Kiana checked the selection with the precision of an architect. Angie and Cilla stood to the side, giving occasional knowing glances at each other. They remained quiet until Kiana stepped away, satisfied.
“I really appreciate you going to all this trouble.”
“Definitely,” Angie said. “You’ve been a lifesaver.”
Cilla drew a roll from the pocket of her slacks and held it up. “Wintergreen. My favorite,” she added with a grin, then offered Kiana and Angie each one.
“Kiana, feel free to walk around and see if you find anything else that works better for you. What I put out was only to help speed things along.”
While Cilla went to help a customer check out, Angie tongued the hole in the lifesaver and ambled about the store. Along one wall were three shelves of knickknacks and statuary. Being a thrift store where all the items were donated, there was no pattern or connection to the styles. There was a cute brass zebra. Its surface glimmered in the fluorescent lighting. Beside the zebra, a pair of Mickey Mouse figurines. Angie picked up a china teacup and saucer etched with small blue flowers. The piece was delicate, so thin it was almost like paper. The hand painted design was perfect.
“Angie,” Cilla called, “check this out.”
Angie set down the cup and turned to see Cilla holding up a beautiful silk dress in one of her favorite colors, a pale green, in a strapless style and a long flowing skirt. During performances at the theater, Angie and Tyson dressed in formal attire. She could never have enough evening wear.
“It’s beautiful,” Kiana said as she selected a blue sport jacket. She went to the counter to exchange it with a brown one but seemed otherwise satisfied with the choices Cilla had made.
Angie touched the fabric of the green dress. Very nice. The label said Diane Von Furstenberg. Over the top of the coat hanger, Angie raised her eyebrows at Cilla who smiled. “If it was my size I would’ve taken it for myself. I wouldn’t be surprised to find it fits you.”
“Try it on,” Kiana encouraged, which Angie did. It fit perfectly. She twirled in the full-length mirror in the dressing room.
“Gorgeous,” Kiana and Cilla said at the same time.
Angie again gave Cilla a raised eyebrow glance seeing the price tag at $30. Cilla laughed. “Most of my clientele wouldn’t know who Diane Von Furstenberg is.”
The three women bagged the purchases, including Angie’s new dress.
“That pendant you got the other day will go perfectly with this. Too bad there aren’t any earrings to match.”
“I’ll figure something out,” Angie said, then added, “I’m not sure how to handle payment for the school’s items.”
“No charge,” Cilla said.
“No way,” Kiana said. “None of this was your fault.”
“All right then, half—and I won’t take any arguing. The fire wasn’t any of your doing either.” Cilla wrote up a bill and shoved it into one of the bags. “So, are you free for dinner tonight?”
“Barring any more catastrophes, I’d love to.”
Cilla scribbled directions on the back of a business card.
Angie put it in the side pocket of her handbag. “I have a pot roast in the crockpot, if that’s all right.”
“It’s perfect.”
They made their good-byes. On the way out, Angie passed the lovely cup and saucer. Its price tag was only $15. Fantastic for real bone china.
Cilla helped carry the bags to the car; Angie checked each of the tires by doing a complete circle around the vehicle while Kiana told Cilla what happened earlier.
“So, you’re having dinner with Mr. Philmore,” Kiana said once they were back on their way.
Angie sipped the now-cold coffee she’d left in the cup holder. “Should I read something into your comment? Or from their invitation?”
“I guess not. I just find him strange. No, that’s not the right word. He’s changeable. One day up and one day down. Evan and I wondered if he was on some kind of drugs.” Seeing Angie’s surprised glance, she added, “No, nothing like that; I mean, like prescription drugs. You know, for depression or something.”
“Are you in any of his classes?”
Kiana nodded. “He’s kinda boring, sticks strictly to curriculum. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to keep awake.” She drank from her cup, set it in the holder, knocking knuckles with Angie as she set down her own. “I like Mrs. Philmore though,” Kiana added.
“Me too, so far. We’ve only met twice so the verdict’s still out. Do you plan on making acting a career?”
Kiana’s sigh took Angie’s attention momentarily from the road. “I did.”
