by
Kim
Pritekel
If
you’d like to tell me what a wonderful writer I am, or that I royally suck,
feel free at: XenaNut@hotmail.com
I pulled into the visitor's
parking lot of Rebecca's school and turned everything off, glanced up at the
large red brick building that was Bovine High.
I made my way toward the front doors of the massive high school, my hands buried
in the deep pockets of my coat, my head bent against the brisk wind.
"How are you doing, Frank?" I asked the security guard who held
his post at the double front doors.
"How goes it, Emily? Cold
one today, eh?"
"You know it." I smiled at the older man, and entered the building.
The halls were mostly deserted as the second to the last class of the
day was half into it. I could hear
the click clack of someone's high heels in an unseen hallway to my left.
I removed my bulky London Fog and carried it in my arms as I headed toward
the third floor where my lover's classroom was.
"Ms. Kelly? I need your
help over here. This isn't turning
out right." One of the students was saying as I walked through the open
doorway of Rebecca's room.
"Okay, Brian. Hang on
a minute." I spotted the woman with the dark red hair that I loved to run
my hands through, it's thick, silky strands running through my fingers.
She looked stunning in her green mid-calve skirt that hugged her hips
just so and creamy silk blouse. She
had removed the matching green jacket at some point in the day.
She was bent over looking into a microscope, her very shapely legs ran
smoothly out from underneath the fabric of the skirt, and slid easily into cream
colored heels, the strong calf muscles defined and delicious.
I leaned against the doorframe with my arms crossed over my chest and
stared in appreciation. I was so
proud of Rebecca. When we had met
nearly six years ago she had been a teller at a bank during the day, and was
taking classes at night to earn her teaching degree.
I had not only fallen in love with the woman, but also her drive, and
her dedication to anything she did. She
was breathtaking in every way.
When as a young woman her mother had emigrated from Ireland to the United
States, she had met Rebecca's father shortly after, and had become pregnant.
Rebecca's mother, Shannon was soon after abandoned by him, leaving Shannon
to give birth to her daughter alone, and eventually raise her alone.
Shannon never married, wanting to give all her time and energy to her
only child. Rebecca and her mother
had been very close, and she had been devastated when her mother had died three
years earlier.
"Ms. Kelly, someone is here." I straightened when I heard my
presence being announced by some nasal sounding girl. Rebecca looked over her shoulder and smiled.
"I'll be right back, Carrie." she said with a light pat on the
arm to the student that she had been helping. She walked over to me.
Her sensual eyes that were either blue or green, or sometimes both, depending
on what she was wearing, were a deep emerald green to match the suit she wore.
She wore no make-up, the peaches and cream complexion of a true red head,
seemed to glow.
"Hey, you." she said, her voice low and sultry, for my ears
only, bringing back memories from that morning. "This is a surprise." I grinned sheepishly, feeling
conspicuous with thirty-five pairs of eyes staring at us.
"I got our tickets today. American,
just under nine hundred, round-trip."
"Not too bad." she said. "La Guardia?" I nodded.
"My mother called today, too.
The funeral is Monday at three."
"When is our flight?" she asked as she subconsciously tucked
a restless wisp of my hair behind my ear.
"Tomorrow at six-fifteen in the morning. I figured that by time we got there, it'll be early enough
that I can do any visiting and get it out of the way.” Rebecca looked at
me strange. “What?”
“Honey, you haven’t been back to Colorado in years, and yet
you feel that it’s a burden to see them?” I stared at her completely
oblivious as to why she might be surprised.
She could see my confusion, and led me a little further out into the
hall. “Emily, do you know what I would give if I could just hop on a plane,
and go see my mother?” I sighed and glanced down at my fidgeting hands
for a moment before I felt my chin being nudged up.
I met her gaze. “You take your family for granted.
And your friends.” I stared, incredulous.
Her features softened, and she briefly took my hand, squeezing my fingers.
“So how are?”
“I’m okay.” I said quietly, her words bouncing around in
my mind. “I’ll get through this
It’s just kind of a shock, you know?”
“Ms. Kelly, is this stuff supposed to smoke?” one of the students
asked from the black science tables, as he stared down at a Bunsen Burner.
“Oh, boy.” She said with a look of
apology in her eyes. “I better get back in there.
Where are you off to now?”
“Wal-Mart. I need to
pick us up some of those little travel doodads.
