I see our miscreants are keeping you busy, Jason said.
Allen grinned beneath his bushy gray mustache. Beats spending the day inside solving plumbing emergencies. Principal Schonrocks on the warpath, though. In the faculty lounge, she was threatening to cancel Spring Fling if the vandalism continues, but talked herself out of it, not wanting to penalize the whole student body for the actions of a few.
Spring Fling was the formal dance at the end of this month. Since Jason hadnt attended Homecoming in October or the Holiday Ball in December, Betty Schonrock had made it clear she expected Jason to take his turn and help chaperone the Fling. Hed gone so far as to promise his second-period class that if every one of them memorized either the Queen Mab speech from Romeo and Juliet or Mark Antonys address in Julius Caesar, Jason would hit the dance floor to bust some old school moves. All part of his ongoing attempts to get the students engaged in Shakespeare.
Plan B was to point out some of the more creative insults and dirty jokes in the Bards plays, but Principal Schonrock might frown on that.
He took the stairs two at a time and had no sooner entered the building than he spotted the principal herself. Shed left the administrative office and was headed in the direction of the cafeteria. Betty was a diminutive but solidly built woman with a bob of silver-white hair and a sharp turquoise gaze that struck fear in the hearts of students, from pimply freshmen to linebackers on the Jaguar football team.
Speak of the devil, Jason said as he fell in step with her.
She arched an eyebrow. That had better be a figure of speech and not a character assessment.
Yes, maam. Allen and I were just discussing the graffiti and your determination to end it.
God as my witness, even if I have to camp out in the courtyard every night with a sleeping bag, thermos of coffee and an industrial-size flashlight, Im going to catch someone in the act and make an example of them.
Those kids dont know who theyre messing with, he said affectionately. I heard you even considered taking away Spring Fling.
Pausing, she slanted him a reproachful scowl. Dont sound so hopeful, McDeere.
Not at all. Imlooking forward to it.
Good. She nodded crisply before zeroing in on two girls standing near a bank of lockers. Seneca, Jess. Do you ladies have some reason for loitering in the hallways?
We were on our way to the media center to work on a research project for Miss Burrows. The taller of the two answered while her friend spared a quick glance at Jason, then lowered her head, giggling. We have a pass.
Well, pick it up a little. Ive seen injured turtles move faster than that.
The girls both nodded, skirting around the principal to make their way down the corridor. Whispers and laughter trailed after them. Though he hoped it was his imagination, Jason thought he caught his name.
Principal Schonrock assessed him, arms akimbo. About that spring formal, McDeere, I dont suppose youll be bringing a date?
Maam? He was unprepared for the random question, though he assumed she wasnt asking him out. Mr. Schonrock wouldnt approve.
A date, McDeere. A female companion to whom you bring cups of ginger ale punch between rounds on the dance floor.
What was it with the people in this town and their preoccupation with his social life? I plan to go stag. Stay focused on the kids, make sure no one smuggles a flask to spike the punch.
Ive got punch duty, no worries there. She sighed. Youre one of the best literature teachers weve ever had at this school, but you do pose the occasional problem.
Such as? Jason was genuinely baffled, but open to constructive criticism if it would improve his effectiveness in the classroom.
For perhaps the first time since hed known her, Betty seemed hesitant, glancing down the hall, checking in both directions before she replied. When you were helping Coach Hanover with the cross-country team last semester, did you happen to notice how many divorced moms showed up at meets?
They were there to support their kids.
Some of them didnt have kids on the team. Some of them didnt even have kids at this school! Then theres my own faculty. Shannon Cross has been teaching for four years and never once wore a low-cut sweater to a PTA meeting before you joined the staff. The way she and Leigh Norris bat their eyelashes at you over the coffeepot makes them seem more like students than educators. And its affected their professional relationship. Last Friday, I thought there might actually be a catfight.
Er While he wasnt comfortable with the increasingly flirtatious mannerisms of his two female colleagues, he was even less comfortable discussing them with the principal. Maybe it would be better to have this chat with Ms. Cross and Ms. Norris.
I have. But its not just them. You stand out conspicuously. We have a small staff here and very few male teachers. Aside from you, no male teachers who are single.
