Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 ï>¿The Trailer Park: The Fifth Year: Part 2: Music and Lyrics A Story in
the Wynter/Trailer Park Universe by Wizard CopyrightÂ(C) 2008 by Wizard

   Chapter 26

   Tami and I pulled up to the Sugarman house a few minutes after school
let out.  Robbie was seconds behind us.

   Sally Reyes was leaning against the hood of her brother's car, with Chad
Davis leaning against her.  I'm not sure when those two had become an item,
but they had.  It was sometime after the road trip, 'cause in Wyoming, she
had treated him like another brother.

   Toby was in the car, fiddling with an MP3 player.  I wondered how he
felt about his sister and his best friend.  I had a quick flash of Traci
and Robbie together and decided that I wasn't going to worry about it.

   "They haven't decided yet," Sally said when she noticed she and Chad
weren't alone anymore.

   Robbie looked at her watch.  "They better decide soon.  It takes time to
set up those pots and kettles you bang on." Sally's van was parked behind
her Toby's car.  We assumed her drums and the keyboards were inside.

   Sally shrugged and went back to inspecting Chad's tonsils with her
tongue.

   The problem was weather.  We were scheduled to do an outdoor concert at
the Sugarman house, and right now the weather was beautiful.  Sixty-two
degrees with clear skies, but the forecast was for a rain storm to hit
sometime tonight, and we didn't know exactly when.  As a backup, they'd
reserved the ballroom at the Elks Club.  It was just before four.  We were
scheduled to perform at six.  So if the rain held off three or four hours
we were good, if it didn't...

   Mrs.  Schmidt came out of the house and walked over to us, glancing
disapprovingly at Sally and Chad.  "The executive committee hasn't decided
yet."

   "We need to know," I said.  "It's going to take time to set everything
up, especially the sound system." Cousin Cinnamon was supposed to have an
electronics wiz who took care of things like that.  We had to do it for
ourselves.

   "Just be patient," Mrs.  Schmidt chided.  "It's an important decision."

   I looked at Robbie and shrugged.  She looked up and studied the sky for
a minute.  "Here," she said finally.

   "Chad, Toby, let's get set up," I said.  I knew that once Robbie had
made up her mind, the rain wouldn't dare start before eight.

   "But..." Mrs.  Schmidt sputtered.

   I'd opened the back of Sally's van and pulled out a drum.  Toby was
beside me grabbing one of his keyboards.  Chad was still playing tonsil
hockey.

   "The executive committee," Mrs.  Schmidt protested.

   "Yeah," I agreed, walking by her toward the large porch we were going to
use as a stage.  "You'd better let them know."

   Mrs.  Schmidt walked back to the house, her face alternating between
being perplexed and being annoyed.

   "You enjoyed that too much," Tami accused.  I grinned and went back to
the van for another drum.

   It was after five by the time we got everything set up and the sound
system adjusted to Robbie's satisfaction.  Mom pulled up with the brat a
few minutes later.  Traci had had some kind of field trip today.  Then Mom
took food orders and made a Wendy's run.  I really had to put Mother's Day
on my calendar this year.  I'd really lucked out in that department.

   People were starting to arrive by the time she came back with the food,
a few glancing warily at the grey clouds that were starting to move in.

   At six o'clock on the dot, Mrs.  Schmidt stepped in front of us and
started a long-winded spiel thanking everyone for coming and supporting the
grand old Sugarman House.

   About six ten I gave Sally a nod, and she started beating out a soft
rhythm on her snare drum.  Mrs.  Schmidt looked back annoyed but then
continued.  Some people just can't take a hint.  I nodded to Chad and he
picked up on Sally's beat with his guitar.  Then Toby joined in.  Still
keeping it soft, a subtle hint that someone was taking way too long.

   "Is that a song?" Traci asked from beside me in the wings.

   "Define song."

   Traci looked annoyed.

   "If you mean, has anyone else ever played it, I don't think so.  I think
they're improvising."

   "Too bad."

   "Why?" Tami asked from my other side.

   "'Cause I can hear the perfect lyrics for it in my head."

   "Write em down," I said quickly.

   I scrunched down and walked out to Toby on the stage.  Cousin Cin had
used headsets when they were on stage at Otter Park.  It occurred to me
that my cousin might be more advanced than I was.  Not that I'd ever admit
it.

   "This is an improv, right?"

   He nodded without missing a beat, then hit some keys above the keyboard
and changed his whole sound.

   "Try to remember it.  Traci thinks she's got lyrics."

   He nodded again just as Chad jumped to a whole different rhythm with
Toby and Sally only a half-measure behind...

   When I got back to the wings, I went over to our sound board and slowly,
over a minute or two, raised the volume on the instruments and cut it for
Mrs.  Schmidt's microphone.  I think her mic had been completely dead for
over a minute before she noticed and stomped off the stage.

   From the other side of the stage, Allie and Robbie walked out holding
their own mics.  I faded the volume on the instruments down slowly, then
cut it completely as the girls got to the center of the stage.  It actually
wasn't much of a stage.  The Sugarman House had a huge porch that ran the
entire length of the front of the house and extended outward almost thirty
feet.  We'd hung canvas curtains on either side to give us wings and a
place for the sound system and other stuff.

   Allie smiled at the audience.  She hadn't originally been part of the
show but saw the speech I'd written and demanded that she got to give it.
"Thanks Mom," she said, holding the mic in front of her face.  "For that
... that ...  that..." she turned and looked at Robbie.  "You're pretty
smart.  What's an adjective I can use that won't get me grounded for a
month?"

   The crowd of probably six or seven hundred roared.

   "You could say inspirational," Robbie suggested.

   "Daddy says I'm not supposed to lie." Allie delivered the line so
deadpan that the audience completely cracked up.  I could see Allie's mom
sitting with the other committee members in the front row and glowering at
her daughter.

   "How about insipid?" Robbie suggested.

   "I may not be blond, but I am a cheerleader." Small laugh.  "What's that
mean?"

   Robbie leaned close and whispered in her ear, holding the mic so that it
picked up every word.  "Tasteless.  Lacking in flavor."

   "That'll get me grounded till June.  Hey Tony!"

   I stuck my head out of the curtain.

   "I need an adjective," Allie whined.

   I pretended to think.  "How about innocuous?"

   Allie nodded.  "That'll work." She looked straight out at the audience.
"Thanks Mom, for that innocuous speech."

   The audience applauded.  I looked at the first row and saw Mrs. 
Schmidt's seat was empty.

   "I ain't standing next to you anymore, she'll ground me too," Robbie
said and walked off the stage.  The audience laughed again.  Allie looked
over at me and smiled.  She was having fun.

   "The youth chorale and city orchestra were supposed to perform tonight
but due to scheduling conflicts, couldn't be here." The conflicts had come
up when Allie's mom had shown up at their practices and tried to tell them
not only what to play but how to play it.  "So tonight you're stuck with
Unrehearsed." The applause made me feel pretty good.

   "We're just kids.  But we think it's great when people do something.  My
mom and the historical society think this house is historical and should be
saved.  And they're doing something about it.  They organized this concert
for you, so that you would have to think about it."

   Polite applause.

   "We thought that tonight, we'd try to pick songs that mean something. 
Not just the same old tired love songs that Tony sings to Tami every time
we let him near a microphone."

   Allie looked over at me and grinned as the audience laughed again, even
though she knew I'd written her lines.