“Did?”
“Well, Ms. Forest…”
Angie tried but couldn’t make a connection to help the girl past her obvious trouble finishing the sentence.
“If we can’t save the drama program my chances of getting into the best college will dwindle to nothing. I really need the credits from this last semester. I thought about changing high schools but my parents are pretty adamant against it.”
“Against changing schools?”
“Well, they’re against me acting at all. They don’t think it’s lucrative enough.”
“What school are you trying to get in?”
“Greensboro’s advanced program. Ms. Forest told me it was the best in the country. She was helping me work toward it. She helped me enroll in the local Thespian Society. I go to their regular meetings. That earns me credits.”
“I’m not fully up on the requirements of colleges. And I’ve only just joined the Thespian group. Because of my schedule, I don’t get to attend many meetings. Why might you
not
be able to get in now?”
“With my grades, I qualify for
any
school. And I can get into Greensboro’s school, no problem. I needed this year’s credits to meet the criteria for the advanced program. Also…I can qualify for a full scholarship if I meet certain other requirements.”
They’d arrived back at the school. Strangely enough, the same parking space was still open. They collected cups, handbags, and shopping bags and met on the sidewalk outside the school. At Kiana’s comments about the Greensboro acting program, a thought had popped into Angie’s head. Kiana had stepped toward the school doors. When she saw Angie hadn’t moved, she came back.
“Need help with something?”
“About Greensboro’s requirements… Would it help if an operating theater hired you?”
Kiana nearly dropped her bags. “Definitely, but—” When she faced Angie her eyes were lit like lasers. “You mean you’d hire me?”
“I need to run it past my partner first, but I’m confident something can be worked out.” She touched Kiana’s arm, suddenly not sure a teacher should be touching a student, but at this moment, not caring. “Let’s get this show under our belts, save the school program, then worry about your future. Okay?”
Angie’s concerns about physical contact with a student were erased when Kiana did indeed drop the bags and fling her arms around Angie’s neck. “Thanks.” She dropped her arms. There was an awkward moment where neither woman seemed to know what to say. “I can’t help you pick them up,” Angie finally said, squeezing her own bags tighter.
Kiana bent to retrieve the fallen packages. Someone came out of the left double door. Kiana ran to get inside before the door could swing shut. She propped a foot so the door would stay open, and waited for Angie to precede her.
To prepare for the performance’s new outdoor venue Randy had excused cast and crew from classes. The pair of janitors were invaluable in helping move the heavy sets, though Angie noticed Lincoln Underwood stood around till someone specified what he should do. His attitude was surly and he often snapped at the kids. Angie also noticed Kiana kept much of her attention focused on him.
At lunchtime, Randy had a dozen pizzas delivered. While a yard crew mowed the football field, wafting a fresh-cut-grass scent into the air, the jovial group sat on the bleachers to eat. Some of the actors recited their lines to each other as if making normal conversation—which sent everyone else into gales of laughter.
As the last of the food boxes were cleared away, the topic switched to speculation about who might be trying to sabotage the show. Angie turned her mind to the upcoming performance, fitting details here and there, and making sure they hadn’t forgotten anything.
Evan appeared in front of her bleacher seat. “Can we talk a sec?”
She waved at the bleacher space beside her.
He sat. Which meant the subject was serious.
“What do you do when you learn something that absolutely blows your mind?” he asked after gazing around to make sure nobody was listening. “I mean, how do you face the person—the one the news is about—on a daily basis?”
“Hard question. I guess you have to put the information into a special file in the back of your mind.”
“What if you can’t? What if, every time you see this person you get angry, or want to say something? What if, every time you see him you want to shake him and ask ‘how’ and ‘why’?”
Angie let out a small grin. “That’s how I feel about my ex husband.”
“How do you deal with it?”
“Like I said, I have a special file. Evan, I don’t know what this is about but here’s something you should try to remember…and I know I’m coming off sounding like a lecturing adult, but here goes…you can’t go through life letting things bother you. If you do, they’re going to build up and build up. Someday they’ll explode all over someone—probably someone you love.” He gave a half-nod. “Does this have something to do with Kiana? I noticed a bit of a strain between you today.”
