Duet (Readdie Family Book 1) Read online

  Contents

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  SPECIAL KUDOS TO THE FOLLOWING

  DUET

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Excerpt from Rebuilding Christmas (Prequel to Duet)

  About the Author

  DUET

  Lizzie Lawson

  Copyright © 2020 Lizzie Lawson

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  ISBN: 9798606866847

  First Printing, March 2020

  Midwestern Dreams Publishing

  Perry, IA

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Thank you to my wonderful family! Thanks to my wife and kids for putting up with my obsession with getting this book done and published. In more ways than one, you’ve all been so supportive and I appreciate it more than you know. Love you all!

  Pati Bartlett - Your help and encouragement early on meant a lot. Thanks for all the conversations, read throughs, and all the late-night brainstorming sessions!

  SPECIAL KUDOS TO THE FOLLOWING

  Cover Design

  Designed with canva.com

  Cover Photo Credit: Yousef Alfuhigi on Unsplash, used with permission

  Alpha- & Beta- Readers

  Tina Dee - Thanks for your encouragement and advice! This wouldn’t have been possible without you!

  Lizzie Lawson Beta Readers Team - We may have had a small crew, but you all helped in so many ways. Thanks so much for all the feedback and suggestions!

  Editor, Proofreader

  Nicole Straker - Thank you for being an important piece of the puzzle! I’m looking forward to working with you again!

  For updates on exciting news about future books, secondary characters having their own series, and possible series and standalone crossovers (The Readdie family may appear in other series or stories), sign up for my newsletter at:

  LIZZIE LAWSON NEWSLETTER

  DUET

  CHAPTER ONE

  Norwalk, IA—August 28, 2014

  Monica Readdie turned her red Pontiac Grand Am GT into space 277 and threw the transmission into park. She turned up her stereo and sang along to her favorite song, “Seize the Moment” by Jen Foster. A second voice sang right alongside her with the same intensity. Kendra Readdie, Monica’s sister, danced in her dark gray seat as they belted out the chorus at the top of their lungs.

  Classmates waved as they walked past them, but two young ladies stopped and joined them at the windows. After a few short seconds, the duet became a quartet.

  Monica and Kendra smiled and fist-bumped their friends as they sang. They sang loud and strong until the final chord, drum rip, and crash cymbal before cheering and sharing high-fives.

  “You all ready for the school year?” Monica asked with a smile as she turned off the engine.

  “You’d better believe it, girl,” Chloe answered, raising her hands in the air to raise the roof. “Senior year, baby!”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Kendra said in a mixture of annoyance and playfulness. “Rub it in. I’m just a lowly junior.”

  The quartet laughed while Monica put an arm around her sister and squeezed. “You know we love you, sis.”

  “I know,” she said with a smile. “Which is why I love hanging out with all of you.”

  Monica and Kendra climbed out of the car, slinging their backpacks over their right shoulders. The four friends came together in a group hug behind Monica’s car, and Monica took the opportunity to look everyone over, including herself.

  Monica’s long, black hair was pulled back into a ponytail that reached the middle of her back. She wore a light purple t-shirt she bought during their family vacation to Wisconsin Dells, torn-off denim shorts, and black sandals with thin straps. She’d normally wear flip-flops, but the school’s dress code prohibited them.

  Kendra had a green shirt with white shorts, contrasting well against her light ebony skin. Her black hair was brushed back and held in place by a white headband. White sandals with a flower made of fabric adorned her feet.

  Chloe sported a blue Chicago Cubs t-shirt with the team logo on the front. The back of the shirt had Javier Baez’s last name in tall, red letters, and a taller red “9” in the middle of her back. Unlike everyone else, she wore white capris and blue tennis shoes with white, hidden ankle socks.

  Monica shifted her attention to Erica. Erica wore a pink t-shirt with the word “CONFIDENT” across the chest in white letters against a black background. Black capris came down just above her knees. A trio of silver bracelets jingled softly when her right arm moved. Simple, three-millimeter diamond studs decorated her ears. Sandals, a size too small, covered Erica’s feet, and her blonde, shoulder-length hair was pulled into a ponytail.

  It was with a sense of pride that Monica continued to stare at Erica. She’d come out as transgender at the start of summer break. Monica, Kendra, and Chloe took her under their wings and helped her start her transition. Today, Erica was showing herself to her classmates for the first time. Monica admired Erica’s bravery, but then remembered that Kendra went through that same stage.

  “You look great, Erica,” Monica said.

  “Thanks,” Erica said. “I’m a huge ball of nervous energy right now.”

  “You’ll be okay,” Kendra said, putting an arm around her. “I went through the same thing when I started. You have us nearby if you need anything.”

  “And besides,” Chloe added. “If you do get nervous, just think about how much fun we get to have this year. As seniors, the three of us get to boss Kendra around!”

