Fort Lupton (19 page)

“
I’ll have to take your
word for it,” Otis chuckled. “In Russia, we just
freeze.”

Sissy smiled.

“
Now I wanted to talk to
you about what it’s like to be a junior member of a ballet
company,” Otis said.

“
Okay,” Sissy
said.

“
You haven’t had a lot of
experience with ballet companies,” Otis said.

“
I’ve taken classes at the
Denver Ballet since I moved in with Sandy,” Sissy said.

“
But mostly, you’ve been
with Ivan, yes?” Otis asked.

“
That’s true,” Sissy
said.

“
It’s very different to be
in a large ballet corps,” Otis said. “
You
are not so important,
and . . .”

He looked at Sissy and motioned to a metal
park bench.

“
Let’s sit,” Otis
said.

Sissy swallowed hard and nodded. She wasn’t
sure what he was trying to tell her, and that frightened her.

“
Are you saying you don’t
think I can do it?” Sissy said in a low whisper.

“
No, no.” Otis shook his
head. “I’m saying you have to be smart. Many, many girls are
destroyed in their apprenticeship.”

“
Destroyed?” Sissy’s eyes
went wide.

“
Please,” Otis
said.

Otis gestured again to the metal park bench.
Sissy plopped down and he sat beside her. For a moment, they looked
out onto the wide-open grass area.

“
I
don’t . . .” Sissy started.

Otis smiled at her.

“
I have been around the
ballet almost all of my life,” Otis said. “I can tell you what
happens, what to look out for. Would you like that?”

Sissy gave him a quick nod.

“
How well do you get along
with girls?” Otis asked.

“
Good,” Sissy said. “I
mean, I have friends and stuff.”

“
Sometimes, ballet girls
are very jealous,” Otis said. “Especially of one who has as much
talent as you do. How will it be for you if everyone hates
you?”

“
Hates me?” Sissy asked.
“Um, okay I guess. I mean, I won’t love it but I’ll probably make
other friends.”

“
Outside the ballet?” Otis
asked and Sissy nodded. “Good. That will help. But you know, you
will work a lot.”

“
I know,” Sissy said. “I
promised Sandy that I’d finish high school at the very least, so
I’ll go to school at night.”

“
Is it too much?” Otis
asked.

“
I won’t know until I get
there,” Sissy said. “I’m going to have therapy too, you know, for
my eating disorder.”

“
That’s a good idea,” Otis
said. “Most ballerinas have eating disorders.”

“
I can’t just sort of have
one,” Sissy said. “It’s like drinking one beer for an alcoholic. If
I get started, I get dead.”

Otis nodded.

“
Some ballet companies — I
don’t know about the company you’re going to , but some companies,—
they use the young girls — apprentice and chorus — to entertain
their wealthy supporters,” Otis said. “That’s how I met Anjelika’s
mother. That specific situation was all on the up-and-up, but it
was not always like that. And not all companies are like that. Some
encourage the girls to . . .
entertain
the men. The boys, as
well.”

“
You mean sex,” Sissy
said.

“
I do.”

“
That’s prostitution!”
Sissy gasped.

“
They will tell you that
it is not,” Otis said. “They will tell you that they never
force
the girls,
but . . .”

“
Oh gosh,” Sissy said.
“What would I do?”

“
You would tell your
sister,” Otis said. “You can call me or Seth, but I think you’ll
feel more comfortable speaking with Sandy.”

“
I’ll do that,” Sissy
nodded. “What will she do?”

“
She will tell Seth and he
will take care of it,” Otis said.

“
Oh.” Sissy scowled and
bit her lip. “Seth might make it really hard for me.”

“
Maybe,” Otis said. “But
you must remember — you have a patron. You are not stuck. While you
are at there on talent, Seth’s money will open doors for
you.”

“
If I need them,” Sissy
said.

“
If you need
them.”

“
Yeah, Seth promised he
wouldn’t buy me a placement,” Sissy said.

“
You don’t need him to,”
Otis said. “You are very talented and clearly work hard. What do
you know about a ballerina’s day?”

“
Um,” Sissy said. “Misty
Copeland was here. She told me she starts with a ballet class at
ten. Then she practices from noon to seven. On days that there’s a
performance, she cleans up after practice, gets dressed, and is on
stage all night.”

Sissy nodded.

“
It’s a long day,” Otis
said.

“
It’s a long day,” Sissy
said. “I did some of it a couple months ago when I was in
The Nutcracker
.”

“
How was that?” Otis
asked.

“
I liked it,” Sissy said.
“I didn’t have to think about anything else. That made me really
happy.”

Sissy fell silent, thinking through what
Otis had said.

“
So I should expect
people’s jealousy,” Sissy said. “That means I should watch being
jealous myself.”

“
Exactly,” Otis
said.

“
And I should be careful
not to brag about Seth,” Sissy said

“
True.”

“
I need to keep an eye out
on these parties,” Sissy said. “What if I never go? I mean, I’ll
have school and stuff. I won’t really have time.”

“
You cannot miss them
entirely,” Otis said.

“
Oh sure.” Sissy nodded.
“I want to fit in, at least a little bit, have people like me and
everything.”

“
Exactly,” Otis
said.

“
What if I mess it up?”
Sissy asked. “Everyone hates me and stuff.”

“
Then you will find
another placement.” Otis shrugged. “There are seven companies in
New York alone. There are ballet companies all over the country and
most of the world. You can always find another place.”

“
But?” Sissy
asked.

“
You want to make it
work,” Otis said. “If you’re miserable, leave the company. But if
you can work it out, you’re in a more powerful position to find
another ballet theater.”

Sissy nodded.

“
You have so many people
who love you,” Otis said. “Remember that. And don’t let anyone take
advantage of you.”

Otis looked at Sissy.