   "I won't be singing tonight, and if you see people looking skyward and
saying thank you, they're the ones who heard me when I was in sixth grade
chorus.  Joining us tonight as a guest flute-est ...  flutist ... 
fluterian ...  on the flute, Miss Christine Warther.

   Chris, a slightly overweight blond senior, walked out and stood next to
Chad.  He adjusted a spare microphone stand for her.  We hadn't had time to
arrange any kind of lights, so we couldn't put a spot on her.

   Allie walked off over toward me.  I gave her a quick kiss, and Tami
hugged her.  Then Robbie came out and set down a stool, and a half-dozen
first-graders sat in a circle around her.

   Chris lifted her flute to her mouth and started playing as Robbie sat
and opened a large book.  Toby had written an overture to lead into the
simple start of Robbie's song.  Mostly we needed the flute for four or five
measures at the beginning and end of the song.  Toby had said he could
sample it on his keyboard, but Robbie and I thought the real flute was a
nice touch of class.

   Chris finished her overture and started into the song itself.  Robbie
lifted the book as if showing the kids a picture.  On the last measure Chad
and Toby came in with Toby's keyboard sounding like a regular piano.

   "Listen children to a story, that was written long ago."

   Sally picked up a tambourine and came over behind Robbie, shaking it to
the music.

   "Bout a kingdom on a mountain, and the valley folk below. On the
mountain was a treasure buried deep beneath a stone And the valley people
swore They'd have it for their very own."

   As she sang.  Robbie kept up the pretense of telling a story, turning
pages and showing the kids an occasional picture.

   "Go ahead and hate your neighbor; Go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in
the name of Heaven, You'll be justified in the end. There won't be any
trumpets blowing, On the Judgement Day. On the bloody morning after, One
tin soldier rides away.

   "So the people of the valley, sent a message up the hill, asking for the
buried treasure, tons of gold for which they'd kill. Came the answer from
the kingdom. With our brothers we will share, All the secrets of our
mountain, All the riches buried there.

   "Now the valley cried with anger. Mount your horses, draw your sword."

   Two of the first grade boys stood and pretended to sword fight until
Sally separated them and sat them again.

   "And they killed the mountain people, so they won their just reward. Now
they stood beside the treasure, on the mountain dark and red. Turned the
stone and looked beneath it, 'Peace on Earth' was all it said.

   "Go ahead and hate your neighbor; Go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in
the name of Heaven, You'll be justified in the end. There won't be any
trumpets blowing, On the Judgement Day. On the bloody morning after, One
tin soldier rides away."

   Sally and the little kids all joined in as Robbie reprised the chorus
again.

   "Go ahead and hate your neighbor; Go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in
the name of Heaven, You'll be justified in the end. There won't be any
trumpets blowing, On the Judgement Day. On the bloody morning after, One
tin soldier rides away."

   We should have gone fade-to-black, but instead, Robbie closed her book,
stood, set it on the stool, and she and Sally walked off to the other side.
Then, one by one, the first graders stood and walked off toward me.  I gave
them each a high five, and Tami led them off to where their mothers were
waiting.

   Allie walked back out into the center of the stage as Sally came back
and grabbed the book and Robbie's stool.  I reminded myself to get the book
back.  It was my only copy of Green Eggs and Ham.  Mom said I made her read
it every night was I was little.

   "That was Robbie Tate and the theme to Billy Jack," Allie announced. 
"Next we have Tony Sims and one of his favorite Harry Chapin songs.  If any
of my teachers are in the audience, I never saw this guy before."

   I walked out, nodded to the audience, then gave Allie a kiss on the
cheek.

   "You can do better than that," came a voice from the back of the
audience where we'd planted Ricky.

   So I grabbed Allie and twisted my body, bending her backwards in a long
deep kiss.

   As I stood her back up, Allie pretended to stagger, then said, "I still
don't know him," and disappeared into the wings.

   "How come I never get to kiss the girl?" Toby asked into his mic.

   "You know, it's not fair.  Tell you what.  After the show, I'll set you
up with the cute drummer."

   Toby growled and started playing.  His keyboard was still set to sound
like a piano, but now he worked out a ragtime beat.

   "Harry Chapin died before I was even born, but I miss him.  He seemed to
have the ability with his songs to reach inside you and pull out thoughts
and emotions you didn't know you had.  And who besides Chapin would even
try to write a song about a sniper on a rooftop, or the dance band on the
Titanic as the ship went down.  When he died, he didn't leave much in the
way of money--because he did most of his concerts for charity--but I think
he left a legacy that not many entertainers have even tried to live up to.
I think this song sums up modern education."

   I looked back at Unrehearsed and nodded.  The ragtime changed into a
simpler rhythm.  Then I looked back at the audience.

   "The little girl went first day of school, She got some crayons and
started to draw. She put colors all over the paper, For colors was what she
saw."

   Tami came out of the wings wearing a jumper and carrying a big piece of
construction paper and a box of crayons.  Her hair was tied into two long
ponytails with big red and white bows.  She lay down on her stomach off to
the side and started to color.

   "And the teacher said ...  What you doin' little girl?"

   Robbie, who'd slipped on a white blouse and grey skirt, strode across
the stage in front of me and started wagging her finger at Tami.

   "I'm paintin' flowers she said. She said, It's not the time for art
little girl, And anyway flowers are green and red. There's a time for
everything little girl, And a way it should be done. You've got to show
concern for everyone else, For you're not the only one

   And she said, Flowers are red little girl, Green leaves are green.
There's no need to see flowers any other way, Than they way they always
have been seen."

   Tami looked up at Robbie.

   "But the little girl said, There are so many colors in the rainbow, So
many colors in the morning sun, So many colors in the flower and I see
every one.

   "Well the teacher said, You're sassy. There's ways that things should
be. And you'll paint flowers the way they are.

   "So repeat after me,

   And she said, Flowers are red little girl, Green leaves are green.
There's no need to see flowers any other way, Than they way they always
have been seen."

   "But the little girl said again, There are so many colors in the
rainbow, So many colors in the morning sun, So many colors in the flower
and I see every one."

   Robbie reached down and pretended to lift Tami by her ear, then marched
her over to the edge of the stage.

   "Well the teacher put her in a corner. She said ...  It's for your own
good. And you won't come out 'til you get it right, And are responding like
you should. Well finally she got lonely, Frightened thoughts filled her
head. And she went up to that teacher, And this is what she said ...  and
she said."

   Tami walked, head down over to where Robbie stood tapping her foot.

   "Flowers are red, Green leaves are green. There's no need to see flowers
any other way, Than they way they always have been seen."

   Tami and Robbie walked off as the group played a musical bridge, then
Tami came back and sat down as stiff and straight as she could on the edge
of the stage, holding just two crayons.  She put a piece of paper on her
lap and pretended to color.

   "Of course time went by like it always does. They moved to another town.
And the little girl went to another school, And this is what she found,"

   Allie came out with a big smile and a fistful of crayons.

   "The teacher there was smilin'. She said ...  Painting should be fun.
And there are so many colors in a flower, So let's use every one.

   "But that little girl painted flowers, In neat rows of green and red.
And when the teacher asked her why, This is what she said ...  and she
said,

   "Flowers are red, green leaves are green. There's no need to see flowers
any other way, Than the way they always have been seen."

   Allie shook her head and walked off.  Tami just kept coloring.

   "But there still must be a way to have our children say...

   "There are so many colors in the rainbow, So many colors in the morning
sun, So many colors in the flower and I see every one."