That has no bearing on my job performance.
Of course not, but you saw how Seneca and Jess reacted to you.
Teenage girls giggle all the time, he said stiffly.
Last week, Mrs. Feeney walked into the D Hall restroom and overheard three girls making dares on ways to get your attention. I dealt with it, but the fact of the matter remains that some parents
Surely no one had ever accused him of flirting with a student? If he didnt resent the implication so much, he might have laughed at the irony. He hadnt wanted to be single! When hed made the vow to stay with Isobel until death parted them, hed meant it. He just hadnt anticipated her bailing on motherhood and, consequently, their marriage.
He tightened his grip on his lunch, probably crushing the sandwich inside the sack. Principal Schonrock, I dont like the tone of this conversation. If youll excuse me, I only have a few minutes left before the bell rings.
Jason, Im sorry Ive upset you. I considered not telling you about the restroom incident at all, but thought it better if you knew.
So that I can bring a date to the Spring Fling? There were limits on what he was willing to do in his personal life to appease those in charge of his professional life.
It might not hurt if people thought of you as less available.
He bared his teeth in a humorless smile, spelling out what hed tried to make Coach Hanover understand the other night. I am the sole caretaker of a two-year-old. With my grandmother gone, Ive tailored my schedule around Emilys sitter and have been struggling in my nonexistent spare time, between potty training and grading papers, to renovate the run-down house Gran left us. Trust me, Im about as unavailable as you can get.
MMM. LOLA ANN CLOSED HER eyes briefly, tilting her face up toward the sun, clearly a woman whod never freckled. Days as lovely as today, I wonder why anyone ever drives.
Hey! Ronnie laughed, scooting over on the sidewalk to avoid the dropped remains of an ice cream cone. Thats my job security youre threatening. How would you like it if I started questioning why people still read books?
Not enough of them do, Lola Ann said vehemently.
You have a point. Certainly the men in Ronnies family never read anything unless it was related to sports or automobiles. She made a mental note to include a childrens book along with whatever gift she gave her niece for her next birthday.
Not enough of them do, Lola Ann said vehemently.
You have a point. Certainly the men in Ronnies family never read anything unless it was related to sports or automobiles. She made a mental note to include a childrens book along with whatever gift she gave her niece for her next birthday.
A memory surfaced, the Christmas her freshman year when her dad and brothers had bought her a stack of cookbooks. The only kitchen tools Ill need after the move are a microwave, a can opener and a refrigerator magnet with the phone number of the towns pizza-delivery place.
It wasnt that shed ended up stuck with traditionally female chores because her brothers were meat-headed chauvinists. Juggling schoolwork and, in the case of Danny and Will, part-time jobs, theyd all helped around the house in different ways while Wayne ran the garage. Struggling to fulfill a promise that first year after Moms death, Ronnie had inadvertently set the pattern from which she still hadnt broken free.
Take care of them. Looking back, Ronnie knew what her mother had meantafter all, without feminine interference, Will and Devin might never have thought to put on clean clothes. Yet, Ronnie felt as if shed spent more time trying ineptly to fill someone elses shoes than finding her own footsteps.
The library was on the corner, and Ronnie automatically slowed, assuming this was where she and Lola Ann would part company after their lunch.
I, um, thought Id walk with you, Lola Ann said. You know, work off some of that barbecue. Plus, I have to go to the post office. The garage is on the way.
Ronnie raised her eyebrows but didnt comment on her friends indirect route. Suit yourself, Im happy for the company.
While Joyous was by and large a rural community where cars were a necessity, the few blocks of downtown, with its old-fashioned storefronts and limited parking, really did make for a nice stroll. They ran into numerous acquaintances, including Charity Sumner as she exited Claudettes Beauty Salon.
Charity! Navigating the stroller the blonde pushed, Ronnie gave her a one-armed hug. Long time, no see.
Charity was Trebles younger sister and, next to Lola Ann, Ronnies closest friend.
Weve missed you at Guthries, but understand whats kept you so busy. Lola Ann leaned down to admire eight-month-old Brooke. A cutie like this one sure makes the biological clock tick louder.
Ronnie shifted her weight, listening as the other two women discussed baby milestones. Truthfully, Ronnies biological clock wasnt running all that fast. She doubted it was even plugged in.
