Page 1 of Wait for the Dream

Prologue

Bailey Age 4

Iran away from the nanny again. I think this one is gonna leave me soon, too. They all leave me. I don’t try to make them leave, I promise. I just can’t help it—when they’re mean to me, I bolt. Mother never believes me when I tell her that, but she doesn’t seem to like me much, either. She doesn’t believe anything I say. She just gets mad that she has to find another nanny. One time, I heard her telling Father that they should just send me away. Father told her it would look bad. I don’t know what that means.

This nanny’s name is Martha. She’s the absolute worst. She’s always mad. I won’t miss her when she leaves. So, I grabbed my favorite kind of popsicle, the blue one, from the freezer and went out the front door while Martha was in the bathroom.

I’m sitting on the driveway, finishing my blue popsicle, when a boy runs out the front door of the house next door. I heard we were getting new neighbors, but I didn’t know they had kids. The boy looks a little bigger than me. He comes charging toward me like a puppy when its owner gets home from work. Not that I’d know anything about dogs, Mother and Father won’t let me have one. I’ve just seen videos of them when I get screen time. When he stops right in front of me all I see is eyes a little lighter than the chocolate I steal from Martha, and hair the color of the sun. He’s wearing a green T-shirt with a bear on it.

“Hi, I’m Aiden Matthew Baker, and I’m four, what’s your name?” He asks with the biggest smile on his face. He’s bouncing on his toes, like he can’t stand still or something.

“Bailey Nicole Michaels. I’m four, too” I say back. I don’t have any friends, I’ve never seen any other kids around the neighborhood. I’m not sure Mother, Father, or the nannies would let me play with them even if there were, but since Aiden is next door, maybe we can play together sometimes.

“Well Bailey, I’m gonna call you Blue.” He’s a big ball of energy. I don’t know if I’ve ever met someone with so much energy before.

“Why?”

“Because your tongue is blue, duh.” He shakes his head and giggles. This boy is kind of weird, but I think I like it.

“Well, if you’re gonna call me ‘Blue,’ then I’m gonna call you ‘Bear.’”

He shrugs. “I guess that’s okay. I just moved in right there.” He says pointing at the house next to mine. “I don’t know anyone here, other than my little brother and sisters, but I don’t really like to play with them. We moved here from Texas, can we be best friends?”

“I don’t have a best friend, unless you count my nanny, which I definitely don’t. Actually, I don’t have any friends or brothers or sisters, so I guess.”

“Don’t you worry Blue, I’m the best friend you’ll ever have. You can ask my momma. She says I’m the best.”

“We will see about that. I’m not sure I’m a very good friend. All my nannies have called me a ‘pain in the ass.’”

“That’s a bad word, my momma would’ve washed my mouth out with soap for that one,” His nose crushes up and he makes a gagging sound.

“I was just repeating what they called me.” I mumble, embarrassed, “Please don’t tell. I don’t wanna get in trouble.”

“I won’t tell, but even if you are, we are gonna be best friends for the rest of our lives. Pop says we aren’t moving anymore, that this is our forever home, so it looks like you’re stuck with us.” He shrugs.

Right then Martha comes running out of the house, her face is the color of a tomato. I know she’s mad I ran away again. I’m in trouble.

“Bailey! How many times must you be told not to leave the house without an adult? You’re such a bad little girl. And you took a popsicle without asking? I am going to have to take your screen time away.” She’s yelling, but then she notices Bear standing there, “Who is this?”

“I’m Aiden. You’re not very nice. You shouldn’t call her a bad little girl.” Aiden says, putting his hands on his hips and stomping his foot. No one has ever stuck up for me before. I’m always in the wrong. The smile that has been on his face since he walked up is gone. I don’t like it.

“Why don’t you run along, and mind your own business? This doesn’t concern you, boy.” Martha responds, somehow turning even more red.

His eyes darted between us for a few moments before he says, “I’ll see you later Blue, don’t forget you’re my best friend now. I don’t think you’re a bad little girl. I think you’re nicest and the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”

“Thanks Bear. I’ll see you later,” I respond in a shy voice.

No one has ever called me pretty before. The closest anyone has ever come to calling me pretty is the time Mother told me the green dress I wore to that stupid gala was a good color on me. I hate galas, I have to sit still and be quiet. It’s so boring.

As we walk toward the front door, I take one more peak at the boy who just became my best friend. I’ve never had a best friend before, but I think I’m gonna like it.

Aiden-14

Bailey has been staying with us for a couple of weeks. Her parents are on some business trip, like always. If we’re being honest, she spends 90% of her nights at our house anyway. Martha quit a month and a half after we moved in, thank the Lord. She was the worst. Blue had one more nanny that lasted about a year after that, and since she just spent all her time here anyway her mother and father didn’t hire anyone else. Not that they notice she’s gone half the time. I’m fairly convinced she could move into our house and they wouldn’t notice. Momma and Pop don’t mind that she’s here. There is a running joke that Bailey is the favorite child.

The day I met my Blue, I ran right into the house and told Momma that I met the prettiest girl I’d ever seen and I was gonna marry her someday. Momma thought I was crazy, but I knew it was true. I still do. She’s still the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. I’ve loved Bailey since I was four—and I think I might just love her forever. Pop once told me he knew Momma was the one for him the first time he ever saw her, and I think that’s what happened with Blue. I’m not sure if she feels the same. She tells me she loves me, but I think she means it like a brother or just a friend. I don’t mean it like that. Sometimes I think she gets upset, if the death glares she sends their way are any indication, when the girls at school flirt with me. I hear what they say—that I’m cute—but I barely notice, because I’m watching Bailey. I think I’ve always been watching Bailey.

I will never understand the way Bailey’s parents are with her. They work a lot, so they’re never home. Her dad is the CEO of some high-profile tech company. He’s always in meetings, working late and traveling for work. Her mother is on the board of, like, three charities or something, and follows her father around like an obedient little puppy. They care a lot about appearances, they expect Blue to show up for a few events a year, which she hates, but other than that she doesn’t exist. They treat her like a prop to make themselves look better.