I woke up and heard Mom and Aunt Cathy right outside the door to the den.
“I appreciate you coming to check on Sarah.” Mom’s tone was polite and distant, her usual non-touchy, non-feely one. “It was good of you.”
“No, it wasn’t. You think I’m meddling in your life again, Laurie, and that I’m going to tell you how to raise your kids.” Aunt Cathy was as cheerful and honest as always. “You’re right. I am. Has Sarah told you what really happened?”
“She fell at cheer practice.”
“For God’s sake, Laurie, grow a brain! That girl has more grace in her little finger than either of us ever did. You’ve had her in dance classes and gymnastics since she could walk.”
“It wasn’t like I had a choice,” Mom said. “I could get child support for that when the judge wouldn’t make my ex-husbands pay for day-care.”
I cringed down in the bed. And I thought she’d kept me in Ms. Olson’s studio for years because she knew how much I loved it, not so my teacher could babysit. No wonder Mom pulled me out when she married Bruce. I’d assumed it was because he wouldn’t pay for it. How dumb could I be? I heard Aunt Cathy again.
“Sarah floats through her cheer routines as if she has wings. There’s no way she fell down a set of stairs.”
“Then what do you think happened, Doctor Know-It-All?”
“She was pushed. She won’t tell me who did it. Will she confide in you?”
“You see a conspiracy behind every news story, Catherine.” Mom heaved a loud sigh. “Wake up and smell the latte. Sarah isn’t as perfect as you think. She has her awkward and gawky moments, too. Some of her choices can be downright stupid, too. I just hope she outgrows this stage soon.”
Thanks, Mom. It’s wonderful knowing what you really think of me.
The pause in the conversation ended when Mom asked, “Won’t you stay for supper, Catherine?”
“Not tonight. Jed called. He has a colicky horse out past Pine Ridge. It’s not responding and we may need to operate.” Aunt Cathy must have started toward the front door, because it was harder to hear her. “When she came by, I told Diana Olson that Sarah needed to rest until Conway said she could cheer again, but she’d be back to her squad on Monday. I sent away the boy you’re letting her date. He’s a senior and way too mature for Sarah. Eighteen-year-old guys only want one thing from fifteen-year-old girls.”
“C–Catherine, his father’s the m–mayor of Stewart Falls,” Mom sputtered. “You didn’t call Jason a horny little jerk again, did you?”
“Nope, but I offered to neuter him free of charge if he tries to have sex with my niece. If Sarah ends up pregnant, I will, too. Of course, if I’d remembered he was Steve’s boy, I’d just have called City Hall and told him to control his son. Giving out boxes of condoms doesn’t count as teaching your kid right from wrong. See you later, Sis.”
The door opened and Mom came into the room. She pasted on a cheerful smile when she realized I was awake. “Ready to move back to your own room, Sarah? You’re feeling better, aren’t you?”
“Not well enough to put up with Priscilla’s racket,” I said. “I’d rather sleep in here. Anything else?”
“Timber brought you clam chowder from the café and butter-pecan ice cream,” Mom said. “I could bring that in here for you.”
I caught the way she glanced at the computer desk on the other side of the room and realized she needed to do her book column for the Stewart Falls Sentinel. It was how she promoted the different reading clubs she’d started down at Book City. She said it made points with her boss and the regional manager. No wonder Mom wanted me back in my bedroom. “It’s okay,” I said. “I’ll go veg out on the couch and watch TV.”
“That’s a wonderful idea. Thanks, honey.”
I got up, pulled my robe on over my jammies and headed out to the family room with Cappy, dragging my afghan after me. As soon as he saw me, Warren put the soup in the microwave. He brought me the small container of Ben & Jerry’s gourmet ice cream. “Life’s short. Eat dessert first.”
I heard Bruce banging pots and pans in the kitchen as he cooked supper. Warren handed me the remote and I clicked my way through the channels until I found a horse-training clinic in progress. I let the butter-pecan melt on my tongue and ooze down my throat. After the ice cream, I ate the thick, homemade chowder. Timber must have gone back to Mulligan’s Diner in Pine Ridge. It was the only local place that made soup from scratch.