Do you need anything?” Rebecca shook her head and moved in close
to me and whispered in my ear.
“Just you.” She gave me a kiss on the neck. “I’ll
be a little late. Dr. Landis wants
me to stop by his office when I get out of school.”
“Why? Is everything
okay?” I asked, my brows drawn with concern.
“Fine. I’m not
real sure what he wants. I’ll
tell you all about it tonight.” And with a soft smile to ease my worry,
she walked back into her class. I
watched her for a moment, not able to take my eyes off of the way her butt moved
under the skirt, the sway of her hips.
“Who was that woman?” I heard that same nasal voiced girl ask
as I headed back down the hall. I
grinned.
As usual, I had to park clear out in the Antarctic in the Wal-Mart parking
lot. Sam Walton sure knew what
he was doing when he opened the chain.
The bitter cold tried to sneak in around my coat, biting at the exposed
skin of my neck and up my sleeves to my arms.
I was shivering by time I reached the double doors of the store.
I nodded to the old man who stood at the door handing out carts and smiling
at people, and headed toward Health and Beauty Aids to get what we needed.
“No! Beth, I, oomph.”
I sucked in my breath as the giant teddy bear flew into my stomach. “You’re
going to pay for that!” I picked up a previously thrown Nerf football,
pulled my arm back to launch, when the ball was taken out of my hand from behind.
I turned to see a man standing over me, his brows drawn, and an extremely
not-happy look on his face.
“You two need to leave.” He hissed.
I looked back to Beth who was trying to not break out in hysterical laughter,
then I looked around me at the isle that was filled with stuffed animals, balls,
and a rubber pool toy that littered the floor around our feet so thick, the
white tile could barely be seen. I
turned back to the disgruntled employee, and gave him my best, most innocent
smile only to have him lift his arm, and point toward the direction of the front
door. Beth and I ran out of the
store followed by our giggles.
I chuckled as I loaded my cart with mini bottles of shampoo, and travel
cases for soap and tooth brushes.
Darla Newman had invited me over for a movie night while her parents were
out, but I refused to go unless Beth could go, too.
Finally Darla had agreed.
“No. don’t make
me, Em. Please?” Beth pleaded
as she lay on my bed on her stomach, my trusty teddy, Ruffles in her arms. She watched as I sat on the floor in front of
my full-length mirror, brushing my hair.
“Beth, you leave in what, like four days? I want to spend as much time with you as I can.” I said,
sticking a barrette in my mouth as I pulled one side of my hair back with my
hands.
“But does that have to mean at Darla’s house?” she groaned
as she buried her face in Ruffles thick, brown fur. “That chick is strange,
and she does not like me.” She rolled over onto her back, pulling the bear
with her, and stared up at the ceiling, connecting the little dots of insulation
thingamajigs with her finger. I
glanced at her through the mirror.
“Come on, Beth. She’s
not that bad. It’ll be fun.”
“Yeah, so was Auschwitz.” She mumbled.
I ignored her comment, and tucked my pink polo shirt into my shorts and
lifted the collar so it framed my neck, and the very bottom of my chin.
Beth looked at me through narrowed eyes, and turned back to her stomach.
“You’ve never wore you shirt like that before.
I don’t think I’ve ever even seen you in a shirt like that
before.” She sat up.
“It’s Darla’s. Do
you like it?” I asked, standing, and turning around to face her, my arms
out to the sides, palms up in expectation.
“Can do without the pink.”
“I knew you’d say that.” I muttered as I turned back to
the mirror, putting the last couple of touches to my bangs that were feathered
back, adding a final sprits of Aqua Net.
“Then why did you ask?” Beth grabbed Ruffles and hugged him
again, looking at my reflection critically.
“I don’t know. Maybe
I thought for once I’d get a straight answer out of you, or something.”
I added some light pink bubble gum lip gloss, smacking my lips together.
“You smell like a gumball machine.” She said, wrinkling her
nose. “Em, you look so much better when you go just as yourself, without
all that crap.” I turned to
look at her, my hands on my hips. I
could feel the attitude that I dawned like a cloak when around Darla Newman,
slide into place.
“Well, I really don’t care what you think, Beth.
I happen to like all that crap.
Is that okay with you?” she looked at me for a moment, surprised
washed briefly over her face before she became expressionless again.
