《Lolly》


 Chapter 1. Egg in the Hole

    The faint glow of lavender filled her room. Every morning Lolly woke from dreams or nothingness. Sometimes dreams were good and sometimes they were nightmares. Grandma Toady said it was from eating sauerkraut at midnight, which Lolly never did according to her own perspective. In truth, it was always NOT midnight some where and she preferred to live in a different time zone than the one she inhabited on nights when she ate sauerkraut.


    Soon the sky would warm with the mystery of the day. The ball would rise into the sky. It was never quite the same color. Its variation depended upon clouds and humidity. The only thing she did not like about the ball was that it blotted out all the pin holes where heaven peeked through. At fifteen she knew she was too old to not know that the pin holes were stars and the ball was the sun. But, when she was alone she pretended otherwise...sometimes she was not sure when she pretended more, when she was alone or when she was with others. It was very easy to be herself when she was alone, but much, much harder to do so when she was with somebody. The level of difficulty depended on who that particular somebody was. Some somebody, like Mitzi, made her feel very close to her true self while another somebody, like Max, made her want to hide every shred of herself. She always felt very alone with people like that. Sometimes she wondered if the people who made her feel alone might be lonely themselves since no one had the courage to be their true self with them.


    Her cat, Fluff, landed in the middle of her stomach. He had great green eyes and a pink nose. His coat was striped in shades of gold and white. He was regal and magic, or at least that is how he wanted to be perceived. Perception was a tricky thing. Sometimes Lolly could not quite perceive the world like Fluff did. Fluff saw the world as a jungle and he was an explorer who killed big game. What Lolly saw was an old fat cat chasing cockroaches on the drive and never catching not even one. Fluff placed his soft fur cheek against hers. It was sticky as usual. He liked to taste a bit of this and that even if it did not make his insides feel good. Too often what was inside of him came out of him, but not in the prescribed route of plumbing. It was a nuisance but a hazard of being a well groomed cat. Hair balls were a menace, a consequence but something to be endured for the sake of a sleek coat.


    From the kitchen came the smell of eggs frying. Lolly glanced at the clock. It was a fuzzy duck clock with Roman numerals. The alarm went off. It was supposed to say QUACK, QUACK, but some glitch in its innards had it say, ¡°MEOW, MEOW,¡± which pleased Fluff enormously. Lolly slapped the clock into silence and threw her thin legs over they bed. They were an unfortunate inheritance from her Grandma Toady. She stuffed her too large feet into her battered bunny slippers. Fluff thought the bunnies were captured prey. At night he liked to swat them around and chew on their ears. All the way down the trailer hallway to the kitchen, Fluff pounced on the bunnies. Quite often Lolly tripped when the bunnies were being pursued by the regal, magical Fluff.


    In the kitchen at the avocado green stove, stood Grandma Toady. A large peppermint striped house dress covered her from shoulder to knee. Her hair was done up in neon bandana. She looked a little bit like a Christmas elf. And, she too thought she was regal and magic. As she spread butter on another piece of bread, Grandma Toady said, ¡°Good morning, Sunshine.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Moon beam.¡±


    Grandma Toady cut a circle in the buttered bread with a jelly jar and plopped bread in the iron skilled. She asked, ¡°Have any good dreams or nightmares you would like to share?¡±


    Lolly wanted to say, No Ma¡¯am, but that would be lying. Grandma Toady could see through a lie like she could see through a window pane. Having six kids and a backsliding husband, she had a lot of opportunities to hear the truth stretched, shredded or not present at all. Before Lolly was born, Grandma Toady¡¯s husband had run off with a car wash attendant when he got scared of being old. Grandma said, ¡°That is what happens when you think too much about the past and the future. It is best just to think about now.¡± Now was a convenient form of grace. It covered a multitude of responsibilities. For example, bills could be paid later, but ice cream must be eaten NOW. If a body did not eat ice cream now, it would melt. Ice cream had very tender feelings, and a very short shelf life outside of the freezer. Grandma Toady¡¯s voice broke into her thoughts, ¡°Lolly, I can tell your brain is drifting. Earth to Lolly, come in Lolly.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    This was where Lolly was supposed to laugh so she did.


    Max, Lolly¡¯s cousin entered the kitchen. He was so extra. His legs were not thin. He had curly gold hair, and eye lashes and eyebrows. Tiny gold hairs grew on his arms and legs. Someday he would probably be able to grow a gold beard. He was thirteen and full of HIMSELF! Once he and Lolly had been on friendly terms but not now. Deep down, Lolly knew he was ashamed of her. It could not be helped. The important thing was that she was not ashamed of herself. He slid passed her and took his seat at the kitchen table. Their eyes did not meet. Their eyes never met anymore. Lolly couldn¡¯t even remember the last time she had watched a thought pass through his head via his eyeballs.


    The pitter patter of little feet came down the trailer hall. It was four year old Mitzi with her Wack a do hair. She too had been blessed with golden wavy hair, only she did not like. She was forever sneaking Grandma Toady¡¯s sewing sheers and whacking off her hair. Every time she did it, she would say, ¡°I was just tryin¡¯ to look like Lolly!¡¯ It was a rare sweet compliment, but the results were frightening. Currently her bangs were four different lengths and she had a bald spot on the crown of her head. Grandma Toady would have given Mitzi a buzz cut but she feared it would only encourage the child in her pursuit to look like Lolly. For now, things were very good between Lolly and Mitzi. Lolly hoped this was not a now that Mitzi would grow out of like Max had.


    Mitzi went to the stove and tilted her head sideways. Grandma Toady leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ¡°Thank you Granma.¡± She then held up her very battered teddy bear, named Puccini. Grandma Toady dutifully kissed the grubby bear.


    Max gagged and said, ¡°I would not touch that stinking thing with a ten foot pole.¡±


    With a roll of her eyes, Mitzi said, ¡°If Puccini could breathe he wouldn¡¯t even breathe for fear of breathin¡¯ the same air you do.¡± She marched passed Max and stuck her tongue out at him. Now was not good for Mitzi and Max.


    Grandma Toady slid an egg in the hole onto each plate. This was the best way to eat eggs as far as Lolly, Mitzi and Max were concerned. It was the one thing they all agreed on. Grandma Toady buttered the four bread slices, cut out holes in the slices with a jelly jar and then cooked them in the cast iron skillet. After Grandma Toady had plated the eggs, she put the round cutouts over each egg. It looked like a little hat and it helped keep the egg warm.


    Max looked at his egg and lifted up its cap. He said, ¡°This kind of reminds me of Lolly.¡±


    Though she had heard this joke before it never didn¡¯t hurt. Grandma Toady swiped his plate away from him and said, ¡°Young man, you have just earned yourself a bowl of cold cereal.¡±


    ¡°Aw come on Grandma Toady! I was just teasing.¡± Max tried to look pitiful, but he did not succeed.


    Without a word, Grandma Toady took his plate over to the window seat, where Fluff was impatiently waiting for his own breakfast. When he saw the egg in the hole coming his way, his green eyes got big! His motor started to rumble.


    ¡°I am sorry!¡± Max said in a huff. ¡°I said I am sorry!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you said you were sorry, but you did not mean it.¡±


    ¡°I did too mean it! I swear!¡±


    ¡°You know how I feel about swearing and lying and teasing,¡± Grandma Toady scolded. She placed the plate before Fluff. The cat pounced on the egg in a hole like he had not been fed in a month.


    When Grandma Toady sat down at the table, Max said, ¡°People food is not good for animals, just ask any vet. I bet that Stu¡ª¡°


    Grandma Toady gave him a look and said, ¡°If you finish that word you will be grounded.¡±


    Though Max swallowed the word, he gave Lolly a dirty look. There would be trouble, at school or after school. Lolly could feel it. No one spoke. Now was very quiet.

 Chapter 2. Bus Ride

    It was time to put her armor on for the day. Lolly slid the door to her closet open. It was not like there was much to choose from. Too many choices made her nervous, at least this is what she told herself. The truth was she did not like to go clothes shopping because of the stares. The stares were one of the reasons Max refused to be seen with her in public. Oh, he liked to be looked at, he thought he was some kind of cute, but he did not like it when people stared at Lolly. For Lolly, the stares were bad, but the pretending not to stare and quickly looking away that people did, always made her stomach hurt.


    Mitzi surveyed the contents of the closet while Fluff swished his tail. Both cat and cousin felt it was their duty to chose the armor of the day for Lolly. Both knew she was going to need it. Max had given the day a bad start and Mitzi was determined to make up for her brother''s rudeness. With Puccini on her hip, she slid her tiny hand across the legs of the overalls. She grabbed the leg of a faded blue pair. They were the softest and the oldest ones that Lolly owned. Mitzi said, ¡°I think you should wear these today. They are almost as soft as Puccini and the color makes your eyes look pretty.¡± Lolly blushed. Compliments were something she rarely received and she didn¡¯t think that anyone but Pa and Grandma Toady had noticed the color of her eyes. She said, ¡°Thank you, Sweetie.¡±


    ¡°You are welcome.¡± Mitzi yanked the the overalls off the hanger and tossed them to Lolly. "Now for a shirt, Fluff, which one do you think she''d like?" Fluff slid his green eyes up and sideways. Mitzi asked the cat, ¡°This one?" She pointed at a pale green shirt with tiny leaves. Fluff let out a soft meow. Mitzi said, ¡°We think this one make you feel like you are in the forest with Bambi and Thumper." Lolly silently rolled her eyes. She knew what was coming next and she was right. Mitzi said, "I wish I could have a Thumper. Daddy says I could have a rabbit at his house, but I KNOW he would forget to feed it and I DO NOT want to be responsible for the murder of one of God''s most cuddly creatures. If only Mama would let me have a rabbit, Granma would help me take care of it. Mama says, No way, they have too many babies. I only want a rabbit. One rabbit cannot have a baby, Max said so. And this time I choose to believe him."


    Lolly pulled the selected shirt off the hanger. It was almost the same color as Fluff''s eyes. Today her armor would be an homage to Puccini''s softness and Fluff''s eyes. If any thing hard or unfortunate happened she would focus on Fluff and Puccini. She told Mitzi, "Y''all chose well this morning. Now, scoot while I get dressed.¡±


    ¡°I have not picked out your shoes yet,¡± said Mitzi.


    ¡°I only have four pairs.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and that is why it is so important for me to choose.¡± For several long minutes, Mitzi studied the chucks, the sandals, the Swedish clogs and the raggedy pink ballet slippers that Lolly had gotten from Goodwill. Fluff went into the closet and pawed the slippers. Mitzi clapped her hands together and said, "Good choice Fluff."


    Lolly did not really want to wear the ballet slippers.


    Mitzi picked up the slippers and said, ¡°These will remind you that you are a dancer.¡±


    ¡°I am not a dancer.¡±


    ¡°You could be if you wanted to.¡±


    ¡°But, I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°You do.¡±


    Arguing with MItzi was waste of precious time and the bus would soon be there. ¡°Okay, I will wear them. Now, let me get dressed.¡±


    Mitzi left the room with a twirl. She took preschool ballet at the community center and she thought everyone, including Puccini and Fluff, should take ballet.


    Fluff jumped up on her bed and stretched out. He was sleepy after his big breakfast. Lolly sat down on the bed beside him and pulled on the overalls. She slipped the shirt over her head and fastened her overalls straps. Since she was afraid of any ballerina germs that might still lurk in the slippers, she spayed them with dienfectant and put on a pair of thick socks. The socks made the slippers fit better. For an instant she thought of Cinderella. The shoes made her feel like they might make her want to dance. Even if they did, there would not be any Prince Charming that would want to dance with her.


    The sliding glass doors of her closet had mirrors on them. She stood and starred at herself in the mirrors. As long as she looked at herself from the neck down she looked almost normal. Deep down she knew she would never look normal, ever. Grandma Toady said it all depended upon how you defined normal. Normal to Lolly would be having...she did not finish the thought. It never did any good. She turned away from the mirrors, gave Fluff a pat and grabbed her backpack.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    For a long moment she stood facing her bedroom door. Every morning, at least when there was school, going through that door at this time of day was the hardest task of the day. Everything inside of her just wanted to stay put and hide with Fluff. But as Grandma Toady said, ¡°The World must be faced.¡± She took a deep breath and opened the door.


    As usual, Max had not waited for her. She told herself, It doesnt'' matter, but it did. In the kitchen Mitzi wore her little red backpack with Puccini stuffed inside of it. She did not get to ride the bus to preschool. Aunt Jessie took her. Aunt Jessie was Mitzi and Max¡¯s mother. She worked the night shift a Pensky¡¯s Gas Station. Her shift was over, but she slept until it was time to take Mitzi to school. Technically, Max and Mitzi lived in another trailer on the next street, but because of Aunt Jessie¡¯s job, they had to spend a lot of nights with Grandma Toady. Before Max got so stuck up and mean it had been nice to have him spend the night, but not now.


    Grandma Toady put Lolly¡¯s lunch into her back pack and gave her a kiss. Mitzi hugged Lolly¡¯s knees and shouted, ¡°Puccini will be praying for you!¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Lolly gave them each a small smile. They did this every morning. It was their ritual to help Lolly face the World.


    Outside the ball was getting higher in the sky. All the pin holes had become iinvisible. Even though she could not see them, Lolly knew they were still there. When ball began to sink in the evening, the tiny heaven leaks would shine again. She sighed. The now of evening was a long way off.


    The next hardest part of the day was the bus stop. The only time Max stood anywhere near the bus stop was when it was raining. The rest of the time he pretended like it did not exist. As always he was dressed better than anyone in the trailer park. His dad had to pay child support and Aunt Jessie spent a lot to make her kids look good. Max looked good. He always looked good. His sneakers alone cost more than everything Lolly had in her entire closet. As usual, he and his friends totally ignored her. It was okay. No one really wanted to talk to thirteen year old boys.


    There were a few girls in the trailer park her age, but they rode to school with friends or one of their parents. All alone Lolly faced the road to wait for the bus. There was time before she had to face the Now that would carry her to school. If Max and his friends continued to ignore her, the wait wouldn¡¯t be so bad. The sky this morning was full of her favorite kind of clouds, cumulus. The ones that were floating by looked like pigs with wings. When she was little she wished she had a pig with wings. Truth was she still did, but she would never tell anyone.


    The bus pulled up. Mr. Anderson, the bus drive opened the doors. He gave Lolly a smile as she climbed into the bus. Lolly took the second seat on the left side because it had the best view. From this seat, she could see what was coming and watch the scenery pass by on the side. There were cotton and maize fields. There was also cattle ranches and goats. Plowed Feilds stretched out on either side road.


    The bus passed the old cemetery. It had graves over 150 years old. Max said it was full of ghosts. If it was full of ghosts they would be the nicest kind because the cemetery was so pretty and peaceful when Grandma Toady took them to visit the family dead. They had a lot of family dead. Grandma Toady was the only one out of all her seven sisters and brothers who was still alive. When they went to the cemetery to visit the graves, Grandma Toady always exclaimed, ¡°My kin live in the Eternal NOW and one day I will live there too!¡± Lolly did not like it when Grandma Toady made that exclaimation. She did not want Grandma Toady to be in the Eternal NOW. She wanted her to stay in whatever now Lolly was in. On their trailer walls there were pictures of Grandma Toady with her sisters and brothers when they were young. Sometimes when Lolly studied the photos she felt sad, because she really did not look like any of them. In fact, she did not know anyone who looked like her.


    The bus stopped several times to pick up kids. Last to be picked up on the route was Trevor Long. He was the most beautiful boy, Lolly had ever seen. Just the sight of him, made her tongue tied, sped up her heart beat and made her feel so happy and sick at the same time. She had it bad. When he passed by her, she ALWAYS dropped her eyes and stared at her feet, which today were clad in ratty slippers. This time she felt like Cinderella hiding in the ashes. She was so afraid to see if he ignored her or was horrified by her when he walked by. She felt herself curling up inside into a tight ball. Her fear of what Trevor might think of her made her feel worse than anything Max ever said out loud to her. A lump formed in her throat. She took in a slow breath and ran her fingers along her overall strap. It''s softness reminded her that Puccini was praying for her. Fluff was probably sound asleep, but she hoped he was dreaming of her. This now would be over soon, In a few minutes she would get off this bus and walk far away from Trevor. He was not in any of her advanced classes, so she rarely saw him during the day. After school he was in band, so he didn''t ride the bus home.


    The bus pulled up in front of the school house named after Lyndon Bains Johnson. Lolly fairly flew off the bus. The more distance she put between herself and Trevor and Max and his stupid little friends the better she would feel. Soon she would be in her Literature class. Literature was the best Now of the day because her teacher, Mrs. Beasley, was British and she read a selection of British verse aloud to her class every morning.


    The difficulties of the morning fell away from Lolly as she took her seat. After the the bell rang, and they said the pledge, Mrs. Beasley began to read a verse by J.R.R. Tolkien. One line stuck with Lolly. She repeated it over in her head, Not all those who wander are lost;* She hoped it was true.

 Chapter 3. The House of Munch

    Lunch, the roar of voices bounced off cement walls. The grease of cafeteria food tainted the air. This was life roaring and loud. It was not a place Lolly felt comfortable. As soon as she finished her peanut butter and cheese sandwich, she left the lunch room and headed  to the school  library. It was her sanctuary, her haven and her break from the World. Honestly, she was not a fan of the World, at least not the one she inhabited. She wanted another world, the one she might have had. Grandma Toady didn''t believe in pining after things a body couldn''t have, but then Grandma was a senior citizen.With so much of her life already lived she had to have forgotten how it felt to be fifteen and awkward and alone.


    The instant Lolly passed through the doors of the library, she felt her panic begin to subside. It would be okay, this was another good now in her day. She let the peace of the library settle over her. Someday she wanted to be a librarian. To spend all day in the quiet with books was her fondest dream. After slinging her backpack onto her favorite table, she went to the fiction section. She craned her neck sideways and read the titles. It was difficult to find a novel she liked.  Her fingers touched several volumes, but she did not pull them. When she reached a huge fat book, her fingers stopped. Her hand pulled the book out. The title of it was, Tears are for the Living. The title stuck inside her head and seemed to echo. Sometimes phrases did that. Lolly did not cry often. Nobody ever called her a cry baby, but there were times when she wondered if crying might be better than that empty dry feeling she got when something hurt or was too big for her to understand.


    Behind her, she heard the jingle of zipper tops. A finger jabbed her in the arm. ¡°Hey, Lollypop how¡¯s it popping?" Then there was the laugh, the laugh she had known since kindergarten. She turned to face her oldest friend. Munch was scrawny and his hair exploded in perfect curls on the very top of his head. As usual he was decked out. No half way for him. He sewed his own clothes out of stuff he bought from Goodwill. Today he was wearing a pair of bomber pants with multiple zippers that he had made out of a pinstripe suit. On his t-shirt was an original print he had made of a cut grapefruit. He did a little spin, so she could get the full effect.


    ¡°You look fantastic."


    He grinned and said, ¡°I do." He stood for a few minutes acting like he was looking at books. Munch only read what he had to. She knew what he was doing. He had something on his mind and he was trying to work up the courage to say it out loud. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, "I got a show coming up for Art Booster Club and I was wondering if you would be one of my models.¡±


    Inside ice froze every capillary Lolly had. There was no way! NO WAY!


    ¡°Awww girl, don¡¯t make that face. You know I will make you look good."


    The book in Lolly''s hand grew suddenly heavy. "I-I am sorry, but no. You know I don''t like to get up in front of people."


    With just a hint of pleading in his voice he said, "Please."


    "I can''t."


    "Can''t or won''t?"


    He knew the answer to that question. It was cruel of him to ask.


    Exasperated he whispered, "You may not have any hair but you got a damn fine shaped skull and you should be proud. White girls usually can¡¯t carry off the shine of skin, but you can.¡± He was in earnest.


    She shook her head.


    He grabbed a hold of her arm and said, "In the hall now." He propelled her out of the library into the empty hall.  ¡°I am just gonna say it this time. I just am, so know that when I say it, I am saying it because I love you." He let out a breath and took another in before he asked, "How long you gonna let Alopecia ruin your life?¡± This question really hurt, Munch knew it but he did not back down. "Tell me, when you look in the mirror what do you see?¡±


    She whispered, ¡°A bald freak.¡±


    ¡°Do not and I say, do not speak that way about my best friend. Yeah, you are different, but I am different too. I¡¯m just a scrawny little black child from Alabama with a white Mama and in this school I fit no where, except with you.¡± He shook his finger at her and said, ¡°Besides 147 million people in the world have Alopecia so you are not as special as you think.¡±Stolen story; please report.


    One hundred and forty seven million, that was a lot of people. Lolly touched the side of her head. When she was seven years old she started loosing her hair. Strands fell out at first, then fists full. One morning when she woke up every bit of hair was gone. EVERY BIT. Usually, when she woke up there was hair on her pillow, that morning there was not any and there hadn''t been any since.


    Munch smiled as only he could smile. ¡°Please. If you want to wear a hat or a scarf you can. I will make you a crown if you want one. Just tell me what you want and I will do it."


    When she wore a scarf or hat  or a wig people thought she was taking chemo and they got even weirder. ¡°No.¡±


    He frowned and asked, ¡°No you won¡¯t do it or no you wont wear anything on your head? Remember I am your best friend and I NEVAA ask for anything. I do all the givin¡¯ in this relationship and you know it.¡±


    ¡°You do not! If I didn¡¯t remind you, you would forget to eat.¡±


    ¡°True. Please. I got an idea for a dress only a bald white beauty could pull off. I promise you, you won¡¯t be sorry.¡±


    Lolly shook her head.


    ¡°I will pay you! I swear I will.  You will be the first Model the House of Munch has ever hired.¡±


    Usually, Munch did not push this hard. Usually, he respected her space, but today he was begging. He never begged.  She asked, ¡°Why do you want me to do this so badly?¡±


    He looked away from her and said, ¡°Well, the truth is, so far everybody has said no. They don¡¯t want no peculiar little duck taking their measurements or making clothes for them. The looks I have gotten today, you would think I was trying to give away raw sewage instead of the opportunity of a life time.¡± He let out a heavy sigh. ¡°I guess I will have to NOT chase my dream.¡±


    Dreams were such strange things. She had hers, Munch had his. It would be wrong of her to turn down the opportunity to help him chase his dream. Softly she asked,  ¡°If you make me a dress can I keep it?¡±


    His eyes shot back to her. Hope sprang up like a beacon in them. ¡°You mean you will do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, for you and only you. You better make me look good."


    "You foolish child, have you heard a word I have said to you? Do you doubt my gift, cause I sure don''t."


    "I trust your gift."


    "Thank you Lollypop!" He gave her a fierce hug and let go. With a little shake of his head, he sent his curls dancing and his zipper tops jingling.  His face lit up and he said, "Now, I feel refreshed. Now, I will go chase my dream and not succumb to the darkness of rejection!¡± He spun away from her and strutted down the hall to the cafeteria.


    Inwardly, Lolly groaned, ¡°What have I done now?¡± Munch still had to find more models. Though it was bad of her to hope he wouldn¡¯t be able to, she still hoped he wouldn¡¯t. She turned and went back inside the library to the fiction section. She slid the book she still held  into its place on the shelf. The book would keep till another day.  Through the window she saw that the ball had passed its zenith. The sixth period bell rang. She  went to the table and grabbed her back pack. American history was next.


    *


    One now fell into another and finally the last bell of the day sounded. Another school day survived. Outside the first cool breeze tickled her bare scalp. She pulled her hoody up.  Across the street was the football field. It was Wednesday and Max had a home game. He didn¡¯t much care for his family to be present when he played. It must be hard for him to be embarrassed by everyone who loved him.


    Lolly walked over to the field. She paid for her ticket and went to the bleachers. Grandma Toady, Aunt Jessie and Mitzi were already front and center. Munch had made Puccini a cheerleader outfit in Max¡¯s school colors, gold and purple. When Mitzi saw Lolly, she waved Puccini and asked, ¡°Where is the House of Munch, he said he was coming?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. I guess he¡¯s looking for models.¡± The second she said it, Lolly knew she shouldn¡¯t have.


    ¡°Why¡¯s he need models?¡±


    ¡°He is doing a show for the Art Booster Club.¡±


    Mitzi stuck out her chin and said, ¡°I want to be a model.¡±


    Lolly shrugged. "You can ask him when he gets here." If Munch didn¡¯t want a four year old model, he was going to have tell her.


    "I will."


    Half way through the first quarter Munch walked up the bleachers. His head was down and he looked defeated. Had every girl in school turned him down? God, that must have been horrible. Guilt and relief got mixed up inside of her.


    Before he could even say, Hello, Mitzi said, ¡°Puccini and I want to be a models in your Rooster Club show.¡±


    Munch''s eyes were red rimmed. Had he been crying? He said, ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do.¡± Mitzi held out Puccini and wiggled him back and forth.


    Grandma Toady laughed and said, ¡°If you got room for a geezer, sign me up.¡±


    A faint smile hesitated on Munch¡¯s lips. ¡°You are NOT a geezer. I would be honored to dress you for the show, Mrs. Toady."


    Aunt Jessie asked, ¡°Would you have room for me?¡±


    Munch¡¯s mouth dropped open. Aunt Jessie was beautiful and Munch had the worst crush on her. ¡°Uh, yes, that would be so kind.¡± He got so bashful, Lolly wanted to laugh.


    Grandma Toady asked, ¡°Now, when is this shin dig?¡±


    Munch said, ¡°The week before Thanksgiving.¡±


    That was six weeks away. Dread settled in Lolly¡¯s stomach. Munch sat down beside her. He was beaming.

 Chapter 4. In the Coliseum

    Out in the open with the wind blowing around her hoodie, Lolly traveled to another place. She was not at a foot ball game, she was in the Roman coliseum and lions were snarling. She could feel the fear and smell the blood. It was gruesome and ugly. People chanted around her, their blood lust in need of fulfillment. It was entertainment at its best to watch human pitted against animal. The lions prowled with heads low and fangs exposed. The man stood waiting to meet his death because of what he held sacred. A shiver ran through her.  How much did it hurt to be mauled by those huge paws? What did it feel like to be bathed in the warmth of your own blood?


    The sound of Grandma Toady''s voice pulled Lolly out of the coliseum and back into the present. On the field Max had the ball and he was running hard. A kid twice his size was after him. In .5 seconds the kid knocked Max to the ground. Aunt Jessie jumped up and screamed. Everything slowed down. The fans all stood. The play stopped. Medics ran out on to the field. Max was so very still. Lolly could hear the beat of her own heart. Her chest was tight.


    Too short to see what was happening, Mitzi jumped up and down. Aunt Jessie swung Mitizi onto her hip and pointed at the field. Mitzi whispered, "Is he dead?"


    The question echoed inside of Lolly, Only moments ago she had been comfortably day dreaming about the coliseum, imaging it, but not really feeling what the man  in the pit felt. What she felt now was primal and painful. The fragility of life cold cocked her. Munch slipped his hand into hers. Her hand was numb,  his was sweaty.


    The ambulance lights began to swirl on the field. A stretcher was brought out. Before this moment Lolly never thought much about why an ambulance would be at a football field, but now she knew. She didn''t want to know this.


    Aunt Jesse shoved Mitzi into Grandma Toady''s arms and ran down the bleacher steps and onto the field. The paramedics lifted Max onto the stretcher. He still had not moved. Lolly felt cold. On the field Aunt Jessie was hysterical.


    Mitzi whimpered, "Mama?"


    "Here," said Grandma Toady. She handed Mitzi to Lolly. She told the little girl, "I will go take care of Mama, Honey. Michael, could you call your mom to take ya''ll home?"


    Munch said, "Yes, Ma''am, I will."


    Faster than Lolly had ever seen Grandma Toady move, she rushed down the steps and onto the field. Aunt Jessie was trying to get in the ambulance with Max, but the paramedics wouldn''t let her. Grandma Toady wrapped her arms around Aunt Jessie and pulled her away. The ambulance doors closed, the paramedics got inside and the siren whirred to life. The pulsation of the lights on top made Lolly feel scared. Grandma Toady and Aunt Jessie ran off the field and into the parking lot. They were headed car to drive to the hospital.


    Again Mitzi asked, "Is Max dead?"


    Lolly could not speak. Her vocal cords were frozen. All of her was frozen.


    "No," said Munch. "He''s just  hurt. He will be okay."


    Lolly shot Munch a look, he did not know that. He read her look and shrugged. "I better go call my mama."


    Softly, Mitzi started to cry. "I only got one big brother, I sure hope he''s okay." She snuggled agains Lolly''s neck. She could feel Mitzi tears and snot against her skin. In a muffled whisper, Mitzi cried, "I don''t like this now."


    "Me either." That morning seemed so far away. Even if Max was stuck up and mean these days she didn''t want him to not be there. She didn''t want him to be gone. Everyone sat down. The game proceeded as if nothing had happened. She needed to go find Munch.


    Still holding Mitzi, who was clutching Puccini, she made her way down the bleacher steps and headed for the pay phone. Max was still talking to his mom. She ran straight for him, unaware of everyone else. A hand caught her sleeve a familiar voice said, "I hope your brother is okay."


    Mitzi twisted in Lolly''s arms and said to Trevor Long, "I hope so too."


    Lolly didn''t say anything she just stared.


    "Do y''all need a ride?"


    Mitzi said, "No Mrs. Dutchendorfph is going to take us home."


    Trevor Long''s eyes slid to Lolly''s. He gave her an encouraging smile. "Let me know how he''s doing?"The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "I would," said Mitzi, "but I don''t know you."


    Trevor smiled, "Lolly can tell me on the bus tomorrow."


    Panic, fear and utter delight swirled around so hard inside of Lolly she felt like she was going to puke. He said her name! He knew she existed!  Max might be dead or seriously hurt! How was she supposed to hold that in her tiny little cabbage of a brain and her fist sized heart?


    Trevor said, "See you ya''ll," and he walked away.


    All Lolly could do was continue to stare. Mitzi buried her head in Lolly''s neck. Trevor headed up the bleachers and disappeared from sight.


    When Munch said, "My Mom is coming." Lolly gasped. Her over active startle reflex had struck again. Munch said, "Sorry, didn''t mean to scare you."


    Against her neck Mitzi said, "Like that is hard."


    They left the field and headed back across the street to the school. Mitzi was gettin heavy, but Lolly did not dare put her down. Mitzi was prone to bolting in open spaces. Soon, Mrs. Dutchendorph''s little red Volkswagen pulled up. She was scrawny like Munch, but she had fair freckled skin. She was an art professor at the junior college. As usual she was wearing one of Munch''s creations, a bold flower print dress with gold piping. Her blues eyes were slightly distorted by thick glasses. She said, "Hop in kids, ya''ll are spending the evening with me." Was Max so bad that they couldn''t stay go home? She untangled Mitzi and buckled her into the back seat and then climbed in herself. This day had not turned out at all like she thought it would. Her worst fear this day had been Max getting back at her because he lost his egg in the hole.  The car sputtered off. Mrs. Dutchendorph said, "I will call the hospital when we get to the house okay?"


    "Okay," replied Mitzi. She had a death grip on Puccini.  The little bear was almost squeezed in two.


    The drove passed their trailer Park. Munch did not live in the trailer park. He lived on what used to be his Granny''s farm. Their house was even smaller than the trailer. Mrs. Dutchendorph''s brothers and father had built the house when she was a little girl. It only had five rooms down stairs and one room in the attic. The attic room was a combined studio. Half of it had Mrs. Dutchendorph''s illustration supplies and the other half had Munch''s dress dummy and piles of Goodwill purchases. Mitzi loved that room and hopefully once they got into it she would feel better, Lolly hoped she would feel better too.


    The car drove into what used to be the barn. It still smelled of hay and cow manure. The only animals that Munch and his mom kept were chickens. Mitzi liked to gather eggs so that would be another possible distraction. When they walked from the barn to the house the chickens started raising a ruckus. Mrs. Dutchendorph said, "Mitzi would you and Puccini like to help me gather eggs after supper?"


    A smile wavered on Mitzi''s lips. She said, "Yes Ma''am me and Puccini would like that very much."


    "Good!"


    When they got inside the house, it was all a clutter. Grandma Toady took a dim view of poor housekeepers. She thought it reflected an inner shiftiness. Lolly found this viewpoint hypocritical. Didn''t never ever paying bills on time and ignoring late fees reflect some inner shiftiness on Grandma Toady''s part?


    Munch took them up to the studio. The stairs were a little hard for Mitzi to navigate. As soon as she hit the studio floor she ran to Mrs. Dutchendorph''s drafting table. On it was an illustration of an owl in full flight. His feathers looked so soft. Mitzi declared, "When I grow up, I am gonna be an illustra-tor too!"


    Munch asked, "What, you don''t want to be a clothing designer?"


    "Nope. Sewing machines are too noisy and they can STAB you."


    "True," said Munch.


    From below, Lolly could hear Mrs. Dutchendorph on the phone. She was listening more that she was talking. She said, "Okay, thank you. I will let the kids know." Mrs. Dutchendorph''s voice did not sound like she had just heard that Max was going to die. Her steps ascended the stairs. There was a smile on her face when she got to the top. "Max is okay. He has a concussion and a broken collar bone. They are going to keep him over night for observation."


    Mitzi clapped her hands and said, "Oh that makes me so happy! I was not ready for him to become an angel."


    Neither was Lolly. She felt her whole body go limp. She had been some kind of scared. No matter how much Max annoyed her, it turned out that she still loved him A LOT!


    "I need to get back to fixing supper. Mitzi, do you and Puccini want to help?"


    "Yes, Ma''am. We are good helpers, Grandma Toady says so."


    Mrs. Dutchendorph held out her hand and Mitzi took it.


    When they were gone Munch said, "Since you are here, I might as well take your measurements."


    Lolly had never had her measurements taken and she did not know what it entailed. Munch went to his chest of drawers. On it was a record player. He flipped it on, and balanced the needle on the vinyl disc. Etta James''s voice filled the room. He grabbed his measuring tape and said, "Now hold still. And know everything I am going to do is absolutely professional and I am not trying to grope or anything."


    He handed her the yellow tape and said, "First your bust. You measure it. Hold the tape firm."


    It was embarrassing to hold the tape over her boobs and under her boobs. No wonder none of the other girls had wanted to do this. He then, took the tape and measured her waist. She held the tape while he pulled it tight around her hips. The inseam was next. Munch was absolutely professional, but the whole process made Lolly uncomfortable. She knew her entire face and head was beet red but there was nothing she could do about it. Finally he said, "That is it. There is still a fitting once I get it done."


    There was more to this model stuff than just getting up in front of a lot of people. She still wanted to back out, but when she looked at the smile on Munch''s face and the light in his eyes, she knew she couldn''t do that to him. He trusted her to keep her word, even though it would be hard. On the record Etta James sang:


    Have the faith I have in you...*


    If only she could believe in herself the way Munch believed in her.


    *From the song, Trust In Me, sang by Etta James.

 Chapter 5. How is Max?

    Supper at the Dutchendorphs was as it always had been. Grilled Tofu, soy sauce, mung beans and alfalfa sprouts. It was no wonder Munch and his mom were so scrawny. Mitzi poked her grilled tofu and said, "Me and Puccini is lergic to toe foo."


    Mrs. Dutchendorph asked, "Would you rather have peanut butter and jelly sandwich ?"


    "Yes, please." Mitzi smiled.


    This was not going to go well. Mrs. Dutchendorph pulled peanut butter, strawberry jelly and whole grain sprouted bread out of the fridge. When the sandwich was put on Mitzi''s plate she looked at it suspiciously. Lolly waited for her to say something but she didn''t. Mitzi took a dainty bite out of her sandwich. She chewed it half a second and spit it out. Disgusted, she said, "That tastes like grass and the peanut butter is yucky. I think it''s spoiled."


    Mrs. Dutchendorph laughed. "As Lolly knows the food around here is an acquired taste."


    Mitzi shook her head, " I don''t know what quired  means, but I don''t ever want to have that kind of taste. Can I go paint now?"


    "I could scramble you some eggs," Mrs. Dutchendorph offered.


    Horrified, Mitzi asked, "The ones we took from the chickens?"


    "Well, yes."


    "You eat your chicken''s babies! That''s horrible! I want to go home NOW!" Mitzi started crying.


    Mrs. Dutchendorph gave Lolly a look that said, help!


    Lolly reached for Mitzi''s hand, and said, "If we go home now you won''t get to paint on the drafting table. You want to paint don''t you?"


    Mitzi snuffled and nodded.


    "Okay then. I have an orange in my lunch I didn''t eat. You eat that and then you can paint."


    "Okay."


    After supper, for over an hour Mitzi totally absorbed herself in painting a portrait of Puccini while Munch worked on sketches for his show. From time to time he would pull out  a swatch of fabric and put it against Lolly''s cheek to see if it matched her skin tone. He was trying to find the PERFECT color. She doubted there was one. When he was rummaging through a bag of Goodwill clothes, he pulled out an old fashioned sea green dress. It looked like the color of salt water. Lolly felt an instant to connection to the dress. It was from the 1950¡¯s and cut to perfection. She wanted it just as it was, she did not want Munch to cut it up or redesign it. She asked, ¡°Can I try that on?¡±


    Pleased that she finally showed some interest, Munch said, ¡°Sure. Change in the bathroom. You know where it is.¡±


    Lolly knew where everything was in this house. As she walked down the stairs she left the present and stepped into the past. She recalled the first time she ever came to Munsh''s house. It had been for his sixth birthday party. Back then, she still had hair. It was long, spider web fine and down to her waist. She remembered how her hair took flight when she ran in the wind. On that long ago birthday, she had no idea that soon her life would change. She had not yet become an odd bird. Munch had been born an odd bird. He was loud when he should have been quiet. He talked too much and his imagination was from outer space. In the cafeteria at school, she had heard the other kids whisper that they wouldn''t go to that little weirdo''s party. When they asked her if she was going, she said she wasn''t going either. When she told Grandma Toady she had decided not to go to the party, Grandma Toady got mad and said,  "You are going young lady. His Mama told me how much he is looking forward to his birthday party and I said you''d be there, You ain''t planning on making me look like a liar are you?" Lolly was forever grateful Grandma Toady made her go. She was the only kid that showed up. During that party she and Munch formed an unbreakable bond. When her hair started falling out, he was the only one who never teased her and never stopped being her friend.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    In the bathroom, she slipped from past back into now. She closed the door and took off her armor of the day. When she put on the dress it fit perfectly. The dress made her feel pretty. She could not remember the last time she felt pretty and not just from the neck down. In the mirror she watched herself twirl. The skirt fanned out around her.


    The bathroom door flew open. Mitzi with Puccini in tow, marched through the door. She stopped in mid stride and stared up at Lolly. Her tiny mouth formed a perfect O. She reached out her hand and touched the dress. "It''s so soft," she whispered.   ¡°You look beautiful Lolly, like princess.¡± Then, she turned and yelled, ¡°Munch, come look at Lolly!¡±


    There was a thumping on the stairs, Munch and his mom arrived at the open door at the same time. Munch said, ¡°That dress was made for you, honey.¡±


    Mrs. Dutchendorph agreed, ¡°It was. Let me hand wash it in some Woolite, so you can take it home tonight.¡±


    Truth was, Lolly wasn¡¯t ready to take the dress off. She asked, ¡°Would it be okay if I just wore it home. Grandma Toady has some Woolite.¡±


    ¡°Of, course,¡± said Mrs. Dutchendorph.


    Through the bathroom window there was a flash of headlight beams. Grandma Toady¡¯s truck was pulling up the drive. Mitzi spun out of the bathroom and headed for the back door. Mrs. Dutchendorph ran after her. ¡°Wait, honey!¡± Munch and Lolly followed.


    Mitzi banged the back door open. Grandma Toady cut off the  truck¡¯s engine. The instant she opened the door, Mitzi threw herself in her arms and sobbed,  ¡°I was so scared Max was gonna die!¡±


    Gently,  Grandma Toady brushed the tears from Mitzi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your brother is gonna be just fine and ornery before we know it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad.¡±


    Lolly was too.


    *


    The ball could not be seen this morning. It was hiding behind the clouds of the overcast sky. Fluff jumped on Lolly¡¯s stomach. He put his nose against hers and stared into her eyes. He seemed confused. Did he wonder where Max was?


    Lolly told him, ¡°Max is in the hospital. He is coming home this afternoon.¡± Satisfied by her explanation, the cat jumped off her stomach and headed for the kitchen. The aroma of  French toast filled the trailer.


    Breakfast was weird without Max.


    After breakfast, Lolly, Mitzi, Puccini and Fluff surveyed the content of her closet. What armor would Mitzi pick out today? Her little fingers went straight to the sea green dress. ¡°This.¡±


    ¡°But, I haven¡¯t had time to wash it yet,¡± Lolly protested.


    Mitzi pressed the hem of the dress against her nose. ¡°It don¡¯t stink. You can wear it.¡±


    No, she couldn¡¯t. The dress had made her feel so special last night, Lolly was afraid the magic would be gone this morning and she couldn¡¯t bear that. ¡°It needs to be washed, pick something else.¡±


    Mitzi grunted, ¡°Well, what ever I pick won¡¯t be as good.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t, but Lolly could not take that risk.


    After several long minutes, Mitzi settle on black clogs, a jean skirt and a long sleeve purple sweater.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°For nothing,¡± said Mitzi. ¡°You could¡¯a been Cinderella, but no!¡± She huffed and marched out of the room.


    Lolly looked back at the dress. She wished she had the courage to wear it, but she didn¡¯t. Not now...maybe another day...maybe never.


    When it was time to leave, Mitzi did not hug her or tell her she would be praying for her. Apparently, she was still mad About the the dress.


    At the bus stop all of Max¡¯s friends came up to her. ¡°How is Max? Is he okay?¡±


    These boys NEVER spoke to her. In their eyes she saw genuine concern. They actually cared about Max. She told them, ¡°He is going to be okay. He has a slight concussion and a broken collar bone.¡±


    One of them exclaimed , ¡°Damn, that must have hurt!¡±


    A tall blonde boy, who had come over a few times said, ¡°I guess he is out for the season.¡±


    She said, "Yeah, he probably is." Poor Max! He loved playing football.


    ¡°I bet he is pissed.¡± The boy shook his head.


    In all the worry and excitement of last night Lolly had not even thought about Max being pissed off because he couldn¡¯t play football. He was pissy even when he was fine. Would he be unbearable when he got home?


    On the bus, Mrs. Anderson and several kids asked her about Max. It had been years since she had gotten this much attention on the bus. When Trevor Long stepped onto the bus, he smiled at her and asked, ¡°How is your brother?¡±


    Lolly¡¯s heart started thumping hard and fast. Her face got warm and she knew she was blushing, still, she managed to say, ¡°Uh, he¡¯s not my brother, he¡¯s my cousin. He¡¯s better. He¡¯s coming home today.¡±


    ¡°Good to know."


    Mrs. Anderson said, "Take your seat, Mr. Long."


    "Yes Ma''am." To Lolly he mouthed, "See you later,¡± and walked down the aisle to his seat. Lolly¡¯s eyes followed him. When he sat down, she quickly looked out  the window. In the glass, her reflection smiled back at her.

 Chapter 6. Moonlight

    That afternoon when Lolly got off the bus, neither Max, Mitzi or Grandma Toady were home. Fluff sat in the window seat grooming himself. He gave Lolly a quick glance and a little, ¡°meow,¡± before he resumed his ablutions. On the kitchen table was a note. She picked it up and read in Grandma Toady¡¯s messy scrawl, ¡°Over at Jessie¡¯s. Having Pizza. Come join us.¡±


    Lolly, followed by Fluff, went into her room. Her feet hurt from wearing clogs all day. She changed into baggy shorts, a pocket t-shirt and sandals. Fluff watched her every move. He suspected he was about to be left again. And he was. Aunt Jessie had chocolate pit bull, named Bruno. Fluff was not a fan, but Bruno loved Fluff to the point of distaction. It was a mystery to everyone involved. Aunt Jessie blamed it on the slightly botched neuter job Bruno had gotten last year. Before Bruno got neutered, he treated Fluff like anyother cat in the world. He chased him. Now, when he saw Fluff, he broke out in the most long winded, deep rumbling bark, Lolly had ever heard. It sent tremors through a body when he got going.


    Bruno was Aunt Jessie''s baby and she treated him like one. He went everywhere with her. Originally he was supposed to be a guard dog, but he never met a person he did not like. There were however a lot of people who were afraid of him because he was, duh, a pit bull. Because of this, Aunt Jessie took him to work with her. Working the night shift at a gas station was not a safe job for anybody, especially a woman. Lolly did not understand why Aunt Jessie chose to work the nightshift at Pensky''s Gas Station. She had the same gold hair, as Max and Mitzi had, she was smart and funny and yet she did what she did. At least once a week Grandma Toady would ask, ¡°So is any body else hiring?¡± Aunt Jessie never answered. She would sit quiet and polite like she hadn¡¯t even heard the question.


    Followed by Fluff, Lolly went back to the kitchen. She opened her backpack and pulled out the Get Well card Max''s friend, Jenny had passed around school. The way Jenny gushed and turned red when she gave Lolly the card, made Lolly suspected the little cheerleader had a crush on Max. Poor thing, she was one of many.


    Lolly headed for the front door. Fluff had disappeared, but she knew where he was. He was hunkered under the couch, positioning himself for a break out. The last thing she needed was for him to run off. She got down on her hands and knees and lifted the couch''s skirt. Fluff looked back her, his eyes held feigned innocence, but his tail swished slowly from side to side. With one swift motion, she scooped him up. He gave her a most charming look. "You don''t really want to go see Bruno do you?" Fluff batted his eyes at her. He purred loud and long, untl she opened his kennel and shoved him inside. He let out a long mournful yowl. She told him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Fluff," and locked the kennel. He gave her a dirty look and turned his back on her.


    Feeling a little guilty, Lolly went out the front door and locked it. Above her, the ball had begun its turn toward the western horizon. In an hour or two the moon would rise in the east. It was supposed to be full tonight. She loved the silver white light of the full moon. There was magic in it. She headed down Hart Street and turned on Gnu Street. All the streets in the trailer park were named after aminals in the Bovidae* family.


    She saw Aunt Jessie''s trailer. It was new, shiny and double wide. It was way bigger than Grandma Toady''s. The instant Lolly stepped onto the porch, Mitzi swung the front door open and said, ¡°Its about time you got here." Behind her stood Bruno. His great big brown liquid eyes gazed up at her. His stubby tail began to rotate. His entire body shook with anticipation. Once Lolly was inside he plastered her with a very wet, sticky, huge gooey lick right up her nostrils. It was disgusting! Mitzi said, ¡°He only kisses people he loves.¡±


    Lolly wiped off her nose with the hem of her t-shirt.


    Mitzi said, "Daddy''s here." She lead her into the front room. Seated on the couch beside Grandma Toady, was her former Uncle Luke. He smiled at Lolly and said, ¡°Hey Lolly.¡±


    She wasn''t sure what to call him these days, so she just, "Hey." Now that he was no longer married to Aunt Jessie, legally and technically he was no longer Lolly''s uncle, but in her heart he still was.


    Grandma Toady said, ¡°Max is in his room, go on in and say hi.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lolly expected Mitzi to go with her, but she didn¡¯t. Bruno came instead. When she reached Max¡¯s room, she thought Aunt Jessie would be with him, she wasn¡¯t. Where was Aunt Jessie? Lolly hesitated before she crossed the threshold. Max was propped in bed with a black shoulder sling. His eyes were closed and he had dark circles under them. If he was a sleep, she should come back later. She turned to leave, but Max groaned a little and opened his eyes. Panic rushed through Lolly, it had been a LONG time since she had been alone in the same room with Max. It had been even longer since they carried on any kind of conversation that did not involve bickering. Her mouth had gone dry and she was suddenly very thirsty. To steady herself she placed her hand on Bruno¡¯s head. Her voice cracked a little when she asked, ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    Max winced and said, ¡°I am still alive.¡±


    ¡°Well that is something.¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    She handed him the card and said, "Jenny sent you this card." He took the card but he did not read it. Lolly continued, "All your friends at the bus stop and everyone on the bus asked how you were. Mrs. Anderson told me to tell you she is praying for you.¡± Lolly proceeded name off every person who had asked about him on the bus, except one. She did not tell him about Trevor. When she finished, she noticed Max looked a little less forlorn.


    He said, ¡°Thanks Lolly.¡±


    Stunned by his gratitude Lolly was silent for several seconds before she said, ¡°You are welcome.¡±


    Aunt Jessie came into the room. She too had bags under her eyes. The smile she gave Lolly was tired. ¡°Hey Lolly would you mind ordering the pizza. If Luke orders he will put pineapple on it and I cannot abide pineapple.¡± There were many things that Aunt Jessie could not abide.


    ¡°Sure. Pepperoni?¡± Lolly asked.


    Aunt Jessie nodded.


    Max said, ¡°Just cheese with no sauce for me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Bruno followed Lolly out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. She picked up the receiver of the rotary phone. Just as she was about to dial the number to Joe¡¯s Pizza House, Mitzi came into the kitchen. Sweetly she said, ¡°Puccini wants sausage pizza. He loves sausage pizza.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡±


    ¡°Yup and Daddy said he could have some.¡±


    This was not true. For the most part Mitzi was a very honest little girl, except when her daddy was around. She played him. She got just about everything and anything she wanted, but not always, like now. Lolly said, ¡°Oh, so your daddy forgot you puked on Puccini the last time you had sausage pizza. Even if he has forgetten, I am sure Puccini hasn¡¯t.¡± Lolly looked at Puccini and asked, ¡°So you want another spin in the wash old fellow?¡±


    Mitzi hugged her bear hard and hung her head. She mumbled, ¡°No neither one of them forgot.¡± She tilted her head back up and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I lied. It¡¯s just sausage pizza tastes so good, but it hates me.¡±


    ¡°Yup, it does.¡± Lolly dialed the number and ordered.


    When the pizza arrived they all ate in Max¡¯s room with Max. He didn¡¯t eat much and he barely said anything. He looked like he was about to cry as his eyes wandered from his mother¡¯s face to his father¡¯s face. It had only been a year since Uncle Luke and Aunt Jessie got divorced. Once they had seemed happy. Lolly didn''t know what went wrong.


    Grandma Toady rose from the lawn chair she was sitting in and said, ¡°Lolly and me will be going.¡± She went over to Max and gently kissed his forehead. ¡°Love you, Honey.¡±


    Max actually said out loud, ¡°I love you too.¡±


    A big smile broke across Grandma Toady¡¯s face. She reached down and squeezed his hand. ¡°I will be over in the morning to make you an egg in the hole, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Max said. He looked passed Grandma Toady and smirked at Lolly. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he actually smiled at her. Miracles never ceased.


    After hugging and kissing everyone, Grandma Toady was finally ready to go home. When they stepped onto the front porch the full face of the moon shone down on them. The world had been turned to silver.


    Grandma Toady slipped her arm through Lolly¡¯s and said, ¡°I wish those two had stayed together.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°I worry Jessie is going to regret this someday. I think they could have tried harder.¡± There was something in Grandma Toady¡¯s voice that made Lolly wonder if she was referring to her own marriage too. Did she miss the man, Lolly had never met? He was supposed to have a second family in San Antonio.


    As they made their way to the trailer, they did not need a flashlight, the moon was so bright. The trailer park was transformed by its shine. Every surface that could reflected its round face did. When they reached their trailer, Grandma Toady tilted her head back and gazed up. Softly she began to sing to the moon,


    ¡°Did it take long to find me? I asked the faithful light.


    Did it take long to find me? And are you gonna stay the night?¡±**


    There was sadness in Grandma Toady¡¯s voice. When she finished the song, she said, ¡°Whew, well I got that out of my system. Let¡¯s go inside and let the tiger out of his cage. He is going to be some pissed.¡± And, Fluff was.


    *Bovidae is theanimal family made up cloven foot-hoofed, ruminates like antelopes, bison, sheep and goats.


    **Moonshadow by Cat Stevens, 1971

 Chapter 7. After School

    The ball would soon rise. Lavender light began to color the room. Lolly lay in her bed staring at nothing. Grandma Toady was at Aunt Jessie''s. Lolly could have gone, but she just hadn''t wanted to get up THAT early. It was so quiet. Only she and Fluff were in the trailer. He had not slept with her last night, and he was not in her room. Most likely he was hiding in the pantry, sulking. He was not quick to forgive. The sound of her fuzzy duck clock echoed through the empty house. Lolly punched the top of it and it stopped meowing.


    The trailer was void of the aroma of a hot breakfast cooking. She would have cold cereal or toast this morning. Lolly threw her thin legs over the side of her bed and slid her feet into her bunny slippers. The sound of her slippers usually brought Fluff out of hiding, but not this morning. She slapped her slippers louder than usual hoping to tempt Fluff into attacking them. It didn''t work. She went to the cabinet and pulled out a bowl and got a box of Raisin Bran out of the pantry. Grandma Toady called Raisin Bran, "The Breakfast of Clean Plumbing!" It seemed the older a body got the more obsessed it became with interior plumbing.


    From the fridge, she grabbed the milk. When she opened it, it smelled a bit off, so she ate her cereal dry. As she shoveled the dry cereal into her mouth she thought about the eggs in a hole that everyone at Aunt Jessie''s was getting to eat. Oh, well. It was kinda nice to have the house all to herself. In fact it was very rare. Some one was always there. Grandma Toady had not cut any of her apron strings. She still had her nose deep in her kids and her grandkids business.


    Outside the kitchen window, the sky had turned to pale blue. She glanced at the walk clock and sighed. This morning she had to face the World without any of her trusted rituals. She took her bowl to the sink, rinsed it off and went to her room.


    Now, to select the Armor of the Day. She opened her closet and slid her fingers across everything she owned. Nothing spoke to her. Armor of the Day decisions were hard for her and that was why she let Mitzi pick out her clothes. Maybe there would be something in what Grandma Toady called the rummage room. She padded across the hall and opened the door. It was the only room in the entire trailer that contained clutter. There were bits of quilting fabric on a table and bags of old clothes marked for Goodwill. On the walls were maps of Vietnam with red dots marking important battles. Grandma Toady had two sons in the Vietnam War, Pa came back, but Uncle Chet did not. After four years he was still listed as Missing in Action. Grandma Toady believed he was dead. They all did.


    The bed against the window was made. On the nightstand beside it was a stack of J.R. R. Tolkien books. The only one that Lolly had finished was The Hobbit. There was just something about Bilbo that appealed to her. Pa slept in this bed when he wasn''t off shore. She went to the closet and slid it open. Inside was Pa''s sparse wardrobe, shorts, faded jeans and some button up shirts. She chose the shirt with sky blue stripes. It was her favorite. The shirt was too big for her, but she liked too big. Anything tight made her feel like she was suffocating. She slid the shirt off its hanger and slipped it on. It smelled faintly of Old Spice.


    Fluff entered the room and sniffed the air. He glanced in Lolly''s direction, but he pretended he not to see her. She said, ¡°Vindidctive old cat!" He swished his tail and walked out.


    Back in her room, Lolly thrust her hand with eyes closed into her closet and grabbed something. It was the sea green dress. She let go of it like it was a hot potato. She tried again and came up with a baggy pair of gray gauchos. They would do. For her feet, she chose chucks. There was no way she was going to subject her feet to another day in clogs. In the mirror she studied herself. She looked a little frumpy. Maybe jeans would be better. The bus was going to be there any minute. Why did she suck so hard at making decisions? Lolly yanked off the gauchos and thrust her legs into her jeans. A glance in the mirror told her this was a much better choice. She grabbed her backpack and headed out the door.


    At the bus stop it felt like yesterday had never happened. No one even said, hi. When she got on the bus, Mrs. Anderson was the only one who asked about Max. Feeling alone and rejected, Lolly turned her head and stared out the window. She didn¡¯t see a single thing. When the bus stopped for Trevor Long, Lolly took in a deep breath. It would be okay if he didn¡¯t speak to her. It would be okay. Fear drove her eyes to study the toes of her chucks. When Trevor passed he said, ¡°Hey Lolly.¡±


    She looked up at him and said, ¡°Hey.¡± He smiled at her and she smiled back. God, she hoped it was not an obvious smile that shouted YOU ARE SO BEAUTIGUL TO ME!* He made his way down the aisle to his seat. She watched him until she realized Max¡¯s tall blonde friend was watching her. He raised his eyebrows. She shot her gaze back to the window. Hot embarrassment washed through her. She could feel the heat coming out of the top of her head.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    *


    After school Lolly had to meet Munch in the art room for an Art Club meeting. Lolly had tried to get out of it, but Munch said she had to come because she was, "The finest Model of The House of Munch." Really Aunt Jessie was. When she stepped insde the art room it smelled like sweaty arm pits, the kind of pits only sixth graders had. She wrinkled her nose and sat down at the table beside Munch. This was her first time in the art room. Grandma Toady would have a conniption if she saw this place. There was clutter from floor to ceiling.


    The kids in Art Club, all five of them were misfits and upper classmen. Munch was the youngest member.


    Madamoiselle Petite called the meeting to order. She taught French and Art at Lydndon Baines Johnson High. She frowned and said, "I called this meeting to discuss our up coming show in November, but thanks to the love of football, our show has been rescheduled. Our Art/Fashion Show has been moved to the first week in December. It seems there is real threat that the football team could make it to the playoffs and if they do, all other activities will be cancelled or poorly attended." A collective groan rose from the members."I know, I know," Mademoiselle said. ''We get no respect. It is a sad but tragic truth, so get used to it and don''t ever let it stop you from creating. Remember the world depends on art. Every car, dress, sneaker, utensil on the market was designed by an artist.


    Lolly hoped the football team went all the way to State! Texas State Playoffs weren''t until the third week in December. It would be months before she would have to walk down the runway. A look around the room told her the Art Club did not feel the same as she did. They looked hurt and angry. She knew she was being selfish, but she couldn''t help it. She so did not want to be a model, EVER!


    Mademoiselle Petite continued, "I know you are all disappointed , I am too, but we must remember that art has existed for millienia, while football didn''t come into existence until 1869. We can only hope the sport will have a short shelf life in the annuls of history. This meeting is adjourned. If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them."


    Lolly leaned over and whispered to Munch, "If I hurry I may be able to catch my bus. If its left already I will meet you by the oak tree, okay?"


    With obvious disappointment in his voice he said, "Okay."


    Though it was against the rules to run through the halls, Lolly made a dash for it. She got outside just in time to see her bus pull out. Shoot! Max¡¯s tall blonde friend stuck his head out the bus window and shouted, ¡°Hey Lolly! Tell Max I said, Hi!¡±


    ¡°I will,¡±she called back. At some point in time she had known this kid¡¯s name, but she could not remember it now.


    As she headed for the oak tree, the crossing guard waved at her. Mrs. McFarland had been the school crossing guard since Pa was in third grade. Her job was dangerous job. Mrs. McFarland risked her life every time she stepped into the street teeming with teenage drivers, impatient parents honking horns and kids who darted into traffic.


    There was a cement bench beneath the oak tree. She sat down and waited. When Munch came out of the school he waved to her. It looked like his mood had improved. When he reached her, he held out his sketch book and said, ¡°Look at this. This is what I am designing for you to wear. Mademoiselle thought it was great!"


    Lolly took the sketch book. On it was a faceless thin body wearing a modified hanbok. A hanbok was a traditional South Korean dress for women. Munch had shaded the dress in the pale colors of dawn. They were her favorite colors. ¡°Aw Munch this is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t it though.¡± Munch grinned and added, ¡°You will look beautiful in it.¡±


    ¡°If I had hair, maybe.¡±


    Munch frowned at her, ¡°That again. Don¡¯t you know you are more than your hair?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any hair.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just wish you could see you the way I see you." He waited for her to ask, how do you see me, but she didn''t, so he continued, "To me you are exotic like¡ª¡°


    Lolly cut him off, ¡°Like a hairless rat?¡±


    Munch rolled his eyes and asked, ¡°Are you menstruating?¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, Munch!¡±


    ¡°Well you do tend to get pissy when Mother Nature lets loose on you.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, shut up.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± He took his sketch book from her and sat down beside her. "I called my mom. She will be here soon.¡±


    Lolly didn¡¯t respond. Across the parking lot she saw the boy¡¯s cross country team loping down the sidewalk. Trevor was among them. He was too far away for her to see him clearly, but she could see him and that was all that mattered right now. Trevor¡¯s stride was relaxed and his arms were loose. His head turned in her general direction. Could he see her? Probably not, since she was in the shade. Still he might see her and he might wave. He didn¡¯t. She watched him until the team disappeared behind the gym.


    Munch exclaimed, ¡°Oh my God, Lolly has a crush and she got it bad. So which sweaty boy were you staring at?¡±


    ¡°I was not staring at anyone.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes you was. Tell me who, I am dying to know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nobody.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s red Volkswagen came speeding through the parking lot. There was a loud whoop and the traffic cop¡¯s lights started to swirl. Munch groaned, ¡°Oh great, another ticket. This is going to take a while. I seriously don¡¯t know how my mother affords her car insurance.¡±


    *from the song, You are So Beautiful, sung by Joe Cocker

 Chapter 8. A Sudden Invitation

    From where Lolly sat, it looked like Mrs. Dutchendorph was turning on the charm and working on a small display of waterworks. The policeman was explaining something to her and she was meekly nodding and agreeing with his every word. Penitent, she took her ticket. Munch remained rooted on the bench beside Lolly. He didn''t stand until the police car pulled out. His face was grim as he strode swiftly across the parking lot. Lolly had to run to keep up.


    Angrily, he swung open the door and slumped inside. He flung his seat belt on and jabbed it hard into its lock. Lolly slid into the tiny back seat and put on her seatbelt. Grandma Toady didn¡¯t even have seatbelts in her truck. Being constrained was not Lolly¡¯s favorite thing, but she did not have a choice. Some man on the radio, named Ralph Nader thought seatbelts should be mandatory and Mrs. Dutchendorph agreed. The ride home was a quiet one. Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s silent tears did not win her any sympathy with her son. Was Munch mad, embarrassed or both? Mrs. Dutchendorph, like Munch was a bit given to theatrics. They both knew how to make a scene, Lolly just hoped they wouldn¡¯t get into it until she was out of the car. She sat in the backseat praying.


    When they reached the trailer, Mrs. Dutchendorph, practically squealed, ¡°Oh, Lolly your father is home.¡± The way she said it made Lolly wary. Munch¡¯s dad had been a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He had been killed in action when Munch was eight. It had been seven years ago, but Munch still missed him and so did his mom. Lolly could not even imagine what it would be like if Pa hadn¡¯t come home. Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s voice broke, into her thoughts, ¡°You two will have to join us for Supper tomorrow night. Call me if y¡¯all can make it.¡±


    In the rear view mirror Munch''s eyes met Lolly''s. Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph had known each other for years but Mrs. Dutchendorph had never invited Pa over for Supper. There was something weird about this sudden invitation. Lolly said, ¡°Uh, sure. I will let you know.¡± She got out of the VW and went inside.


    The instant entered the house, she could tell the energy in the trailer was different. She could feel it. Pa had that effect. Grandma Toady was high energy and opinionated. Pa, her eldest son, like his grandmother before him, was the exact opposite. He sat in a pool of lamp light in the recliner. A book was in his hands. He looked up at her and smiled. He closed the book, put it on the coffee table and stood. Lolly flew into his arms. His arms strong arms closed around her. Working on an offshore oil platform required strength of body and mind. His hand cupped the back of her bald head. He was the only one she ever let touch her head. The warmth of his hand, his gentleness always made her feel accepted as she was. He never seemed to want anything from her that she could not give, nor did he worry over what she lacked.


    He let go of her and held her at arm¡¯s length. He looked directly into her eyes. In his slow soft voice he asked,¡°How ya doing Shortcake?¡±


    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s been kind of a long week.¡±


    ¡°So I heard.¡±


    She asked, ¡°How are you doing Pa?¡±


    ¡°Better now that I am home. It was a long three weeks.¡± He smiled at her and asked, ¡°Want to watch Samford and Son and then M*A*S*H tonight?¡±


    Lolly loved Samford and Son, but she honestly did not like M*A*S*H. It was about Medics in the Korean War. When she was twelve, she thought the show was about the Vietnam war. All those bloody soldiers frightened her. What if Pa was one of those soldiers? What if he was hurt or dying? Even when he was right beside her on the couch, even though she knew all that blood was fake, the war on TV felt so real, so dangerous. She thought about Munch. Had his dad died in a medic hospital?


    Pa asked, ¡°Lolly? Did you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes Sir.¡±


    He looked at her for a few silent seconds and said, ¡°I think I¡¯d rather watch Chico and the Man instead, how bout you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I would like that. I love it when Scatman Crothers talks. His voice is so raspy.¡±


    Gently, Pa kissed her forehead and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you don¡¯t like M*A*S*H?¡±


    ¡°Because, you like and it makes you laugh. Why does a war show make you laugh?¡±


    ¡°The war doesn¡¯t make me laugh Shortcake. I appreciate the humanity of the show, the quirks of being human trapped in a bad place and yet finding the funny in the midst of it. Really all life is like that.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Oh, Okay.¡± She didn¡¯t know what else to say. She awkwardly changed the subject, ¡°I don¡¯t smell anything and I don¡¯t hear a sound was coming from the kitchen, no frying, stirring or cutting. Is Grandma Toady still at Aunt Jessie¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°You know she is.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to start something for supper?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that. Honestly, I hope your grandma spends the evening with Jessie. I am just not up to her mouth tonight.¡± He sighed and sat back down in the recliner.


    Lolly wanted to mention Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s invitation, but she thought better of it. Pa seemed beat. The last thing he needed was to be saddled to an invitation to eat mung beans and tofu. Lolly went into the kitchen. Fluff had his hind quarters splayed grooming himself. He cast a single eye in her direction and then ignored her. She said, ¡°So you are holding a grudge are you?¡±


    Fluff pretended not to hear.


    What to fix for supper? Lolly¡¯s cooking skills were not great, but Pa wouldn¡¯t mind. She could make waffles with Peter Pan Crunchy peanut butter. She got the eggs and milk out of the refrigerator. There was all purpose flour in the pantry. On the counter was the waffle maker. The hardest part was always making the batter smooth. Lumps were her enemy and they always showed up no matter how hard she tried to stir evenly. Still, It was nice to be in the kitchen cooking for Pa. He was only home one week a month, the other three weeks he worked on an offshore oil platform not far from Morgan City, Louisiana. It took him five hours to make the drive home. For a little while she pretended that she and Pa had their own place, and Pa had a regular job. She missed him terribly when he was gone.


    When the waffles were ready she called him to the kitchen. Pa was a quiet man. He liked to listen more than he liked to talk, so she told him about Max, Mitzi, school, Grandma Toady, football, her grades, but she did not tell him about Trevor Long or being a model for Munch. These two topics made her uneasy.


    Pa asked, ¡°So how is Munch?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s good. Uhm, his mom asked us to Supper tomorrow night if you want to go.¡±


    A strange expression came over Pa¡¯s face. It was one Lolly had never seen before. He thought for a moment and then said, ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Well there is the food. I already ate over there once this week and I am not sure I can face another slab of grilled tofu.¡±


    Pa grinned. ¡°That bad huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t want to go then?¡±


    The way Pa asked the question made Lolly think he wanted to go. ¡°IF you want to go, we can go.¡±


    ¡°I want to go. It might get your grandma off my back, at least for this week.¡±


    Lolly raised her eyebrows at this. Grandma Toady wanted all her children happily married, but lasting marriages did not seem to be in the family¡¯s skill set. She asked, ¡°Are you wanting Grandma Toady to think this dinner is a date?¡±


    Pa turned a little red. "I know its not, but if your grandma thinks it is I will not have to endure her latest find in the lovelorn ladies department. God, if she tries to set me up on another blind date I don¡¯t know what I''ll do.¡± He rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll call after I do the dishes.¡±


    With a bit more perk in his voice Pa said, ¡°I¡¯ll wash, you dry.¡±


    "Deal. " She liked it when Pa helped.


