The Reformation of Marli Meade by Tracy Hewitt Meyer

Author:Tracy Hewitt Meyer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: suspense, thriller, evil, evil church, west virginia, appalaicha, appalaichan mountains, award-winning, YA, young adult, romance, love, horror, teen stories
Publisher: BHC Press
Published: 2016-11-01T04:00:00+00:00

I RESTED MY forehead against the cold metal of my locker, feeling miles and miles away from the amazing place I had been this morning—with Nate, in the coolest clothes to ever grace my skin, in the chilly freshness of the mountain air. Now I was back in a long skirt and ill-fitting shirt, the hem falling down to my hips. My shoes added another two pounds to the already heavy clothing.

Edna, as if sensing something had changed in the night, had followed me around the house spewing insults over my hair.

The ugliest shade I’ve ever seen!

Makes you look like a harlot!

We should shave your head and free you from the burden of your mother’s kin!

Charles, for his part, had me locked in his unblinking glare and did not release me from it until I slid out of the truck and hurried into the school.

Had the morning with Nate even happened?

The locker’s metal had long since warmed under my skin but still I didn’t move. As the warning bell clanged overhead, I sighed. When I finally stood straight, Heather was standing there watching me.

“Oh, hi,” I stammered.

“Do you like the clothes?”

My gaze darted. Would she try to use the clothes to embarrass me now? Call out to the others that the church-girl had accepted her hand-me-downs?

As if sensing where my thoughts were going, Heather huffed. “Look. I’m not going to embarrass you. I just want to know if you like the clothes.”

“Why are you being nice to me?”

She watched a group of students huddled together at the end of the hall. “I don’t know. I feel bad for you, I guess.”

“Why?”

“I tried to put myself in your shoes. Believe it or not, I’m not a mean person.”

“I know that.”

Shock spread across her face as if she were surprised I could think that. I was a little shocked myself.

“It’s not always easy being the popular girl.”

“But your life seems so perfect.”

Heather snorted and shoved her hands into her designer jeans’ pockets, jeans not too dissimilar from the ones she’d given me. “I have to be perfect all the time but that doesn’t mean life is perfect.”

“Why do you have to be perfect all the time?”

Heather rolled her eyes. “You’d never understand.”

“Oh, I bet I would. I have to be the perfect Christian daughter all the time. One slipup and there is no telling what would be done to me. My grandmother has slapped me, pinched me, forced me to clean the church from top to bottom, locked me inside it overnight with no lights. And that’s only for little offenses. If I did something really bad? Who knows? She’d probably drown me in the river trying to wash away my sins.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No, I’m not kidding. I have to keep a side of myself locked away because the consequences…” I shuddered.

Heather studied me for several moments until I started to fidget, never comfortable under scrutiny even though I had been scrutinized my entire life. “Can you not wear the clothes?”

“I can’t be seen wearing them.

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