaps him moving had been for the best. If he had stayed here, who knows where his life would have gone. Despite my happiness for him though, there was still a greedy part of me that wished things would have gone differently, that he would have stayed and seen me grow up. And then maybe, just maybe, there could have been something between us.

  Good Fortune

  “I got in,” I squealed, holding up the letter from Mesa Community College.

  “Of course you got in.” Tammy smirked at me. “It's a community college. Everyone gets in.”

  “Don't rain on my parade.” I scowled at her.

  “I'm sorry. I just don't understand why you want to go to college so far away.”

  “There aren't any good video game design colleges around here.”

  “Still. Wouldn't it be better and cheaper to just get an associates in art locally and then transfer out.”

  “I'd rather not spend my first two years of college learning about stuff I don't give a crap about. Besides, it's not like you can't afford to send me.”

  She frowned. “I just don't like the idea of you being so far away. We've never been apart. Aren't you worried about being alone?”

  “Oh, come now, Mother. All little birds must leave the nest sometime.”

  She laughed and then sighed, “If this is really something you want to do. We'll have to find a cheap apartment for you though, maybe fly up there in a week or two and scout out the area.”

  Tammy's phone rang, and I plopped down on the sofa in the living room as she went to answer it. I was just about to turn on the television when I heard her say, “Oh, hi Dom. Long time no talk to.”

  It took everything in me not to seem enthusiastic. Even though he never wanted to talk to me, I always looked forward to his phone calls, to hea
ring about what he had been up to. Five years had passed since I had last seen him, but I always pictured him looking the same, being the same amazing guy. How he wasn't married yet baffled me, but I was secretly happy about it. It was stupid, but there would always be a small part of me that wanted him for myself.

  Ever since I became old enough to date, I found myself comparing other guys to him. Were they selfless like him? Were they as handsome as he was? Were they as generous or caring? No one ever stacked up. Maybe that's why I was still single. In a world full of villains and men with cruel intentions, Dominick was the only real prince charming I had ever met. I was convinced that knowing him had ruined me for other men.

  “Kim just got accepted to Mesa Community College,” Tammy was telling him. “Oh? I didn't know you had moved. Why'd you move?” She paused, “Really? I don't know, Dom. You've done so much for us already. I wouldn't want to impose any further.” More silence. “Well, it would save money. Marcus and I are trying for a baby right now, you know?” She paused again, “I'll talk to her about it, but I still don't think it's a good idea.”

  From that point, the conversation became one-sided with Tammy filling him in on her new promotion and everything that had been going on in our lives. I noticed that she rarely gave Dominick room to talk. He had always been a better listener though, a man of few words.

  I turned the television on, pretending to watch a show on Lifetime Movie Network while I waited for her to get off the phone so that I could ask what Dominick had said. Last I heard he had been living in Valencia, California. He seemed to like it there, so I couldn't understand why he would move. Then again, ever since Tammy's wedding, he hadn't stayed in one place for long. This was the fourth time he'd moved in five years, though he had lived in Valencia the longest. I had thought that he was finally settling down somewhere, but I guess not.