    When the dishes were done, Lolly called. Mrs. Dutchendorph answered the phone, The eagerness in her voice was unmistakable. ¡°Please tell me you and your father are coming to Supper."


    Pa might not think it was a date, but it sounded like Mrs. Dutchendorph might have ulterior motives. Was Munch listening to this conversation? He had a tendency to eaves drop. ¡°Uh, yes we are coming. Pa wants to know if you would like us to bring anything?¡±


    ¡°No, just yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Okay see you¡ª¡° before Lolly could finish her sentence Mrs. Dutchendorph asked, ¡°What does your father like to eat? I don¡¯t want to scare him off with mung beans.¡±


    Scare him off from what? This conversation was making Lolly very uncomfortable. ¡°Well, he respects your vegetarianism, so omelets maybe.¡±


    ¡°I can do that. What else?¡±


    Seriously! This could not be happening. ¡°Salad, baked potato, chocolate pudding.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Lolly. I think I can manage that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I need to ask Munch about a project.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure. He is right here. Munch, its Lolly.¡±


    Lolly heard Munch say, ¡°No duh, Mom.¡±


    There was the sound of the long phone cord being jerked into another room. A door closed and Munch whispered, ¡°I think my mom is trying to snag your dad. What are we going to do about it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It is none of our business.¡±


    ¡°How can it not be our business if we are going to be right there with them tomorrow night?"


    Lolly shook her head and smiled to herself. Now, would be a good time to lighten the mood. She asked, "What¡¯s a matter Munch, don¡¯t you want me for a stepsister?¡± She hoped he would find the question funny but he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Your dad better not take advantage of my mom.¡±


    Offended, Lolly said, ¡°You know he wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± He hung up the phone without saying good bye.


    Lolly went into the living room. Pa looked up from his book. She could tell he wanted to ask her something, but he didn¡¯t. Instead he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk around the trailer park. After driving five hours in a truck, I need to get the kinks out of my legs.¡± They put on sweatshirts and went outside.


    The air was crisp, with just a hint of cold. Someone was grilling steaks in the trailer park. Up above the moon shone down on them. Pa put his arm around her. He smelled of Old Spice. She was so glad he was home. Now was good. If only Now could always be this good.


    *M*A*S*H*: Mobile Army Surgical Hospital

 Chapter 9. Supper with the Dutchendorphs

    Seated on Lolly¡¯s bed with Puccini and Fluff in her lap, Mitzi said, ¡°Granma thinks Mrs. Dutchendorph has the hots for Uncle Trace.¡±


    Lolly stood in front of her closet trying to figure out what to wear to Supper. She asked, ¡°When did you hear her say that?¡±


    ¡°When Granma was on the phone with Mama and I was listening on the pink phone in Mama¡¯s bedroom.¡±


    ¡°You know you aren¡¯t supposed to listen to other people¡¯s telephone conversations.¡±


    Mitzi shrugged. ¡°How else am I supposed to know what¡¯s going on in this family? I¡¯m four and a half and no one tells me anything. What does having the hots mean?¡±


    ¡°I am not at liberty to say. Ask your mother or Grandma Toady.¡±


    ¡°If I do that then they will know I was LISTENING." She shooed Fluff away snatched up Puccini and hopped off the bed. "I," she said dramatically, "Will go ask Uncle Trace."


    Uncle Trace was Pa. Panicked, Lolly said, ¡°No, don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?"


    "Because it would sound rude."


    "If its rude why did Granma say it?"


    "I don''t know. She just says stuff sometimes."


    "If no one will tell me then how am I going to find out?¡±


    An arguement with Mitzi was always a tricky thing. She was stubborn. She was the most stubborn person Lolly knew. In hope of distracting her, she asked, "Would you like to help me pick something out to wear to the Dutchendorph''s?¡±


    Mitzi glanced at her sideways and counter asked, ¡°If I do, do you promise you will wear what I pick?¡±


    There was no way Lolly would agree to this. ¡°I¡¯m not making any promises.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I will go ask Uncle Trace what having the hots means.¡± The little black mailer smiled in triumph and headed fo the door.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lolly had a bad feeling about this.


    Mitzi¡¯s rushed to the closet and her hand went straight for the sea green dress Munch had got from Goodwill. ¡°You washed it and it smells good, so you don¡¯t have any excuses.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any shoes to wear with it.¡±


    ¡°You can borrow some of Mama¡¯s. Y¡¯all wear the same size.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    "I get to pick your shoes out too. Come, on let''s go."


    Reluctantly, Lolly followed Mitzi back to her trailer. When they walked inside, Bruno broke into paroxysms. He was flouncing around so hard the entire trailer shook. Max''s yelled, "Bruno, knock it off." Bruno abruptly sat and whimpered. Lolly stepped around him. On the couch beside Max was his tall blonde friend. Shyly, he waved at her.


    Mitzi said, "Hey Kevin."


    Kevin, his name was Kevin. Lolly waved at him. Kevin actually blushed. That was unusual. Lolly felt a little foolish but she was flattered.


    Mitzi and Puccini disappeared down the hall. Lolly followed. Aunt Jessie was not like Grandma Toady. Clutter was her sanctuary. Her bedroom looked like a small tornado had hit it. Mitzi threw sweaters and jeans into the air, as she searched the floor for shoes. From beneath the bed, she jerked a white sandal. "Found one! Now, I just have to find the other one." Secretly, Lolly had coveted these shoes. Mitzi disappeared under her mother''s bed. "I can see it!" There was some grunting and then, Mitzi reappeared with the shoe in her hand. "I got it."


    Back at Grandma Toady''s trailer, Mitzi helped Lolly dressed. When she finished, she told Lolly, "Twirl like Cinderella."Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Lolly did as she was instructed. A bubble of joy rose up inside of her. She looked at the dress and the shoes and her own happy expression.


    Mitzi asked, "What do you say to your fairy godmother?"


    "Thank you!"


    *


    As soon as they got in the truck Pa turned on the radio. The music came on loud. With a look back, Pa pulled out of the drive. He seemed nervous. When they were almost to the Dutchendorph¡¯s the song, ¡°Desperado¡± started to play. Softly Pa sang along with it. When the song came to the lyrics: You better let somebody love you, before it¡¯s too late, he didn¡¯t sing that part. He punched the button and a James Taylor song came on. It was, Don''t Let Me be Lonely Tonight. With a hard twist he turned off the radio.


    When they got to the house, Mrs. Dutchendorph came flying out of the back door before they even got out of the truck. Maybe she was hot for Pa. Good Lord! Lolly got out. Mrs. Dutchendorph exclaimed, ¡°Oh Lolly, you look beautiful in that dress.¡±


    Pa said, ¡°She does.¡± He gave her a smile. His lips twitched ever so slightly. He was nervous.


    Inside the house, Munch was in the attic blaring Etta James. Mrs. Dutchendorph called up the stairs, ¡°Lolly and her dad are here.¡±


    The music stopped and Munch came down the stairs one loud step at a time. His face was grim. Lolly had never seen him like this. Pa extend his hand to Munch and Munch shook it.


    Pa said, ¡°You got quite a grip there.¡±


    Munch just glared at him.


    The meal was good, but the conversation was awkward. Mrs. Dutchendorph and Pa kept talking over each other or falling silent at the same time. Munch was a total lump in a chair. He did not say a word. When the meal was over, Mrs. Dutchendorph said to Munch, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take Lolly upstairs and show her your new sketches for her dress.¡±


    Lolly thought, Could you be any more OBVIOUS?


    Munch said, ¡°She¡¯s seen ¡®um.¡±


    With a nervous but determined smile Mrs. Dutchendorph asked, ¡°How could she have seen them? You just finished those sketches this afternoon.¡±


    There was another long awkward pause. Pa broke it. He said, ¡°I would like to see your sketches. Are you making Lolly a dress.¡±


    First Munch shot a look at Lolly and then he looked at Pa. ¡°Did no one in your family tell you that I am designing clothes for them?¡± There was hurt and anger in Munch¡¯s voice. ¡°Not even Mitzi?¡±


    Pa scratched his head. ¡°Maybe. I am ashamed to admit it but that little girl talks so much I don¡¯t always listen.¡± That was quite a confession! ¡°Still, I would very much like to see your drawings.¡±


    Munch remained rooted. His mother said, ¡°Michael,¡± in her voice that meant business. Slow and reluctant Munch stood and went upstairs. He brought his sketches down and pretty much jabbed them in Pa¡¯s face. Without reaction, Pa took the sketch book. With careful concentration he studied each drawing. He said, ¡°Mama will look good in this.¡± ¡°You picked a good color for Jess.¡± ¡°Mitzi is going to have a fit!¡± ¡°Wow, this will look good on Puccini.¡± When Pa got to the last sketch a soft light came into his eyes. ¡°Oh, Lolly you have got to see this.¡± He handed the sketch book to her. On the page was a dress in pale lavender with long flowing sleeves and a knee length hem.


    She said, ¡°Oh Munch. It is beautiful.¡±


    Some of the hardness left Munch¡¯s eyes. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t wait to wear it.¡± Actually, as long as there was a runway involved she could wait. She could wait forever because she did NOT EVER want to get on that runway in front of people. They would stare and she hated being stared at. However, if there were no stage and the dress was finished, she would put it on right now.


    For the rest of the evening, Munch stayed right beside his mother. The looks he shot in Pa¡¯s direction were none too friendly. Through out the game of Clue. Munch seemed determined to pin the murder on Pa¡¯s character, Colonel Mustard. When the game was over Pa said, ¡°It looks like I was innocent after all.¡± He smiled across the table at Mrs. Dutchendorph and she turned bright pink! Munch saw it. A strange something vibrated in the air.


    Pa rose from the table and said, ¡°We best be going. Thank you for the lovely evening.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much for coming Trace.¡±


    Pa grinned.


    Munch looked like murder.


    Lolly just wanted to go.


    At the back door Mrs. Dutchendorph said, ¡°We will have to do this again sometime.¡±


    Pa said, ¡°I¡¯d like that Estelle.¡± The look Mrs. Dutchendorph gave Pa, was painfully sweet.


    Out in the truck, Pa shoved a Beatles tape into his 8 track player. Half way home Pa said, ¡°I need a pack of cigs.¡± He pulled into the convince store. He opened the truck door and asked, ¡°Come with?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Lolly slid out her door.


    While Pa was studying the vast selection of cigarettes, the bell on the door rang. Through the glass door came Trevor Long and a couple of other boys. Lolly wanted to melt into the ground, no disappear in a puff of smoke. She stood very still praying Trevor would not see her, while deep down hoping he would. The boys headed for the chip aisle. Pa asked for a pack of Camels. Lolly could hear Trevor¡¯s voice. Pa turned to Lolly, ¡°Is there anything you want honey?¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Sure?¡±


    She nodded.


    He pulled out his wallet to pay for his cigarettes. Suddenly, a voice behind Lolly said, ¡°Hey there.¡±


    IT WAS TREVOR!


    She turned. His smile went straight through her. She let loose another YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL TO ME smile.


    He said, ¡°You look pretty.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± The whole world seemed to break out into song.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. See you at school." He headed back to the chip aisle. She watched him turn back down the chip aisle.


    Pa asked, ¡°Who was that?¡±


    Quietly she said, ¡°Just a boy from school.¡± It was a good thing Mitzi blackmailed her into wearing this dress!

 Chapter 10. From One Now to Another

    It was late. From Pa¡¯s room came faint music from his radio. It was after 11:00 and Lolly should be asleep, but she wasn¡¯t. It had been such a strange night. The supper, Munch¡¯s anger, and then seeing Trevor. Where was he now and what was he doing? Was he home like she was? What if he called her sometime? She started feeling anxious just thinking about it. One part of her warned her not to get her hopes up, the other part of her was just incredibly happy. She pushed away the negative thoughts.


    As she lay there, with Fluff snuggled up against her, she wondered if Mrs. Dutchendorph was awake thinking about Pa. She had seen the way she looked at Pa. Did Mrs Dutchendorph have the hots for Pa? Somehow that description seemed too shallow for Mrs. Dutchendorph. Her life had not been easy. In graduate school, she had met and fallen in love with Munch''s biological father, but marriage was not an option. In Texas, in 1960 it was illegal for a black person to marry a white person. The bigotry and the prejudice they encountered finally broke their union. Munch was a year old when Mrs. Dutchendorph, married Mr. Dutchendorph. He was the only father Munch ever knew.


    Before Munch''s dad had been sent to Vietnam they had a happy family. As a child, Lolly had longed for what they had. Then the terrible day came, and news arrived that Mr. Dutchendorph''s helicopter had been shot down. Nothing was the same after that. Nothing. It had taken a long time for Munch and his Mother to get to a place of acceptance. Life could be so unbearably cruel. As far as Lolly knew, Mrs. Dutchendorph had not dated anyone since Mr. Dutchendorph died. What would happen if Pa did ask her on a real date? Would she say yes? If she did, Lolly knew one thing was for sure, Munch would pitch a fit. It might affect their friendship. Lolly didn¡¯t want that to happen. As much as she loved Pa, he was gone most of the time, but she saw Munch every day. And what about Mrs. Dutchendorph? Could a relationship really work out with Pa so far away and gone so much?


    She pulled Fluff into her arms. He pressed his cheek against hers and started to purr. The sound was soothing. It pulled her into sleep.


    *


    It was time. Pa was driving back to Louisiana tonight. His shift started tomorrow morning. Every time Lolly saw his packed bags by the front door, her heart just hurt. Three weeks was a long time. Yes, there were phone calls, but it was never the same as having him at home, in the trailer when she could see him. This never got easier. She Pa hug and kiss Grandma Toady and then he reached for Lolly. He hugged her tight and said, ¡°Be a good girl, Shortcake.¡±


    Grandma Toady said, ¡°She always is.¡±


    Lolly thought, no not always.


    Pa picked up his bags. This was a now, that Lolly never liked. She took in a deep breath and promised herself she would not cry. It was not like he was going off to war or something. They stepped outside. A light mist was falling. Mist could cause slick roads. When he traveled, no matter what the weather was like, Lolly and Grandma Toady always prayed for his safety. They watched him into the truck. Grandma Toady took Lolly¡¯s hand. Through the truck windshield, they saw him wave and then he started the motor. This now was moving quickly into the next one. The truck was backing out now. It was traveling down the street headed for the highway. When the tail lights completely disappeared, Grandma Toady tugged on Lolly¡¯s hand and they went back inside.


    For a moment they both stood feeling the absence of Pa. He was such a quiet man, but his stillness could fill a room. Grandma Toady let go of her hand and said, ¡°Well, we better enjoy the peace tonight. Jessie starts back to work tomorrow night and we both know what that means.¡±


    ¡°Max and Mitzi,¡± said Lolly.


    ¡°And don¡¯t forget that disgusting little bear, Puccini. I swear that thing is alive and runs around the house when we are sleeping.¡± Grandma Toady laughed. It was not a real laugh. ¡°I guess, I best go get the kids rooms organized.¡± The kids room was actually the dining room with a wall built down the center. The trailer only had three real bedrooms. Lolly followed Grandma Toady to the ¡°bedrooms.¡± She didn¡¯t like organizing things but it was better than being in her room alone missing Pa.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    *


    On Friday morning, Munch told Lolly to meet him in the cafeteria. He had some more sketches to show her. She could only hope she liked what he drew last night. The dress he had shown her yesterday was awful. Her favorite was still the pink one with the flowing sleeves, but Munch said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t inspire me.¡± It must be tough to have to wait on a creative muse.


    Trevor Long had not been on the bus this morning. Maybe he rode to school with a friend or one of his parents. Rumor was his family had money and land, but Trevor didn¡¯t dress expensive. He just wore track pants and a t-shirt most of the time.


    With a flourish of his yellow rain jacket, Munch swirled into the cafeteria. He got some looks but he did not care. He had been getting looks his whole life, When he saw Lolly, he smiled for the first time that week. His eyes locked with hers as he strode to the window where she stood. It was obvious he was in a very goof mood. Lolly knew why. Pa was offshore and a long way from his mother. This irritated her. He did not have to be THAT happy. When Munch reached her, he sang out, ¡°Hello Sunshine.¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    He gave her a coy little smile and said, ¡°I have the most fabulous sketch. I was listening to Etta James sing, I''d I''d Rather Go Blind, and this idea just popped into my head. I think it is perfect.¡± He flipped open his sketch book and flipped through pages of his cast off designs. Finally he stopped on a sketch of a stick body in a green pencil skirt and a sheer blouse with a lacy undershirt. First of all, Lolly did not like the skirt. Walking down that runway was going to be hard enough without having to fight against the restrictions of a pencil skirt. The blouse was too froufrou for her. He must have read her face because he said, ¡°You don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°It''s just I like the flowing pink dress better.¡±


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°Would you get over that dress, I have. Now tell me what is wrong with this ensemble?¡±


    ¡°It looks like something Etta James would have worn in 1968. This is 1975.¡±


    Silently, Munch studied the drawing for a moment. He bit his lip, then said, ¡°Damn girl, if you ain¡¯t right.¡±


    This was a first. Maybe he might be receptive to another conflicting idea. Now might be a good time and it might not be. She said, ¡°Munch, you know how hard it is going to be for me to walk down that runway. I am having nightmares about it.(This was not entirely true, but Grandma Toady believed that sometimes persuasion needed the truth to be embellished.) Please Munch, I love that pink dress. I have loved it since you first time you showed the sketch to me. If I got to wear it, I thiink it would give me courage.¡±


    For a long second, Munch studied her. She could feel his mind turning. Would he agree? She hoped so, she prayed so. Finally he said, ¡°I won¡¯t make any promises, but if I can find the exact shade of pink I want, I will make that dress.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t exactly what she wanted, but it was something. ¡°Okay.¡¯ She gave him back his sketchbook and turned to the window. It looked out over the school parking lot. A fancy red Mustang drove passed the window. In it was Trevor Long. A woman was driving the car. Was that his mother? Lolly strained to see.


    Munch asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    A warm flush rose on Lolly¡¯s skin. She lied, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Girl, I know when you are lying.¡± He did, but Lolly, didn¡¯t say so.


    The car stopped. Trevor got out. He was wearing his track suit. According to yesterday¡¯s morning announcements the cross country team had a meet in Rosenberg this afternoon. Some of his friends met him on the sidewalk.


    Beside Lolly, Munch squealed, ¡°Oh my God! You like Trevor Long. I never figured you''d fall for a jock."


    Lolly punched him in the arm, "Shut up, do you want the whole cafeteria to hear?¡±


    Munch rubbed his arm. ¡°Careful now, you better be nice to me.¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    Mischief played in Munch¡¯s dark eyes. ¡°I have Trevor¡¯s phone number.¡±


    ¡°How did you get that?¡±


    ¡°While I was supposed to be solving problems in math yesterday, I got this idea for man''s suit and started sketching instead.Trevor sits behind me and he asked what I was drawing. I showed it to him and he said, and I quote, ''That is really good.'' He asked me who was wearing it in the show and I said, No one. And then," Munch''s voice rose an octave, " He said, ''I could wear it.'' I nearly squealed with delight. He will be the only person in my show not related to you."


    Lolly felt like a huge cold wave had just crashed over her. Trevor was going to be on the runway too!


    Gently, Munch place a hand on her arm. ¡°He''s coming over for a fitting. Would you like to be there?


    Worried, she asked, "Wouldn¡¯t that look suspicious?¡±


    ¡°I don''t think so. Everybody in this whole damn school knows that we are best buds. So, it would be no big deal."


    She hoped not.


    Munch batted his eyelashes at her and cooed, ¡°Come on, you know you want to be there."


    She did. "If I do come, you have to Promise me that you won''t do anything to embarrass me."


    Munch placed his hand over his heart and said, "That I cannot do. I never know what under the stars in heaven is going to embarrass you. I can promise to be on my best behavior."


    "Okay." Once again Lolly''s brain was torn between delight and terror.

 Chapter 11. For the Love of Chickens

    It was Friday again. Next weekend Pa would be home. Lolly was on the bus, staring out the window. It had been two weeks since Munch told her Trevor had agreed to be in the show. So far, Trevor had been so busy, he hadn''t had time to meet with Munch or so he said. She knew it was a a risk for a jock like him to mix with the school''s most eccentric duo. Both she and Munch knew they stuck out, but Munch took more chances with people. Lolly was more guarded. She offered friendship slow, Munch put it right out there. He had been hurt or rejected so many times over the years. Yet, every time he got knocked down, forgotten or maligned, he got up again. He tried again. He was determined to rise above his circumstances. Munch would survive if Trevor never showed, but her attraction to Trevor would not. She would not, could not like anyone who did not respect Munch''s fierce heart and his talent.


    When Mrs. Anderson stopped the bus for Trevor to get on, Lolly kept looking out the window. Instead of passing by, Trevor dropped into the seat beside her. This had never happened. Alarms went off in her head. What was he doing? Mrs. Anderson had assigned seats on the bus. Lolly glanced up at the huge rear view mirror. Mrs. Anderson was looking at them, but she didn''t tell Trevor to go to his seat.


    Trevor said, "Hey Lolly."


    She faced him.


    A slight nervousness crept into his voice as he said, "Munch told me you would be hanging out with us Sunday when I come over for my fitting."


    IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN SUNDAY and Munch had not told her. Why wouldn''t he tell her? She dropped a casual, "Cool."


    "I''ve never been in a runway show."


    "Me either."


    "Munch is really good."


    "Yeah, he is. He''s been drawing as long as I''ve known him." This conversation was not exactly flowing but it was HAPPENING!


    Too soon they were at the school. She followed Trevor out of the bus. She probably would have kept following him if his friends hadn''t been waiting for him on the sidewalk. When she stepped into the cafeteria, Munch was already there. She went over to him and asked, "Why didn''t you tell me you talked to Trevor?"


    He didn''t respond. He just grinned.


    Lolly grinned back at him.


    *


    Sunday afternoon felt like it was never going to come, but it finally did. Mitzi and Max came over while she was trying to figure out what to wear to Munch''s. Mitzi, as always came to her rescue. A pink sweater, her favorite jeans and chucks were selected.


    In the kitchen the phone rang. Max answered it and then handed it off to Grandma Toady. There was silence for a couple seconds and then Grandma Toady said, "Oh, don''t worry about it. Tell Lena, to take care of herself." She hung up the phone and made another call. During this call, Grandma Toady lowered her voice. Lolly couldn''t hear what she was saying. Once again the phone clicked onto the receiver and then Grandma came down the hall. When she entered the bedroom, the expression on her face put Lolly on guard. Her smile was a bit too bright.She said, "I hit a bit of a snag with my quilting bee, but I called Estelle and she said it was okay for Mitzi to come over with you. Lena is sick and the kids class is canceled." Her smile got even brighter.


    Great! Lolly would have preferred to have been asked first, but that was not Grandma Toady¡¯s style. If there was a childcare problem the quickest solution was Lolly.


    When Lolly didn''t respond, Grandma Toady, "That''s okay with you right?"


    Like she could say it wasn''t okay with Mitzi standing right there.


    Mitzi said, "If I have to go there I am packing a lunch."


    Grandma Toady laughed and left the room.


    The thought of being at Munch''s with Trevor had been a terror enough, but adding the ever entertaining Mitzi and her bear Puccini to the mix just made Lolly nauseous. Things were going to go wrong, very, very wrong she could feel it in the pit of her churning stomach.


    Max was bored, so he decided to go along too. Great.


    On the trip to the farm, Grandma Toady was all smiles and compliments. Max for a change was in a decent mood. As for Mitzi, she could not wait to show Mrs. Dutchendorph the series of portraits she had painted of Puccini. Lolly sat in the front seat staring at the fields. She had no hope, no hope at all of things going well.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    When they reached the farm, Grandma Toady stopped the truck and said, ¡°Ya¡¯ll be good now.¡± There was a slight twinkle in her eye. Lolly could guess what Grandma Toady was thinking as her eyes scanned the perimeter of the farm. She was thinking of Pa and what a lovely home this would be for her son and his adoring wife. For all Grandma Toady''s preaching about living in the now, she had a funny habit of jumping to conclusions. No, she didn''t just jump to conclusions, she dive bombed them.


    When the truck door slammed shut, Mrs. Dutchendorphs came running out of the back door with a big smile on her face. She practically sang, ¡°Hello kids. Good to see you Toady.¡±


    ¡°Good to see you, Estelle.¡±


    ¦¬rs. Dutchendorph asked, "Will you have supper with us after quilting bee?¡± She saw Grandma Toady¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Um, since Munch¡¯s friend Trevor will be over too, I am going to be making some actual burgers.¡±


    Lolly¡¯s mouth dropped open. What!


    ¡°Oh,¡± cooed Grandma Toady. ¡°That sounds nice. I¡¯d like that. It was give us some time to catch up.¡±


    Lolly thought, you mean time to stick your nose in Pa¡¯s business.


    Mrs. Dutchendorph lit up. ¡°Aww that makes me happy. See you in a bit.¡±


    They all waved at Grandma Toady as she backed out of the drive.


    Mrs. Dutchendorph glanced at Max''s shoulder sling and asked, "How are you doing?"


    He said, ¡°Okay. Is it alright if I go look at the chickens?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Mitzi tugged on Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s skirt and told her, ¡°I brought pictures to show you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am so excited. Let¡¯s go inside so you can show them to me.¡± Lolly followed them into the house. Inside, the house was eerily quiet. Munch was not watching TV and Etta James was not blasting upstairs. Mrs. Dutchendorph said, "For some reason, Munch is in one of his moods."


    Great! Munch picked a fine time to have a mood. She glanced at the kitchen clock. It was almost 2:30. Trevor was supposed to come at 3:00. That mood of Munch''s better evaporate soon.


    Mitzi pulled her portraits out of a Manila folder and laid them on the kitchen table. While Mrs. Dutchendorph, oooed and ahhhed over the portraits, Lolly went to the attic stairs and looked up. Munch glared down at her from the top step. Great. An angry Munch was NEVER a good thing. He hissed, "Get up here quick."


    She did. In his hand was a letter. The handwriting was unmistakable. It was Pa¡¯s. It was addressed to Mrs. Dutchendorph. She asked, "Where did you get that?"


    "Duh, the mailbox."


    "But its not yours.¡±


    ¡°It sure as hell isn¡¯t. Your should read what your precious Daddy said to my Mom.¡±


    ¡°You opened it and read it! Don¡¯t you know that is a federal offense.¡±


    ¡°So arrest me. You want read it.¡± He jabbed it in front of her face.


    ¡°No! I respect Pa¡¯s privacy and he respects mine.¡±


    ¡°Then I will read it to you.¡±


    ¡°No. You won¡¯t. I am telling your mother.¡±


    Munch crumbled the letter in his hand and threw it at her. He glared at her. ¡°You may want a stepmama, but I don¡¯t want a stepdaddy.¡±


    ¡°My God Munch, they have not even been on a date. You are just like Grandma Toady. Ya¡¯ll are both interfering assumptionists."


    Munch put his hands on his hips and cocked his head. ¡°I may not be in advanced classes, but I know there is no such word as assumptionist.¡± There wasn¡¯t. Munch pushed passed her and stormed down the stairs.


    Below, Mrs. Dutchendorph called out, ¡°Michael, where are you going?¡±


    There was no answer only the banging of the front door. Lolly sighed. In all the worst case scenarios she had conjured up for this day, none of them involved this. She picked up the letter and went downstairs.


    Mrs. Dutchendorph stood on the front port he calling for Munch, but he was not answering. When she saw Lolly, she asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    She handed Mrs. Dutchendorph the wadded up letter. "I did not read it but Munch did.¡±


    Mrs. Dutchendorph smoothed out the letter. Her hand went slowly over Pa¡¯s hand writing. Her eyes grew soft. ¡°Thank you Lolly. I think its best we let Michael cool off. Hopefully he will settle down before his friend gets here.¡±


    Hopefully! He better, but it was not likely.


    Fifteen minutes later a car rumbled outside. Through the living room window, Lolly saw Trevor climb out of the red Mustang. A girl, she had never seen before was driving it. Her stomach dropped. Trevor waved at the girl as she pulled away. Could this day get any worse.


    Mitzi bolted from the couch and reached the door before Trevor even knocked. She swung open the door and announced, ¡°Munch has runned away.¡±


    Trevor smiled at Mitzi and said, ¡°He did.¡±


    ¡°Yup. We don¡¯t know where he is. He could be lost.¡±


    Mrs. Dutchendorph pulled Mitzi from the door and said, ¡°Come in Trevor, I am Michael¡¯s mother.¡±


    Trevor extended his hand, and said, ¡°Pleased to meet you.¡± His eyes strayed from Mrs. Dutchendorph to Lolly. She gave him a forced smile. Was that girl his girlfriend? She was trying to not jump to conclusions, but Grandma Toady''s blood ran thick in her veins and she could not help herself. This was starting off brilliantly.


    The back door opened and closed. Max and Munch entered. Munch called out, ¡°Hey Trevor, right on time. Come upstairs with Max and me.¡± He had completely excluded Lolly.


    Silently Lolly watched the boys go upstairs. How could Munch do this? A small hand slipped into hers. She looked down at Mitzi. The little girl said, ¡°Boys are stupid and they have cooties too. Can we go see the chickens? I need to tell them to hide their eggs so Mrs. Dutchendorph can''t steal their children while I am here." There wasn¡¯t anything else so do, so Lolly nodded.


    While Mitzi carefully explained to the chickens the dangers of Mrs. Dutchendorph, Lolly kept glancing up at the attic window. Trevor Long was in there. He might have a girlfriend, and it was not her. Then there was stupid Munch, she had never been so close to hating him. She looked back at the chickens. Mitzi stood rigid. Her face was flushed and she whimpered, ¡°I gotta go pee. We better hurry. I waited too long again.¡± Lolly snatched her up and ran for the house. They made it just in time.


    When they came out of the bathroom, Trevor was coming down the stairs. He saw Lolly and grinned. He said, ¡°Max said I should see the chickens, ya¡¯ll want to show me?¡±


    Mitzi shook her head. "I have spent enough time with chickens for one day. I am going upstairs to paint.¡± She stomped up the steps.


    Trevor asked, ¡°So have you seen enough chickens for one day?¡±


    Her first instinct was to say, yes, but she knew she had to find out who the girl in the red Mustang was, so she said, "No."


    ¡°Okay, then lets go.¡±

 Chapter 12. The Art of Conversation

    The walk from the house to the chicken coop was awkward. Lolly¡¯s shyness was getting the best of her. Trevor was doing his best to draw her out, but her mouth had gone dry. When they reached the chickens, Trevor laughed. ¡°Look at that little Bantam.¡± The tiny rooster was strutting for all he was worth. None of the hens seemed the least bit interested. There was something about his size and his cockiness, that reminded Lolly of Munch. She started to form a response, but the little rooster crowed. Trevor said, ¡°I need to tell my dad to get me one of those. We just have Island Reds.¡±


    Lolly guessed Island Reds were some kind of chickens. Silently she prayed, Dear God, Help me talk, please!


    ¡°We¡¯ve got chickens at our farm, cows and goats too. I¡¯ve mostly grown up in the cities so this country life is new to me. Do you have any livestock?¡±


    ¡°No. Just a cat named, Fluff.¡±


    ¡°I am allergic to cats.¡±


    Lolly didn¡¯t know how to respond to this so she just said, ¡°Oh.¡± It must be horrible to be allergic to cats. She didn¡¯t know how she would live without Fluff.


    Nervously, Trevor smiled. It was an uncertain smile. ¡°Do you have any siblings?¡±


    ¡°No. Do you?¡± Oh my God, thought Lolly, I am SUCH a conversationalist!


    ¡°I have an older sister. She dropped me off.¡±


    The girl in the Mustang was his sister, HIS SISTER! The earth seemed to loose all its gravity. Lolly felt like she was literally floating. No this did not mean Trevor liked her or anything, but HE DID NOT HAVE A GIRLFRIEND. All the sudden the bubble she was floating in popped. She was jumping to a conclusion. Just because the girl with the Mustang turned out to be his sister did not mean that there might be another girl with or without a car that he was dating or at least interested in. She felt herself starting to spiral inside. All the ugly things she thought about herself began to rise to the surface. What was she hoping? She was hoping he would like her and THAT was never going to happen.


    He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong Lolly?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± It was a lie.


    ¡°Oh, okay. That suit Munch is making is really loud.¡±


    As angry as she was at Munch right now, she did not like Trevor criticizing his work. ¡°So, you don¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°No. I like it. Its just I¡¯ve never worn anything like that before. Hell I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before. He has some imagination.¡±


    ¡°He does.¡±


    ¡°Munch showed me the sketch of what he is going to make for you. He said he hasn¡¯t found the right color pink yet.¡±


    What? Munch talked about her, she hoped he didn¡¯t say anything bad about her because he was mad at her.


    Trevor wove his fingers through the chicken wire and asked, ¡°I am a little nervous about being on a runway, are you nervous?¡±


    ¡°Very.¡±


    He smiled and said, ¡°You will do great. Munch told me you are a natural born walker.¡±


    ¡°Really?"


    ¡°Yeah, he talks about you a lot. He told me ya¡¯ll have been best friends since first grade.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Good grief, this monosyllabic answers were getting monotonous. Firmly she told herself, Longer sentences, Lolly.


    ¡°That must be nice. Because of my dad¡¯s job, we had to move around a lot. We moved here because he retired. I¡¯ve never been in a single school for more than a year. I like the idea of being in one place.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± More words! Use more words!


    He let go of the chicken wire and came a bit closer. He looked straight into her eyes. For one brief second, Lolly thought he might kiss her. Would a nice boy just kiss a girl without warning? She had never been kissed so she didn¡¯t know. He said, ¡°Munch was telling me how blue your eyes were and they really are.¡±


    Despite being mad at her, Munch had said that! Maybe she would forgive him for excluding her, maybe she wouldn¡¯t.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The back door banged open. It was Mitzi with Puccini in tow. She headed straight for them. Great. The first thing the little imp did was lace her fingers through Trevor¡¯s. ¡°Come inside, I want to show you my NEW painting.¡± She looked at Lolly and said, ¡°Oh, and Mrs. Dutchendorph needs some help with the burgers, Its been forever since she cooked meat. I hope the hamburgers are good.¡± Lolly did too.


    In the kitchen Mrs. Dutchendorph had on rubber gloves and she was eyeing the bowl of ground meet with trepidation. It was obvious she did not even want to touch the meat, much less cook it. Lolly said, ¡°I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, would you? I would appreciate it.¡±


    The spices had already been dumped into the bowl. She stuck her hands in to the meat. Mrs. Dutchendorph gasped and ran to the bathroom. Lolly wasn¡¯t sure but she thought she heard her puke. Several minutes passed before she returned. Lolly asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll go out and start the grill up while you make the patties. The sound of meat being squished makes me nauseous. Just bring them out and if you could put them on the grill for me, I would appreciate it so much.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Mrs. Dutchendorph went out the back door. When Lolly finished making the patties, she went outside. Mrs. Dutchendorph had her back to her and she was staring at the chicken coop. When she turned to face Lolly, there were tears in her eyes. ¡°Usually, Michael starts the grill, but he is so mad at me. If I hadn¡¯t forgotten to get the mail yesterday her never would have seen that letter.¡± Her voice dropped to a whisper and she asked, ¡°Are you mad at me, Lolly?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± The situation was a bit weird, but Mrs. Dutchendorph was one of the kindest people that Lolly knew. She said, ¡°Munch will get over it.¡±


    ¡°I hope you are right.¡±


    As Lolly put the burgers on the grill she asked, ¡°What made you decide to fix real burgers?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want Michael¡¯s new friend to think we are any weirder than we are. Honestly, I just didn¡¯t want to scare him off. It isn¡¯t often Michael has a new friend, much less one that comes to our house.¡± There was pain in her voice and fear.


    Lolly heard the rumble of Grandma Toady¡¯s truck coming down the drive. She pulled around back and parked under a tree. Max, Mitzi, and Trevor came outside. Munch did not. Grandma Toady climbed out of the truck. In her hand was a bag. ¡°We had some left over brownies. I thought the kids would like them.¡±


    Mitzi shouted, ¡°This kid LOVES brownies!¡±


    Grandma Toady said, ¡°I know, but don¡¯t you dare feed Puccini any.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. but he will be very sad."


    ¡°He will get over it.¡± Grandma Toady put the bag on the picnic table. She took one look at Mrs. Dutchendorph and said, ¡°Are you feeling okay Estelle?¡±


    Mitzi said, ¡°She threw up. I heard her.¡±


    Grandma Toady put a hand on Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s forehead. ¡°You are a bit clammy go on inside and lay down. I will take care of this shin dig.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Mrs. Dutchendorph went inside.


    Grandma Toady surveyed the group and noticed Munch was missing. She asked, ¡°Is Munch in a mood?¡±


    The ever informative Mitzi said, ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°His loss. Now set the table and put out the buns and condiments.¡± To Trevor, Grandma Toady said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met. Just call me Grandma Toady, everybody does. And your name is?¡±


    ¡°Trevor, Ma''am.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. How do you like your burger?¡±


    ¡°Medium rare, please,¡± Trevor said.


    The way Grandma Toady could handle any situation was a continuing wonder. Unlike Lolly, she never met a stranger, never was at a loss for words and always knew how to make people feel comfortable. During the meal she entertained them with stories of the crazy old ladies in the quilting bee. She didn¡¯t name any names, but Lolly knew who she was referring to. Their laughter eventually brought Munch out. He didn¡¯t say much, he didn¡¯t look even look at Lolly but at least he wasn¡¯t still sulking in his room.


    When the meal was over, Grandma Toady told them, Load up, it¡¯s time to go home.¡± She asked Trevor, ¡°Do you need a ride home son?¡±


    ¡°If you have room?¡±


    ¡°We got room. Big kids in the back, little girls with bears and grandmas in the front.¡± To Munch she said, ¡°Look after your Mom. She¡¯s not feeling good.¡±


    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am.¡± To Trevor he said, ¡°Thanks for coming over, you too Max. Bye Mitzi.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything to Lolly.


    Max, Trevor and Lolly climbed into the truck bed. Grandma Toady told them to sit against the cab. They did. Lolly sat between Max and Trevor. He was so close she could almost touch him.


    *


    Lolly had her curtain open and was staring up at the night sky thinking about Trevor. He seemed really nice. She wondered what he thought of her, if anything.


    There was a knock on her door. She said, ¡°Come in.¡± It surprised her when Max opened the door and walked in. It had been ages since he had been in her room. For several seconds he just stood there staring at his feet, finally he raised his eyes and said, ¡°Munch told me about the letter. Don¡¯t be too hard on him, Lolly.¡±


    ¡°Why not? What he did was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so, but think about it from Munch¡¯s perspective.¡± This conversation was surreal. Lolly didn¡¯t now Max thought about anybody but himself. Max continued. ¡°He¡¯s scared.¡±


    ¡°Of Pa? Pa is the nicest man I know and besides, they aren¡¯t even dating.¡±


    Max looked at her. ¡°They will be. Munch told me what was in the letter.¡± Lolly started to cut in, but Max held up his hand, ¡°Think about it. Mrs. Dutchendorph is ALL of Max¡¯s family. He rarely sees his grandparents because they live so far away. He has not had to share his mother with anyone since his dad died. While your mom may not be around, if you needed to, you could call her. Munch can¡¯t call his dad and he doesn¡¯t even know where his birth father is. You on the other hand, have Grandma Toady, Mitzi, Me, my mom and your dad.¡± He paused and said, ¡°Munch just has his mother.¡±


    Lolly protested, ¡°He has me.¡±


    ¡°You are his friend, not his family.¡±


    Again, Lolly wanted to protest, but she held her tongue. In truth she had never thought about what it must be like for Munch to have such a small family. While she and Munch were together a lot, she did not live with him, she had not known him his entire life. She did not share blood with him or any family characteristics. He didn¡¯t have an Aunt Jessie who wore the same shoe size he did. He didn¡¯t have a little cousin to pick out his clothes and make him laugh. He just had his mom. Just his mom. ¡°Okay, I think I get it. I¡¯m glad that Munch had you to talk to today.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± He turned and walked out of the room.

 Chapter 13. Lifetime Friend

    A cold front had blown in during the night. The wind still shrieked around the trailer. Outside the sky was just beginning to turn soft blue. Lolly felt the small compact body of Mitzi snuggled up against her. The sound of the wind frightened Mitzi. Around two a.m. Mitzi had crawled into bed with her. It was a tight fit in a twin bed. Gently, Lolly stroked Mitzi''s short hair. It had finally grown out enough for a Pixie cut. On Lolly''s stomach Fluff had his paws wrapped around Puccini. His green eyes met Lolly''s. Puccini was captured prey. If Mitzi saw the cat with her beloved bear there would literally be hell to pay. With one swift move, Lolly extracted Puccini from Fluff. The cat lunged for his lost prey, but he was so fat, he rolled off the bed and hit the floor with a thud. He glared up at Lolly, stuck his tail straight up and stalked out of the room.


    Careful not to wake Mitzi, Lolly crept out of bed and went to take her shower. She hoped Max hadn''t used all the hot water again.


    After breakfast it was time to pick out her armor of the day. It was going to have to be some really tough armor given the fact that Munch was furious with her. Besides the library, he was her haven. What would it be like to go through an entire day without Munch? She ran her hand over her hairless head. On cold days she had to wear a cap or a hat. If she didn''t the cold would give her headache. Since she didn''t have the built in protection of eyelashes, the wind would blow dust into her eyes. Usually she wore Pa¡¯s favorite army hat, but Munch knew it was Pa''s hat. It might set him off. She didn''t dare making Munch more angry than he already was with her or Pa. She would have to pick out something else.


    Mitzi stood beside her, pondering the contents of the closet. She asked, "Which shirt did Munch give you for Christmas last year? Oh, here it is." She pulled out the shirt with a screen printed reindeer on it.


    "I can''t wear that its not Christmas."


    "It might make Munch like you again if you wore it."


    Lolly argued, "It would make Munch think I am sucking up."


    "Um, Grandma Toady doesn''t like that word." Mitzi dropped her voice to a whisper, "She washed Max''s mouth out for saying it."


    Actually the word had started with an F, but Lolly would not even attempt to argue that point. Lolly took the shirt. Maybe wearing it might help.


    Next Mitzi selected brown corduroy pants the same color as the deer. "Wear your chucks, they always make you feel braver. You need to be brave today, Lolly." She did indeed. "You have to wear a cap today cause its cold. The black one with the green stripe would be cool." It was, though Lolly felt she it too looked a little too much like Christmas too.


    "Thanks Mitzi."


    "Your welcome. Munch thinks I have a good eye for fashion, yesterday he told me he would hire me as his assistant.¡±


    So Munch had even talked to Mitzi, but he had said a word to her. That just hurt. Last night after talking to Max, Lolly had wanted to call Munch, but it just felt too soon. Lolly pulled the cap off its hook and put it on her head. It was a little scratchy. Pa¡¯s army hat was so soft. Now to get dressed to face the World.


    Max was waiting by the front door when Lolly came out of her room. He opened the door for her. The wind outside had died down. To Lolly''s surprise, Max walked with her to the bus stop. He had not done that since he started Junior High. Not a word passed between them, still Lolly was grateful for this kindness. Once they reached the bus stop, Max separated from her and went to be with his friends.


    Bleakly, Lolly stood alone staring at nothing. Her mind was racing with possible disasters. Munch might never speak to her again. He might shun her forever. Ostracized, she would be. A freak alone in the world. There was a slight movement beside her. She focused her eyes and turned. It was Kevin, Max¡¯s tall blonde friend.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Hey Lolly. I like your cap.¡± He smiled. He had a nice smile. ¡°Uh, Max told me he was going to be in Munch¡¯s show.¡±


    ¡°He is?¡± This was UNEXPECTED.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He ducked his head a little and quietly asked, ¡°I was wondering if Munch might need another model.¡±


    ¡°He might.¡±


    ¡°If he does, tell him I am 6ft 1 and I wear 28X42 jeans. I know I¡¯m a bean pole.¡± He turned a little red as he looked down at her. He seemed to be apologizing for his appearance. Lolly knew that feeling. He asked, ¡°You got a pen?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She pulled one out of her back pack and handed it to him.


    From his notebook, he tore a little shred of paper and wrote his phone number down on it. ¡°Could you give my number to Munch, if he says yes.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Lolly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    In the distance came the roar of the school bus. Everyone moved to the street. The bus came to a squealing halt. Mrs. Anderson, swished open the doors. Lolly took her regular seat. The bus was really cold this morning. When everyone was seated and shivering, Mrs. Anderson said, ¡°Sorry kids, the heaters busted.¡± The bus lurched forward.


    As more kids got on the bus, Lolly began to feel more nervous. Soon she would have to face Munch or not face Munch. She really hoped he wasn''t going to avoid her all day. The last stop was Trevor. He stood by the road bundled up in a brown and tan CPO jacket. Mrs. Anderson opened up the doors. Trevor bounced up the steps. He gave Lolly a quick grin and went to his usual seat. Though she had braced herself for this scenario, dissappintment filled her. Had she really hoped Trevor would sit beside her again. Yes. This now sucked.


    Too soon Lyndon Baines Johnson Highschool appeared. The instant Mrs. Anderson opened the bus doors, Lolly got off and headed straight for the cafeteria. If Munch was not at their table, then she would know he was still really mad. While she didn''t expect him to be fine and dandy, she did hope he was on his was to okay. She rounded the corner and saw him at their table scribbling hard on his sketch pad. Relieved, but cautious, she walked to the table. Munch did not look up or acknowledge her existence. She sat down across from him anyway. Munch¡¯s body tensed, but he didn''t get up and go to another table. Out of her back pack she pulled the book, Up a Road Slowly, by Irene Hunt. She tried to read, but she could not focus. If Munch was not going to talk to her at all, she needed to know, NOW. She said, ¡°Max¡¯s friend, Kevin, wants to know if you need another model.¡±


    Munch actually look up from his sketch pad. ¡°Is he that the long tall one?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Ooo, now that would be a challenge.¡± Munch liked, no loved creative challenges.


    Lolly slid the piece of paper with Kevin¡¯s number across the table. He took it and said, ¡°Thanks.¡± The bell rang. Even though they did not talk, Munch walked with her to her locker.


    *


    That evening while Lolly sat at the kitchen table cursing the creation of Geometry, the phone rang. She went to the phone and answered. Her hello was met by an operator asking, ¡°You have a collect call from Trinia Phelps, will you accept.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    There was a slight click and then a high squeal. ¡°Oh, baby it is so good to hear your voice! How you been?¡±


    ¡°Hey Mama. I¡¯ m good. I got A''s on my report card except for stupid Geometry." Grades never interested her mother, so Lolly said, "Munch is having a fashion show. Our whole family is going to be in it, even Max!"


    ¡°Wow, that is so cool. Munch is some kind of talented. I will have to hook him up with a clothing designer I know.¡± She laughed. Lolly laughed too, even though she couldn¡¯t figure out what, if anything, was funny. Mama asked, ¡°Guess what?¡±


    There were three answers to this question. One, Mama was going to be an extra on a TV show, if her footage had not been cut. Two, she needed money. Three she was in a play. Lolly refused to guess. ¡°What?¡±


    There was a dramatic pause and then she said, ¡°I just got a call from my agent. They cast me as a grocery clerk. I actually have LINES! I get paid by the word. Can you believe it?¡±


    Lines, she had never gotten lines before. ¡°That is so cool Mama! I am really happy for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Filming starts next week. I AM SO EXCITED! I will have a scene with Angie Dickinson. Maybe some day I will have my own show like her. Wouldn¡¯t that be cool?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that would be.¡± It was hard for Lolly to muster enthusiasm. When Mama called she was either desperate or flying high. Her dreams and her confidence were boundless or they had completely flat lined. In the background, Lolly heard a man¡¯s voice.


    Mama said, ¡°Okay, sweetie. I got to go. It was so good to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    ¡°Love you!¡±


    ¡°Love you too." There was a click and the line went dead.


    Grandma Toady came into the kitchen and asked, "Well, what¡¯s the next big thing in Trinia¡¯s life?¡±


    ¡°She got a part in Police Woman and she has lines. She''s gonna get paid by the word."


    Grandma Toady shook her head. A sly smile crept across her face. She said, "Too bad I don''t get paid by the word, if I did we''d all be rich."


    Lolly laughed, "Yeah, we would be."


    "Hey now!" Grandma Toady wrapped her arms around Lolly and gave her a big hug.

 Chapter 14. Id Rather Go Blind

    Friday morning when Lolly first woke up, she thought, Pa is coming home today. Instant joy filled her, and then it was tempered. Pa coming home this week would put him in close proximity to Mrs. Dutchendorph. This, Munch hated. He had been in a state of depression all week. Communication between he and Lolly had been almost nonexistent. Regardless, he had sat with her every day in the morning and at lunch. He even went to the library with her, which was just plain weird. Munch was not a fan of the library. Usually, he got asked to leave after about five minutes of not being able to keep his voice down. But all week he had sat across from her and had silently done hand sewing. He carried the handwork around in a big canvas bag. People made fun of the bag, but he ignored them. In fact he seemed to be ignoring everyone except Max. On Wednesday Munch had gone to Max¡¯s football game, even though Max was sidelined because of his broken collar bone. Several times that week they had talked on the phone. What they talked about Lolly had no idea because, Max always pulled the long cord of the phone receiver into the rummage room. Since Munch had not called her all week, this made Lolly a lot jealous. Was she losing her best friend? Though, they had spent time together at school, Lolly was felt like she was becoming Munch¡¯s security blanket and not his friend.


    Depressed herself, she got up and went to take her shower. Afterward, she met Max in the hall. She asked, ¡°Is Munch okay?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Is he still furious about Pa?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± He walked away from her and went into his room.


    Later at the bus stop, she was not alone. Kevin had apparently decided she possessed a fine set of ears. He was telling her all about his new Albino Rat, Shivers. Lost in her current worries, she didn¡¯t hear most of his story. When he paused, she saw his hurt expression, he knew she wasn¡¯t paying attention to him. He was a nice kid and she didn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings. In an attempt to right her wrong, she took a stab at conversation. She said, "There''s a rat named Templeton in Charlotte¡¯s Web. Have you read it?"


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He lowered his voice. ¡°The ending made made me cry.¡±


    This surprised Lolly. Was Kevin a reader? She said, ¡°It made me cry too. What kind of books do you like to read?¡±


    He blushed a little and said, ¡°I love books with animals. Have you read A Cricket in Time''s Square?¡± He dropped his voice to a whisper and said, ¡°I just love Chester Cricket and Tucker Mouse.¡±


    For some reason, Lolly whispered back, ¡°I love them too! Aren''t Garth William''s illustrations the best?"


    Kevin¡¯s eyes lit up. "They are. I want to draw like him.¡±


    "So you''re an artist." Turning a deep shade of red, he nodded. Lolly looked up at him and smiled. Was it possible she and Kevin were becoming friends?


    The bus pulled up and they all filed in. Lolly took her seat. Her worries returned. Munch was sure to be in a really bad mood. If he was going to shun her all together, today, would be the day. She sighed and pressed her head against the cold window.


    When the bus reached Trevor''s stop, he did what he had done every morning, he gave her a quick grin and went to his seat. During the day, if he saw her in the hall, he always waved. That was the sum total of their relationship and Lolly felt a grim certainty that it was just how it was always going to be. At least he acknowledged her existence and at least she managed to smile back, but that was not at all how she wanted it to be. Once again she told herself she had to be realistic. She had Alopecia. Trevor was beautiful. He had hair everywhere it was supposed to be. He might be her acquaintance, but he would most likely never be her friend, and even if they did get to friend stage, it would not go beyond that.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    To her relief, when she got off the bus, Munch was waiting for her in the cafeteria. He glanced up at her when she sat down. Something was up and it was not good. He said, ¡°So guess who¡¯s going to get coffee this afternoon?¡±


    Though she could guess the answer to this question, she did not dare say it. ¡°Who?¡±


    Munch glared at her, ¡°Uhh, Girl don¡¯t play dumb with me.¡± He had never looked at her with such venom.


    She honestly did not know what to say.


    Munch dropped his voice to a growl, ¡°You best talk to your old man. This thing is never gonna work. He hurts my mama, IT IS OVER.¡±


    Stunned, Lolly just sat there. Munch had never talked to her like this. Was he threatening to end their friendship? It sure sounded like it. All she wanted to do was get up and walk away fast and far. She could feel tears stinging her eyes. Since she didn¡¯t have eyelashes crying was a messy thing.


    ¡°Oh, you gonna cry? Seems like you was fine with things last Saturday.¡±


    Lolly ran the back of her hand across her cheek. Yup, she was crying. ¡°I was not fine. I just think Pa is a good man and I love your mom,¡± her voice broke as she said, ¡°and I love you.¡±


    Her tears, her words didn¡¯t not even move him. It felt like she had just slammed into a granite wall. Munch snatched up his canvas bag and said, ¡°I¡¯d rather go blind than to see Mama with your daddy.¡±


    Lolly watched him stomp away. In a movie, in a book, someone would come up and talk to her and try to comfort her. In a really good book, Trevor Long would be that someone. But that didn¡¯t happen. Beyond the window, she saw him outside tossing a football with his friends.


    *


    The day had been unbearably long. Munch had not eaten with her, had not gone to the library with her and had completely ignored her when he passed her in the hall. She never thought anything like this could happen to them. She felt lost and scared.


    When she got home from school, Pa¡¯s truck was in the drive. She took in a big breath and went up the steps into the trailer. Pa was in his chair, holding his book but not reading it. He was staring at nothing. Lolly said, ¡°Hey.¡±


    He stood and came to her. There was a different kind of light in his eyes. He must have had a good time with Mrs. Dutchendorph. He hugged her tight and asked, ¡°How¡¯s my Shortcake?¡±


    Against his flannel shirt she mumbled, ¡°Okay.¡±


    He pulled her away from him and looked her in the eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t sound okay.¡±


    ¡°Its nothing.¡±


    ¡°Yes it is, tell me.¡±


    Lolly looked up into her father¡¯s eyes. Though she could see his concern for her, she could not help but notice that under the concern was a happiness, that was loud and deep. She asked, ¡°Did you and Mrs. Dutchendorph have a nice visit?¡±


    His eyebrows went into a V. ¡°How do you know about that?¡±


    ¡°Munch told me.¡±


    He seemed a bit stunned. He asked, ¡°How did he know?¡±


    ¡°Well he either read it in the letter he stole that you wrote to his mother, or he was eavesdropping on the phone. Take your pick.¡±


    Pa¡¯s face went gray. ¡°He read my letter? He''s been listening to our phone conversations?¡±


    ¡°Yup. He''s almost as good as Mitzi is at picking up the phone''s reciever without making any noise."


    Pa looked like he had just been punched. ¡°He must have heard us early this morning. I called Estelle and we decided to meet between her classes. I just couldn''t wait to see her." Gag! That explained why Munch was in such a mood this morning. Pa continued, "The plan was that we would talk to you kids together tomorrow night about our decision to date. Does any one else know?¡±


    ¡°Max knows about the letter but he hasn¡¯t said anything to you know who.¡± She was referring to Grandma Toady.


    Pa dropped his gaze to the floor. ¡°I am sorry Lolly. I didn¡¯t mean for you to find out this way. I just don¡¯t get why Estelle didn¡¯t tell me about the letter. She seemed a little nervous to me this afternoon, but then she always seems little nervous.¡± He ran his hand through his hair. ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Sudden unexpected anger flashed through Lolly. ¡°What should we do? Are you referring to you and me as we or you and Mrs. Dutchendorph? Because if we is you and me, then you need to do something because Munch has been a real turd to me all week. If we refers to you and Mrs. Dutchendorph, all I got to say is good luck. Right now Munch hates you, or at least he thinks he does.¡±


    Again Pa said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I know you are. I¡¯m not really mad at you.¡± This was not exactly true. Right now at this moment she could not help thinking of all the women in the world, why do you have to be interested in my best friend¡¯s mother? ¡°I¡¯m mad because its been a bad week and I don¡¯t want to lose my best friend.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to lose your best friend either.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±

 Chapter 15. Neutral Territory?

    The usual Friday night ritual when Pa came home was disrupted. Instead of spending an evening watching their favorite TV shows they were headed to Steak and Ale in Lake Jackson to meet with the Dutchendorphs. Supposedly, according to Mrs. Dutchdendorph, Steak and Ale was neutral territory. Really, Lolly suspected the restaurant had been chosen in hopes that Munch would behave himself in a public place. It was a bad idea and possibly a cruel one. If Munch gave into his anger and caused a scene...well the after shock would not win Pa any votes of confidence. Lolly¡¯s previous assessment that Mrs. Dutchendorph did not have the hots for Pa stood corrected. Only a woman in heat would set up her precious child for public humiliation. All Lolly could do was pray.


    When they reached Steak and Ale, Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s  red VW bug was already in the parking lot. Pa¡¯s hand shook as he reached for the door handle. They would definitely be stopping off to buy cigarettes when this was over. Pa didn¡¯t smoke all the time, just when he was nervous, and he was some nervous. He should be. Anger began to swirl inside of Lolly. She felt like she and Munch were proverbial sitting ducks. No matter how they felt, this thing between Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph was going to happen, she could feel it deep in her gut.


    A light mist was falling outside. Lolly pulled up the hood of her windbreaker. The air was cold and it stung her eyes. Just inside of the dimly lit restaurant, a nervous Mrs. Dutchendorph stood, with a very angry Munch. He didn¡¯t even look at them when they walked in, but Mrs. Dutchendorph sure did. There was a weird mixture of joy and panic in her eyes. This was going to be SO MUCH FUN. A waiter lead them to their booth in the back. Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph shared one seat, Lolly and Munch were in the other one. Menus were passed out. Lolly was not the least bit hungry. In fact she felt sick.


    Three weeks ago when she had been in the very familiar kitchen at the Dutchendorph¡¯s, Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph had been uneasy. Now, in front of her, Lolly could sense that over their weeks a part, a new bond had formed. There was something about their postures. They seemed to be leaning in toward each other. As for Munch, he had been angry three weeks ago, tonight he was a scrawny volcano about to erupt. Under the table Lolly reached for Munch¡¯s hand. His finger¡¯s laced through hers. His palms were so sweaty. Though she wanted to, she did not dare squeeze his hand for fear he would let go. She needed that hand in hers, to anchor her and to anchor him.


    The waiter asked Lolly what she wanted. She wanted to be home. She wanted to not be here. She did NOT want food. ¡°I¡¯ll just have a coke.¡±


    Pa said, ¡°You need to eat something.¡±


    She cut him a look and ordered a baked potato with butter. When Munch was asked for his order, he said, ¡°Depends on who is paying.¡±


    Pa said, ¡°I am.¡±


    Munch¡¯s eyes shot down the menu. He said, ¡°Lobster.¡± That was the most expensive item on the menu. ¡°Twice baked potato and green beans.¡±


    Neither Pa nor Mrs. Dutchendorph protested.


    Munch added, ¡°And a bottle of your finest wine.¡± He had gone too far now.


    The waiter looked at Pa. Pa shook his head. The waiter took the menus and said, ¡°Your order will be ready shortly.¡±


    Mrs. Dutchendorph and Pa tried to make conversation. If Munch weren¡¯t at the table Lolly might make an attempt to engage, but right now she had to let Munch know she had his back. He was the most vulnerable person at the table. He was also the only black person in the restaurant. If he made a scene people would TALK. Usually, Mrs. Dutchendorph was so careful to protect Munch, hell she wouldn¡¯t even let him ride the bus for fear he might be bullied, but here she sat with all the world watching. She was as stupid over Pa as Lolly was over Trevor Long, only she was a grown woman. She should know better. Lolly squeezed Munch¡¯s hand. He squeezed hers back. It was the kindest thing he had done for her all week.


    Pa looked at Lolly, like a man drowning. She offered no sympathy. If he hadn¡¯t had to see Mrs. Dutchendorph this afternoon, they would not be sitting here now. This was not a good now. This could be leading to a worse now. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Mrs. Dutchendorph excused herself and went to the restroom. She cast anxious eyes at her son. She should be anxious. Pa watched her leave the table and cross the room. Munch noticed. His grip became a vise on Lolly¡¯s hand and then he let go. He placed his hands on the table, like a gambler showing his cards. In a low voice he said, ¡°My Mama has done lost two men that she loved very much, and if you ain¡¯t serious, then get the hell away from her. Loosing my dad nearly killed her and you know that.¡±


    Wide eyed Pa nodded.


    Munch cocked his head ever so slightly. The movement was intimidating and Pa almost flinched. ¡°Don¡¯t be playin¡¯ with my Mama. I need to know, you in for the haul or just messing around?¡± He slid his hands off the table, but his eyes still held Pa¡¯s.


    ¡°I-I-I,¡± Pa stuttered, ¡°I think your mother is a wonderful person and I would not do anything to hurt her.¡±


    ¡°That is not what I asked.¡±


    ¡°We are just getting to know each other¡ª¡±


    Munch cut him off, ¡°You have known each other for years.¡±


    Pa said, ¡°True, but this is different.¡± Munch intensified his glare. With hesitation Pa continued, ¡°We are just getting to know each other as people separate from you two. We¡¯ve only known each other at school parties, church functions and stuff like that. I¡¯m not a perfect man, but I am a good man, and I will do right by your mother. If I thought I was bad for her, I would not be here.¡± Pa was sweating.


    For several agonizing moments, Munch considered what Pa said. Finally he said, ¡°We will see.¡± Under the table, Munch reached for Lolly¡¯s hand.


    Mrs. Dutchendorph came back from the restroom. She looked positively green. When she slid into the seat, Munch said, ¡°Me and Trace had words.¡±


    His comment was met by his mother¡¯s stunned silence. Her gaze went from her son to Pa. She waited for Munch to elaborate only he didn''t. She did not question him, or Pa but she did say, ¡°Michael, from this point forward, you will not intercept my mail, or listen on my calls. If you do there will be hell to pay. Got it.¡± Lolly had never heard Mrs. Dutchendorph use this tone before.


    Munch rolled his eyes.  "I got it. Can we go home now. I''m not hungry and neither is Lolly."


    Mrs. Dutchendorph looked at Pa and  then said, "No, you ordered Lobster and you are going to eat it.¡±


    The temperature at the table dropped to ice. Defiance filled Munch''s eyes. His mother  did not talk to him like this. Ever. In a low voice Munch said, "Make me."


    In a low tight voice Mrs. Dutchendorph said, "Michael, you are acting like a three year old."


    With a jut of his chin, Munch responded, "And you are treating me like one. I want to go home."


    The tension at the table was so thick, Lolly felt like she was suffocating. She looked at Pa. He did not know what to do. His face was pale. Lolly said, "Pa, I am not feeling good." This was not a lie. "Could we please go home?"


    "Uh, yeah, I think that would be for the best." He said, "I will get our food put in doggie bags." He got up and went to the waiter.


    Lolly didn''t dare look at Mrs. Dutchendorph. She kept her eyes focused on Pa. He came back to them. He said, "They will bring out our food in a few minutes. Let''s free up this table and go wait by the door."


    Mrs. Dutchendorph stood up too. Lolly still did not look at her. Munch released her hand, and stood. Feeling positively sick, Lolly stood too. They walked to the front of the restaurant. Eyes followed them. Mrs. Dutchendorph sat down first and Pa sat down beside her. Munch sat as far away from his mother as he could and Lolly sat by him. For the first time she wondered what it had been like for Mrs. Dutchendorph this past week. Lolly thought she had been frozen out, but what Munch was doing to his mom was hard core. The bags of food were brought out and devided.


    The front doors of Steak and Ale opened, Trevor Long and his family stepped inside. He and his family were dressed up. Trevor was wearing a yellow shirt with a sky blue tie. His sister, had long red hair and wore a filmy dress. She looked like a piece of work. So did Trevor¡¯s mom. She was impeccably dressed in an autumn gold suit. What surprised Lolly most of all was Trevor¡¯s dad. He was OLD, older than Grandma Toady. He was balding, but he had a comb over. When Trevor saw them, he smiled. As usual, despite everything that was going on, his smile went straight through Lolly. He and Munch fist bumped.


    All at once, Lolly felt the stare. The stare always made her feel so small. Her difference had been noticed. Trevor¡¯s mom pulled a long sad face. Great, she thought she was a chemo patient.  Mr. Long glanced away from her, and then he cast an appraising eye over Munch¡¯s entire person. He raised and eyebrow, but kept his thoughts to himself. Neither of Trevor''s  parents spoke. His sister gave Lolly a conspiratorial smirk, but not the stare. Had Trevor told her Lolly did not have cancer? Did she know about the Booster Club art show?


    Mrs. Dutchendorph said, ¡°Hello Trevor. Are these your parents?¡±


    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am.¡±


    Mrs. Dutchendorph then extended her hand, ¡°I¡¯m Dr. Dutchendorph.¡± Mrs. Dutchendorph only threw out her PHD, in academia and when she was pissed. Apparently, she had seen the stare.


    Mr. Long took her hand. His looked skeptical. He had questions, but he did not ask them. He said, ¡°I am Huey Long, and this is my wife.¡±


    The nod Trevor¡¯s mother gave Mrs. Dutchendorph was frosty.


    Mr. Long turned away from them and told the hostess, "Table for three, nonsmoking."


    To his back, Mrs. Dutchendorph said, ¡°It was so nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°You too,¡± said Mr. Long without looking back. Trevor gave them an apologetic smile. He seemed a little embarrassed or maybe a lot.

 Chapter 16. Without a Trace

    Out in the parking lot, the mist had stopped. Shredded clouds raced across the sky. Pa reached for Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s hand. He gave it a squeeze and said, ¡°Call me.¡±


    Mrs. Dutchendorph nodded.


    Lolly wanted to say something to Munch so badly, but she was afraid if she tried he might rebuff her. Right now, she could not bear his rejection. Munch and his mom climbed into the VW. Pa unlocked the passenger door of the truck and opened it. Lolly climbed in. He went around and got in on his side. His hands were trembling. He leaned over to the glove compartment and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. From his pocket he took his lighter. With unsteady hands, he lit his cigarette. He inhaled slowly and then blew out a stream of smoke. In a low voice he said, ¡°Well, that went well.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I had no idea Munch was going to hate on me so bad. We have always gotten along.¡±


    Lolly said, ¡°He has been the center of his mother¡¯s universe for a very long time and he is over protected. Much as I love him, he is also spoiled. I was so surprised Mrs. Dutchendorph just didn¡¯t give in to him. When she didn''t I thought she must really likes you.¡± Though she had thought no such thing at the time, she thought it now.


    There was fear and hope in Pa¡¯s voice when he asked, ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I do.¡±


    Pa took another drag on his cigarette and tamped it out in the ash tray. He started the truck and they pulled out. The lights of the town swished passed as they made their way home. Lolly stared out her window. Inside she felt torn. She wanted Pa to be happy. She also wanted Munch to be okay. Deep down she wished the attraction between Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph had never sparked, but it had.


    When they reached the trailer, Pa let out a small groan. ¡°God, I don¡¯t think I can face Mama.¡±


    Now, for the next fun stage of this fun evening.


    Pa got out of the truck followed by Lolly. His steps were heavy on the porch. He unlocked the front door and they stepped inside. Grandma Toady was in the recliner working on a baby quilt. The first thought that ran through Lolly¡¯s mind was, Good Lord, she is not already planning Pa¡¯s next kid. This thought stuttered in Lolly¡¯s brain. If things progressed, would Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph make a baby? She hadn¡¯t made a baby with Mr. Dutchendorph.


    Grandma Toady said, ¡°By the looks of you two, I¡¯d say it didn¡¯t go so well.¡±


    Pa shook his head.


    ¡°Give it time Trace. Give it time.¡± Grandma Toady gave him a gentle smile. She did not ask for any details.


    Pa said, ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± He walked down the hall to the rummage room.


    As soon as he closed the door, Grandma Toady, turned her bright eyes on Lolly and asked, ¡°So did poor Munch embarrass himself?"