As the trainer talked about different ways to desensitize your horse to various obstacles on trail courses, my brain slowly came to life. Mom and the column, Bruce cooking supper, Timber bringing homemade clam chowder from the café, and Ms. Olson’s visit. It was Friday!
I’d have to miss the football game tonight. By now, the other cheerleaders would be decorating the goal posts with streamers and balloons. They’d have finished the banner the team would break through when they ran onto the field. Missing the work would add fuel to Abbie’s fire. She’d be out for blood when I got back to school next week. And being on her list meant I’d get every crap job that came along.
I’d be home tonight. That meant dish duty after Bruce totally wrecked the kitchen. Just the idea was enough to exhaust me and I closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep.
* * *
“Sarah? Are you okay?”
I recognized my best friend’s voice and opened my eyes to see Vonnie Rivers standing next to the couch. She was all fashion in tight blue jeans and a light blue crop top, blonde hair pulled back in a braid, and perfect make-up. If I hadn’t known how she felt about my older brother, I could have hated her for looking like a teen model.
“I feel like crap, Von. Other than that, I’m wonderful. Why are you here?”
“You’re spending the weekend at my house. You set it up because the squad wasn’t doing rec cheering this Saturday. Remember?”
“No.” I sat up and pushed the hand-crocheted, hot pink, and purple afghan to the floor. “I must have spaced and forgotten to call and cancel. I’m not up to being good company this weekend.”
“You don’t have to be. You can just hang out and rest.” Vonnie sat down on the couch next to me. “You can’t stay here, Sarah.”
“Why not? Unfortunately, I live here so I’m stuck until I graduate from high school unless my dad gets back from Afghanistan before that and lets me move in with him.”
“Priscilla’s having a sleepover. It’s why you asked to come to my house this weekend. You didn’t want to put up with the kid, her nasty friends, or clean up afterward.”
“You’re right.” I buried my aching face in my hands. “I do want to stay at your house. How many brats did I say were coming?”
“Ten.” Vonnie picked up my afghan off the floor. “Are they really all brats?”
“After a night here, they are.” I lowered my hands and watched her fold the blanket. “At the last one, they trashed my make-up, ruined my blue formal and read my diary.”
“Remember when Priscilla unraveled this afghan last spring during one of her tantrums? Your aunt had to crochet it again. Then, she had to buy you two new cheerleading sweaters because Priscilla destroyed them playing ‘dress-up.’ I couldn’t believe it when you caught hell for leaving your clothes where she could get to them.”
“You should have heard World War Three when Aunt Cathy made them reimburse her for buying me new uniforms.” I shook my head. “Is your dad waiting?”
“Nope. I asked him to come back in a half-hour. Warren said you’d need me to help you pack.”
“Great. Aren’t brothers a pain?” I didn’t have to tell Vonnie I was joking. We’d hit it off when she moved here three years ago. For the first time, I had a best friend who didn’t expect to hang out at my house. She never asked or even wanted to spend the night. She passed the word around the academy that my stepdad was a jerk who hated me. Most of the girls knew that, but at least now it wasn’t my fault. Between her and B.J., I definitely had a life beyond my Cinderella duties, something I hadn’t thought would happen until I escaped Stewart Falls.
I shrugged. “Actually, Warren’s okay.”
“I’ll say.” Vonnie lowered her voice to a whisper. “He ate lunch with me today.”
“No way!” She’d even signed up for Tai-Kwon-Do to be near him, and I was beginning to think she’d have her black belt before Warren admitted he liked her. “Tell me more.”
“At my house. Come on, Sarah. Let’s get ready to go.”
“I’m on it.” I followed her out of the room, into the kitchen. “I want to hear every detail.”
Bruce turned from where he made a salad, vegetables strewn across the counter. “What are you girls doing?”
“Priscilla has a sleepover tonight, so I’m going to Vonnie’s.” I kept walking. “Have fun.”