   Again, we should have gone fade to black, but instead, I walked over,
held out my hand to Tami, helped her up, and we walked off.

   Allie came back out.  "The views expressed by some of our performers are
not necessarily those of this announcer or our sponsors."

   That got Allie another laugh.

   "This is the part where Darlene Carter was supposed to sing, but she
decided that strep throat was more fun.  So, once again, here's Robbie
Tate!"

   Sally had replaced Toby at the keyboards and the boys had disappeared
into the wings.  She adjusted the keyboard and had it sounding like a piano
again, and now she picked out a melody with just a couple fingers.

   "She walks to school with the lunch she packed."

   Robbie's voice came through the sound system though she hadn't appeared
on stage yet.  Now Sally was playing with both hands, but still she keep
the melody simple.

   "Nobody knows what she's holdin' back."

   Robbie walked out from the opposite wing.  Her shoulders swayed gently
in time with the melody as she walked to the edge of the stage, a place
where the low fence around the porch was broken, and sat down, her feet
dangling in front of her.  She didn't look out at the audience, but to a
place in the sky above them.

   "Wearin' the same dress she wore yesterday, She hides the bruises with
linen and lace, oh-hoh.

   "The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask. It's hard to see the pain
behind the mask. Bearing the burden of a secret storm, Sometimes she wishes
she was never born.

   "Through the wind and the rain, She stands hard as a stone, In a world
that she can't rise above. But her dreams, give her wings, And she flies to
a place where she's loved. Concrete angel."

   I don't think I'd ever heard Robbie's voice clearer.  She sang softly,
but you could feel the power behind every word.

   "Somebody cries in the middle of the night. The neighbors hear, but they
turn out the lights. A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate. When
morning comes it'll be too late."

   If I'd staged this in the auditorium, I'd have used a single spot softly
focused on Robbie.  Maybe another on Sally.  If I had, the audience would
have seen the tear as it slid slowly down Robbie's cheek.

   "Through the wind and the rain, She stands hard as a stone, In a world
that she can't rise above. But her dreams, give her wings, And she flies to
a place where she's loved. Concrete angel."

   Robbie dropped her head and looked at the ground just below her feet as
Sally started a musical bridge.  A second later, Chris stepped on stage
next to Sally and added her flute.  As the bridge finished, both girls
stopped playing and Robbie lifted her head to the sky again and sang the
next verse all alone.

   "A statue stands in a shaded place. An angel girl with an upturned face.
A name is written on a polished rock. A broken heart that the world
forgot."

   Sally and Chris both joined in as Robbie stood and sang the last chorus.

   "Through the wind and the rain, She stands hard as a stone, In a world
that she can't rise above. But her dreams, give her wings, And she flies to
a place where she's loved. Concrete angel."

   Rob Crosby may have written it.  Martina McBride may have sung it first.
But Robbie just made it her own.

   As she, Sally and Chris hugged and walked off the stage holding hands to
the other side, I doubted that hers was the only damp cheek.

   The applause was thunderous.  Then someone stood, then someone else,
then the whole audience was on it's feet and still applauding.  After a
minute Robbie came back, Still holding Sally's and Chris's hands.  They
took a bow and ran off again.

   Considering the next three songs, I was glad we'd picked an upbeat one
to end on.  I also decided to lighten the mood a little first.  I grabbed
Allie before she could go out and whispered instructions.

   Allie smiled, nodded, and stepped on stage.  The audience was settling
back in their seats.  "That was Robbie Tate with what used to be Martina
McBride's Concrete Angel.  We already have her booked on next season's
American Idol, but don't let that get around, the producers are afraid that
none of the other contestants will show up."

   The audience laughed, and across the stage I saw Robbie look shocked,
then glare back at me.  I grinned back, then whispered more instructions in
Tami's ear while Sally and the boys snuck back on stage.  After Tami
nodded, I whispered more to Traci.

   "We do have one small technical difficulty," Allie continued.  "Both
Tony and Traci refuse to follow Robbie's act.  And since Darlene is still
pretending to be sick ...  shows over.  Everybody go home."

   Tami stuck her head outside the curtain and hissed loudly.  Allie walked
over, then Tami pretended to whisper in Allie's ear while Allie nodded. 
Allie walked back to the middle.  "Tami suggested that we could probably
coax Tony out on stage if we chanted his name.  But I think Tony's ego is
too big all ready.  So I figure, if we all chant for Traci, Tony won't be
able to stand for his little sister getting all the attention and will come
out.  So, Tra-ci!  Tra-ci!"

   After a second, the crowd picked up the chant, and the night echoed with
Traci's name.  I nodded to Trace, and she started walking out with a big
grin.  Just before she got to Allie, I ran out, grabbed Traci's shoulders,
turned her around, and pretended to boot her toward the wings.  Traci
pouted and ran off as the audience laughed again.

   "You can't treat me like that," Allie said into her mic.

   "Wanna bet." I looked straight at the audience.  "How many of you would
pay extra to see me put a cute red-headed cheerleader over my knee?" As the
audience started applauding, Allie squeaked and ran off the stage.

   I waited a few seconds for the applause and laughter to die down.  "This
summer, during, what Tami calls our concert tour, she found me a song that
reminded me of a girl that we all knew too short of time.  With apologies
to Rascal Flatts, I'd like to do Skin."

   As Toby played the introduction, I thought we really had to find
somebody who played the violin.

   "Sarabeth is scared to death, To hear what the doctor will say. She
hasn't been well, Since the day that she fell. And the bruise it just won't
go away. So she sits and she waits with her mother and dad, And flips
through an old magazine. Till a nurse with a smile stands at the door, And
says will you please come with me.

   "Sarabeth is scared to death, Cause the doctor just told her the news.
Between the red cells and white, Something's not right, But we're going to
take care of you. Six chances in ten, It won't come back again, With the
therapy we're going to try. It's just been approved, It's the strongest
there is, And I think we caught it in time. Sarabeth closes her eyes.

   "She dreams she's dancing, Around and around without any cares. And her
very first love is holding her close, And the soft wind is blowing her
hair.

   "Sarabeth is scared to death, As she sits holding her mom. Cause it
would be a mistake, For someone to take, A girl with no hair to the prom.
For just this morning right there on her pillow, Was the cruellest of
innocent cries. And she cried when she gathered it all in her hands, The
proof that she couldn't deny. Sarabeth closes her eyes.

   "She dreams she's dancing, Around and around without any cares. And her
very first love is holding her close, And the soft wind is blowing her
hair.

   "It's a quarter of seven, That boy's at the door, And her daddy ushers
him in. When he takes off his cap, They all start to cry, 'Cause this
morning where his hair had been, Softly she touches just skin.

   "They go dancing, Around and around without any cares. And her very
first true love is holding her close, And the soft wind is blowing her
hair.

   "For a moment she isn't scared."

   As the music died, Allie stepped out before the applause could start. 
"This fall, Tony and the others wrote a play about Zoe.  Tony and Sally
wrote the theme song and a lot of you have asked to hear it again.  This is
Zoe's Song."

   I'm not sure I even heard Unrehearsed start to play.  I just shut my
eyes and started singing, with images of Zoe dancing in my head.  I didn't
even realize I'd finished until Tami and Robbie hugged me.  I opened my
eyes, and the audience was on it's feet again.

   I nodded my appreciation, took Tami's hand, and walked off.  I hoped Zoe
heard, both the song and the applause.

   Allie came back on stage.  I didn't pay much attention.  I just hugged
Tami, holding her as close as I could.