    With a glance down the hall, Lolly replied, ¡°He didn¡¯t but he was scary close.¡±


    Grandma Toady shook her head. ¡°I thought telling you kids in public was a bad idea, your pa agreed me even if he didn¡¯t say so. Estelle may look a bit on the meek and mild side, but she¡¯s got a fire in her and a blind eye when it comes to her son. I don¡¯t envy Trace.¡±


    This confused Lolly. She said, ¡°But I thought you wanted them to date.¡±


    ¡°I do. I want my son to know what it''s like to be with a good, smart, steady woman." This statement was a jab at Lolly''s mother, but she let it slide. Grandma Toady continued, "He wasdazzled by your mother''s personal charisma. She may not have enough to get a big part on TV, but in life she glows and my Trace was sucked in by her charms." Lolly struggled not to roll her eyes. This was Grandma Toady''s well worn description of her mother. It was not one she held herself. Yes Mama was flighty and a dreamer, but that was just how she was. It didn''t mean she was a bad person. It also didn''t mean that she had tricked Pa into marrying her. Lolly knew Pa would not marry someone on a whim. He had loved her mother deeply and continued to be grateful for the time they had shared and the life they had created together. He still had a picture of her mother on their wedding day in his wallet. Pa said, "Sometimes in this life love was not enough." Her parents were too different and wanted very different things. Going to war had changed Pa. It had made him quieter, gentler and more nervous. The war had taken Pa away from Mama. What Mama couldn''t see, she couldn''t hold onto. At least that is what Pa told Lolly and it was what she believed, regardless of Grandma Toady''s ongoing swipes at Mama.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    When Lolly turned her attention back to Grandma Toady, she heard her say, "With Estelle, Trace could have something real for the first time in his life. To do so though, he is going to have to grow a spine."


    Lolly said, "Whoa, Pa has a spine. A man without one would not have returned from Vietnam and gotten on with his life."


    "Has he? Until tonight, I didn''t think so. "Grandma Toady gave her a look, and continued to her point, "I am not saying he''s weak. I''m just saying he''s gonna have to learn to stand up to Estelle and Munch when its in either or both of their best interests. Those are two tough cookies, because they have had to be. Now, sit down, tell me exactly what happened and do NOT leave out a detail."


    Honestly, this was not something Lolly wanted to do. What she wanted to do was to hide in her room and escape into the book she was reading.


    Grandma Toady coaxed, "Come on, don''t leave me hanging, Might as well get it over with tonight so you won''t have to tell me tomorrow." This was true.Lolly kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the couch. With her ear alert for any sound from Pa, she quietly went blow by blow through the entire evening, except for the part about Trevor and his family. She didn¡¯t dare tell Grandma Toady that his parents had given her the stare. Grandma Toady was fiercely protective and it might make her prejudiced against Trevor.


    ¡°Well,¡± said Grandma Toady, ¡°I am proud of Munch for holding his tongue. It also sounds like there has been a slight improvement in your relationship with him.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, I hope so. He told his mom he wouldn¡¯t listen in on her and Pa¡¯s telephone conversations but I didn¡¯t believe him.¡±


    Grandma just laughed. ¡°Me either.¡±


    Around 10:00 p.m. Grandma Toady went to bed. From the couch, Lolly could see that Pa¡¯s light was still on. Creedence Clearwater Revival¡¯s lyrics to Bad Moon Rising, whispered down the hall. ¡°I see the bad moon rising/There is trouble on the way.¡± Is that how Pa felt?


    She got off the couch and went into the kitchen followed by Fluff. Ever hopeful for a snack, the cat meowed when Lolly opened the fridge. His interest disappeared the moment he saw the jar of sauerkraut. Lolly opened the jar. Stink filled the kitchen. Fluff split. Lolly put two spoon fulls of sauerkraut into a tea cup. She glanced at the clock, it was 11:30. Would the sauerkraut go down with grace or kick up a fuss in her subconscious? She just felt so queasy. Her stomach and her mind were upset. If only life was like The Brady Bunch had been. Why couldn¡¯t she and Munch be thrilled that their parents liked each other? But they weren¡¯t thrilled, in fact Lolly was grossed out by the whole scenario. The thought of Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph making out literally turned her stomach. Would she ever get over that? On The Brady Bunch, Mike and Carol Brady were VERY affectionate and nobody was grossed out in that house. But that was a cancelled TV show, and not real life. Lolly had had about as much real life as she could take for one day.


    Slowly, she ate her sauerkraut. She hoped it didn¡¯t give her nightmares. The after taste of sauerkraut was horrific. She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. After she spit, she looked at herself in the mirror. It was a familiar face. At times she thought she looked like an alien. Aliens were often depicted as bald. She shook her finger at her reflection and said, ¡°We are not going there tonight.¡± The evening had been hard enough without her hating on herself.


    Back in her room she crawled into bed with Fluff and picked up her book, Up a Road Slowly. On the cover was a girl with long brown hair. Lolly wondered if her hair would look like that if she still had it. She flipped on the lamp by her bed and began to read. The book was sad. It made her thankful for her family. The story was going along at a good pace until a woman in the story referred to the character Uncle Haskel as, "Such a beautiful and good man." That was not how Lolly saw this character at all. It made her wonder if Trevor was really beautiful, or if that was the just the way she saw him. It was getting really late, she was not going to feel good at all tomorrow if she did not get some sleep. She closed the book and turned off the light. Through her window she could see stars but not the moon. The moon was out there though, only it was a new moon and the new moon did not show its face to the sun. Lolly knew the feeling. Her thoughts drifted to Trevor. When he looked at her, what did he see?


    Across the hall, the door to the rummage room opened. Pa''s steps crept into the kitchen. The phone let out a single ring and he answered it. Though Lolly could not hear what he was saying, she knew who he was talking to. Was Munch listening on the other phone? Probably. But she hoped not. For a long time she listened to the rise and fall of her father''s voice. Not a word or a sentence reached her, but she could hear his mood changing. And then he laughed, the kind of laugh that rumbled from his chest. He sounded happy. Pa deserved to be happy. Could Mrs. Dutchendorph make him happy? Pa deserved a home, a real home, not just a rummage room in his mother¡¯s trailer and a bunk on an oil platform. As the conversation continued, Lolly figured Munch was not listening, surely if he had been, he would have given himself away by now.


    Fluff''s green eyes glowed in the dark. He nudged her with his nose. It was his way of telling her it was time to go to sleep. Lolly wrapped an arm around him, and closed her eyes. Her stomach felt a little better. In her imagination she traveled back in time. It was the year 1300. She pretended she was a pilgrimage to on the road to Rome. Before her and behind her, medieval pilgrims were traveling with in their gray pilgrim robes...

 Chapter 17. The Hazards of Conclusion Jumping

    The wind swirled all around her as she ran. Her long dark hair flew behind her. Tears stood on her lashes, she was so happy. The ball was just cresting the rise of a hill. It¡¯s light shot out like shards. Her feet hit the ground in an easy rhythm. There was a crunch on the gravel path, she turned. A boy was running. His stride was not steady. His breathing was hard and uneven. His face was flushed. The sun touched his bald head giving him a nimbus of light. She slowed down, so he could catch up with her. The eyes that met hers were Trevor¡¯s. All his hair was gone. He had dark circles under his eyes. She asked, ¡°Are you taking chemo?¡±


    He said three words that shot through her, ¡°No, are you?" The devastation of these words pulled Lolly right out of sleep. Her heart was racing. She sat straight up in bed and pulled Fluff to her. Firmly she told herself, ¡°It was just a dream. Just a dream thanks to sauerkraut.¡± Her pajamas were damp as if she really had been running. Trevor¡¯s face had been a blur, but his eyes were unmistakeable. She had been so shocked by his appearance. Was that how people felt when they saw her? When they jumped to conclusions? She did not have dark circles under her eyes. She did not look unhealthy, but still she looked different, she looked like something was wrong with her. There was something wrong with her. Her autoimmune system had turned on her and killed all her hair follicles. For the first time ever she wondered if she should be so harsh in her judgement of others and the way they reacted to her. Every time she saw people stare at her, she shrank into herself, told herself they thought she was a freak. Maybe some people thought she was, but the others, could they just be concerned? It was exhausting being offended and angry everytime she found herself among strangers. She jumped to conclusions too and they were not always right.


    The smell of French toast wafted from the kitchen. Grandma Toady singing a lusty rendition of ¡°When the Saints Go Marching In," began to push the vividness of the dream away from Lolly. Badly shaken, she crawled out of bed and reached for her robe. She really needed to stop eating sauerkraut all together.


    The air inside the trailer was chilly. Grandma Toady liked the cold. She said it, invigorated her. Like Grandma Toady needed to be anymore invigorated. Lolly slid her feet into her bunny slippers and Fluff immediately attacked them. With a sigh, Lolly picked the cat up and went to the kitchen.


    At the avocado stove Grandma Toady was in fine form. Her house dress this morning was a burst of huge red roses. On her head were foam curlers. Lolly didn¡¯t know how she slept in those things.


    Grandma Toady sang, ¡°Morning, Sunshine!¡±


    Lolly replied, ¡°Morning Moonbeam.¡± For the first time it struck Lolly, that in reality, Grandma Toady was like sunshine, and she was more like a moon beam. She sent up a prayer that Grandma Toady would not interrogate about what she had dreamt last night.


    There was the sound of gooey bread being flipped in the skillet. Fluff struggled to get out of Lolly¡¯s arms. He wanted to be on the floor incase Grandma Toady dropped anything.


    Just above a whisper, Grandma Toady asked, ¡°Did you hear the phone ring last night?¡±


    Oh my God, thought Lolly. The second phone was in Grandma Toady¡¯s room. Surely she did not stoop to listening in. Though she wanted to say no, it was pointless. Grandma Toady would know she was lying. ¡°Yes. I heard it.¡±


    With a twinkle in her eye, Grandma Toady said, ¡°Just one little suspicious ring. Then the patter of big feet. Someone was on the phone until 2:00 a.m. And that someone has not gotten up yet.¡±


    Inwardly Lolly groaned, this was information she could do without. Minutes later, she heard the rummage room door open and then the bathroom door opened and closed. Pa was up and she suddenly did not want to see him at all. She gulped down her milk and took the rest of her toast with to her room. Grandma Toady did not ask her where she was going or why. She knew.


    While Pa was eating his breakfast, Lolly went and took a quick shower. Being hairless did have some advantages, no shampoo or conditioner or blow drying for her. After she dressed in her old jeans and a sweatshirt, she stuck her head out the door. Grandma and Pa were talking, well Grandma Toady was talking. Lolly walked as swiftly and as silently as she could to her room. When she closed her bedroom door, she let out a sigh. Safe!


    Beyond the door, she heard Pa in the hallway. She prayed he would not stop. There was a knock at her door. Dammit. ¡°Yes?¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Pa asked, ¡°Can I come in?''


    Every bit of her wanted to scream, Hell NO! But she didn¡¯t that, she said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The door opened slowly and Pa stuck his head in. His hair was rumpled and he looked low on sleep, but high on happy. He and Mrs. Dutchendorph must have had some kind of conversation last night. He glanced toward her open closet and then back to her. He said, ¡°After I take my shower, I would like to take you shopping today.¡±


    Only one person could have planted this idea in his head. Mrs. Dutchendorph. Shopping was not Lolly''s thing, it never had been. She hated crowds and strange people staring at her. She stopped right there. Was she going to spend the rest of her life hiding? Hiding. She had never thought of it as hiding, she had never admitted it was hiding. Deep down she really wanted new clothes. She wanted to look nice for, well, Trevor, but she was no good with color or clothes. If only she could ask Munch to go with her, but there was no way that was going to happen. She asked, "Could we take Mitzi?¡±


    ¡°You know she and Max are with their dad this weekend.¡±


    Yeah, she knew that. ¡°Maybe you and Uncle Luke could have a daddy/daughter shopping day.¡±


    Pa shook his head. Impatience crept into his voice, ¡°Do you want to go or not?¡±


    ¡°Go,¡± she added, ¡®if we get to stop by Sunshine Books on the way home.¡±


    ¡°Deal."


    *


    The drive to Lake Jackson was awkward. Lolly would start talking to Pa and the next thing she knew he was wearing a stupid grin, not listening to a thing she said. She just stopped talking, she could not bear to hear him say one more time, ¡°I am sorry, now what were you saying.¡±


    They passed a big sign that said, Brazos Mall Opening in 1976. A mall. It would be the first one built in all of Brazoria County. Pa drove her to Palais Royal. She didn¡¯t know Pa knew this store existed.


    It was still early, so there weren''t very many cars in the parking lot. Inside the store Lolly felt a bit overwhelmed. The stuff here was nice and none of it was defective. In the Juniors section was Trevor¡¯s sister. She was wearing a name tag, On it was printed, Amber. She saw Lolly and Pa, and said, ¡°Hey, can I help you?¡±


    Lolly felt her face grow warm with embarrassment. Pa did not hesitate, he said, ¡°Yes, I want something nice for my daughter.¡±


    Amber asked Lolly, ¡°What sort of things do you like?¡±


    Panic started to set in. Lolly wanted to say, I don¡¯t know! My four year and a half year old cousin picks out my clothes. But, she couldn¡¯t say that. So she stammered, ¡°I like stuff that is soft and not too tight.¡± It sounded dumb.


    Amber did not react as if she thought it was dumb. She said, ¡°You must be like me, Cotton, one hundred percent Cotten. I am not into this polyester crap.¡± She lead them to a rack of dresses with floral prints. Lolly reached out and touched a blue one with little yellow leaves. Amber said, ¡°That would look good on you. It matches your eyes.¡±


    Was this the same girl who had smirked at her last night? Lolly said, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Pa asked, ¡°Where are the jeans?¡±


    ¡°The jeans are over here." Amber lead them to the back wall.


    Lolly knew what size she wore in men¡¯s jeans from Goodwill, but she had no idea what size she wore in brand new Levi¡¯s junior jeans. ¡°Um, I am not sure what size?¡±


    Amber eyed her and said, ¡°I think around a seven, since you don¡¯t like tight stuff.¡± She pulled a pair of dark blue jeans out of the display. ¡°Seven. Here.¡± Lolly took the jeans.


    Pa said, ¡°Make that two pairs.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Amber reached for a pair of black jeans. ¡°Do you like these?¡± Lolly nodded. Next Amber helped her pick out two long sleeve t-shirts, one was lavender and one was pink. ¡°Now,¡± said Amber, ¡°go try them on.¡± She glanced at Pa and said, ¡°Be sure you come out and model them for your dad."


    Lolly wanted to just take the stuff and leave, but she would not say that to Trevor Long''s sister. "Okay." She went into the dressing room. Was it strange that Amber was being so nice? After she slipped the blue dress on, she looked at herself in the full length mirror. It was so pretty. Shyly she went out to where Pa was standing. He looked at her and smiled. Amber swung away from the customer she was helping and said, ¡°Gorgeous!¡± It sounded sincere. Lolly loved the dress.


    All the clothes fit. When Lolly glanced at the price tags she nearly had a heart attack. It was too much! She was going to have to put something back, but oh, she did not want to. She lugged all the clothes out to Pa. He looked down at her feet and said, ¡°Oh crap, I almost forgot. You need some new shoes.¡±


    ¡°But, Pa¡ª¡°


    ¡°No buts, this is long over do.¡±


    Dazed, Lolly went to the shoe section and picked out a pair of Adidas with black stripes and a pair of sling back platforms. When Pa paid for all her clothes, he did not even flinch. It was only October but it felt like Christmas to Lolly. The best Christmas ever.


    *


    That afternoon, the phone rang. Lolly was hoping it was Munch. It wasn''t. It was Max.


    Lolly said, "Just a sec, I''ll get Grandma Toady."


    "No wait, I called to talk to you."


    This was unusual. She said, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up,¡± like he called her everyday.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Munch needs to be sitting in his house alone tonight while his mom is out with your dad. I asked him to go with me and Kevin to the movies, do you want to come too?¡±


    At first she was not sure she heard right. Had he really asked her to be seen with him in public? ¡°Uh, sure, if Munch¡¯s okay with that.¡±


    ¡°He is.¡±


    ¡°What are we going to see?¡±


    ¡°Monty Python and the Holy Grail.¡±


    That movie was supposed to be super funny. At least that is what Lolly had heard at school. ¡°Cool.¡±


    Max said, ¡°We will be by to pick you up at 6:30. Bye.¡± The line went dead.


    Everybody went to the movies on Saturday nights. Everybody! Maybe Trevor Long might be one of those everybodys. And she had new clothes to wear!

 Chapter 18. Apple Dumpling or Monty Python?

    Without assistance, Lolly chose what she was going to wear to the movies. As much as she wanted to wear her new Adidas, they were still too new and too precious to risk getting them gross on the sticky movie theater floor. She wore her clogs, her new black jeans and the LA t-shirt her mother had sent her. It was turquoise with little rhinestones. The last thing she slipped on was a hooded sweatshirt she had borrowed from Aunt Jessie. For several moments she studied her appearance in the mirror. She didn¡¯t look half bad.


    When Uncle Luke arrived, he honked the horn. In the recliner Pa looked up from his book and said, ¡°Sounds like your ride is here. Have a good time.¡±


    Though Lolly knew she should say, ¡°You have a good time too.¡± She could not do it. Instead, she kissed Pa on the cheek and rushed out the door.


    The boys were in the back of Uncle Luke¡¯s 1957 Chevy truck. It was a beautiful renovation with cream paint and shining chrome. In the bed of the truck were the boys. Mitzi stuck her head out the window and said, ¡°Those are new jeans! I like them.¡± She glanced back at Uncle Luke and said, ¡°Daddy won¡¯t let me ride with the boy cause I¡¯m a girl and you¡¯re a girl so you can¡¯t ride in back either.¡±


    Riding in the back of a pickup was the closest thing to flying Lolly had ever felt. She so wanted to be back there with the boys, but Mitzi would turn on the whine and tears, Uncle Luke would crumble and the evening would be ruined. She climbed into the truck beside Mitzi. Puccini was attached to Mitzi''s jacket with a huge diaper pin. It would be the tragedy of the twentieth century if that bear got lost at the movies. Uncle Luke gunned the motor and headed out of the trailer park. On the radio, Freddy Fender was singing, ¡°Wasted Days and Wasted Nights.¡± It was not the most cheerful song. Mitzi belted out, ¡°Why should I keep loving you, when I know that you¡¯re not true?¡±* Uncle Luke turned the radio dial to another station. ¡°Hey,¡± Mitzi protested, ¡°I like that song.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Uncle Luke looked grim and he had a death grip on the steering wheel.


    Lolly waited for the whining to begin, but it didn¡¯t because Mitzi liked the next song better. She sang out, ¡°It¡¯s a skippidity do da day, I¡¯m the happiest girl, in the whole U.S.A.¡±**


    All the way to Lake Jackson Mitzi sang with the radio. Aunt Jessie would have told her to pipe down, but not Uncle Luke. When they reached the movie theater, Lolly thought Uncle Luke was just going to drop them off, but he parked the truck. On the marquee of the theater it read, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, below that was the secong feature, The Apple Dumpling Gang. This theater was so cool it actually had two movie screens. The boys hopped out of the back. Munch stood beside Lolly. He didn¡¯t smile, but he did nod at her and she nodded back. Kevin gave her a wave. Max''s eyes were searching the parking lot. Was he looking for someone? Lolly tensed up, fearful he regretted inviting her.


    Mitzi shouted, "Look at the line." People waiting to get into the theater, snaked all the way down the sidewalk. Mitzi asked, ¡°Is everyone here to see The Apple Dumpling Gang?"


    Max rolled his eyes and said, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Good." She looked at Lolly and asked, "Are you going to go the movie with me or with the stinky boys?"


    Uncle Luke intercepted this question. "No sweetie, we talked about this at home. Remember?"


    "Oh, yeah, I forgot." The little liar.


    At the window, Uncle Luke paid for four tickets for Monty Python and two for Apple Dumpling Gang. He gave the tickets to the boys and Lolly. When they stepped into the lobby the aroma of hot buttered popcorn hit them in the nostrils. Uncle Luke asked Lolly, ¡°Could you take Mitzi to the restroom before the movie starts?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Just about every weekend, Uncle Luke took his kids to the movies. Mitzi said, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    In the restroom, Trevor¡¯s sister Amber was looking in the mirror putting on lip gloss. She asked, ¡°Hey, you here to see Monty Python?¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Before she could answer Mitzi said, ¡°She is, me and Daddy is going to see Apple Dumpling Gang.¡±


    Amber glanced down at Mitzi and said, ¡°You¡¯re cute.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am, and I got to pee. So excuse us.¡±


    Amber gave them a wave as they entered the stall. While Mitzi peed, she asked, ¡°Who is that girl?¡±


    Afraid Amber would hear her Lolly lowered her voice, "She''s the salesgirl that helped me pick out my new clothes."


    "I think I saw her someplace." Her eyes rolled up to ceiling. She tapped her head. "Oh, I remember. She has that red car. Her brother is Trevor. You like him."


    Lolly peeked out the door crack to see if Amber was still at the mirror. She was gone. Lolly said, "I do not like him."


    With a hop, Mitzi was off the toilet. She pulled up her jeans and said, ¡°You do too. I heard Grandma Toady talking to Mama about him.¡± How did they KNOW?


    Lolly whispered, ¡°Were you listening on the phone again?"


    Without a blink of an eye or any remorse the child said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Angry, Lolly threatened, ¡°I am going to tell your daddy.¡±


    MItzi shrugged and said, ¡°Go ahead. See what happens.¡±


    Lolly knew what would happen. She grabbed Mitzi¡¯s hand and marched her out of the stall and took her straight to Uncle Luke. What a little Imp!


    The boys were waiting for Lolly by the concession stand. Munch asked, ¡°You want some popcorn?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    Munch got the biggest popcorn tub they had. There was no way she was going to be able to eat all that. He bought sodas for everyone.


    In the theater, the lights were dim. The boys all wanted to sit in the very back. Lolly wanted an aisle seat near the middle, so she could see Trevor if he came in, but she couldn¡¯t say that out loud, so she followed the boys to the back row. When they took their seats, she ended up between Kevin and Munch. Warily, she glanced over at Max. He gave her a smile. This was all so weird. Why did he suddenly seem to like her again? Why was he being so nice?


    Kevin asked, ¡°Can I have some popcorn?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    The ad for a car dealership flickered onto the screen and then the rules of Movie Theater Edicate blared over the speakers. Ushers with flash lights made sure no one talked during the movie or misbehaved. If someone did they got kicked out. Lolly craned her neck around to see if Trevor was in the theater. She did not see him. She did see Amber sitting with a long haired guy.


    The movie started. A blue mist filled the screen. The sound of horse hooves made their way through the fog. Two figures appeared, neither were on horses. They were galloping like children on their own two feet. The first figure was a knight and he held imaginary reigns. The other figure was clicking coconut shells together to make the sound of horse hooves. The dialogue moved quickly and was smart. The language and the rhythm of the words enchanted Lolly. She had never seen or heard anything like this before. Beside her, Munch laughed. It had been three weeks since she had heard Munch laugh. She felt her entire body relax. Soon she was totally caught up in the story. Every worrry and concern just melted away. Around her the audience roared. There were a few scenes and a couple jokes that she did not understand, but the boys sure did.


    When the movie was over, Max exclaimed, "We gotta see this again!"


    Munch and Kevin both agreed. Kevin asked, "Do you want to see it again, Lolly."


    To her surprise Max said, "Of course she does."


    "I do."


    "Tomorrow afternoon then," Max said.


    In the lobby, Uncle Luke stood holding a limp Mitzi. Puccini was pinned to his jacket pocket. Lolly prayed Mitzi would stay asleep. She so badly wanted to ride home in the back of the truck. The bright street lights did not wake Mitzi, nor did the roar of pickup trucks. Uncle Luke put Mitzi into the truck and Lolly climbed in back behind the boys. She wanted to sit against the side. Munch was on the other side of her. The theater parking lot was bright with headlights. Some high school kids were squealing their tires. Lolly saw Amber''s red Mustang flash by. She waved.


    Out on the highway the wind was cold. Lolly pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt. The boys were shouting out lines form the movie. "Bring out your dead! Bring out your dead!" Pause. "But I''m not dead yet!" The merriment went on until they reached the road to Munch''s house. Everyone went silent.


    Uncle Luke turned into the drive. The truck headlights illuminated Pa''s parked truck. Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph were sitting on its tailgate. Uncle Luke pulled up along side them. Munch and Lolly got out. A heaviness filled Lolly''s chest. Munch stood rigid beside her. In silence they watched Uncle Luke back out of the drive.


    The silence was broken by Mrs. Dutchendorph, she asked, "How was the movie?"


    Munch said one word, "Good." Without saying goodnight he walked into the house.


    When the back door banged shut, Pa said, "I guess we best be getting home."


    Mrs. Dutchendorph said, "I had a lovely evening Trace."


    "Me too."


    Gag! Was there anything more gross than old people in love? The question ricocheted in Lolly''s brain. Could Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph be in love already? She glanced at Pa. He had the goofiest expression on his face. How was this possible?


    Pa walked Mrs Dutchendorph to the back door. Was he going to kiss her? Lolly did not want to see that. She turned away. There was a soft smack. Gross. Pa came back to the truck softly whistling.


    -------------------------------- ------------------------------------


    *Freddie Fender, ¡°Wasted Days and Wasted Nights,¡± released 1974. Source: LyricFind


    **Donna Fargo, ¡°The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A,¡± released 1972. Source: LyricFind

 Chapter 19. Hey Lolly

    It was time. Pa was driving back to Morgan City tonight. His shift started tomorrow morning. Munch was probably at home blasting the ¡°Hallelujah Chorus.¡± How was Mrs. Dutchendorph feeling? Most likely sad. Usually every time Lolly saw Pa¡¯s packed bags by the front door, her heart hurt. This time she felt a degree of relief. The week had been long and awkward. Things were weird with Pa at home and weird with Munch at school. All week, Pa had walked around in a fog of wonder, while Munch had traveled under a dark cloud. She missed Pa''s undivided attention, quite evenings watching TV, and quiet talks about their day. She missed Munch''s laughter, his sarcasm, and the sparkle in his eye when he was about to do mischief. Maybe in the three weeks Pa was gone, Munch might adjust to this new situation. Maybe she would too, but she doubted it.


    The leaving ritual began. Pa hugged and kissed Grandma Toady and then he reached for Lolly. He hugged her tight and said, ¡°Be a good girl, Shortcake.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Pa picked up his bags. This was the now, that Lolly usually never liked. Tonight, she was ready for him to leave. Though Pa had been with her all week, somehow he had not been with her. Was this the way it was going to be from now on? God she hoped not. She wanted things to go back to normal. While Pa had been there normal had not had a chance.


    They stepped outside. It was clear and cold. The stars were bright points of distant light. Lolly and Grandma Toady watched Pa get into his truck. Grandma Toady took Lolly¡¯s hand. Through the truck windshield, they saw him wave and then he started the motor. This now was moving quickly into the next one. The truck was backing out now. It was traveling down the street headed for the highway. When the tail lights completely disappeared, Grandma Toady tugged on Lolly¡¯s hand and they went back inside.


    The phone was wringing, Max answered it. He called out, ¡°Lolly, its for you.¡±


    She went into the kitchen. Mitzi sat at the table coloring in her Mrs. Beasley coloring book. Though Mrs. Beasley¡¯s hair was supposed to be blonde, she had colored it purple and given her black wings. Such a weird kid.


    Lolly picked up the receiver. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hey Lolly, this is Amber.¡±


    TREVOR¡¯s sister! Lolly¡¯s heart stumbled over itself. ¡°Uh, hi.¡±


    ¡°Hi. My American Literature paper is kicking my ass. Trevor told me you were in advanced English. Could you help me please? If I flunk this class my parents are going to freak.¡±


    Inside Lolly¡¯s head she screaming, TREVOR TALKED ABOUT ME! He knew she took advanced classes. What else did he know about her. Tomorrow she would be going to his house. Now, if only Trevor would be in Trevor¡¯s house at the same time she was! She tried to sound casual when she said, ¡°Uh, sure I can help.¡±


    ¡°Great. Do you need a ride over, I can come pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t drive yet.¡±


    ¡°Neither does Trevor. What¡¯s your address?¡±


    Lolly said, ¡°401 Hart Street.¡±


    ¡°Is that in the Flower Mills Trailer park?¡±


    Apprehensively Lolly said, ¡°Yes.¡± Some people called people who lived in trailer parks, Trailer Trash. She hoped Amber was not one of those people.


    ¡°Okay, I know where that is. My shift at Palais Royal is over at 2:00. I can pick you up when I get off?¡±


    Though Lolly had not asked permission, she said, ¡°Yeah, that would be great.¡±


    ¡°See ya! Bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    Grandma Toady had come into the kitchen while Lolly was on the phone. She asked, ¡°So, who was that?¡±


    ¡°Amber. She needs help with her American Literature paper. I said I would help her Saturday afternoon if that¡¯s okay.¡± It BETTER be okay. Please God let it be okay!


    Grandma Toady asked, ¡°Have I met Amber before?¡± Now it was time for the interrogation.


    Lolly took in a big breath before she started. She was going to have to talk sharp and fast. ¡°No, but Pa has.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Suspicious Grandma Toady asked, ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Last Saturday at Palais Royal. She is the girl who helped me pick out my new clothes.¡±


    Mitzi looked up from her coloring book and said, ¡°She¡¯s Trevor¡¯s sister.¡±


    Grandma Toady¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Trevor Long¡¯s sister. He is such a nice boy. How old is Amber?¡±


    Honestly, Lolly had no idea. If she took a guess, Amber might be eighteen or older. Most likely she attended Brazosport Junior College where Mrs. Dutchendorph taught. But, she did not really know. It was possible Grandma Toady would not want her to hang out with a college girl. A lie would not serve her, so she said, ¡°I think she goes to Brazosport Junior College."


    ¡°So she¡¯s not in high school?¡±


    ¡°No Ma¡¯am.¡±


    Grandma Toady studied her for a full minute. Lolly braced herself to hear the word, No. Arguments started flooding her brain. She HAD to go over there on Saturday, she just had too! To her surprise Grandma Toady said, ¡°Since I did meet Trevor and he has such lovely manners, I am going to assume that he has a good family. This time I will say yes, but if she pops out the booze or smokes anything smokable, you call me, promise.¡±


    All Lolly had to do was say, ¡°Yes,¡± but she wasn¡¯t sure if she would call. It would be so embarrassing. Kids her age did all kinds of stuff. She did NOTHING. She said, ¡°You can trust me.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I know I can.¡±


    *


    Lolly¡¯s palms were sweating. Mitzi stood beside her staring into the closet. The four year old said, ¡°Now why do you have to change your clothes? Did you have an accident? That happens to me sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Just pick something.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to pick something Trevor would like?¡±


    God how did the little twerp know?


    MItzi¡¯s hand landed on brown cords and the new pink shirt. ¡°You look pretty in pink, Lolly.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Wear your ad¡ª ad¡ª, shoot. I can¡¯t say that word. Max says its German and I don¡¯t speak German yet. Wear your new shoes with the stripes.¡±


    Lolly said, ¡°It¡¯s kind of muddy outside.¡±


    ¡°Then wear your chucks.¡±


    ¡°But they are gross.¡±


    Mitzi rolled her eyes. ¡°Go bare foot for all I care. Come on Puccini. Let¡¯s go ask Granma for a cookie.¡±


    Uncertain, Lollie went ahead and put on her chucks. There was no way of knowing whether or not Trevor would even be home. He might be at a friend''s house, or at a meet. She was not going to risk her beautiful shoes for a maybe. If Trevor wasn''t home and she wrecked her shoes, she was going to be some kind of upset. Please God let him be home!


    A little after 2:30 Amber pulled into the drive and honked. Lolly ran out the door. Her heart was beating hard and she felt like she was going to puke. She must not puke. She climbed into the car. It smelled new. The interior was white leather. On the radio a song was playing that Lolly had never heard before. It was loud and angry. When they pulled out of the trailer park, Amber cranked up the volume. She shouted, ¡°Do you like Black Sabbath?¡±


    Lolly shouted, ¡°I like Iron Man.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that one is really cool! Ozzy Osborn rocks.¡±


    All the way to Trevor¡¯s house the music was deafening. The bass had settled into Lolly¡¯s chest and she felt like she could not breath.They pulled into the long drive, and then Amber drove her car into the four car garage. The garage was bigger than most people''s homes. They got out of the car and headed toward the big house. Lolly had only seen this house from the highway. It looked big even from a distance, up close it was huge! It was a two story plantation style house with big windows and double doors. They went in through the back door, passed through the laundry room and into a large kitchen. It smelled of cinnamon. The foyer and formal living room struck Lolly dumb. She thought rooms like this only existed in magazines and movie star¡¯s houses.


    Amber said, ¡°My room is upstairs.¡±


    The staircase swooped down into two separate sets of steps. It was beautiful. Lolly realized she was gaping and shut her mouth. This was where Trevor lived?


    Amber stopped at the end of the hall and unlocked her door. She swung it open. The room was a disaster. Grandma Toady would have a heart attack if she saw it. Amber said, ¡°I¡¯m a bit of a slob, sorry.¡±


    Lolly wasn¡¯t sure what she was supposed to say. If she said it was okay would that imply that Amber was a slob? Amber shoved a stack of clothes off a desk by the window. The window looked out over the back pasture and a pond. Lolly couldn¡¯t imagine having a view like this. Her window looked out on the neighbor¡¯s trailer. The feeling that she had landed somewhere beyond her depth flowed through her. She wanted to go home. She wanted to go home now. A boy who lived in a big house like this would never like a girl from a trailer park, even if she did have hair.


    From a satchel, Amber pulled out her American Literature book. It was big and yellow. She opened the book. On the page was a list of the poems by Anne Bradstreet. Amber picked one and read a section of it out loud:


    For what¡¯s this but care and strife


    since first we came from womb?


    Our strength doth haste,


    and then we go to th¡¯ tomb.*


    Amber looked at Lolly and asked, ¡°What in the hell is that supposed to mean?¡±


    Lolly told her, ¡°It¡¯s about how hard life is from the time we are born. Life passes quickly and then we die.¡±


    ¡°Well that is cheerful. I have to write a whole stupid paper about this poem and the poet.¡±


    Lolly said, ¡°Anne Bradstreet was not only the first female American poet, she was the very first American poet, period. I think that is really cool.¡±


    Amber gave her a skeptical look. ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Lolly loved words and books. She couldn¡¯t imagine not loving both. As she thought of ways to explain the poem to Amber, she forgot about the big house, the messy room and even the possibility of seeing Trevor. Words were wonderful vehicles that could take a person to times and places they had never been. She was so absorbed in helping Amber that she didn¡¯t hear Trevor enter the room.


    He said, ¡°Hey Lolly.¡±


    Startled Lolly turned and looked back at him.


    ______________________


    *Anne Bradstreet, ¡°Upon a Fit of Sickness.¡±

 Chapter 20. Trevor’s World

    In her ears, Lolly could hear her heart beating, or was it her blood flowing? Which ever it was it sounded like drums banging. Her vision seemed to blur. She knew she was overreacting, but how could she not. She managed to say, ¡°Hi Trevor.¡±


    He smiled. As usual, it went straight through her. Did Trevor have any idea what he did to her? Probably not. She felt a smile spreading across her face. God, she hoped she didn''t look as goofy as Pa did when he smiled at Mrs. Dutchendorph. He looked so gorgeous in his school track sweats and muddy running shoes. Lolly realized she was staring at him, but she could not tear her eyes away.


    There was the sound of a muffled phone ringing. Trevor said, "Watch this."


    Amber jumped up from the desk and started hurling clothes off her full sized unmade bed. The ringing got louder. Finally, she uncovered a turquoise sleek phone. She answered, ¡°Hello.¡± Someone said something. A pleased smile spread across her face. ¡°Hey Bill. Yeah, just a sec.¡± She placed her hand over the mouth piece and said, ¡°Uh Trevor would you mind taking Lolly to see the farm. I was going to do that when we finished, but its Bill.¡±


    Time stood still for Lolly. What if Trevor didn¡¯t want to show her the farm. She bit her lip and waited. Trevor said, ¡°Sure, fine. Come with me Lolly.¡±


    Lolly practicallly floated out the door behind Trevor. She felt like she was having her first out of body experience. This was a now she had only hoped to have. Trevor took the stairs two steps at a time and landed with a jump at the bottom. He grinned back at her. Her heart started pumping like it was going to explode. He headed toward the kitchen and Lolly followed. Out the back door, passed the garage, Lolly followed. The way Trevor moved was fluid. He filled the landscape for her. She saw nothing, felt nothing but incredible joy and terrible fear. She prayed she did not make an idiot of herself.


    When he reached the chicken yard, he pointed at the large red chickens. These must be the Island Reds he had told her about at Munch¡¯s. They were huge arrogant looking birds. A gorgeously colored rooster, strutted among the hens. He cast a yellow eye in her direction. Lolly felt immediately intimidated. Trevor said, "I talked to Dad about getting some Bantams like Munch had, and he''s considering it. I think it would be cool to have tiny chickens. Before I moved here, the only chickens I saw were in the grocery store wrapped in plastic." He pointed and said, "The pig pen is over there. I can show you if you don''t mind the stink."


    "I don''t mind." Truth was she really like pigs, stink and all. If she had a farm, she would have a pig, but that pig would never be BACON. She wondered if Trevor''s dad''s pigs were going to become bacon, but she didn''t ask. Curiosity on a farm was bad for her. She had never recovered from the time she found out she was eating a pork chop that belonged to her great-uncle''s pig, Suze. She had gotten physically ill, in the worst way.


    When they reached the pig sty, the little pigs oiked and grunted. They were so cute. Trevor said, "Amber wanted to name them, but Dad said, ''Real Farmers don''t name their livestock.''" This wasn''t true, but Lolly didn''t contradict him. The pigs were obviously weaned, but not by much, they were still pretty small. Trevor pointed at a red horse stable in the back pasture and said, ¡°Come see my dad¡¯s pride and joy.¡±


    They made their way across the pasture. The stable smelled of hay. There were a number of stalls but only one horse. The instant Lolly saw its brownish red coat, black feet, mane and tail she knew what kind of horse this was. It was a Morgan, like the horses Almanzo Wilder had in The Little House books. Was this horse as wild as the ones that were in the books? She hoped not. Trevor reached out a hand and scratched the horses nose. The horse seemed to like it. He said, ¡°Lolly this is Knight. Isn¡¯t he beautiful?¡±


    ¡°He is.¡± The fear that Trevor might want her to ride this beast rose up in her brain. She thought horses were gorgeous creatures, but terrifying and not something she EVER wanted to ride.


    ¡°You should see him run. He¡¯s beautiful. Feel his nose. It is so soft.¡±


    In all her years of living in a rural area, Lolly had never touched a horse¡¯s nose. That big mouth and those large teeth looked dangerous. If anyone else had asked her she would have declined, but Trevor was not anyone else. She reached out her hand, praying for the safety of her fingers. Her fingers made contact with the nose. The horse let out a puff of air. It startled her, but she kept her hand where it was. The nose was indeed soft, soft like the tiny bright green moss that grew in patches on the ground. It was like velvet. ¡°Wow.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°I know,¡± Trevor said. ¡°Until we moved here in June, I had never been anywhere near a horse. I didn¡¯t even know my dad liked horses. It¡¯s so weird. When my dad was still working, he was never around. Now, he¡¯s here all the time. You want to meet my dad?"


    No, she did not want to meet him, or talk to him. Once again, she did not say what she was thinking, instead she followed Treavor out of the barn. A way in the distance she saw Trevor¡¯s dad driving a tractor. The tractor was green and new. Trevor waved at his dad and his dad waved back. ¡°He doesn''t like to be interrupted when he''s plowing. Maybe another time. Want to see the Koi pond?¡±


    Lolly was not sure what a Koi pond was but it had to be way better than having to talk to his dad. "Sure."


    They moved to this structure with red and black beams. There were chairs beneath it and a water fall flowed into a large pond. Beneath the surface large white, gold, orange and black fish swam. They pressed their lips to the surface of the water. Trevor laughed, ¡°You guys are such little pigs. Do you want to feed them?¡±


    The fish were lovely and not scary like the horse. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Trevor opened a tin and pulled out some pellets. His hand touched hers ever so briefly as he poured the pellets into hers. ¡°Feed them one pellet at a time.¡± He sat down on the rock by the pond. Lolly knelt down beside him. She dropped a pellet. There was a frantic thrashing of fins and tails. She dropped another. Trevor said, ¡°I was mad when I found out we were moving here. I really didn¡¯t want to live on a farm. This isn¡¯t really a farm. I thought it was when we first moved here, but after going to some of my friends houses, I have learned what a real farm is. My dad, is just playing at this, its not that I¡¯m knocking him, its just well, sometimes people make fun of him. They call him The Gentleman farmer.¡±


    There were worse names to be called, but Lolly didn¡¯t say that. She dropped in a couple pellets at once. Major frenzy. The way the fishes colors swirled and collided reminded Lolly of a kaleidoscope.


    ¡°Lolly,¡± Trevor said, ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering about something.¡± She looked up at him. ¡°Is Lolly, your given name or a nick name?¡±


    Very pleased that Trevor actually thought about her sometime, she said, ¡°It¡¯s a nick name, my mom¡¯s favorite book was Pollyanna.¡±


    ¡°Really. Does your mom like to read like you do?¡±


    He had noticed she read! ¡°No, but my Pa does.¡±


    ¡°My mom reads, but its just trashy romance novels.¡±


    Books were books as far as Lolly was concerned. She didn¡¯t harbor prejudices about books, but then, she had never actually read a trashy romance novel. Not sure what she should say, once again Lolly nodded.


    ¡°You sure are quiet.¡±


    Lolly did not know if this was an observation or a criticism. ¡°Yeah, I am. It¡¯s one of the reason Munch and me get along so well. He talks, I listen.¡± She grinned hoping he would find her comment at least amusing.


    He laughed, ¡°Yeah, Munch can talk. He¡¯s been pretty quiet lately thought. I heard about your folks.¡±


    This was one topic Lolly did not want to discuss, not even with Trevor Long. ¡°Yeah, its kind of weird.¡± She turned over her hand and the rest of the pellets fell into the water. The koi splashed and boiled, their big mouth¡¯s popped open at the surface and closed over the pellets.


    Trevor said, ¡°My dad being so old is kinda weird too. He¡¯s old enough to to be my grandpa.¡±


    Lolly stood up and said, ¡°Parents are weird.¡± She hoped he did not ask about her mother.


    There was the bang of a door. Lolly turned and looked back at the house. Amber was carrying her satchel and she had on a different outfit. She waved and made her way to them. Slightly out of breath when she reached them, she said, ¡°Bill wants me to come over so, I need to take you home.¡±


    Trevor said, ¡°But you¡¯re not finished with your paper.¡±


    Amber rolled her eyes. ¡°I will finish it tomorrow.¡±


    Trevor shook his head. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard that before. Tomorrow just never seems to arrive does it?¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up.¡± Amber turned to Lolly, ¡°Are you ready to go?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t but she couldn¡¯t say that. ¡°Uh, yeah.¡±


    Trevor asked, ¡°So where does Mom think you are going?¡±


    ¡°To the library.¡±


    Trevor laughed. ¡°Right.¡± To Lolly he said, ¡°See you Monday.¡±


    ¡°See ya.¡±


    Amber was walking swiftly away. Lolly ran after her.


    In the car, Amber said, ¡°God it is such a pain to have Saint Trevor for a brother.¡±


    Lolly thought, Saint Trevor?


    ¡°Maybe if he weren¡¯t damn so perfect Mom and Dad might cut me some slack. But oh no, Saint Trevor gets his homework done, makes his bed, does his chores, tells the truth. It is NAUSEATING.¡±


    Personally Lolly thought it was kinda wonderful.

 Chapter 21. Red Sequin Battle

    Monday morning, Lolly was staring out the bus window. On the side of the road she saw Munch. He was wearing a bright purple suit and wing tipped shoes. Mrs. Anderson rolled the bus to a stop and opened the door. Munch walked up the steps. Mrs.Anderson said, ¡°Good Morning Michael. Why don¡¯t you take your seat beside Lolly.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Munch waved at Kevin and Max, and then slid into the seat beside Lolly.


    Lolly asked, ¡°Why are you riding the bus?¡±


    ¡°It is time for me to ride the bus. I spent my whole damn life hanging on my mama¡¯s apron strings like a big baby and it is time I stood on my own two feet. Yes, I might get bullied on this bus, but I can take it. What I can¡¯t take is another morning sitting in the car with a woman who cannot wipe that stupid grin off her face.¡± He rolled his eyes and said ¡°I swear. Someone has done come and snatched my mama¡¯s brains away.¡±


    Lolly did not comment on who the brain snatcher was, she knew.


    Munch leaned across her and looked out the window. ¡°Good Lord, you can see a lot from up here.¡± He sat back down in his own seat and told her, ¡°I talked to your Aunt Jessie, she can take us to Hancock Fabrics after school. I gotta get some trims and find pink fabric for that dress your are so crazy for.¡±


    Lolly asked, ¡°Is Mitzi going to go too?¡± She prayed the answer was no.


    Munch gave out a little huff. ¡°Of course she is. I have appointed her my assistant.¡±


    ¡°You have obviously not been shopping with her. It would be better to leave her with Grandma Toady.¡±


    ¡°She will be fine, you''ll see."


    Lolly thought, yeah, right.


    The bus stopped. Trevor got on. His eyes smiled at her before his lips did. He said, ¡°Hey Lolly."


    She managed to get out a husky, "Hey, Trevor." She watched him as he did that weird fist bump thing with Munch that boys liked to do. His eyes met her''s one last time and then he headed to his seat. It took everything in Lolly not to watch him walk down the aisle. The bus pulled away.


    Munch jabbed her in the ribs. He cooed, "Did you see how that boy looked at you?"


    She had, but she didn''t know if it meant anything.


    "Ooo Lah Lah." Munch smiled showing every tooth he possibly could.


    "Shut up!"


    He just giggled and batted his eye lashes at her. She wanted to punch him so bad. He gave her a coy little grin and said, "A birdie told me you were with Trevor on Saturday."


    Surely, Max wouldn''t have told him that, would he? She glanced back at Trevor. He was talking to one of his cross country buds. She whipped her head around and said to Munch, "I was helping his sister with her English.¡±


    "Come on girl, you don''t have to pretend with me." This time she punched him in the arm. He rubbed his arm and asked, ¡°Ow, you tryin¡¯ to do me bodily harm?¡±


    ¡°I am trying to get you to shut up.¡±


    He laughed, ¡°You know that never works.¡± It never did, yet she tried time and time again. He leaned toward her and said, ¡°Bet you are wondering who the birdie that told was?" Yes, she was, but there was no way she was going to ask. "I called Trevor last night to schedule a fitting. He told me you came over." Trevor told Munch about her visit? Did that mean anything? Please let it mean something.


    Munch grinned at her. ¡°If you could see your face lit up so bright and shiny.¡±


    Excited and embarrassed, Lolly looked out the window. She felt like squealing, but she tried to look cool. Even though she did not look at him once, Munch talked ALL the freaking way to school. When they got off the bus, she glanced back at Trevor. For just an instant their eyes met. A boy from behind her said, "You are blockin'' traffic." Lolly turned red and rushed down the steps.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    As she and Munch made their way into the school, he was still talking. She didn''t have clue as to what he was saying. He talked the entire time they were in the cafeteria before the bell rang. It was good he was talking, it meant he was doing better, but good grief, she was going to miss sitting by herself on the bus.


    *


    Aunt Jessie did not drive a truck. She had a compact Ford Pinto the color of a pinto bean. It was little and Lolly couldn¡¯t see much as they made their way to Hancock Fabrics. She was in the back seat with Mitzi and Puccini. Puccini was wearing a dog harness and leash, lest he get lost in the fabric store. Up front with Aunt Jessie, Munch was elaborately detailing the concept of his runway show. Once upon a short time ago, Munch would get so tongue tied around Aunt Jessie, he could barely speak. Had he gotten over his crush? Aunt Jessie, nodded and said, ¡°Oh,¡± in all the right places, but Lolly seriously doubted she was listening. On the radio Loretta Lynn sang, ¡°Don¡¯t come home a drinkin¡¯ with lovin¡¯ on your mind.¡±


    When they got to the store, Mitzi said, ¡°Grandma Toady bringed me here before. We got quilt stuff.¡± Lolly had been here many times too. Munch went to where the bolts of pink and red fabrics were. He made Lolly stand beside him while he pulled out bolts of fabric and held them beside her face. He was in full throttle design mode. Nothing pleased him. As Lolly looked at the various shades of pink, she instinctively felt they were all wrong. Maybe she should let Munch design what he wanted to design for her, maybe she should trust him. He was the best dressed person she knew.


    He sighed and said, ¡°None of this works.¡±


    Lolly told him, ¡°I agree. You make me what you think would be best in the color you want.¡±


    Astonished, Munch asked, ¡°You mean that?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He hugged her and said, ¡°Lolly girl you just wait until you see what I have in mind. I got these curtains from Goodwill, they are the most amazing shade of silver blue...¡± On and on he went until, Mitzi cut in.


    Mitzi asked, ¡°When do we get to pick my fabric? I am ready for my fabric and so is Puccini.¡±


    Munch said, ¡°Remember Honey, I showed you your fabric. You said you loved it.¡±


    ¡°I changed my mind.¡±


    ¡°What would you like?¡±


    ¡°I will show you.¡± She marched across the store to where the sequined fabric was. It was super expensive. She pointed at the red fabric and said, ¡°I want a dress made out of that.¡±


    Aunt Jessie said, ¡°It cost too much Sweetie.¡±


    ¡°Daddy will pay for it.¡±


    A spark of anger flared in Aunt Jessie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your daddy is not here.¡±


    ¡°I can call him. They have a phone. I saw it by the cash register.¡±


    In a hard flat voice Aunt Jessie said, ¡°No.¡±


    Lolly braced herself. She saw the look on Mitzi''s face. This was going to get ugly real quick. Oh, God, Mitzi was reving up to throw a daddy fit at her Mama.Bad move. First came the flushed face and then the clenched fists. Mitzi gave her mother the look that absolutely whithered Uncle Luke. Aunt Jessie grabbed a hold of her and said, ¡°You pitch a fit, you are out of the show. You get your daddy to buy that,¡± she jabbed a finger at the fabric, ¡°you are out of the show.¡±


    This was a tone that Mitzi recognized, but she chose to ignore it. Now for the next phase of Mitzi meltdown. ¡°You are MEAN! I am going to go live with Daddy, he is nicer than you and he loves me more.¡±


    Wow! Mitzi had gone for the big guns!


    Aunt Jessie''s eyes glazed over. She said, ¡°Okay, you are out of the show. Puccini too.¡±


    Mitzi lets out a loud shuddering, ¡°No-o-o!¡± Everyone in the store turned and looked.


    Aunt Jessie snatched Mitzi up. ¡°We are going home now.¡±


    Mitzi began to flail in her mother¡¯s arms. ¡°You are a bad mommy! Help me somebody help me! Call my Daddy, he loves me!¡±


    Stoned face, Aunt Jessie said, "Sorry Munch, but this party is over." Mitzi twisted in her arms. "Let''s go." Lolly and Munch followed her out to the car. She opened the back door and locked the flopping child into her seatbelt.


    Mitzi sobbed, ¡°I¡¯m Munch¡¯s assistant! I have to be in the show.¡±


    ¡°You should have thought of that before. Now hush.¡±


    Lolly climbed into the back seat. Mitzi let out her high pitched wail. She was going for gold today. In the front seat, Munch said nothing. Lolly had warned him, but he had not listened.


    The ride home was great fun. Lolly finally just covered her ears. She could still hear, Mitzi blubbering, ¡°My career is ruined. How could you do this to me?¡± It was way too much. If Mitzi was this awful now, what was she going to be like in a few years.


    When they pulled into Munch¡¯s driveway, he could not get out of the car fast enough. Before he closed the door, Aunt Jessie said, ¡°I¡±m sorry we can''t be in the show Munch. I will reimburse you for what you''ve spent."


    ¡°Oh,okay, I understand.¡± He closed the door and walked quickly to his house.


    All at once, Mitzi came out of her tantrum and asked, ¡°What is reimburse?¡±


    Aunt Jessie said, "It means I am going to pay back Munch for what he spent on our clothes."


    Mitzi''s eyes grew wide. It seemed that the reality that she had gotten herself kicked out of the show was finally dawning on her. "Mama, no. I''m sorry. I didn''t mean it. Please let me be in the show."


    Aunt Jessie shook her head. ¡°You heard me. Your father may put up with behavior like that, but I am done. No more little lady. No more.¡±


    Mitzi opened her mouth and then closed it. She grew very quiet. For the first time in a long time, she had just lost a battle of the wills.

 Chapter 22. The Trouble with Mitzi

    Fluff was curled up at the foot of Lolly''s bed. His body heat warmed her feet. The rumble of his purr was a comfort to her. From her clock radio the song, ¡°Take Me Home, Country Roads,¡± played. Softly, Lolly sang, ¡°...to the place I belong...¡± The music soothed her. The evening had been a rough one. Mitzi did not like being thwarted and they all had paid. Well, Max, Lolly and Grandma Toady had paid. Aunt Jessie had the good luck of getting to go work. All evening Mitzi had wavered from angry sulk to silent tears. By the time, Lolly went to bed Mitzi had settled into unresigned despair. Without the radio on, Lolly would still be able to hear her snuffling.


    Affter 11:00 p.m. there was a knock at her bedroom door. Instantly Fluff was alert and staring into the dark. Lolly knew it wasn¡¯t Mitzi because she never knocked. It wasn¡¯t Grandma Toady either. Was it Max? She called, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door opened. It was Max. He had his pillow and his blanket. When he didn¡¯t say anything, Lolly asked, ¡°Mitzi still at it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she has reached the stage of tragic hiccups. Grandma Toady took her to bed with her, but I can still hear her. Can I sleep in here tonight?¡±


    A few weeks ago, this question would have been the very last thing she expected to come out of Max¡¯s mouth. ¡°Sure.¡± Fluff jumped on the floor and began to wind himself around Max¡¯s legs. Max threw his pillow and blanket on the floor and picked up Fluff. He hugged the cat to him. Lolly told him, ¡°I have a sleeping bag in my closet. It will be softer and warmer than just the floor.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± Max did a rare thing. He kissed Fluff on the head before he put him down. What was up with Max? He went to the closet, slid it open the door and pulled the sleeping bag off the top shelf. Once he had it unrolled, he climbed inside. Fluff burrowed into the sleeping bag with him.When he was settled he stared up at the ceiling and said, ¡°Mom and Dad got into a really bad fight on the phone when ya¡¯ll got back from Hancock Fabrics. I hate hearing them fight. It was rich of Mom to accuse him of being too soft, when she didn¡¯t even stick around long enough to endure the full consequences of pulling Mitzi out of the Munch''s show.¡±


    Lolly hated to hear that Aunt Jessie and Uncle Luke still fought. Had they ever gotten along? She asked, ¡°Do you think the punishment fit the crime?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Mitzi is sharp, and she is good with color. I don¡¯t think she wanted that sequin fabric to be difficult, I think she wanted it because it looked like magic to her. I do think she got confused and tried a tactic on Mom that only works on Dad."


    This was incredibly insightful of Max. Lolly didn¡¯t know he was capable insight. She asked, ¡°What do you think your mom should have done?¡±


    ¡°She could have counted to 10 first and picked some other punishment. Mitzi has been living for that Munch''s show. Mom could have tried to explain why she could not have the fabric. If Mitzi understood the problem, I think she would have minded. Mitzi may be a royal pain in the ass, but she is not stupid. My dad thinks my mom should let Mitzi be in the show. That only makes Mom dig in deeper. How could they live together so long and still not know how to work their way to a place of not pissing each other off? Gees with them its always too much or not enough. I get so sick of it.¡± He punched his pillow.


    Lolly had been younger than Mitzi when her parents split up. Not that her mother had been around much. She had been in community theater and auditioned for every community theater role within a hundred mile radius. Then, when Pa went to Vietnam, she and her mom had moved in with Grandma Toady. One morning Lolly had woken up and her mother was gone. She had left a note and an apology, Grandma Toady claimed, but Lolly had no memory of it. Quietly, she said to Max, ¡°They may not love each other any more, but they do still love you and Mitzi, and they are both there for you.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Max responded with a grunt. Several silent seconds fell between them before he said, ¡°True, but you don¡¯t have to listen to your parents fight.¡±


    Honestly, Lolly replied, ¡°I wish my mom cared enough to about me to fight. I¡¯m not trying to make my life seem worse than yours, I¡¯m just trying to get you to see what you have.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing the same. You don¡¯t know how it rips at you when the people that made you hate each other.¡±


    ¡°True. I don¡¯t.¡± Pa and Mama got along at a distance. And, though it hurt to admit it, they both got along with her from a distance. Having Pa home only once a month for seven days, sucked.


    Max yawned and rolled over.


    In the hallway, Lolly heard feet running to the bathroom and Mitzi gagging. There was the sound of puking on carpet. Max groaned. Lolly got up. Grandma Toady should not have to clean up puke tonight. Max said, ¡°I was worried she was going to make her self sick. Poor Grandma Toady.¡±


    Poor Grandma Toady indeed. Her children had a tendency to cast their burdens on her. Not that Grandma Toady complained, but maybe she should. As far as Lolly was concerned cleaning up grandkid barf went beyond the call of duty. Over the years Grandma Toady had cleaned up Lolly''s barf many a time. Why were Pa and Aunt Jessie so ready to abandon their parental responsibilities? Neither of them even tried to get jobs that might accommodate having children.


    Lolly got up and opened her door. The rich smell of vomit greeted her. The bathroom door was open and pooled light into the hall. All Mitzi¡¯s cookies were a mush on the floor. Lolly went to the kitchen, got carpet cleaner, a sponge and paper towels. When she came back poor little Mitzi was still heaving. Between heaves she sobbed, ¡°But I gotta be in the show Grandma Toady. I just gotta. Please,¡±heave, ¡°please talk to Mama.¡± Lolly stooped down to clean up the mess. Before Aunt Jessie left for work she had told Grandma Toady, ¡°Don¡¯t give in to her.¡± Grandma Toady had nodded but had not verbally agreed. If Aunt Jessie hadn¡¯t been in such a rush to get to work, she would have realized that Grandma Toady had just created a loop hole.


    Softly Grandma Toady asked, ¡°Sweetie, you and me, we gotta work together. You have to work hard not to pitch fits when you don¡¯t get your way. Your mama can be stubborn just like you. Maybe if you show her you can mind, and you do it often enough, maybe she will change her mind.¡±


    ¡°But Daddy thinks I should get to be in the show. If I lived with him he would let me.¡±


    Lolly heard a slow sigh come from Grandma Toady. ¡°You don¡¯t live with him though.¡±


    ¡°I wish I did.¡±


    Grandma Toady made a funny noise in her throat. ¡°We all have things we wish for but we can¡¯t have. Maybe if you talk less sass and have less fusses, you might get what you really want and not just what you think you want at that moment. Do you think you can try that for the next few days. I am not promising anything, but I do think it is worth a try.¡±


    ¡°Okay Granma, I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Grandma Toady carried Mitzi into the hall. She glanced down at the floor and said to Lolly, ¡°Thank you my Angel.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Lolly reached out a hand and touch Mitzi¡¯s face. ¡°How you doin¡¯ little one?¡±


    ¡°Terrible. Granma says I¡¯m not dying so maybe I¡¯m not.¡± Mitzi lay her head on Grandma Toady¡¯s shoulder.


    Grandma Toady leaned over and gave Lolly a kiss on the forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would do without you.¡±


    ¡°Me either,¡± said Lolly.


    Weakly, Mitzi said, ¡°Me neither. I think Puccini is crying for me. Do you hear him?"


    Grandma Toady winked at Lolly and said, ¡°I sure do. We better go take care of him.¡±


    Lolly watched them disappear into Grandma Toady¡¯s bedroom. She then took the carpet cleaner, sponge and paper towels to the kitchen. The puke paper towels had to go in the outside metal trash can. She stepped into the night. It was cold. A soft wind blew. It felt good on her bare head. She picked up the metal lid and stuffed the gross paper towels inside. Up above Venus shown. It was her favorite heavenly body after the moon. She took in a breath of the clean night air in hopes of getting the smell of vomit out of her nostrils. Several breaths later, she could only smell the sweet sent of autumn leaves and dew. She turned and went back inside.


    In her room, Max was sitting up in the sleeping bag holding Fluff. He asked, ¡°Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°She will be. We just gotta figure out how to get her back in the show.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that. Grandma Toady was not wrong when she said, Mom is stubborn.¡±


    Lolly, nodded, "Yes, she is, but we both know who the most stubborn person in the family is.¡±


    Max laughed and said, ¡°Grandma Toady.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±

 Chapter 23. Friends, Old and New

    Tuesday morning, a pale Mitzi, stood with Puccini clasped tightly in her arms. She surveyed the contents of Lolly¡¯s closet. Her tiny fingers reached for the new dress, Lolly had not worn yet. With eyes that implored, but a mouth that did not speak, she looked silently up at her. Lolly asked, ¡°Do you want me to wear this?¡±


    A slight nod was all Mitzi managed.


    Lolly was saving the dress for a special occasion, that hopefully included Trevor. She looked into Mitzi¡¯s eyes. There was not any demand in them, only a silent plea. She could not refuse her. ¡°Okay, I will wear that.¡±


    There was the faintest spark of light in Mitzi somber eyes. She reached down and picked up the new sling back platforms. ¡°These.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Mitzi said, ¡°I will let you get dressed now.¡±


    Later, when Lolly was ready for school, Mitzi told her, ¡°You look so pretty Lolly. I wish I was as pretty as you.¡±


    Lolly did not understand what Mitzi saw in her, but she was grateful. She gave her a big hug and a kiss on the top of the head. She whispered, ¡°I wish I was as pretty as you.¡±


    Mitzi said, ¡°Maybe we are both pretty.¡±


    Lolly smiled, ¡°Maybe so.¡±


    At the front door, Max said, ¡°Hurry up or we are going to miss the bus.¡±


    Lolly let go of Mitzi, gave Grandma Toady a kiss and followed Max outside. The platforms were hard to walk in. She could break an ankle in the things if she stepped wrong. Though she was going slow, Max walked with her all the way to the bus stop. When he got there, he didn¡¯t stand with his friends, he stood with her. Kevin came over and joined them.


    The bus rumbled into the trailer park. The boys pushed into the bus first, then Lolly went up the steps. Mrs. Anderson said, ¡°You look lovely Lolly. Is that a new dress?¡±


    ¡°Thank you and yes Ma¡¯am.¡± Lolly took her seat. Mrs. Anderson closed the bus doors. The bus took off with a jerk. Outside the window, the trees sped by. Most were dropping leaves, some were almost bare. Their branches were like dark lace in the morning sky.


    Stop by stop, children filled the bus. When they reached Munch¡¯s stop, he stood by the side of the road with his canvas sewing bag slung across his shoulder. He wore a Navy beret and a gray London Fog Trench coat. He looked so fancy. He always did. Once he got on the bus, he plopped down beside Lolly. He said, ¡°Your Aunt Jessie called me last night.¡±


    Lolly thought, That¡¯s rich considering she did not call once to check on her child or Grandma Toady.


    Munch continued, ¡°She was still really mad. She told me that since Mitzi can¡¯t be in the show, she won¡¯t be able to be in the show either. So I am down two models, three if you count Puccini.¡±


    ¡°That sucks.¡±


    ¡°Yup. If only I had listened to you. I was just so sure I could handle Mitzi. Jumping Jesus I was wrong. If I could just take yesterday back I would. I didn¡¯t know Mitzi could go off that quick. I thought I was spoiled.¡±


    Lolly took offense to this, it was okay for her to say Mitzi was spoiled, but it was not okay for Munch to say it. ¡°Yes, Mitzi goes off fast, but she is only four and she lives in three different houses and has to follow three different sets of rules. She gets confused sometimes. She can¡¯t help that. Max and I think she pulled the trick on Aunt Jessie that she usually only uses on Uncle Luke and it back fired on her bad. She cried herself sick last night, and I mean LITERALLY sick.¡±


    Munch asked, ¡°Did she puke?¡±


    Lolly nodded. ¡°I cleaned it up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awful.¡± Munch said, ¡°I can¡¯t afford that red sequin fabric, but I found this in the bottom of one of my Goodwill bags.¡± He pulled a multicolored tube top with sequins from his sewing bag. "I was thinking about using this to make her a 1920¡¯s flapper dress for Halloween. Do you think she would like that?¡±


    ¡°She would love that!"If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I am also going to finish the dress I started for her, and the little overalls for Puccini.¡±


    Lolly wanted to say, Don¡¯t give up on having Mitzi in the show yet, but she didn¡¯t want to give him false hope. Sometimes not even Grandma Toady could get Aunt Jessie to change her mind.


    Munch continued, ¡°Unfortunately I have your Aunt Jessie''s dress almost finished. Who is going to wear it now?¡±


    Though Lolly knew she was taking a risk, she still asked, ¡°Could, maybe your mom could wear it?¡±


    Munch swung his head toward her and said, ¡°What? You seriously did not say that.¡±


    ¡°I did. Who else could wear it?¡±


    ¡°Not Mama. Not my Mama. She and your Aunt Jessie are two different kinds of women. I will not put my Mama in that sexy little number.¡± He shook his head.


    Lolly asked, ¡°Does Max know you made his mom a sexy little number?¡±


    Munch stammered, ¡°It, I-it ain¡¯t that sexy, its just curve huggin¡¯ and you know Mama ain¡¯t got no curves.¡±


    ¡°So you could alter it.¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    Though she knew Munch didn¡¯t want his mom in the show, she was sure Mrs. Dutchendorph would be thrilled to be included. Since Pa intruded into his family life, Munch had been freezing out his mom big time.


    Trevor was waiting at his stop. Lolly felt her heart pick up its beat. Would he notice her dress? Mrs. Anderson put on the brakes and opened the door. He got on the bus. This morning, he didn¡¯t just say hi, he gave her an appraising look and asked, ¡°Are ya¡¯ll going to the Halloween carnival Friday Night?¡±


    Munch said, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Trevor smiled at Lolly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± He walked back to his seat.


    Munch turned to her and whispered, ¡°Now that was interesting!¡±


    It was!


    *


    After school Lolly changed into jeans and her chucks. Max and Mitzi were with their mom so the trailer was quiet. She didn¡¯t have to share the TV with anyone. She turned on the TV. The Million Dollar Movie was on. Just as she flopped on the couch beside Fluff, the phone rang. She groaned, she hoped it was not Aunt Jessie calling to say, she had to go to work early. She got up and answered the phone. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Lolly,¡± it was Amber. ¡°I turned in my paper today, thanks to you. With any luck, I won¡¯t flunk.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s here, Bill¡¯s working, and I don¡¯t like to eat by myself. You want to go grab a burger?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, let me ask.¡± Lolly put down the receiver and went to the rummage room. Grandma Toady was tacking a quilt. She said, ¡°Amber asked me to go grab a burger with her, can I go?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but its a school night so be back by 8:00.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thanks.¡± She made her way back to the phone and told Amber, ¡°I can go.¡±


    ¡°Good. I will be by in about thirty minutes. See ya!¡± Amber hung up the phone before, Lolly could say, bye.


    Lolly went to her room. Fluff was on her bed. He opened his eyes and yawned. A glance in her mirror told her old jeans and chucks would not cut it. For the third time that day she changed. She wore her new jeans, new Adidas and a purple baseball shirt. She reached for her favorite hooded sweatshirt. It was not in the best shape, but it was her security blanket. She slipped it on and went onto the front porch to wait for Amber.