“Since when.” She muttered as she tossed Ruffles aside, and
stood from the bed. “Fine. So,
are you done? If I have to do this,
I want to get it over with as soon as possible.” I watched as she walked
out of the bedroom, stunned.
“Emily! Hi!” Darla
exclaimed when she opened the front door to her house.
She looked as if she was not expecting company, and was beyond thrilled
at the surprise. I was slightly annoyed at how fake she could be sometimes..
I looked over at Beth in time to see her roll her eyes. “I see you
brought your little friend.” She turned to Beth, a smile plastered to her
face. “Beth, isn’t it?”
“Yup. Since the day
I was born.” I glared at her. Darla
looked down to take in Beth’s faded blue jeans that were getting thin in
the knees, and her scuffed cowboy boots that were planted wide, as if she were
waiting for a fight. Dark eyes
traveled back up to see the tight, black tank Beth wore that showed her tanned,
muscled arms crossed over her chest. She
briefly took in the worn Broncos cap, and finally stopped at annoyed, vibrant
blue eyes that met her gaze with a raised brow in a silent challenge.
Darla’s focus immediately turned back to me.
“Come on in. Hurry before
we let any flying or crawly things in.” she turned away from us, and disappeared
into the dark house.
“Does that count the residence?” Beth muttered as she followed.
I stifled a grin.
The Newman house was one of the biggest in the neighborhood, and looked
out of place next to all the smaller, two and three bedroom homes that surrounded
it. Darla had happily told me one
day that her house had “approximately six and one half bedrooms, and three
bathrooms. Oh, four if you count
the little half bath Daddy put in last year.”
The Newman’s were a pretentious, pompous group of people who had
lots of money, and even more arrogance.
I often wondered why I hung out with her at all.
Beth asked me that question often.
Ma parents seemed to approve, and I knew that through Darla I would get
to know the right people once we hit high school. The right group would be helpful in getting into important
clubs that looked good for college. I
had already decided that the next four years would be dedicated to getting the
best grades, and getting the best scholarships I could. Being a lawyer was an obsession.
Besides, it looked better.
“Em, who gives a damn what your folks thing of Darla?
She is a little rich bitch.” Beth had said one night, her vibrant
blue eyes fire. “You have got to learn that what other people think is
not that important. What
do they know, anyway? Sometimes
I don’t think I’m heading where you’re heading.” That had
made me hear hurt, mostly because I knew Beth spoke the truth.
"So do you guys want anything to drink? Eat? Candy?
Ice cream? Chocolate?"
We followed the sound of Darla's voice and ended up in the kitchen where the
only source of light was that coming out of the open fridge.
"I'll take a cols." I said brightly finding one of the barstools,
and plopping down. Beth looked
at me as if she wasn't quite sure what to do. I indicated that she should sit on the stool next to mine.
"I don't want-"
"So, Emily! Guess what!"
Darla ran right over Beth, not even checking her rear-view mirror to see if
she was still alive. I looked at
Beth with surprise clearly evident in
my green eyes. She was looking
down at the floor, a hand on her hip as she lightly chuckled to herself.
I didn't know what to do, or if I should.
"Uh, what?" I stammered.
My blood began to burn as I felt an automatic need to protect Beth from
Darla's harsh judgments, but lacked the courage to do anything.
Darla walked over to the breakfast bar in front of us, leaning down on
the counter top with her elbows.
"Remember that guy? Scott
Mathews?" I nodded as I opened the top of the Coke she had set in front
of me. "You know, the guy with the really cute butt?" again I nodded.
"Well, the other day me and Laura and Sandra and Mary were at the
mall, and oh my god! There he was! He looked so cute in his shorts and shirt.
Oh, I could have just died!" I could hear Beth groan next to me,
just barely audible, but I picked up on it.
I tapped her leg with the toe of my Ked under the bar when she plopped
down on the stool next to mine. "Well, he walks over to us, and he has
Spencer Milton, and Brett Kylor with him.
So it was like, oh my god! The
three most popular, rich guys in our school, right?" Nod. "Okay, so
they walk up to us, and Scott says hello to me!" Darla screamed and clapped
her hands. "Isn't that great?" I smiled, trying to show my support.
"That is so cool, Darla." I said happily.
I ignored Beth as I felt her eyes on me.
"Don't you think that he is just like soooo cute?" she exclaimed,
eyeing me expectantly, her dark blond brows raised to near her hairline in anticipation.