   "And he thought Robbie was a tough act to follow.  Poor Traci."

   Someone in the audience yelled, "Tra-ci!" and in seconds, everyone was
chanting again.  I felt good for the brat as I finally let Tami go.  I
wondered if it was spontaneous or if Allie had arranged it.

   "Ladies and gentlemen, everybody's favorite little sister, Traci Sims!"

   Traci walked out and waved, and the audience cheered.  Robbie ran out
and set a stool in the center of the stage, gave Trace a hug, and ran off.
Traci sat, hooking one heel over the bottom rung.

   Toby started the introduction, with Sally and Chad coming in as Traci
started to sing.

   "Some kids have and some kids don't, And some of us are wondering why.
And Mom won't watch the news at night, There's too much stuff that's making
her cry. We need some help, Down here on earth. A thousand prayers, a
million words, But one voice was heard.

   "A house, a yard, a neighborhood, Where you can ride your new bike to
school. A kind of world where mom and dad, Still believe the golden rule.
Life's not that simple, Down here on earth. A thousand prayers, a million
words, But one voice was heard.

   "One voice, one simple word, Hearts know what to say. One dream can
change the world, Keep believing till you find your way.

   "Yesterday while walking home, I saw some kid on Newbury Road. He pulled
a pistol from his bag, And tossed it in the river below."

   I guess I'm a cynic, but every time I heard that line, whether Bill
Gilman or Traci sang it, I couldn't help thinking that the kid on Newbury
Road was ditching evidence, not making a moral choice.

   "Thanks for the help, Down here on Earth. A thousand prayers, a million
words, But one voice was heard." "One voice was heard.

   "One voice was heard."

   For the third time, the audience was on it's feet.  I walked out and
hugged Trace, with Robbie and Tami joining us and making it unanimous.  If
this had been a contest, Traci would have taken it all if Robbie had chosen
any other song.

   "All that talent in one family, and I can't sing a note," Allie said as
she walked out on stage.  "Ladies and gentlemen, Traci Sims and One Voice."
I let go of Traci long enough for her to take a bow, then hugged her again.

   "Tony said I didn't have to introduce the band because he was the star,
but Robbie said I'd better.  And since she's tougher than he is..." Allie
spread her hands and shrugged in a "what can I do?" manner.  "On keyboards,
Toby Reyes!" She waited for the applause as Toby played a couple riffs. 
"On guitar, Chad Davis!" More applause.  "And on drums, Toby's favorite
sister and Chad's favorite girlfriend, Sally Reyes." Sally turned a
delicious shade of pink as the audience applauded, but for some reason, so
did Toby and Chad.  "And finally, our guest flute-est ...  flutist ... 
playing the flute, Christine Warther"

   Allie took a deep breath then started reciting the speech I'd written a
couple days ago.  The one she'd seen that she said her mother would hate
and that she begged me to let her give.

   "Before the group does their last song--and we all run for cover because
those clouds are getting darker--I'd like to remind you why we're here."
She opened her arm in a sweeping motion to encompass the house behind us.
"This is the Sugarman house.  Cyrus Sugarman was the area commander here
just after the Civil War.  While Cyrus was not much of a military man, this
is the last remnant of that era since they tore down the fort in the
thirties."

   I noticed that Allie's mom had resumed her seat in the front row and
resumed her frown.

   "Cyrus's major achievement was attempting to invade British Columbia,
and let's just say that didn't go so well." The audience laughed, which
must have meant most of them took seventh grade history here.  "Something
not so widely known is that apparently Cyrus' wife Amelia found a
particular role model in Valeria Messalina, the wife of the Roman Emperor
Claudius.  Since Mom would kill me if I explained that, in the words of
many of my teachers, 'If you don't get it, look it up.'"

   That got a short laugh and I had a feeling that Wikipedia was going to
get a lot of hits tonight.

   "That's enough young lady!" Allie's mom shouted.  I wondered if she
recognized Messalina or already knew Amelia's reputation.

   "Not yet, Mom.  I haven't mentioned its use as a recreation center in
World War Two."

   That got another laugh, mostly from the men.

   "Anyway, this is a historical building and the county historical society
would like to preserve it.  Buuuuut..." She grinned.  "The city council,
who owns the property would like to tear this down and build a youth
recreation center, something the community really needs.

   "As I said in the beginning, we're just kids.  But we think it's great
when people do something.  So we're asking you to do something.  Get
involved.  If you think, like my mom and the historical society, that this
landmark should be preserved, then let the mayor and city council know. 
But if you think, like me and my friends up here, that this house should be
torn down so that a youth center can take its place, then let them know
about that too.  Or maybe you have a different idea all together.

   "Whatever you decide, do something about it.  Make a call.  Send an
e-mail.  Or both.  Send a lot of e-mail.  Whether they preserve and restore
this place, or tear it down, don't just wait to read about it in the
newspaper."

   Allie took a short bow and started to walk off, then turned to face the
audience again.  "Oh, by the way, Tami's column in the paper tomorrow will
be her arguments for a new youth center." In the front row, Mrs.  Schmidt
did not look happy.  I'd decided that our appeal for the youth center
should be low key 'cause I'd known she'd browbeat the audience with her
appeal, and her speech had proven me right.

   Allie grinned.  "I have to go home and be grounded now." As the audience
laughed she tossed her mic to Tami and skipped off.

   Tami stepped forward as Mrs.  Schmidt jumped to her feet.  "Mrs. 
Schmidt, if it will keep Allie from getting grounded forever, Tony wrote
that speech." Mrs.  Schmidt turned red and hastily sat down again.

   "As Allie said in the beginning, tonight we wanted to sing songs that
meant something.  Songs that either had a message or made you think.  One
Tin Soldier about greed and war.  Flowers Are Red about enforcing
conformity.  Concrete Angel about abuse.  Skin and Zoe's Song about a girl
who died too young.  And Traci's One Voice about hope.  We wanted to finish
with another song with meaning, but one that hopefully will get your toes
tapping too.  We did this one for the big Fourth of July celebration in
Sheridan, Wyoming, and maybe it's time to do it here too."

   Like this summer, I started.

   "Well, the eagle's been flying slow, And the flag's been flying low. And
a lot of peoples saying That America's fixing to fall. But speaking just
for me..."

   Robbie walked out holding a microphone and took over the song.

   "And some people from Tennessee, We got a thing or two, To tell you
all."

   Traci picked it up.

   "This lady may have stumbled, But she ain't never fell. And if Al Quida
don't believe that,"

   We all joined in, even Tami and Allie who'd come back on stage.

   "They can all go straight to hell. We're gonna put her feet back on the
path, Of righteousness and then, God bless America again."

   "And you never did think that it ever would happen again. In America,
did you? You never did think that we'd ever get together again. Well, we
damn sure fooled you. We're walking real proud and we're talking real loud
again In America. You never did think that it ever would happen again."

   My turn again.

   "From the sound up in Long Island, to the San Francisco Bay, And
everything between them is our home."

   Traci.

   "And we may have done a little Bit of fighting amongst ourselves, But
you outside people, Best leave us alone."

   Robbie put her arm around Tami's shoulders and sang.

   "Cause we'll all stick together, And you can take that to the bank."
"That's the cowboys and the hippies, And the rebels and the yanks."

   Me.

   "You just go and lay your hands On a Seattle Seahawks fan,"

   The crowd cheered.

   "And I think you're gonna finally understand."

   All of us and some of the audience.