    The ball, the sun, was creeping toward the horizon. It would be dark soon. The sky was turning to fire. Lolly heard Amber¡¯s Mustang before she saw it. The Mustang skidded to a stop in the drive. Lolly hoped Grandma Toady hadn¡¯t heard it. She jumped up, ran to the door, shouted inside, ¡°I¡¯m going!¡±


    From the rummage room, Grandma Toady shouted, ¡°Be good!¡±


    Lolly shouted back, ¡°I will!¡± She then rushed and got into Amber¡¯s car.


    With a roar, Amber backed out of the drive. Lolly hoped Grandma Toady hadn¡¯t heard that, but she would have had to be deaf not to hear it. Amber drove them to Dairy Queen.


    They went inside, ordered and got a booth. As soon as Lolly¡¯s butt hit the booth seat, Amber started to monologue. The central topic of her monologue was Bill, her boy friend. Bill had to work that night. He worked at a gas station. Amber¡¯s parents didn¡¯t like Bill. Blah, Blah, Blah. Blah. As they ate their burgers, Lolly got the distinct impression that the only reason Amber had asked her to eat with her was because she wanted to hear herself talk about Bill. Finally Amber changed the subject and asked, ¡°I have been wondering something.¡±


    Cautiously, Lolly said, ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Amber kind of squinted like she was contemplating something. Lolly had seen this look before and she tensed up. Amber asked, ¡°So you don¡¯t have any hair?¡±


    Since Lolly had been in Junior High, boys would randomly come up to her and ask this very stupid question. She knew why they were asking it, but why in the hell was Amber asking it? Lolly didn¡¯t answer.


    Amber¡¯s face turned red. ¡°God, that was a stupid question.¡±


    Flatly, Lolly said, ¡°It was.¡±


    Amber dropped her eyes and stared at the table, ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry, My mother tells me I have NO social graces and I don¡¯t. I really suck at making new friends. Trevor''s really good at it, but not me. I just wanted to know more about you, and unfortunately, I spoke the first stupid thing that showed up in my brain.¡± There was a slight quiver in her voice as she continued, ¡°I miss my friends in Fort Worth. I was supposed to go to school at TCU with them, but my dad had a heart attack, retired and moved us out here. My parents could afford a mansion, but they told me they couldn¡¯t afford to send me off to school. It all just sucks.¡±


    Lolly couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the real reason, Amber¡¯s parents hadn¡¯t sent her off to school was because she didn¡¯t seem to have much interest in it, but she didn¡¯t say that. She did tell her, ¡°I am not so good at friendship myself. I don¡¯t trust people, because too often they haven¡¯t been worthy of trust, or maybe, I haven¡¯t given them a chance.¡±


    Amber asked, ¡°Could we be friends?¡±


    The possibilities of this friendship flashed through Lolly¡¯s brain. Every thought revolved around Trevor. Her mind came to a screeching halt. Being friends with Amber to get access to Trevor was wrong. She would not use Amber, at least she would try not to. She said ¡°Of course.¡± The smile that spread across Amber¡¯s face surprised her.

 Chapter 24. Munch’s Magic

    Every year since Munch got his first sewing machine in 4th grade, he and Lolly went to the Halloween carnival as a famous duo. This year, Lolly was a little bit apprehensive. After all, Trevor was going to see her in whatever Munch created. All week she had been trying to talk Munch into telling her who they were going to be, but it was a no go.


    Mitzi and Lolly sat on the front porch waiting for Munch. His mom was dropping him off on her way to her Thursday evening drawing class. Her little VW bug pulled into the drive. Lolly reached for Mitzi¡¯s hand before she could dart off the porch. Munch got out and took a garment bag out of the back seat. When he slammed the door closed Mrs. Dutchendorph waved at them and backed out of the drive. As soon as she was gone, Mitzi jerked her hand free of from Lolly¡¯s. She rushed up to him and said, ¡°I wanna see, I wanna see!¡±


    Munch grinned at her and said, ¡°Patience.¡±


    Hopping on one leg, Mitzi frowned. ¡°You know I¡¯m not any good at that.¡± She wasn¡¯t.


    Grandma Toady opened the front door. She said, ¡°Come on in Munch. We are all dying to see what you made.¡±


    This comment pleased Munch. He took the garment bag into the living room, Lolly and Mitzi followed behind. He said, ¡°Places, places! Everyone in their places." Grandma Toady sat down in the recliner. Lolly and Mitzi took the couch. From the kitchen, Max wandered in, eating a sandwich.


    With a dramatic flourish, Munch unzipped the bag. From it he pulled the most adorable Flapper dress Lolly had ever seen. Mitzi¡¯s eyes got so big and her mouth formed a perfect O. She was stunned for a moment, and then she asked, ¡°Is that for me? You made that for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Honey, I did. Do you like it?¡±


    Mitzi launched herself off the couch and snatched the dress out of Munch¡¯s hand. She hugged it to her and spun around. Softly she said, ¡°This is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen. Thank you!¡± Her eyes were shining so bright.


    Pleased by her reaction, Munch said, ¡°There is one more thing.¡± He pulled out a pair of patent leather tap shoes. When he handed them to Mitzi, she heard the click of the taps. Absolute joy radiated from her.


    She exclaimed, ¡°Tap Shoes! I always wanted TAP SHOES! Granma, help me put on my costume so I can dance for everybody!¡±


    Grandma Toady said, ¡°Hold on a sec, I want to see what Munch made for him and Lolly.¡±


    With mischievous little grin on his face, Munch jerked their costumes from the bag. Lolly was horrified. There were two striped shirts. On one the stripes went up and down, and on the other, they went sideways. Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street! They were going be Bert and Ernie! Munch handed her a rubber ducky and asked, ¡°You like?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª I¡ª,¡± Lolly couldn¡¯t get any words out.


    He said, ¡°I will be Bert and you will be Ernie.¡±


    This was terrible. If there were no Trevor at the carnival, she would have been fine with the costumes, but he said he would be there. He said he would see her THERE!


    In a hurt voice Munch asked, ¡°So you hate them?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. I don¡¯t hate them.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t like them either.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t lie. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But I worked so hard.¡± He looked like he was about to cry.


    Lolly knew his work. He hadn¡¯t made these t-shirts, he had bought them. He looked so upset she wanted to say, ¡°Its okay, I will wear the shirt,¡± but she just couldn¡¯t seem to get the words passed her lips.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be Ernie, would you like to be the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio?¡± From the bag he pulled out a filmy blue gown and a pair of silver wings. Tiny stars dotted the gown and there was glitter on the wings. The costume looked like Magic.


    She whispered, ¡°Oh, Munch it is beautiful.¡±


    Mitzi clapped her hands and shouted, ¡°We are gonna be so gorgeous for Halloween! Everybody will give us lots of candy!¡±


    A huge grin spread over Munch''s face. From the bag he took out his costume. It consisted of red shorts with big buttons, a hat with a feather and a white shirt. Mitzi squealed, ¡°You are Pinocchio!¡±


    ¡°Yup, I am.¡± He turned to Lolly. The smile on his face was not so big or so bright. In fact, he looked apprehensive. He took in a big breath of air, before he said, ¡°There is one more thing. Its supposed to be cold tomorrow night and, I well, "I thought, you might need this Lolly." He reached into the bag.


    Fear rushed through Lolly. She sent up a prayer that Munch was not about to pull a blonde wig from the garment bag.


    He took out a small paper bag and handed it to Lolly. He told her, ¡°You do not have to wear this if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Whatever was in the bag, didn¡¯t feel like a wig. She opened it. Inside was a blue hat that looked like a flower bud turned upside down. She pulled it out. It was stitched with silver thread. He must have spent hours working on it. Tears came to Lolly¡¯s eyes. She hugged Munch. In his ear she whispered, ¡°You are the best.¡±


    He laughed and said, ¡°Ain¡¯t I though."


    Mitzi asked, ¡°Now, can we PLEASE try on our costumes?¡±


    Max who had been silent the entire time asked, ¡°Could Kevin and I borrow those Bert and Ernie shirts?¡±


    Munch let go of Lolly. ¡°Sure. Y''all can have em."


    Jumping up and down, Mitzi said, ¡°Lolly, Lolly, hurry up! Let¡¯s put on our dresses.¡±


    The two took their dresses and ran to Lolly¡¯s room. Of course, Mitzi had to get dressed first. For several long minutes she stood in front of the mirror just staring at herself. Slowly, she began to swish her skirt back and forth. She was completely mesmerized by her own reflection.


    Lolly, slipped into her dress. It had long sleeves and they were lined with satin. It fit her perfectly. The wings had elastic and she pulled her arms through the loops. Last of all she put on the hat. For an instant she hesitated before she looked atherself in the mirror. She met her own eyes and was amazed, she looked like a real live fairy. Munch was magic, pure magic. The hat brought out the color of her eyes.


    In front of her, Mitzi said, ¡°Oh, Lolly. We should get Munch to make all of our clothes!¡±


    ¡°Yes, we should.¡±


    *


    The sky was cloudless. Dusk was falling. The football field spread out before Munch and Lolly. Booths and games littered the field. There were even a few rides. All around children and parents wandered. There were vampires, witches, princesses, hippies, Super Heroes and a bunch of kids in a variety of animal costumes. The air had a tinge of smoke in it. The stadium lights were on. In the center of the field, Lolly saw her favorite part of the carnival, the Pick a Pocket Lady. Her skirt reached from waist to her toes. The skirt stood out like a bell around her and had rows of pockets filled with prizes. If you gave her a two quarters, she would let you pick a pocket. and then she would give you the prize inside. The prizes were always good.


    Lolly¡¯s eyes scanned the football field. Grandma Toady, Mrs. Dutchendorph and Mitzi were at the cake walk. Puccini had had to stay home. Carnival''s and crowds were dangerous for stuffed, much loved bears. Through the gate, she saw Uncle Luke enter. He headed straight for the cake walk. Aunt Jessie was at work. Max and Kevin were at the apple dunking booth talking to a couple Junior High girls dressed as witches. The boys had on their Bert and Ernie shirts. They had borrowed two pony tail holders from Mitzi. Their shaggy hair was pulled into short pony tails on the tops of their head. Max was even carrying the rubber ducky. No sign of Trevor anywhere.


    Munch asked, ¡°Now who are you looking for?¡±


    She didn¡¯t comment. Maybe he wasn¡¯t there yet. Maybe he wasn¡¯t coming at all. A tight ball started to form in her stomach.


    Munch asked, ¡°You want to go to the Pick a Pocket lady first?¡± He knew her so well.


    ¡°Yes.¡± In her hand, Lolly held quarters.


    When they reached the Pick a Pocket Lady, she recognized Lolly. ¡°Hi, good to see you again. Great costumes!¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Munch.


    Shyly, Lolly smiled. She handed the lady two quarters and said, ¡°Third bottom pocket on the right.¡± It was the pocket she always picked.


    The Pick a Pocket Lady stooped down and pulled a small tissue paper packet from her pocket. She handed it to Lolly. The packet was very light . Eagerly, Lolly tore the paper off. Inside was a necklace with a tiny gold star. It was lovely.. She said, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°You are welcome, Dear.¡± The Pick a Pocket Lady turned away from her to talk to a little boy.


    Munch asked, ¡°What did you get?¡±


    She showed him the star. He smiled. ¡°Perfect accessory. Let me put it on you.¡± He took it from her and clasped it around her neck. Gently, she touched the star with her fingers. In her head she heard Jiminy Cricket singing, ¡°When You Wish Upon a Star.¡± She glanced up at the sky, the first stars were appearing.


    Beside her, Munch whispered, ¡°Look.¡±


    Lolly dropped her gaze to Munch. He jerked his head to the right. She turned to look. Trevor was coming through the gate.

 Chapter 25. The Trials and Tribulations of the Blue Fairy

    It was weird what time did. Lolly felt like she was in a movie and the film had slowed down. Every detail around her became sharp. The aluminum stadium seats, the yellow goal posts, the way Trevor¡¯s hair caught the wind. He seemed to be moving ever so slowly across the field. It was almost like he was floating. He was with some of his track friends. She waited with utmost stillness for him to maybe, hopefully, look her way.


    Beside her Munch waved, but before he could call out Trevor¡¯s name, Lolly clamped her hand over his mouth and hissed, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡±


    Against her fingers Munch mumbled, ¡°Why not?¡±


    She removed her hand from Munch¡¯s mouth. ¡°Please, I don''t want to be too obvious. Let¡¯s just walk around okay?¡±


    Munch shrugged and said, ¡°You still got scars from that jerk, Jive Turkey Brown?¡±


    Lolly did not even like to hear that boy¡¯s name. When she was in seventh grade, she had gotten her very first to her soul crush on a boy. Her heart had done all the stupid stuff it did when she saw Trevor, but in seventh grade her heart had not yet been rejected. She had been so enamored with David Brown, she talked about David to a few people, not many though. When she finally got the courage to get Munch to find out if David liked her back. It had not gone well at all. He told Munch, he did not like her because she¡¯d told too many people that she liked him. It wasn¡¯t true. She remembered wanting to just disappear in a vapor. Never had she been so embarrassed or so hurt. Later she had over heard some girls talking, and one of them had said, ¡°That bald freak really thought David would like her back.¡± The memories still stung. Since then, she never told anyone, not even Munch when she liked some one. If Trevor was supposed to talk to her, if he wanted to talk to her, it would just have to happen.


    They wandered from booth to booth, without once crossing paths with Trevor. Lolly did her best to NOT try to find him in the crowd. She and Munch were in line for the Ferris wheel, when a voice behind her said, ¡°Wow. Look at you two.¡± It was Trevor.


    Lolly and Munch turned around. Trevor was alone. Lolly¡¯s mouth went dry and she could swear her tongue was starting yo swell. Was it possible she was allergic to Trevor Long?


    He said, ¡°Y¡¯all look amazing.¡± Lolly couldn¡¯t help but notice the inclusive y¡¯all. Had she honestly been hoping he would give her, her own personal compliment? Of course she had.


    Munch said, ¡°Thank you, kind Sir.¡± He gave Lolly a little nudge. She forced a smile but couldn¡¯t talk.


    Trevor asked, ¡°Can I ride with ya¡¯ll on the Ferris Wheel?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lord,¡± said Munch. ¡°I do fear I am afraid of heights.¡± He was not. ¡°Lolly isn¡¯t though.¡±


    Panic ripped through Lolly, could Munch be any more obvious? NO! The sound of her heart thundered in her ears. What was she going to do when Trevor said, ¡°Uh, no that¡¯s okay.¡±


    Trevor asked, ¡°Lolly, want to ride the Ferris wheel with me?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± The pace of her breathing shot up. Good grief she wasn¡¯t going to hyperventilate was she?


    He smiled at her and said, ¡°Good.¡±


    Once again, being totally obvious, Munch said, ¡°Oh, I see Mitzi heading for the ring toss booth. I promised I would help her win a gold fish.¡± Had he really promised that? Munch had no skills at ring toss. The little Liar! How could he abandon her like this?


    The Ferris Wheel stopped. People got off and Trevor and Lolly got on. Neither of them spoke. The Ferris Wheel lifted them up. One of them really needed to say something. Awkwardly she blurted out, ¡°Did you have a meet today?¡±


    ¡°No, this week we are off. Next Friday, we have a home meet. Have you ever been to a cross country meet before?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Not many people come. They are kinda boring and slow. My mom and dad always come. Amber comes sometimes when she¡¯s off or not with the infamous Bill. Amber told y¡¯all went out for burgers the other night.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we did.¡±


    A hint of contempt crept into Trevor''s voice when he said, ¡°I bet she talked about Bill the whole time. I don¡¯t know what she sees in that guy.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Lolly hadn¡¯t seen enough of Bill to form any sort of opinion.


    Trevor looked down. He waved. Lolly glanced down. Lisa and Viv, from her Geometry class were smiling up at him. For the first stupid time, it occurred to her that she was not the only girl with a crush on Trevor Long. She looked back up at the sky line. A thin streak of fading light lay flat against the horizon. The wind caught her wings and caused them to flutter. If only they worked! If they did she would fly right off of this stupid Ferris Wheel.


    Trevor turned his attention back to her. ¡°Munch showed me the sketches of your costumes. I can¡¯t believe how close the real things are to the drawings. He is crazy talented.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he is.¡± So, she was back to responding in one syllable words. Great. The Ferris wheel was going back down. The ground was rising fast. Lolly prayed the ride was over. Only, it wasn¡¯t. They were lifted back up again.


    ¡°Uh, Lolly?¡± Was there a trace of anxiety in his voice?


    She turned to him.


    ¡°I''ve been wondering something. My sister and Munch both told me the same thing." He actually seemed nervous. "So, could I have your phone number?¡±


    This question so shocked, Lolly her mouth dropped open. Embarrassed by her reaction, she quickly closed her mouth. HE WANTED HER NUMBER! ¡°Uh, sure.¡±


    He pulled a pen and a scrap of paper out of his sweatshirt pocket. She took it and scribbled down, her name and number and handed it to him. Silently, he read her number. When he looked up at her, he smiled. That smile.


    Rhinos started racing around in Lolly¡¯s brain. Would he call her, really? There was nothing worse than waiting for someone to call you when they didn¡¯t. She handed him his pen.


    He stuffed the pen and paper into his pocket and said, ¡°I¡¯ll call you.¡±


    The question, Promise?, echoed in Lolly¡¯s head. Aloud she said, ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±


    The Ferris Wheel stopped at the bottom. Trevor¡¯s friends and Lisa and Viv were waiting for him. He got out of the seat fairly quickly and went towards them. He glanced back at her and smiled.


    No good bye? Maybe she was reading too much into this situation. Maybe it was all so very impossible. She would have to wait and see. Would he call? He might. If he did would it mean anything?


    Munch came up to her. His eyes were bright. He asked, ¡°So how was it?¡±


    ¡°It was okay.¡±


    ¡°Did you give him your number?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be happy about it.¡±


    Lolly thought she would too. She changed the subject. "So did you win Mitzi a goldfish?"


    "No but Kevin did. Mitzi named the goldfish, Kevin."


    "That fish better stay at Aunt Jessie''s or Fluff will have Kevin for lunch."


    There was a loud screeching noise and then the voice of the President of the PTA came over the loud speakers, "Please gather at the score board for the Halloween Costume competition."


    Munch said "Show Time!" Every year he lived for this competition. He grabbed hold of Lolly''s hand and drug her across the field.


    Beneath the score board were a number of clowns, bums, hippies, witches and an odd assortment of animals. Munch jabbed Lolly in the ribs and said, "Check out Red Ridinghood. We got some competition this year!"


    The girl was in their age bracket, but Lolly had never seen her before. Her cape was exquisite. Her dress looked like it came straight out of the movie, The Sound of Music. Beside Lolly Munch was frowning. He was worried.


    Grandma Toady, Mitzi, Uncle Luke and Mrs Dutchendorph joined them. A crowd was forming. Uncle Luke went with Mitzi to the Five Years Old and Younger group. There was a fat baby dressed like a little pig. His mother was taking pictures of him. Lolly thought, That kid is going to be scarred for life. Munch took her hand and lead her to the teen section. Besides Red Ridinghood, there was a Genie, a cow, Kevin and Max as Burt and Ernie, two witches and a very sad clown. When, Lolly turned to face the crowd her eyes immediately landed on Trevor. He was looking straight at her. He gave her and Munch, the thumbs up sign. Lolly began to feel a little better about him.


    The judges of the contest were the Mayor, Father Dinkins and Miss Buella the owner of Miss Buella''s Hair Boutique. Once upon a time she cut Lolly''s hair. Slowly, thoroughly the judges studied the costumes going from one age group to the next. Each group had First through Third prize and there was one Best of show.


    Mitzi placed Second in her category. The Little Pig was First. Munch was pissed about this. Lolly whispered, "Everybody can see your face." He flipped his scowl into a fake smile. In the teen group, Red Ridinghood came in first, Munch was second. Lolly waited for her name to be called, only it wasn''t. The Genie won third.


    Miss Buella announced, "And Best of Show goes to the Blue Fairy, Lolly Phelps."


    The crowd cheered! Trevor Long cheered! Lolly felt her face grow warm. The Mayor handed her a trophy and Father Dinkins gave her a $20.00 gift certificate from J C Penny''s. She was overwhelmed. Every year she or Munch would place, but this was the first time, a costume Munch made won Best of Show.


    As soon as the awards were all given out and the crowd started to break up, Munch picked up Lolly and swung her around. He shouted, "We did it!"


    Against his neck, Lolly said, "You did it, it was all you."


    He put her down and said, "We did it. You are my forever Muse." It was the nicest thing he had ever said to her.


    Grandma Toady came up and hugged them both, so did Mrs Dutchendorph. Uncle Luke had Mitzi on his shoulders. She had a death grip on her red ribbon. She shouted at Lolly, "I''m Number Two!" And then she burst out laughing. Potty jokes, classic Mitzi. It was good to see her so happy. Max, who trailed behind them, shook his head, but he was smiling.


    Kevin came up to Lolly and told her, "You look beautiful." He turned bright red.


    "Thanks Kevin."


    The smile he gave her was blinding. Was it possible he had a crush on her?She was instantly pleased and dismayed. As far as she knew no one had ever had a crush on her before. She was going to have be careful with Kevin. He was a sweet kid.


    The stadium lights started flashing. The carnival was shutting down. People were leaving. Where was Trevor?

 Chapter 26. General Direction

    How had Trevor disappeared so quickly? Lolly gripped her trophy. Grandma Toady said, "Come on kids, let''s go Trick or Treat!"


    Mitzi shouted, "CANDY!"


    Uncle Luke told Mitzi, "You only get to eat two peices after all the junk you have had this evening."


    On their way off the football field, they divided into seperate groups. Munch, Max and Kevin rode back to the trailer with Mrs. Dutchendorph. Uncle Luke and Mitzi went in his truck and Lolly rode with Grandma Toady.


    On the trip home, Lolly was very quiet. Grandma Toady asked, "You okay?"


    "Yeah, just all the excitement."


    "Did I see you on the Ferris Wheel with Trevor?"


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    "Did you enjoy the ride?"


    She shrugged. "I never can think of anything to say and I just end up feeling stupid."


    "You are quiet like your pa. Its okay. Give it some time."


    Lolly thought, If there is time to give. Lisa and Viv were not shy. She had been in the same classes with them since junior high. If they wanted something or someone they went after it or them. Was Trevor their current target? If so, she did not have a chance.


    They pulled into the drive. Everyone piled out and headed inside for a potty break before they hit the streets for candy. Once they were outside again, Mitzi had Puccini pinned to her dress and her second place ribbon. Munch wore his ribbon too. Lolly had left her trophy behind. Last Halloween a man had killed a child with a cyanide-laced pixie stick, so now they were only allowed to Trick or Treat from people they knew. Since they knew most every one in the trailer park, they would have a decent candy hall, but it was not going to be like it used to be.


    As they made their way down the street, Mitzi tap danced. She grabbed Munch''s hand, and he danced with her. At the top of her lungs, she shouted, "We are NUMBER TWOS! WE GOT RIBBONS TO PROVE IT! YES WE DO!" Munch was not the least bit bothered by this display, but Max looked like he wanted to climb under a rock. Finally, the Trick or Treating was over. The haul was fair.


    Inside the trailer, came the hard part, separating Mitzi from her candy. To everyone''s relief, Mitzi was so happy about her ribbon and her tap shoes, she didn''t make a fuss. The candy was checked out, divided up and put away.


    Max suggested a game of Risk. Lolly declined. She didn''t like war games. Besides, Max would win anyway. He was more aggressive than Uncle Luke, Kevin or Munch. Grandma Toady and Mrs. Dutchendorph went into the rummage room to talk, most likely about Pa. Mitzi went into the bathroom and danced in front of the mirror on the linoleum floor. Lolly wen to her room and changed out of her Blue Fairy costume into her sweats. She put the flower hat into a shoe box. Fluff lay on her bed, she climbed up beside him and lay down. His comforting purr rumbled in his chest. Absently, Lolly stroked his fur as she went over each detail of the evening.


    The phone rang. Panicked, Lolly leapt off the bed and raced to Grandma Toady¡¯s room. It might not be Trevor, but if it was, there was no way anyone else was going to answer the phone. She picked up the extension phone. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey Lolly, its Trevor.¡±


    Kathunk, Kathunk went her heart. ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t get to talk to you before I left the carnival. Jake¡¯s mom was driving and she¡¯s a real battle axe. I wanted to tell you congratulations.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The on going trouble with connecting words was absolutely freezing her up inside.


    ¡°I thought you made a perfect Fairy.¡±


    His words rained down on her like fairy dust. She felt like she could fly. ¡°Thank you, so much Trevor.¡± Five words in a row. That was an improvement. In the distance Lolly heard what sounded like a truck rumbling. Car doors opened and closed. She asked, ¡°Where are you?¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°I¡¯m outside the Seven Eleven.¡±


    He had called her from a pay phone?


    ¡°The guys are getting some toilet paper to go wrap houses.¡±


    A very unoriginal Halloween Prank. ¡°Oh.¡±


    A little too quickly he added, ¡°I¡¯m not going. They are gonna drop me off.¡±


    There was a loud burst of noise on Trevor¡¯s end of the phone. It was the sound of boys exploding from the store. One of them shouted, ¡°Man, you checkin in with your old Lady again?¡±


    Trevor said, ¡°No, and shut up!¡±


    ¡°Ooo,¡± said another voice, ¡°who you talkin too this time lover boy?¡±


    Trevor whispered, "Sorry, Lolly, these guys are jerks. I gotta go. Talk to you later. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡± The line went dead. Lolly put the receiver in its cradle. She did not know how she was supposed to feel. He said he would call her, he did call her. That was something. Yes, it was something. It was way more than she expected just a few weeks ago. Fear nibbled at the back of her brain. What if Trevor did become a reality in her life? Reality never met imagination. She had always been pretty comfortable in her imaginary world. Trevor could be anything she imagined as long as she didn''t really know him. The truth was she didn''t know him. What would happen when he became a real live boy in her world and not just a projection of her imagination? Would she like him more or less?


    There was a knock on the door. It was Munch, he came in and asked, ¡°Was that Trevor?"


    ¡°You sure are nosy.¡±


    He stuck his nose in the air and sniffed. ¡°I smell recent heart palpitations for Trevor Long.¡±


    ¡°You are such a Goof!¡±


    He looked her straight in the eyes and asked, ¡°No really, was it him?¡±


    She nodded.


    Munch''s grin was so pleased she suspected that he had more than a little to do with Trevor¡¯s call.


    *


    Monday morning on the bus, Munch was yammering away beside Lolly. She really just wanted him to shut up. Soon the bus would be at Trevor¡¯s stop. She felt like every muscle in her body got tenser by the mile. Through the window she saw him. Hooded sweat shirt with the school name emblazoned on it, track pants and Nike shoes. When the bus stopped, he looked up at her and smiled. She smiled back. She watched him climb into the bus. As always, he gave her and Munch a wave and went to his seat. The bus jerked forward. Too soon, they were at the school. The bus unloaded. Lolly and Munch went their way, Trevor went his.


    As the day progressed, Lolly tried in vain to catch a glimpse of Trevor, but he was no where to be seen. Where was he? During lunch, she went to the library alone. Munch had gone to the art room. On the table was her cursed Geometry book. She honestly thought that math was the work of Satan. Why couldn¡¯t her brain wrap around this subject? It was always such a struggle. She erased her answer again.


    Lisa and Viv came into the library and sat at the table across from her. They did not acknowledge her presence. They never did. Great!


    A little too loudly, Viv said, ¡°Yesterday, I talked to Trevor after Mass. He is such a fox. I asked him for his number and he gave it to me!" She let out a little squeal.


    Everything in Lolly¡¯s head went very still. She stopped breathing.


    Lisa asked, ¡°Did you call him?"


    "Yes! Last night. We talked forever."


    Lisa asked, "Did he ask you out?¡¯


    Viv sighed. ¡°No, not yet.¡±


    Lolly took in a breath. Trevor had asked for her number. She had not asked for his. He called her Friday night. She had not called him. He had anot asked her out either, still he had called her, but they had not talked forever. That couldn''t be good.


    The library doors opened and who should walk in, but Trevor Long. He had a stack of books in his arms. He went to the desk and deposited them into the return chute. He turned and smiled in her general direction. He was headed in her general direction. Lolly was not sure if he was coming to her table or the other table. To Viv and Lisa he said, ¡°Hey.¡±


    Viv flashed a smile so big it was a wonder her face didn¡¯t split in two. He passed by their table. His eyes were on Lolly. Viv said, ¡°Hey Trevor. Sit with us.¡±


    Trevor turned. His back was now to Lolly. In his hand was a folded note. He dropped it onto Lolly¡¯s table. To the girls he said, ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t. I gotta get back to English.¡±


    Lolly grabbed the note and slid it into her sweatshirt pocket. Without looking back at her, Trevor left the library. She watched him leave, as did Lisa and Viv. Her hand closed over the note. What did it contain? She was afraid to find out.


    The lunch bell rang.


    Through her next two periods, she was totally distracted by the unread note in her pocket. When the final bell of the day rang, she made a dash for the nearest restroom, went into a stall and unfolded the note.


    Trevor had terrible hand writing. There were two sentences on the page. The first was, "Would you come to my cross country meet after school on Friday?" The second was, "Amber said she could give you a ride home." Lolly''s name was not on the note and neither was Trevor''s. That was a little weird, or maybe it was just the way guys did things. She honestly didn''t know.


    On the bus, she broke her strict code of silence and told Munch abou the note. His only comment was, "So are you gonna go?"


    "Only if you come too."


    "No honey, you are on your own. I got stuff to sew. I don''t have time to baby sit you."


    Insulted, Lolly punched him in the arm.


    "Doing me bodily harm again. So you goin'' or not?"


    Because she was angry she said, "I''m going."


    He gave her a too pleased smile.


    "Why are you smiling like that?"


    "Oh, I ''m just smiling."


    "Yeah, right."

 Chapter 27. Cross Country

    Lolly¡¯s palms were sweating. She had not heard or felt a ding dang thing since she had gotten on the bus. A note was in her pocket. A note she had written and rewritten a hundred times, well that was a slight exaggeration, but only a slight one. She figured it took Trevor all of three seconds to write the note he gave her. Oh, no, not her. First there was the dilemma of whether or not she should write his name and her name on the note. She decided on no, if the note got found, lost or stolen, it could not be connected back to her. The last thing she needed was to be teased or worse, because she had the audacity to write a note to a boy. For too long she stared at a blank sheet of notebook paper. It just shouted at her, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO SAY! But, that wasn¡¯t true. Really all she had to write down was, Yes, I will be at your Cross Country Meet. Please tell Amber I need a ride home. After several inky smudged pages she managed to get that down. Her next challenge was folding the stupid note. There was a protocol for note folding. It was like freaking origami and she sucked at making paper cranes. Her folding was so bad she had to write the note over three times. Every time she wadded up another sheet of notebook paper, Fluff swatted it out of her hand.


    The bus''s brakes, jerked Lolly back into the present. Munch got on. As ususal, he had his sewing bag. He said, "I need to sit by the window. My stomach is NOT happy, and if I hurl, I want to feel the wind in my face." He took the window seat.


    Too quickly, they came to Trevor¡¯s stop. NOW WHAT? He was getting on the bus. He saw her. He gave her a shy, uncertain smile. She put the note on the edge of the seat. He dropped a pencil, and grabbed the note. The pencil rolled down the aisle. He went after it. NOTE DELIVERED.


    Now, all she had to do was to tell Pa why she wasn''t coming straight home to see him after school on Friday.


    *


    Friday morning arrived. Aunt Jessie was off last night, so Mitzi had picked out Lolly¡¯s clothes, yesterday afternoon. She had chosen, the pink shirt, black jeans, chucks and Lolly''s newest hooded sweat shirt. In a mental fog, Lolly walked alone to the bus stop. She heard nothing and saw nothing. When the bus pulled up, she got on last. The vinyl of the seat was cold, but she didn¡¯t notice. She turned to look out the window. The bus took off. Though her eyes were focused out the window, she saw nothing. Munch got on the bus. He was grim.


    The trance Lolly had been in disintegrated. Poor Munch, Pa was on his way home. When she had told him, she would be getting in a little late because of the cross country meet, he had been fine with that, a little too fine. She suspected he would swing by to see Mrs. Dutchendorph before he headed for the trailer. All she could do was pray, he got out of there before the bus dropped Munch off. If he didn''t there would be hell to pay. Poor Munch. The only good thing about his mood was that he was quiet, so she wouldn''t have to pretend to be listening.


    Trevor''s stop. Through the window, she looked down at him, he looked up at her. He smiled. That smile. Mrs. Anderson opened the doors and he got onto the bus. When he passed by, Munch did not look up at him. Trevor gave her a wave and made his way down the aisle.


    *


    After school, Lolly walked to the park where the Cross Country Meet was being held. It wasn¡¯t far from the school. There were more people at the meet than she expected. Lisa and Viv were there. Inwardly, Lolly groaned. A light mist started to fall. She pulled her hood over her head.


    Near the starting line she saw Amber with her parents. She waved. Lolly went to her. ¡°Hey, Lolly, this weather sucks.¡± She tapped a huge red umbrella by her side. ¡°I got this bad boy to keep us dry.¡±


    Trevor¡¯s parents, said, ¡°Hi Lolly.¡±


    ¡°Hello Mr. and Mrs. Long.¡± They gave her a bemused smile. Whatever that meant. No other conversation was attempted.


    Amber told her parents, ¡°We are going to the first marker.¡±


    Mr. Long asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see the start?¡±


    ¡°We can see it from there."


    Lolly wanted to see the start up close, she wanted to see Trevor up close, but Amber was already heading across the park. As she trailed after her, she saw the boys cross country team. Amber stopped by a mile marker. Lolly looked down the long line of boys. She saw Trevor. His hair was wet from the mist. Did he see her? Trevor¡¯s eyes locked with hers. Now became incredibly precious and confusing. A shy smile spread across her lips, she felt her body become instantly warmer. Trevor winked at her. She was too shy to wink back, so she waved, ever so slightly.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    A bull horn blasted near by. It was time for the start. Amber popped open the huge umbrella. The mist was getting thicker. The starting gun sounded. The boys took off. This was not a dash at all. A pace was being set. Trevor hung back. Lolly realized she had no idea if he was good or bad at Cross Country. He was just a sophomore like her, but he was on Varsity track, so he must be fairly good.


    It was a joy, to be able to just watch Trevor. Always she was having to pretend like she wasn¡¯t or force her self not to watch him. One now fell into another with each step he took. She could watch him all day. Too soon he passed the marker where she and Amber stood. He did not break his focus as he passed them. His stride was easy, his pace even. Several people were ahead of him.


    Amber lead Lolly to the second marker. In Lolly¡¯s peripheral vision she saw Lisa and Viv headed in the same direction. Amber saw them too. She said, ¡°Those two twits again. Always ambushing Trevor after Mass. That one, Viv, called four times this week. Every time she called, I told her Trevor wasn¡¯t home. The big dummy. He never should have given her his number. I hope he¡¯s learned his lesson.¡±


    A grin spread across Lolly¡¯s face.


    Marker, by marker they followed Trevor, the last marker was coming up. In the distance Lolly saw flags that marked the end of the race. Amber took her to the finish line. The flags created a V shaped path that narrowed down to width of one runner. Mr. and Mrs. Long stood by the flags. Their eyes were focused on Trevor. Large drops of rain had begun to fall. They made a loud plopping noise on the umbrella. Trevor was soaked. It was getting colder. He must be miserable. If he was, his face did not show it. His legs pumped a little faster, he passed the boy in front of him. Lolly counted. There were at least eight runners ahead of him. He passed another boy. Trevor¡¯s face turned red. He was now close enough for Lolly to see his nostril¡¯s flare in and out. One boy shot ahead of the rest and entered the V of flags. A second, a third and so on. Trevor finished 7th. He jogged around in a little circle and flung his arms in and out. His dad put a dry blanket over his shoulders and handed him an umbrella. For an instant Trevor glanced back at Lolly. He lifted his chin. She clapped her hands. Pleased, he turned away and headed for the school with his team.


    Amber said, ¡°Well, that was his best finish yet. You just might be his good luck charm.¡±


    Embarrassed, Lolly didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Amber gave her a big hug and said, ¡°You are just too CUTE!¡± She let go of her. ¡°Lets get out of this rain.¡± They headed for her car. As they drove away, Amber saw Lisa and Viv talking to her parents. ¡°Such suck ups!¡± Lolly noticed that Mr. and Mrs. Long were actually talking to the girls. They had not talked to Lolly.


    Amber didn''t turn toward the highway, she headed for the school. "I told Mom I would pick up Trevor if that''s okay."


    "Uh, sure." Duel thoughts raced through Lolly''s brain. First one was that she would see Trevor. The second one was that he would finally see where she lived. Amber was fine with the trailer park, but what would Trevor think?


    Amber parked in the school parking lot and turned on the radio. Joe Cocker was singing, "You are So Beautiful," This song always made Lolly think of Trevor. As soon as the song was over, Amber launched into a Bill Monologue. Lolly hoped she nodded and made appropriate noises in the right places, but she really didn''t hear much of what Amber said. her entire focus was on the gym doors.


    One by one, boys filed out. Lolly could feel her stomach butterflies turning into elephants. The door opened, and he was walking toward the car. He had changed his clothes. His hair was still wet. He grinned at Lolly. The elephants started doing somersaults. Seriously, did she have to be so reactive? He climbed into the back seat and closed the door. Amber roared off.


    He leaned forward and said, "Thanks for coming to the meet. You weren''t too bored were you?"


    She craned her neck to see him. Their faces were close, closer than they had ever been before. "No, I wasn''t bored at all."


    "Good. I placed 7th. I am hoping to do better next week." To Amber he said, "I''m starved, can we get a burger?"


    "Whose paying?"


    "You are. I don''t have a job."


    Amber asked Lolly, "You want anything?"


    "No. I''m fine."


    They went through the drive through at Dairy Queen. Trevor called out his order, "Two burgers, fries and a large chocolate shake." Lolly didn''t know someone so fit could eat that much! When Amber passed Trevor his food, he leaned back, opened the bag and devoured its contents.


    Amber turned onto the highway and all too soon into the trailer park. In the rear view mirror Lolly watched Trevor''s face. As they drove to the trailer his experssion did not change. When the car stopped in the drive, he hopped out and opened Lolly''s door. Then, he did something unexpected, he walked her to the door. Out of ear shot from Amber he said, "I am so glad you came today. I just wanted to tell you, I like you."


    The question, "Like me how?" shot out of her mouth before she could stop it. She wasn''t sorry though. She wanted clarification.


    He laughed, took her hand and wound his fingers through hers. "I like you, like you. Do you like me?"


    "Yes."


    He squeezed her fingers ever so gently.


    The front door opened. Pa stood in the door way. His eyes went from Lolly to Trevor and then to their hands. Trevor let go.


    Pa asked, "Who is this?"


    Lolly was sure Grandma Toady had told him who Trevor was. Frustrated by his interruption she said, "This is Trevor. Trevor, this is Pa."


    Trevor reached for Pa''s hand and shook it. "Its is nice to meet your Mr. Phelps."


    "Nice to meet you too." He released Trevor''s hand.


    Trevor took a step back. "I will see you later, Lolly." He dashed off the porch and climbed into his sister''s car. Lolly waved at him, as Amber drove away. He waved back.


    Pa said, "So, Shortcake, that''s Trevor?"


    "Yes."


    "He seems like a nice boy," he paused and added, "at least he better be."


    Lolly gave him a hug and said, "You are as bad as Munch."

 Chapter 28. Trouble in a Little Box

    A peculiar sense of weightlessness had taken over Lolly¡¯s entire being. Everything looked brighter and shinier. The impossible had happened and she had never, ever thought that it would. Little doubts echoed in the back of her mind but she pushed them away. This was an important now. This was the first time a boy had ever liked her back. Ever. She followed Pa into the trailer and they began their Friday night ritual. It was good to have him home.


    Snuggled on the sofa with Fluff, they watched their shows. Pa was happy. That was good. Munch was most likely at home sulking, but there was nothing she could do about that right now. When their programs were over and it was almost time for bed, Pa cleared his throat and said, ¡°There is something I need to talk to you about.¡±


    Please God, don¡¯t let this be the SEX talk. She¡¯d already had that with Grandma Toady. This was going to be so embarrassing.


    Pa pulled a small box out of his pocket and set it on the coffee table. Lolly froze. Was that what she thought it was? In a tense voice, he said, ¡°Estelle and I have been talking and well, we think we have wasted enough time.¡±


    The question, Doing what?, reverberated in Lolly¡¯s head.


    Pa¡¯s voice broke a little, ¡°I am going to ask her to marry me.¡± He reached for the box and opened it. Inside was a square cut diamond solitaire ring.


    ¡°This week?¡± Lolly blurted out, ¡°Munch is going to freak out, literally.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know. I am sorry about Munch.¡±


    While Lolly was not opposed to them dating, this was entirely different. ¡°How many dates have you been on? Its too soon.¡±


    ¡°Is it? We have known each other for years. We love each other. We want to be together.¡±


    ¡°What about Munch and me?¡±


    Pa smiled at her, but she did not return the smile. She had just had an amazing day and one of the most important moments in her life had occurred, and he was dumping this on her. He said, ¡°You two are best friends, you get along. What would change?¡±


    This was the big question and a really stupid one. As much as she loved Munch, being with him seven days a week was going to be a tough gig. ¡°First off, where am I going to live. There is not room in that house for all of us.¡±


    ¡°Ma and me were talking about that this afternoon. We could move the trailer out to the farm and you would still live with her.¡±


    Unexpected hurt filled Lolly¡¯s chest. In a small voice she said, ¡°And when you are off, you will live with them?¡±


    By the look on Pa¡¯s face, Lolly guessed he had not thought of this, nor had Grandma Toady. She knew Grandma Toady was in a rush to get her precious Trace married off and loved up like he deserved to be, but had she thought about Lolly at all?


    Slowly Pa said, ¡°I see your point. Maybe we could add a room or something to the house. Or build a new one."


    She held up her hand. ¡°Hold up.¡± Tears filled her eyes. She felt like she was on a train headed toward a brick wall. This trailer had been her home her entire life, well the part of her life that she actually remembered. It was home. Grandma Toady was home. Pa was the on going guest in her life. It wasn¡¯t fair that his one week off would change the three weeks he was not home. Tears slid down her face.


    Pa said, ¡°Talk to me, Lolly, what are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want my whole life to change.¡±


    ¡°Your whole life will not change, just parts of it.¡±


    He didn¡¯t get it. He was in love, he reeked of it. For the first time in his life someone, loved him back. In a small way she could understand that, but this was so fast and too much. And then there was Munch. If she was upset, she hated to think about what Munch would be.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°If she says, yes,¡± which, Lolly knew she would, ¡°when are you going to get married?¡± A small space of silence hung between them. What would he say? Deep in her gut, she knew.


    Finally Pa said, ¡°I got vacation coming up in January.¡±


    Two months. In two months her''s and Munch¡¯s worlds would be turned upside down. Would Mrs. Dutchendorph agree? Of course she would. What would she call her when she married Pa? Mrs. Phelps, that sounded dumb. She had always called her Mrs. Dutchendorph. She would not call her Mom or Estelle. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t call her anything.


    Pa spoke again, ¡°I am going to ask her tomorrow night.¡±


    "Tomorrow? As in Saturday?"


    "Yes."


    In Lolly''s mind the train hit the brick wall with a thundering crash. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. She asked, ¡°When is Munch going to be told?¡±


    ¡°That is up to Estelle.¡±


    ¡°Well, I sure wouldn¡¯t want to be there when she tells him.¡± Lolly picked up Fluff, got up off the couch and went to her room without saying goodnight. In her room she threw herself on her bed and cried stormy tears. She should be all caught up in the wonder of the fact that Trevor Long liked her, but oh no, not her. Fluff nudged her arm with his head. She pulled him close.


    *


    Saturday night, Mrs. Dutchendorph brought Munch over before the date. He had to fit Lolly¡¯s dress. She hadn¡¯t seen it yet. The entire night was going to be a farce. How in the hell was she supposed to pretend things were fine, when they were NOT? Though Lolly reluctantly hugged Pa, Munch did not hug his mother good bye or even speak to her. He shot daggers at Pa. When they left he bitterly muttered, ¡°Wonder which hotel he is going to drag her to.¡±


    This offended Lolly. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that about Pa.¡±


    Munch just shrugged. He sat down on the couch and pulled the dress out of his bag. It was mostly machine sewn but he had done some hand stitching on the bodice. His hand sewing was immaculate. ¡°This is really beautiful Munch.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± He looked up at the TV and asked, ¡°Can you turn that on?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Lolly turned on the TV and settled into the recliner. It was going to be a long night. One show lead to another. Time drug on. Lolly wished she could talk to Munch about what was happening, and what was going to happen but she couldn¡¯t. Feeling like she would explode if one more silent moment passed between them, she asked, ¡°So how far along is your collection?¡±


    ¡°The pants and vests I made for Max and Trevor are finished. I still have to finish, the shirt I am making for Kevin. I got Aunt Jessie¡¯s dress altered for Mama. It looks okay. I brought Grandma Toady¡¯s dress. I need to check the hem.¡± He returned to his sewing and didn¡¯t say another word.


    The phone rang. In the kitchen, Grandma Toady answered it. It was probably one of her quilting buds. Lolly heard the receiver being put down. Grandma Toady came into the living room and said, ¡°It is Trevor. If you want to take it in my room, you can.¡± Lolly couldn¡¯t help but notice, Grandma Toady¡¯s eyes had that romantic shine. She was such a sucker for romance.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She went to Grandma Toady¡¯s bedroom and shut the door. She took a big breath and picked up the phone. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Lolly, are you busy?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Munch is here sewing. Our parents are on a date. I am just watching TV.¡±


    ¡°So you can talk?¡±


    Well hopefully she could talk, if only the words would line up properly in her brain and come out her MOUTH. She said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He asked, ¡°Is Munch okay?¡±


    Though she had no intention of telling Trevor anything, the whole story just flowed out of her like a torrent. She had never spoken so many words to Trevor Long in the entire time she had known him. She fell silent.


    ¡°Wow,¡± he said. ¡°That is tough. I¡¯m sorry that¡¯s happening. So they are getting married in January?¡±


    ¡°According to Pa. There is an off chance, that Mrs. Dutchendorph might not be in such a rush, but I just have feeling she¡¯s gonna agree.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Munch will go ballistic?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah.¡±


    After talking to Trevor, Lolly felt a little better. When she went into the living room Munch actually looked up from his sewing and asked, ¡°So how is lover boy?''


    ¡°Don¡¯t call him that.¡±


    Munch smirked.


    Around 11:00 Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph returned. Mrs. Dutchendorph was trying to hide her glow, but she was utterly failing. Pa looked like he was going to bust out in song. Munch eyed them both and said, ¡°I¡¯m tired. Can we go?¡±


    Lolly prayed they were not about to spring their news on Munch. It was late, he was tired. To her relief, they didn¡¯t. Mrs. Dutchendorph said, ¡°Of course.¡± She lightly squeezed Pa¡¯s arm and headed out the door with Munch.


    As soon as the front door closed, Grandma Toady pounced. ¡°What did she say Trace?¡±


    Pa¡¯s eyes sparked with happiness. ¡°She said yes.¡±


    Grandma Toady threw her arms around him. ¡°I am so happy for you son.¡±


    All Lolly wanted to do was run to her room, but she forced herself to remain where she was. Pa did deserve to be happy. Her mother had left him. He had known the worst kind of rejection. Mrs. Dutchendorph would never do that to him. She loved Mrs. Dutchendorph. It could be a lot worse. The question that hung in her mind was, Would Munch be able to see that?


    When Grandma Toady let go of Pa, Lolly hugged him. She did not ask if they had set the date or if they had figured out the living arrangements. Instead, she told him, ¡°I am happy for you.¡±


    Hearing her words, brought a peculiar expression to Pa¡¯s face. He said, ¡°I know this is not going to be easy, but I do believe we can make a family.¡±


    No, it was not going to be easy. Maybe they could make a family, but Munch was not going to join peacefully. She nodded and said, ¡°Good night.¡±

 Chapter 29. The Clash

    In the kitchen, Lolly was at the table working on her theme paper for Literature. For this paper, the class was writing about poems written by women poets of the 19th Century. Lolly had chosen, Emily Dickinson. Her words, echoed in Lolly''s head, "I wonder if it hurts to live-/ And if They have to try -"* Findling Emily Dickinson had been like finding a friend she never knew she needed. Lolly, really wanted to do well on this paper. Once again she tried in vain to focus. In the background however, she could hear Mitzi tap dancing in the bathroom. Tonight, she dearly missed the days when Mitzi wanted to be a ballerina. Ballet shoes were so much quieter. Pa was watching 60 Minutes on TV with Grandma Toady. She had no idea what Max was doing. What she longed for was silence and order, so the words in her head would fall onto the paper. She picked up her work to go to her room. The phone rang. She answered it, "Hello?¡±


    ¡°You knew didn¡¯t you?¡± It was Munch.


    She asked, ¡°Knew what?¡±, even though she knew what.


    ¡°How long have you known?¡±


    ¡°Known what?¡± There was no way she was going to say a word until she was sure Mrs. Dutchendorph had indeed told Munch the news.


    ¡°Stop bein¡¯ cute, cause you ain¡¯t. You know what I am talking about.¡±


    It occurred to Lolly that Munch probably didn¡¯t want to speak out loud the words engagement, or wedding in connection with his mother. Until he did though, she was going to play dumb. She said, ¡°Be specific.¡±


    There was a groan on the other end of the line. ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it, I can not say it.¡±


    This time, Lolly said nothing.


    Munch said, ¡°I bet he told you first thing. That¡¯s why you were so weird Saturday night. Stupid me thought it was just because of Trevor.¡± There was a brief pause and he continued, ¡°My Mama just told me sort of. She bought me a jacket I''ve been pining for, made bean burritos for supper and treated me like the royalty I am. After all that she showed me that godaweful ring with the microscopic diamond, or is it a cubic ziconian? The rock my daddy bought her is way bigger." Now he was just being hateful. Munch continued, "Did she SAY a single word. No! Her hand was shaking when she held it out to me. My stomach turned sour. I should have known she was up to something. And she was.¡±


    Angry though she was, Lolly could not help but notice, Munch had said nothing about the wedding. Had Mrs. Dutchendorph gotten up the courage to lay that bomb on her son?


    Munch asked, ¡°IT is too DAMN soon, if you ask me, which no one did.¡±


    Still nothing about the wedding.


    Struggling to keep her voice even, Lolly asked, ¡°What did you say to your mom?¡±


    ¡°Not a word. I am never speaking to that woman again.¡±


    ¡°Munch, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little harsh. Its not like Pa is a mass murderer or anything. She could have done a lot worse.¡±


    ¡°I expected your to take your pa''s side. I understand why you would be in the market for a new mama cause yours really sucks. But, my DAD was the best. No one was or ever will be as good as him. Mama is just lonely. She¡¯s just marrying your daddy cause she is lonely.¡±


    It was okay for him to not want their parents to be engaged but it was NOT okay for him to trash her parents. She knew they were far from perfect, and yes Mama was really far from perfect, but still, she would never say such hateful things about Mrs. Dutchendorph, no matter how angry and hurt she was. Furious, Lolly said, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare talk about my mom like that ever. As for Pa he is the best man I know. Your mom is one of the kindest people I have ever known. Your are being a selfish pig.¡± Lolly slammed down the phone. Well, she thought, that went really well.


    Pa came into the kitchen said, ¡°Was that Munch.¡±


    Lolly nodded.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°He did not take it well.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    Pa shook his head.


    Lolly said nothing. She went to her room and slammed the door. Munch had hit a very sore spot inside of her. It was the place she tried to never go. Her mother had not just left Pa, she had left her too. She sat down on her bed and spread out her paper. Again Emily Dickinson''s words leapt out at her, "I wonder if it hurts to live -" It did indeed hurt. Munch had never talked to her like that before. He knew her sore spots and she knew his, in all their years of friendship they had respected one another, until tonight. He had said mean things and she had hung up on him. She had never done that to anyone before. Would he forgive her? Would she forgive him?


    *


    Monday morning, when Munch got on the bus, He told Mrs. Anderson, ¡°I think I am catching a cold, could I sit alone.¡±


    Mrs. Anderson said, ¡°Sure, hope you get to feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± He walked passed Lolly without looking at her and took a seat two rows behind her.


    Munch was being a jackass. Fresh anger boiled up inside of Lolly. This was the closest she had ever come to hating Munch, and it frightened her.


    When Trevor got on the bus, he immediately saw that Munch was not sitting with her. His brows creased, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He waved at her and went to his seat. Lolly was not even tempted to watch him. The last thing she needed was to risk eye contact with Munch. When he was mad, he was MAD. He never did anything by half measures.


    At school, Munch was the first person off the bus. He dashed passed Lolly. Lolly picked up her books and got off. She headed inside. Just as she reached the door a hand touched her elbow. She turned. It was Trevor. In a low voice, he asked, ¡°So, he knows?¡±


    ¡°He knows about the engagement, but I am not sure he knows about the wedding. Plus, he is really mad at me.¡±


    ¡°Why, you didn¡¯t do anything?¡±


    ¡°He said some stuff I didn¡¯t like. I bit back and hung up on him. We have had words before, we''ve been mad at each other before, but never like this.¡± Trevor¡¯s grip tightened on her elbow. All the sudden Lolly felt like she was about to cry.


    Trevor said, ¡°Its cold out here, lets go to the library.¡± He guided her inside. They cut across the cafeteria. Munch was not at their table. Lolly didn''t see him anywhere. Had he gone to the Art Room? All at once, She felt eyes upon her. People were staring. Her face went red. She glanced up. Lisa and Viv were staring. Tears were going to come for sure. When she was with Munch, they were two little odd balls against the universe, but Trevor Long was not odd. He was normal. Everything about him was normal. His hair, his clothes, his friends, his family. A huge divide was opening up between them in her mind and then, Trevor slipped his hand down into hers. The tilting universe did not right itself, but it stopped its slide.


    He asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    She shook her head. Lolly could feel eyes following them, but she did not cry. Trevor was holding her hand.


    *


    The day passed. Always Munch was an ongoing part of her day. Even when he had not been speaking to her, he had still been there. Not now, not today. When she passed him in the hall, he acted like she did not exist. On the way home on the bus, he pretended like she was invisible. How long was this going to last?


    Munch got off at his stop. As the bus pulled away, Lolly watched him march down his driveway. Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s red VW Bug was in the drive. Lolly craned her neck to watch Munch until she couldn¡¯t see him anymore.


    When she got off the bus, Kevin was behind her. He said, ¡°Max told me about the engagement. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He towered over her. She looked up at him. His eyebrows were blonde, his eyelashes were blonde and his hair was the color of sunlight. ¡°Thanks, Kevin.¡±


    She headed toward the trailer, Kevin walked with her.


    He said, ¡°Munch shouldn¡¯t be so mean to you. Its not your fault.¡±


    She turned to face him. "It kind of is. He was mean to me, and I was mean back..¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do?.¡±


    The way he looked at her, sent a chill through her. How many times had she looked like that at someone and been rejected or worse not even noticed. Even one time, was one time too many. He was so sweet. He had his heart all laid out in front of her. ¡°I appreciate that Kevin.¡± She didn''t like him like that. He was still in Junior High!


    He turned a slight shade of pink and smiled. They were at the trailer. Kevin said, "Tell Max to call me when he gets home from practice."


    ¡°I will.¡±


    "I don''t know how he stands watching everyone else run drill while he just sits."


    "Me either," said Lolly. "At least the season ends this Wednesday."


    "Yeah, Max told me he doesn''t know if the doctor is going to release him to play basket ball, which would really suck."


    "Yeah, it would." Her neck was starting to hurt from looking up at him. She asked, "Do you play basketball?"


    Kevin laughed, "I may be tall but couldn''t hit a basket to save my soul."


    Pa opened the front door. His eyes went from Lolly¡¯s face to Kevin¡¯s. Kevin waved and walked quickly away.


    When Lolly stepped on the porch, Pa asked, ¡°So, how many admirers do you have?¡±


    Pa looked a little scared and he was trying so hard. She grinned and said, ¡°More than you.¡±


    He laughed. Maybe she she had reason to be mad at Pa, but she she wasn¡¯t. Grandma Toady had grounded her in the concept of NOW. Right now, Pa was home. Right now, home was still home. Things were changing, but they would not change all at once. They would change one now at a time. One now at a time, it was something to hold onto and let go of.


    *I measure every Grief I meet (561) Emily Dickinson

 Chapter 30. Mrs. Dutchendorph Speaks

    Tuesday morning, Trevor was not on the bus. The Cross Country District meet was being held in Bay City. His race started at 8:00, so he was already there. She hoped he did well today. If he placed in the top 3 in his division he would go to Regionals in Corpus Christi. Once long ago, Lolly had been to Corpus Christi. She still remembered the clear water, the sunlight and the pristine beaches. She remembered how the seagulls had swirled around her, begging for a bite of her hotdog. Pa and Grandma Toady had been with her. Pa had just gotten back from the war. He had been so thin, and the constant aroma of cigarettes clung to him. In memory, he was a stranger, it had taken awhile before he became her Pa again. He never talked about the Vietnam War or what he experienced. It was something he kept locked deep inside of himself.


    The bus was nearing Munch''s stop. He was wearing a long denim jacket with a tiger head embroidered on it. He had made it for himself. It was gorgeous. When Munch got on the bus he did not just ignore her, he looked straight through her and it hurt. He didn''t sit beside her. He went to the seat he had sat in yesterday. Mrs. Anderson didn''t get onto him for not being in his assigned seat.. Lolly looked out the window. Today, was not going to be a good day.


    At school, she watched Munch rush through the doors. She made her way in slowly, avoided the cafeteria all together and went to the library. There was a single chair by the back window and she took it. The silence of the place settled over her. She took out her Emily Dickinson paper and read over it. All that was left was for her to type it. She groaned, how she hated typing. She made so many stupid mistakes. If only there was a typewriter that automatically corrected mistakes. That would be heaven!


    The bell rang. The day officially began. She headed for American Literature. One class passed into another. At lunch Lolly was not hungry. She went to the library and sat down in the chair by the window. She opened her novel, Up a Road Slowly. As she read, she was surpised when the main character, Julie, found out her father was going to get married again. Inside she got very still. There were so many things about this novel that echoed her own life. Her mother had not died, but she had left her, she did not live with a maiden aunt, but she did live with Grandma Toady. It felt as if this novel had come into her hands by some purpose. That happened sometimes. It was one of the reason''s she revered books and stories. She never new when one might meet her right where she was. While she was reading, she became aware that someone was standing over her. She looked up. It was Lisa. ¡°Uh,¡± Lisa said, ¡°I read that book, it¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡± Was Lisa seriously here to discuss a book with her?


    ¡°Um, it is none of my business, and I would not be doing this at all but, Viv is such a pain in the ass...¡± Lisa¡¯s voice trailed off. ¡°Are you dating Trevor?¡±


    Wow, this really was none of her business, or Viv¡¯s either. Besides, Lolly wasn¡¯t allowed to date until she was sixteen. There was no way she was going to tell Lisa that, though. ¡°No comment.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I get it. Sorry.¡± She walked toward the door. When she opened it, Lolly saw Viv on the other side.


    The rest of the day passed in a blur. When the last bell rang for the day, Lolly made a bee line for the bus. When she stepped outside, Mrs. Dutchendorph was there. Lolly waved at her. To her dismay, Mrs. Dutchendorph came towards her. She either wanted to talk about Pa or Munch or both. Personally, Lolly didn¡¯t want to talk about either of them. When Mrs. Dutchendorph reached her, she gave Lolly a big hug and asked, ¡°Can we talk?¡±


    Though she knew, she still asked, "What about?"


    Mrs. Dutchendorph''s lips formed a straight tense line. She dropped her eyes and said, "About Michael."


    "Um, I would but I got to catch my bus." Lie. If she could would not talk about Munch. All she wanted was to just go home.


    Mrs. Dutchendorph said, "Let me take you home.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Great! Though she wanted to say, No, she would not be rude to Mrs. Dutchendorph. ¡°Okay. What about Munch?¡±


    ¡°He has an Art Club meeting. I¡¯ll be back in time to get him.¡±


    Somehow this felt a bit like an ambush. Lolly said, ¡°Oh," and followed Mrs. Dutchendorph to her red VW Bug. Munch had been trying for three years to get her to let him paint black dots and wings on the Bug, but Mrs. Dutchendorph wouldn''t let him. Mrs. Dutchendorph unlocked her door and leaned over and pulled up the lock on the passenger door. Lolly took in a big breath and opened the door. She really wished she was on the bus right now.


    An awkward silence fell between them as Mrs. Dutchendorph drove out of the parking lot. Once they were on the road she said, ¡°I hope it is okay, but your Dad told me about the fight you and Michael had. I am sorry, about his behavior. He''s being awful. I never knew he could be so cruel, but then, I am at fault, I have handled things badly. I should have been more open with Michael about your father, but you know how he can be.¡±


    Lolly said, "Yup, I know."


    ¡°Have y''all made up?"


    "No. He''s not talking to me."


    Mrs. Dutchendorph sighed. "I hate that. At least when he wasn¡¯t talking to me, I knew he still had you. I haven¡¯t told him about the wedding yet. I will on Friday.¡±


    Lolly thought, after Pa is gone.


    "It will be bad, I know it. I guess he thought I was going to be single forever. I haven''t dated. I haven''t wanted to, until one day I was thinking about Trace and I don''t know it was just like I felt differently about him. I didn''t know if he would care about me. I mean your mother is beautiful. Its no wonder he fell head over heels for her. I know I''m scrawny and weird and awkward, but I had to at least try. I never expected him to love me back." Her eyes held a soft glow.


    They turned on to the highway. Mrs. Dutchendorph continued, ¡°The problem is, Michael idolizes his dad. He was only seven when his dad died. Honestly, he doesn¡¯t remember much, so he has filled in a lot with his ever vivid imagination. The truth is, if Henry were still alive, our lives would be very different. Henry was an Armed Forces Man. Regimented, predictable." She paused. Her voice dropped low, "Michael''s birth father was a man of dreams and visions. So creative. I was a goner the minute I met him. We had to keep our relationship a secret because it was illegal. This little Country Bumpkin felt like she was living in a spy movie, all the sneaking around we did." She stopped abruptly. Sudden tears filled her eyes. "When I lost him, I thought I would never love again. Then Henry came along. He was kind and good and I am grateful to him. Still, if I am honest with myself, I know that Henry would never have allowed Michael to be who he is. He would have forced sports on him, wanted him to join ROTC. Could you honestly see Michael in ROTC?¡±


    ¡°He likes the uniform.¡±


    Mrs. Dutchendorph smiled. ¡°Yes, he does. In fact he has one. The point I am trying to make, the point I hope Michael will realize is that, your Pa has always accepted him just as he is. Michael is a lot. He always has been.¡± She let out a sigh. The car stopped. They were at the trailer. She asked, ¡°How are you doing with all this?"


    "I am okay. I know you make Pa happy and he hasn''t been happy in a really long time. I don¡¯t have any idea how all this is going to work out, but I do know I love you, and I have always had a secret wish that I had a mom like you." Lolly felt her face grow hot. She had no idea, that secret was going to jump out of her mouth, but it was true. Maybe it was also why Munch''s comment about how lousy her mom was had stung so much. Even though she had never said anything, he had known how she felt about her mother and how she felt about his.


    Mrs. Dutchendorph, wrapped her arms around Lolly and gave her a tight squeeze. "I feel the same about you." She released her.


    Lolly''s voice broke a little when she, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to call you. You aren¡¯t going to be Mrs. Dutchendorph much longer."


    "We will figure it out sweetie."


    The front door of the trailer opened. Pa stepped onto the porch. The speed at which Mrs. Dutchendorph exited the car and ascended the stairs was amazing.Pa wrapped his arms around her.


    Lolly looked away. God, what was it going to be like when they got married? She climbed out of the car and shut the door rather loudly. Mrs. Dutchendorph laughed and said, ¡°I best get back to the school.¡± She gave Pa another hug and rushed back to her car.


    Pa came to where Lolly stood. His happiness just oozed off of him. It was disgusting. Lolly went inside while he watched Mrs. Dutchendorph drive away.


    In the kitchen the phone was ringing. Lolly ran to answer it. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey Lolly, it¡¯s Trevor.¡± There was a lot of traffic noise. Was he calling her from a pay phone again? In an excited voice he said, ¡°I qualified for Regionals! Can you believe it? I can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Congratulations!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Lolly. I just had to tell you.¡± There was a loud honk, ¡°I gotta get on the bus. See you tomorrow. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡± She hung up the receiver. A little bit of happiness glowed inside of Lolly.

 Chapter 31. The Gash

    Mitzi stood staring into Lolly¡¯s closet. Today was a day when Lolly definitely needed help in FACING THE WORLD. What she most wanted to do was crawl back in bed and hibernate until spring. Outside a cold wind was blowing. It looked like rain. ¡°Well,¡± said Mitzi, ¡°you are going to need something warm.¡± To Lolly¡¯s surprise, Mitzi grabbed Pa¡¯s old raveled Army sweater. ¡°THIS. It will make you brave and keep you warm. It will also remind Munch that like his dad, Uncle Trace served in Vietnam too.¡±


    Astonished, Lolly just stared at her. Sometimes Mitzi was just scary intuitive. She pulled the sweater off the shelf.


    The little girl then reached for Lolly¡¯s newest jeans and yanked them of the hanger. ¡°And those German named shoes I can¡¯t say right.¡±


    Lolly hugged Mitzi. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you.¡±


    Mitzi looked up at her, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°You are gonna find out in January when you move.¡± Her bottom lip began to tremble. She said, ¡°People just keep moving on me.¡±


    This was information Mitzi should not have, but Lolly did not scold her for listening in on Grandma Toady and Aunt Jessie¡¯s phone conversations. For the first time she got it. Mitzi''s life had been a kaleidoscope of change. Listening in was her way of trying to prepare herself for the next thing that came. And maybe it was Munch¡¯s way too. Munch, like Mitzi, was very sensitive to his surroundings. Lolly tossed her clothes on the bed and knelt down. She pulled Mitzi into her arms. Mitzi said, ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me, I need you.¡±


    ¡°I need you too, Sweetie.¡± And she did. But she couldn''t promise anything right now.


    *


    On the way to the bus stop, Max asked Lolly, ¡°Is it true Uncle Trace is getting married in January?¡±


    She didn¡¯t ask how he knew, she didn¡¯t have to, Mitzi was a fount of information. ¡°Yes.¡±


    He asked, ¡°Where are you going to live?¡±


    Did he not want her to leave either? She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything, but his shoulders drooped ever so slightly. ¡°I am sorry Munch is being such a pain.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Does Munch know his mom is marrying Pa?¡±


    ¡°Yup, but he is playing dumb.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s mean.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Next year I could live with my dad if I wanted to. Munch doesn¡¯t have that option.¡±


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t.¡± Lolly fell silent as they walked.


    Just before they reached the bus stop, Max said, ¡°I told Munch last night that he needs to stop being so rough on you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Max.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will do any good.¡±


    ¡°You tried and I appreciate that.¡±


    When they reached the bus stop, Max went to stand with Kevin. Kevin turned away, without a smile or a wave.


    The inside of the bus was as cold as the outside. Lolly pulled the string in her hood tightly around her face. She stared out the window at the frost covered world. The cows were gathered under trees and behind haystacks. She would hate to be a cow. Up ahead, she saw Munch. He was huddled in a black trench coat. He was wearing a black Fedora on his head. It was his favorite Goodwill find. When he wore that hat, he looked like he worked for the Mafia. A tiny flicker of hope wavered inside of Lolly. Maybe, he would do what Max asked him to do. She waited.


    The bus stopped. Mrs. Anderson opened the door. She smiled at Munch and Munch smiled back. It was not his 1000 watt smile, but it was not his fake smile either. He turned and headed down the aisle without a glance at Lolly. Her heart fell. This morning his actions did not make her angry, she just felt very hurt. She turned her attention back to the window.