"Um, oh yeah. Scott
Mathews is so totally cute, Darla. You
are so lucky."
"Em, you said you thought-" Beth began to say.
I quickly turned to her and cut her off.
"Beth, do you want a drink of my Coke?" she looked at me strangely.
"No." I gave her a look that told her to shut her mouth.
She shook her head slightly, her eyes taking on a dull sheen, but said
no more about it. Darla walked
back over to the fridge, and began to pull out different kinds of meats and
cheeses, throwing them on the counter behind her.
Then she headed for a cabinet above the microwave, throwing boxes filled
with different typed of crackers next to the meat and cheese, rambling the entire
time about school, boys, hair, make-up, and clothes.
Beth tossed her cap onto the bar in front of us, and ran her hands through
dark hair. I could tell she was
being pushed far beyond her limits, and the only reason she hadn't throttled
Darla Newman was because of me. Finally
with a sigh, she put her cap back on, and rested against her forearms on the
bar, starting down at her fingers.
"Oh my god, you have got to see this!" Darla exclaimed as she
turned back to us, nearly scaring the bejesus out of me.
Her brown eyes were wide with excitement, and she hurried out of the
room, half-made snacks forgotten on the counter.
She led the way toward the very spacious family room .
I had been in Darla's house before, but I watched Beth as she looked
around, her mouth slightly open, her eyes wide.
I could tell she was trying to hide her reaction to all the beautiful
things the Newmans had, but she wasn't doing a very good job of it.
The white carpet was thick, like walking on a cloud.
The fifty inch t.v. was in an oak cabinet against the far wall.
On either side were shelves lined with hundreds of different figurines,
and strange knickknacks. Darla
looked over her shoulder at Beth who had a strange expression on her face as
she gazed at all the figures.
"Daddy is sent to other countries for his job, and so he always buys
some stupid little statue for my mom.
She collects them, or something.
So I wouldn't become too attached to them if I were you."
She looked at me, and winked. Then
she broke out into a wide grin. "I'm just kidding.. Sit." she said
pointing toward the comfortable looking couch that was covered with a pastel
green pattern with bits of blue and gray mixed in.
I did as I was told. Beth
walked over to the Elizabethan wingback that was upholstered in gray with the
same colors of green and blue of the couch.
I looked at her with a question in my eyes.
Why wouldn't she sit with me? Beth
wouldn't look at me. I could tell
she was angry at me for dragging her here, and was just biding her time before
she could escape. I knew Darla
had aimed that comment about the figurines at Beth, and I knew Beth was smart. She didn't miss a beat.
But didn't she understand that Darla was shallow, and simple?
Had to belittle others to feel better herself?
Why couldn't Beth just fit in like everybody else?
I wanted all my friends to get along.
"This is my father's newest toy. It's called a VCR. I
don't know what that stands for, though." She grinned sheepishly.
"Video cassette recorder." Beth said dully as she looked at
the international figurines again, her chin resting in her hand.
"Yeah! That's right."
Darla exclaimed. "I'll have to remember that. Anyway, we got 'Ordinary People' with that really, really cute
guy, Timothy Hutton. And my mom
made me get that boring movie, 'Kramer vs. Kramer'.
But it had Dustin Hoffman in it, and he's kinda cute."
"That's a great movie!" Beth exclaimed, sitting up a little
more in her chair. "That has
Meryl Streep in it. She is one
of the greatest actresses to ever walk across the screen."
"Whatever." Darla said dryly. She took one of the videos out of its box, and slid it into
the large, silver machine. The
t.v. clicked on with a static filled whoosh, and the movie began.
Beth was transfixed by the images she saw on the screen of the television
that was bigger than any her mom or my parents had ever owned.
Darla sat on the couch next to me, and talked incessantly about boys,
and hair, and clothes, and make-up, and jewelry, and Scott Mathews.
On and on until I finally found myself on autopilot, nodding my head
and saying "Uh huh" now and then, until finally she said something
that caught my attention cold.
"So why do you hang out with her, Emily? She is a freak."
My head snapped around from watching Dustin Hoffman fighting with his
little boy over eating ice cream instead of dinner.
"What?"
"You heard me. Beth
is a total freak, and will bring you down.
You must know that?" I quickly turned to look at Beth to see if
she had heard any of this. "Don't
worry about her. She's so wrapped
in that stupid movie that I doubt a tornado could bother her."