   "And you never did think that it ever would happen again. In America,
did you?" "You never did think that we'd ever get together again. Well, we
damn sure fooled you." We're walking real proud and we're talking real loud
again In America. You never did think that it ever would happen again."

   Chad and Toby each tried to outdo the other on the bridge as everybody
in the audience came to their feet.

   "And you never did think that it ever would happen again. In America,
did you?" "You never did think that we'd ever get together again. Well, we
damn sure fooled you." We're walking real proud and we're talking real loud
again In America. You never did think that it ever would happen again."

   "Ladies and gentlemen," I yelled.  "Don't forget to talk to your city
council and God bless America!"

   "So, Tony, I've always wondered, did you ever forgive Miss Tate for
dragging you to that audition with me?"

   I grinned and shook hands with Mr.  McCoy, the middle school music
teacher.  Traci was standing with Miss Breslin, her old fifth grade
teacher. Tami and Robbie, with a bundled up Darlene in the middle, were
talking to the mayor.  Allie was successfully ignoring her mother as she
chatted with Mr.  Reed.  And Mom and Dad were accepting congratulations
from almost everyone.

   "Almost," I said as the first raindrop hit the back of my neck.  "Maybe
by graduation."



   Chapter 27

   "That red light goes on, and I spank."

   Robbie grinned, and I knew she wasn't taking my threat very seriously.

   "I mean it.  If Mom hears me tonight, my life is over."

   Robbie smiled sweetly.  "And I care, why?"

   "You wrote the script," I reminded her.

   "True," she admitted.  "But my dad won't ground me."

   I nodded agreement.  "Yeah, he's given up on civilizing you."

   "No, but I explained years ago that well behaved women rarely make
history."

   I grinned.  I could imagine Robbie saying just that and her dad taking
it as a simple statement of fact.

   "Any comments before we start old business?" the man in the center of
the table on the stage asked.

   I took a deep breath and raised my hand.  The man on stage recognized
three others before he got to me.

   "Yes?"

   I stood.  "My name is Tony Sims.  I'm not from this school, I'm go
to..."

   "I know who you are," The man said stiffly.

   "I just wanted to say that the team from my school has decided that
they'd be happy to come to Lake and play baseball."

   The man looked surprised, then smiled.  "I'm glad to hear that you've
decided to end this nonsense."

   I smiled back.  "They decided that they were punishing the Lake students
for something that wasn't their fault." I paused 'cause I knew that I had
to get the rest out in one breath.  "After all, it's not their fault that a
bunch of fucking idiots hired an asshole and don't have the guts to control
his tongue!"

   I gave the school board a half-bow, turned, and walked out as the
auditorium erupted into pandemonium.

   I had to get the rest of the story from Tami, Robbie, and the video that
Robbie shot, a video that, I wasn't very surprised to find, included my
little tirade.  I went out, sat in my Mustang, and started reading the
first of James Patterson's Murder Club mysteries.

   Tami and Robbie sat quietly as the board discussed a dozen items of old
business.  Robbie had changed memory cards in her camera after I left and
now kept her camera focused on the board on the stage.  The board opened
the floor for new business.  A man a few rows ahead of the girls stood up
as Robbie focused her video camera on him.  "I'm John Polaski.  I think all
of us are happy that the boycott against Lake is ending, but we can't
ignore the Coach Rich situation any longer."

   The man in the center of the board table brought down his gavel sharply.
"Mr.  Polaski.  The board certainly appreciates your concerns, but this
isn't the appropriate time for that discussion.  We will deal with it at a
later time."

   "What time?  This is the fourth time I've brought up the subject since
November.  And I'm not the only one."

   "When the time is right," the board chairman said.  "Right now we should
just be happy that our student athletes will be able to compete.  Though
one thing I can assure you is that that young man's inappropriate remarks
will be reported to his school."

   "I'm not sure his remarks were all that inappropriate," Polaski said as
he sat back down.

   From the camera angle, Robbie had moved back several rows as the meeting
broke up.

   "Mr.  Kellerman?  I was hoping to get some comments," Tami said as she
approached the board chairman.

   "Young lady, isn't it past your bedtime?"

   'Bedtime?' I thought when I watched the tape.  Both girls had been back
in my car by a quarter after ten.

   "I'm here as a reporter," Tami explained.

   Kellerman smiled condescendingly.  "I'd be happy to talk to our school
paper another time.  Right now..."

   "I'm not with your school paper.  In fact, I don't even go to Lake."

   Kellerman looked surprised, and Tami pulled a laminated card out of her
jeans pocket.  "I've done a number of articles for the Seattle paper." She
held out a press card for his inspection.  We'd thought the Seattle press
card would be more impressive than her local one.

   Kellerman looked skeptical.

   "I'm doing a story on school boards that ignore public input."

   Kellerman's face went from skeptical to disgusted.

   "Your board has ignored eleven requests to discuss Coach Rich and his
remarks in the last three meetings and another one tonight.  Do you ever
plan to address the concerns of your constituents?"

   "Young lady, I'm getting really tired to listening to the bitching and
moaning from your school.  First your boyfriend tonight, now you." I
grinned as I watched that.  I guessed from all the columns Tami wrote about
Rich and the boycott, someone pointed out that she and me were a we.

   "Sir, I'm here as a reporter and columnist, not as a girlfriend.  I've
identified the story I'm working on and asked a simple question.  I'd be
happy to hear any or all of your views on the subject.  And the fact that
I'm young and a female isn't all that relevant."

   "I am sick and tired of you people whining about Coach Rich.  I'm..."

   "So in addition to not caring what your constituents think, you don't
want the press to have questions?  I assume that's what you mean by you
people."

   Kellerman spun and stomped away.

   Though I couldn't see it since she was behind the camera, I knew there
was a big grin on Robbie's face.  One of her patented
I-love-it-when-a-plan-comes-together ones.

   "I guess she's one up on the rest of us."

   "Huh?" Robbie said, tearing her eyes away from a TV commercial about
beautiful Hawaii.  Outside it was raining hard.

   I patted Tami's hip as she sat across my lap.

   "Tami.  She's one up on us.  We've been on the radio, but she's on TV,"
Traci explained.

   I grinned.  "Speak for yourself, Brat-zilla.  I've been interviewed
several times after games and so has Robbie.  Plus, she has an ESPN special
to her credit."

   Robbie, sitting next to Trace on the sofa, buffed her nails on her left
breast.

   We'd been watching the local news, where the Lake school board meeting
had only been beaten out for top story by a big warehouse fire in
Wenatchee. They had used the entire video of Tami's exchange with
Kellerman. Tami came off looking professional despite her age, and the
anchorwoman mentioned that Tami was a regular contributor to the Seattle
paper as well as having three columns a week in the local paper.

   Kellerman came off looking confrontational and having something to hide.

   We knew the Seattle TV station that was affiliated with Tami's paper was
running the story, too, though probably cut down a lot.

   "You going to give up newspapers for television now?" Traci asked.

   "Not in a million years," Tami said laying her head against my shoulder.
"Television is cool, but reporting in print has one big advantage." Tami
paused, leaned up, and kissed me lightly.  "A backspace key."



   Chapter 28

   "Have you ever considered having a study hall for seventh period?"

   I shrugged as Mrs.  Connors glared at me.  The PA system had just
summoned me to the office again.  I'd expected the summons yesterday or the
day before.  I gathered my books and stood.

   "TAMI SHARP, PLEASE REPORT TO THE OFFICE."