“At least my daughter has friends.” Bruce slammed a knife into a tomato and it spurted seeds everywhere. “Nobody comes here to see you, Sarah.”
I debated telling him that he drove all my friends away, but what was the point? I opted for Shakespeare instead. “‘Wrong me not, nor wrong yourself to make a bondmaid and slave of me.’”
Bruce shook his head and stared at me. “What are you blathering about now?”
Vonnie elbowed me before I broke the speech down for him. “Thank you, sir. I’m sure Sarah appreciates your wonderful words of wisdom, sir.” She pushed me out of the kitchen. “See you later, sir.”
“Suck-up!” I whispered.
“Yeah, but you wanta get out of here, too, and sooner or later, he’s gonna figure out that you’re insulting him. Nobody’s that stupid, Sarah. You don’t want to get grounded for life.”
I laughed all the way to my bedroom, even though it made my ribs ache. In the middle of her bed, Priscilla didn’t look up from her PSP when we entered the room. We ignored her. That way, the kid couldn’t claim we were mean to her.
“Go get dressed, Sarah. I’ll start packing for you.” Vonnie tossed me my purse. “Put on some make-up. It’ll help hide the bruises.”
I grabbed a S.F.A. T-shirt and my black sweatpants. When I opened the top drawer to find a clean bra and panties, I blocked Vonnie long enough for her to signal me to check my cell. I nodded and then headed for the bathroom to change.
I pulled out my cell as soon as I closed the door. There were text messages from Rita who told me she covered my work at Horse Heaven on Wednesday and Kaitlyn who had some miracle cure for bruising. A bunch of the other cheerleaders had called to find out how I was, including Marcie Oakley, the co-captain who probably was put up to it by her B.F.F., Abbie.
I’d answer the calls on the way to Vonnie’s. I turned off the ringer on my cell, tucked it back in my purse and pulled out my make-up. If I didn’t have it on when I went back, Priscilla the Spy would rat me out. I didn’t need Mom or Bruce on my case about the kid again.
When I returned to the bedroom, Vonnie had piled stuff on my bed. I’d spent enough nights at her place that she knew what I’d need. Jeans, tops, cheer uniforms, my two best dresses and all my favorite shoes along with my afghan created a mountain. I spotted my diary on top of the heap with Cappy doing tiger-guard duty. He always went to Vonnie’s too.
I glanced around the room. The gray teddy bear from Jason leaned against the pillows on my bed. I debated whether I wanted to take it with me. It should be safe enough here. The bears the Colonel gave me were stored on the top shelf of the closet. They wore miniature Army uniforms and combat boots. One even had a tiny parachute pack.
Next to the bears was my collection of porcelain dolls. Aunt Jessie and the Colonel sent the ones from foreign countries, but Aunt Cathy got me the ones with weird and wonderful careers. All of my personal board games including Horse-Opoly and books were kept up there, too.
“Thanks, Vonnie.” I handed her the vase of roses from the nightstand. “Now that you’re Bruce’s best friend, you can pitch these.”
She giggled and sniffed the blooms. “They’re barely open. Why do you want them tossed? Didn’t Jason bring them for you?”
“Yes, and when Miss Priss and her friends tear the petals off and throw rosebuds all over, I’ll be grounded for life.”
“You’ve got a point.” Vonnie headed for the door and her mission of rose destruction. “Be right back.”
While she was gone, I packed my clothes into my cheer duffel bags.
“Are you moving out?” Mom lingered in the doorway. “Didn’t I hear Yvonne? Where is she?”
“Throwing away Jason’s roses.”
“Why?” Mom came into the room. She’d changed from the jacket and skirt she wore at Book City to leggings and a tunic top. She’d bunched her chocolate brown hair into a bun on top of her head. She looked like a model, not someone old enough for a seventeen-year-old son, or fifteen-year-old daughter. “What’s going on, Sarah? You love roses. You always want me to plant new ones in the yard.”
“I do love roses. I just don’t want to be grounded when Miss Priss and her friends pour water on my bed and the carpet, much less when they scatter rose petals everywhere.”