    When The bus approached Trevor''s stop, he wasn''t there. Maybe Amber was taking him to school this morning. Disappointed, Lolly closed her eyes. A fear curled around her brain. What if Trevor wasn''t at school at all today? As soon as the bus stopped, she was up. Munch was not going to race past her again. She headed down the steps and raced for the front doors. Inside there was warmth. She pulled her hood down and headed for the cafeteria. Maybe Trevor was in there. A quick but thorough look across the room revealed no Trevor. There was no way she was going to sit in the cafeteria by herself. She headed for the library. In the hall behind her, she heard a very familiar voice. Munch shouted, ¡°Give me that!¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    She spun around. Spence Drew towered over Munch. In his huge hand dangled Munch''s sewing bag. Munch was furious. Spence swung the sewing bag back and forth over Munch''s head. Spence taunted, "Jump little jungle," he paused dramatically and said what Lolly did not want him to say, "bunny jump! Jump" Munch leapt up and tried to get his bag. Spence swung it up in the air. Needles and fabric swatches rained down. Spence laughed. All eyes were on him. A crowd was forming. No one was helping Munch as he frantically tried to retrieve his stuff.


    Anger roared inside of Lolly. Without thought to consequences, Lolly ran straight for Spence. She snatched the bag out of his grasp. Momentarily stunned, he glared at her and then he shouted, "Freak!" And pushed her with both hands. He hit her hard in the chest. The impact sent her reeling, against a locker. She felt the locker handle cut through her skin. Warmth trickled down her head. She touched the warm place, it was wet. When she pulled her hand forward it was covered in blood. She held her hand up to Spence. He took a step back.


    Angrily Lolly shouted, "You ass! Do you think terrorizing people smaller than you, makes you look like a big man? Well it doesn''t."


    The crowd parted as the principal made his way to Spence. He said, "I saw that Mr. Drew, to my office." He looked at Lolly and said, "Sorry Miss Phelps. Mr. Dutchendorph please escort her to the nurse."


    Instantly, Munch was beside Lolly. She handed him his bag. He helped her up and whispered, ¡°You didn''t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°Yes I did.¡± Blood was leaking down Lolly¡¯s neck, staining Pa''s sweater and her coat. Munch pulled a swatch of fabric out of his bag and handed it to her. She wiped the back of her head. Munch pressed a second swatch against the cut and lead her to the nurse''s office. When they entered, Nurse Fisher said, ¡°Oh my Lolly. What happened?¡±


    Munch told her, ¡°Spence Drew stole my bag and when Lolly took it from him, he pushed her into the lockers."


    ¡°That boy.¡± Nurse Fisher told Lolly sit down on one of the vinyl covered beds. She cleaned the cut and wiped off the blood. She said, ¡°You are going to need stitches. I¡¯ll call your Grandma.¡± She gave Munch folded gauze and said, ¡°Put a gentle pressure on the wound.¡± Munch did as he was instructed. Nurse Fisher went to her desk to make the call.


    Munch said, ¡°Stitches! Ouch.¡±


    All at once Lolly felt light headed and weird. Her hands had a strange tingle in them. She started shaking.


    Munch pressed his forehead against hers. ¡°Its okay Lolly."


    She asked, "Is it?"


    He pulled back a little and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If you hadn¡¯t helped me you wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt.¡± Munch started crying.


    Nurse Fisher came back and said, ¡°Your father is on his way.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    She handed Munch the box of tissues. The first bell rang, Nurse Fisher said, ¡°Micheal it is time you got to class.¡± She told Munch to move his hand and she applied pressure to the cut.


    Munch gave Lolly a hug and left.


    Nurse Fisher said, ¡°Ya¡¯ll are lucky to have each other.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we are. Why am I so shaky?"


    "Your body went into fight or flight mode when you saw Michael. Your adrenaline kicked in and now its crashing. Take in some slow deep breaths and count slowly to a hundred."


    When Pa arrived, he was pale. The way he looked a person would think his daughter had been shot, not just in need of a few stitches. With her hand pressed against the gauze, she followed Pa out to his truck. He helped her get inside. Once he was inside, he gunned the truck and roared out of the parking lot. With zero regard for school zones, he drove too fast to Dr. Dunn¡¯s office.


    It has been awhile since Lolly had been to see Dr. Dunn. She remembered the visits she made when her hair first started falling out. Dr. Dunn had referred her to several specialists before she had finally been diagnosed. The waiting room still looked the same. Pa told the nurse why they were there. Lolly sat down in a chair against the wall. There were a few other people there. She hoped none of them had the flu. She didn''t want to catch the flu. Pa came and sat beside her, he took her free hand in his. The warmth of his hand warmed hers.


    Finally her name was called. She went into the room that had the table and the really bright lights. Lolly climbed onto the table. Dr. Dunn told her to remover her hand and he peeled away the gauze. He flipped on his pocket light and studied the gash for several moments and before said, ¡°Five stitches. She''s going to need five stitches."


    Five stupid stitches because of Spence Drew! Pa was mad too. He told Dr. Dunn about Spence. Dr. Dunn said, ¡°You can file a complaint against him. This isn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s hurt someone and it won¡¯t be the last.¡±


    Pa asked, ¡°What do I have to do?¡±


    ¡°Go to the court house. They will give you a form to fill out and there''s a fee. He and his guardian will have to appear before the judge. His bullying will be on public record.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks, Doc."


    Dr. Dunn said, "I think we better take an x-ray too."


    Lolly had never had her head x-rayed. The nurse took the x-rays. After she got them developed Dr. Dunn put them on a lighted screen. Wow! She could see all her fillings and her teeth. Her eye sockets. Her jaw. It was freaky.


    After a few moments, Dr. Dunn said, "Your noggin looks good. Now time for those stitches."


    The nurse gave Lolly a shot. It stung. The nurse kept tapping near the cut. Finally, it was too numb for Lolly to feel anything. Dr. Dunn turned on the bright lights and threaded a needle. Pa had a firm grip on her hand. Though she could not feel anything she could hear the needle going in and out of her skin. It was gross. When he finished, Dr. Dunn said, ¡°Come back in ten days to have those removed. Give me a call if they get red or inflamed. I''m prescribing an antibiotic to prevent infection and some pain medication." He pulled a little notepad out of his white jacket''s pocket and scribbled something illegible. Lolly had no idea how the Pharmacist was going to read it.


    Pa said, ¡°Thanks, Doc.¡± He helped Lolly off the table. He paid the bill and they went out into the parking lot. He opened the door for her. Before she got in he gave her a hugged her tight. She could see he was not only angry but also worried about her.


    Lolly said, "I''ll be fine." Would she? She climbed into the truck.

 Chapter 32. The Way You Are

    Grandma Toady¡¯s truck was parked in the drive. Pa helped Lolly out of the truck. With his arm around her shoulders, Pa lead her up the porch steps. She was feeling a bit woozy. Grandma Toady held the door as they passed through. As soon as they were inside, Grandma Toady took her in her arms. It was then that Lolly started to cry. Hard snuffling sobs against Grandma Toady¡¯s shoulder. Gently Grandma Toady said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Angel. Its okay.¡±


    Lolly didn¡¯t feel like it was okay. No one had ever hit her that hard. What would Spence have done to her if the principal hadn¡¯t shown up? No one had helped her, or Munch. They had just stood there staring like they were watching some fight in a movie. It had not been a movie. It had been real. A shudder went through her.


    ¡°Come on,¡± said Grandma Toady. ¡°Let¡¯s get you in bed. I¡¯m taking you to my room okay.¡± She pulled away from Lolly and lead her down the hall. As always Grandma Toady¡¯s room was in perfect order. She took Lolly into her bathroom and helped her pull off her bloody sweater and change into pajamas. Lolly¡¯s stomach revolted. Oh God! Not that! She fell to her knees and puked in the toilet. The shakes hit her. Pa came into the bathroom, picked her up and put her in bed.


    He told Grandma Toady, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get her medication. I will be right back.¡±


    Grandma Toady gave him a big hug and sent him out the door.


    Fluff came into the room, curious as to why Lolly was home. He jumped up in the bed beside her. His green eyes took her in and then he rubbed his cheek against hers. She put her arms around him. He allowed himself to be held. She sure hoped she did not throw up again.


    It seemed to take forever for Pa to get back with her medicine. She took the pain pill. Within thirty minutes it had her drifting in a cloud and then everything faded. Later when she woke up, Mitzi was sitting silently on the floor beside the bed. In her arms was Puccini. When she saw that Lolly was awake, she stood up and put her forehead against Lolly¡¯s. She asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Everything inside Lolly felt fuzzy and weird. She could see the fear in Mitzi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m gonna be okay.¡±


    In a soft voice, Mitzi said, "I should have picked out better Armor this morning. I''m sorry. I will do better next time."


    "Mitzi, you did the very best. I might be in worse shape if you hadn''t put me in that thick sweater. Okay?"


    "Okay.¡° She glanced at the bed and asked, "Can Me and Puccini sit with you? I brought my color book. I promise I will be quiet and not jiggle the bed. Puccini says he will be very, very still."


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Mitzi carefully put Pucinni and then her coloring book and crayons on the bed. When she climbed onto the bed, the slight movement of the mattress sent a wave of nausea through Lolly. It was not a big wave, but it was a wave and she really did NOT want to throw up again. True to her word, Mitzi did not jiggle the bed. In truth Lolly was grateful for her company. She did not like being alone with her thoughts. The noise of crayon on paper was soothing. Lolly felt herself drifting. Soon...soon...sleep.


    There was a bang. It startled Lolly awake. All the sudden Munch was in the room. Mitzi was gone. He knelt on the floor and kissed her forehead. He said, ¡°God, I am so sorry I¡¯ve been so awful to you.¡±


    ¡°Its okay. Its over.¡±


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Weird.¡±


    He asked, ¡°Can I see your stitches?¡±


    Lolly honestly did not understand why people liked to look at stitches. ¡°Sure.¡±


    He went to the other side of the bed, and exclaimed, ¡°Damn!¡±


    ¡°Is it that bad?¡±


    ¡°It ain¡¯t good. That bastard!¡±


    Tears were starting to fill her tear ducts. She did not want to cry again.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Oh, I got a note for you.¡± Munch came back around to where she could see him and handed her the note. It had Lolly written. on it, in Trevor¡¯s handwriting.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Her hand closed over the note, but she didn¡¯t read it. Not yet. Not while Munch was there.


    He sat down on the floor and looked up at her. ¡°Well, the whole school is talking about you. Spence has been suspended. Which seems dumb to me. Just what we need him loose on the streets. Behind bars is where he needs to be and where his sorry ass is going to end up.¡±


    Lolly really didn¡¯t want to talk about Spence or hear about him. But, Munch had already launched into one of his monologues. His voice started drifting away from her. Sleep was shoving her down again.


    The next time she woke up, the trailer was very quiet. Mitzi and Max must be with Aunt Jessie. Grandma Toady brought a tray to the bedroom with some buttered toast and milk for her supper. Lolly took a few bites, but that was all. She asked for a Sprite and Pa brought her one. Slowly she sipped the cold soft drink. It settled on her stomach okay. The pain medication was beginning to wear off a bit and she didn¡¯t feel so fuzzy headed. Beneath her, she heard the crackle of paper. Trevor¡¯s note. She had never read it. As soon as Grandma Today and Pa left with her tray, she opened it the note. It started with Dear Lolly. That made her smile. He was in Math and he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her. Another smile. He actually drew a little heart and signed his name. A big smile.


    At seven the phone rang. She didn¡¯t answer it. Pa came into the room and said, ¡°Its that boy named Trevor. He wants to talk to you. Do you feel up to talking to him.¡±


    Her heart did a somersault. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let me know when you¡¯re on the line and I will hang up the kitchen phone.¡±


    Lolly waited until she heard Pa¡¯s steps on the kitchen floor and then she picked up the receiver. Pa¡¯s voice asked, ¡°You got it Shortcak?"


    Did he have to call her that!? ¡°Yes, Pa.¡± The phone clicked. She said, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey Lolly. I heard what happened. I have been kicking myself all day. I over slept and I missed the damn bus! Amber took me and I got a tardy. When I got to class everyone was whispering about you and that idiot. I want to punch him so bad. If I had been there...¡± He kept talking, fast, nervous and angry. Like Munch all he wanted to do was talk about getting back at Spence. Like either of them could. It was sweet of him, but every day she had to fight just to get up in the morning and face the day. Spence, mean though he was, bigot that he was, was not as big as the ridicule she risked every time she stepped into public. Her hand touched the stitches on the back of her head. Now, sewn into her skin was a reminder of the time she stood up for herself and for Munch and for everyone like them that did not quite fit. Did anyone fit? Spence didn¡¯t. Was there anything redeemable about him? A part of her hoped there was something redeemable in everyone, but she wasn¡¯t sure it was true. And if it was, reaching redemption was a very long, hard climb. Some people achieved it, others did not.


    She interrupted and asked, ¡°Could you tell me about the your cross country meet?¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Sorry. Yeah, sure.¡±


    She asked, ¡°How did it feel when you crossed the finish line?¡±


    ¡°It was amazing. I was in a good rhythm the whole time. I had five guys ahead of me as we neared the finish. I knew I couldn¡¯t win, but I thought maybe I could place. I just kicked it. I passed one guy, then another one and then another one. Ahead I saw the winner cross the line. I was going to be third. My brain started dancing so hard. The second guy crossed and then I did. My dad was so proud. he actually gave me a high five.¡± The pleasure in Trevor¡¯s voice was way better than the anger.


    ¡°That¡¯s really good, Trevor.¡±


    He said, ¡°It was. I better let you go, You sound tired. Are you going to be at school tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have an appointment set up with the typing teacher so I can type my Emily Dickinson paper. I guess I will have to see how I am feeling tomorrow.¡±


    "Okay. Talk to you later. Take care.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡± Lolly hung up the phone. Outside the window, it was dark. She got up out of bed and pushed, Grandma Toady¡¯s curtains open. A full moon was rising above the trees. She pressed her hand against the window. The glass was cold. From the window, she could see part of Aunt Jessie¡¯s trailer. The lights were on. Lolly''s brain was so fuzzy she couldn''t remember whether or not Aunt Jessie was off.


    A little later, Aunt Jessie brought Max and Mitzi over. She too wanted to see Lolly''s stitches. When she saw them she said, "Shea butter helps with pregnancy stretch marks, maybe it will lighten the scar." She gave Lolly a quick squeeze and headed to work.


    After his mom left, Max came in and sat at the foot of the bed. Lolly really hoped he did not want to talk about Spence or see her stitches. He said, ¡°You know you are the bravest person I know.¡±


    Completely surprised, she asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    He had his head down and he was staring at the bedspread. ¡°Yup. I know its not easy for you but you just keep being you. If Spence had been going for me, you would have stood up to him. That¡¯s just the way you are. More people should be like you.¡± He looked up at her and grinned.


    ¡°Thanks Max.¡±


    He got off the bed. From his back pocket, he pulled a note and tossed it onto the bed. ¡°Night.¡±


    ¡°Night.¡± She reached for the note. Max closed the door. Lolly opened the note. It was from Kevin. His handwriting was way better than Trevor¡¯s. All it said was, ¡°Hope you are feeling better soon. Kevin.¡± She put his note on the night stand beside the one Trevor had given her.


    Fluff crawled out from under the bed. His eyes met hers and he leapt up beside her. She ran her hand over his broad back. His purr rumbled.

 Chapter 33. Of Dreams

    There was darkness and loud words. Laughter echoed all around Lolly. She was running hard and fast. Her chest ached. Someone was coming after her. She could hear their heavy footsteps. Angry laughter echoed in the darkness. And then she tripped, and then a large hand grabbed her. She tried to scream but nothing came out of her mouth. She tried to move or fight back and she was frozen. The hand raised to strike her! Lolly woke up with a gasp. Her heart was racing and she was covered in sweat. She was breathing too fast. It was just a nightmare, just a nightmare. Even though it was it had felt real, still felt real. She struggled to slow her breathing down. In her arms was Fluff. He opened on green eye and snuggled closer to her. She rested her chin on his head. Moon light still streamed through the curtains. Its soft light had settle over the room casting everything in silver. Behind her she heard Grandma Toady¡¯s soft snore. The sound of it anchored her. Now was real. Now she was safe. Against Lolly¡¯s back, Mitzi was curled. Puccini¡¯s head was smashed against Lolly¡¯s spine. It was fortunate the bear did not need to breath air, because if he did he would have smothered by now. On the floor beside the bed, Max was soundly sleeping in her sleeping bag. She was so thankful things were good between them now. How long it would last, she didn¡¯t know, but for now it was good and now was all she could manage right now.


    If Lolly were in her own room, she would be reading to chase away the residue of the nightmare, but, she couldn¡¯t do that in here, or she would wake everyone up. It was not a good idea ever to wake up Mitzi. If she did not exit dream land on her own, she was like a spitting angry cat with her fur all turned back wrong. Gentle means were needed to guide her out of sleep. Lolly took in more deliberate slow breaths. Her heart rate started to slow. The tight ball of anxiety in her chest eased a little. She tried to think of other things and for awhile she succeeded and then she would loop back around the Spence. At some point in time, she gained enough time between thoughts of Spence to tumble into sleep.


    That morning, when she woke, she could not remember having anymore dreams but her sleep had not been sound. A strange anxiety settled over her. In the past only stares and words had hurt her. Until yesterday no one had ever intentionally hurt her. She had seen fights in the halls before, but never became involved and never stopped to watch. Violence did not interest her. It never had. Over the years she had stood up for Munch, but outside of a shove or a curse, no one had touched her. No one, until Spence. A shiver went through her. Where was he this morning? Did he ever regret his violence? What prompted him to be so awful? These were questions she would never know the answer to. One question would be answered though, How will I feel the next time I see him?


    Mitzi and Puccini were still snuggled against her back. Grandma Toady and Max were in the kitchen. Lolly glanced at the clock. Max would be headed for the bus stop soon. Last night, she had meant to write notes to Trevor and Kevin, but she had never gotten around to it. Those notes would be on her to do list today.


    Lolly eased herself out of bed and went into Grandma Toady¡¯s bathroom. On the counter was Grandma Toady¡¯s make up mirror. Lolly picked up and turned her back to the mirror over the sink. She had not looked at her stitches yet. Everyone else in the house had seen them, but she had not. Slowly, fearfully, she lifted the make up mirror and looked into it. She saw the back of her head. It was smeared with iodine over the stitches. The stitches. Little black slashes in her skin. It would leave a fine scar, a scar she did not want. The stitches were not as bad as her imagination had made them, but she felt a sense of grief. Strange how a person could take something for granted. Until this moment, Lolly had never realized that she was proud of the shape of her head and the smoothness of its skin. Her head was still the same shape, but the smoothness was gone. How many more scars would her body bear? She put the mirror down.


    The front door opened and closed. Max must be headed for the bus stop. She was so glad she was not.


    Later, in the kitchen after she had taken a shower, Lolly sat at the table slowly eating her toast. Pa was up. He asked, ¡°How you doing?¡±


    ¡°Okay."


    ¡°Did you sleep?¡±


    ¡°Sort of.¡± She stared up at her father. In a few hours he would be on his way back to Louisiana. She did not want him to go. When he left, the safe feeling he gave her would go with him. She wanted to beg him not to go, but work was work and Grandma Toady had capricious spending habits so someone had to make money. He sat down at the table with her and placed his hand over hers.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°I talked to my boss, last night. I got someone to switch with me tonight, so I won''t be leaving until tomorrow.¡±


    This was good news. Lolly felt tears of relief starting to form.


    Pa gave her a lopsided grin. ¡°I wish I could stay the whole weekend, but as your Grandma says, all we got is now. So lets have a good now okay, Shortcake.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Tonight will you watch The Waltons with me?¡± It was her favorite show.


    ¡°Done. I''ve been wondering what John Boy has been up to.¡±


    Surprised, Lolly asked, ¡°You watch The Waltons. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d like a show like that.¡±


    ¡°I catch an episode or two, when I¡¯m not on shift. Watching that show, when I know your watching it, makes me a little less homesick.¡± This was a confession he had not made before.


    ¡°You get homesick?¡±


    ¡°Yup. Always have.¡± He squeezed her hand and let go of it. He got up and poured himself some coffee. He told her, ¡°If I can swing it, and it is a big if, I¡¯m gonna see if I can¡¯t get work in the industry a little closer to home. I don¡¯t know if I will be able to, but I¡¯m gonna try. Getting that call yesterday, all I could think of was what if I was out of town when this happened to Lolly? I don¡¯t want to not be here when you need me. You are almost grown up now, and I have wasted a lot of time.¡± He took a sip of his coffee. His face was grim but determined. Would he find another job? If he did would he love it as much as he loved the job he had? Life and love seemed to be full of compromises.


    After breakfast Lolly went back to her own room. Grandma Toady had put fresh sheets and blankets on the bed. Fluff thought she had done it just for him. He sat in the middle of the bed grooming his gold and white coat. Lolly climbed into bed beside him. He gave her a dismissive glance. He knew she was supposed to be elsewhere and the bed was supposed to be all his during school hours.


    Mitzi came into the room dressed and ready for preschool with Puccini in her arms. Aunt Jessie would be there soon. She asked Lolly, ¡°Are you gonna wear your pajamas all day?¡±


    ¡°I might.¡±


    ¡°I wished I could stay home with you. We don¡¯t do much in preschool. I already know my letters and numbers and how to write my name. Some kids don¡¯t. They don¡¯t like it when I try to show them how. I get in lots of trouble for talking too much.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I wish Puccini could go to school with me. He doesn¡¯t know his numbers. Poor thing. Granma won¡¯t let me take him though. She¡¯s afraid something will happen to him.¡± She glared at Fluff. ¡°I worry more about him being here with that beast. He attacks Puccini every time he gets a chance and poor Puccini has to spend all day on the refrigerator, cause Fluff can¡¯t jump that high. Stupid cat.¡±


    Fluff completely ignored Mitzi, but he had an eye on Puccini.


    Mitzi asked, ¡°Are you gonna marry that Trevor boy? Mama said, he is loaded. I couldn¡¯t ask her what it meant because of course I was listening when I wasn¡¯t posed to be. What does loaded mean?¡±


    ¡°It means his family has money, a big house and acreage.¡±


    ¡°So, he¡¯s kinda like the prince in Cinderella.¡±


    Lolly was not thrilled with the direction of this conversation. ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Why not? I''ve seen his house from the road and it looks like a castle to me.¡±


    Well it kinda did.


    ¡°Are you gonna dance with him and fall in love and get married?¡±


    Okay, Mitzi had just moved into pain in the butt mode. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you wasting your time. Granma told Mama, ''If a man ain¡¯t worth marrying he ain¡¯t worth spending too much time with.'' Do you not believe that?"


    There was no way Lolly was going to contradict Grandma Toady. She said, ¡°Trevor is not a man yet and I am way too young to think about getting married.¡±


    Mitzi gave her a look of shock. ¡°I think about gettin¡¯ married all the time. I want a husband. I picked him out already. He is name is Bernard and he sits next to me. He does everything I tell him to, and I like that.¡±


    ¡°I bet you do.¡±


    Outside, Lolly heard Aunt Jessie pull into the drive. Mitzi said, ¡°That¡¯s Mama. Bye, love you!" She gave Lolly a peck on the cheek and ran out of the room swinging Puccini. Seconds later, Mitzi came flying back into the room. ¡°Mama brought you a present!¡±


    Aunt Jessie entered the room with a wrapped box. She smiled at Lolly and handed it to her. It looked like a shoe box. Lolly took it and opened it. Inside the box was a new pair of cream colored chucks. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°You are welcome.¡± She gave Lolly a big hug, which was a surprise, because Aunt Jessie was not very demonstrative. She asked, "Mind if I borrow those sometime?"


    Lolly grinned, "Not at all."


    Mitzi looked took a little excited hop and said, "You are wearing those when you go back to school."


    Honestly, Lolly did not want to even think about going back to school.


    After Aunt Jessie and Mitzi left, Lolly reached for the novel, Up a Road Slowly, on her night stand. She had been so busy reading about Emily Dickinson and reading her poetry, that she hadn''t had time to finish the book. This morning she would do just that.


    She started to read. Within seconds she was in Julie¡¯s world. Her own world faded completely. There was the usual rush of turning page after page, praying things would end well. Then, there as the last page. Slowly she read it. The ending was good. She loved a good ending. She closed the book. For almost two months, she had lived with these characters and now she had to say good bye to them. She was going to miss them. She put the book on her night stand and scrunched under the covers. She started to day dream. She imagined herself as Julie with her long lovely hair, and the character Danny Trevort, had a suspicious resemblance to Trevor Long.

 Chapter 34. Goodbye, Hello

    It was that time again. Pa was leaving. Mrs. Dutchendorph was there to see him off too. Lolly wasn¡¯t sure she liked this intrusion. Munch, thank God was not there. He would have been casting gloom and doom or hate and daggers. Pa leaving was hard enough without that. Mrs. Dutchendorph clung to Pa¡¯s hand. There were tears in her eyes. Lolly honestly didn¡¯t know how Mrs. Dutchendorph was going to survive Pa leaving every three weeks. This time, he would be gone for five weeks. He had switched around his schedule so he could be home for Christmas. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, back before Pa and Mrs. Dutchendorph were even dating, but now it didn¡¯t. Christmas was going to be a disaster.


    Pa¡¯s bags were by the door. He had his coat on already. Outside cold rain was falling. The weather was bad. Lolly and Grandma Toady would be praying tonight. He took a move toward his bag. He needed to get on the road. To Lolly¡¯s dismay, and maybe Pa¡¯s, Mrs. Dutchendorph burst into tears and threw her arms around him. Seriously! She was making a scene. Lolly shot a look in Grandma Toady¡¯s direction. There was a tight smile on her face.


    Pa spoke to Mrs. Dutchendorph in a low voice. She nodded and let go of him. Gently, she kissed him and stepped back. Pa hugged Grandma Toady and then Lolly. He told her, ¡°I will call you tomorrow before I go on shift.¡± He kissed the top of her head. Lolly really didn¡¯t want him to go. He picked up his bag, gave her one more smile and went out the front door followed by Mrs. Dutchendorph.


    Grandma Toady hugged Lolly. She said, ¡°Well, that was different. I hope she don¡¯t do that every time he leaves.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Outside the front window, they saw Pa¡¯s truck headlights flash on and begin to move away. When they had disappeared, they heard a car door slam. Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s headlights came on and she left without saying goodbye. Lolly was secretly glad, she suspected Grandma Toady was too.


    Grandma Toady said, ¡°I guess I will go straighten up the rummage room and get caught up on my quilt squares.¡± Mitzi, Max and Puccini were with Uncle Luke, so Grandma Toady could quilt in peace tonight.


    Lolly nodded and went to her room. Today, she hadn¡¯t had to take anything but Tylenol and she was glad she did NOT have fuzzy brain. Now, she could finally type up her paper. Before he left, Pa had set up the typewriter on the kitchen table. Lolly went into the kitchen. Fluff was asleep on the window seat. Beside the type writer was her handwritten copy of her paper. She wished Mrs. Beasley believed in receiving hand written papers, like some of the other teachers. While, Lolly¡¯s hand written paper was not perfection, it at least was not a disaster. Grimly, Lolly sat down in front of the type writer. Beside it, the perfect clean sheets of paper taunted her. This was not going to be a fun experience. The typewriter had never been her friend and Liquid Paper, which was supposed to cover up her mistakes, highlighted them. No matter how hard she tried, she always applied too much Liquid Paper on her multitude of typos. She took a deep breath and glared at the little bottle of Liquid Paper. Next, she turned on the typewriter. It made a whirring sound. Fluff did not like it. He jumped off the window seat and stalked out of the room. Next, she picked up a clean, perfect sheet of white paper. God, how she hated the fact she was going to destroy it. There was not use pretending she wouldn¡¯t, because she would. She might as well accept it.


    Diligently, she began. Her pace was slow. One word followed another. For the first time ever she got through two paragraphs without making a single mistake. It was down hill from there. At the end, she had seven bloopy, Liquid Paper blotches brushed onto her paper. Any attempt to do it again would be an invitation for a complete catastrophe. She pulled the last page out to the typewriter. It wasn¡¯t anywhere near perfect looking but it was DONE.


    As she put her paper in the folder she had bought for it, the phone rang. She answered.


    Trevor said, ¡°Hey Lolly.¡± By the noises in the background she knew he was calling her from a pay phone again. A horn honked.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Hi, Trevor.¡±


    ¡°You sound better.¡±


    ¡°I am feeling better.¡±


    There was a slight hesitation in his voice when he asked, ¡°Could Amber and me stop by tomorrow?¡±


    Trevor Long wanted to come see her! Grandma Toady would be thrilled. ¡°Yes. I¡¯d love to see y¡¯all.¡±


    A horn honked loud and long. Trevor covered the receiver with his hand and shouted, ¡°Take a chill pill!¡± To her he said, ¡°Great. We will be by around three if that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°See you then. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡± Lolly put the receiver back in its cradle and stared out the window. The rain was coming down harder. She sent up a prayer for Pa. It wasn¡¯t that she worried about his driving, he was a good driver, it was all the other people on the road that scared her. Was whoever Trevor was with a good driver? She sent up another prayer.


    *


    Saturday morning Lolly stood in front of her closet. If only Mitzi were there. She was feeling very anxious about seeing Trevor today. He knew where she lived, but he had never been in her house, her trailer house, her home. She tried to block out images of his house. Now, for the Armor of the Day so she could Face the World. Mitzi was only four and a half and she could slap together an outfit in less than three minutes. Unfortunately, she was with her dad. After fifteen minutes of staring into her closet, she reached for faded overalls, a turquoise pocket T, and her new chucks. It was going to have to do. If she stared at her closet one more minute her head was going to explode.


    The morning was long. The hands on the wall clock barely moved. Why did waiting stretch out time? She tried to start a new novel, but she just could not focus. Fresh air, was what she needed. She put on her hooded sweatshirt, with the hood up. Hopefully, the hood wouldn¡¯t irritate the stitches it hid. As she was making her way down Gnu Street, Kevin came out of his trailer. He saw her and waved. His smile was friendly, but it was not the same bright one he used to give her. He knew about Trevor. Still, he walked over to her.


    He asked, ¡°Mind if I join you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    They fell into step together. He said, ¡°Thanks for the note. I never got a note from a girl before.¡± His face turned the slightest shade of pink.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. It was sweet of you to write.¡± Now, to get the attention off of her. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Nothing exciting. Max and me are going to the movies tonight. Don¡¯t know what we are going to see. I¡¯m kinda hoping Mitzi and her weird little bear don¡¯t come too.¡±


    Lolly could understand this. They looped the trailer park. When they reached Lolly¡¯s trailer, she said, ¡°See you later.¡±


    ¡°Later.¡± Kevin grinned and headed toward his trailer.


    When Lolly got back inside and looked at the clock only fifteen minutes had passed. Seriously!


    *


    Lolly¡¯s radio clock flipped the numbers to 2:45. In fifteen minutes, if they were on time, Trevor and Amber would be there. Panic had a hold on her. From the kitchen came the smell of baking cookies. Sugar cookies. Lolly loved them, but right now they smelled disgusting. One minute followed another. Five minutes before 3:00, Lolly heard a car pull up in the drive. She rushed into the living room and peeked through the curtain. It was THEM! Like Mitzi, she rushed to the door and threw it open.Trevor was just closing the car door. He looked at her. She had not seen him in days! He smiled. That smile. He was coming toward her. When he reached her, he hugged her. Lolly was so amazed, so stunned, it took her a second to hug him back. His arms tightened around her ever so slightly before he let go. Lolly had no idea what to say. They just stared at each other.


    The clunk of Amber¡¯s platform shoes hit the wooden porch. She said, ¡°Hey girl!¡± The next thing she knew, Amber was hugging her. She let go and said, ¡°You are fierce.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    From the door Grandma Toady said, ¡°Come on in kids. I got some cookies fresh out of the oven.¡±


    Trevor said, ¡°Cool.¡± They went inside.


    Shyness paralyzed Lolly. Grandma Toady handed out cookies. Trevor sucked his up like a vacuum cleaner. Max ate like that too, and she didn¡¯t understand it. Amber sat in the recliner talking about the precious Bill, but Lolly was not listening, neither was Trevor. His eyes roved around the room. There were pictures on the wall. Pictures! Dang it, Trevor could see what she looked like when she was little and still had hair. He got up off the couch and went to look at the picture wall. Lolly remained where she was. He said, ¡°Amber, come look at this. Baby Lolly.¡±


    Oh, God. Lolly had been such a chubby baby. Her arms had rolls of fat. Amber said, ¡°Girl, you were so cute.¡±


    Trevor pointed at the picture of Lolly dressed as Tinker Bell. He said, ¡°I love this. Kinda reminds me of the Blue Fairy. I guess you¡¯ve been magic your whole life.¡±


    This pleased Lolly. She felt her anxiety begin to evaporate. When Trevor rejoined her on the couch, he sat down closer to her and then he took her hand. His fingers slid through hers. She glanced at Amber. Amber gave her a smirk, but it was a nice smirk. Then, Amber launched back into part two of the adventures of Bill.

 Chapter 35. Play Offs

    The sound of her fuzzy duck clock Meowing startled Lolly from sleep. She did not want to get up. She did NOT want to go to school. Her stitches felt tight and funny. It just felt too soon to Face the World. The clock continued to Meow. Fluff jumped up and swatted it with his paw. It hit the floor and he pounced. Against her will, Lolly got out of bed and wrestled the clock away from Fluff. This was the first time he had ever attacked it. She slammed off the alarm. Silence echoed in her ears. She put the clock back on her night stand. Fluff glared at it and then went to the door. He turned back and gave her a dirty look. He wanted out of the room. Obediently, Lolly went to her door and opened it.


    As she gathered her things to take a shower, last night''s conversation with Munch began to surface in her brain. The football team had won another game and were advancing to Semi Regionals. The game would be played in the Astrodome in Houston. Lolly had never been to the Astrodome before but it was supposed to be one of the Wonders of the World. Munch was upset. It looked like the team might make it to State. Mademoiselle Petite had called Art Club Booster parents and told them that the Art Show had been postponed once again. In Texas Football was King. Choir and Band still got to have their Christmas Programs, but art, well it had to wait. Lolly understood why Munch was upset and she sympathized, but she was also relieved. Her walk down the runway was now scheduled for the second week in January. She could wait.


    After her shower, she held up a hand mirror and studied her stitches. There was a little bruising around the area but the bruises were fading. Desperately, she wanted to cover up her stitches, but she decided against it. Worse than people seeing her stitches was them asking to see them. If her head was bare they could just look without asking. She sighed and put down the mirror. If only this day were already over. She tucked her robe tightly around her and headed to her room.


    Mitzi was already in her room facing the open closet. Puccini dangled in her right hand. To her back, Lolly asked, ¡°What should I wear today?¡±


    Mitzi turned to her. Her eyes were large. She asked, ¡°Does it really help you when I pick out your clothes? Last week I picked them out and something bad happened.¡±


    ¡°You dressed me for bravery that day, and I needed to be brave. I trust you Mitzi. What do you think I need today?¡±


    She reached for Lolly¡¯s oldest softest jeans and her new chucks. She handed them to Lolly and said, ¡°I think the shirt you need today is in Grandma Toady''s closet.¡±


    NOT GRANDMA TOADY''S CLOSET! There was no way Lolly was going to wear one of Grandma Toady''s floral blouses. Lolly followed Mitzi into Grandma Toady''s room. Mitzi pulled open the closet. Grandma Toady liked bright warm colors and loud prints. Lolly preferred cool colors and no prints. With a slow swipe of her hand, Mitzi touched every blouse. Her hand stopped on one that was the exact shade of cream as Lolly''s new chucks.She said, ¡°This.¡± It was a very old fashioned blouse from when Grandma Toady was young. It had tiny pearl buttons and a high collar. It was actually pretty.


    Next, Mitzi lead Lolly to Max''s room. He was still asleep. On the floor was his cast off shoulder sling. He didn''t have to wear it anymore. Mitzi pulled open his top drawer with a bang.


    Max woke up and yawned. ¡°What are ya¡¯ll doing in here?¡±


    Mitzi said, ¡°Lolly needs your Puka shell necklace today."


    "Why?"


    "For her Armor of the Day."


    Once upon a time, not so long ago Max would have either refused to let her wear the necklace or made fun of Mitzi and Lolly. He did neither. He said, "Okay," and stretched.


    From the kitchen Grandma Toady called, ¡°Maximilian are you out of bed yet?¡±


    When Grandma Toady called him Maximillian, it meant she was loosing patience with him. Max groaned and crawled out of bed. Still, half a sleep, he made his way to the shower.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Mitzi followed Lolly back to her room. She placed Puccini on top fo Lolly''s backpack and said, "I will take this to the kitchen."


    "Okay thanks." Lolly got dressed. She turned from side to side. The blouse fit her just right. The cotton was crisp and the detailed stitching was beautiful. Munch was gonna love it, if he wasn''t in too foul of a mood to notice. She went to the kitchen to say good bye to Grandma Toady. She had just given Grandma Toady a kiss when, Max flew into the kitchen, grabbed a pack of pop tarts and rushed through the front door. Lolly was really hoping he would walk with her to the bus stop.


    Outside, the air was tinged with smoke. A hazy sun was just making its way over the horizon. It was dank outside but not cold. On the front porch Max was shoving a pop tart down his throat. He had waited for her. Lolly was so grateful, she could have hugged him, but she didn¡¯t. When they reached the bus stop, EVERY ONE wanted to see Lolly¡¯s stitches. It took a lot for her to stand there while her head was being examined. In the distance she heard the roar of the school bus. Being at school was one step closer. It was one thing to have her head stared at by kids in the trailer park, it was going to be another thing, when she got covert and overt stares in the halls.


    When she got on the bus, Mrs. Anderson said, ¡°Good to see you Lolly.¡±


    ¡°Good to see you too.¡± Abruptly, Lolly sat down. She really hoped Mrs. Anderson didn¡¯t want to see her stitches too. The bus rolled forwards. Usually, she looked out the side window, but today she just looked straight ahead. Behind her she could hear people talking about Saturday''s game, the score, the players. Suddenly, Lolly remembered that Spence was a football player. Because of his stupidity, he was suspended from the team and would not be playing in any more play off games. She bet he was pissed, but it was his own fault.


    Up ahead she saw Munch waiting for the bus. He was dressed all in black. A black turtleneck sweater, black slacks and a black shoes. This was a bad sign. Mrs. Anderson was learning Munch''s moods, so when she saw his face she gave him a nod, but that was all. He plopped down beside Lolly. Silent, brooding, he said not a word. He did not even notice Lolly''s blouse.


    The bus stopped to pick up Trevor. His eyes lit up when he saw her. She smiled. As he passed her, he gave her the thumbs up. The bus roared forward.


    Too soon the school loomed in front of them. The bus stopped. It was time to Face the World. Lolly followed Munch off the bus. The next thing she knew Trevor had taken hold of her hand. He steadied her. She took a big breath in and slowly out. She could do this.


    Munch didn''t go to the cafeteria. He said, "Sorry, I gotta go talk to Mademoiselle."


    "Okay."


    To Trevor Munch said, "You will walk her to her first period." It was basically a command.


    "Of course." Trevor squeezed Lolly''s hand.


    "Good." Munch gave Lolly a hug and went to the Art Room.


    Trevor asked, "Do you want to go to the cafeteria or the library?"


    "Library."


    "Okay."


    At the library door, Lolly let go of Trevor''s hand. He gave her a questioning look. "Mrs. Stanton, the librarian, forbids any public display of affection."


    "Seriously?"


    "Seriously."


    On their way to Lolly''s usual table, they passed Lisa. She was alone. Lolly couldn''t even remember the last time, she had seen Lisa alone. It just did not happen. When she saw Lolly, she sprang from her chair and gave her a big hug. She let go and said, ¡°I just wanted you to know that I think what you did for Munch was amazing. You inspired me to face my own bully.¡±


    Lolly asked, ¡°Really? Who?¡±


    ¡°Viv. I have been letting that girl push me around since we were in second grade. I told her I didn¡¯t want to be her lackey any more.¡± A bemused smile turned up the corners of Lisa¡¯s lips. ¡°Viv had no idea what I was talking about. If she did she would have said even more hateful than she did.¡± She asked, "Ya''ll want to sit with me?"


    This was an invitation, Lolly never expected to receive. "Sure." She sensed Trevor was not too thrilled about her choice, but then, he got invited to join people all the time. She did not.


    Lisa may have sensed Trevor''s reluctance too, because she said to him, "I heard you are going to the Regional Meet for Cross Country. Congratulations! Corpus Christi is such a pretty city, but I hate that stupid bridge you have to cross to get there."


    Trevor smiled at her, "Thanks." Cross Country, like art did not get much school attention.


    When the first bell rang, Lisa asked Lolly, ¡°Will you be here during lunch?¡±


    "I will."


    "Could you help me with my vocabulary then?"


    "Yeah."


    Lisa gave her another quick hug and said, "See you then."


    "Okay." Was it possible she had just made a new old friend?


    As soon as Lolly and Trevor exited the library. He reached for her hand. He gave her a smile and walked her to her Literature class. If anyone was looking at her stitches, Lolly did not notice.


    Once she was in class, she felt curious gazes straying to her head. A sinking feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. She sat down in her desk and unzipped her backpack. There on top of her books was Puccini! Mitzi had actually parted with her bear for the day. This was love and this was courage. Lolly touched the tip of Puccini''s scarred nose. She whispered, "Thanks for being here Bud."

 Chapter 36. O Luminary Clock

    In Lit class, seated on her stool at the front of the room, Mrs. Beasley read the poem of the day. Lolly¡¯s mind was so cluttered she did not drink in the words spoken in Mrs. Beasley¡¯s fine British accent until she reached the very last lines,


    O luminary clock against the sky


    Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.


    I have been one acquainted with the night.*


    The words of Robert Frost seemed to echo deep inside of her. The night as metaphor was something she had experienced many times. The idea that the moon did not proclaim "the time wrong nor right," offered her an odd comfort. One could never know what time would offer or how time would change one''s initial perspective.


    When class was over, Mrs. Beasley called Lolly to her desk. She asked, ¡°How are you doing Lolly, girl?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m better. Thanks for letting me turn my paper in late."


    ¡°Good. It takes a while to recover from something like that, so be patient with yourself. As for your paper, Michael Dutchendorph told me on Wednesday that you had it finished. I suspected you did." She opened the side drawer of her desk and said, "I came across this book and I thought you might like it.¡± From the drawer, she pulled out a paper back and handed it to Lolly. On the cover was a girl with a German Shepherd. The title was, Light A Single Candle, by Beverly Butler. Mrs. Beasely said, ¡°The title references an old Chinese Proverb, It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness. Lolly, that is what I feel you do in your own quiet way. I think you will really like the story. I did. Plus, there is a sequal."


    Lolly was a sucker for sequels. ¡°Thank you, I know I will.¡± She slipped the book in her backpack with Puccini and headed into the hall.


    Munch was waiting for her. He was still in a grim mood. As they walked down the hall to their next class, she said, ¡°Look,¡± and unzipped her backpack.


    Munch peered inside and exclaimed, ¡°You kidnapped Puccini?!¡±


    Lolly frowned at him. ¡°Like I would do that! Mitzi put him in there without me knowing.¡±


    ¡°That was really a cool thing to do.¡±


    ¡°I know right. I am going to talk to Aunt Jessie and tell her about Mitzi''s selflessness. I am hoping it will get Mitzi back in your fashion show.¡± Though she did not say it out loud, she was also going to tell Aunt Jessie that the show had been postponed again.


    ¡°I hope she lets her. I think I will make her and Puccini Angel wings to go with their outfits. Because in her own weird way Mitzi is an angel, and today Puccini is your guardian angel.¡± He grinned. It was the first smile he had given her that day.


    *


    Banner festooned the halls. The cheerleaders had been really busy with their tempra paint and butcher paper. So many well wishes to the team and declarations of violence to their opponents were taped to the walls. When she reached the cafeteria, the noise was an assault to Lolly''s ears. She made her way to the table where she and Munch ate. Much was not alone, Lisa was with him. When she reached them, he said, ¡°Guess what I have a new model.¡± He gave her a huge smile. ¡°Lisa has agreed to be in the show. I have some sketches to do.¡±


    Lolly sat down beside him. ¡°That is fantastic Munch.¡± She glanced at Lisa. She was smiling too. It was a real honest smile, without a trace of fear.


    After they finished their lunches, Munch went to the art room and Lolly and Lisa went to the library. Lisa got out her vocabulary list. She seemed embarrassed. ¡°I love to read, but I am such a bad speller. I would like to get a B this time if at all possible.¡±


    Since they were in the library, Lolly would whisper a word to her, and Lisa would write it down. She really was bad speller, but Lolly was determined. In frustration, Lisa threw her pencil down. ¡°I am never going to get this. Maybe I should just be thankful I am passing.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Lolly told her, ¡°I feel the same way about Geometry. No matter how hard I try, I just don¡¯t get it. Grandma Toady says, its not the grade that matters most, its the effort.¡±


    ¡°I will have to remember that.¡± She glanced at the clock and groaned. ¡°Ugh, I do not want to take this test. I have it next period.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to study some more?¡±


    ¡°No, we just have five minutes before the bell. I need to clear my head. Let¡¯s talk about something else. Did you see The Waltons on Thursday?¡±


    Suddenly, Lolly was lonesome for Pa. The episode had been a sad one. She had cried and Pa had put his arm around her. ¡°Yeah, I saw it.¡±


    ¡°I just bawled. That show!¡± She dropped her voice and said, ¡°I wish real boys were like John Boy. I have the worst crush on him.¡±


    Lolly confessed, ¡°Me too.¡±


    "I just love Grandpa Walton. He is so wise and he says the funniest things."


    Lolly thought so too. It was strange. She and Lisa had known each other for years and never had a real conversation until today. They actually had things in common.


    When the bell rang, Lisa asked, ¡°Can I join you tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Was it possible she had just made a new old friend?


    Out in the hall they seperated. Lolly was headed for dreaded Geometry, when a hand cupped her elbow. She turned, it was Trevor.


    His face was flushed, he said, ¡°I was afraid, I wouldn¡¯t find you before I left." The Regional qualifiers were checking out of school early to head to Coprus Christi for the Cross Country Meet. His hand tightened around her elbow. "Wish me luck." He was scared. She always thought he was so confident. "I have a bad feeling about this. Maybe me coming in third was a fluke."


    "It wasn''t. Have a little faith in yourself."


    The smile he gave her was worried. His eyes searched her face for reasurance. She gave him a quick hug and said in his ear, "You earned this chance. Like they say about the Oscars, at least you were nominated."


    "Thanks Lolly." His lips brushed the side of her face. His lips were soft. Lolly felt a bit peculiar. Did he just kiss her? There had not been any smacking noise, not even a tiny one.


    The warning bell rang. They let go of each other. As Trevor backed his way toward the cafeteria, he said, ¡°I will call you tomorrow night to tell you how I did.¡±


    "Okay."


    He turned and sprinted to the cafeteria. Lolly glanced at the wall clock. Could she make it to Geometry in time? Maybe. She rushed to the math hall.


    After Geometry, Lisa met her in the hall. She asked, "Did I see Trevor kiss your cheek in the hall? I was kinda far away, but it looked like he did. Did he?"


    So Lisa thought it was a kiss. Lolly didn''t say anything, but she could feel her face getting warm.


    "He did,"


    Lolly had spent a lot of her life pretending. It was okay some of the time, but not now. Finally, she got the words out, "I really don''t know. Maybe he accidently brushed my cheek with his lips."


    Lisa smiled and shook her head. "Aww, Sweetie, boys don''t ever accidentally do anything with their lips."


    "Really?"


    "Really!"


    They both giggled.


    Lisa said, "A new film called, The Other Side of the Mountain is opening on Friday. It is supposed to be the sweetest love story and a real tear jerker. Do you want to go see it with me? I can come pick you up?"


    "Uh, sure. That would be great."


    "Excellent. I have to go to the early show, because of my curfew. Hey, I have an idea." Lisa''s face lit up. "Why don''t you spend the night?"


    Lolly had never had been to a sleep over before. When she was little Grandma Toady had taken a dim view of Sleep overs. She did not trust other parents to watch their children or her grandchild. "I''d like that, but I gotta check with my Grandma first."


    "Okay, call me and let me know." Lisa pulled out an ink pen and a little square of pink paper. On it she wrote her name and number.


    Lolly took the paper and said, "Thanks."


    "We are going to have so much fun and you missy are going to tell me all about Trevor Long!"


    Girl talk. Lolly didn''t know if she was going to be any good at that, but deep down, she was so grateful she was finally going to get to find out.


    *


    Lolly had survived the school day. It had not been as aweful as she thought it would be. In fact it had actually been a good day. Mrs. Anderson opened the bus doors. Lolly got on and took her seat. The bus filled. Where was Munch? For a minute or two, Mrs. Anderson waited. She glanced at her watch and reached for the handle that closed the door. Before she could pull it, the distant voice of Munch yelled, "Wait for me!" Lolly looked toward the school. Munch was actually running! His sewing bag was flying behind him. Again, he shouted, "Wait for me!" Mrs. Anderson left the doors open.


    Munch stumbled into the bus. "Thank you Mrs. Anderson! You are an angel sent from heaven."


    "Sit down Munch." Mrs. Anderson closed the door.


    Munch plopped onto the seat beside Lolly. He was flushed. The bus roared away from the curb. He turned to Lolly and said, "I heard that Trevor french kissed you outside the library in front of everyone. Viv saw and she turned PURPLE!"


    Oh, my God, rumors! Lolly said, "No, that did not happen."


    "Mmm." Munch cocked his head, "Well, Viv thinks it did, so I find pleasure in that." He looked at her and did a double take. He said, "That is a fine blouse you are wearing. Where did you get it?"


    "It''s Grandma Toady''s. Mitzi picked it out."


    "That child is a fashion Savant. There will always be room for Mitzi in the House of Munch. You have got to get your Aunt Jessie to let her be in my show."


    "I will." Lolly didn''t know how she was going to do it, but she was going to do it.

 Chapter 37. Reinstatement

    All day Tuesday, Lolly thought about Trevor and wondered how his race had gone. Honestly, she didn''t expect him to win or place, but she hoped he enjoyed his run and set a good personal time. That night when the phone rang, she knew it was him. She didn¡¯t know how she knew, she just did. She said, ¡°Hello.¡±


    In a tired voice, Trevor responded, ¡°Hey Lolly.¡±


    She started to ask him about the race, but thought better of it. ¡°Hey, how are you?¡±


    ¡°Beat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Without a word about the run, he asked, ¡°How are you?¡±


    She answered honestly, ¡°I¡¯m okay. I missed you today.¡±


    ¡°I missed you too. I was hoping to ask you out Friday, but my stupid parents have connected with a realtor. They are looking at beach front properties, so we won¡¯t be home until Sunday evening."


    Several thoughts ran through Lolly¡¯s head simultaneously. First was how was she going to tell him she couldn¡¯t date for another six months. The second thought she said out loud, ¡°You guys aren¡¯t moving again are you?¡±


    ¡°Who knows. Dad says its just a vacation home. A place to go in the summer, which would be cool but couldn¡¯t they just buy one some other time?¡± He paused, then said, ¡°I wish you were here.¡±


    Never had she heard him this low before. Though he hadn¡¯t mentioned his race, she decided to ask, ¡°How was your race?¡±


    His voice broke, when he said, ¡°Bad. I was so embarrassed, I came in dead last. DEAD LAST. I''ve never been last before. It was such a terrible feeling.¡±


    Lolly took in a slow breath of air, before she said, ¡°You''ve also never been in a Texas Regional Cross Country Race. You are faster than so many guys in this huge state.¡±


    ¡°I would have been happy if even one guy had been slower than me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m sorry. Still, I¡¯m really proud of you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you finished the race. You knew you were gonna lose but you still finished. Finishing is always the hardest part.¡±


    He was silent for a few seconds before he said, ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°I know so.¡±


    Trevor yawned. ¡°I wish I could talk longer but my dad is timing me. Five lousy minutes. He can go buy a beach house, but he thinks a long distance phone call is too expensive. Go figure. Anyway, it was so good to hear your voice. Talk to you soon. Bye."


    ¡°Bye.¡± Lolly hung up the phone and stared out the window. Fear was nibbling at her. A fear she did not quite understand. Trevor would kiss her soon, a real kiss. It would change her life. Most girls her age had already been kissed. She had zero experience. Shouldn¡¯t she be excited? She was, but she was more terrified than excited.


    *


    The lights in Aunt Jessie¡¯s living room were down low. Bruno was snoring on the couch beside her. Lolly sat in the recliner. All the guests had gone home. Grandma Toady and Mitzi were washing dishes in the kitchen. Max had gone over to Kevin¡¯s. Now was the time for Lolly to talk to Aunt Jessie about Mitzi being reinstated in the fashion show. On the stereo Joni Mitchell was singing the saddest Christmas song Lolly had ever heard. Aunt Jessie sang along, ¡°I''m so hard to handle/I''m selfish and I''m sad/Now I''ve gone and lost the best baby/That I ever had.¡± Lolly wondered if she were singing about Uncle Luke. She also wondered who Joni Mitchell was singing about. Why did love have to end? Did it have to? Some people managed to keep it alive.When the song was over Aunt Jessie wiped her eyes with her sleeve and gave Lolly a watery smile. ¡°How ya doing kiddo?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. How are you?¡±


    ¡°Waterworks.¡± She sniffed, stroked Bruno and continued, ¡°When Dad left, he left. There wasn¡¯t any split holidays or shared custody. He was gone and Mama kept going. I didn¡¯t understand how she did it. Luke would never leave his kids like that, ever. I think Max is going to move in with him once he turns fourteen.¡± She sighed and looked out the window.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    As usual, Lolly had no idea what to say. She let a few silent moments hang between them, and then, she told Aunt Jessie about Mitzi smuggling Puccini into her back pack.


    Aunt Jessie gave Lolly a sideways look. ¡°So, I am guessing you think her kindness should get her back into Munch''s show.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What the hell. Okay. It will make her happy, Munch happy and God knows somebody needs to be happy around here. But do me a favor, let¡¯s tell her tomorrow. She needs to be able to sleep tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay."


    Later, as Grandma Toady and Lolly walked home, the stars were bright in the sky. Grandma Toady had linked her arm through Lolly''s. "Well," she said, "We survived another Thanksgiving. It was nice to have Estelle and Munch over. I just wish your Pa had been there, along with a few of my other children."


    As much as Lolly missed Pa, she was thankful he was not there. It would have been so complicated and she would have been torn between him and Munch. As for the other children, Grandma Toady had referred to, Uncle Terry was in heaven. Aunt Jules lived in Pennsylvania. Every other year she and her stuck up kids came down for Christmas. Uncle Beau lived in Canada. He had left the country when his number came up in the draft. He didn''t even call on holidays. It seemed he had taken a page from his father''s book by abandoning his family. And, then there was Aunt Michelle. She had been an Army nurse in Saigon. After her tour of duty she took her vows and become a Carmelite Nun in Italy. She wrote once a month, but had not been home in years.


    *


    Friday morning Lolly got her stitches out. she did not look at the scar. Friday afternoon she stood in front of her closet. Mitziwas with Aunt Jessie. Every article of clothing in Lolly''s closet taunted her. The phone rang. From the rummage room Grandma Todady asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer that?¡±


    Lolly went to the kitchen and picked up the phone. Mitzi said, ¡°Hello Lolly, this is Mitzi. I want tell you THANK YOU for getting me back in Munch''s show. Puccini and I will be FOREVER grateful."


    "Your welcome."


    "Now, come over.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Mitzi asked, ¡°How long have you been staring in your closet?¡±


    ¡°Not long,¡± Lolly lied.


    ¡°Right. I can help you IF you want to be helped. Do you?¡±


    The answer was obvious as well as embarrassing. What was she gonna have to do, tote Mitzi around the rest of her life to pick out her clothes? It was ridiculous. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll come over.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Mitzi slammed the phone down. The sound hurt Lolly¡¯s ear.


    Lolly went into the living room and grabbed her hooded sweatshirt. Outside the afternoon sun was a clear bright ball. The shadows were just beginning to lengthen. In the street, Max and Kevin were playing Frisbee. Lolly sucked at Frisbee. The disk, never went where she wanted it to. Mitzi stood on the porch steps with Puccini in her arms. She looked at her little wrist as if she was wearing a watch and said, ¡°Well that took like almost forever. Why do you walk so slow?¡±


    Lolly did not answer. Inside the trailer, she was greeted by the ever overly affectionate pitbull, Bruno. ¡°Down boy, down.¡± He slobbered a big kiss across her face.


    In a voice that demanded obedience, Aunt Jessie said, ¡°Stop. Sit.¡± To Lolly¡¯s amazement, Bruno actually did. Aunt Jessie said, ¡°Good boy,¡± and gave him a dog biscuit.


    With a wave of her hand, Mitzi said, ¡°This way.¡± She lead Lolly to Aunt Jessie¡¯s bedroom.


    Lolly asked, ¡°Do we have permission to be in here?¡±


    Mitzi gave her a side glance, like she had just asked a stupid question. She went straight into her mom¡¯s closet. Aunt Jessie tastes ran more toward solids with curve hugging lines. Lolly protested, ¡°I can¡¯t wear your Mom¡¯s clothes. They don¡¯t fit.¡± Again, Mitzi gave her a side glance. Slowly, she began her magic. She brushed her hand across her mom¡¯s blouses and stopped. She pulled out an outfit Lolly had not seen in a long time. It was one Pa had brought Aunt Jessie back from Vietnam. It was deep blue Ao Dai** with yellow and red embroidery. It was too beautiful to wear. ¡°I can¡¯t wear that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Your mom won¡¯t let me.¡±


    Mitzi threw back her head and hollered, ¡°MAMA WOULD YOU COME IN HERE?¡±


    Aunt Jessie shouted back, ¡°What have I told you about yelling in the house?¡±


    ¡°NOT TO DO IT!¡±


    Aunt Jessie came into the room and asked, ¡°What is it my banshee?¡±


    Mitzi held up the Ao Dai and said, ¡°This only thing in your closet that won¡¯t sag on Lolly. So, she can wear this, right?¡± Though it was posed as a question it sounded more like a command.


    ¡°The question is does Lolly want to wear it?¡±


    Aunt Jessie looked at Lolly. They both knew it was not going to the movies appropriate. Lolly was afraid Mitzi''s was about to blow her reinstatement into the fashion show if she did not get her way. Aunt Jessie said, ¡°If it fits you can have it."


    Have it? "Wow thanks." Lolly went to the bathroom and slipped it on. She was immediately transported to a different place and time. It fit her perfectly. The way the slits hit her hips was just right. The long pants beneath it were comfortable and so soft. Munch would love it, but she doubted she would ever have the guts to wear it in public.


    The door banged open and Mitzi asked, ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°It is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. Are you going to wear it?¡± There was a challenge in Mitzi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Chicken!¡± Then, she started clucking.


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    Mitzi didn''t stop. Instead, she started flapping her arms like they were wings while Puccini flailed in the air.


    Aunt Jessie came into the bathroom and shushed Mitzi. She looked at Lolly and said, ¡°You look beautiful. So do you want it?"


    She did very much. Now, she had to come up with a reason not to wear it. Mitzi eyes were eager, hopeful and threatening. A solution popped into Lolly''s head. "I love it, but I want to save it to wear it to Pa''s wedding"


    Mitzi''s mouth formed a perfect O. Light sparked in them. She squealed, "Yes!" Crisis avoided. Mitzi took Lolly''s hand and said, "Let''s go back to your house. I gotta pick something out for you to wear to the movies with Lisa. Max and Kevin thinks she''s hot."


    Aunt Jessie asked Lolly, "Do you want her?"


    Lolly looked at Mitzi and smiled. "I do."

 Chapter 38. Mirrors

    For the Amor of the Night, Mitzi chose jeans, a green turtle neck and red striped Adidas. The outfit looked slightly like Christmas, but that was okay. It was after all the holiday season. Grandma Toady returned Mitzi to her mother while Lolly showered. After she got dressed she went to her room and stared at herself for awhile in her mirror. No longer did she avoid her face or her head. She wondered what Trevor saw when he looked at her. She knew what she saw when she looked at him. He made her heart catch. It skipped a beat and then went really fast. Would he still be around in six months? Would they get to go on a real date? Thoughts of a negative future started to cloud Lolly''s brain. Now, she must focus on now. She ran her hand along her scar, she hadn''t mustered the courage to look at. Not, yet. She turned from the mirror and went to the bathroom to pack her toiletries. Again, in the bathroom mirror she was confronted with her own reflection. She really needed to look at her scar. Everyone else would see it. Her over active imagination might make it worse thant it was. She picked up the hand held mirror and slowly turned. There it was. Fading red dots where the stiches had entered her skin and a dark pink line where the skin was mending. Doctor Dunn had promised that with time the scar would fade. He didn''tt say how much time however. With a sigh, she put the mirror down on the counter and went back to her room. She got her pillow and sleeping bag. The flip of the clock radio numerals told her it was almost time.


    The trailer door opened and closed. Grandma Toady was back. Lolly knew she would be. Grandma Toady never sent her off without a hug or a kiss. Lolly went into the living room. Grandma Toady had already settled into the recliner with a quilt square. She said, "You look nice."


    "Thank you. I''m going to wait on the porch."


    "Okay. Zip your jacket, its nippy out there."


    "Yes Ma''am." Lolly went to Grandma Toady and kissed her forehead. Her skin was soft. Her eyes met Grandma Toady''s and they both smiled.


    Grandma Toady said, ¡°You have fun.¡±


    Lolly said, ¡°I will," even though she wasn''t sure she would. Outside the air was getting colder. She pulled her hood up. Lisa''s a little gold Ford Pinto was coming. It was fancier than the Pinto, Aunt Jessie had, but it was not brand new. When Ford named the Pinto, they named it after a horse, but most people thought they had named it after a bean.


    The car stopped in the drive. Lisa rolled down her window and said, "Toss your stuff in the back seat." Lolly did and climbed up front. On Lisa¡¯s eight track player, John Denver was singing, ¡°I am the eagle, I live in high country..."* John Denver was her favorite singer. As Lisa drove away, they both sang with John. They knew every word to every song.


    At the theater it was crowded. Lolly saw some of Trevor¡¯s friends, but she avoided eye contact. Some of his friends she had known her entire school life, others were strangers she passed in the school halls. Lisa waved at the boys. One broke away from the group and headed toward them. Lolly knew him. She had him in several of her classes. His name was Jake Peterson. He ran cross country too. When he reached them, he gave Lisa a smile that clearly said, HELLO. He was definitely interested in her. Lolly felt her heart begin to sink. Would he join them? To Lolly''s surprise, he asked her, "Have you heard from Trevor?"


    "Yes."


    "Good. I bet he needed some cheering up after that race." Did Trevor talk to Jake about her? A funny warm feeling grew inside of her. He asked, "What movie are ya''ll going to?"


    Lisa said, "The Other Side of the Mountain. What are you seeing?"


    A slight frown of disappointment wavered on Jake''s lips. He said, "Me and the guys are seeing One Flew Over the Cukoo''s Nest." Lolly was so relieved.


    The line was beginning to move. Jake said, "Catch you later," and went back to his friends.


    Lisa roller her eyes heavenward and said, "He is so cute. But, God I would never go see THAT movie." Their line began to move. Once they were seated and the lights went dim, the adds played, the cartoon played, the previews played. Each was a step into the world where the movie lived. When the opening started, Lolly was a bit confused by the young woman in the wheelchair. She didn¡¯t know anything about this film and she was not prepared for the time hop backwards.


    Once the main character had been healthy and poised to be an Olympic skier and then, she had a freak accident that robbed her of her Olympic dreams and the use of all her limbs. It was tragic. Lolly, knew to a smaller degree what it must have felt like. There was something cathartic about watching a young woman have to realign her world when her life didn¡¯t turn out the way she expected. There was also love and determination in the story. The love scared Lolly. Beside her, Lisa cried through the entire film. Lolly didn¡¯t cry at all. Not even during the worst parts. She sat dry eyed, just feeling, but not emoting. After it was all over, Lisa was a complete wreck. Not Lolly. On the way to Lisa¡¯s house, Lisa drove, sniffed, talked about the movie. Lolly nodded and commented when given an opportunity. Her take away from the movie was that life was unpredictable. She could live her life in the shadow of her Alopecia, or she could live her life with it. Going forward, she wanted to live with it.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    In the foyer when they were leaving, Lolly caught sight of Spence Drew in the ticket line. She quickly looked away. To her relief, Lisa did not seem to notice him. Spence Drew was the last person she wanted to talk about. Her hand brushed the back of her head. The scar was slightly raised.


    On the ride to Lisa¡¯s house they listened to the Eagles. The moon was just starting to rise. In the distance, she saw Lisa''s house. It was a two story, but it wasn¡¯t huge. Her father was a cotton farmer and a rancher. He was a real man of the land. When they came in, he was watching the ten o¡¯clock news drinking coffee. His face was weathered by the sun. He nodded at the girls as they made their way up stairs. In Lisa¡¯s room on her double bed was a white Persian cat. The cat opened one yellow eye, gave them an irritated glance and closed her eye. Lolly was instantly at ease. Lisa said, "That''s Muffin. She is spoilt." Lolly wondered it Fluff cared that she was missing or if he was luxuriating in having the bed all to himself tonight.


    Later when they were snuggled in their sleeping bags, Lisa asked, ¡°So has Trevor asked you out?¡±


    Lolly confessed, ¡°He wanted to, but he¡¯s out of town. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to tell him I can¡¯t date for six more moths.¡±


    ¡°Parents usually freak when their precious girl child goes out alone with a sex craved boy. Before I turned sixteen I could go out in a group. There are ways around that if you want to be alone. For starters, don¡¯t sit with the group. Just because you came with people, you don¡¯t have to stay with them. Viv ditched me tons of times. Funny how I never ditched her, of course I have never had the boy traffic she gets. When you got a sign on your head that reads, I am easy, well, you get a lot of action. I mean a lot.¡±


    Lolly wasn¡¯t sure what action was exactly and she was too timid to express her ignorance. Also, she had never been prone to gossip. She had been whispered about too much in her own life to partake of this pass time. Lisa continued to list her Viv grievances, and there were a lot. All the sudden she stopped, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That must have been really boring for you.¡±


    ¡°No, its okay.¡±


    ¡°Really?"


    Lolly nodded.


    Lisa said, "Thanks for letting me unload. I¡¯ve never said any of that out loud. Now, back to a topic of real interest. Tell me ALL about Trevor.¡±


    Shyly, haltingly Lolly spoke, careful not to reveal too much. A part of her was very cautious with Lisa. Honestly, she didn¡¯t know her that well and she wasn¡¯t sure she could trust her yet. Trust had to be earned and that would take time.


    Later, when Lisa was asleep, Lolly went to her window and looked out. All around were fields and pastures. If Pa did move Grandma Toady¡¯s trailer onto Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s property, she would have a view like this. The stars were so lovely in the sky. Peace settled over her. She went back to her sleeping bag and curled up. Where was Trevor and what was he doing tonight?


    *


    The next day Lolly was so groggy. Late night talking and sleeping on the floor had left her feeling out of sorts. Still, she had enjoyed herself.


    Saturday evening when the phone rang, Lolly knew who it was. She rushed to the kitchen phone and answered. Trevor''s voice said, "Hey Lolly." He sounded better. By the parking lot noises in the back ground he must be at another pay phone.


    Lolly said, "Hey Trevor. How are you?"


    "Better. It is crazy what sun light and waves can do. I''ve taken several long runs on the beach here and it is amazing . Also, looking at beach houses hasn''t been horrible. As soon as I get my driver''s license I''m gonna bring you out here. You''d love it."