   Tami and Robbie looked surprised.

   "I give up," Mrs.  Conners muttered.  "Anybody else want to go?  The
office?  The library?  Hell, Dairy Queen?"

   I think a few students liked the Dairy Queen idea but nobody dared raise
their hands.  I waited as Tami closed her notebook and stood.  Robbie
stared at the speaker wondering if she was next.

   "Now if it's Wasay, you're not supposed to be in-your-face," I said out
in the hallway.  "If it's a student delegation, be nice and if it's Allie's
mom you have to be polite."

   "If it's Allie's mom, I'm going to stick my foot so far up her ass that
I'll probably lose my shoe," Tami growled.  I grinned, turning my head to
the side so that Tami wouldn't see.  My Little Mustang was still pissed. 
Majorly pissed.

   Two weeks ago, after our concert, the city council had one of it's best
attended meetings in years.  And almost everyone spoke in favor of tearing
down the Sugarman house and building a youth center.  The mayor said city
hall had logged over two hundred phone calls and another couple hundred
e-mails and letters running seven-to-one for the youth center.

   The council voted unanimously to build the center.

   But Allie's mom was smarter than any of us gave her credit for.  She and
Bill Hyatt, the historical Society's lawyer did an end run, sending a
petition to the state historical buildings commission.  The commission, not
bothering with public input had slapped a protected status on the damn
building.

   "Maybe in chemistry Monday, Robbie and I can try making nitro," I
suggested.

   Tami grinned, a more natural look than the scowl that appeared when I
mentioned Allie's mom.  "As long as you don't accidentally blow up my best
friend."

   "What about me?"

   "You can be replaced.  Robbie's unique," Tami said as she slipped her
hand in my back pocket.

   The school office sent us to the superintendent's office at the other
end of the school.  Mrs.  Price, the superintendent's secretary sent us to
the district's conference room which was in another building across the
parking lot.

   I knocked and heard a muffled "Come in".

   I opened the door, then shared a look with Tami.

   Sitting on the other side of the long conference table were three men
and none of them looked happy.  Mr.  Reed the principal sat on the left,
and Mr.  Whitting the school board chairman sat on the right and Butz had
the center.

   I swallowed.  Butz not looking happy was normal, but Reed and Whitting
almost always had a smile on their faces.  "You wanted to see us?"

   "Sit down!" Butz ordered.

   I closed the door behind us and walked to the table but didn't sit. 
Nether did Tami.  "No thank you.  I'd rather stand."

   "I said, sit down!" Butz bellowed."

   "No," Tami and I said together.

   "I'm getting real tired of your attitude," Butz said staring at me. 
"It's time you learned..."

   Mr.  Whitting whispered something from the side and I never learned what
it was time for me to learn.

   Butz looked down at the yellow legal pad in front of him.  "You took it
upon yourself to go to Lake and disrupt their board meeting," he accused.

   I smiled.  "I might quibble with the word disrupt, but yes, I went to
the Lake school board meeting."

   The look Butz gave me suggested that I was supposed to be more
intimidated.  "You used language that was entirely inappropriate."

   "I used language that was completely appropriate for the situation and
the people I addressed." All three men looked surprised.  I decided to add
insult to injury.  "And what the hell made it any of your business?"

   Butz looked stunned.  Next to me I heard a soft giggle.

   "Tony..." Mr.  Reed started but Butz exploded to his feet his fists
resting on the table.

   "Before you do something ludicrous like trying to suspend or expel me, I
went to Lake as a private citizen.  I did not identify myself as
representing this school or any school organization, though I passed on a
message from the baseball team.  The opinions I expressed were mine, they
had nothing to do with the school or you.

   "If you think you can control my actions or words outside of school,
then you are a lot more stupid than you look."

   "Tony that was uncalled for," Mr.  Whitting said, coming to his feet.

   "No sir, I think it was entirely called for," I said, looking at him. 
"One of the first things Butz ever said to me was that he was too busy to
care about my or any other student's opinion." I deliberately omitted the
honorific.  "The second was that he thought Parker's opinion of me was
correct.  I think we all know Parker's opinion of me."

   "Right now, we're both missing class for something that is none of your
business," Tami said, speaking up for the first time.  "And unlike some
students, we like our classes and resent missing them for ridiculous
reasons.  And for the record, I wasn't representing the school either.  I
represented a newspaper in Seattle and I don't think our ... 
superintendent wants to take them on." I had a feeling that Tami searched
the right adjective and came up blank.

   "Mr.  Reed, Mr.  Whitting, do you mind if we go back to class now?" I
asked when Tami finished.

   Both men looked blank but nodded.  Butz just glared.

   Outside I put my arm around Tami as we walked back to class.  I had a
feeling that our respite was only temporary.

   Mr.  Reed was waiting when the bell rang ending the period.  "Mrs. 
Connors, can I borrow your classroom for a few minutes?"

   Mrs.  Connors looked at him, then me and Tami, then back at Mr.  Reed
and nodded.  The other students were already streaming past him, but Tami,
Robbie and I sat still.  Mrs.  Connors packed her brief case, nodded to Mr.
Reed again and left.  He glanced at Robbie, then closed the door.

   Mr.  Reed stepped in front of Mrs.  Connors desk, leaned back against it
and looked at us.  "I hope you don't mind if I take a couple minutes of
your time."

   "No, sir," I said since I didn't think he was being sarcastic.

   "Lake has been a hell of a problem from the moment Rich opened his
mouth. I was very proud of what your team did for Robbie."

   From the corner of my eye I caught Robbie's blush.  "We all love Robbie,
but I'd like to think we would have done it for anyone," I said.

   Mr.  Reed nodded.  "I think you would have.  And I'd like to think that
at least most of the team would have followed you if it had been someone
else." Now I could feel the heat in my own cheeks.

   "I wasn't any less proud when you talked to the WSAA after the walk off.
Though your attitude was a little too much..."

   "In your face," I supplied.

   Mr.  Reed nodded.  "While I'm handing out compliments, I was also proud
of you for what you did for Luke Hastings."

   I looked at Tami.  She smiled.  "It was the right thing to do," I said
looking back at Mr.  Reed.

   "Funny how he randomly came up for testing every week," he said with a
smile.

   I shrugged.  "You never know about random."

   "He's still coming up, even though he didn't play winter sports."

   Oops.  I guess I didn't tell Kelly to stop it after football season.  I
shrugged again.

   "Probably a good idea," Robbie said.  Mr.  Reed nodded.

   "I was happy that you decided to play Lake after you talked to those
kids."

   "Like they pointed out, Rich could care less.  He wasn't the one who was
getting hurt," Robbie said.

   "And..." Mr.  Reed hesitated.  "Tony I didn't lose any respect for you
over your visit to Lake, though your language..."

   "Was necessary."

   Mr.  Reed seemed to process that.  "And Tami I saw you on the news.  You
handled yourself well."

   Tami nodded.

   "As for Mr.  Butz..." he hesitated again.  "You're probably right that
it was none of our business, but you may not want to be as antagonistic to
the superintendent.  You're going to be in his school for another
year-and-a-half."

   I opened my mouth, but Tami beat me to it.  "Tony could have been polite
to that pickledick and we'd still be there trying to explain to him that
it's wasn't any of his business.  Tony was efficient and we at least made
it back for half the class."

   Mr.  Reed shook his head and waved us away.

   'Pickledick?' Now I have to keep Tami away from my cousins too.

   Maybe I could just declare Colorado out-of-bounds.