“Oh, Sarah.” Mom heaved one of her dramatic sighs. “Don’t you ever get tired of playing the martyr?” She crossed the room, sat on the canopy bed next to my stepsister, and put her arm around the kid. “Priscilla is your sister, not a monster.”
“Close enough for government work.” I borrowed one of Aunt Jessie’s favorite sayings. I decided I’d better take my black semi-formal. I hadn’t worn it yet and I was saving it for Homecoming.
“I don’t understand you, Sarah.” Mom shook her head, brown tendrils flying. “What friends of Priscilla’s?”
“The ones staying here tonight.” I took the black heels off the shoe rack and tossed them on my bed. “You’re having a house full of them and you said I could go to Vonnie’s.”
“But you’ve missed the last three days of school,” Mom protested. “You know the rules, Sarah. No school means no cheerleading and no social activities like a weekend at your friend’s.”
I put my backpack on the bed. “I won’t stay here during a sleepover from hell. I’m not getting stuck being the maid afterward and I sure as sugar am not being blamed when the house is wrecked. My Cinderella license expired after the brat’s birthday party.”
“Don’t be snotty with me, young lady, and stop calling Priscilla names.” Mom scowled at me. “You take everything Bruce and I say to you out of context. I should have cancelled this overnight when you got hurt.” She took a deep breath. “I forgot to check the calendar in the kitchen. I wonder if it’s too late to change—”
“Oh no, Mommy.” The controller flew across the room and Priscilla cut loose with a wail. “Not my slumber party. It’s not fair.” Tears poured down her pretty face. “Please, Mommy.”
I ought to have felt worse but I kept thinking that this was how Priscilla got whatever she wanted. She cried, threw a fit, and everyone surrendered to her whims.
“Oh, shove it, Miss Priss. Mom would never cancel your party, not even if I had died on Tuesday.” I finished stuffing my clothes into the duffel. “Cut the act. You know it as well as I do.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Sarah. You’re exaggerating as usual.” Mom stroked Priscilla’s golden curls, not seeing the brat stick her tongue out at me before she continued the phony crying. “Honey, I don’t want your sister at a stranger’s when she’s sick. What will people think?”
“Give me a break! That brat is not my sister. I may have a ton of them littering Stewart Falls since Smarmy Marvy, your ex-boyfriend and my bio-dad doesn’t believe in condoms or safe sex, but at least she’s not one of them. My real brothers and sisters are human beings. Besides, Vonnie’s dad is the police chief and he’ll notice if I’m in trouble and he’ll get me to the hospital a lot faster than anyone around here would.”
Silence and then a long, dirty look from Mom. Talking about my biological father was a forbidden subject. I didn’t know why since everything else about me was up for censure.
“You aren’t helping, Sarah.” Mom kissed the top of Priscilla’s hair. “Why don’t you invite Yvonne to spend the night here? She never does.”
“She has twice in the last three years.” I started toward the hallway with my backpack. “Rocky never asks why I’m at his house, or if I have a bed of my own at home, or if I’m a lesbian when I share Vonnie’s. And after the way Bruce hassled B.J. and the way she called for a ride home before ten that night, there’s no way Grandaunt Liz will let her stay over at this Hell House again.”
“For heaven’s sake, Sarah. Bruce was only joking with you girls. All of you are too sensitive. Do you have to take everything to heart? You should be polite to Chief Rivers.”
“I am. He told me to call him Rocky. He says he’s not Chief Rivers at home. He listens to me. It’s more than I get around here.”
“Give it a rest, Sarah. Lighten up, will you?”
I struggled to control my temper and piled my stuff in the hall. Vonnie gave me a sympathetic look and whispered. “Careful, Sarah. You might not get out of here.”
I knew she was right, but anger swept through me when I looked over my shoulder and saw Mom cuddling Priscilla. I spotted the box of chocolate covered nuts. I couldn’t chew them right now and they’d be gone when I got back. I tossed the box to Priscilla. “Here, you may as well feed these to your friends.”