    Plans, he was making plans for them. Being raised by Grandma Toady, Lolly was more than slightly allergic to plans. So much could change or go wrong. Besides all that, Grandma Toady would never let her go to a beach house alone with a boy until she was of age, and that was two and a half years away. Fear crept into Lolly''s brain. Grandma Toady had a lot of rules. How would Trevor respond to her restrictions?


    Trevor told her. "My parents have found a house they like. They put a bid on it. We will be leaving first thing in the morning. Could I come over tomorrow evening?"


    Lolly''s heart went KATHUMP! There was a tremor in her voice when she said, "Sure. About what time?"


    "Six, if that''s okay."


    She steadied her voice and said, "Yeah, that should be fine."


    His voice dropped a little, "I can''t wait to see you."


    "Me too." Lolly couldn''t wait. Her excitement had outdistanced her fear.


    When she hung up the phone, Grandma Toady asked, "Was that Trevor?"


    "Yes, Ma''am. He''s coming over tomorrow evening, if that''s okay."


    Grandma Toady gave her an amused smile. "That''s fine, but he''s gotta leave by nine because you have school the next morning."


    "Okay." Lolly floated back to her room. What would she and Trevor do for three whole hours? If it wasn''t raining they would go for a walk. Would he kiss her?

 Chapter 39. Trevor Comes to Call

    Dressed and ready, Lolly sat on the couch feeling like she was going to puke. She could not do this. Back in August, the first time she ever saw Trevor get on the bus, she had had some imaginations about him. Never did she think any of them were a possibility. Now she was on the brink of reality and she was scared. Lisa had told her everyone was nervous when they got and gave their first kiss. But, this feeling in the pit of her stomach felt more like it had the makings of a stomach virus.


    From the recliner, Grandma Toady said, ¡°Breathe, girl. Just breathe.¡±


    Lolly took in a slow breath of air. She was grateful, Mitzi and Max were still with their mom. Aunt Jessie wasn¡¯t dropping them off until 7:00. This evening, Mitzi had not helped Lolly dress. One never knew what would pop out of Mitzi¡¯s little mouth and Lolly would rather risk fashion failure than to have Mitzi around to comment when Trevor arrived. The wall clock¡¯s face read 5:45. Would he be early, would he be late? Would he not come at all? So many questions were racing around inside her head. Her palms were sweaty. She rubbed them on her pants legs.


    If Trevor were being dropped off by Amber instead of by his friend Jake, Lolly would be on the front porch waiting. Being outside in the fresh air, calmed her nerves. But, she didn¡¯t want to appear too eager in front of Jake. In third grade Jake had teased her and called her Mr. Clean because she didn¡¯t have any hair. He would say things like, ¡°You mopped any floors lately?¡± It was stupid, but it hurt. Maybe he just thought he was being funny. It had been a long time ago, but it made her feel unsure of herself. Did he ever make fun of her to Trevor?


    Outside the trailer, Lolly heard a truck pull up. Her heart started racing so hard, it felt like it was going to take flight right out of her chest. A door slammed. Lolly¡¯s mouth went dry.


    Grandma Toady said, ¡°I will answer the door okay?¡±


    Lolly couldn¡¯t even speak she just nodded.


    There was a knock on the door. His knock. Grandma Toady got up and went to the door. This was happening! Lolly stood up. The door was opened. It was already dark outside. Grandma Toady and Trevor said something to each other but the pounding of Lolly¡¯s blood in her ears was so loud she could not understand a word they said. Trevor came into the trailer and smiled at her. Lolly smiled back at least she hoped she did, because she currently could not feel her face.


    All at once, Fluff came flying out of the kitchen. He skidded to a stop in front of Trevor and gazed up at him with his big green eyes. He let out his most friendly, Meow.


    Trevor said, ¡°Hey there Fluff.¡±


    In that moment, Lolly remembered Trevor was allergic to cats. The last time he had come over, she had been so out of it, she had not remembered. She said, ¡°Um, should we put him up?¡±


    ¡°No, its okay. I took some Benadryl. I should be fine.¡±


    Grandma Toady said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down. I was just about to make some grilled cheese sandwiches. Are you hungry?¡±


    Lolly was not. Trevor said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°They will be done in a bit.¡± Grandma Toady picked up Fluff and went to the kitchen.


    The instant they were alone, Trevor stepped closer to Lolly and hugged her. His arms were wiry, but strong. She hugged him back. Some of her panic began to subside. He released her and sat down on the couch. His eyes were bright. His hair caught the glow of the lamp light. Inside, Lolly felt like she was melting. She asked, ¡°Do you want to watch TV?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No, lets just talk.¡±


    Lolly sent up a desperate prayer that she would be able to actually achieve conversation. Shyly, she went and sat down beside him. He took her hand and started telling her about the beach houses they had looked at. They sounded really fancy. Just listening made her feel a bit nervous and inadequate. She could not even imagine being able to just buy a beach house on a whim. A chasm seemed to be opening up between them. He lived in a world she had not experienced. When he started talking about his runs on the beach, she felt a bit more at ease, but still on edge. A question nibbled in the back of her brain, had Trevor had Jake drop him off because, he didn¡¯t want his folks to know she lived in a trailer park? Or had he had Jake drop him off because he knew his parents would not approve of him seeing a girl who lived in a trailer park? Grandma Toady was forever telling her to not put words or thoughts into people¡¯s heads that they may not be thinking.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Grandma Toady brought the grilled cheese sandwiches, Cokes, and chips and set them on the coffee table. She gave Lolly an encouraging smile and went back to the kitchen.


    Trevor went through his food like a vacuum cleaner. Lolly ate small bites she did not taste. She ended up giving him most of her sandwich and her chips. She just sipped her Coke and tried to keep up her side of the conversation. When he had polished off her food he asked, ¡°Could we go to your room?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Grandma Toady doesn¡¯t let boys in my room.¡±


    A slight hint of irritation crept into Trevor¡¯s voice as he asked, ¡°Does Munch get to go in your room?"


    Lolly felt a slight hint of irritation, run through her. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s my best friend and will soon be my stepbrother.¡± Saying the word stepbrother part felt weird. She counter offered, ¡°We could go for a walk.¡±


    A bit too eagerly he said, ¡°I would like that.¡± He rubbed his hands on the legs of his cords. Was he nervous too? Surely, he had kissed girls before.


    Lolly went into the kitchen with the empty plates and Coke cans. She told Grandma Toady, ¡°We are going to the park.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sweetie. Just remember, you don¡¯t have to do anything you don¡¯t want to. If he gets fresh, you know what to do.¡±


    Lolly felt her face go blood red. She seriously hoped she would not have to punch Trevor in the nuts. This evening was beginning to feel like a very bad comedy. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    As soon as she and Trevor were outside, he put his arm around her and pulled her close. Lolly¡¯s heart beat even harder than it had been. Was it possible for a human heart to explode? Possibly. Was it possible hers would explode? Probably not.


    The night breeze blew cool across her face. She pulled her sweatshirt¡¯s hood over her head. They walked to what trailer park management called The Park. It was really just a few swings, a slide, and a sandbox. Lolly disentangle herself from Trevor and sat down in one of the swings. She seriously needed to gather her thoughts. About right now, she seriously want to just run. The anticipation of what might happen or might not happen was making it hard to breath. She felt absolutely ridiculous.


    Trevor asked, ¡°You want a push?¡±


    She asked, ¡°You want to race?¡±


    ¡°Race?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, see who can get the highest the fastest.¡±


    He smiled and said, ¡°Okay, you are on.¡± He slipped into the swing beside her. The both pushed back as far as they could. Lolly counted to three and then said, ¡°Go!¡± She thrust her body up as high as she could and then stretched her legs out and glided forward. As she felt her weight swing back ward she tucked her legs and then pumped hard forward. She did not even look at Trevor. Her entire focus was on the tree top in front of the swings. She stretched her legs toward it. She felt the chains begin to go slack as she reached their maximum height. It was then that she glance at Trevor. He was behind her.


    As they passed each other he said, ¡°Damn, you¡¯re good.¡±


    Exhilarated, she flashed him a smile. Some of the tension was beginning to leave her body and her head. With a swoosh, she went far back and then she pumped hard forward. The chains popped when she exceeded their length. She felt her stomach drop as she flew back wards.


    Trevor said, ¡°Bet you can¡¯t do this!¡± At the height of his ascent, he released the chains and flipped out of the swing. He stuck a perfect landing and grinned up at her. He was showing off, for her.


    She allowed herself to glide backward without pumping forward. She did not jump out of swings. It was not one of her talents. When¡¯s he finally came to a complete stop, Trevor stood in front of her and gently pulled her out of the swing.


    They were so close together now, Lolly could feel his breath. He leaned forward. Instinctively, Lolly closed her eyes. She felt his lips make contact with hers. His lips pressed hers. According to Lisa, the lips were one of the most sensitive parts of the body. It felt like she was right. Trevor pulled away from her mouth. The night breeze blew across her lips. Inside her body, her heart was thudding like mad. Her brain seemed to have stopped functioning all together. She felt like she was in a fog. He slipped his arm around her and they started to walk. Several times they lapped the trailer park. Trevor¡¯s nearness was sweet. Her fear left her. They talked about nothing and everything as they walked.


    Too soon, Trevor glanced at his wrist watch and said, ¡°Jake will be here soon.¡±


    They went back to the trailer and sat down on the front steps. They cuddled for warmth. Up above the sky was filled with stars. Lolly was so thankful the weather had cooperated. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time she felt this happy.


    Headlights pulled into the drive. It was Jake. Trevor helped Lolly up and then, in the headlights, in front of Jake, he kissed her good bye full on the lips. The kiss meant so much to Lolly. It meant he was not ashamed of her. This had been her secret fear. He released her and said, ¡°I will see you tomorrow.¡±


    Unable to find her voice, she smiled and waved.

 Chapter 40. Monday, Monday

    Monday morning, Lolly was excited and nervous. Her relationship with Trevor had shifted last night. How would that translate at school? Mitzi stood beside her and handed her clothes, she did not even see. The little girl said, "Earth to Lolly, come in Lolly."


    Lolly looked at her blankly.


    Mitzi gave her a look and asked, "Is something wrong with your brains?"


    Absently, Lolly nodded. There was definitely something wrong with her brains. She gave Mitzi a vague smile and shooed her out of the room.


    On the way to the bus stop, Max smirked at her. Did he know something? At the bus stop, he went over to Kevin, but Kevin did not even acknowledge her presence. The thought occurred to her, that Kevin might have seen her and Trevor looping the trailer park last night. The air was damp and cold. She pulled up her hooded sweatshirt. It was pink. Had Mitzi dressed her all in pink? She looked down at what she was wearing. Her shirt was pink, her sweatshirt was pink and she was wearing her battered pink ballet slippers. Damn, she should have been paying attention. Mitzi had done this on purpose.


    When the bus came, Lolly got a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. Soon, soon, she would see Trevor. She took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Instinctively she knew today was going to be different from any day she had ever had at school. As the bus barreled down the road, she did not hear the chatter behind her. She kept her focus out the window and listened to the ever increasing beat of her heart. In the distance she saw Munch. For a moment she debated whether or not she should tell Munch what happened. Not on the bus, maybe not at all.


    As soon as Munch got on the bus and plopped down beside her, he leaned over and asked, ¡°So how was your weekend?¡± He asked it like he knew already.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Munch grinned at her. ¡°Just fine or did you get a little lip action?¡±


    Had Trevor told him? Or, had Grandma Toady, been peeking through the window and told Pa, who told Mrs. Dutchendorph, while Munch listened in on their phone conversation? She asked, ¡°Who told you that?¡±


    ¡°No one had to tell me, it is written all over your face.¡±


    A wave of embarrassment colored Lolly pinker than she already was. Could it really that obvious or was Munch just jerking her chain? She looked straight ahead. Soon they would be at Trevor¡¯s stop. In the distance, she could see him. Was it only last night since he kissed her? Would it be weird? Trevor saw her through the window and he smiled. That smile. He was no longer a boy she day dreamed about, he was really in her life, part of her life. Day dream boys were super easy to manage. How would a real boy differ? When he passed her on the bus, he winked at her.


    It was wonderful and awful at the same time. She wanted to wink back, but her shyness got the best of her again.


    Munch nudged her and asked, ¡°Did you see that?¡±


    Not eager to discuss Trevor with Munch, she asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Trevor Long must''a got something in his eye. IT was twitchin¡¯. You saw that. I know you did. What do you think is wrong with him?¡± Lolly punched Munch in the arm. He was talking too loud and enjoying it too much. ¡°Ow, that hurt.¡± He rubbed his arm. ¡°Still, I¡¯m happy for y¡¯all.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    When Lolly got off the bus, she was not''t sure what happened next. Was she supposed to wait for Trevor? She walked slow, as did Munch, who knew why she was walking slow. He was SUCH a pain. Trevor caught up with her. His hand took hers. Okay. So this was how it was going to be. He leaned close and said, "You look pretty in pink." Maybe there was some method to Mitzi''s madness. A bunch of his friends came over, including Jake. Munch left them and went inside. Lolly wasn''t sure what she was supposed to do. Trevor hadn''t let go of her hand yet, so she guessed he wanted her to stay. After a few minutes of recounting his race, he said, ¡°I need to get my lady to the library.¡± He just wanted to be with her!


    As they passed through the cafeteria, she saw Munch sitting alone at their table. Conflict settled in the middle of Lolly¡¯s chest and it hurt. Did having Trevor in her life, mean she would spend less time with Munch? Deep down she knew it did. She told Trevor, ¡°I forgot to tell Munch something, I will be right back.¡± She went to Munch.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    He gave her a not so real smile and said, ¡°What are you doing over here? Isn¡¯t your man waiting for you?¡±


    ¡°Trevor is not a man, yet. I just wanted you to know, I will see you at lunch and I want you to tell me, what you overheard last night when my pa was talking to your mom.¡±


    ¡°What? ME, listen in to a private conversation. NEVER!¡±


    ¡°Right. See you at lunch.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He smiled at her, but it still wasn¡¯t real. He looked worried.


    On the way to the library, Lolly saw Spence Drew by the trophy case. He was watching her. When he saw her looking at him, he quickly looked away. What was he thinking? Would he bother her? Time would tell. She prayed he¡¯d stay far, far away from her.


    Trevor and Lolly entered the library still holding hands. Lolly want to pull her hand free but she was conflicted. Honestly she did not want to let go. When Mrs. Stanton saw her, she said, ¡°Miss Phelps, you know the rules.¡± Immediately, she tugged her hand free. Trevor gave her a hurt look, but didn¡¯t say anything. Did he really think she was going to break one of Mrs. Stanton¡¯s cardinal rules right in front of her eyes? There was no way, not even for Trevor, that she would risk losing her library privileges.


    At the table he tried to sneak her hand back. She shook her head.


    Frustrated he said, ¡°Well, can we just go wait in the hall?¡±


    It was not what she wanted to do, but she said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    The instant they were out of the library, he grabbed her hand again. In the hall, other couples stood. Various degrees of public intimacy were being committed. If the principal walked through, some people were going to get pink slips. When the bell rang Trevor walked her to her Lit class. He gave her hand a quick squeeze before he released it and then he smiled. That smile. Lolly could not believe this was real.


    Unlike Mrs. Stanton, Mrs. Beasley didn¡¯t see any harm in handholding. She gave Lolly a knowing look when¡¯s he crossed the threshold. At the pencil sharpener, Jake was grinding away at his pencil. When he saw Lolly, he smiled and waved. She was pretty sure his sudden friendliness had more to do with Lisa than anything else. Still, she waved back and took her seat.


    When everyone was quiet and seated, Mrs. Beasley read the poem of the day, One line stuck with Lolly, ¡°Will my tiny spark of being wholly vanish in your deeps and heights?¡± * She was not sure what it meant, but sounded like a warning to her.


    After class, Trevor managed to see her ever so briefly in the hall as they dashed to their separate classes.


    At lunch she was ready to see Munch. Her whole world seemed off kilter. The adrenaline rush she got every time she saw Trevor was exhilarating but also exhausting. At their usual table, Munch was scribbling away in his sketch pad. Lisa was beside him talking. She smiled when she saw Lolly. Lolly sat down beside her. Lisa said, ¡°Oh my God, you are not going to believe who called me last night?¡±


    Lolly could guess, but she asked, ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Jake Peterson! He wants to go out Friday night and he has even agreed to see The Other Side of the Mountain.¡±


    Still focused on his sketch, Munch said, ¡°Man, he must really be into you.¡± He shook his head.


    Lisa smiled so big, it had to hurt. ¡°I know right.¡±


    Though Lolly had enjoyed the movie, she did not see how Lisa expected to sit through that cry fest again, with a boy.


    *


    It had been a day of Trevor sightings and near misses. It had been the best day at school she had had in a very long time. If only Trevor would be on the bus, but he wouldn¡¯t. The manager for the basketball team had quit and the Cross Country Coach had recommended Trevor for the job. So, he had taken the position. It meant he had to stay for practices and go to all the games.


    As she was getting on the bus, she saw Drew Spence drive by in his white truck. Country Music blasted from his speakers. Merle Haggard loudly sang , ¡°I turned twenty one in prison doin¡¯ life without parole.¡± Was that Spence¡¯s goal? She sincerely hoped not.


    Munch climbed on the bus and flopped down beside her. He asked, ¡°Did you have any trouble with the SOB today?¡±


    ¡°No, but he was watching me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he was watching me too. It makes me nervous. I don¡¯t want either one of us to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Pa reported him and he can¡¯t get anywhere near me.¡±


    Munch nodded. ¡°At least you don¡¯t have to use the boy¡¯s restroom. He has punched a few guys in there and I don¡¯t want to be one of them.¡±


    This knowledge hurt Lolly¡¯s heart. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be one of them either. Is there anything you can do?¡±


    The bus took off with a rumble. Munch said, ¡°Yeah, Mademoiselle Petite is letting me use the bathroom in the art room. It just makes me so angry and embarrassed. Why did God make a bully so big and me so little?"


    Lolly had no answer for this question.


    Munch continued. "I talked to Mama last night and told her I wanted to do Martial arts like Bruce Lee. The only thing near here is a Karate class in Lake Jackson. Mama says I can go. This world is never gonna be kind to a scrawny half breed, and I got to learn to do my own fighting.¡±


    This stung. Had he been humiliated by her intervention on that terrible day? He had seemed grateful, but he was a guy and according to Max, guys liked to fight their battles.


    His hand closed over hers. ¡°I know what you are thinking. I am really glad you did what you did for me, but hell, it was hard to see you bleeding when it was supposed to be me.¡±


    Lolly bit her lip, she hadn¡¯t even thought of things from his perspective. She told him, ¡°I think the Karate is a good idea. I bet you will be good at it.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± He squeezed her hand and let go.

 Chapter 41. In the Asking

    Tuesday morning after Lolly got off the bus, Trevor waved at his friends and lead her inside to a quiet place near the office. He seemed a little nervous. Lolly felt her own heart begin to thud. A question was about to be asked and she had no idea how she was going to answer it. First he cleared his throat, then his eyes darted from side to side and finally came to rest on her face. He said, ¡°I was wondering if you would like to go out with me on Saturday night. Would you?¡±


    The expression on his face was one of fear and anticipation.


    She replied, ¡°I would love to.¡±


    A huge smile spread across his face. His eyes lit up. ¡°Great, what would you like to do?¡±


    His reaction threw her. She had not expected him to have such a strong reaction, she should have chosen her words more carefully. As for the what she would like to do? What she would like to do was not have to say, what she was going to have to say. ¡°Um, well.¡± Her throat went promptly dry.


    He raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°Uh, there is a slight hitch.¡± She felt and heard the next words come out of her mouth at an amazingly slow pace. Each one seemed to get caught in her throat just before it tumbled out of her mouth. His smile disappeared.


    He asked, ¡°Seriously, your grandma won¡¯t let you date until you are sixteen?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What about your dad?¡±


    This change in tactics surprised Lolly. It had never occurred to her to even ask Pa about dating. She had always assumed he felt the same way Grandma Toady did. In fact, as a man who had once been a teenage boy, she bet he would prefer she didn¡¯t date at all. Besides, Grandma Toady and Pa had a hard rule of sticking together when it came to matters that concerned her. She said, ¡°Nope.¡±


    Trevor¡¯s shoulders slumped. His lip jutted out ever so slightly. His eyes turned to a distant window. It occurred to Lolly, that Trevor was probably used to getting his way. Was he mad? Several silent moments passed between them. Finally he said, ¡°What if you and Lisa met Jake and me at the Putt Putt course on Saturday night?¡±


    Unsure if she was supposed to tell Grandma Toady that she would be meeting him, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask.¡±


    His expression was incredulous. ¡°Why?¡±


    Now, she was getting irritated. Lolly was a rule follower, unless she thought a rule was ridiculous, she followed it. She also respected Grandma Toady. She said, ¡°Because, I just do. She might be okay with it. She¡¯s not a harpy.¡±


    Slightly confused he repeated the last word, ¡°Harpy?¡±


    Had he never heard of a harpy? ¡°The word¡¯s from Greek and Roman Mythology. Harpies were mean, birds of prey with a woman¡¯s head.¡± Still confused he just stared at her. Note to self, don¡¯t reference mythology when trying to make a point. She said aloud, ¡°She might be okay with it. I just need to ask.¡±


    ¡°What if she¡¯s not, what are we supposed to do?¡±


    Good question. Lolly had no idea. Really she should have ventured into this territory with Grandma Toady before hand. She hadn¡¯t though out of shyness and fear. ¡°We will figure that out, that is if you still want to.¡± The thud of her heart was literally making her chest hurt.


    He grabbed her hand, and said, ¡°Of course we will and of course I do.¡± His smile returned. He was in, at least it seemed so. Lolly returned his smile.


    They went into the cafeteria. Lisa was with Munch and Jake was with Lisa. Munch was talking and showing Jake his drawings. She heard Jake say, ¡°Wow, man, those are really good. I had no idea.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Munch¡¯s face lit up. He really was incredibly talented and few realized just how good he was. When Trevor and Lolly took a seat, he said, ¡°Bout time y¡¯all showed up.¡±


    Lolly waited for Munch to tease her. He didn¡¯t. She gave him a grateful smile. With a shrug and a smirk, he returned to his drawing.


    *


    The usual loud hum of many voices filled the cafeteria. Lisa was already at their table, but Munch had not yet arrived. She wondered if Trevor had had a chance to talk to Jake and if Jake had talked to Lisa. When she reached the table Lisa said, ¡°I am so happy!¡± She grabbed Lolly¡¯s arm and said, ¡°I just talked to Jake. We can so go to to Putt Putt on Saturday!¡±


    Lolly was a bit apprehensive. What if Friday night¡¯s date with Jake didn¡¯t go so well?


    Lisa babbled on, ¡°I will come get you at 6:00 and then we can meet the guys at Putt Putt. After a game we will take one car and go to Dairy Queen for burgers. After that we will drive around and at 10:30 I will take you home. Doesn¡¯t that sound amazing?¡±


    Actually, it sounded a little bit rule bendy to Lolly, but she didn¡¯t say so. First of all Grandma Toady had to agree with the meet up and she was not even gonna bet on how that would turn out. Lolly forced a big smile and said, ¡°It does.¡±


    ¡°I know right. I can¡¯t wait for Jake to see The Other Side of the Mountain. What if Jake falls in love with me like Mad Dog fell in love with Jill.¡± Her eyes got all dreamy.


    Had Lisa honestly forgotten how the movie ended? A romance like Mad Dog¡¯s and Jill¡¯s was not something that she ever wanted. Still, she smiled and nodded while Lisa rambled on.


    Finally Munch showed up. He looked slightly perturbed, but not angry. He took a seat across from the girls. Lisa said, ¡°Guess what, Trevor asked Lolly out.¡±


    Munch raised his eyebrows. ¡°He did.¡± He swiveled his eyes to Lolly and said, ¡°What will Grandma Toady say?¡±


    The question was pointed. He knew what she would say! She responded, ¡°I will find out when I ask her.¡±


    ¡°Right, like you don¡¯t know already.¡± His words were like a dash of ice cold water.


    ¡°No, Munch,¡± said Lisa. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Lolly and me will be meeting Jake and Trevor at Putt Putt.¡±


    Munch shrugged. ¡°She might be okay with that. Guess you¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±


    Lolly glared at Munch and said, ¡°Guess I will.¡±


    *


    On the ride home on the bus, Lolly and Munch didn''t speak. He had slipped into one of his moods. It was the one, where she knew better than to make conversation or ask questions. It was the one, that he would or would not explain in time. When he got off at his stop she was relieved. As the bus pulled away, a couple questions occurred to her, what would it be like when she and Munch got off at the same stop? What would it be like when they went home together and she had to live with his moods? At this moment, she was thankful it was now and not then.


    At the trailer, Grandma Toady had a huge quilt spread out on the living room floor.She glanced up at Lolly and said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have almost finished this thing. Its a present for your pa and Estelle.¡±


    The quilt was beautiful. It was in soft shades of ivory and cream. It would go on their bed where they would do married things. Inside Lolly¡¯s brain went, EWW! Aloud she said, ¡°They will love it.¡±


    ¡°Yup. Its not much longer. Estelle told me she¡¯s talked to contractor who will put in the plumbing for the trailer.¡±


    Grandma Toady said more, but Lolly didn¡¯t hear her. Her mind had locked on the question she had to ask. With a stab at patience, she waited for Grandma Toady to stop talking about whatever she was talking about. Finally, she paused to take a breath and said, ¡°Trevor asked me out.¡±


    ¡°He did?¡± Grandma Toady looked up at her.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And what did you tell him?¡±


    ¡°That I am not allowed to date until I am sixteen.¡±


    Grandma Toady got up off the floor. She was just a little taller than Lolly. She asked, ¡°And how did he take that?¡±


    ¡°He was disappointed.¡± Lolly knew she needed to race to the next part before she lost her nerve. ¡°Would it be okay if I go to Putt Putt with Lisa and we meet him and his friend Jake there?¡±


    For several very long moments Grandma Toady studied Lolly¡¯s face. ¡°I would prefer a group setting, but I trust you. I know Lisa¡¯s folks and Jake¡¯s, so yes, you can go.¡±


    Elated Lolly hugged Grandma Toady. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Grandma Toady squeezed her tightly and said, ¡°You are just growing up too fast.¡±


    Though Grandma Toady said it like it was a bad thing, Lolly didn¡¯t think it was. Smiling, she went to her room. She wished she could call Trevor now, but he was in Rosenberg at a basket ball game. He wouldn''t get home until it was too late for her to talk. How she wished she could tell him!


    An hour later the phone rang. Mitzi picked up. A bit too loudly, she said, "Well hello Trevor! Who do YOU want to talk to?"


    Lolly swiped the phone out of Mitzi''s hand. "Hey, Trevor, sorry about that." In the background was the sound of a crowd. Once again he was on a pay phone.


    He said, "I only got a sec. What did your grandma say?"


    "She said YES!"


    "Hot Damn and praise the Lord! We are gonna have so much fun" A loud roar came from the crowd. Trevor said, "I gotta go, Coach sees me on the phone he will have my butt. Bye!"


    "Bye!"


    Mitzi, who still stood in the kitchen, said, "That was short."


    "Yup." But it was also long enough.

 Chapter 42. The Art of Dating

    Saturday afternoon, while Grandma Toady was at her quilting bee, Aunt Jessie came over alone. Mitzi and Max were with their dad. She handed Lolly the bag she carried and said, ¡°Here, I have something for you.¡±


    Lolly took the bag and looked inside. It contained pale coral mohair sweater. It was soft and beautiful. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± She gave Aunt Jessie a hug, and Aunt Jessie gave her a fierce hug back. When she pulled away, Aunt Jessie was biting her lip. Lolly asked, ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know Mama has already talked to you but I gotta add my two cents. Kiddo you are entering a new world with strange modes of behavior. There will be pressure and there will be fear. There will also be these amazing moments when you have never felt so happy. Stay true to yourself. And when you have no idea what self wants, then wait. Just wait. Clarity is so important with dating. It can move very quickly, very fast." Aunt Jessie paused, and her voice broke, "Like it or not, you are the one with a womb.¡± Lolly felt herself go scarlet with embarrassment. Her color did not deter Aunt Jessie from making her point. ¡°You are the one that gets stuck with the bag so to speak. I¡¯ve seen where Trevor lives. I bet his folks have big plans for him. His future is supposed to mirror theirs. So be careful.¡±


    This little speech made Lolly angry and echoed some of her worst fears.


    Aunt Jessie stroked her cheek. ¡°I wish I could sugar coat things for you Kiddo. I wish the sugar coating was true. You need to know what your ground rules are from the get go. I wish teenage boys were saints, but their brains are full of mush, imagination and porn. If they think or even hope its okay to touch something they will. You have got to be clear. Understand?"


    Dazed by this overflow of information that did not match the cotton candy world she put Trevor in, Lolly only managed to nod.


    Aunt Jessie scooped her into another hug. ¡°I love you Lolly. I wouldn¡¯t risk scaring the crap out of you or pissing you off if I didn¡¯t.¡± Lolly didn¡¯t hug her back. Aunt Jessie released her, planted a kiss on her forehead and went out the door.


    *


    Inside Lisa¡¯s gold Pinto, the eight track was blaring, ¡°The full moon is calling, the fever is high/And the wicked wind whispers and moans...¡± The lyrics reminded Lolly of Aunt Jessie¡¯s stupid talk. The music was full of energy and ache. This was not folksy John Denver. Lisa was talking so fast Lolly was having trouble keeping up. ¡°Yeah, it was amazing. That part where I lost it in the movie last week, well I lost it again, and he just held me while I sobbed. I never had a boy do that before. I know its too soon, but I think I am falling for him hard. Harder than I have ever fallen before, what if he is the one?¡± Lisa didn¡¯t wait for Lolly to answer. Lolly kept her thoughts to herself. They turned into the Putt Putt parking lot. Lisa squealed, ¡°There is his truck!¡±


    Leaning against the beat up green truck, were Trevor and Jake. Both were smiling when Lisa pulled her car beside them. In an instant, Lisa was out of the car and in Jake¡¯s arms. The next instant they were locked in a kiss. A rivulet of fear spiraled inside of Lolly. She licked her dry lips and climbed out. Trevor was there waiting. He gave her a hug, but did not give her the kind of kiss, Jake and Lisa were still sharing. Could they breathe?


    Trevor took her hand and said, "I like that sweater."


    "Thanks."


    He smiled. That smile. They headed toward the ticket window. When they were out of ear shot he said, ¡°I guess their date last night went well.¡±


    ¡°It seems so.¡±


    Trevor bought their tickets and then they sat down on a bench to wait for Jake and Lisa to get done with being reunited. From the parking lot, Lolly heard a very familiar voice shout, ¡°Get a room!¡± Lolly¡¯s eyes shot to the parking lot. With her chin jutted out, MItzi was staring up at Jake and Lisa.


    Uncle Luke grabbed hold of her and swung her up into his arms. He asked, ¡°Where did you hear that phrase?¡±


    Mitzi shrugged and said, ¡°On T.V.¡±


    They were fast approaching Trevor and Lolly. Uncle Jake said. ¡°They don¡¯t say stuff like that on Sesame Street.¡±


    Mitzi shook her head, ¡°Nope they don¡¯t, but they do on General Hospital.¡±


    Uncle Jake sighed and asked, ¡°Do you even know what it means?¡±


    ¡°Course I do. Its what you say when people are smooching for the whole world to see." Very loudly she added, "I¡¯m too young to see stuff like that in REAL LIFE. REMEMBER THERE ARE CHILDREN PRESENT."Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Lolly was throughly embarrassed, but Trevor laughed. ¡°At least they stopped. Look at them.¡±


    Lisa had her eyes fixed on the ground and Jake had turned deep red. They had indeed stopped. Mitzi saw Lolly and struggled out of Uncle Jake''s arms. Strapped to her chest was the snuggle pouch Grandma Toady had made for Puccini. It kept him safe and not lost. His bear legs stuck straight out on the sides. A bright smile spread across Mitzi¡¯s face. She ran up to Lolly and gave her a big hug. And then, she squirmed her way in between Trevor and Lolly on the bench. Uncle Luke asked, ¡°Mind watching her for a second, while I buy tickets?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Mitzi leaned in close to Trevor and asked, ¡°What are your intentions tonight? Are they honorable or wicked?¡±


    Trevor sat very straight and said, ¡°Honorable.¡±


    Mitzi looked at Lolly and said, ¡°See I told you he was a prince.¡±


    Uncle Luke came back with the tickets. To Mitzi, he said, ¡°Come on, lets go.¡±


    The look came on Mitzi¡¯s face. She whined, ¡°But I want to play with Lolly and Trevor.¡±


    Before Uncle Luke could say anything, Lolly said, ¡°No. You can¡¯t.¡± Mitzi glared at her. In her eyes was the beginning of turning wheels. A tantrum was winding up. Firmly, Lolly said, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare. I will tell your mom. You don''t want to get pulled out of Munch''s show again to you?"


    In a hot little voice, Mitzi said, ¡°I see you smooching him,¡± she jabbed her thumb at Trevor, ¡°I will tell Grandma Toady.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Mitzi did not know how to respond to this. Uncle Luke scooped her up before she could say more. With Mitzi in his arms walked away.


    Lolly said, ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    Trevor smiled at her. ¡°No worries.¡±


    With tickets in hand, Jake and Lisa joined them. Jake asked, ¡°Which course should we play?¡±


    Lolly said, ¡°The one on the right.¡± It was far, far away from Mitzi.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Music blared over the speakers. The lights were bright. Lisa claimed she did not know how to play golf so, Jake was ¡®helping¡¯ her. Half way through the round, Amber and Bill showed up. Trevor groaned, ¡°Great.¡± To herself, Lolly smiled. At least now, she wasn¡¯t the only one with family there. As soon as Amber saw her, she headed straight for her. When she reached her, she gave Trevor a smirk and then hugged Lolly. ¡°How you doin¡¯ girl? This guy treating you right? He better be.¡± The look she gave Trevor was a warning. Suddenly, Lolly felt very uninitiated. Lisa, Aunt Jessie, Amber and even Grandma Toady and Mrs. Dutchendorph all knew what it was like to be in a relationship, Lolly still knew next to nothing. They all knew what it felt like to be swept away by feelings Lolly hadn¡¯t experienced yet.


    After Amber and Bill left, Lolly got really quiet. The constant touching of Lisa and Jake was starting to make her feel uncomfortable. If they were this affectionate in public what were they like in private? She stopped her brain from going there.


    When they finished their round, Jake said, ¡°I am so hungry, let¡¯s go grab some burgers.¡±


    Worried, Uncle Luke would see her leave, Lolly glanced back. He was helping Mitzi with a shot. In the parking lot, they all climbed into Jake¡¯s truck. Lolly waited to get in last. She didn''t like being in the middle. It made her feel claustrophobic. Lisa was glued to Jake. He had his arm around her and he was driving with one hand. Trevor had put his arm along the back of the seat. She could feel the wool of his jacket against her neck.


    At Dairy Queen, she slid into the booth beside Trevor. Jake actually let go of Lisa when their food arrived.. Once the boys had plowed through their burgers, they waited for Lolly and Lisa to finish theirs. When they were done, the next part of the evening began.


    Inside the truck, with a click of the radio knob, the flute from Crosseyed Mary* filled the truck. While Lolly liked the flute in the song, she was not keen on the lyrics. She saw Jake slide his hand onto Lisa¡¯s knee. Lisa leaned in and kissed him. It was another long slobbery kiss. She wished Mitzi was there to shout, ¡°Get a room!¡± Was this how the evening was going to be? She felt frozen in place. Trevor put his arm around her but she couldn¡¯t feel it. All she felt was fear. This was beyond her league. It had only been seven days since she''d gotten her first kiss. Were they fixing to go park?


    Giggling, Lisa pushed Jake away. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s drive to Surfside.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Jake gunned the motor and they were off. She looked at Trevor¡¯s watch. It was after 8:00. It took around twenty minutes to get to Surfside from Lake Jackson. It took about forty minutes to get from Surfside to home. All Lolly could do was pray she got home by curfew.


    Trevor turned her face toward his and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    She whispered, ¡°Just worried, I won¡¯t get home on time.¡±


    ¡°I promise you, you will get home on time.¡± He squeezed her shoulder and pulled her a little closer.


    At Surfside Beach, the aroma of salt water filled the cab of the truck. Jake stopped near the pier. They piled out. The wind had a slight bite to it, but it wasn¡¯t uncomfortable. Sleeping gulls were huddled along the pilings. Lisa and Jake took off down the dark shore. Trevor guided Lolly to the partially lit pier where there were other people. The sound of the water sloshing against the pilings was soothing music to Lolly. The night air helped. Hand in hand, they walked in silence. The wooden pier creaked beneath their steps. From time to time, someone would nod or speak. As for Lolly and Trevor, neither seemed to have any words. Lolly was grateful Trevor didn¡¯t feel the need to fill the silence. She liked quiet. She liked the feel of Trevor¡¯s hand in hers. When they reached the end of the pier, a few fishermen sat still as statues holding onto their rods. The moon was just beginning to rise. It was a sliver of light in the darkness. Trevor squeezed her hand and quietly said, ¡°Sorry about Jake and Lisa. I had no idea they would be all over each other.¡±


    ¡°Me either. I think it would be better if it were just us.¡±


    ¡°Me too. Next time, Mitzi can be our chaperone.¡±


    Lolly asked, "Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Completely. She thinks I''m a prince.¡±


    He let go of her hand and put his arm around her. Her drew her close. Happiness bubbled up inside of Lolly. Moonlight reflected on the waves. A fish hurled its body above the water and glistened briefly before it splashed below. The waves churned and danced. In this moment, everything was beautiful.

 Chapter 43. Lines of Communication

    From the pier, Lolly heard Lisa gasp. She said something Lolly didn''t understand And then her voice grew loud and angry. ¡°What in the hell do you think you are doing?¡±


    Jake¡¯s voice had a slight tremble. ¡°I thought its what you wanted.¡±


    ¡°Right. Why are guys all alike?¡± In the glow of the street light, Lisa appeared. She called out, ¡°Trevor, Lolly, we are going home now!¡±


    Lolly wasn¡¯t ready to go home. According to Trevor¡¯s watch they still had at least fifteen more minutes. Trevor said, ¡°Guess we better go.¡±


    The arrangement in the truck was much different on the way home. Trevor sat between Jake and Lolly while Lisa was beside the window. The atmosphere inside the cab was frosty. Jake seemed more hurt than angry, but Lisa was furious. What had happened?


    When they reached the Putt Putt parking lot, Lisa was out of the truck like a hornet. She had her car unlocked and was inside it before Lolly even got out of the truck. Under his breath, Jake said, ¡°Please tell her I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lolly didn¡¯t even ask what he had done. She would find soon enough.


    Trevor walked her to Lisa''s car and gave her a quick hug and kiss. He whispered, "I had fun."


    She whispered back, "Me too." Now, to face whatever had transpired between Lisa and Jake. She climbed into the front seat. Angry tears slid down Lisa¡¯s cheeks. Without looking back, Lisa jammed the stick shift into reverse and then roared out of the parking lot. They were on the highway before she said a word. When she did her voice was shaky. ¡°That went wrong fast. I just wanted to kiss, I didn¡¯t want to be groped. One minute it was bliss, then he got handsey. Why do guys like to grab body parts and squeeze? I swear, I don¡¯t get it. And he actually thought that¡¯s what I wanted. He said it loud enough for anyone on the pier or beach to hear. I am so freakin¡¯ embarrassed. God, I am such an idiot.¡±


    So this was what Aunt Jessie meant by a new world with strange modes of behavior. What Lisa wanted and expected was not the same as what Jake wanted and expected. Lolly said ¡°You aren¡¯t an idiot. I¡¯m sorry this happened.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. This was supposed to be your night with Trevor and Jake ruined it. I just thought he was different. John Boy kisses girls but he doesn¡¯t grope them. Mad Dog didn¡¯t grope Jill in the movie. I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    Aunt Jessie¡¯s words echoed in Lolly¡¯s head. Clarity. Ground rules. Mixed signals were what Lisa and Jake had experienced. Lisa was so upset she had major diarrhea of the mouth. Lolly couldn''t get a word in edgewise. One minute Lisa was calling hell down on Jake and the next one she was running herself down. Lolly went into auto pilot, like she did when Munch was in a mood. She kept her eyes focused on Lisa''s mouth and nodded and uhummed at seemingly appropriate places. Lisa did not want advice, she needed to vent, so Lolly let her vent away. She couldn''t help but wonder about the conversation Jake and Trevor were having. Did guys talk about stuff? Jake, the big dummy, had seemed really sorry and very upset. Maybe he and Lisa would work through this. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t.


    When they got to the trailer it was 10:45. Lolly had not broken her curfew, in fact she was early. She gave Lisa a quick hug and got out of the car. Lisa said, ¡°I¡¯ll call you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lolly went inside. Grandma Toady was in the recliner reading. She looked up from her book and asked, ¡°Did you have a good time?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± God, she hoped Grandma Toady didn¡¯t want to talk about the evening. Lolly was pretty sure the trip to Surfside wouldn''t meet with Grandma Toady¡¯s approval. She yawned and said, ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± She gave Grandma Toady a good night kiss and went to her room.


    Fluff was in the middle of her bed all stretched out. He opened one green eye and closed it. Lolly shed her clothes and put on her pajamas. She reached for her favorite book, Ramona the Pest. Familiar words were what she needed to ground her. It had been a weird night. It would have been so much better if it had just been her and Trevor without all the stupid Lisa/Jake drama. Fluff had to be bodily removed from the center of the bed. For once he was not perturbed by being shifted. He curled up beside her left ear and started to purr. The sound was soothing. Lolly flipped on her bedside lamp. Light pooled around her bed. She opened the book. It was well worn. The character Ramona and the real Mitzi had a number of things in common. The story pulled Lolly away from the complications of being a teenager. Before long, she drifted into deep sleep.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    *


    Sunday afternoon, Lolly got a call. She expected it to be Lisa, but it was Jake. He said, ¡°I got your number from Munch. I hope that¡¯s okay.¡±


    If it wasn''t okay, it was too late. Why had Munch given out her number? She said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Please tell Lisa how very sorry I am. She won¡¯t talk to me. I am seriously not a cave man or a pervert. I haven¡¯t really dated anyone before and all I know is what guys say in the locker room. I am such an idiot. God, why did I listen to them. They told me about signals and a bunch of other sh¡ª, uh crap and they were so full of it. I really like her. Will you help me?¡± His breath was a little uneven and he sounded scared.


    What to do? Getting in the middle of this, was not an option. She didn¡¯t really know Jake, like a friend. He had been a classmate for years, but that was it. Honestly, he might be a caveman or a pervert. There was no way she was going to talk Lisa into anything. She said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give her some time? Let her cool off. Show her that you can be a gentleman.¡±


    ¡°What if that doesn¡¯t work?¡±


    ¡°No point in jumping ahead. Just focus on what you can do and not what may or may not happen.¡± This was a direct Grandma Toady quote.


    When he spoke, he didn¡¯t sound hopeful, but he also no longer sounded like he was about to cry. ¡°Okay. I will try. Thanks Lolly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    Lolly hung up the phone. Right now, she didn''t want to talk to Lisa. She grabbed her hoodie and headed outside. The weather was changing. Dark clouds raced from the north. A cold front was coming in. She pulled up her hoodie and went to the swings. She sat down in the one Trevor had swung in last week. Uncle Jake¡¯s truck pulled into the trailer park. Mitzi waved Puccini¡¯s paw as they passed the park.


    Slowly, Lolly swung back and forth. Her mind drifted from her first kiss, to the other kisses she had gotten in the past week. The kisses Trevor had given her so far were sweet and gentle. He seemed to really respect her and she liked that. She didn¡¯t want to mess that up. Her mind started to travel down other roads, roads she had never been on and had only heard or read about. A shiver went through her.


    ¡°Lolly!¡± It was Grandma Toady. ¡°Your pa is on the line!¡±


    Pa! How she missed him. If he hadn¡¯t changed up his schedule he would have been home this week. She ran to the trailer. Grandma Toady was sitting at the kitchen table talking to him. She said, ¡°Here she is,¡± and handed Lolly the phone.


    ¡°Hi, Pa. I miss you.¡±


    ¡°I miss you too Shortcake.¡± Hearing his voice brought tears to her eyes. It was so good to hear him. ¡°How you doin¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°I heard you went out Saturday night, with a certain someone.¡±


    Grandma Toady must have told him. ¡°Uh, yes, I did. Trevor was a perfect gentleman.¡±


    ¡°Good to know. How is school?¡±


    This was not just a question about school. It was a question about Spence Drew. He hadn¡¯t done anything, yet. ¡°Its okay. Nobody has bugged me or Munch.¡±


    Again he said, ¡°Good to know,¡± and added, ¡°Just be careful.¡± This statement was probably not just about Spence Drew, it was also about Trevor.


    ¡°I am. I promise.¡±


    ¡°I know you are.¡± He changed the subject, ¡°So, how is Munch?¡±


    ¡°He almost has his entire collection finished. I wish you could be here to see the show.¡±


    ¡°I do too, though I am not sure Munch would want me there.¡± There was truth in this statement. Pa continued, ¡°Shortcake, can you think of anything I can do that might make him hate me less, outside of not marrying his mother?¡±


    ¡°Nope, I can¡¯t think of a thing. Give him time, he will realize someday what a great guy you are.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± He didn¡¯t sound hopeful. ¡°I sure wish I hadn''t changed my schedule around. I could be there right now.¡±


    ¡°I know. But, it will be really good to be together on Christmas. We haven¡¯t had Christmas together in four years.¡±


    ¡°No, we haven¡¯t. So you have any ideas about what I should get Estelle? I want to get her something special, that lets her know I see her. I was thinking an illustrated book, or some art supplies. But, I have no idea. Could you do some snooping for me next time you go over there?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Shortcake." He talked some about work and she told him a little about her date. Lolly glanced at the clock. Pa would be starting his shift soon. She began to prepare herself for good bye. She hated good byes. "Well," he said, "I guess I better scoot. I¡¯ll talk to you soon! Love you!¡±


    ¡°Love you too.¡±


    Gently, Lolly hung up the phone. She had a lump in her throat. If only Pa were home now, if only he could always be home.

 Chapter 44. A Little Night Music

    Sunday evening, the first thing Mitzi did when she walked into the trailer was ask very loudly, ¡°Did you and Trevor smooch?¡±


    Aunt Jessie said, ¡°That is none of your business.¡±


    Mitzi cocked an eyebrow and put her hand on her hip, ¡°Well, that Lisa girl made it everybody¡¯s business the way she was kissing that boy.¡±


    Behind Mitzi, Max let out a girly giggle. He clamped his hand over his mouth to stifle the next one from getting out. From the recliner, Grandma Toady looked at Lolly. There was a question in her eyes. Inwardly, Lolly groaned. Mitzi¡¯s big mouth was something she could always count on.


    Aunt Jessie abruptly changed the subject. ¡°Mitzi, do you have your shells for show and tell tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I do. How many times are you gonna ask me that?¡± Mitzi¡¯s eyes shot back to Lolly. So this was her revenge for not getting to play Putt Putt with Lolly and Trevor.


    Lolly was not going to let the little imp win. She said, ¡°Trevor said he¡¯d like you to go with us the next time we do something.¡±


    All revenge left her eyes. In a small voice she asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Really.¡±


    Mitzi hurled herself into Lolly¡¯s arms and gave her a big hug. In Lolly¡¯s ear she whispered, ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    Of course after Aunt Jessie left, Grandma Toady cornered Lolly in the kitchen and asked, ¡°What was Mitzi talking about?¡±


    Lolly sighed. ¡°Lisa and Jake were all over each other.¡±


    Grandma Toady frowned. ¡°That¡¯s a shame. You won¡¯t be joining them again.¡±


    As if she didn¡¯t already know that. Lolly said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure there is a them any more. They got into an argument last night.¡±


    ¡°As well they should have. Kids just move too fast these days.¡± There was sadness in Grandma Toady¡¯s eyes, but she didn¡¯t express what she was thinking.


    After supper, Mitzi declared, ¡°Opera! Tonight!¡± Fluff immediately fled.


    Max groaned. Opera nights were dreaded nights. He asked, ¡°Can I go to Kevin¡¯s? Just call me when its over.¡±


    Grandma Toady nodded. On her face was a grim smile. Mitzi, for reason¡¯s unknown to anyone, loved Opera. Hence the name of her stuffed bear, Puccini. On Opera nights, dress attire was required. In a way it was kinda fun and in another it wasn¡¯t. Lolly put on the teal green dress from Goodwill she had gotten from Munch. Grandma Toady wore her satin robe with fake pearls. Mitzi dimmed all the lights in the house and had Lolly set up a lamp on the stereo. The kitchen bench had been hauled in to be Mitzi¡¯s stage. In front of it, propped on a stool, Puccini had a chopstick taped to his paw. He was the Maestro. The opera tonight was Mitzi¡¯s favorite, Turandot. Grandma Toady placed the stereo needle down on the revolving album. There was a slight scratching noise and then the music began. At the top of her lungs Mitzi sang, Nessun Dorma, those were the only two word she actually knew. The rest was a bunch of gibberish. Still, Mitzi kept time with the music. Her little body bobbed and swayed. Grandma Toady was smiling. In that instant, Lolly realized how rich they were. How very fortunate they were. Not many people had grandma¡¯s who would listen to a four and a half year old caterwaul like this. Grandma Toady believed in giving people time, she said her time was the best gift she had to offer.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    When the album had played through the first side, Mitzi curtseyed. Grandma Toady and Lolly gave the performance a standing ovation. Mitzi beamed. She said, ¡°Thank you for coming this evening.¡± She nodded at Puccini and said, ¡°Now a round of applause for our Maestro Puccini.¡± Grandma Toady and Lolly clapped for the little grubby bear.


    The phone rang. Mitzi hopped off the bench and was to the phone in a flash. Lolly jumped up and ran. She didn¡¯t get there in time. Mitzi said, ¡°Hello?¡±


    There was silence, then Mitzi said, ¡°Yeah, she lives here? Who is this?¡±


    Another moment of silence and then Mitzi said, ¡°Its Lisa, the girl who smooches boys in public. She wants to talk to you.¡± She thrust the phone receiver at Lolly.


    Lolly took it. Mitzi sat down at the kitchen table.


    From the living room Grandma Toady called, ¡°Puccini says the tape is cutting off the circulation in his paw.¡± Mitzi did not move.


    Lolly said, ¡°Hey, can I call you right back. We have a situation.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Lolly hung up the phone, told Grandma Toady to keep Mitzi off the line and went into Grandma Toady¡¯s room and locked the door. She called Lisa back. Lisa picked up on the first ring. She didn¡¯t even say hello, she immediately asked, ¡°Should I give Jake a second chance?¡±


    What a question? The question, she had dreaded all day. She said, ¡°Have you talked to him?¡±


    ¡°No but Munch has.¡±


    Had Munch become Dear Abby or something? Why in the world was he getting involved in this? Lolly asked, ¡°Do you want to talk to him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid. When I was Viv¡¯s friend I think I got a reputation by association. Maybe Jake heard about that and you saw how stupid I was being. I swear I have never come onto a guy like that.¡± There was no way Lolly could know if this was true or not. Lisa continued, ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly. No guy has ever turned me on like Jake does. I just really liked it until I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Too much information. Lolly really didn¡¯t want to have this conversation. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know Jake well enough to have an opinion.¡± She really didn¡¯t know Lisa well enough to have an opinion.


    There was silence. The silence hung between them. Finally Lisa asked, ¡°Do you think Jake is a bad person?¡±


    Seriously? ¡°No.¡± He was a teenage boy, which in Aunt Jessie¡¯s opinion teenage boys were prone to stupidity, not evil.


    ¡°He has called so many times today. My dad is getting annoyed. I can¡¯t believe Jake actually had the guts to ask Daddy if he could talk to me seven times.¡± It seemed like over kill to Lolly. There was another silence that Lolly didn¡¯t attempt to fill. Lisa finally said, ¡°I guess, I could talk to him tomorrow, but not tonight. I¡¯m just not up to it. Thanks for listening.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°See you tomorrow, bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡± Lolly hung up the phone.


    *


    Ten minutes before 9:00 p.m. the phone range. Lolly was at the kitchen table doing her Geometry homework. She picked up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± It was Trevor. ¡°Sorry to call so late. Jake and I were over at Munch¡¯s for my final fitting. I look like a pimp, I¡¯m sorry but I do. My dad would freak if he saw me.¡±


    In Lolly¡¯s head the words, ¡°if he saw me,¡± echoed in her head. She asked, ¡°So, your folks aren¡¯t coming?¡±


    ¡°No. They wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Not for the first time Lolly wondered if his parents would understand about her, or if they even knew about her. There was an awkward pause and he said, ¡°But, Amber is coming.¡± Well, that was something. Why were his parents so distant? He abruptly changed the subject, ¡°Munch called Lisa, but she wouldn¡¯t talk to Jake.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d he take that?¡±


    ¡°He almost cried, but Munch talked him down.¡± Munch again. She had never known him to take any interest in the love lives of anyone, not even his own. He was so focused on his art.


    Trevor said, ¡°Munch has some record collection.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he does.¡±


    ¡°I especially like Etta James song, At Last.¡± Then, to Lolly¡¯s surprise he began to sing, ¡°At last/My love has come along/My lonely days are over...¡± She had never heard him sing before. His voice had this soft vibrato sound. Had he just told her or implied that he loved her or was he just singing the song? He sang the song all the way through. He paused and said, ¡°Its a really cool song. I thought, maybe it could be our song.¡±


    They would have a song, and it would be by Etta James? Lolly was hoping their song would be by John Denver, but then Trevor didn¡¯t seem like the John Denver type. She managed to say ¡°Uh, yeah, sure that would be great. Your voice is so good. Why aren¡¯t you in choir?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t have the time. But I like to sing,¡± his voice dropped to a whisper, ¡°especially to you.¡±


    Wow. Excitement and fear did their usual dance in Lolly¡¯s head. She had no idea what to say next.


    Grandma Toady came into the kitchen and said, ¡°It¡¯s time you got off the phone. Tell Trevor goodnight.¡±


    Lolly said, ¡°Sorry, I gotta go.¡±


    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°See ya, bye.¡±

 Chapter 45. Munch Time

    Anxiously, Lolly peered out the bus window. Up ahead she saw Munch waiting. He was dressed all in green with a red coat. Very Christmas. When he got onto the bus, he was in unusually good mood. He plopped down beside her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up buttercup?¡±


    ¡°Last night, Trevor sang, At Last to me over the phone.¡±


    Munch smiled. ¡°The devil he did. I got me another Etta James convert.¡±


    Lolly lowered her voice to a whisper, ¡°He said it was our song.¡±


    Wide eyed Munch asked, ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°I know right? Do you think he was saying he loved me or just singing a song?¡±


    ¡°Well, it didn¡¯t take your pa long.¡±


    Lolly rolled her eyes. ¡°Can we leave our parents out of this? Tell me what you think?¡±


    Munch tapped his fingers on his knee and looked out the window, before he turned back to her and said, ¡°Etta James is powerful stuff. I love you Lolly, but Trevor, well, until he says the words straight out be careful. Guys can be kinda dumb sometimes.¡±


    ¡°But what am I supposed to do if he thinks he does love me?¡± She suddenly felt like she was going to cry.


    Munch fixed his eyes on her and said, ¡°Sweet Jesus, Lolly what is wrong with you? You been droolin¡¯ over that boy since you first laid eyes on him and now you''re upset because he might love you.¡±


    ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t make any sense, its just why would he love me?¡±


    Munch stared at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. You know what I mean.¡± Then, she asked the question that had haunted her all night. ¡°Do you think his folks even know about me?¡±


    The change in Munch¡¯s expression was swift. He felt bad for her, she could tell. Suddenly, she didn¡¯t want to hear what he was about to say. He surprised her when he said, ¡°He¡¯s a guy. Guys don¡¯t really talk to their parents.¡±


    ¡°You do.¡±


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m an exception. Don¡¯t read too much into it.¡± He looked her directly in the eyes and said, ¡°Promise, you will not read too much into it.¡±


    ¡°How can I not? Look at me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go there.¡±


    Munch placed his hand over hers. While he maintained eye contact, he said to her something he had said before, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re different. Everybody is, but for some of us, our differences are just more obvious.¡±


    At this moment, her fervent old wish sloshed inside of her. She didn¡¯t want to be obviously different. She wanted to blend in, she wanted to have long hair and be able to wear mascara.


    The bus stopped. Trevor got on. He saw Lolly and smiled. That smiled. She smiled back, but she felt uneasy.


    When they pulled up to the school, Spence Drew was leaning against the wall by the door. His cowboy booted foot pressed against the wall, while the other was extended forward on the ground. His horde of flunkies were with him. Panic rushed through Lolly. She didn''t want Trevor and Munch to walk passed Spence together. They both had it out for him, and neither of them could take him. She followed Munch down the aisle. He stopped at the opened doors. He saw what she saw. With a glance back at her he said, ¡°Let¡¯s loop around the sidewalk to the Art room.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    They got off and headed toward the sidewalk to the visual art classes. Trevor caught up with them and asked, ¡°Where are we headed?¡±


    Lolly lied, sort of, Munch might actually need to get something from the art room.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Munch, ¡°I gotta pick up some pencils."


    ¡°Okay.¡± Trevor slipped his hand through Lolly¡¯s. The look he gave her made her heart race. He gently squeezed her hand. She actually got the courage to squeeze his hand in return. Suddenly, she felt light and happy. Spence Drew faded from her thoughts.


    *


    At lunch, Lisa slid into the chair beside Lolly and across from Munch. She told them, "Jake and I talked. He apologized in person this morning. He seems really sorry, but I don''t know. I don''t think I''m ready to trust him yet."


    Trust. There was the word. This was something that Lolly could actually speak on. She said, "Wait till you are ready to decide. I you are ever are ready."This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Yeah, I know." Lisa sounded sad and conflicted.


    Though she did not want to, Lolly pulled the note Jake had passed to her in Lit class out of her backpack. She handed it to Lisa.


    The expression on Lisa''s face was a cross between delight and confusion. With hands that trembled ever so slightly she read it. When she finished she said, "He wants to know if he can call me tonight. What do you think?"


    Lolly would not commit. "Its your call."


    A little giggle came out of Lisa. She said, "You are so funny."


    If she was funny it was a very lame funny. During the rest of their lunch break, Lisa composed several notes which Munch read through and edited. By the time the bell rang, Lisa finally had one that she and Munch liked. Lolly knew what was coming next. Jake''s Algebra class was across from her geometry class. Lisa asked, "Would you please?"


    One more interaction with Jake today. Yay. "Sure."


    When she handed the note off to Jake, he asked, "Is this good news or bad news?''


    Knowing the entire contents of the note made Lolly feel a little guilty. She said, "Mostly good."A worried expression crossed his face. She repeated, "Mostly good."


    He gave her a wary smile, pocketed the note and said, "Thanks Lolly."


    *


    After school, Munch met her in the hall and they headed for the bus. On their way out, Spence Drew partially blocked the door. In a low growl he said, ¡°Well if ain¡¯t the bald egg bitch and her little n------ princess.¡± They were being baited. Drew wanted a reaction. It was not the first time Lolly or Munch had been called these names.


    Under her breath she whispered to Munch, ¡°Sticks and stones.¡± It was their code. He jutted out his chin ever so slightly and whispered back, ¡°Sticks and stones.¡± They acted as if they didn''t hear him. Spence might have said more but the principal appeared and he darted away.


    When Lolly and Munch got onto the bus, they fell into their seats. Instinctively, Lolly¡¯s hand went to her scar. Munch saw her and got a dangerous look in his eyes. She didn¡¯t want him to be home alone with his thoughts. She knew his mom had a late class tonight. She asked, ¡°Would it be okay if I got off at your stop? I am just running a little short on Munch time.¡±


    The smile he gave her went straight to her heart. At his stop Mrs. Anderson opened the doors and they got off. It was a bright clear afternoon. The earth smelled damp and fresh. The sun was heading toward the west. The trees had shed their leaves and their bare branches laced the horizon. The beauty around them began to push Spence Drew out of their thoughts. Cows watched them walk down the drive. Lolly was surprised when she saw trenches dug in the pasture near the house. ¡°What¡¯s going on there?¡±


    ¡°Plumbing. That¡¯s were your pa is putting Grandma Toady¡¯s trailer. As much as I hate all this, it will be nice to have you for a neighbor, especially on days like today.¡±


    She put her arm through his and said, ¡°Yeah, it will be.¡±


    The chickens were clucking and strutting in the chicken coop. Munch told her, ¡°I have a feeling when y¡¯all move in, Mama''s gonna have a tough time gathering eggs with Mitzi¡¯s around.¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that. I hope y¡¯all are prepared to have the famous Mitzi and her side kick Puccini around 24/7 when she is staying over.¡±


    Munch said, ¡°That plumbing is being put in for two trailers. Aunt Jessie will be living here too.¡±


    No one had told her this, or if they had she must have been so preoccupied she didn¡¯t hear them. She smiled at him and said, ¡°Sounds like we¡¯re going to be a regular tribe.¡±


    ¡°Yup. That¡¯s another thing I do like. It gets lonely out here when Mama''s working. I have always called Grandma Toady, Grandma Toady and now she is going to be my step grandma and Aunt Jessie will be my step aunt.¡± There was no mention of who would be his stepdad, but Lolly let that slide. They reached the house and he unlocked the door. They walked inside. Lolly couldn¡¯t help but notice how still and silent the house was. Munch didn¡¯t come home to this everyday, but he did most days.


    She said, ¡°I need to call Grandma Toady to tell her where I am.¡± Would Grandma Toady be okay with her impulsive decision to visit Munch? She was about to find out. She put her backpack on the table and grabbed the phone. The phone rang once. Mitzi answered and then asked, ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at Munch¡¯s.¡±


    Mitzi scolded, ¡°Umm, you didn¡¯t ask did you?¡±


    Irritated Lolly said, ¡°I am trying to ask if you would just give Grandma Toady the phone.¡±


    ¡°Asking for something after you''ve already done it sounds kinda sneaky to me."


    "Give Grandma Toady the phone!"


    "I will. Keep your pants on. Mama told me, we are gonna live next door to Munch. I was so happy. We won¡¯t be apart and I can go and paint with Aunt Estelle anytime I want to.¡±


    The ease with which the word¡¯s Aunt Estelle rolled off Mitzi tongue gave Lolly pause.


    Mitzi yelled,, ¡°GRANDMA, ITS LOLLY! SHE WENT TO MUNCH''S WITHOUT PERMISSION!¡±


    Grandma Toady came on the line and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±


    Lolly wasn''t ready to talk about Spence. It would only upset Grandma Toady, and she frankly didn''t want to do that right now. "I just got a whim." Liar.


    "Well, you don''t have those very often. I''ll come get you around 8:30."


    That was easier than she thought it would be. "See you then. Bye.¡± Lolly hung up the phone.


    Munch came back unto the kitchen and got them healthy snacks, because that was all they had. When they went to the attic, he put on an Etta James album. Some of her songs were so heart breaking, Lolly didn¡¯t know how Munch could listen to her all the time. Did this album have the song on it that Trevor had sung to her last night? She hoped so.


    On clothes rack against the wall was Munch¡¯s collection. The clothes were all hung in dry cleaner bags. She asked, ¡°Have you finished everything?¡±


    He smiled and said, ¡°Almost. Want to take a peek?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡¯


    One by one, Munch showed her the outfits. He was a wizard with a sewing machine. When he showed her Trevor¡¯s outfit she had to bite her tongue. It did look a little too much like a pimp suit, but she would never say that. As for her own dress, she was stunned to silence. It was made of a gorgeous lavender Organza. He said, ¡°Try it on.¡±


    She took it down stairs to the bathroom and put it on. It fit perfectly. The neck line was curved like flower petals and the scalloped sleeves were sheer lavender. It had a fitted waist and the edges of the hem line were also scalloped. She ran upstairs and shouted, ¡°THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DRESS I HAVE EVER SEEN!¡±


    In a soft voice Munch asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really. You are so freakin¡¯ talented!"


    His eyes were shining. He said, ¡°Thank you, that means a lot coming from you.¡± She started to give him a big hug, but he held his hands up and said, ¡°Don¡¯t. That fabric is a bitch to iron. Give me a hug after you change. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± Lolly twirled around in the center of the room. The dress felt like magic. Even though she was still completely terrified of walking the runway, she couldn¡¯t wait to actually wear this dress.

 Chapter 46. The Tides of Trust

    Tuesday morning when Trevor got on the bus, he smiled at her, but it was not, That smile. Something was up. As soon as Lolly and Munch were off the bus, Trevor was beside her. He said, ¡°We need to talk.¡± It was not a request. There was an edge in his voice, she had never heard before.


    She said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Munch gave her a look, and said, ¡°I guess I will go to the Art room.¡±


    Lolly said, "Be careful." She knew he didn¡¯t want to risk seeing Spence alone.


    "I will." Alert and anxious he made his way into the building.


    For the first time, since he''d kissed her, Trevor didn''t take her hand. She followed him inside to the Trophy case in the lobby. What was wrong with him? He stood with his back to the trophy case. Lolly could see her reflection in the glass. She looked worried.


    Trevor began, ¡°Last night when I got home from practice Jake and I went for a run. We passed by Munch''s house and we thought no one was home. Munch''s mom''s car wasn''t there. When we looped back around, I heard Etta James wailing. The studio light was on. I thought, Munch is hard at work. Later, when I called you, your grandma told me you were at the Dutchendorph''s. I asked her when you''d be home and she said, probably not till almost nine.¡± His voice became hard, ¡°Of course after nine, I am not allowed to talk to you." He paused and asked, "So were you and Munch alone?"


    Seriously? Was he jealous of Munch? ¡°Uh, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t understand your grandma¡¯s rules. You can be in a house in the middle of nowhere alone with Munch at night, but you can¡¯t go on a date with me to play miniature golf in a public place. Besides that, why didn¡¯t you tell me you were going over there?¡± His eyes were hard.


    First off, Lolly got mad. He had just accused Grandma Toady of being unfair and inconsistent. Secondly, he implied that she, Lolly, could not be trusted, nor could Munch. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you, because I didn¡¯t know I was going over there until we reached Munch¡¯s stop.¡±


    ¡°And your Grandma was okay with that? She knew y¡¯all would be alone?¡±


    The word ¡®alone¡¯ was accusatory. ¡°Yeah, she knew. And if you have not forgotten, Munch is about to be my stepbrother and he is my best friend.¡±


    ¡°Why is your best friend a boy? Why isn¡¯t your best friend a girl?¡±


    Now Lolly was really mad. ¡°My best friend is a boy, because when all my damn hair fell out, he was the only one who didn¡¯t call me a freak or think of me as a freak. When I was scared and ashamed he was there for me. I don¡¯t know what your imagination or your buddies have been conjuring up about Munch and me, and yeah, I¡¯ve heard the gossip.¡± She turned and walked away from him. Tears stung her eyes. How had this gone so wrong so fast? With blurred vision and a heart that hoped he would call her back, she made her way to the Art room. He did not call her back. At the Art room door, she took a deep breath and opened the door.


    Munch was surprised when she walked in. He saw her face and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°What happened? Did you see Spence?¡±


    ¡°No. Trevor and I just had a difference of opinion.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Grandma Toady¡¯s rules and you.¡±


    Munch lead her into the far corner of the room and dropped his voice down low, ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°Basically, he knows your mom wasn¡¯t home last night and that we were alone together.¡±


    A funny quirk came to Munch¡¯s lips. He said, ¡°The boy is jealous of me.¡±


    ¡°It would appear so.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned.¡±


    The way Munch was taking this was not helping. He was obviously pleased. Trevor saw him as a threat of some sort, or at the very least like a guy who had privileges he didn''t have. She punched Munch in the arm. ¡°You are not supposed to be happy about this.¡±


    He rubbed his arm and said, ¡°I know, sorry. Its just no guy has ever been jealous of me. Excuse me while I savor that for a sec.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Oh, my God, Munch.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m too much. Still, this is an amazing day for me, a jock is jealous of me. Let me have my moment.¡±


    ¡°I am leaving.¡± She turned away from him. Boys were so stupid.