“
I think you’ll be
fine.”

“
I hope so,” Sissy
said.

“
Shall I take you to
school?” Otis asked.

“
Ok,” Sissy said. “Thank
you very much, Mr. . . .”

“
Otis,” he
said.

He got up off the bench and gestured to an
edge of the park where a limousine was parked. When they got
closer, a gorgeous, buxom woman stepped out of the driver’s seat.
She opened the door for Otis and helped him into the car. Sissy got
in after him, and they started toward East High School.

“
She seems nice,” Sissy
said after a few blocks.

“
My situation has brought
a change of fortune,” Otis said.

Sissy nodded.

“
Don’t smirk,” Otis said
with a smile. “I am also your patron. Don’t you forget
it.”

“
I won’t,” Sissy
said.

Otis smiled.

“
You’ll have fun,” Otis
said.

“
I hope so,” Sissy
said.

The limousine pulled up in front of East
High School. Sissy thanked Otis again and got out. Standing on the
sidewalk, she looked up at the big brick building. In the early
morning light, it actually looked pretty. A stab of regret flashed
through her.

She would never graduate from here.

She would never see her friends graduate or
go to prom or homecoming or have a crush on a football player.

Soon, she’d be in New York dancing for a
professional ballet company.

Overwhelmed by the thought, she jogged into
the building.

Need me

Friday morning — 10:15 a.m.

Sitting at the kitchen table, Delphie looked
up from her cup of green tea. She’d heard a sound like the side
door opening. She looked expectantly at the door to the kitchen
before sighing. Today was the first day in a long time that Valerie
hadn’t been able to have mid-day tea. It was the first day with
many, many days to follow.

Valerie was leaving to do her movies.
Rightly so, she was taking Mike and Jackie with her.

Delphie nodded to herself. It was a lot
better than when Valerie left in a huff and Mike sulked here. No,
Mike and Jackie belonged with Valerie.

Delphie sighed. She missed them already.

For the last few months, she’d been so busy
with Ivy and Keenan that the only time she could count on seeing
Valerie, or anyone, for that matter, was at mid-day tea. Ivy and
Keenan, with their unique issues, had taken up every extra thought
Delphie could muster. But as of today, Ivy and Keenan were spending
the mornings at the Marlowe School. This morning, they took their
first steps toward integrating with other people.

Delphie smiled. She was grateful they were
ready. And certainly, she was ready for a break. She sighed.

Today was the first morning she had off, and
Valerie was working. Jacob was working too, as were Sam and Aden
and Sandy and Honey. Even MJ had left town for a trip to Europe.
All of the adults were working and the kids were all in school.

The first day Delphie had any time at all,
everyone else was gone. Even Seth had taken Ava to Malibu for the
weekend.

Blane’s hospital visits were restricted to
Heather only, so Delphie couldn’t go see him. Charlie was in some
God-awful therapy today. The doctor had forcefully suggested that
they let him get through it on his own. They were all going to
visit tonight.

No, there was no one who needed Delphie
today.

She’d never felt so lonely.

Tomorrow, they were meeting to plan out this
year’s garden. Tomorrow, the house would be full of life. Tomorrow,
she had a brownie date with Katy. That was after she dropped
Noelle, Ivy, and Tink at Heather’s house for a day of shopping.
Nash and Teddy were planning an adventure with Aden — camping at
Dinosaur National Monument, she remembered. They were leaving
tonight. Tomorrow, Jacob and Mike were going to do the early season
dirt work so that it was done before Mike left. Tomorrow, Valerie,
Honey, Sandy, and Jill were spending the afternoon with Delphie to
get their quarterly tarot readings.

Tomorrow, the Castle would be full of love
and life and noise and activity. Someone was sure to have a
meltdown. Someone was sure to laugh. Someone was sure to break
something. Someone was sure to apologize. Someone was sure to
forgive. Someone would be mean. Someone would be kind.

Someone was sure to need her.

Tomorrow.

But today, Delphie sat alone with her green
tea in a quiet house.

She looked at her smartphone. Her friends
were busy with their lives. Maresol was at the doctor’s today to
find out her prognosis. She’d invited Delphie to go with her, but
Delphie had turned her down.

She’d been sure someone would need her
today.

Yvonne had her hands full with Jabari.
Dionne was working at the clinic.

Delphie checked the time. Maresol would
already be on her way to the doctor’s office.

“
Shoot,” Delphie said out
loud. She’d missed Maresol.

Delphie had all but quit her job reading
fortunes at Herbs and Arts. She’d even cut back her time with some
of her regular clients. Ivy and Keenan had needed every moment of
her time.

And now they didn’t.

Delphie sighed. Nodding to herself, she
decided to take a nap. She drained her cup and carried it to the
sink.

When she turned around, Tanesha was standing
in the doorway to the kitchen. Delphie yelped.

“
Did you finish your tea?”
Tanesha asked.

“
I . . .
uh . . .” Delphie looked at her cup. She loved tea.
If Valerie had been there, she would have had another cup or two.
“Would you like some?”

“
Not green tea.” Tanesha
lifted her lip and shook her head. “Yuck. I never got the taste.
But . . .”

Tanesha held up the tea she and her mother
drank. Delphie smiled and turned on the pot. Tanesha reached into
her backpack and took out two antique china teacups with saucers.
She set them on the counter.

“
I bought these for you
when I was in Atlanta,” Tanesha said.

“
Oh my Goddess!” Delphie
said. “These are beautiful, and they
look . . .”

Delphie opened her special china cabinet and
took out two tea cups with the same pattern but in different
colors.

“
Yours match these
perfectly,” Delphie said. “How did
you . . .”

“
A finding spell Fin
taught me,” Tanesha said.

“
Oh.” Delphie raised her
eyebrows.