“Sarah, how nice of you to share.” Mom patted Priscilla’s shoulder. “What do you say, honey?”
“Nothing, preferably. She doesn’t have to thank me. It’s easier giving her the candy than having her steal it like she always does. See you Sunday night.”
“Try to be a good guest, Sarah. It’s not like you have any other friends except Vonnie. And Aunt Liz has found other people to keep her foster pet company so she hasn’t had you visit as much as she did this past summer.”
“Fine. Whatever, Mommie Dearest!” I headed out the bedroom door. Behind me, Priscilla continued her loud crying until Mom gave up and agreed that the sleepover would go on as scheduled. What else was new?
Warren came up the stairs from the daylight basement apartment, backpack in hand. He locked the door so Priscilla couldn’t wreck his computers while he was gone. Mom and Bruce stopped bitching about the lock years ago when Warren handed them the bill for Priscilla’s property damage the first time. “What’s the screeching?”
“She’s mad because I’m taking all my good stuff to Vonnie’s.” I waved at the duffel by the front door. “I gave the brat the candy Jason brought. I can’t eat it yet. It’ll be gone by the time we get back.”
“It always is.” Warren glanced into my room. “Bye, Mom. See you Sunday. So long, Priscilla.”
“Where are you going?” Mom sounded frazzled. “Priscilla’s having a sleepover tonight. I could use some help.”
“That’s why you have Bruce.” Warren put his hand on my shoulder and gave me a gentle push toward the front door. “This party is your special time for you, Bruce, and Priscilla to bond like a real family. It’s why you want Sarah and me out of here.”
It always amazed me when Warren got away with saying things nobody else dared. I didn’t call him a superhero for nothing. We went to the front porch where Vonnie had stacked my duffels, afghan, and backpack while we waited for her dad. She gave me and Warren a look, then moved away so I could talk to my brother.
“Did you remember the ice-packs and your pills?” Warren asked me. “You won’t be able to sleep without them.”
“No, to all of the above.” I grimaced. “I don’t want to go back in there. I’m the biggest bitch in the world. I can’t stand watching Mom fuss over Miss Priss.” A sob caught in my throat. “It’s not fair, Warren. As soon as she got here, Mom hustled me out of the guestroom, so she could do her column for work. She doesn’t care about us at all, and it makes me so mad. She didn’t even ask me what Doctor Conway said about my rib only being bruised and that I could go back to cheer sooner than he’d originally thought.”
“Hey, stop beating yourself up.” Warren gently ruffled my hair. “Be nice to the only sister I have, okay? It’s not your fault the Colonel’s off fighting wars, or that our mom isn’t one to us. Anyway, Aunt Cathy insisted on bringing her up to speed about your trip to the doctor. It’s always been you and me against the world. I’m here, shrimp-bait. We’ll make it. All right?”
“Yeah.” I blinked away my tears. “Sorry to be the ‘Wendy Whiner’ Mom calls me.”
“When you are, I’ll tell you.” Warren handed me his backpack. “Put this in my car while I get your meds.”
Vonnie came over when I dropped the pack on the passenger seat of the Mustang. “I’ve been awful to you,” I said. “Sorry, Von.”
“Hey, your mom makes me glad that my dad can’t sustain an adult relationship,” Vonnie said. “Does she really think you don’t have any friends? What an idiot.”
I shook my head. “Well, it’s not like any of my friends show up here or call. They didn’t even before Warren gave me a cell phone.”
“Well, it’s not like we’re stupid either,” Vonnie mocked. “I mean, how much of Brucie do you expect us to take without hurling? You know that if he got rude with Jenny, she’d kick his butt. That girl doesn’t suffer fools at all and with her brown belt in karate, she doesn’t try.”
“Yeah, but she isn’t supposed to look for trouble,” I said. “I’m so glad you’re my friend, Vonnie.” I grabbed her for a fast hug. “And I know you only come around ’cuz you have the hots for my brother.”
“He’s really fine.” Vonnie giggled and hugged me back. “And you can have both of mine in exchange.”
“Oh, Jason would love that,” I said.