"Please don't talk about Beth that way, Darla.
She is my best friend." I said weakly.
I didn't know what to do. Beth
was indeed my best friend, and I didn't want her to get hurt, but Darla was
the only other friend I had around the neighborhood, and with Beth gone for
the rest of the summer, I didn't want to be left alone.
"Emily, that is the problem!
People talk about her at school all the time. And," she leaned in, almost conspiratorially, "They're
starting to talk about you, too."
"Darla," I stopped
as I turned toward Beth who had stood from her chair. She looked at us, her face expressionless, but her eyes were
burning.
"Been a hoot, I better get going.
Later." She walked toward the front door, fists clenching and unclenching
at her sides. She never looked
at either of us.
"Beth!" I called out as I raced after her.
I could feel my heart sink.
"Emily!" Darla called out after me. I ignored her. Beth
was just about to descend the steps of the porch when I caught up to her.
"Wait, Beth please don't go." I said, breathless.
She turned on me, she was furious.
She took a step forward until her face was mere inches from mine.
"I am not going to stay here, Em.
That little rich bitch may have you wrapped around her little finger,
but I know her game. I've known
conniving little debutantes all my life,
and why you'd put yourself in the path of one on purpose is beyond me."
She turned and began to walk again, her foot on the first step.
"I'm sorry, Beth." I threw my arms up into the air, at a loss
of what to do anymore. Beth kept
going. She hit the second step,
her boot about to touch the path that would lead to the sidewalk and Beth's
salvation. I watched her, feeling
my anger build. "God, I feel
like I am always saying that to you, saying that I am sorry!"
She stopped and looked up at me, her face had resigned, her eyes sad.
"Maybe that's because you keep screwing up." I stared, dumbstruck.
"Em, I am used to people looking down on me, laughing at me.
I have a mother who is a drunk and couldn't keep her husband.
I am different. I'm not
like all the other girls. And all
that is fine. I don't care about
them. But you, Em. You're my best friend.
Aren't you supposed to stand up for me like I stand up for you?"
she turned from me again only to turn back.
"And one more thing, Em. I
got news for you, no matter how much you try to be like the Darla Newman's of
the world, you're different, too. Some
day you just might realize that." I watched, paralyzed, as Beth walked
to the end of the path, and out onto the sidewalk to head home.
I turned back to Darla's house, staring up at its massive structure,
so torn. My eyes were drawn to
the silhouette that was coming to the door.
"Why did she leave?" I stared at my friend, something in me
telling me that she had been standing there the entire time, and knew exactly
what was going on.
"Look, Darla. I'm not
feeling too good. I'm gonna go
home." She didn't say anything
for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders.
"Okay. See you later."
I heard the heavy front door slam shut as I headed for the path.
As I walked home I thought of what had just happened.
When had Beth and I grown so far apart?
It seemed to me on that hot summer night that one day we had met, been
so much alike that my parents used to tease us and say that they could take
home Beth one day, and no one would ever know it wasn't me.
Then the next day I woke up, and we are two completely different people
with two completely different goals in life, and ways.
It wasn't fair.
I picked a ripe apple off of the Nivens' tree as I passed it, taking a
large bite of the sweet, ripe fruit. I
glanced over at my house across the street, and decided to keep walking, not
ready to go home yet.
I knew just on a gut level that once we started high school me and Beth
would be no more. She would go
her way, and I would go mine. All
the same, Beth Sayers was a part of me; a part of my heart, and soul, and I
hoped always would be. I thought
about the future. What would it
bring? Would I end up some big
lawyer in some big city as I hoped I would?
Where would Beth be? I plopped
down on the curb in front of the McKinzey house, and at my apple as I thought
of one time when we'd been about eleven or twelve.
We had promised with a pinky swear that we would buy houses on the same
block, maybe even next door, and always go over each other's place and have
lunch, and watch movies together. I
smiled ruefully as I chewed. That
had sure gone out the window. Even
at a few weeks away from fifteen, I knew that was no longer to be.
Did I have to chose between Beth and my new life?
My new friends? I know Beth had been hurt by Darla, and my non-action.
She had every right to be. But
did she have a right to place me in a situation where I had to chose?
I didn't know. I stood from
the curb, threw the apple core into the McKinzey trash barrel, and walked on.