  Kendra glanced at Chloe, her expression one of total befuddlement. “Only if you want me to kick you where the sun don’t shine!”

  Monica, Erica, and Chloe broke out in laughter over Kendra’s deadpan expression as she continued to stare Chloe down.

  “You know you’d never do that to us,” Chloe countered.

  Kendra eyed her curiously for a moment, then grinned. “No, I never would. I love you all too much.” She looked Erica up and down again with an approving smile. “Ready for your big debut, Erica?”

  Erica shifted her gaze between each of her friends and shrugged. “I don’t know. The only thing I’m sure of is I’m scared to go in there.”

  “It’ll be okay,” Monica said, slipping an arm around her friend. “You have us for support. You're just being you, and that's why we like you so much. If others don't want to get to know you, then it's their loss. But don't force your voice. That's a dead giveaway.”

  “Let it flow naturally,” Chloe said. “Don’t worry if you think it’s lower than you want. You’ve done some amazing work this summer, and your voice is already a little higher. If it fluctuates, just keep going.”

  “You can tell my voice is higher?” Erica asked her, sound
ing amazed at the statement.

  Chloe smiled at her. “Yep! It’s been awesome to watch you come out of that cocoon over the summer.”

  It was Kendra’s turn to put an arm around Erica. She looked Erica in the eyes and smiled. “Just remember everything we told you. Go in there, standing tall and proud. Show them the confident woman who’s been trying to burst through for years!”

  Erica took a deep breath and looked at the sidewalk. “What if I mess something up like try to go into the boys’ bathroom?”

  Monica shrugged. “Then you just stop, turn around, and go to the girls’ bathroom. It isn’t like nobody else has had a brain lapse and tried going into the wrong bathroom before.”

  Chloe’s eyes darted to her. “Monica!”

  “What?” she asked back. “I wasn’t even talking about you.”

  “Hold on a minute,” Kendra chimed in. “I haven’t heard this story. You mean Chloe went into the—”

  “Yes, I did!” Chloe exclaimed, interrupting Kendra. “My eyes and nose have yet to fully recover from the sights and smells! Can we drop it, please?”

  “I didn’t mean anything, Chloe,” Kendra said. “I lived as a boy until five years ago.”

  “How could you handle using the boys’ bathroom for so long?”

  “I just held my breath and hoped I could finish before I passed out.”

  Another round of jovial laughter rang out from them. Monica looked at her sister, awestruck at how easily she could talk about her transition. Her mom never talked about hers, but she’d been more open to it since they adopted Kendra. She’d overheard the two of them talking about transitioning and the rollercoaster of emotions they’d experienced. As much as Kendra meant to her, Monica understood how much Kendra meant to her mom.

  Erica squirmed and looked at the red brick school building. “I suppose I'd better go in. I'm so scared.”

  “Don’t be scared, girl,” Kendra said. “Go in there and be you! And if anyone gives you any trouble, they’ll soon be feeling my foot kicking them where the sun don’t shine!”

  Monica, Erica, and Chloe all giggled at her.

  “You'll be okay,” Monica reassured Erica. “We both have study hall first period. I'll go in with you, and we can share a table. How's that?”

  “Alright.”

  “See you all at choir!” Chloe said before walking off towards the library entrance with Kendra hot on her tail.

  “Wait for me!” Kendra called out.

  Erica and Monica walked the other direction for the band hallway. About halfway there, Monica glanced over at her and saw her blank stare at the sidewalk under their feet.

  “You'll be okay,” she said, putting an arm around her. “We've got your back, sweetie, even if we need to sic Kendra on them.”

  Erica giggled and took a couple of deep breaths. “I'm so nervous.”

  “I know you are. Just remember what your therapist said and the pointers we've given you. You may hear some things for a while, but you're strong enough to get through it. Chloe, Kendra and I are here for you if you need us for anything, including protection.”

  Erica’s arm squeezed Monica tight. “Thanks for everything so far. You've shown me so much this last summer.”

  “You're welcome,” Monica said. “And I'll keep teaching you things all year. Chloe and Kendra will help too but double-check with me first—especially after the estrogen starts kicking in, and your hormones run rampant.”

  Erica laughed and relaxed a little bit. “I'll keep that in mind.”

  Monica smiled and put her hand on the door handle. “Ready?”

  “No,” Erica told her, “but let's go anyway.”

  She opened the door, and they went inside together. Erica got several strange looks as they navigated the corridors to their lockers, but so far, nobody said anything. The looks continued when they reached the commons for study hall. Monica looked at the 20 tables in the open area and found one in the far corner. As the two girls took their seats, a few whispers came from students at the next table.

  “There's the tranny,” one boy whispered to his neighbor.

  “Stop it,” the girl at the table whispered back. “That's rude!”

  “What?” the boy asked. “I'm not lying or anything! Eric is a sissy!”