   "Tony, we need to talk," Dad said quietly as I walked in the door after
practice.  "Your room?" Mom was in the kitchen.

   "Butz called?"

   Dad glanced toward the kitchen then nodded.

   I sighed.  "I'll be back in a minute." I took my bag into my room and
set it beside the bed.  I really wish there was a limit on confrontations
in one day.

   I walked back into the living room and sat down on the sofa.  "Mom! 
Have you got a minute or two?"

   "About five," she called and came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on
a dish towel.  Traci followed, eating a banana.

   "Dad got a call from Mr.  Butz today." From the look she gave Dad, I
hoped that I hadn't gotten him in trouble.  "I have a feeling that it had
two parts, the Lake school board and our meeting today." Dad nodded as Mom
settled on the arm of his chair and the brat sat in the dining room.

   "The meeting today, he wasn't too happy when I explained that what I did
off school property and off school time was none of his business."

   "It's spring.  Are you suspended?" Mom asked.

   "Not yet.  It really isn't school business, and he had no right to call
Tami and me in to discuss it."

   Mom and Dad both looked surprised when I mentioned Tami.

   "Is he going to pursue it?" Mom asked.

   "Well, he called Dad, but I think that's as far as it's going."

   "And this was about a school board meeting at Lake?"

   I nodded.  "Tami, Robbie, and I went on Tuesday.  I, uh, wanted to tell
them that we'd decided to play them in baseball."

   "That's all?"

   "Butz felt that some of my language was inappropriate."

   Mom exchanged a look with Dad.  "What language?"

   "I said that we'd decided to play 'cause it wasn't the kids fault that
...  that a bunch of fucking idiots hired an asshole and didn't have the
guts to control his tongue."

   Traci gasped.

   "I see," Mom said narrowing her gaze at me.  "That doesn't sound like
you.  You thought it was appropriate?"

   I stood.  "For that situation and that audience, yes I did."

   "Why?"

   "Uh, you saw the news Wednesday night?" Mom nodded.  I'd thought they'd
seen Tami on the eleven o'clock news.  I knew they hadn't seen it at five.
We only saw it 'cause practice was rained out.  "We, uh, I kinda wanted to
get Mr.  Kellerman in the right mood to meet Tami."

   Dad laughed.  "Tony, remember what I said about you and Sergeant Bilko?
I withdraw the comment."

   Mom looked down at him like he'd lost it.  "Go wash up, I'm putting
dinner on the table."

   I tried not to grin as I walked away.  I was glad I hadn't mentioned
that Robbie wrote my script.



   Chapter 29

   "Remember this summer?"

   Warning bells.  Hell, more like an air raid klaxon.  "Of course."

   I turned off the highway onto the road that led to Robbie's house.  I
was driving Darlene home after school.  Tami had stayed after to work on
something for the paper, and I had the afternoon off because of the rain
pounding down around us.

   "Remember when we..."

   "Something I'm not likely to ever forget," I said quickly, remembering
her self-esteem issues.  "A sexy cheerleader losing her virginity in my
tent is one of those stories I'll bore everyone with in the old folks home
ninety years from now."

   "I wasn't a virgin," she giggled.

   "Might as well have been."

   Damn, I hoped she wasn't horny.  That would be all I needed, along with
Tami still bugging me about Bobbi's virginity.

   I parked and shut off the car.

   "I just wanted you to know that you were right."

   "I usually am," I said pompously.

   "Not according to Robbie," Darlene said and giggled again.

   "What was I right about this time?" I asked, ignoring her comment.

   "Afterward, when we were talking, you said there were guys out there who
knew how to do it right."

   I remembered our talk.  We were walking, just enjoying the quiet of the
morning and Darlene was telling me about her first time.  Her real first
time.  "I'm glad."

   During the play, I'd thought she and Luke were about to hook up, but a
week or so later I found out that she'd been dating Clay Willingham. 
"How'd you hook up with the enemy anyway?" Clay was a senior and had been
the quarterback on North Lincoln's football team.

   Darlene smiled.  "During the home basketball game with them, I kind of
got into it with one of their cheerleaders.  It was his little sister.  It
just kind of happened."

   I decided for the eight-thousand-three-hundred-and-sixteenth time that
the world was a strange and wondrous place.

   "And he treats you right?"

   Darlene reached over, cupped my face in her hands and kissed me gently.
"Almost as good as you."

   "I want you to listen to something," Robbie said as Darlene and I ran
dripping into the house.

   "Can I dry off first?" I asked sarcastically.

   "Nope, just shake like a dog." Robbie got out of her chair and headed
for the stairs.  Lying on the floor in front of the chair, the twins
giggled.  I decided that I needed to speak to their dad about spanking them
more often, or maybe Robbie's dad since they hung out here as much as their
own house.

   I shook like a dog, then followed Robbie up the stairs.  I grinned when
I saw the drops of water that had landed on the entryway mirror.  Robbie
had complained more than once about constantly cleaning it.

   Robbie was sitting at her computer when I walked in her room.

   "This is a seventies song I found.  I wanted you to hear it."

   I cocked my head in question.

   "Just listen," she ordered and clicked something on her computer.

   [girl singing] Ah-ah, ah-ah.

   Daddy please don't, it wasn't his fault. He means so much to me. Daddy
please don't, we're going to get married. Just you wait and see

   [boy singing] Every night the same old dream, I hate to close my eyes. I
can't erase the memory, the sound of Julie's cries. She called me up late
that night, she said, "Joe don't come over. My dad and I just had a fight,
and he stormed out the door. I've never seen him act this way.  My god,
he's going crazy. He says he's going to make you pay, for what we've done,
he's got a gun, so run Joey, run Joey run."

   [girl singing] Daddy please don't, it wasn't his fault. He means so much
to me. Daddy please don't, we're going to get married. Just you wait and
see

   [boy singing] I got in my car, and I drove like mad, till I reached
Julie's place. She ran to me with tear-filled eyes, and bruises on her
face. All at once I saw him there, sneaking up behind me.

   [girl, shouting] Watch out!

   [boy singing] Then Julie yelled, "He's got a gun." and she stepped in
front of me. Suddenly, a shot rang out, and I saw Julie falling. I ran to
her.  I held her close. When I looked down my hands were red, and here's
the last words Julie said:

   [girl singing] Daddy please don't, it wasn't his fault. He means so much
to me. [voice fading] Daddy please don't, we're going to get mar-ried.

   Ah-ah, ah-ah.

   [both singing] Run, Joey, run Joey, run Joey, run Joey, run Joey, run
Joey, run.

   "What's your very first thought?" Robbie asked as the song faded.

   I shrugged.  "If he'd listened to her and stayed home, Julie would still
be alive."

   "And your second thought?"

   "With the bruises on her face, they could have put Dad away and lived
happily ever after."

   Robbie smiled.  "Good, I thought I was getting cynical in my old age."

   "You?  Never." I paused waiting to see if I needed to dodge.  "Who was
that?'

   "The guy was David Geddes.  No idea who the girl was."

   I'd never heard of him.  "One hit wonder?"

   "Two, actually.  He did a song called Last Game of the Season."

   I smiled.  "That was the first thing you ever sang to me."

   Robbie looked startled, then remembered the afternoon in the bleachers
our eighth grade year, when our last game of the season got canceled
because of snow."

   "You said you didn't know I could sing," she said, smiling wistfully
herself.