I should be going. Charity glanced at her watch reluctantly. But we have to get together soon! Now that shes sleeping through the night and I dont constantly feel like a zombie, its time to reclaim my life.
After theyd said goodbye, her friends words kept looping in Ronnies mind, like one of those irritatingly catchy pop songs that are impossible to get out of your head. Time to reclaim my life, time to reclaim my life. It was exactly how Ronnie had been feelingexcept, had she ever created a life to reclaim?
Lola Ann, is twenty-five too old for deciding what you want to be when you grow up?
What? I thought you liked being a mechanic.
I do. I meant metaphorically rather than professionally.
Frankly, shed never analyzed her vocational choice too closely. Wayne, whod inherited the garage from his own father, had spoken often of sharing the place with his boys. Danny was the bookkeeper and worked in a mostly administrative capacity, although hed probably help with basic maintenance procedures this week because people were gearing up for spring break road trips, keeping them busier than usual. Devin was a certified mechanic, but only pitched in between construction jobs to supplement his incomeJoyous wasnt a hotbed of new buildings and roadways. Of Waynes four children, Ronnie was the only one to become a full-time mechanic at the annoyingly named Carter & Sons.
She glared up at the sign that had never really bothered her before now.
Then she shook her head, trying to clear away the negativity. Honest to God, I dont know whats wrong with me lately. Ive been cranky. Itchy in my own skin, bad-tempered and unable to sleep.
Maybe its sexual frustration, her friend teased. Thats made me peevish on more than one occasion.
The sad part is, youre probably right. Ronnie glanced back up at the familiar sign and sucked in a deep breath. Lola Ann, its time to make some changes. Are you with me?
The brunette looked nervous. Uhwith you on what, exactly?
Weve got to take charge of our lives. Running into Charity today had reinforced the realization that most of the people Ronnie knew were moving forward in different ways. Buying her house was an important step, but it didnt have to be the only one. Youre a bright, attractive woman. You dont have to get all your happily ever afters from bookscreate your own future. If youre really interested in that brother of mine, make him notice you. The next time I see Jason at Guthrie Hall, I am marching up to him and claiming that dance Ive always wanted.
You are? Lola An asked skeptically.
I am! And if I can be brave, so can you.
Seems awfully convenient that the theoretical object of your bravery almost never comes to Guthries.
Im aiming for greatness here, dont distract me with minor problems like reality.
LolaAnn laughed. All right. After you, o fearless leader.
Empowered, Ronnie swung open the door. Lola Ann followed her inside the small office area that opened via a carpeted hallway into the much larger repair bays. Im back from lunch!
Danny glanced up from his computer, looking amused at her inexplicably emphatic tone. So we see.
Bout time you got back, slacker. Devin passed them en route from the minifridge, a carton of leftover take-out food in his hand. Hey, Lola Ann. He punctuated his greeting by affectionately chucking her chin, a gesture of such asexual fondness that Ronnie almost winced on her friends behalf.
Lola Anns expression was one of abject misery. Devin, being male and clueless, missed it completely.
Well, Ill let you get back to work, Lola Ann told her friend. Ive gotta get to the post office, pick up those stamps.
Well see you on Saturday for dinner. Ronnie gave her an encouraging smile. In the meantime, dont forget what we discussed. The world really can be your oyster.
Turning to go, Lola Ann raised a halfhearted fist in solidarity.
We make our own destiny, Ronnie called through the door as it closed. Even the most daunting journeys start with one decisive step!
Devin stared at her. Someone had way too many fortune cookies at lunch. What was that about?
Nothing you need worry your pretty head over, Ronnie said. Is Dad in the back?
Went to lunch with one of his poker buddies, Danny answered, his eyes never leaving the monitor.
So it was just her and her brothers? She bit her lip, recalled this morning and decided to take advantage of the opportunity. Devin, after I move out, will you go by the house for dinners and stuff? Keep him company.
I suppose, as long as it doesnt put a crimp in my social life. When he saw that she was seriously concerned, he sobered. Sure, no prob. You know I always pop in to do my laundry, anyway. The bunkhouse didnt have a washer and dryer.