    He caught her arm. ¡°Don¡¯t go, I¡¯m sorry. Do you want me to talk to him?¡±


    ¡°Not sure it would do any good. If you want to talk to him, fine, but I am not asking you to do anything.¡±


    ¡°I know, you got your pride and I got mine. Either he trusts us, or he doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Softly, Lolly said, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Munch continued, ¡°Either he respects Grandma Toady¡¯s judgement or he doesn¡¯t. You can¡¯t change how he feels. Maybe he will get over it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    The bell rang. It was time for Lit Class. Munch gave her a hug and said, ¡°It is gonna be okay.¡± Was it?


    Out in the hall, Lolly didn¡¯t see Trevor. Munch walked her to class. They passed Spence. This morning he looked right through them, as if yesterday hadn¡¯t happened at all.


    At the door of her Lit Class, Munch gave her arm a squeeze and said, ¡°Trevor will get over it. You¡¯ll see.¡± Lolly wasn¡¯t sure she would see anything.


    A feeling of being disembodied took hold of her as she made her way to her desk. All her emotions felt jammed. There was this weird void in the pit of her stomach. On the chalk board written in big letters was the assignment of the day. She pulled out her Lit Book and flipped through the pages. Edgar Allan Poe. It was his short story, "Eleonora.¡± Great. She was not a fan of Poe. He creeped her out.


    The second bell rang. Mrs. Beasley closed her door, took roll and then perched on her stool. In her lovely British accent she said, ¡°Today I will be reading Sara Teasdale¡¯s poem, ''Tides.''" The title alone made Lolly think of Saturday night on the pier with Trevor. Mrs. Beasley recited:


    Love in my heart was a fresh tide flowing


    Where the star-like sea gulls soar;


    The sun was keen and the foam was blowing


    High on the rocky shore.


    But now in the dusk the tide is turning,


    Lower the sea gulls soar,


    And the waves that rose in resistless yearning


    Are broken forevermore. *


    Tears formed in Lolly¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t know how Mrs. Beasley managed to choose poems that hit her so accurately, but she did. Was what she and Trevor shared broken? Was it over? It couldn¡¯t be over. It mustn¡¯t be over, but she didn¡¯t know how to fix it. Could it even be fixed? After Grandma Toady and Pa, she loved Munch next. Nothing was going to change that. Not Trevor and not gossip. It wasn¡¯t like she had snuck around on Trevor. That was something she would never do. It hadn¡¯t occurred to her that he had any real problem with her relationship with Munch. Obviously, he did. He either trusted her or he didn¡¯t. Grandma Toady said, ¡°Trust has to be earned.¡± Was it possible that she had not yet earned Trevor¡¯s trust?


    When class was over, to her dismay, Jake approached her. She really didn''t want to talk about Lisa, or get a note for Lisa. He looked her directly in the eyes and said, ¡°Trevor just doesn¡¯t get it. Let him cool off. He hasn¡¯t been here long, so he doesn¡¯t understand about you and Munch.¡±


    This was unexpected. Lolly asked, ¡°You think it will be okay?¡±


    ¡°I hope so. He really likes you.¡± Jake gave her an encouraging smile. He changed the subject and said, ¡°Guess who called me last night?¡± He was smiling so it could only be one person.


    ¡°Lisa.¡±


    ¡°Yup. We talked, got some things sorted out.¡±


    Lolly thought, perhaps there was hope.


    *


    At lunch when Lolly came to the table, Lisa gave her a hug. She said, "Gees Lolly, I''d expect something like this from Jake, but not Trevor. He just seems so perfect."


    Munch looked up from his sketch pad and said, "No body''s perfect."


    It was true. No body was. Lisa and Lolly sat down. Lisa said, "If you want to talk, we can talk, if you just want to chill we can do that too."


    Lolly glanced at Munch. He gave her an encouraging smile. What would she do without Munch? What was she going to do without Trevor? She told Lisa, "I''m not ready to talk yet. It hurts too much."


    "I get it." Lisa moved on to safe topics and Munch followed suit.


    After lunch, Lolly didn''t see Trevor. In fact she didn''t see Trevor after Geometry. The only way that could happen was if he was purposefully avoiding her. She knew high school romances didn¡¯t last, did she really think she and Trevor would be the exception? Yes, she did.


    During Home Economics, an announcement came over the loud speaker instructing the boys varsity basketball team to head to the gym. They had a game in La Marque. There was no way she would see Trevor again today. Would he call her tonight? She didn''t think he would. All her insecurities started romping around in her brain. She just wanted to go home.


    After school when Lolly got on the bus, Munch was already on board. He tried to distract her with his silly talk, but she couldn''t focus on a word he said. Had she done something wrong going to Munch¡¯s yesterday? Was Grandma Toady inconsistent? Deep down she knew the answer to both questions was no. Knowing this didn¡¯t make it hurt any less.


    Max and Kevin walked with her from the bus stop to the trailer. Max asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡± She wasn''t.


    After Max went over to Kevin¡¯s, Lolly went into the rummage room where Grandma Toady was quilting. From the kitchen came the sound of Mitzi tap dancing with Puccini. Lolly sat down on Pa¡¯s bed. Grandma Toady glanced up and asked, ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°No. Trevor and I got into an argument this morning. He found out I was alone with Munch last night and he got mad.¡±


    Grandma Toady put her needle down and said, ¡°Trevor seems like a really nice boy, Lolly, but he is a boy, a teenage boy. And, I can see why he could be confused. He knows why I don¡¯t want you to be alone with him, yet. Do I have a double standard about boys where Munch is concerned? Yes. Munch loves you. I trust him. Trevor likes you, I don¡¯t trust him. Simple as that. You are not the first teenage girl I have raised.¡± The tap dancing in the kitchen became thunderous. Grandma Toady sighed. ¡°And you probably won¡¯t be the last teenage girl I raise, but I hope to God, Mitzi is.¡± Carefully, she put her quilt blocks aside and stood up to give Lolly a hug.


    Safe in her arms, Lolly asked, ¡°Do you think its over?¡±


    ¡°I honestly don''t know. Still, people have disagreements and they get over them. That could happen."


    "Maybe."


    "Sweetie, don¡¯t waste time or energy concocting every worst case scenario you can come up with. Also, be kind to yourself, okay?"


    ¡°I''ll try."

 Chapter 47. Pizza and Poe in the Big Woods

    Around 6:00 p.m. there was a knock on the door. Lolly answered. It was Amber, her eyes were red rimmed and she looked like she had been crying. In a quavery voice she said, ¡°Can you go grab a pizza with me?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure, let me ask. Do you want to come in?¡±


    Amber shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you in the car.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lolly watched Amber head back to her red Mustang. Her shoulder¡¯s drooped. ¡°Please God,¡± Lolly prayed, ¡°don¡¯t let this be about Bill.¡± She went to the rummage room and told Grandma Toady, ¡°Amber just asked me to go grab some pizza with her.¡±


    Grandma Toady gave her a look of concern. Lolly was afraid the answer would be no, and a part of her hoped the answer would be no, but it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t be gone to long.¡±


    Mitzi popped up from beneath the bed. ¡°Me and Puccini want to go too.¡±


    Lolly told her, ¡°Not this time. Amber seems really sad. I think she want to talk to just me.¡±


    Mitzi frowned and said, ¡°Its hard to be sad.¡±


    Indeed it was. Lolly went to her room and grabbed a jacket and a knit hat. The weather was changing again. Once she was inside Amber¡¯s car she felt like she was being haunted by the ghost of Trevor. A pair of his running shoes were on the floor board.


    In silence, Amber drove to the Pizza Inn. Lolly didn¡¯t have the energy to pry anything out of her, so she just kept quiet. Once the placed their order, Amber finally said, ¡°My folks haven¡¯t seen my report card yet, and when they do, I am gonna have to quit my job and ditch Bill. I love my job, and I love Bill. I¡¯m not good at school. I never have been. The only reason I wanted to go to college was to be with my friends.¡±


    Lolly asked, ¡°How bad are your grades?¡±


    With her eyes fixed on the table, Amber said, ¡°I flunked Algebra, Biology, completely and Sociology, by one point. Thanks to you I passed my Lit class just barely, I passed P.E. YEAH me.¡± A tear slipped down her cheek. ¡°All I want to do is work. I¡¯m good at my job. I don¡¯t feel like an idiot when I¡¯m working. I really don¡¯t want to take Algebra, Biology or Sociology ever again. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m gonna do.¡± She looked up at Lolly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not asking for an answer, just some moral support."


    Lolly reached across the table and gave Amber¡¯s hand a quick squeeze. ¡°You got that. Maybe it won¡¯t be as bad as you think.¡±


    She sighed and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know my folks. It will be as bad as I think. One things for sure, I am not giving up my job or Bill. I am gonna be 19 years old soon and they can¡¯t make me do anything, but they sure as hell can cut me off.¡±


    Not quite sure what being cut off meant, Lolly said, ¡°I am so sorry this is happening.¡±


    Amber gave her a lopsided smile. ¡°You are so sweet. That¡¯s one of the reasons my brother likes you.¡±


    All on its own, Lolly¡¯s bottom lip started to tremble. She looked down at the table, her eyes blurred with tears.


    Amber asked, ¡°What did he do?¡±


    Though, Lolly wasn¡¯t sure talking to Amber about Trevor was the best idea, she did it anyway. Amber knew Trevor. She would know if there was any hope at all. Bit by bit, Lolly was able to tell her what had happened.


    The first thing Amber said, ¡°In a way you could be flattered.¡±


    Lolly said, ¡°Well, Munch is certainly flattered.¡±


    For the first time that evening, Amber smiled a real smile. ¡°That Munch is a jewel.¡±


    ¡°He is.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± Amber said, ¡°for my brother to play the he-man card he must really like you. Usually he so damned self confident it makes me want to barf.¡± Her voice dropped a tad and she said, ¡°What a dummy. He¡¯s gonna be sorry. He¡¯s probably sorry now.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Lolly wasn¡¯t¡¯ so sure about that.


    Amber glanced at her watch. ¡°I wish we could stay longer. God knows I don''t want to go home and deliver my exceptionally good news.¡± She reached for her purse and told Lolly, ¡°I¡¯m buying, just so you know there¡¯s one good Long in the family.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Lolly hoped, there were two good Longs in the family.


    After she got back home, Lolly spent more time glancing from the kitchen clock to the telephone than focusing on her homework. Concentration was hard to come by. She tried to will the phone to ring, but it didn¡¯t work. Somehow she was going to have to get through this evening. One minute followed another. She managed to get her Geometry and Biology homework done. Last on the list was the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. She had to write five part them on it. Great fun. The last thing she wanted to do was dive into Poe¡¯s madness. And, she just couldn''t look at the phone anymore. It was 8:45. Trevor was not going to call. She picked up her books and went to her room.


    Bracing herself, she began to read. For reason¡¯s she did not know, the words, ¡°Pyrros is my name. Men have called me mad, but the question is not yet settled,¡± leapt out at her. This story was supposed to be autobiographical. It was a glimpse into Poe¡¯s real life. The story surprised her. It was not ghoulish, but sad and strange. It was a story of young and desperate love. The words were as fantastic and vivid as Edgar Allen Poe¡¯s words always were but they were not shocking. The mention of hair as a point of female beauty was painful for Lolly. It always was. She had to choose a theme for her paper, so she chose the curse Pyrros had bound himself to lest he unfaithful to Eleanora.


    The phone rang. Lolly leapt to her feet and raced to kitchen. Was it Trevor? When she reached the kitchen, Max had already answered it. He said, ¡°It¡¯s your mom.¡±


    It had been a while since she last heard from her mother. Lolly took the phone. ¡°Hi Mama."


    ¡°Hey Sweetie, how are you?¡±


    Did she really want to know? Lolly decided not to risk it. Tonight she couldn''t bear to have her life dismissed. She said, ¡°I¡¯m okay. How are you?¡±


    Trinia let out a squeal. ¡°The episode of Police Woman I¡¯m in, will air the first week in January. I just got the word and I had to call and tell you. A friend of mine swears my scene is a good one and it won¡¯t end up on the cutting room floor.¡±


    Silently, Lolly prayed it would not end up on the cutting room floor. The last time that had happened her mom had gone into a funk for two months. Lolly said, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see it.¡± Really, she could wait.


    Abruptly, Trinia changed the subject. ¡°I talked to Vance¡¯s sister. Remember Vance, he was that tubby guy your dad was friends with back in the day.¡± Vance and Pa were still friends, but Lolly didn¡¯t correct her mother. ¡°Any way, she mentioned your Pa¡¯s wedding. I pretended like I knew. Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me?¡±


    The answer was simple, it was hard to tell someone something when they hadn¡¯t called. Lolly was in no mood to coddle her mother. She said, ¡°If I had heard from you I would have told you.¡±


    Trinia said, ¡°Ouch. But, I know I deserve it. I promise I will do better.¡± How many times had Lolly heard this? ¡°Anyway, who is he marrying?¡±


    ¡°Munch¡¯s mom.¡±


    There was laughter on the other end of the line. ¡°I just can¡¯t picture your Pa with Estelle. What do they have in common? Don¡¯t tell me he has become a vegetarian.¡±


    ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t.¡±


    To Lolly¡¯s¡¯ dismay her mom said, ¡°A red blooded man, needs red blooded meat.¡± What was that supposed to mean?


    For several more minutes, Trinia chattered away. She sounded genuinely happy and that was a good thing, but as usual the entire conversation was about Trinia¡¯s universe. Before she hung up, her mom said, ¡°I got a new number. You got something to write on?¡±


    Grandma Toady kept a pad and pencil by the phone. ¡°Yeah, I do.¡±


    Her mom recited the number. A new number meant a new living arrangement. She sounded too happy to be single. Dutifully, Lolly wrote it down, knowing she would probably never use it. Lolly glanced at the kitchen clock. It was 9:15 and Trevor had never called. Or if he had, their line was busy. Whatever her mom said next, Lolly didn¡¯t hear. When she said, ¡°Love you sweet girl! Call me if you need anything. Bye!¡±


    Lolly felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She managed to push the words, ¡°Love you too, Mama,¡± through her constricting throat. She hung up the phone.


    Grandma Toady stepped into the kitchen. She asked, "Is everything okay?¡±


    The tears started. Misdirected tears wobbled down her cheeks. If only she had eyelashes! Grandma Toady took her in her arms. ¡°You have had a hard day.¡± Unable to speak, Lolly nodded against Grandma Toady¡¯s shoulder. Gently, Grandma Toady pulled away from her and asked, ¡°Would you like me to read you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Go get ready for bed, I will be there in a second.¡±


    Lolly did as she was told. Fluff as usual was hogging the bed. It must be nice to be a cat. Fluff didn¡¯t even know who his mother was. Lolly¡¯s mother didn¡¯t know who Lolly was. Unless Pa had told her, Mama didn¡¯t know anything about Spence or Trevor. She knew nothing at all.


    When Grandma Toady came into the room, she held an illustrated copy of Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was Grandma Toady¡¯s favorite book. Lolly pushed Fluff onto his side of the bed and climbed under the covers. Grandma Toady sat down on the foot of the bed and began to read, ¡°Once upon a time..." The rhythm of Grandma Toady¡¯s voice was the balm that Lolly¡¯s sore heart needed. Grandma Toady knew her, Grandma Toady loved her, Grandma Toady was with her. There was comfort in this knowledge.

 Chapter 48. On the Border

    The pink light of dawn filtered through Lolly¡¯s window. Morning had finally come. She had not slept well. This was a day she did not want to face. How was she going to do school today...school without Trevor. Since the first day she saw him get on the bus, her world had tilted. Had it only been weeks since she went from being a bookish girl with a big imagination, to what she was now? What was she? Trevor had pulled her out of her safe imaginary world. In that world she could worship from a far, conjure any scenario she wanted and it would happen, at least in her mind.


    This morning she was entering totally foreign territory. A part of her knew that regardless of what happened this day, the person she was before Trevor kissed her no longer existed. The only way to get her back kinda, sorta was to return to the world of make believe. Still, she knew she couldn''t return to who she was. There was no way to undo all she had learned and experienced in the past few weeks.


    Involuntarily, her hand went to the scar on the back of her head. It was still raised and still pink. She slowly ran her hand along the top of her hairless head. The only time she ever touched her head was when she made a quick swipe across it with a wet washcloth. Allowing the skin of her hand, to touch the skin of her head was something she never did. The only person who ever touched her head was Pa. He loved her blindly and completely. Grandma Toady¡¯s love was not blind, but it was complete. As a female, Grandma Toady knew way more than Pa about the pressures of being female. Every book Lolly ever read always mentioned hair. When Lolly was little, Grandma Toady would French braid her hair or curl it. Those had been good times. And then, they were over forever. There were moments when she could feel Grandma Toady¡¯s grief over the loss and her fear about all Lolly would face as she made her way through life as a hairless female. These thoughts were sobering and totally unhelpful now.


    Beside her Fluff stretched. He opened one eye and winked at her. His whiskers caught the morning light. A deep rumble began in his chest. Lolly stretched out her hand and rubbed the space between his ears.


    The bathroom door slammed. Small feet ran down the hall and Lolly¡¯s door flew open. Mitzi shouted, ¡°Wake up! Why are you still in bed?¡±


    Without answering Lolly climbed out of bed and joined Mitzi and Puccini at the open closet. As far as Lolly was concerned there was not any Armor of the Day that would protect her or prepare her for whatever this day held. What she wanted most to do right now was to just stay home forever. Home was safe.


    Though Mitzi didn¡¯t have any idea about what was going on with Lolly, she was an empathetic creature. She said, ¡°We should pick something that will make you feel pretty.¡±


    Nothing was going to make her feel pretty. During the night all her old ghosts had come back to haunt her and were haunting her still.


    After several long moments of staring, Mitzi said, ¡°Max has what you should wear. He packed it, I saw it.¡±


    Why would Max have something pretty? Lolly followed Mitzi to the room where Max slept. In his duffle bag was a wrinkled Eagles¡¯ On the Border concert T-shirt. It had a beautiful blue eagle flying through the orange ball of the sun. Mitzi said, ¡°This bird matches your eyes.¡±


    It did. Lolly loved this image. It spoke to her of overcoming...of soaring.


    Max came into the room. His hair was wet and he wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt. ¡°What are y¡¯all doing in here?¡±


    Without asking permission, Mitzi said, ¡°We are borrowing this.¡±


    Would Max let her wear it? Lolly found herself hoping very hard that he would. He gave her a look, that let her know he did know what was going on with her. Who had told him? Munch probably. He shrugged and said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Lolly wanted to hug him, but she restrained herself. Mitzi did not. She threw herself in her brother¡¯s arms and said, ¡°I love you SO much big brother.¡±


    Embarrassed, Max mumbled, ¡°Love you too.¡±


    On their way back to Lolly¡¯s room, Mitzi said, ¡°Well that was easy. Now we just gotta put it in the dryer with a wet paper towel to get the wrinkles out. Wrinkles aren¡¯t pretty unless they are on Grandma Toady¡¯s face. Then they are BEAUTIFUL!¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Lolly couldn¡¯t help it, a tiny smile crept across her lips. That child!


    After breakfast, as she was leaving, Grandma Toady gave Lolly a big hug as did Mitzi and Puccini. Max walked with her to the bus stop. Kevin immediately came over. Lolly suspected he knew something too, but she wasn¡¯t sure. She might just be being overly sensitive.


    Mrs. Anderson gave her a smile when she climbed onto the bus. Lolly forced a smile in return. Her heart had begun to thump hard. She took her seat by the window. What would she do, where would she look, when Trevor got on the bus? Had only a day passed, just one day. It felt like an eternity. The bus moved forward. With her gaze fixed out the side window, Lolly saw nothing, heard nothing except the pounding of her own heart. In the past, when she had a crush, it just ran its course and one day she wasn¡¯t interested any more. That was way easier and way more gentle than this terrible feeling she had right now.


    The bus neared Munch¡¯s stop. Usually she noticed what he was wearing, but he could have been naked this morning and it would not have registered. Soon, too soon, they would be at Trevor¡¯s stop. Munch got on and plopped down beside her. He didn¡¯t ask her how she was, it was so obvious. He did comment on the T-shirt. ¡°Max actually let you wear his favorite shirt.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lolly didn¡¯t know this shirt was Max¡¯s favorite shirt. He must really love her after all.


    ¡°Cool.¡± Munch chit chatted in a failed effort to distract her. It didn¡¯t work. The sound of her own heart had became thunderous. She refused to look forward. Was Trevor standing at his stop? Quickly her eyes darted down to the floor. The bus stopped. The doors opened. With eyes fixed firmly on the toes of her old chucks, she heard Trevor pass but she did not look up. The bus pulled off. The next hurdle would be getting off the bus as quickly as she could to race to the library. At least she had a plan.


    The bus breaks squealed when they reached the school. The doors flew open, Lolly pushed passed Munch and practically flew off the bus. Without telling Munch where she was going, she raced into the building and made her way to the library. The place was pretty empty. She went to her table, pulled out her theme paper and got to it. Her breathing was a bit labored and she felt so sick to her stomach, but she would write this intro paragraph or be damned.


    She was scribbling away about the curse of love, when she became aware of someone near her. She looked up. It was Trevor. He stopped at the table and asked, ¡°Could we talk?¡±


    There wasn¡¯t any edge in his voice this morning and he seriously looked as bad as Lolly felt. ¡°Uh, okay.¡±


    He sat down across from her. In a low voice he said, ¡°I thought you hated me when you walked away from me yesterday."


    Lolly couldn''t help but wonder if anyone had ever walked away from Trevor Long.


    His voice dropped to a whisper, "I am so sorry Lolly. I get stupid when I''m mad. Jake tried to reason with me, but I didn''t hear him. I''ve never felt like this about anyone, and it scares me. It also made me act like an ass. It will probably happen again. I can be such an idiot." He was so earnest it hurt Lolly''s heart. "I wanted to call you last night, but our stupid bus broke down and getting that fixed took forever. I didn¡¯t get home until after 11:00, so I called Munch. He told me about what Spence said to ya¡¯ll on Monday. He explained your friendship to me and while I don¡¯t quite get it, I can live with it. Can you forgive me?¡±


    This confession left Lolly speechless. It was the last thing she had expected, but also what she had most hoped for. She nodded her head and felt a single tear slide down her cheek. Trevor reached his hands across the table and took hers in his.


    At the front desk Mrs. Stanton made a sound in her throat. It was her warning signal, that someone was about to get reprimanded. Lolly couldn''t see her, but Trevor could. He squeezed Lolly''s hands and released them. Under the table he slid his foot to were it was touching hers. A warm giggly feeling started in Lolly¡¯s stomach and spilled out into a huge grin on her face. She clamped her hand over her mouth before a giggle burst out. In Trevor¡¯s eyes light danced and Lolly was sure light danced in her own.


    *


    At lunch, Lolly went up to Munch and punched him in the arm. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you talked to Trevor?¡±


    He rubbed his arm and said, ¡°Because, I didn¡¯t know if he would chicken out, or some dumb jock would change his mind. I¡¯m glad to know he did talk to you. Are things good?¡±


    Lolly smiled, ¡°Yes, they are.¡± The little voice in her head added, for now.


    Lisa rushed over to the table and squealed, ¡°Jake told me!¡± She leaned in and hugged Lolly. ¡°I am so happy!¡± She was.


    As Lolly ate her lunch, a thought occurred to her, Trevor hadn¡¯t mentioned Amber. Did he know about her grades? Probably not. Was she okay? How had things gone with her folks? This evening she would call her. Was she working? Lolly couldn¡¯t keep up with her schedule. Regardless of what had gone down with her parents, Lolly knew Amber would be happy for her. Amber was like that. She had such a good and generous heart.


    Lisa said, "We should all go out this weekend again. Wouldn''t that be fun?"


    It wouldn''t. Had Lisa already forgotten how successful their last double date had been? Munch shot Lolly a glance. He knew she didn''t want to go. She told a sorta of truth, a might actually happen truth, "Trevor and I plan to do. something with Mitzi."


    Munch added, "And Puccini."


    Slightly puzzled, Lisa said, "Oh, okay. Some other time then?"


    "Yeah." Double date avoided for now.

 Chapter 49. For the Love of a Red and White Mustang

    Last period, Lolly was in the hall on her way to class, when Trevor suddenly appeared. He gave her a quick unexpected kiss right on the lips. That brief touch anchored Lolly. The smile he gave her was better and deeper than even That smile. This smile was the smile he had for her, just her. He said, ¡°I will call you tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay, good.¡±


    Gently, he touched her cheek and then was off sprinting down the hall to the boys gym. Lolly felt like she was floating. Had it only been yesterday that she thought everything was over? Twenty four hours could sure make a difference. Though she risked being late for class, she watched him run down the hall and through the gym doors. And then, she burst into a sprint of her own. Really, she didn¡¯t want to be tardy. But if she was, it would be worth it.


    On the bus ride home she was alone. Munch had a planning meeting with the Drama department. Mademoiselle Petite and Mr. Drake, the drama teacher, always worked together on plays. Munch of course was helping design and sew costumes. The Musical this year was Hello Dolly. Munch had his heart set on creating the dress for the character, Dolly Levi.


    Without Munch beside her chattering away, Lolly was able to enjoy the little bubbles of happiness that kept rising up inside of her. It was a new sensation. She smiled to herself. This now was good. Outside the window the sky was gray, a wind was gusting up and it looked like rain, but for Lolly the sun was shining. It shone bright inside of her until the bus pulled into the trailer park. A red and white Mustang was in front of her trailer. What was Amber doing at the trailer?


    Mrs. Anderson opened the bus doors and Lolly got off. Something had happened, Amber wouldn''t just show up.. The wind spit a stray drop of rain into her face. She made a dash for the front door. Max and Kevin were close on her heels, but it wasn¡¯t because of the weather. They knew who the Mustang belonged to. When the boys reached the Mustang they both stopped. Max exclaimed, ¡°The only thing that would make this car more beautiful was if a naked lady was draped on the hood!¡±


    Kevin stifled a snicker. Boys!


    Lolly went inside. Grandma Toady was in the recliner with Mitzi and Puccini in her lap. On the couch sat Amber. Her shoulder¡¯s were slumped. Absently, she stroked Fluff, who was curled up beside her.


    Mitzi announced, ¡°Amber has runned away from home and her mama is gonna steal her car.¡±


    What?


    The boys walked inside. Amber rubbed the tears off her cheeks and put on a fake smile. Like two little rooster¡¯s Max and Kevin strutted into the room. Well, Max definitely strutted, what Kevin did was an awkward shuffle. A real BIG smile spread across Max¡¯s face. In an exceptionally bright voice he said, ¡°Hey Amber.¡±


    Amber replied, ¡°Hey.¡±


    Grandma Toady said, ¡°Boys, there are cookies in the kitchen.¡± The boys didn''t move. A little louder she said, "Cookies, kitchen. Amber might like some." These words sunk into Max''s head and he ran out of the room, followed by Kevin, his trusty side kick. To Mitzi, Grandma Tody said, ¡°Its time for us to go to the grocery store.¡± Usually, Grandma Toady went to the store while Max and Lolly were at school. How long had Amber been at the trailer? To Amber and Lolly she said, ¡°You two go for a ride or something. I have a suspicion that if you stay here a certain young man is going to be a pain.¡±


    At that moment Max entered the room. His face literally lit up like the proverbial Christmas Tree. On a napkin he had two cookies. He asked Amber, ¡°Would you like these?¡±


    She said, ¡°You are such a sweetie.¡±


    Max flushed dark red but his eyes got even brighter. Oh my gosh, he had a crush on Amber. A big one. Shyly, Kevin stood behind Max with his milk and cookies. Grandma Toady told Max, ¡°Mitzi, the bear and I are going to the store, do you need anything?¡±


    No response. Max was completely mesmerized by Amber.


    Mitzi asked, ¡°If I¡¯m good, can I have M&M¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but Puccini can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°He knows. Poor baby.¡± Mitzi gave Puccini a kiss on his scarred nose.


    Lolly told Amber, ¡°I¡¯ll go put my books up, then we can go."


    Max asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Grandma Toady said, ¡°You are going to Kevin¡¯s while I¡¯m gone. Okay?¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Disappointment registered on Max¡¯s face. He mumbled, ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am,¡± but he didn¡¯t move. In fact he was still in the living room when Lolly came back through. His eyes were riveted on Amber and he was telling her some goofy story that had happened in gym. Amber looked genuinely amused. Lolly couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the amusement was due to Max¡¯s story, or the way he was acting. Kevin cut her a glance. He had noticed too.


    Being the chivalrous boy that he was, Max walked Amber to her car. Amber turned to Lolly and gave her a wink, and then she gave Max a peck on the cheek. Max turned like seven shades of red, but he was beaming. He just stood there in delighted shock. Wow, Lolly wished Amber hadn''y done that. The look on Max''s face revealed that his crush had just tumbled into puppy love and that could be rough. The girls got into the car and Amber started the engine. She gunned it for effect, and boy was it effective. If Max got any more excited he was going to explode into a million little pieces, like Puccini''s stuffing had when Aunt Jessie put him in the dryer. Mitzi still didn''t know about that. Lolly glanced out the review mirror as they pulled away. Still waving Max stood there with the most ridiculous grin.


    As soon as they turned the corner, Amber said, ¡°That was priceless. Your cousin is just too cute. Poor little guy. Gosh, I remember what it was like to be totally smitten and twelve years old.¡± Her face grew sober and she said, ¡°Things were a lot easier back then.¡±


    Were things easier? Most of what Lolly remembered about being twelve sucked. Between getting her period and having a body that was in a massive and continuous state of change that messed with her mind, twelve had been a dandy year. Poor Max. She had never seen him look at any girl, the way he had just been looking at Amber.


    From the glove compartment, Amber grabbed an eight track taped and shoved it into her eight track player. The haunting music of Pink Floyd filled the car. The song was about a lunatic in motion and it was giving Lolly the creeps. What she wanted was for Amber to talk, but she wasn''t talking. The only thing to do was wait. The song finished and Amber ejected the tape. She asked, "Wasn''t that awesome? Pink Floyd is Bill''s favorite band. He drove all the way to Tucson Arizona last April to hear them play. He said it was amazing and he''s gonna take me to their next concert, no matter where it is."


    Not sure what to say, Lolly said, "Cool."


    "I know right." Amber grew silent again. She headed onto the high way, gunned her car and then drove onto the feeder. They stopped in the parking lot of an abandoned donut shop. Amber said, "Last night was TERRIBLE. I think Daddy is okay with me quitting school, but he would never say that out loud. Not even to me. He did tell Mom, ¡®Maybe a semester off would give her time to get things sorted. '' Well my mom acted like he didn¡¯t say a word. She looked straight at me and told me in that cold hard voice she uses, ¡®You are staying in school, no ifs ands or buts.¡¯ And then she threatened to take my car away. It was a gift! I got it for graduation. A parent just doesn¡¯t take back a gift. If I still had the little Pinto I got when I turned sixteen I could manage the payments, myself.¡± She patted the red leather seat and said, ¡°But this baby, I can¡¯t afford.¡±


    Stunned to silence, Lolly just listened. Would Trevor get a car on his sixteenth birthday? A car he planned to take Lolly to Corpus Christi in? What was it like to have money like that? She didn¡¯t expect to have a car until she could pay for it herself.


    Amber continued, ¡°I talked to Bill last night. We might get a place together, but we got to save up. So whether I like it or not, I''ve got to keep going to stupid college and keep living with my stupid parents. If there were no Bill, I would go live with my Nanny Carol. She would take me in a heart beat. But she lives in Baton Rougue, Louisiana, so basically I''m stuck. Your Grandma told me, not to look at it that way. She said, I need to go slow and not make a decision in anger. I am pretty damn angry right now, but I don''t think time or anything else under heaven is going to change my mind about college. I HATE IT."


    Lolly asked, ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡±


    Amber¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°Oh, my God, I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t think of this before. Mom told me I had to get a tutor. If I go back to school would you be my tutor? I swear, my mom will pay good money and maybe with your help, I just might pass. What¡¯d you think?¡±


    Honestly, Lolly could only think MONEY! Her own money. She had never had her own money before. What would she do with it? Buy books¡ªDuh! Amber was waiting. She said, ¡°But, I''m just a high school sophomore."


    "All the crap they are shoveling is basic. You helped me pass my Lit class, I''m sure you can help me with the rest."


    "I totally suck at anything math."


    Amber grinned at her. "Doesn''t matter. I won''t be taking any math next sememester."


    "What if your mom doesn''t approve?"


    "Just give me an old report card and she will agree, especially if I act all excited about school. Thank God, classes don''t start until the end of January. I can work all I want to between now and then. Every dollar I make will take me one dollar closer to getting out on my own."


    Lolly wasn''t sure that living with a boyfriend counted as being out on her own, but she kept that thought to herself. "I''ll ask Grandma Toady when we get back, if she says yes, I''m down for it."


    Amber asked, "Do you think your Grandma would mind if we had my tutor sessions at your house?"


    "It can be pretty noisy at my house. Can you study while listening to a tap dancing four year old?"


    "Sure. I can study anywhere just as long as I''m not at my house with my mom breathing down my neck like a dragon lady. Beside, I really like your house. It feels so homey and your grandma reminds me of my Nanny Carol. Do you think your grandma will agree?¡±


    Grandma Toady would. Helping people was her thing. Lolly said, "I think so."


    ¡°Good deal. One life problem solved." Abruptly, Amber changed the subject, ¡°So how did things go today with my knuckled headed brother? By the look of you, I think things are better.¡±


    Lolly couldn''t help but smile. ¡°Yeah, they are. He apologized.¡±


    ¡°What, my always right brother actually apologized? You got some kinda voodoo girl! And, I like it!"


    This compliment pleased Lolly. No one had ever told her she had voodoo.

 Chapter 50. Butterflies and Bowling

    Saturday morning, Lolly was pulled from sleep by Grandma Toady singing, ¡°I¡¯m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know.¡± Grandma Toady had lived in Gulf Coast Texas her whole life, so she hadn¡¯t known many white Christmas¡¯s. Beside Lolly, Fluff shook his head in an effort to dislodge Grandma Toady¡¯s off key singing. He took a dive under the covers. From the window, morning light spilled onto Lolly¡¯s bed. She reached out her hand and splayed it in the light. The light looked tangible but it couldn''t be grasped. Grandma Toady''s singing grew louder. It seemed inspiration had finally hit. Most likely Grandma Today had already called Aunt Jessie. A glance at the clock told her, Aunt Jessie had not been thrilled with the call. It was 7:00 a.m. Grandma Toady rose early every day. Aunt Jessie did not. Still, decorating the Christmas Tree when the mood finally hit Grandma Toady was their one Christmas ritual. Lolly wished Pa could be there. Maybe next year. There was always next year, right?


    The novel Lolly had been reading when she fell asleep, slid onto the floor.The story was so good, she hadn''t been able to put it down. Sleep had insisted and she had succumbed. She got out of bed and picked up it up. The title was Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George. Lisa had loaned it to her. The descriptions were so vivid Lolly actually felt the cold as she read. The alienation that Julie experienced was something she understood far too well.


    The front door banged open and Mitzi sang out ¡°Merry Christmas to all!¡± Max mumbled something. He was not an early riser on Saturdays either.


    Aunt Jessie said, ¡°Well, Mama, what¡¯s the theme this year?¡±


    Not even Lolly knew what the theme was and she lived with Grandma Toady.


    There was a rustling of tissue paper and boxes. Mitzi exclaimed, ¡°Butterflies, the tree is going to have butterflies this year!"


    Grandma Toady said, ¡°Yup, it is. What do you think?¡±


    Mitzi replied, ¡°They are beautiful and Puccini wants one ever so badly.¡± Right, Mitzi wanted one.


    Lolly reached for her robe and went into the living room. This year, Grandma Toady had discovered an aluminum silver Christmas tree at a garage sale. There were lights at its base and a little wheel rotated causing the aluminum branches to catch and reflect the colors. It was not Lolly¡¯s favorite kind of tree, but it was the one that had finally inspired Grandma Toady and that¡¯s what mattered. As of last night, Lolly was concerned inspiration might not hit at all this year. Mitzi cradled one of the yellow quilted butterflies in Puccini¡¯s paws. She looked up at Lolly and said, ¡°Him loves his new bug.¡± Usually Mitzi was not one to give into baby talk, unless she thought it might help her achieve her objective, which was to kidnap a butterfly.


    Together, well, Max was a reluctant participant this year. Fluff had made off with a butterfly of his own and Mitzi had stuffed one in her pocket. Like it wasn''t obvious. Carefully they put the butterflies and silver ribbons on the tree. Grandma Toady had made a pale blue satin star to go on top. They turned off all the lights, closed the drapes and watched the light spin under the tree. It made the faintest creaking noise. It was pretty in its own way, but Lolly preferred real trees. Trouble was Grandma Today didn¡¯t believe in taking the life of a tree. So there was that. Next year, there would be a real tree because despite or maybe because Mrs. Dutchendorph was an all natural vegetarian, they always had a real big tree with the antique ornaments Munch collected.


    For a moment, Lolly held the image of Mrs. Dutchedorph in her mind. The wedding was now seven weeks away and she still had no idea what in the heck she was going to call her when Pa married her. Gees, she really needed to figure that out.


    After the tree decorating they had a big breakfast of sausage, eggs, biscuits and white gravy. It was Lolly¡¯s favorite meal. Max ate so much, Lolly thought he was going to pop.


    Though, she had already cleared this with Aunt Jessie, Lolly asked, ¡°Who would like to go bowling tonight?¡±


    Max showed no interest. Mitzi, who spent many a Saturday night with her dad at the bowling alley said, ¡°Me and Puccini would love too!¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Lolly glanced in Max¡¯s direction and added, ¡°We will be meeting, Trevor, his big sister and Munch at the bowling alley.¡±


    The light that suddenly spewed out of Max¡¯s eyes was a wonder. He sat up straight and said, ¡°Well, I think I¡¯d like to go too."


    ¡°Good. Be hear at six.¡± Lolly had to stifle a giggle. Max was literally glowing!


    *


    The sun was starting to get low in the sky. Soon, Lolly would be going on her second date-ish with Trevor. The plan was Aunt Jessie would drop off Lolly, Max and Mitzi off at the bowling alley. Since Bill was working, Amber, Trevor and Munch would meet them there. Taking Mitzi out in public was a risk, but at least Lolly could still threaten her with getting kicked out of the fashion show. So there was that.


    For this date, Lolly wanted to dress herself. She really needed to get some kind of hold on her fashion sense. Mitzi couldn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t be able to dress her for the rest of her life. She chose her favorite pink sweater, hunter''s green corduroy overalls and the chucks Aunt Jessie had given her. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she actually thought she looked cute.


    The front door banged open. Mitzi shouted, ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± As if it weren¡¯t obvious. Her little feet clomped down the hall to Lolly¡¯s room and she burst through the door. Puccini was tucked in the carrier Grandma Toady had made him. It looked like Mitzi had tried to brush his fur. He was wearing a little sweatshirt with a heart on it. Mitzi gave Lolly a glance over. She said, ¡°Pretty good.¡± This was high praise from Mitzi. She never hesitated to give her honest opinion.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    With a twirl that caused her purple skirt to flare out, Mitzi asked, ¡°How do I look?¡±


    ¡°Beautiful.¡±


    Mitzi said, ¡°I know, right. I thought this purple would go good with the little lavender dots in my tights and this sweater, oh my gosh, it is perfect.¡± She patted her short pixie hair cut and said, ¡°Mama wanted me to wear a bow, but I said, no way. I don¡¯t want Trevor to think I¡¯m a baby.¡±


    Oh, my, thought Lolly.


    From the living room Aunt Jessie called, ¡°Come on girls, we need to get going.¡±


    Lolly grabbed her purse and they were off. Grandma Toady gave them all a hug and a kiss as they went out the door. Max had not come in. He was sitting in the front seat of the Pinto waiting.


    When Lolly opened the back door, Max¡¯s, ahem cologne, nearly knocked her over. She glanced at Aunt Jessie. Her eyes said it all. At least Max didn¡¯t smell like he did when he was ten and thought baths were a waste of water, time and energy. He had the radio on at full blast. Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin was crooning as only he could, ¡°I¡¯m gonna give you my love/I¡¯m gonna give you my love.¡±


    Mitzi climbed inside and Lolly followed. God, how were they going to make it all the way to Lake Jackson in this Old Spice cologne pollution. Mitzi said, ¡°Mama crack a window before me and Puccini suffocate.¡± She lowered her voice and said to Lolly, ¡°Max thinks he smells pretty, but he stinks.¡±


    Aunt Jessie cracked the window and turned the volume down on the radio.


    The ride to the Bob''s Bowling Alley was uneventful. Mitzi was on her best behavior which was a blessing. When they pulled into the parking lot, Aunt Jessie asked Max, "You got the money?¡±


    Max had his neck craned as he scanned the parking lot. Lolly knew what he was looking for, a red and white Mustang. He said, ¡°Uh, yeah, I got it.¡±


    The Mustang pulled into the parking lot. Max sat bolt up right, grabbed the rear view mirror and checked his hair. Okay, thought Lolly, this is going to be fun. In an instant, Max was out of the car and headed across the parking lot. Aunt Jessie commented, ¡°Keep an eye on him. He¡¯s got it BAD. Poor kid.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lolly honestly didn¡¯t know what she could do. A crush that big and that hard, was going to end in tears at some point in time. She helped Mitzi and Puccini out of the car. Mitzi stood on the curb watching her brother.


    Aunt Jessie nodded in Mitzi¡¯s direction and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back at 8:30.¡± This was the part of the plan that Mitzi was oblivious to. How it would go was best left to the future. Lolly didn¡¯t even want to guess what Mitzi might pull when she found out she had to go home before everyone else. Lolly closed the car door and led Mitzi to the entrance of Bob''s Bowling Alley. From where they stood, Lolly could see Munch, Amber and Max. Max looked like he was literally floating. Where was Trevor? Finally, Trevor climbed out for the car. A happy beat started inside Lolly¡¯s chest. She didn¡¯t feel as nervous as she did last Saturday.


    Mitzi tugged on her hand and whispered, "He is so cute. Are you gonna marry him? I think I''d like to have him for a cousin...or maybe a husband."


    What? Lolly started to remind Mitzi that she was only four a half years old and marriage was eons away. Marriage was also eons away for Lolly. She still had to finish two and a half years of high school, get her Bachelor''s degree and then her Master''s degree. But she didn''t say any of that. There was no point. In Mitzi''s opinion she was as big and smart as everyone else. Well actually, she thought she was smarter than most people. And honestly, she was. So, Lolly remained silent. The closer Trevor got, the more butterflies started bumping around in her stomach. She felt excited, scared and slightly nauseous. He smiled. The smile just for her. The butterflies inside her tummy swooped more gently but they did not go away.

 Chapter 51. Cruisin’

    When Trevor reached Lolly he gave her a quick hug and a kiss. Beside Lolly, Mitzi said, ¡°Yuck!."


    Munch laughed. Mitzi stuck her tongue out at him, spun on her little heel and made a dash for the bowling alley doors. Trevor sprinted after her, caught her and swung her up into the air. Mitzi giggled. When he put her down, she said, ¡°Do that again.¡±


    Trevor knelt down to her level and said, ¡°Only one more time, or I won¡¯t ever do it again. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    He lifted her again and spun her. Mitzi squealed, ¡°Puccini loves this. He thinks we¡¯re on a airplane.¡±


    Gently, Trevor landed the plane. Mitzi slipped her hand through his and said, ¡°I think I like you.¡±


    Trevor replied, ¡°I think I like you too,¡± and gave Lolly a wink.


    Hand in hand, Trevor and Mitzi walked into the bowling alley. Amber said, ¡°Looks like someone has stolen your date.¡±


    ¡°Yup. It does.¡±


    They went inside. A haze of cigarette smoke hung over the bowling alley. It was always like this. While Trevor paid for Mitzi and Lolly, Mitzi kept a firm grasp on his left hand. Amber just laughed. Max was being unusually quiet. He had this glazed look on his face and a really stupid grin. Munch leaned in and whispered in Lolly¡¯s ear, ¡°It looks like your whole family has a crush on the Longs.¡±


    On their way to get bowling shoes, several women in Pink Bowling League shirts asked Mitzi, "Where''s your daddy, Honey?" It seemed like Uncle Luke had some fans or some hot trot Ladies after him. Was he after any of them? Politely, Mitzi smiled at each of them and repeated the same answer. "I don''t know. I''m here on a date." This sent every one of the ladies to giggling. At least Mitzi was in a docile mood. All Lolly could do was pray it continued. The first threat of trouble began when they went to get their bowling shoes. Mitzi told the lady at the counter, ¡°I want number 26 in a little kid size 8. When they got the shoes, they didn¡¯t fit. Gravely, Mitzi said, ¡°Looks like I out growed another pair of shoes. I guess I need a size 9.¡±


    Lolly returned the shoes and asked for a little kid size 9. The shoes she was given were in in bad shape. She asked, ¡°Got anything else?¡±


    The lady at the shoe counter said, ¡°Nope, that¡¯s it.¡±


    As Lolly expected, Mitzi took one look at the shoes and said, ¡°Those are DISGUSTING! I will NEVER put my feet in those?¡±


    Amber suggested, ¡°You could bowl in your socks.¡±


    Mitzi looked own at her stocking feet and wiggled her toes. ¡°I can do that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Amber. ¡°Just be careful that you don¡¯t slip.¡±


    Lolly wasn¡¯t sure if this was first crisis avoided or a future crisis in creation. Now, she had to pray that Mitzi did not split her head open if she slipped on the wood lane floors.They divided up into teams. It was Trevor, Lolly and Mitzi against Max, Munch and Amber. Munch and Amber both seemed pretty sure of their victory. Neither of them had ever seen Mitzi bowl. As for Max, he was in a pink unicorn fog.


    The first set, Mitzi got the littlest ball they had and toted it over to the chairs. She crawled up beside Trevor. He grinned at her. She smiled back. Amber was first to bowl. She just missed getting a strike. Mitzi went next. Lolly noticed as her cousin approached the lane, the Bowling League Ladies had stopped their game and were watching Mitzi. With Puccini slung over her back in his pouch, Mitzi approached the line, ball tucked to her chest with eyes focused on the pins. She slid her foot forward and released. The ball was slow, but was on a bullseye course to the center pin. It bumped the center pin just hard enough to tip it. Almost in slow motion, it fell knocking the pin behind it down. One after another the pins fell until they were all down. The Bowling League Ladies cheered. Mitzi spun around and gave them all a bow.


    One called out, ¡°Honey, you can join our team any time!¡±


    Mitzi called out, ¡°Thank you.¡± Amber and Munch stood in stunned silence. They had never seen anything like it. Mitzi walked passed them and said, ¡°You guys are toast.¡± And they were.


    After the game, they went into the snack bar and ordered some burgers. Mitzi kept close to Trevor. In fact she managed to wedge herself between Trevor and Lolly in the booth. What Lolly really wanted was to just go on a date with Trevor. Just Trevor. He was being a good sport about Mitzi and she appreciated that, but still!Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Some one put a quarter in the juke box and K.C. and the Sunshine blasted out of the speakers. Mitzi said, ¡°That is my favorite song!¡± She slid under the booth table and hit the floor dancing. She had a natural rhythm.. Mitzi sang along, "Oh, that''s the way, uh-huh uh-huh/I like it, uh-huh, uh-huh."


    When the song ended, a Bowling League Lady with blue black hair came over and said, "Honey, you are such a good dancer!" She patted Mitzi''s cheek and walked away.


    Mitzi rolled her eyes and said a little too loudly, "That is Sylvia. She wants to me my new mommy."


    Momentarily Max came out of his trance and asked, "What?"


    "You heard me."


    After they finished their burgers, they played pin ball. Mitzi did not excell at pin ball but Max did. He was really showing off for Amber. He knew just how to make the ball spin out and flip the paddles. Ping, ping went the pin ball machine. Amber was impressed by his prowess and he knew it. When he beat every one listed on the board, Amber gave him a hug and said, ¡°That was amazing.¡±


    Max was so lit up, he could probably glow in the dark. All that time he and Mitzi spent with Uncle Luke and his bowling alley was paying off tonight.


    On the wall, the hands on the clock pointed to eight and five. Aunt Jessie would be there soon. The instant Mitzi saw her mama, there was a shift in the universe. A suspicious look came on her face. She turned to Lolly and asked, ¡°Why is Mama coming in here to get us? She should just pick us up at the curb.¡±


    Lolly didn¡¯t answer, but Max did. ¡°She¡¯s come to get you, its your bedtime.¡±


    Thanks Max. Mitzi opened her mouth, her eyes squeezed shut. Lolly begged, ¡°Please don¡¯t. If you want do this again you WILL NOT pitch a fit. Please.¡±


    Mitzi opened her eyes. ¡°Promise me I will get to go out with you again.¡± She was looking straight at Trevor.


    He said, ¡°I promise.¡±


    With a slight shrug, Mitzi said, ¡°Okay.¡± To everyone¡¯s relief, she left peacefully.


    Five minutes later, Max asked Amber, ¡°Could we go cruisin¡¯ in your car?¡±


    Amber grinned and said, ¡°Sure."


    Max¡¯s eyes got wide and his voice went wonky when he said, ¡°Cool.¡±


    They headed for the parking lot. When the Mustang took off, Lolly noticed a vibration flow through the back seat of the car and right into her stomach. Not a good sign. In the front seat, Max began a very animated story about when he broke his collar bone.


    There was a white blur in the distance. It was a truck. As it approached them, Lolly prayed it was not Spence Drew¡¯s truck. She glanced at Munch, he saw it too. She was aware of the tension in his body. Instinctively she reached out her hand and grabbed hold of his. That day in the hall when Spence pushed her started to play in slow motion in her brain. The truck passed them. There was girl with Spence. What girl in her right mind would go out with him? The answer was in the question.


    Trevor asked, ¡°Was that who I thought it was?¡±


    Softly, Lolly said, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    With more venom than Lolly knew he possessed, Trevor said, ¡°That bastard.¡± His grip tightened on her hand.


    Munch turned frightened eyes on her. He said, ¡°My karate class starts the second week in January. I wish it started now. I want to kick ass like Bruce Lee.¡± He pulled his hand free of Lolly¡¯s and sliced the air with a Karate chop.


    Trevor asked, ¡°Oh man, did you see Bruce Lee in Fists of Fury? It was crazy good movie.¡±


    ¡°I saw it like four times and I would watch it again. Bruce Lee rules!¡±


    Trevor asked Lolly, ¡°Have you thought about taking classes with Munch?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t, but maybe learning some self defense would be a good idea. She asked Munch, ¡°Would you mind if I went too?¡±


    ¡°Hell no.¡±


    From the front seat Max asked, ¡°What are y¡¯all talking about?¡±


    Munch replied, ¡°Karate class. You want to take it with Lolly and me?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Max took a slice a the air with his hand.


    The next thing Lolly knew, all three boys were swinging their arms and hands through the air and making weird noises in their throats. Amber burst out laughing.


    At the sound of her laughter Max stopped. If there had been a light on in the car, Lolly would be able to see Max''s face flushed embarrassed red.


    Amber leaned over and touched his shoulder with hers. She said, ¡°Dude, I¡¯m not laughing at you. You are just so darn cute with those Karate moves.¡±


    Max promptly puffed up like a little rooster and took a few more jabs at the air.


    Beside Lolly, Trevor said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for being basketball manager, I¡¯d take that class too.¡±


    Amber chimed in, ¡°Me too, but I got work and stupid college.¡±


    The vibration in the back seat was starting to make Lolly very queasy. No! She was NOT going to be car sick. A strong wave of nausea swept through her. Bad sign. She told Trevor, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling so good. Could I please sit by the window? I think I need some air.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Should I slide over or under?¡±


    Munch snickered. What a dirty mind.


    Lolly said, ¡°Um, I¡¯ll go over.¡± She slid over the top of Trevor, while he scooted beneath her. The first thing she did was crack the window. The cold night air rushed in. She took in a slow breath. Sweat was beginning to form on her upper.


    Munch asked, ¡°Are you car sick Lolly like you used to get in Grandma Toady''s Dodge Dart. You hurled in it every time you sat in the back seat.¡±


    Her palms were sweating.


    Amber asked, ¡°Lolly, would you feel better if you sat up front with me?"


    ¡°Probably.¡± She didn¡¯t know if Trevor would mind the seat change, but she was sure Max would.


    Amber pulled into the parking lot of the Dairy Queen and they rearranged themselves. Max gave Lolly a dirty look as he got in the back seat. That was swell. As for Trevor, he said, ¡°Sorry you¡¯re not feeling good.¡± He gave her hand a squeeze and released it.


    Once she was in the front seat, Amber said, ¡°I think a Sprite might settle your stomach. I¡¯m paying. Let me clarify that, I¡¯m paying for drinks and not food. Boys, what do you want.¡±


    The boys called out their orders.


    Driving home, sipping Sprite, Lolly started to feel better. Amber dropped Max off first. He looked like a sick puppy as he waved good bye.


    At the trailer, Trevor walked Lolly to do the door. He asked, ¡°You doin¡¯ okay.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m doing better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± He leaned in and kissed her and she kissed him back.

 Chapter 52. Family Matters

    Sunday morning, Grandma Toady decided they needed to go to church. Grandma Toady went to church when the mood hit or the Spirit moved her. Which ever one it was, it struck like once every month or so. Lolly didn¡¯t mind going to church. The tiny country church was lovely with its old wooden pews and colored glass windows. The sermons left a lot to be desired as did the singing, but the Bible said to make a joyful noise and the choir certainly achieved that.


    After church, they stopped at Dairy Queen for burgers. Lolly stomach was still feeling a bit off, so she just got a malt ands some fries. While they ate, Grandma Toady asked, ¡°So, how did last night go?¡±


    Lolly had been trying to figure out how to broach the subject of dating, and now was as good a time as any to do it hopefully. ¡°Uh, it was okay. Mitzi decided she might like Trevor for a husband, Max drooled over Amber and Munch was okay.¡±


    ¡°How was Trevor?¡±


    ¡°Very patient with Mitzi.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to know.¡± Grandma Toady smiled at her.


    Lolly couldn¡¯t manage to return the smile. ¡°It was not great. Okay. I have had two ¡®dates¡¯ with Trevor that have bordered on near disasters. I really think it would be better if we could just go out by ourselves.¡±


    For several seconds, Grandma Toady just chewed her burger. When she finally swallowed, she said, ¡°Maybe so, but its not happening until you are sixteen.¡±


    Lolly started to protest, but Grandma Toady placed her hand over hers. ¡°I know it sucks. Right now, you are test driving Trevor so to speak. So far, he has done well. You are getting to know him better and learning to trust him. Good things. When you think of being alone with Trevor what do you think of?¡±


    HORRIFICALLY embarrassing question! Lolly felt her face flush bright red.


    Grandma Toady patted her hand. ¡°Exactly. Do you even know what Trevor thinks about, when he thinks of being alone you?¡±


    She didn¡¯t, not really.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± She removed her hand from Lolly¡¯s and said, ¡°If I am home, Trevor is welcome to come over before 8:00 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday when you don¡¯t have a test or finals. He can stay until 10:30 on Fridays and Saturdays. That is the best I can do right now. Dig?¡±


    Grandma slang. Good grief. ¡°Okay.¡±


    When they got home from Dairy Queen, Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s red Beetle Volkswagon was in the drive. Grandma Toady said, ¡°Uh oh, I think there may be trouble in paradise.¡±


    Great. What had Munch done now? They got out of the truck.


    Seated on the front porch was Mrs. Dutchendorph. She was in a state, nerrvous, tired and looking a bit wilted. She stood up and gave Grandma Toady and then Lolly a hug. She said, ¡°Sorry to show up unannounced. Lolly, could I talk to you?"


    Grandma Toady said, ¡°I will let you two talk. I¡¯ll just slip over to Jessie¡¯s.¡±


    Honestly, Lolly wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to be left alone with Mrs. Dutchendorph. There was a fragility about her, that was unlike her. What had Munch said or done? He had a pretty sharp tongue in his mouth when he was mad or in a mood. If she ever talked to Grandma Toady like Munch talked to his mom sometimes, she would be grounded for a month. He never called his mother bad names or anything like that, but his tone and his word choice could be devastating.


    When Grandma Toady disappeared down the street. Lolly unlocked the front door and let Mrs. Dutchendorph inside. Before they could even sit down, Mrs. Dutchendorph burst out, "After Mass, Michael and I had a doozy of an argument.¡±


    Munch had gone to Mass? What was today, attend your local church day? Lolly said, ¡°Uh, sure.¡±


    Mrs. Dutchendorph let out a shuddering breath that sent her whole body to trembling like a thin tree in a harsh wind.


    Lolly asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Mrs. Dutchendorph shook her head. ¡°No. I asked Michael to make me a simple dress for my wedding. I knew it was a risk, but I can¡¯t sew. I designed the dress. Gave him the watercolor I painted of it and he said, he said...¡± Her lip began to tremble and she couldn¡¯t get the words out. Munch could be such a jerk sometimes.


    Lolly pulled Mrs. Dutchendorph into a fierce hug and asked, ¡°Do you want me to talk to him?¡±


    To her surprise and dismay, Mrs. Dutchendorph started sobbing. Not knowing what else to do, Lolly just held her. This was about more than Munch not making a dress. After a few seconds, Mrs. Dutchendorph regained control. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°No, its okay. I¡¯m here. Just tell me what you need.¡±


    ¡°A glass of water would help and some tissues please.¡± Lolly handed her the box of tissues that were on the table by the recliner.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get you some water.¡± In the kitchen, Lolly took several deep breaths. God, she wished Grandma Toady was there. She didn''t know what to say or do. From the fridge she pulled out the water pitcher and poured two glasses of cold water. She took the glasses into the living room. Mrs. Dutchendorph was in the recliner dabbing her eyes with a tissue. She looked like a very frightened and hurt little girl. Lolly offered her the cold glass of water. Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s hand slightly trembled when she took the glass. Not knowing what else to do, Lolly sat down on the end of the couch closest to the recliner.


    Mrs. Dutchendorph took a slow sip of water. Her hands were definitely trembling now. In a small voice she said, ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°Of what?¡±


    Her lip trembled and she said, ¡°Of everything.¡±


    Wow, Munch must have done a number on his mom. Lolly asked, ¡°Could you be more specific?¡±


    ¡°I am afraid Michael is never going to accept this marriage.¡±


    Lolly said, ¡°He¡¯s being a dick.¡±


    Startled by Lolly¡¯s word choice, Mrs. Dutchendorph almost dropped her water. With wide imploring eyes, she asked, ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. No offense, Mrs. Dutch¡ª er, uhm anyway, but Munch told me the other day he likes the idea of us moving onto the farm. He wasn¡¯t hateful about it at all. No he still isn¡¯t crazy about Pa or the wedding, but he didn¡¯t sound like he hated the idea anymore.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, really. He is just jerking your chain. Don¡¯t let him ruin your and Pa¡¯s day. We could go shopping and find something you like. Besides, I bet if you told him you and I were going shopping for a dress, it would probably really piss him off, in a good way, in your favor. Do you honestly think Munch would miss an opportunity to show off his skills to a captive audience?¡±


    A slow watery smile spread across Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s face. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that. I was just so hurt. Even if he didn¡¯t decide to make the dress, it would give me some time with you, and I¡¯d really like that. I¡¯ll tell him we are going to be hitting the stores after Christmas when they have the best sales.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God, he will hate that. Even if he still refuses to make your dress, we will find you the best dress. And Pa is going to think you are beautiful.¡± Once again, Mrs. Dutchendorph erupted into tears. Alarmed and confused, Lolly didn''t know what to say or do.


    Mrs. Dutchendorph stuttered, ¡°I¡¯m I''m not, not beautiful. I¡¯ve never been beautiful.¡± A ragged edge came to her voice. ¡°I¡¯ve overheard a few whispers about how could a handsome man like Trace Phelps settle for the likes of me.¡±


    This made Lolly angry. She knew too well what it felt like to be underestimated and ridiculed because of her appearance. ¡°Don¡¯t take to heart stupid comments like that. To Pa you are beautiful. He has been single a super long time, and he asked you, YOU, to marry him. Grandma Toady didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever risk his heart again after what my mom did. And he has risked it on you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Lolly. I will try to remember that.¡± Her mouth quirked into a goofy smile and she said, ¡°Michael is just going to have to get over himself.¡±


    ¡°He is and he will.¡±


    ¡°You think so.¡±


    Lolly grimaced and said, ¡°He better.¡± Mrs. Dutchendorph gave her another watery smile. The name Dutchendorph reverberated in Lolly¡¯s head. She really needed to call her soon to be stepmother something else. She asked, ¡°Is it okay if I change the subject?¡±


    ¡°Of course dear.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, it sounds weird, but I have been practicing calling you, Estelle. I think, I will call you that if its okay.¡±


    A soft light came into Mrs. Dutchendorph¡¯s eyes. ¡°Of course its okay.¡±


    *


    After Estelle left, Lolly hit the books. Tomorrow finals started. She had her Literature final first thing in the morning. Mrs. Beasley¡¯s tests were always challenging. Half way through her notes, the phone rang. She picked up the receiver and said, ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hey Lolly.¡± It was Trevor.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if I could come over this evening.¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. I¡¯m studying for finals.¡±


    With obvious disappointment, he said, ¡°Really? You are so smart I bet you could pass without even studying.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I need to do more than pass.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Grades were something Lolly and Trevor never talked about. All she knew was that he did his homework and had a B average. She said, ¡°I have to keep my GPA up and maintain my class rank for scholarship applications.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s like two years away.¡±


    ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve got to be on top of things now.¡±


    He coaxed, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t stay long.¡±


    ¡°We''ve got finals and Grandma Toady already told me, you couldn¡¯t come over.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I asked her about us just going out as us and she said, no. But she did say you could come over, except when I have tests or finals.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s something. But it means I won¡¯t be able to come over until Thursday.¡±


    ¡°Pa''s coming home on Thursday."


    "Friday then?"


    "I don''t know yet."


    ¡°Okay.¡± He sounded a little miffed.


    "I do want you to meet my dad." They talked for a little longer, but the conversation was bumpy.


    After about ten minutes, he said, ¡°Well, I guess I better let you get back to your studying.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks for understanding." Did he understand?


    "No problem." His voice was flat when he said, ¡°Bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡± She hung up the phone. Trevor didn¡¯t have to worry about getting scholarships or even paying for college. It must be nice. It was a luxury she didn¡¯t have.


    *


    The next morning, Munch was a sullen bear when he got on the bus. He spoke not a word the entire trip to school. Lolly was pretty sure his mom had told him about the dress and he was pissed, not only at his mom, but now, also at Lolly. When Trevor got on the bus, he smiled, but it was not that smile or the smile that was just her smile. He too seemed irritated with her. Well, if he was he was just gonna have to get over it. Nothing and nobody would keep her from acing her Lit final.


    When they got off the bus, Munch headed to the art room without a word. Trevor caught up with Lolly and slipped his his fingers through hers. He asked, ¡°To the library?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Trevor grinned at her and shook his head. ¡°The sacrifices I make for my smart girlfriend.¡±


    The words, ¡®my smart girlfriend¡¯ ricocheted inside of her. Until this moment he had never called her his girlfriend and Lolly had never been referred to as a girlfriend, EVER. She smiled at him, but inside she was shouting, I am Trevor Long¡¯s girlfriend!

 Chapter 53. Hell Might Freeze

    When Lolly woke up, Fluff was snuggled up beside her. The sun was just beginning to light her room. In a few hours her Geometry final would be behind her. She could not wait. She had no expectations of any good grade. With this class passing the final with a high C was her realistic hope. The best part of the day, would be after school. After five long weeks, Pa would be home. She knew she would have to share him, but that was okay. All that really mattered was that soon he would be on his way home.


    Mitzi came in to help her to pick her Armor of the Day. Lately, Lolly had been choosing most of her own clothes, but to face Geometry she needed to bring in the big guns. Mitzi chose black jeans, a black sweater and black chucks. Lolly thought she looked like a burglar but she didn''t protest.


    The ride to school was like every ride to school that week. Munch sat beside her completely silent glaring at the world. It was Thursday. This morning he was the only storm cloud on her horizon. Fortunately, he had opted out of going to the family dinner, Grandma Toady was preparing that evening.


    At school, Munch went his way without a word. She and Trevor went to the library for some last minute studying. When the bell rang, Lolly headed to P.E. There wasn''t a final in that class, so she sat in the locker room and studied some more. When it was time for Geometry she knew she would never be more ready than she was now. She just had to face this dragon and then she would be on her way home to Pa.


    The final was super hard. Lolly''s brain felt squeezed dry when she finished. There was only a few minutes left before the bell rang. Next, she would have to endure Munch''s presence until, he got off the bus. When the bell rang she made a dash into the hall. She really wanted to get on the bus before Munch did. By luck or grace she managed to do so. Too soon Munch arrived. Never had he felt so very far away from her. How long was he going to keep this up? She was so annoyed with him. He was such a brat. Right now, this minute, what she really wanted to do was punch him for real, not those jabs she gave him when he embarrassed her or she was frustrated with him. What she wanted to do was deliver a real solid punch with her knuckles. It would probably hurt. Also, it was not the best way to start the Christmas holidays. Hitting never solved anything and she was determined not to let him ruin her afternoon with Pa. If he could freeze her out, she could freeze him out. She turned her gaze to the front windshield. In the reflection of the glass, she could see Munch. He really did look miserable. Why couldn¡¯t he just accept what was happening? Why was he making himself so unhappy? It wasn¡¯t like Pa was the Big Bad Wolf.


    The bus stopped. As Trevor passed by Lolly on his way out, he gave her shoulder a squeeze. ¡°Looking forward to meeting your Pa,¡± he said.


    ¡°He¡¯s looking forward to meeting you too.¡± Well, at least she hoped Pa was.


    To Munch, Trevor said, ¡°See ya, man.¡±


    Munch didn¡¯t respond. Due to Trevor¡¯s association with Lolly, Munch had not been speaking to him either. Trevor shook his head and headed for the door. Just before he got out, he mouthed, ¡°I¡¯ll call you.¡± She nodded. He gave her a sympathetic look and got off the bus. The door rattled shut.


    Soon, they would be at Munch¡¯s stop. He would get off the bus and if she was lucky she wouldn''t see him again until Christmas Day, if he came to Christmas Day at the trailer. When the bus reached Munch¡¯s stop, he didn¡¯t get off. Mrs. Anderson didn¡¯t ask why. She shrugged and drove on. Lolly started to ask, but then she stopped herself. Her first thought was that maybe there been some change in Munch¡¯s cold little heart. Her second thought, the more likely thought, was that he was going to rumble. She prayed she was wrong.