   "And you said you were Supergirl and could do anything.  My life's been
downhill ever since." I didn't move fast enough and her fist punched me in
the side of the thigh.  "Thinking about that song for one of our duets?"

   "Nah.  I wouldn't do love-struck naive waif very good.  Maybe you could
do it with Traci."

   "I don't think so.  Might send the wrong message."

   "To who?"

   "The love-struck naive waif."

   Robbie turned her head quickly but not in time to hide her grin.  "One
of us should do Last Game sometime."

   "I've never heard the whole thing," I said, happy to change the subject.
"Just the little bit you sang me four years ago."

   "You know, it's hard to believe it was only four years ago when I
knocked on your door and said I needed a favor."

   "And I took one look at you and hoped that the favor was helping you
with your nymphomania."

   "That sounds like my Tony.  You know..." Robbie's eyes flicked toward
the bed.

   "Have you got that other song?  I'd like to hear it."

   Robbie sighed.  "That's what I thought." She clicked her mouse several
times and a piano started playing.

   "He's just the blind man on the bleachers..."



   Chapter 30

   As I walked in the door, I looked at Dad's empty chair.  I closed the
door and made a beeline for the chair, sinking into it with a sigh. 
Thursday, practice had been rained out, so the coach pushed us twice as
hard yesterday.

   Today, I worked at the gym club all morning, but now, I could just veg
out for the rest of the weekend.  Life was good.  It'd be better if Tami
hadn't gone to Seattle with her mother, but life was good.

   I picked up the remote and flicked through channels, finally settling on
something on the Sci-Fi Channel: a giant snake was eating someone.  Not
exactly great television, but sometimes mindless entertainment was just
what I needed.

   The movie ended and another started.  Apparently giant snakes were the
theme today.

   Traci wandered in and sat on the sofa.  And fidgeted.

   I watched the snake eat a cute blonde, then took pity on my sister.  I
clicked off the TV and looked at her.

   Traci took a breath.  "I think it's time to talk to Peter."

   "Okay."

   "He doesn't want to talk to me." She took another deep breath.  "You
said..."

   I remembered our talk when I'd said that when she was ready, I'd make
sure that Peter would be there.  "I'll see what I can do."

   Reluctantly I got out of the chair where I'd planned to spend my
afternoon.

   It took a couple minutes to walk to Peter's trailer.  He was outside
with Mikee and Kelly, unloading groceries from their mom's mini-van.

   "Ladies," I said as I walked up.  The two girls smiled at me, then
picked up a couple bags each and walked into the house.

   "Traci wants to talk to you."

   Peter shrugged.  "Not interested."

   "I really think you should," I said as the girls walked back out.

   "Or what?" Peter said, looking straight at me for the first time.  "You
going to beat me up if I don't?"

   "Yeah, I think I will."

   Peter looked surprised.  So did the girls.  But I don't think any of
them were more surprised than me.

   Peter glanced over at his sisters, then looked back at me and nodded.

   We walked back to our trailer.  Traci wasn't in the living room, so I
lead Peter down the hall to her door.  I stopped and looked back at the
kid.

   "You know Peter, I can make you be here.  I can make you hear what she
has to say.  But I can't make you listen.  But as long as you're here, you
might want to consider it."

   Peter looked stubborn as I knocked on Traci's door.

   Inside, Traci was sitting on her bed.  I pointed at her desk chair, and
Peter sat.  I started to leave, but Traci shook her head, so I leaned
against the doorframe.

   There was a long silence.  Traci couldn't seem to focus.  Her eyes
wandered from the floor to Peter, to the wall, to me, the ceiling, and back
again.  Finally, Traci sighed and looked at Peter.

   "Peter, I've wanted to talk to you.  But it's taken awhile to figure out
what I had to stay.  You were, you are, very special to me.  And I never
wanted to hurt you, but I have.  I may not be as smart as my brother,"
Trace gave me a small smile, then looked back at Peter, "but I'm smart
enough to know that I can't take it back.  I'm not asking forgiveness.  I
don't need forgiveness.  But I want you to understand.  I want you to
really know who I am.

   "The simple fact is, I've had more sex than you.  A lot more.  We both
know you were a virgin when we..." Peter turned red as Traci left the rest
of the sentence unsaid.

   "I was kissing guys, I mean seriously kissing them, in the fifth grade.
The next year, in sixth grade, I gave Kyle Thomas a hand job.  I probably
shouldn't have, but he worked so hard for it.  We'd been making out and he
kept saying that an unattended hard-on could do permanent damage.  I knew
he was lying, but ...  It was pity and curiosity that finally got him what
he wanted.  There have been a few others."

   Traci glanced at me, then looked straight into Peter's face.  "Maybe
you'll think I'm a bad girl, a slut, but that's part of my history, part of
who I am." He looked away indifferently.

   Traci sighed.  "Then last year, I kinda fooled around with Robbie," she
continued.

   Was it just last year?  It seemed like a lifetime ago.

   "We were at a slumber party.  Our sleeping bags were next to each other.
She tickled me and I tickled back.  We could hear Tony and Tami making love
a few feet away and ...  I guess one thing kind of led to another.  We
slipped away, back to my bedroom, and I had sex with her.  There were a few
more times after that."

   'The road trip, ' I thought.

   "I never wanted to be a lesbian, and I'm not.  I just ...  Robbie made
me feel good, and I hope I did the same for her.  And there's nothing wrong
with that."

   Peter looked back at Traci for a second.  The look on his face was
interesting.  He was still trying hard to look indifferent, but I think
there was some lust there as he pictured Traci and my favorite redhead
locked in sexual frenzy.

   "This summer, on Tony's road trip, I met a guy and we went all the way."
Traci paused and seemed to think about it.  "I mean we had sex.  We fucked.
There was nothing special between us, but Gary was a nice guy, and it was
safe.  I knew I'd never see him again.

   'That explains a lot, ' I thought.

   "It was also on the road trip that I had sex with Tony."

   I really wished she'd left that part out.  Peter glared at me
accusingly.

   "He was asleep and I ...  I ...  kinda took advantage of him.  I'm not
sure why I did it.  I know Tony was way freaked.  It was just ...  just ...
it was stupid.  And it almost ruined the best relationship a little sister
ever had."

   Mental note: Talk to Mom about raising the brat's allowance.

   From the look on Peter's face, it had never occurred to him that sex
with me hadn't been all my idea.

   "After we came back," Traci was looking at the ceiling as she talked. 
"There were a couple guys and ...  another girl." Traci looked at me, and I
smiled.  She was trying not to violate Kelly's privacy.  The girl can be
taught.  "The girl was just experimenting.  Two friends making each other
feel good.

   "Then there was you.  And there hasn't been anyone since you.  I just
didn't want anybody else.

   "And now, I don't know."

   Traci tried to swallow the lump in her throat.  I sent her all the good
vibes I had.  She looked down from the ceiling and looked straight at
Peter.

   "I know when I told you before, you were all weirded out.  I'm sorry if
I disappointed you.  I'm sorry if you thought you didn't know me.  But this
is who I am.  Warts and all, as the Colonel would say.

   "I hope someday you understand me.  Understand who I am.  'Cause I like
me and I wouldn't change anything, even..." she looked at me, "even my
mistakes.

   "But until then, you are the best friend I have, and you always will
be."

   Traci stood quickly, squeezed past me, and a few seconds later I heard
the front door.

   I watched Peter.  After a minute, he stood and left, not looking at me.
His expression hadn't changed much the whole time.
   I made another mental note to be extra nice to Trace.