Wal-Mart was busy as usual. Was
this place ever empty? I pushed
my buggy strategically around slow, and inconsiderate shoppers who felt the
need to park their cart in the middle of the isle, and talk.
I barely managed to miss being hit by an old woman who was staring down
the isles she passed instead of where she was going.
Finally finding the HBA department, I ducked down an isle containing
mouth wash and toothpaste. So many
brands to chose from. I smiled
as I thought about Beth. She had
some of the most straight, white teeth I'd ever seen.
She had been one of those lucky people who never had to see the inside
of an orthodontists lair. Lucky
kid. I found a small, travel-size
bottle of Scope, and tossed it into my buggy.
As I found the rest of our travel toiletries, I wondered if maybe I was
giving my past too much thought. I
remember my father once saying, let the past lie with the dead. I thought perhaps he was right when I saw two little girls
who looked to be around eight or nine, walking arm in arm.
One little girl had bright red hair, and sparkling green eyes.
Her friend's black hair was woven into tight braids with brightly colored
barrettes at the ends. Her chocolate
complexion was bright with youth, her dark eyes laughing as they giggled together.
I stood for a moment and watched them.
The perfect combination; one dark, one light to balance each other.
Beth and I were the same. My
light side met her darker personality, and together we had been like yin and
yang. One began where the other
ended, creating the perfect circle.
I wondered around my house restlessly for four days, not sure what to
do. I knew somehow that Beth did
not want to see me, so I wasn't going to force yet another apology on her if
she didn't want it. My mother kept
glancing at me with an odd expression on her face.
She wanted to ask, but something held her back.
She gratefully accepted my extra help around the house, but finally the
day before Beth was to leave for camp she placed her hand over mine, stopping
me in the middle of folding a pair of socks.
I looked into her concerned eyes.
"Honey, Beth is going to be leaving tomorrow, right?" I nodded.
"Why don't you just go and talk to her?" I shrugged, once again amazed
at how perceptive my mother could be.
"I can't." I said
simply. She shook her head sadly,
and continued to fold laundry. I
knew deep down that I was wrong this time, and part of my resistance was my
own courage, or lack of it. The
plain and simple of it was, I didn't know what to say.
It was a hot night as June was half over. It was turning out to be a record-breaking summer with temperatures
in the upper nineties to the one hundred mark every day.
I was miserable.
My parents had bought Billy and I a huge trampoline a couple of summers
ago, and I laid on it as I stared up at the stars. My parents were asleep.
Usually Billy would have joined me, but he was gone.
I missed him terribly. At
the beginning of the month he had left for the Army, sent somewhere in the south
for boot camp. I sighed heavily
as I thought of beginning school come the fall.
High school. The idea scared
me, as well as excited me. I wanted
to make my grades everything to me. I
didn't care about anything else, as long as I could get a good scholarship,
and go on to law school. Everything
else was just fluff.
My thoughts turned to Beth, again.
What would she do once she hit high school? She hated school. I
figured she would probably pursue the theater.
I smiled to myself as I thought back to the production of Andrew Lloyd
Webber's 'Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat' that had been put on as the summer musical last year.
She had played Mrs. Potiphar, not a big part, but she had been wonderful.
I had stared up at her on that stage with so much pride.
She was so good at what she did.
I honestly thought that theater had been the only thing that kept Beth
here. She had nothing else, no
connections-
"What are you thinking about out here all by yourself?" I looked
up to see Beth staring down at me. She
wore cut off Jean shorts with a tank top, her hands buried in her hip pockets.
"School." I said quietly.
She nodded and climbed up onto the black tramp with me.
"Yeah. I've been thinking
a lot about that, too." She sighed as she plopped down on her back, the
entire tarp bouncing us both slightly at the quick movement.
It always reminded me of water.
That must be what it was like to sleep on a ship, I mused.
"I was also thinking about that musical you did last summer."
I could almost hear the smile spread across Beth's young face.
"Oh, yeah. 'Potiphar
had very few cares, he was one of Egypt's millionaires," she began to sing.
I joined her, "having made a fortune buying shares in, Pyramids.'"
We broke into a healthy stream of laughter.
It felt so good to laugh with her again.
We didn't laugh as much as we used to.
"That was probably the best time of my life so far." She said
wistfully. I turned to look at
her profile. She still wore the
smile, her eyes lost in memories.
"This summer theater camp is going to be really good for you, isn't
it?" I asked. She looked at
me, and nodded.