    The bus pulled into the trailer park. Mrs. Anderson said, ¡°Happy Holidays you two! See you in 1976!¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Lolly returned the greeting, Munch did not. He walked ahead of her to the trailer. His whole body was rigid and she noticed his fists were clenched. He was going to make a scene, and like Mitzi, he really knew how to make a scene. When he passed his mom¡¯s little Volkswagen Beetle he literally glared at it, like the car would care. As he passed Pa¡¯s truck, his threw back his shoulders and marched to the front door.Grandma Toady opened the door and said, ¡°Hello Munch. Didn¡¯t expect to see you.¡±


    Munch said nothing. Lolly followed him inside, behind her were Max and Kevin. Well, if Munch let it rip, he would have a built in audience. Lolly forgot all about Munch the instant she saw Pa. He got off the couch and wrapped her in a big hug. Against his neck she said, ¡°Don¡¯t ever be gone for five weeks again. I forbid it.¡±


    Pa chuckled and said, ¡°I missed you too Short Cake.¡±


    From behind Lolly, Munch growled, ¡°Why do you call her Short Cake? She¡¯s a person not a dessert.¡±


    Okay, that was weird. A challenge had just been thrown down. Pa released Lolly and replied, ¡°It¡¯s a term of endearment and you know that.¡± His words were met with absolute silence. Lolly refused to turn around and look at Munch. Pa said, ¡°Munch, I think we need to have a talk. Just us. Let¡¯s go out on the porch.¡±


    ¡°Nope, not happenin¡¯.¡±


    Lolly turned around. Over the years she had seen Munch in many, many moods. This went deeper than just a mood. His anger was palpable. In his eyes was hate. Why had he allowed hate to fester inside of him? Hate was poison.


    Pa was a patient man. In a gentle voice he said, ¡°I can¡¯t force you to talk to me and I¡¯m not going to try, but we really do need to talk. Just us.¡±


    In a voice of barely controlled anger, Munch said, ¡°Hell will freeze over first.¡±


    Without missing a beat, Pa said, ¡°Then I will bring mittens for Satan and wear my coat.¡±


    Okay, that was a weird too. Max and Kevin were trying to choke back their giggles. Mitzi, who had been silently watching from the kitchen door, said, ¡°Munch, you are so mean. I want Aunt Estelle for my Aunt. I want to live on your farm and I want you for a cousin, at least I did.¡± Then, she started to cry. She ran sobbing and buried her face in Grandma Toady¡¯s apron.


    Grandma Toady picked Mitzi up and said, ¡°Michael, in my house, children respect their elders, and their elders respect them. If you can¡¯t behave respectfully, I will drive you home.¡±


    From the shelter of Grandma Toady¡¯s arms, Mitzi said, ¡°Oh, you are gonna get it now.¡±


    Because of his long association with Grandma Toady, Munch knew better than to tangle with her. He turned to his mother and commanded, ¡°Mama take me home.¡±


    Estelle rose from the couch. To everyone¡¯s surprise, including her own, she said, ¡°No, Grandma Toady has already offered you a ride home. If you won¡¯t take it then you can walk home or sit on the front porch until I am ready to leave. I was invited for supper, so I am staying for supper.¡±


    Munch glared at his mother. ¡°Then, I will WALK.¡±


    She glared back and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    The look on Munch¡¯s face was one of confusion. His mother was not responding the way he had programmed her to. He said, ¡°You would let me walk all the way home?¡±


    With more firmness than Lolly had ever heard Mrs. D¡ª, Estelle use she said, ¡°There is no let to it. The choice is entirely yours. You can let Grandma Toady take you home, be here with us and have a good meal or you can pout and walk all the way home.¡±


    With one swift look, Munch took in the faces of everyone present. It was clear no one was on his side of this argument. He mumbled, ¡°I think I will just go sit in the car.¡± He turned around and left the trailer.


    Trembling, Estelle stepped into Pa¡¯s arms. ¡°I am so sorry about that.¡±


    Pa held her close and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize for Munch. He is old enough to take responsibility for his own actions.¡±


    With tears in her eyes, Estelle buried her head in Pa¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Fifteen minutes later, when no one was paying attention, Lolly looked out the front window. Munch was in the car, but he was not alone. Kevin and Max had joined him. It looked like Munch was pretending to drive and they were on some kind of road trip.


    An hour later, Aunt Jessie came in with her famous Chocolate Pie. With pie in hand, she gave Pa a hug. ¡°Good to see you big brother.¡± She smiled at Estelle and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were here yet.¡±


    Estelle asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see my car? It¡¯s parked behind Trace¡¯s truck.¡±


    A look of confusion crossed Aunt Jessie¡¯s face. She said, ¡°Uh, no. I parked behind Trace.¡±


    All the color drained from Estelle¡¯s face.


    Mitzi ran to the front door, and opened it. Loudly, she exclaimed, ¡°Munch took your car!¡±


    Sure enough the red Volkswagen was gone.

 Chapter 54. Joy Riders

    With arm braced against the front door, Mitzi stared at where Estelle''s car should be. Incredulous she asked, ¡°Is Munch a car thief?¡±


    Well, he kinda was, but Lolly said, ¡°No.¡±


    Pa asked Estelle, ¡°Did he have a key?¡±


    Estelle shook her head. ¡°He must have taken the spare I keep under the hood because I am always locking my keys in the car. The only driving he has done had been in the pasture. Oh, God! He''s going to get himself killed.¡±


    This was unbelievable and infuriating.


    With a catch in her voice, Estelle said, ¡°If anything happens to him¡ª¡°


    Grandma Toady cut her off. ¡°Now, don¡¯t go thinking like that.¡±


    Aunt Jessie asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Max?¡± She called for him, but no one answered. With a hint of fear in her voice, ¡°Did he go to Kevin¡¯s?¡±


    Oh, God, please, Lolly prayed, don¡¯t let Max be with Munch and Kevin. Surely they wouldn¡¯t do something so stupid.


    Phone calls were made. Max was not at Kevin¡¯s but Kevin was at home. Kevin was smart. When questioned, he said he didn¡¯t know anything and Kevin was not a liar. Next Aunt Jessie called Uncle Luke¡¯s brother, Bob, who was a county sheriff. Oh, boy Munch was going to be in so MUCH trouble. He was an idiot and Max was one too. What had they been thinking, if they had been thinking at all?


    Within minutes, Aunt Jessie got a call from Bob. The boys were in a ditch not far from the cross road where Trevor lived. They were okay, but they were very shook up. Lolly couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Max had talked Munch into driving passed the Long house.


    Estelle looked relieved. Aunt Jessie was furious! She told everyone in the trailer, ¡°That son of mine is not going to know what hit him when I get through with him.¡±


    Pa said, ¡°Let¡¯s go get them.¡±


    Lolly said, ¡°I¡¯m coming too.¡±


    Pa and Estelle got in the truck, Lolly got in with Aunt Jessie. As they pulled out, Lolly noticed angry tears flowing down Aunt Jessie¡¯s cheeks. Over and over she said, ¡°That boy, that stupid, precious boy of mine.¡±


    Faster than was legal, Aunt Jessie roared down the road. Pa was close behind. In the distance lights flashed. They were almost there. With lights twirling, the sheriff¡¯s car was parked on the side of the road. The Beetle was tipped front fender down in the ditch. Munch and Max stood between the sheriffs. Max was being conversational. Munch was hunched in on himself staring at the ground. He was crying. He should be crying. How could he pull a stunt like this on Pa¡¯s first day home!?


    When they parked behind the sheriff''s car, Aunt Jessie and Estelle were out of the vehicles so fast they were a blur as they rushed to their sons. The look on Munch¡¯s face was devoid of all anger. All he wanted was his mama. Estelle wrapped her arms around him and he broke into hard sobs.


    For Max it was a very different story. Aunt Jessie was laying into him, loudly. There was a crunch of gravel behind the Pinto. Lolly and Pa turned around. It was Uncle Luke in his big ass truck. He flew out his door, gave them a brief, ¡°Hey,¡± and went straight for his son. The instant Max saw him, he started to cry. Uncle Luke opened his arms to him and Max collapsed into them. Beside them, Aunt Jessie was still at full spate, but a hurt look crossed her face. Max had not opened his arms to her.


    Pa and Lolly remained where they were as the sheriffs talked to Aunt Jessie, Uncle Luke and Estelle. Lolly heard the sheriff say, ¡°Ma¡¯am your son''s little shenanigan will keep him from driving legally until he is eighteen.¡± Munch started crying harder.


    Down the drive of the Long house, Mr. Long and Trevor appeared. They skirted around the sheriffs and came to where Pa and Lolly stood. Mr. Long asked, "Is everybody okay?"


    Pa said, "For the moment yes." He extended his hand and introduced himself to Mr. Long, ¡°This is my daughter. Lolly.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    With a vague look of recollection Mr. Long said, ¡°I''m Huey Long and this is my, son Trevor." To Lolly he said, "We have met before. You came to one of Trevor''s cross country meets."


    "Yes, Sir."


    Mr. Long glanced at his son and then turned his eyes back to Lolly.


    Trevor told his dad, ¡°Lolly is my girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Really.¡± Mr. Long gave her a bemused smile. Lolly wasn¡¯t sure, but he looked like he was okay with her being his son¡¯s girlfriend. More that that, Lolly was stunned that Trevor had said she was his girlfriend in front of both their fathers.


    Pa extended his hand to Trevor and said, ¡°It is nice to finally meet you.¡±


    The handshake Trevor gave Pa looked very firm. ¡°It is nice to meet you too, Sir.¡±


    One of the sheriffs told the parents of the joy riders, ¡°I think ya''ll best take these two to the emergency room to get some x-rays to check for concussions or fractures.¡±


    Aunt Jessie said, ¡°Yes Sir, we will.¡±


    Pa said, ¡°Excuse us for a second.¡± Lolly followed him to where the juvenile delinquents stood.


    Uncle Luke said, ¡°Trace,¡± and shook his hand. Pa returned with, ¡°Luke.¡±


    Lolly gave her Uncle Luke a hug because he looked like he needed one. As for Aunt Jessie, she was still furious. It was best not to interact with her when her face was that shade of red.


    The sheriffs'' car pulled away.


    Uncle Luke told Pa, ¡°We are taking the boys to Lake Jackson.¡±


    Max said, ¡°I¡¯m riding with you, Dad.¡± He didn¡¯t even look at his mother.


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Aunt Jessie. ¡°Estelle and I will follow you.¡±


    Before Munch got in the car to go, he hugged Lolly so tight she could barely breathe. In his ear she whispered, ¡°I''m glad you are okay.¡±


    He whispered back, ¡°I almost soiled myself. I am such an idiot.¡±


    Munch let go of Lolly and went back to his mom. Max gave Lolly an unexpected hug. Lolly told him, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± Despite everything that he had just been through, Max cast a wistful glance in the direction of the Long house. Amber must be at work. Uncle Luke caught a hold of his shoulder and guided him to his truck.


    As Estelle walked passed Pa, he caught her hand and gave it a squeeze. He said, "I''ll take care of the car."


    "Thanks." She let go of his hand and got into the Pinto.


    Aunt Jessie growled, ¡°I¡¯ll call you after the two little joy riders have had their heads examined.¡±


    Pa said, ¡°Okay, Jessie. Just take it down a notch.¡±


    She glared at him and said, ¡°Sure thing Big Brother," and climbed into the Pinto. With an unnecessary rumble she roared down the road.


    Pa and Lolly went back to where Mr. Long and Trevor still stood.


    Mr. Long asked, ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°The boys have to go to ER to get checked out first. They look okay to me, but its better to be safe than sorry.¡± With a glance at the Beetle, Pa asked, "Can I use your phone? I need to call a wrecker to haul the car to the garage.


    "Certainly," said Mr. Long.


    Pa and Mr. Long walked a head of them. Trevor was close, but he did not touch her. What would Pa think when he saw the inside of the house? Curiously, they did not go to the house, they went to the barn. They had a phone in their barn! Pa called a friend of his. When he hung up the phone he told them, "There is a wrecker near the vicinity. It should be here in a few minutes. To Mr. Long he said, "We best be getting back to the car."


    Mr. Long extended his hand and said, ¡°It was nice meeting you. If y¡¯all need anything don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s mighty kind of you.¡±


    Lolly asked Trevor, "You want to come wait with us?"


    He smiled, the smile that was just for her. He said, "Sure."


    Before they reached the car, a wrecker came blasting down the road with lights flashing. The sight was unsettling. Lolly reached for Trevor''s hand. Pa sprinted ahead to meet the wrecker. Lolly stopped where she was and hugged Trevor. She pressed her face hard against his shoulder. She felt the warmth of his hand on the back of her bare head. No one ever touched her head but Pa. Part of her wanted to pull away and another part of her felt a curious sensation. There was comfort in Trevor''s touch.


    He asked, "Are you okay?"


    "Not really. Those flashing lights could have been an ambulance or worse." Her voice caught, "How could Munch be so stupid? I just pray he and Max are completely fine."


    "Me too." Gently, he stroked her head. It didn''t seem to bother him that she had no hair to stroke. If it didn''t bother him, then she shouldn''t let it bother her.


    The stars were starting to come out. The last light of the sun had faded. The wrecker made a terrible sound, and both Lolly and Trevor turned. It was hauling the Volkswagon out of the ditch. In the whirling lights Lolly could see how crunched the front of it was. The window shield was cracked on the passenger side. Had Max''s head done that? It was surely hard enough. She said, "We best get to Pa.". Hand in hand they walked to Pa''s truck. When they reached him, the wrecker was pulling away.


    Pa asked, "Ready to go?"


    She wasn''t but she said, "Okay." Lolly gave Trevor a hug, but not a kiss. Kissing a boy in front of Pa was not something she was sure she or Pa were ready for. Trevor¡¯s lips did make contact with her ear and it sent a little thrill through her.


    He released her and said, "Call me and let me know how Munch and Max are."


    "I will." She got into the truck with Pa. Trevor stood on the side of the road and watched them leave. When Lolly looked into the rear view mirror he was still standing there. She didn''t know if he could see her but she turned to the the back window and waved


    Pa said, "He seems like a nice boy."


    "He is."

 Chapter 55. Star Bright

    It was Christmas Eve. As excited as Lolly was for this night, she was also sad. Day after tomorrow, Pa would be returning to Louisiana. Every time he left she hated it. As Grandma Toady said, ¡°Dreading the future was wasting now.¡± So, Lolly pushed the thought away from her. She was in the backseat of Estelle¡¯s newly repaired and painted Volkswagen Beetle. It had cost a small fortune to get the car fixed. Munch was actually grounded for the first time in his life. Tonight he was quiet. The rift between he and Pa was not mended, but they could be in the same space at the same time without Munch being openly hostile. It was a start. It was enough for now.


    Overhead the stars looked down on them. When she was a little girl, Lolly used to look for the Christmas star every year, like Linus in the Peanuts looked for the Great Pumpkin. In the front seat, Estelle drove and Pa was her happy passenger. Lolly was eleven years old the last time she had spent Christmas with Pa. What had it been like for him to be at work when he knew they were celebrating? It must have been awful. It was no wonder he was so happy this year.


    It was the tradition of the Dutchendorph household to attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Lolly had never been to Mass before, much less one at Midnight. She did not know what to expect. It felt a little weird being dressed up this late at night. When they reached the church in a tiny town named Damon, the parking lot around the church was full. Estelle had to park across the street by the Catholic Cemetery. Mr. Dutchendorph was buried there.


    Earlier that day, Trevor had called. He told her he and his family were going to Midnight Mass at Saint Patrick¡¯s Cathedral in Corpus Christi. They were spending Christmas in their new beach house. Amber had to go to work on Saturday, so Trevor was hoping his folks would let him go home with her. If they said, no, Trevor wouldn¡¯t be home until New Year¡¯s Day. It seemed like such a long time.


    The stained glass windows of the church were full of light. The colors, the scenes were like a magic lantern box. The night air had the right nip of cold in it. When they crossed the street to the church, Pa and Estelle held hands. To, Lolly¡¯s surprise Munch grabbed her hand. Things were better between them. That was what mattered. He was also talking to his mom again. He had not spoken about the car theft or accident, but since it had happened he had stopped the deep freeze. He was evening working on the dress his mom wanted to wear for her wedding.


    Inside the church, was so different from the Baptist Church where Lolly and Grandma Toady went upon inspired occasion. There were statues of people in this church. It was ornate. At the front of the church to Lolly¡¯s right was a statute of Mary. She looked out across the congregation with cool and patient eyes. There was something about her that made Lolly feel different. All her life she had heard the Christmas story. This statue embodied the young girl who had given birth. Until recently Lolly had never thought about how young Mary was when she had Jesus. Estelle had given her the book, Two From Galilee to read during the Christmas break. It was a fictionalized novel set in history. Mary had not been any older than Lolly and yet as woman of ancient times, she bore so much more responsibility than Lolly could even imagine and as a woman she had so little value and even less say in the life she lived.


    Before Estelle and Munch sat down in the pew, they each knelt and crossed themselves. Their eyes looked up to the Crucifix. It like the statue of Mary was beautifully carved. What artist had made these statues? In her church there was not a bit of art, just a little colored glass.Inside the church, the stained glass windows were dark. Lolly wanted very much to see what they looked like with the morning sun spilling through them.


    The service was different from any she had ever been to. Pa was a bit nervous as he sat through this traditional service. In Vietnam he had lost his belief in God. In Vietnam his sister had found her calling from God. Why was life like that? Until this night Lolly hadn¡¯t thought about her Aunt Michelle on Christmas Eve. Every Christmas Eve, she attended a service like this. It made Lolly feel connected to her, in a new way.


    Candles flickered on the altar. The voice of the congregation spoke and responded to the words of the Priest. This is what Trevor had experienced every Christmas of his life. Lolly had not thought much of Christmas Traditions until this year. Next year, she would here with Estelle and Munch, and if they were very fortunate, Pa would be with them.


    When the service was over, Estelle proudly introduced Pa to the Priest. He was a kind man with warm brown eyes. He shook Pa¡¯s hand. Unlike what her church did to visitors, the Priest did not ask him to come again or if he knew Jesus. He simply said, ¡°Thank you for coming.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Pa nodded.


    Outside the stars shone so brilliantly. One seemed to wink at Lolly. Was it the faded Christmas Star?


    *


    The sun was just cresting the horizon. It was Christmas morning. Pa was home! Lolly gave Fluff a big hug and rushed out her bedroom door. In the living room the aluminum tree squealed as the color wheel turned at the bottom of it. The light it cast was barely visible because one of its light bulbs had burned out. Pa sat in the recliner sipping coffee. He stood and Lolly flew into his arms. Pa said, ¡°Merry Christmas, Short Cake.¡±


    ¡°Merry Christmas Pa.¡± The thump of Pa¡¯s heart against her ear was the best gift. He was here, NOW. Here. She held on to the now of this moment.


    Grandma Toady came into the living room with her coffee and a mug of hot cocoa for Lolly. She put the mugs down and wrapped her arms around the both of them. ¡°Merry Christmas, you two!¡±


    Together Pa and Lolly said, ¡°Merry Christmas!¡±


    They let go of each other and took their respective places in the recliner and on the couch. All they could do was grin at each other. Opening the gifts was secondary. In the background Elvis Presley sang Christmas carols on the stereo. It was a perfect Christmas morning. Lolly knew how rare they were. Fluff sauntered into the room and leapt up onto the couch. He nudged Lolly¡¯s hand and she stroked his soft fur. It was just the four of them.


    Presents were passed out. Pa had gotten Grandma Toady some beautiful fabric and a new cutting board. For Lolly he had chosen a silver heart necklace. Grandma Toady had made matching Christmas vests for Lolly and Pa. They put them on, and of course they fit perfectly. For Pa, Lolly had bought him a new red and black flannel shirt. His old one was looking pretty ragged. For Grandma Toady she had chosen new oven mitts with chickens on them and an apron to match. None of the gifts were expensive. Grandma Toady believed Christmas gifts should come from the heart, they shouldn¡¯t cost much and they had to fit under the tree.


    There was a knock at the door. Aunt Jessie came in with Bruno. She had come straight from work. Fluff took one look at Bruno, hissed and fled. Goofy, Bruno cocked his head as if he was confused by his reception. His next move was to attack everyone in the room with his affection. There was nothing quite like a Bruno kiss.


    Aunt Jessie said, ¡°Get down boy, and come here!¡±


    The dog considered it momentarily and then he gave Lolly another lick.


    Wearily, Aunt Jessie sat down on the couch between Grandma Toady and Lolly. Bruno jumped into her lap. Aunt Jessie stroked the pit bull¡¯s head. ¡°We had some crazies last night didn¡¯t we boy? There is nothing like Christmas Eve to bring out the weird. Every bit of liquor in the cooler got bought. At first I was feeling sorry for myself because I was working and the kids were with Luke, but then I saw those people and I realized how fortunate I am. My life may not be what I hoped for, but it is good. Luke and the kids will be joining us for lunch at Estelle¡¯s. He never keeps the kids away from me and he¡¯s not spiteful. He¡¯s a good man.¡± She sighed and leaned her head back against the couch.


    Pa said, ¡°That he is. Jessie, I have a question for you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Would you mind if I asked Luke to be my best man?¡±


    Aunt Jessie sat up so fast, she almost knocked Bruno out of her lap. She looked at Pa and said, ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t mind. You were friends before Luke and I ever met. Estelle wants Mitzi to be her flower girl and of course Mitzi is over the moon. And guess who the ring bearer is?¡±


    Pa said, ¡°Puccini.¡±


    ¡°Yup. That weird little bear is going to be in your wedding!¡±


    Pa laughed and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡±


    Broadly, Aunt Jessie yawned. ¡°I best get home and get a nap before the Dutchendorph shin dig.¡± She stood gave everyone a hug and said, ¡°See you guys later.¡±


    After Aunt Jessie left, Grandma Toady said, ¡°I still don¡¯t know if Jessie is ever going to do better than Luke.¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± said Pa. ¡°I¡¯m just glad she¡¯s okay with him being my best man.¡±


    The kitchen phone rang. Lolly went to answer it. A woman asked, "Collect call from Trinia Phelps will you accept the charges?"


    "Yes," said Lolly. It was early on the West Coast. Why was Trinia up so early, or was it so late? Maybe she hadn''t gone to bed yet.


    A little too cheerfully  her mother said, ¡°Hey Sweetie! Its your mama!¡±


    ¡°Hi Mama. Good to hear from you.¡± It was. There were a few years she forgot to call on Christmas at all. In fact she was so little the last time she spent Christmas with her mother she couldn''t even remember it.


    Stifling a yawn, Trinia said, ¡°I just got your gift in the mail yesterday. Sorry, its gonna be late.¡± The fact there was actually a gift on the way was nothing short of miraculous, unless of course it was a phantom gift only conjured into existence to grease the moment. Lolly hadn¡¯t sent her anything because she had no idea where to send it. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Good. I went to Christmas Mass last night. It was really cool.¡±


    To Lolly''s surprise, Trinia said, "I went to Mass last night too. When I was little, I used to go with my Grandma." This was new information. Without any kind of segway, her mother launched into the adventures of Trinia Phelps. It was the usual. "Before I forget, the episode of Police Woman I''m on will air January 6th, so please be sure and watch it."


    "I will. I promise. We will have a watch party."


    Trinia yawned and said, "That is so sweet. We''re gonna do that here too. Well, I guess I better get. It was so good to hear your voice. Love you baby.¡±


    ¡°Love you too. Bye.¡±  Lolly hung up the phone. She wondered who her mother was spending Christmas with this year.

 Chapter 56. Cha-cha-cha-changes

    Friday morning the phone rang. Lolly glanced at fuzzy duck clock. It was only 8:30 a.m. She heard Pa answer the phone. A few seconds later, he knocked on her door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Pa said, ¡°The phone¡¯s for you. It¡¯s Trevor.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll take it in Grandma Toady¡¯s room.¡± Lolly got up and went to Grandma Toady¡¯s room. She flopped down on the bed and picked up the receiver. She said, ¡°I got it Pa.¡± She heard the click as he hung up the kitchen phone. ¡°Hey Trevor.¡±


    The voice that greeted her did not sound happy. ¡°Hey Lolly.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± His response was not convincing. ¡°My dad said I could come home with Amber today. Would it be all right if I came over tonight?¡±


    Pa was leaving tonight. As much as she wanted to see Trevor, she was going to have to say no. Grandma Toady had a firm rule about when Pa left. Nothing and no one came before that. Lolly thought it might have something to do with Uncle Terry and Uncle Beau. One was in heaven and one was in Canada. While Grandma Toady was earth bound there was a strong possibility she would never see Uncle Beau again. She could still see Pa, still hug Pa and letting go of him was hard on her. Add Estelle to the mix and tonight was going to be a tear festival. Lolly said, ¡°My Pa is leaving tonight. I can see you tomorrow for sure.¡±


    His voice broke a little and he asked, ¡°Could I please come over. I promise I won¡¯t stay long. I just need to see you. Afterwards I will literally run home.¡±


    Normally, Lolly wouldn¡¯t even consider asking Grandma Toady to break one of her hard fast rules, but something was wrong. Lolly said, ¡°Hold on, let me ask.¡± She put the phone down and went to the kitchen. Grandma Toady was at the table reading the paper and drinking coffee. Lolly said, ¡°Trevor¡¯s getting in today and he would like to stop by tonight. He promised he won¡¯t stay long and that he will just run home. You know, I wouldn¡¯t ask because Pa is leaving, but he sounds really upset about something.¡±


    Grandma Toady asked, ¡°Any idea what the something is?¡±


    ¡°No, Ma¡¯am, he didn¡¯t say. You know I wouldn¡¯t ask you unless I thought it was important.¡±


    Thoughtfully Grandma Toady stirred her coffee. ¡°I know. Tell him he can come over and we¡¯ll take him home.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Lolly gave her a quick hug and rushed back to the bedroom.


    In Grandma Toady¡¯s bedroom, Mitzi was on the phone. Tucked under her arm was a new pink bear. She told Treavor, "Yeah, Puccini got a sister for Christmas and he is so jealous! I keep telling him I will always love him most, but he doesn¡¯t believe me. He calls her, ¡®That stupid bear,'' even though her name is Pepperoni! He has spent most of the day in time out.¡± So that explained why Puccini was facing the wall on the top of the refrigerator. Mitzi glanced at Lolly, ¡°Talk to you later Trevor.¡± She held the phone out for Lolly.


    Lolly took it. Mitzi sat down on the bed beside her. Lolly said, ¡°No ma¡¯am. This is a private conversation, so scoot.¡±


    Mitzi rolled her eyes, but she and Pepperoni did leave.


    ¡°Sorry about that, Trevor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. She is so cute. I wish I still believed in Santa Claus.¡±


    Lolly still did, not as a person, but as an entity, but she knew what Trevor meant. She said, ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    With more than a hint of desperation in his voice, Trevor asked, ¡°What did she say?¡±


    ¡°Yes, at 7:30 and we¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. Tell Grandma Toady I really appreciate her letting me come over.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you. I thought about you all night last night. I have missed you so much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too. Are you sure you¡¯re okay.¡±


    There was a pause and he said, ¡°I will be when I see you.¡±


    Instinct told Lolly to let it rest. Curiosity was waging war for her to ask more questions. She followed her instinct. Whatever was bugging Trevor he would tell her or not tell her when he was ready. In the back ground, Lolly heard a female voice. It was not Amber¡¯s. Trevor said, ¡°I gotta go. My mom wants us to bundle up and go the the beach. I hate the f¡ªn¡¯ beach.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    He usually didn¡¯t use that word, at least not around her. Fear rolled around in Lolly¡¯s stomach.


    *


    The time had come. The weather was bad. Estelle was weeping, not sobbing, just weeping. She was doing better than Lolly had predicted. This time, Estelle didn¡¯t cling to Pa like a drowning puppy. In three weeks, he would be home and they would be married. In a month, the trailers would be moved onto the farm. Lolly would still have her same house, but the landscape around it would be different as would the bus ride to school. She would also be much closer to Trevor¡¯s house. He would be within running distance. For now though, she was here. Pa was leaving. A lot could happen in a month¡¯s time.


    Mitzi and Max were spending the evening with Uncle Luke, while Aunt Jessie pulled a double shift. Munch of course wasn¡¯t there to send Pa off. Lolly imagined he was grateful for the interlude. He had three weeks left of life as he knew it and then it would be very different. It would all be very different. Tonight, Lolly felt like she was saying good bye to an old way of life. When Pa went back to work after the honeymoon, he would do so from Estelle¡¯s house. He would sleep in Estelle¡¯s house. In time it would be his house. How would that go?


    When Pa hugged her good bye, she didn¡¯t want to let go. She felt a measure of the jealousy that Munch must feel. For so long, she had been the center of Pa¡¯s world, she wasn¡¯t any more. Estelle shared the center with her. Pa released her and cupped her chin with his hand. ¡°You be good Short Cake.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Gently, he kissed her forehead. He went to Grandma Toady and said, ¡°Bye Mama.¡±


    Grandma Toady gathered him in her arms and said, ¡°Bye Son, you be careful. "I will.¡± Pa let go of her. For a moment they just gazed into each other¡¯s eyes. What thoughts passed between them, Lolly could not tell. Grandma Toady let go of him. He took a step away and then another. He grabbed his duffle bag full of clean laundry off the floor. Even though it was raining, Estelle followed him out into the weather. She had her purse with her. She would not be coming back inside.


    When the door closed behind Pa, Lolly felt like crying. People shouldn¡¯t have to leave the people they loved. They just shouldn¡¯t. Silently, Grandma Toady went into the kitchen. Lolly knew she didn¡¯t want company. An era in their lives had just ended and it hurt. Lolly went to her room and tried to focus on the last chapters of Julie of the Wolves. Unable to focus, she took Fluff into her lap and scratched his back. He purred in contentment.


    At 7:30 p.m. there was a knock at the door. Lolly dumped Fluff on the floor and rushed to the door. She swung it open. Trevor stepped through and gave her a fierce hug. His grasp was so tight, she almost couldn¡¯t breath. He just held on like he was drowning or something. The fear that had been rolling around inside of Lolly became full blown. In his ear she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± On her neck she felt a tear, his tear, slide down her neck. She pulled away from him and said, ¡°Please tell me.¡±


    With the back of his jacket sleeve, he wiped his eyes. He looked as bad as Estelle had looked the first time she had to let Pa leave. Lolly lead him to the couch. By God¡¯s grace or Grandma Toady¡¯s intuition, Grandma Toady stayed in the kitchen. On the couch Trevor grasped both of her hands. He was scaring her. In a voice that trembled he said, ¡°I got bad news. My mom wants to live in Corpus Christi.¡±


    The sentence tumbled inside of Lolly and hit her hard in the stomach. ¡°What?¡±


    Trevor looked down at their hands. ¡°I know Dad doesn¡¯t¡¯ want to move, but Mom hates it here in what she calls this Podunk town.¡± His voice became bitter, ¡°She¡¯s too far from theaters and museums and other people who like to show off their money. I thought when Dad retired we would stay in one place. I thought I would get to graduate with my friends.¡± He looked up at Lolly. Fresh tears were in his eyes. ¡°I want to stay here. I don¡¯t want to leave you.¡±


    How to respond? Lolly¡¯s brain was reeling. She couldn¡¯t quite grasp what he had just said. Suddenly, he kissed her. All the desperation inside of him passed from his lips to hers. Was he going to start sobbing? She wrapped her arms around him and ducked out of the kiss. Think, she had to think. She tilted his chin up so she could look him in the eyes and asked, ¡°Have you talked to her about staying?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t do any good.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, but you have to try. If she can just wait two and a half years you will be graduated. Ask her to give you that.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t listen. If Dad hadn¡¯t been so sick she never would have agreed to live here in the first place. He is doing better and she¡¯s ready to start up her own agenda again.¡±


    Lolly asked, ¡°How does Amber feel about this?¡±


    Trevor said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t know. I over heard Mom and Dad arguing last night. Amber was on the phone with Bill.¡±


    ¡°So, its not a done deal?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but it will be.¡± He sounded so certain.


    ¡°Talk to your dad. Tell him how you feel. Maybe he can convince her to stay.¡±


    Bitterly, he said, ¡°My dad lost his balls the day he married my mom. He was a lonely man with money whose wife had just died. My mother swooped in and scooped him up. Bam she got everything she wanted.¡±


    In their time together, Trevor had said very little about his mom. It sounded like he hated her, at least he hated her right now. Lolly said, ¡°Don¡¯t just give up. If you, your dad and Amber all want to stay here, then maybe she will see reason.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know my mom.¡±


    It was true, she didn¡¯t and she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to know her. She released Trevor''s face and said, ¡°We are going to figure this out.¡±


    Still not convinced, he leaned in and kissed her. There wasn¡¯t any passion in this kiss. He just wanted to be as close to her as he could be.


    At the kitchen door, Grandma Toady cleared her throat. Trevor moved away from Lolly. Grandma Toady said, ¡°I thought you two might like a snack.¡±


    The look Grandma Toady gave Lolly, let her know, she had heard the whole thing, but Lolly wasn¡¯t angry with her. She was out of her depth with Trevor and she welcomed the company of Grandma Toady.

 Chapter 57. The New

    It was Tuesday night. A chill wind was blowing smears of clouds across the night sky. Perched on the front porch were Max and Kevin. Amber was stopping by to pick up Trevor after she got off work. Max¡¯s entire body was tense as he waited for the appearance of the red and white Mustang and the girl of his dreams who drove it. Lolly and Trevor were seated on the tail gate of Grandma Toady¡¯s truck. His hand was tight in hers. He said, ¡°I wish those two doofuses would go inside.¡±


    In all honesty, Lolly was glad they were there and she was ready for Trevor to go home. All day he had wavered between despair and wanting to kiss. The kisses felt more like he was trying to distract himself than anything else. It was like he wasn¡¯t even kissing her. It was weird. His mood shifts confused her. From one minute to the next she did not know which side of him would be with her. He still hadn¡¯t talked to his dad or his mom or even Amber. If he really wanted to stay here so bad, why hadn¡¯t he at least told Amber? Amber would fight if she knew about it. She would go into full out battle mode.


    Headlights turned into the trailer park. It was a truck. The truck made its way down the street and then to Lolly¡¯s surprise, it pulled into the drive. It was Amber and she was with Bill in his truck. Immediately, Lolly¡¯s heart went out to Max. Though Max knew about Bill, he had not seen him since Amber became the center of his universe.


    Amber waved at the boys. Max barely raised his hand to wave. Kevin¡¯s hand shot up then went back down when he realized Max was not waving.


    Trevor pulled Lolly close and said, ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t have to go.¡±


    Inside Lolly thought, I wish I didn¡¯t want you to go.


    The kiss Trevor gave her was too much, too urgent and hard. If Max hadn¡¯t just been plunged into an abyss of heartbreak he would be teasing her and making stupid smacking noises. Lolly pulled away from Trevor. He told her, ¡°I will be over tomorrow morning.¡±


    Inside Lolly groaned. He had been there all day. Earlier in the evening, Grandma Toady had taken her aside and told her Trevor was stretching his welcome, which was code for I trust you to set some boundaries girl. Lolly cocked her head and smiled, ¡°Remember we are having a little New Years Eve Party. I''ve got to help Grandma Toady get the house ready tomorrow, so you can¡¯t come over until 8:00.¡±


    He pouted, ¡°Well what am I supposed to do until then?¡±


    From the open window of the truck, Amber called, ¡°Get a move on son!¡±


    Frustrated, Lolly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure you will think of something.¡±


    Sharply he said, ¡°Fine!¡± He was angry. He spun away from her and stomped to the truck. With a jerk, he opened the passenger side door and slammed it with a bang. Amber waved. She waved back. Trevor didn¡¯t wave and he didn¡¯t look at her. Okay.


    As for Max, he got up slowly. He told Kevin, ¡°Man, I¡¯m not feeling so good. I think I¡¯m gonna go in.¡±


    Kevin knew what the problem was, but he said, ¡°Okay, sure, see you tomorrow.¡± He watched Max go inside. To Lolly he said, ¡°Damn I wish that hadn¡¯t just happened. New Years Eve is gonna suck now.¡±


    Lolly nodded in agreement.


    Later, in bed, unable to sleep, Lolly finally finished Julie of the Wolves. Before Trevor, she had a lot more time to read. She missed reading as much as she wanted to. She missed a lot of things. Stupid Trevor. Was he going to break up with her? Was she going to break up with him? She was mad and hurt by his behavior since he got back from Corpus Christi. Was this the way he was going to be? How much should she put up with? The thing was, as mad as she felt, she had this weird jealously swirling around inside of her. If she and Trevor broke up, finding a new girlfriend would be no problem for Trevor. He was normal. Viv would probably step right in, in a heart beat. No one was going to step in for her. No one. There had been no one before Trevor. He was her first boyfriend. Would he be her last boyfriend?


    Fluff swatted her hand with his sheathed paw. He wanted her to turn the damn reading lamp off so he could get some sleep. Obediently, Lolly turned off the lamp. The darkness was complete and then slowly her eyes adjusted. Through the curtains she saw the stars. They were distant company. Fluff snuggled down beside her and soon began to purr. The sound of his rumble carried Lolly into dreams far away from the reality of now.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    *


    A little after 8:00 a.m. the phone rang. Grandma Toady was the only one up. Who would be calling this early? Lolly rolled over. Fluff was at the door. He wanted out, but she didn''t want to get up. All night she had drifted in and out of busy dreams. She felt more exhausted than she did when she went to bed last night. She heard Grandma Toady answer the phone and then she heard her step in the hall. There was a knock on Lolly¡¯s door. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Grandma Toady opened the door. Fluff dashed out. Grandma Toady exclaimed, "Dang cat!" And then, said, ¡°Its Trevor.¡±


    ¡°So early?"


    "Yep, it would appear so."


    "Okay. I¡¯ll take it in your room.¡±


    With a nod, Grandma Toady closed the door.


    Dread filled Lolly. She really didn¡¯t want to deal with Trevor this early in the day. Who would he be when she answered the phone? The amorous jerk or the despairing clod? Slowly, she got out of bed and walked down the hall. She picked up the receiver and heard a click as Grandma Toady hung up the kitchen phone. Cautiously she said, ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Hey Lolly, sorry to call so early. I had to apologize for my behavior. I know I have been being a total jerk, especially last night." He paused. Lolly remained silent. She wasn''t ready to accept his apology. It was easy to say sorry. It was hard to be sorry. He continued, "When I got home I called Nanny Carol and talked to her about everything.¡± Lolly wondered if everything included her, but she didn¡¯t ask. At least he had finally talked to someone besides her. He continued, ¡°Nanny Carol agrees with you. She thinks I should talk to my parents. When they get home tomorrow, I am going to talk to my dad alone first to see if anything has changed and then regardless I am going to tell him I¡¯m not moving.¡±


    Lolly wasn¡¯t sure how that would go. There was a big difference between saying I don''t want to move and I am NOT moving. She said, "Um, I¡¯m glad you talked to Nanny Carol. Is she your dad¡¯s mom?¡±


    ¡°No, she is, er was mine and Amber¡¯s nanny from the time we were babies until I hit junior high. I miss her so much. She was the one that was there for Amber and me growing up. It¡¯s been so hard since she left.¡±


    Trevor had had an actual Nanny, who lived in the house with his family. What other servants did they have? He never mentioned any but there had to be some on a property as big as theirs.. Not once in her life had Lolly ever even met or known a family that had servants or a nanny. It did occur to her that in some ways Nanny Carol must be to Trevor and Amber what Grandma Toady was to her. She said, ¡°I bet it has been tough. I¡¯m glad you talked to her.¡±


    ¡°Me too. Jake and me are fixing to go on a run, so I will see you tonight!"


    "See ya!" Tonight might not suck after all, at least not for her, but for Max, probably. She didn''t envy that poor boy. He had gone to his room last night and stayed there. Grandma Toady had tried to talk to him, but said he didn''t want talk. He wanted to be left ALONE.


    *


    It was 7:00 p.m. Lolly stood at the sink washing dishes. Munch sat at the kitchen table working on a sketch for his portfolio. The phone rang. Her hands were all soapy, she turned and looked at Munch. He pretended not to see or hear.


    Lolly dried off her hands and answered the phone. "Hello."


    ¡°How¡¯s my girl?¡±


    It was Pa! She didn''t expect to get to talk to him tonight. ¡°I¡¯m good. Aren¡¯t you at work?¡±


    ¡°Yup. They are giving us each a call to wish our loved ones Happy New Years! So Happy New Year, Short Cake.¡±


    ¡°Happy New Year to you too Pa! Let me tell Grandma and Estelle.¡± She put her hand over the receiver and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s Pa! He wants to talk to ya¡¯ll.¡±


    The pencil in Munch''s hand stopped. He kept his eyes down. She knew he wasn''t going to talk to Pa, but she was pretty sure he would leave the room. He didn¡¯t get up, he didn¡¯t move, but Lolly could see he was struggling. Grandma Toady took the kitchen phone and thankfully Estelle rushed to the bedroom phone. Munch picked his pencil up and continued to sketch.


    At 7:45 Uncle Luke showed up with Max and Mitzi. Aunt Jessie was working. After being with his dad all day, Max seemed to be in a bit better frame of mind. Lolly noticed that Mitzi had ditched the pink Christmas bear.


    Lolly asked, ¡°Where is Pepperoni?¡±


    Mitzi rolled her eyes, ¡°That child is such a little Princess. I thought Puccini was just being jealous, but it turns out Pepperoni wants everything her way and she is rude. Mama said I could put her up for adoption or send her to the Salvation Army. I haven¡¯t decided which. I think I might give her one more chance.¡±


    Uncle Luke said, ¡°That would be kind of you. Everyone deserves a second chance.¡±


    Did Uncle Luke want a second chance?


    At 8:00 Amber dropped Trevor off. Max didn''t even look out the front window when he heard the red and white Mustang. Lolly opened the door before Trevor knocked and stepped out onto the front porch. The porch light cast shadows across his face, but he looked better than he had last night. He told her, ¡°My parents called. I told my dad I wanted to talk to him. He said sure, but he didn''t ask me about what. I think he knows.¡±


    He probably did. She said, ¡°Good. I''m hoping and praying it all works out."


    "Me too." He leaned in and kissed her. This time, when he kissed her it was different. It felt different. It wasn¡¯t anything like that awful kiss he had given her last night, and it didn¡¯t feel like any of the kisses he had ever given her before.

 Chapter 58. Police Woman

    Lolly, Max, Kevin and the rest of the trailer park kids were huddled under the little awning that was supposed to keep the rain off. It didn''t. Today was January 5, 1976. A year ago the United States of America was still involved in the Vietnam War. A year ago, Pa had not been engaged to be married or even been in love. A year ago, Lolly and Munch had lived in their own little worlds. A year ago, Lolly didn''t know that somewhere on the planet a boy named Trevor Long existed. What would 1976 hold?


    The squeal of the school bus braking, pulled Lolly from her reverie. Mrs. Anderson opened the bus doors and said, ¡°Happy New Year!¡± A few kids, including Lolly returned the greeting. Could a whole year be a happy? It seemed to Lolly that there were good hours, good days, and sometimes good weeks, but she had yet to live a whole month that was good, much less a whole year. For sure, 1976 would be different than 1975. How much different she didn''t know.


    The bus rolled away from the trailer park. Munch wouldn¡¯t be on the bus this morning. The Art Club was having an early morning meeting to finalize plans for the Art and Fashion Show on Thursday evening. Estelle was one of the volunteers so she had taken Munch to school. Just the thought of the Art and Fashion show still sent a shiver through Lolly. She didn¡¯t hate it as much as she had, but she still dreaded it with every fiber of her being. It would be a relief to put it far, far behind her. She kept her eyes focused out the side window. In the pastures cows stood huddled in the rain. Poor things.


    The bus neared the ditch where Munch and Max had had their accident. Behind her she could hear, Max saying, "Yeah, right there is where Munch smashed it." There were still ruts in the ditch where the VW Beetle had skidded off the road and into the ditch. As best as Munch could remember, he had hit the gas instead of the brake when he swerved. She looked out the front windows and she saw Trevor standing by the road. He was holding an umbrella and looking at his feet. For some reason he reminded her of Christopher Robin in Winnie the Pooh. He probably wouldn''t like that comparison, but he was so darn cute. Trevor raised his head and watched the bus pull up beside him. He didn¡¯t look happy. He closed his umbrella and got on the bus. When Mrs. Anderson greeted him with ¡°Happy New Year!¡± Trevor said, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± He plopped down on the seat beside Lolly. Mrs. Anderson raised her eyebrows, but she didn¡¯t tell him to go to his assigned seat.


    Lolly took his hand. Had something happened during the night? Before she could ask he said, ¡°Well Amber now knows about the move and she is in full out war mode.¡±


    ¡°Did you tell her?¡±


    ¡°Nope, didn¡¯t have too. When Amber got off work last night, my mom told her. It got really ugly, really fast. Amber stormed out and went to stay with Bill and his Grandma.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°Yup, she has deserted me. If Dad cant¡¯ get this sorted out with my mom, I''m gonna ask Jake if I can stay with him next fall. I just don¡¯t understand how my mom can be so selfish.¡±


    Until she got to know Trevor, Lolly had no idea that people with money had a whole different set of problems. Having money was like having a magic genie. Many wishes could be granted, but was that always a good thing? It seemed a certain level of wealth just made life more complicated. She squeezed Trevor¡¯s hand. He gave her a rueful smile.


    *


    Tuesday night Grandma Toady, Lolly and Fluff sat on the couch. Trevor was at a basketball game and Mitzi and Max thankfully were with Aunt Jessie. Lolly had the Kodak movie camera set up on its tripod. It was pointed at the television so she could record, Police Woman.The camera was old. Pa and her mom had bought it when Lolly was a baby. It could record images but not sound. Still, if her mom did show up on TV, she would be able to capture her image. Trinia''s appearance on screen might be so brief that if they didn¡¯t film it they might miss it all together. The name of the episode was, The Melting Point of Ice. According to TV Guide it was about stolen diamonds. The commercials flipped by. Lolly didn¡¯t record them. The show, began. Slowly Lolly turned the handle on the camera. Pepper, Angie Dickinson¡¯s character, was working undercover as a caterer. As the story moved along, Lolly wondered when and if Pepper would go into a grocery store. Would she buy supplies for the catering business? The actor Robert Vaughn was in this episode and Lolly knew, Grandma Toady had a secret crush on him. Well, it wasn''t so secret. Grandma Toady got a big smile on her face every time he was in a scene. Lolly really admired Angie Dickinson. She was so bad ass. It was very rare to have a smart, sexy woman as the lead in a dramatic series.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    When the commercials came on, Lolly stopped turning the camera''s handle and waited. The show resumed. Half way through the episode there was still no sign of her mom. Was this going to be a bust? God, she hoped not. As they neared the end of the show, Pepper went into a grocery store. This was it! Tension filled Lolly¡¯s stomach. Would her mom appear or had her scene ended up as trash on some cutting room floor? No, there she was! Trinia was at the register. It had been a long time since Lolly had seen her mother. She was so stunned she almost forgot to keep the camera rolling. Carefully she studied every detail of her mother''s face. The quirk of her lips, her smile. Those big eyes. She was dressed as a checker. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a pony tail. Her flawless skin was luminescent in the light. Pepper asked, ¡°Have you seen this man?¡± She flipped out a photo.


    Those big eyes squinted, as Trinia carefully scrutinized the photo. She shook her head. She parted her lips and spoke. The familiar voice came at Lolly in a wave that sent prickles up her spine. She couldn''t remember the last time she had actually seen and heard her mother speak. Her mother had said only four words, ¡°No Ma¡¯am, I haven¡¯t.¡± Pepper said, ¡°Thanks,¡± and left. There were supposed to be more words. How much would Trinia get paid for only saying four words?


    The story moved on to its conclusion, and then the credits began to roll. Lolly filmed them. They were almost too fast to read. The words, Trinia Phelps...grocery checker scrollled down the screen. More names appeared but Lolly didn''t read them. Did any one even read credits? The credits ended and another commercial flashed onto the screen. Lolly turned off the camera and stared at the TV. Four words, a few seconds on camera, a single line and her name in the credits, was that enough for her mom? Would any of her big dreams come true? Ever? Lolly got up and unscrewed the camera from the tripod. She held it to her eye and checked to see if the film had recorded. It had. Tomorrow Grandma Toady would take it to be developed. She turned the camera over and opened the back where the film cartridge was. It had a bright yellow orange label on it with red letters. She handed the cartridge to Grandma Toady.


    Grandma Toady took the cartridge and asked, ¡°What did you think?¡±


    What did she think? Lolly didn''t know how to articulate what she really thought. There was this weird swirling void inside of her. She said, "I thought she did good. She looked really pretty.¡± To her dismay she began to cry.


    Grandma Toady opened her arms to her. Lolly leaned into them. She pressed her face hard against Grandma Toady''s shoulder. Grandma Toady knew what it felt like, what it meant to be left behind. So, did Pa. It hurt. Lolly knew her mom wouldn''t call her tonight to find out what she thought about the show. Trinia was probably going out to party with her friends to celebrate her triumph. Was it a triumph in the huge scheme of things? It didn¡¯t feel like it, at least not to Lolly.


    *


    The next morning when Munch got on the bus, Lolly didn¡¯t tell him her mom had been on TV the night before. At school when she and Trevor went to the cafeteria, she didn''t tell him either. She didn''t tell Lisa or Jake or anyone at all until, she was on her way to Geometry. Spence Drew stopped her in the hall and asked, "Can I talk to you a second."


    Her first impulse was to shout, NO! But she thought better of it and said, "You''re not supposed to talk to me."


    He mumbled, "I know. I was just wondering something. I was watching Police Woman last night. That grocery clerk looked kinda familiar. In the credits I saw the name Trinia Phelps. Is she related to you?"


    "Uh, yeah. She is. She''s my mom."


    He grinned and said, "Well, I''ll be damned. I never knew anyone on TV before."


    He didn''t know anyone on TV now. He''d never even met her mother, but she didn''t point that out. She sure hoped he didn''t tell anybody, but she didn''t dare ask him not to.


    He jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb and said, "Tell your mom she''s got a fan in Texas."


    "I will."


    "Thanks, see ya."


    "See ya." Lolly watched him walk away. That was really weird and unexpected. Could it be possible that her mom''s appearance on Police Woman had just worked one small miracle in her life?

 Chapter 59. Runway, Run a Way

    After her last class Trevor met Lolly at her locker. He gave her a quizzical look and asked, ¡°I just heard your mom was on Police Woman last night. Is that true?¡±


    Lolly nodded.


    ¡°Gosh, I wish I could''ve seen her." Lolly was thankful he hadn''t. He asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Well, that was a sticky question. Really, she hadn¡¯t told Trevor much about her mom at all. What to say? ¡°Uh, her scenes get cut sometimes. We''re never sure.¡±


    ¡°You mean your mom has been on other shows?"


    "Yeah. She''s and extra a lot. She does some plays too."


    "Wow that''s really cool." Was it? Really? He put his arm around her and they headed for the cafeteria.


    In the cafeteria, near the cash register, Munch stood with Mitzi. She was playing her role as his assistant. Even though she couldn¡¯t write very many words she had a clip board and a big pencil. Strapped to her back was Puccini. He was once again and only bear. Pepperoni had been donated to the Salvation Army. When Mitzi saw Lolly and Trevor she gave them a big smile. The kid was so happy. Munch waved them over. He looked nervous.


    Once all the models had arrived, Munch asked everyone to gather around him. He pointed at the floor "See this masking tape on the floor. It marks off the boundaries of our runway. It starts here and loops back by the snack bar. When you reach the snack bar you will spin and as soon as the next model comes forward you will walk back down the run way.¡± He turned to Mitzi and said, ¡°Honey, lets show ''um how its done.¡±


    Mitzi put her clip board down on a table. A scrawny boy named Travis sat near the runway with his eight track tape deck with speakers. Mitzi stepped up to the starting line. In less than a second Mitzi transformed herself. That little girl¡¯s presence was always large but somehow in this moment, she made it even bigger. She raised a small hand and said, ¡°Now watch me carefully.¡± She stepped onto the runway like she was a professional model. Munch queued the music. Travis hit the button and Etta James'' voice blasted through the speakers singing, "Trust in me, in all you do/Have the faith I have in you."* Mitzi stared straight ahead and then she WALKED. She placed one foot in front of the other while at the same time she managed to make her dress swing.The look on her face was the same look she wore when she danced. Somehow she made her little legs look long. It was some kind of magic. When she reached the end of the runway she spun. Munch stepped forward and in tandem they walked from opposite sides in time to the music. It was really amazing to watch. How did they do it?


    After the demonstration, Munch lined his models up. Theater kids first, Max, Grandma Toady, Kevin, Estelle, Jake, Lisa, Lolly, Trevor and then Mitzi. When it was Lolly¡¯s turn to walk, She felt faint. They were supposed to have the runway on the auditorium stage, but for reasons unexplained, the runway had been relegated to the cafeteria. Even though Munch deserved to have his clothes showcased on a real stage, Lolly was grateful they wouldn''t be. It was bad of her and she knew it. Still, that masking tape runway was intimidating enough. A stage would have been TOO much! Etta James sang out, ¡°You better stop your stallin¡¯ (roll on, roll on)¡±** Lolly stepped onto the runway. Everything went white. It was weird. Was she not getting enough oxygen? She took in several slow breaths as she tried to keep time with Etta. Finally, she reached the end of the tape. She did a wobbly turn and looked down the runway. It was so LONG! And then, she saw Trevor. He was smiling. He gave her a thumbs up sign and they headed towards each other. Having Trevor to look at made the walk so much easier. When they passed each other he winked at her.


    After ten run throughs, Munch realized his cadre of models, with the exception of Mitzi, weren¡¯t ever going to master the walk. The best he could hope for was that no one tripped or fell. Lolly gave him a hug before she left. She told him, "No matter what. The clothes are awesome and people are going to be impressed."


    He nodded, but he didn''t seem convinced.


    *


    Lolly stared at herself in the restroom mirror. The lavender dress Munch had made for her was beautiful. Aunt Jessie had put pale purple eyeshadow on her, a touch of blush and some lip gloss. Lolly tried to smile at her reflection, but she was too nervous. Behind her, Aunt Jessie said, "You look beautiful." With all her heart Lolly wished she felt beautiful. When she and Aunt Jessie stepped out into the hall. Trevor was headed for the boy''s restroom with his suit. He stopped when he saw Lolly. His eyes filled with something she couldn¡¯t name. He gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek and said, ¡°You look amazing.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I do?"


    "Yup. I gotta go get this suit on.¡± He pushed open the boys'' restroom door.


    Lolly and Aunt Jessie headed for the cafeteria. Wearing a lime green tuxedo, Munch motioned for her to join him. He was starting to line people up. Lolly¡¯s mouth suddenly went dry, her throat went dry and her stomach felt like she would hurl any second. This was NOT good! Munch would never forgive her if she threw up on this beautiful dress.


    When the prelude music started up, Trevor ran to his place. He looked gorgeous in his suit. On him, it didn''t look like a a pimp suit at all. One by one, Munch did a quick check on each model. When he reached Lolly, He said, "Perfect." He gave her a nervous smile and moved on to Trevor. Mitzi spun for him.


    Mademoiselle Petite went to the podium and picked up the mic. "Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to this year''s Art and Fashion show. I would like to introduce you to our own talented artist and fashion designer, Michael Dutchendorph." There was loud applause. Mademoiselle Petite handed the mic off to Munch.


    Trembling Munch stood before the audience. Lolly hadn''t expected him to be this nervous. Into the mic he said, "I dedicate my collection to my mom. She is best." His voice broke a bit as he concluded, "I love Mama." He turned back to look at her.


    Tears stood in Estelle''s eyes. She mouthed, I love you too.


    Munch said, "Now for the show!" He pointed at Travis. Etta James voice filled the cafeteria. Lolly''s stomach dropped all the way down to her pretty lavender shoes. She was going to start hyperventilating at any moment. Terrified she couldn''t even watch the models go down the runway, Each one that did was bringing her one step closer to having to do it HERSELF. This was such a bad idea, it had always been a bad idea. She sincerely felt like she was going to puke or faint. A part of her hoped she would faint, not puke, so she would NOT have to do this. Behind her, Trevor asked, "Are you okay?"


    "No."


    She felt his hand slip through hers. It was warm. Both her hands were ice cold. He said, "You are going to be fine. Now watch. Max is fixing to go. My sister is in the audience, I hope he''s going to be okay."


    This brought Lolly right out of her own panic. Poor Max. She hoped he would be okay. He still hadn''t gotten over Amber. Max strutted down the runway with confidence. He kept his eyes straight ahead. When he turned, he had a big grin on his face. He was going to be okay.


    Grandma Toady went next. She walked straight and tall. The gauze dress was gorgeous. As soon as Kevin hit the runway he turned pink and he just got pinker as he walked. By the time he made it all the way back he was beet red and he didn¡¯t seem to be breathing properly. When he passed Lolly he said, "Thank the Lord above that is over. I ain''t never gonna do that again." Lolly nodded. She understood the sentiment. Estelle stepped onto the runway. Since her dress had originally been for Aunt Jessie it was kinda flashy. Though Trevor still had Lilly''s hand in his, she couldn''t feel it any more. All she felt was terror. What if she tripped, what if she looked stupid, what if she threw up on the run way? Lolly didn''t see Jake go, but she saw Lisa. She was so beautiful. Her long hair flowed behind her. Lisa turned. It was almost time.


    Trevor released Lolly''s hand. She stepped onto the taped line and looked out into the audience. Oh, God, there were more people than she thought. In the front row, she saw Uncle Luke with a movie camera. Aunt Jessie was beside him with a Polaroid camera. They both waved at her and smiled. She gave a little wave. Her knees felt like they were going to give way, but she forced herself walk anyway. Breathe, just breathe. One step, one breath at a time, she made her way down. She turned to head back. There was Trevor coming toward her. He smiled, that smile. This walk was almost over, Just a few more seconds and she would be DONE. She kept her eyes forward. Finally, she crossed over the tape. SHE HAD DONE IT AND SHE WAS STILL ALIVE!


    Mitzi said, "You did good!"


    "Thank you!" Lolly wanted to hug her but she knew better. Mitzi wouldn''t want her to muss her dress. Lolly went back to her place in line and watched Trevor. He had a big grin on his face. He was actually enjoying this. When he passed his dad and Amber he waved. His mom wasn''t there.


    The music slipped into the final song. As soon as Trevor exited the runway, Mitzi stepped up to it. Every sequin on her dress sparkled. Puccini was cradled in her arm. He was wearing a tiny red bow tie and a perfect little suit. Etta James began to sing, ¡°At last my love has come along...¡± In perfect time to the music, Mitzi took her steps. Her face was sober, but her eyes were dancing with delight.The fringe on her red dress swayed as she walked. Lolly glanced at Aunt Jessie and Uncle Luke, they were both filming their girl. Happiness bubbled up inside of her. She was so thankful she had found the guts to do this and that she got to be in this moment with the people she loved most. When Mitzi reached the end of the run way, she twirled and she and Puccini took a bow. The crowd erupted in applause.


    As soon as the applause died down, Mademoiselle Petite brought Munch onto the runway. The look of pride and pleasure on his face was so good to see. To think, that no one, not even his best friend, had wanted to be in this show. Next year, Lolly was sure people would be begging to be in his show. The models came out and stood in a line behind Munch. He bowed and the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Munch, who was never at a loss for words, stood for several moments in amazed silence. Finally he managed to say, "Thank you all so much." He took a bow.


    Estelle broke out of line and went to him. "You did it baby."


    Indeed Munch had done it.

 Chapter 60. At Last (Final Chapter)

    In the tiny bridal room of Mount Zion Baptist Church, Lolly studied herself in the full length mirror. She was wearing a gorgeous maxi dress in pale pink with puffed sleeves and a tie back empire waist line. Munch had dyed white chucks to match her dress. He had also done her make up for her. Currently he was helping his mom curl her hair. This thing was happening. It still felt unreal. Pa was in the preacher¡¯s office with Uncle Luke getting ready. They would be wearing matching blue suits with ties that Munch had made out of the scraps from the wedding dress and maid of honor dress. Lolly swung her dress from side to side. As beautiful as the dress was that Munch had made for her for his fashion show, she liked this one even better. Perhaps, it was because this dress was attached to a happy occasion in her life. In all truth, the fashion show had been largely terrifying. This wedding was not terrifying. At least not for her. Estelle seemed quite calm, but Pa had been an absolute wreck all morning.


    Lolly glanced at the clock. It was almost 11:00. It was almost time. Munch was quiet, but not hostile. She was thankful he had the grace to allow his mother to be happy. And Estelle was happy. How she had the courage to risk love for the third time in her life was beyond Lolly. She was such a strong woman and in another half hour she would be Lolly¡¯s stepmother. By God¡¯s grace if Lolly ever had kids, Estelle would be their grandma. She, like Grandma Toady, would be a phenomenal grandmother.


    In the reflection of the mirror, Lolly saw Estelle stand. She was still wearing her robe. Munch said, ¡°I will see you at the door. Lolly, Mama¡¯s gonna need some help with the buttons on her dress.¡±


    She turned from the mirror. ¡°Okay.¡± Lolly gave him a big hug. He responded in kind and left the room.


    From the black zippered garment bag, Estelle pulled her dress. It had simple clean lines. It was cream colored satin. It had covered buttons all the way down the back. When Estelle was buttoned in and had on her cream colored pumps, she and Lolly stood side by side and admired themselves in the mirror. She gave Lolly a side hug and said, ¡°We are beautiful.¡±


    ¡°We are.¡± For the first time in Lolly''s life she meant it, felt it, and believed it.


    With an exaggerated twang, Estelle said, ¡°Now lets get on out there so I can get hitched.¡± She had really poured on the Texan. Lolly giggled. They grabbed their bouquets of Winter Honeysuckle and headed down the hall. Munch was waiting for them in the church foyer. He looked like a scared little boy, determined not to cry. Since she had last seen him, Munch had changed into powder blue tux with a neon purple bow tie. On his feet were solid black chucks.


    Estelle slipped her arm through her son¡¯s. Their eyes met. Lolly was so proud of Munch and his composure. She knew this was hard for him, but for the love of his mother he was holding it together.


    The church''s front doors banged open. Aunt Jessie rushed inside with Mitzi. Max had come with Uncle Luke and was already in the church. A little late and a bit out of breath, Aunt Jessie said, ¡°Sorry. Someone had to look perfect this morning.¡± She tilted her head toward, Mitzi.


    Mitzi looked up and smiled. She was the flower girl and she wore a rose colored flower petal dress. She looked like a little faerie. Puccini the ring bear had on a matching suit. Loosely stitched to his paw were the silver wedding bands. She said, ¡°You can go sit down Mama. I will be fine.¡±


    With a worried frown, Aunt Jessie said, ¡°Okay. But, remember to scatter the petals don¡¯t toss them.¡±


    Eye roll. ¡°I know what I am supposed to do.¡± Aunt Jessie gave her a kiss, opened one of the sanctuary doors and slipped through. As soon as the door closed, Mitzi took her place in the front. Worry crept into Lolly¡¯s brain. She was concerned about Mitzi¡¯s walk down the aisle. The little girl was a show stealer and she had a tendency to do what ever would steal the show.


    The prelude began. An usher opened the doors. From her vantage point, Lolly could see the sparse crowd. It was just family and close friends. Kevin turned and saw her. He smiled so big. He was such a sweet guy. Lolly scanned the crowd for Estelle''s brothers. Two out of four had managed to show up with their wives. They had to be the two men in Leisure suits. She couldn''t see their faces or the faces of their wives. After the wedding, Lolly would get to meet part of her new stepfamily. It was too bad Estelle¡¯s parents hadn¡¯t been able to come. Her dad had heart trouble and her mom didn¡¯t want to leave him to come to the wedding. Florida was a long way from Texas.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    With Puccini situated in the basket among the rose petals, Mitzi stepped into the aisle. Of course she entered the church like she was walking onto a stage. She did that one step, pause step thing as she made her way down the aisle. It was something Lolly would never be able to replicate. Soberly, Mitzi scattered petals while Puccini bobbed up and down in the basket. Everyone was entranced by the little girl and her bear.


    From the side door of the sanctuary Uncle Luke entered. Mitzi waved at him and he waved back. He looked really handsome in his suit. And then, Pa came in. Lolly sensed Munch was steeling himself for this walk down the aisle. Mitzi was supposed to go to the bride''s side of the aisle, and she knew that, but she went and stood by her daddy. He placed his hand on her shoulder. Lolly was secretly glad she wouldn''t have to corral Mitzi during the ceremony.


    The music began. Trevor stood by the piano. The pianist did not play the traditional bridal march. Instead she played the melody of Etta James¡¯ song, At Last. Pa looked really nervous. Was he sweating? His forehead glistened. Yup, he was sweating. Poor dear.


    The preacher motioned for Lolly to enter. Pa¡¯s eyes met hers. She gave him an encouraging smile. The smile he gave her wavered, but it was brave.


    Trevor began to sing:


    At last


    My love has come along


    My lonely days are over


    And life is like a song...


    As he sang, he watched Lolly walk down the aisle. It felt like he was singing just to her.


    When Estelle entered, the congregation stood. Tears filled Pa¡¯s eyes and splashed down his cheeks.


    Lolly took her place across from Pa. Munch and Estelle arrived. Reluctantly, Munch moved away from his mother and took his seat on the first row. He looked like he was about to cry, but he didn''t.


    The vows began. Trinia had not kept her vows to Pa. Estelle had kept her vows all the way through until death do us part. Her voice wavered a bit when she got to that part about death. She knew how much love could cost.


    The ceremony was simple and straight forward. It was turning out to be a perfect wedding until it was time to exchange the rings. Grandma Toady had put a stitch in Puccini¡¯s paw to keep the rings in place. It was supposed to be an easy pull off, only it wasn¡¯t. Mitzi struggled with the rings then wailed, ¡°They are stuck! And I can¡¯t get them off! This is a disaster!¡±


    Uncle Luke took the bear, He tugged on the paw. Mitzi said, ¡°You are hurting him. Look he is crying.¡± Only Mitzi could see his tears. When Uncle Luke put Puccini¡¯s paw up to his mouth to bite through the string, Mitzi asked loudly, ¡°What in the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± She snatched the bear away, and cried, ¡°Grandma Toady help!¡±


    Grandma Toady rushed to the front of the church with the tiny pair of scissors she kept in her purse. With two snips the rings were free and rolling across the floor. Mitzi gave Puccini a fierce hug and declared, ¡°No more weddings for you young bear.¡±


    Estelle caught one of the rolling rings and so did Pa. They traded rings and and the ceremony continued.


    When the preacher said, ¡°Now you may kiss the bride.¡± Lolly saw Munch close his eyes. If he could just hold on a few more seconds this wedding would be over.


    The preacher held up Pa and Estelle¡¯s joined hands and said,¡°I now present Trace Phelps and Estelle Dutchendorph-Phelps.¡± Estelle had hyphenated her last name? It was gonna take her forever to sign her signature. Still, Lolly knew she had done it for Munch. Lolly stole a glance at him. He had a tiny smile on his lips.


    They watched the bride and groom go down the aisle. Uncle Luke picked up Mitzi and Puccini. He hitched his arm through Lolly¡¯s and they too left the sanctuary. In the foyer, Pa hugged Lolly so hard. In her ear he whispered, ¡°I love you Shortcake.¡±


    ¡°I love you too Pa.¡± He released her and went to stand by Estelle. When he took her hand in his, he gave her a smile like Lolly had never seen him smile before. He was happy and he deserved to be.


    When Munch came into the foyer, he gave his mom and hug and then, to Lolly¡¯s surprise, he stuck out his hand and shook Pa¡¯s hand. Pa was so pleased. Next Munch hugged Lolly and said, ¡°We¡¯re family now.¡±


    ¡°Yup we are.¡±


    He let go of her and smirked. "You know I¡¯m the oldest.¡±


    ¡°By two months.¡±


    ¡°Still, that makes me your BIG BROTHER. So, I get to boss you around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you will Sissy Baby, you will.¡±


    Mitzi ran across the room and flung herself at Munch. ¡°You are my cousin now!¡± Munch picked her up and spun her around. She loved it.


    A hand slipped into Lolly¡¯s. She turned and looked at Trevor. He said, ¡°That was the coolest wedding I¡¯ve ever been to. How did you like the song I sang?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of my favorites.¡±


    "Mine too." He leaned in and softly kissed her. He said, "I meant every word I sang.¡±


    Did he? Lolly wondered. He wasn¡¯t even sixteen yet, neither was she. Still, she knew he meant it now, and now was all they had. No matter what came next, this now was pretty stinkin'' wonderful.