  Disgusted with what the boys said, Monica turned around to face them. She didn’t try to hide the anger in her expression. “Are you sure you want to go there, Dylan? I am your ex-girlfriend.”

  “You wouldn't,” he said, now looking like his social status as the class hunk was about to fall into ruin.

  “Does everyone want to know what I learned about Dylan when I dated him?” she called out to everyone at the table.

  “Monica!” he shouted. “Okay, I'm sorry.”

  She stood up and got right in Dylan’s face. Her eyes pierced into him while she tried to control her growing anger. “Everyone has dirty laundry, Dylan. Erica is just as scared of hers as you are of yours. You don't deserve to have yours made known, and neither does she. However, if you want to keep pushing it, then I don't have a problem announcing it to everyone.”

  “You're right,” he agreed, turning his attention to Erica. “I'm sorry, Erica.”

  “Thank you,” she said in a soft voice. Monica sat down again, and she leaned over to her. “Are you seriously going to tell everyone?”

  “Nope,” she whispered back. “But he knows I can get serious if I want to.”

  Erica nodded and sighed. “Thanks, Monica. I'll learn to deal with it someday. I’m glad you don’t have to call in Kendra on this one.”

  Monica laughed, put an arm around her friend, and squeezed. “Me too. Give it time, hun. You'll be fine.”

  Following the usual substandard lunch of chicken-fried steak with a side of what the cooks had the audacity to call fries, Lillian Starr entered the choir room and looked around. The band’s drums rested in the back of the room. A marimba sat along the far wall next to the water fountain. Three rows of dark gray chairs arced so everyone could see the director.

  Each seat had an index card attached with a name written on it. Lillian found her name in the back row and noticed the letter “A” below her name. The director placed her in the alto section.

  She looked herself over for a quick moment, smoothing out the wrinkles on her black capris and peach t-shirt. She made sure her sandy-blonde hair was pulled back, and her ponytail still centered. The black polish on her toes blended well with her brown Birkenstocks. She smirked and checked out her surroundings a little more.

  Hoping to make a friend or two, she glanced at the names of her seat neighbors. To her left was another alto named Chloe, and to her right was a card that snagged her curiosity. The name on the card was Erica, but there was no part listed. Lillian didn’t think much of it and assumed Erica was an alto and also a new student like her.

  Lillian looked at her fellow choir members as they came into the door. As others came in, she realized that these people had been a group for several years. They were laughing as they walked in. Some came in holding hands with their significant other. She hoped she’d fit in with everyone else, but that meant she’d have to meet them first.

  One thing she noticed right away was the number of people who immediately went over to the girl sitting at the piano. She had long, black hair, looked a little underweight, and seemed quite popular with everyone else. The girl also looked familiar. Lillian couldn’t place it, but it felt like they’d already met. That smile rang every bell in her mind, but Lillian couldn’t think of it. Maybe she just looked like someone Lillian knew.

  That had to be it.

  Two students came in and went straight to the piano. The familiar girl looked at both with a bright smile, then bumped fists with them. Those three knew each other and looked like pretty good friends. Lillian wondered how quickly, if at all; she could find a friend she could bump fists with. While Lillian let out a longing sigh, she watched those two girls come up to her row and take their seats on ei
ther side of her.

  It was a good time to try making new friends, so she glanced at both of them with a warm smile on her face. “Hi, there! I’m Lillian.”

  Chloe smiled back. “I’m Chloe! Nice to meet you.”

  “Erica,” the other said, her voice lower than Lillian expected. “Nice to meet you too. Are you new here?”

  “Yeah,” Lillian said. “My aunt and I moved to town over the summer.”

  “Welcome!” Chloe said. “I'm sure you'll like it here.”

  “I hope so.” Lillian looked toward the front of the room and pointed to the brunette sitting on the bench. “Who's at the piano?”

  “That's Monica,” Chloe told her. “She's been our accompanist since freshman year.”

  Monica. The name sounded just as familiar as the girl looked. Lillian still couldn't put her finger on how, but the feeling she had earlier intensified. She had to know Monica; her features were just too familiar. Good grief! How did she know Monica?

  The choir director, Kevin Larson, came in from his office and stood on his raised platform. “Good afternoon, everyone!” The entire class repeated it back and went silent. “I hope you all had a great summer and rested those voices for another great year.”

  Everyone whooped and cheered, some raising their fists into the air.

  “Okay, okay,” he said, motioning with his arms for the students to calm down. “Let's get started right away. If anyone wants to try sharing accompanist duties with Monica, let me know, and we'll do an audition.”

  Lillian’s ears perked up. She loved to play, and if she could be the pianist next year, that'd make her day. She made a mental note to see Mr. Larson after the period was over, but specify that she'd only be trying out for next year, assuming he allowed it. If Monica sat there since freshman year, Lillian didn't want to unseat her even though she had a suspicion that she just might be able to.