"Yeah, I think so. I
can't wait I only feel complete
when I'm on that stage, doing a play."
"Has your mother calmed down any?" Beth turned to look at the
stars again.
"She'll get over it. She
always does." She placed her hands on her stomach and began to beat out
a simple rhythm that kept time with the tune in her head, probably something
from 'Joseph...' "Do you remember
that song 'Close Every Door' from the musical last year?" she asked, eyes
glued to the stars.
"Yes. It's a beautiful
song."
"You think? I always
thought it was so sad. 'Close every
door to me, take those I love, from me.
Bar all the windows, and shut out the light...,'" I closed my eyes
as I listened to Beth's smooth voice sing. "'Do what you want with me,
hate me, and laugh at me. Darken
my day times, and torture my nights...
for we know we shall find, our own piece of mind, for we have been promised
a land of our own.'" She began to hum the song softly, her thoughts a million
miles away, but suddenly she stopped. "I always felt that way, like that
song was about me, you know? I
could relate." She was quiet
for a moment, then she looked over at me with a grin. "Have you ever noticed that the tarp on a tramp smells
like the seats on the school bus?" she turned to me when I didn't answer,
and found me staring at her like she was crazy. "You've never noticed that?"
I shook my head. "Yeah, well you smart, uncreative types." She sat
up and looked down at me. "I'm
sorry about that whole thing at Darla's, Em.
I know that you're just kind of stuck in the middle."
"It's okay, Beth. You
don't have to apologize. It's not
your fault. It's mine.
Darla isn't a real friend, I realize that." I said softly.
"So why are you friends with her?"
"Someone to hang around with, I don't know."
"With friends like that," Beth smiled.
I smiled back. "I better go. I'm
leaving in the morning, and didn't want to leave mad, or you mad at me.
This has been a tough few days." She scooted to the side and lowered
herself to the ground. I stared
at her back in awe. How can she
be so forgiving? Beth had the biggest
heart of anyone. What would I do
without her? She turned to look
at me.
"What?" I asked, confused at her expectant expression.
"Don't I rate a hug?" I grinned, and jumped down from the tramp
and into her arms. We stood in
each other's embrace for nearly five minutes, neither wanting to be anywhere
else in the whole world. "I'm going to miss you." she whispered in
my ear. A shiver ran down the length
of my body.
"I'll miss you, too."
"You'll write, right?" Beth asked when finally we parted.
I nodded, knowing speaking at that moment would be a mistake.
I swallowed my rising emotion down.
"Sure. But you have
to write back, Beth Sayers!" I admonished.
She grinned shyly.
"I will. I promise.
Maybe I can call you on your birthday."
she said, her voice hopeful.
"You better." I said, trying again with every ounce of self-control
in me to not cry. Beth smiled as
if she could see my inner turmoil. She
ran a quick hand through my hair and began to turn away.
"See ya." I watched her walk over to the fence that separated
our two yards. She climbed up on
top of the trashcan there, and with a mighty heave, pulled herself up to balance
for a moment on top of the wooden fence.
She looked at me over her shoulder again and smiled, then jumped down
to the other side.
I grabbed the few pieces of mail I took from the box between my teeth,
and fumbled with one hand to get the right key into the lock, my other hand
and arm boggled down with blue plastic bags filled with our stuff to go.
The door opened after my third attempt, and I hurried inside to drop
my load before my arm came off. Dumping
everything on the kitchen table, I headed out to the car for the rest.
With a sigh I dropped my keys on the table amidst the mass of bags, and
hung my purse on the doorknob of the pantry.
"Hey, lover boy." I crooned when I felt Simon's tail weaving
it's way between my calves, leaving a black trail of fur on my jeans.
"Well, looks like we're going to have to make mommy brush you tonight,
huh little man?" I gushed, rubbing the top of his head, and down between
his eyes, his eyes tightly shut, loud purring filling the quiet kitchen.
I grabbed the small pile of envelopes, and began to sift through them.
"Bill, bill, junk mail, bill, hmmm." I dropped the other bits
of mail back to the table and held one in my hand, the handwritten name and
address catching my eye. I flipped
the letter over to see if there was a return address on the back flap.
Monica Nivens, Pueblo, Colorado.
I drew my brows together then a small grin spread across my lips.
I slid my finger under the flap, and tore the paper open.
A single sheet had a short, neatly handwritten note.