“It’s like you just said. Some of my build-up overflowed on her.”
As she expected, they must’ve been arguing. Angie hoped it was school-related and nothing to do with Gwen. She’d no sooner thought the thought when Evan asked, “How do you feel about…homosexuals?”
So this had nothing to do with Kiana. The only mention of homosexuality she’d encountered was to do with Randy.
“How can I face him every day?”
“What is it that bothers you the most about this person being gay?”
An involuntary shiver shook the boy from head to foot. “It’s gross. It’s against the bible. It’s against life. It’s…well, it’s just gross.” His hands clenched in his lap and buried themselves between his knees.
“I do think this is one of those things you need to lock in that special file in your head.”
He sat there, as if trying to do what she suggested. He blinked. He unclenched his hands. He blinked again, this time squeezing his eyes tight as though squashing the images that wreaked havoc with his brain.
Evan stood up. His usually brilliant green eyes looked dull. “I know you’re right. I guess I’ll have to work on this.”
“Think of it as a math problem. Work on it, solve it and store it away.”
He nodded. “Thanks Mrs. D.” He moved on long, wiry legs toward the building.
So, the news about Randy was out. It did explain a few things. Most especially why he and Gwen got an annulment all those years ago. Yes, the news explained a lot. Angie wanted to yank out her phone and call Jarvis.
But the topic of conversation suddenly stood before her.
TWENTY-THREE
Randy seemed to have come to check on things and not ask questions about the so-called case. He asked how rehearsal was going. Asked if the pizza was all right. He never mentioned a word about the investigation. Probably because several of the kids had moved into hearing range. Angie felt like gathering them close and keeping them there a while. Finally Randy left to check on the construction crew.
Though there was still a lot to do, she sent everyone home at five o’clock so she could get back to the hotel to change for dinner with the Philmores. Angie couldn’t stop thinking about Evan’s turmoil. She’d gone through much the same thing after her breakup with Will. Finding that spot in her brain to hide the pain had been the only way she could handle the sadness, the shock. Every now and then she revisited those feelings, often when faced with tough decisions or seemingly impossible situations. She thought it helped keep the events and emotions in perspective. Had she explained it well enough to Evan? Was that special file a good enough way for a teenager to deal with conflicting emotions? Ultimately it would be up to him to decide.
Would Evan confront Randy? Probably not. A strong boy, Evan would find a way to work through his emotions. Again, she considered phoning Jarvis, if just to hear him say she’d handled Evan’s situation the right way.
How had the kids come into possession of that decal? Had they broken into Randy’s office? News wasn’t spreading like wildfire through the school so that meant they weren’t talking about it. Which also meant they probably had broken in. Angie heaved a long breath. Those kids were going to get hurt.
An hour later Angie knocked on the door of the Philmore’s colonial style house. Josh answered wearing the same clothes he’d worn in school. He gestured Angie inside. Since Cilla had said they’d be eating beef, she’d bought a bottle of merlot. She handed it to him. For a moment he seemed confused. Finally he said “thanks” and shut the door.
The muted strains of Chopin’s piano came from the living room that they bypassed on their way to the back of the house where Cilla bustled around the stove. She set a wooden spoon on a trivet and came to greet Angie. Ever the stylish one, she’d changed into a flowing peach color caftan. Her long hair flowed loose around her shoulders. She pulled Angie into a quick hug.
“I thought we could eat in the sunroom.” Cilla gestured through a set of sliding glass doors where a white wicker table had been set. Daylight was fading. Flickering candles lit the room, two on the main table and three more on small tables around the perimeter.
“Can I help with anything?” Angie asked.
Josh showed Cilla the wine Angie had brought. Cilla nodded her thanks. “Will you open this for us, please?” she said to Josh. “Let it breathe for a few minutes. Sure Angie, you could carry the salad and the dressing. Josh, bring the butter too, if you would.” Cilla picked up a cutting board that held a loaf of what looked like fresh baked bread. “I hope the music is all right.”
“Believe it or not Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantaisie is one of my absolute favorites.”