The wheels left gravel and started driving over asphalt as we entered town from the northwest.
“What happened to Kip Arnett was…horrible,” said Jack. “It was a tragedy. But if I’d known what she was going through, if any of the elders had known what she was going through, there would’ve been some sort of response. I guarantee that.”
“Her sister said every time she’s tried to talk to somebody about Kip she gets brushed off,” I said.
“Well that’s because she’s aggressive about it.” Maddy leaned forward so her chin was practically resting on Jack’s seat back. “She’s gone to the main offices on Wilshire several times and been asked to leave several times. I mean,” she laughed, “Horace is terrified of her.”
“He is?” asked Jack.
“Totally. He met Kip during her Becoming. That’s it. So what? He meets everyone during their Becoming.”
She was really getting worked up. She flopped her hands around when that happened. They were flopping right now.
“He meets her once,” said Maddy. “That doesn’t mean he had anything to do with her after that. But that woman, her sister, zeros in on him. It’s his fault her sister lost the plot. His fault. Lucy, she could’ve decided that it was my fault. Or Jack’s. Just because we were members before Kip. I don’t know why she blames Horace. Horace says he didn’t know Kip beyond that one meeting at the Becoming. If Kip blew it out of proportion, then that’s what she did. She could’ve told her sister anything. Obviously she was delusional to a degree. I mean look at what happened to her, sad as that is. In a lot of cases…”
She sighed.
“When Mom died, I wanted to find a bad guy. I found a lot of bad guys. I lost my shit last night over that Carla lady. I don’t like Carla, I never will, but I can’t blame her for Mom dying. I think maybe that might be what Ruth is looking for. She has to go through Hell before she can move on. Or, alternatively, she might never move on. Sometimes the body negatives they just…They screw people up. She might like it in Hell. Some people get used to it. They just do.”
“Is that it?” asked Jack, pointing to a graveled lot and a slate gray building.
“That’s the beast,” said Maddy. “You can tell it’s a school all right. It throbs with that certain evil. Or maybe it’s just the indifference.”
I pulled into the lot and parked, amazed that listening to Maddy somehow I’d managed to keep track of where we were and what streets I needed to go down to get to the school. It all seemed surreal, the whole morning, an impression enforced moments later when the SUVs and the trailing news vans rolled into the parking lot en masse like tanks and Army vehicles showing up in a town suddenly beset by an unknown threat.
Chapter 21
We got out of the car and headed for the lawn in front of the gym.
When the E! van drove down along the sidewalk Jamie Janie peered out the rolled down window smiling at us and waggling her finger like she knew we’d pulled a fast one.
“Eaton High,” sighed Maddy. “Are the walls still the same depressing shade of puke green that I remember? I bet they are.”
Jack squeezed my shoulder. “Thank you for driving.”
“Sure.”
A sidewalk running along the gym linked the gravel parking lot to the school. Students headed towards the main building were slowing down as they saw the three of us.
Jack and Maddy held hands. The heels made her noticeably taller than her husband. Jack greeted every single person he made eye contact with. Dina and Trent and two other security people moved towards us from the parked SUVs. They didn’t run, but they moved quickly. Dina looked grim, like she’d heard about the mornings ‘Going Bono’ meet and greet.
At the main entrance, Jack held the front doors open. He held it for Maddy and me and then a dozen more kids. He smiled the whole time.
“How are you…Good to see you…That’s a great shirt…Good morning to you, too…”
Given the sheer wattage of the grin, the lurking Dina and her trio were almost surely non-existent entities to the people walking passed the $25 million per picture doorman.
Word traveled at the speed of a text message. Kids already in the halls jetted for the foyer. Quickly a crowd formed. Mr. Pederson waded through and made a high pitch sound and embraced Maddy. Soon the foyer saw the principal and vice principal and other assorted support staff appear. The crowd size swelled. A trophy case stood along a wall. It felt like if one more person packed into the foyer the crush would crack the glass.
Jack had relinquished his doorman duties. Maddy and Jack were talking with Mr. Pederson and other teachers, getting their mouths extra close to ears and half shouting to be heard. The principal was part of the circle, too. Dina whispered something to Jack and he nodded. She then whispered into the principal’s ear and he nodded.
Dina and Trent got in front of Jack and Maddy and the two other security men got behind them and they slid through the press of gawkers like a snake oozing out between closely hewn rocks. The principal walked on ahead of them, crying out, “Clear a path,” in his slightly nasally twang. What seemed like a hundred phones recorded every second of the slow motion escape, paused here and there by Jack breaking rank to play guest star in a student selfie. Finally, the six-headed creature exited the foyer and made an abrupt left into the administrative offices.
Outside at the curb, parallel to the main school entrance, Jamie Jane and another reporter were setting up with their respective news crews.
Students outside stared numbly towards the reporters while others seemed excited by all that had been going on. I saw at least one kid that had shaken Jack’s hand then stand in place with a dreamy look in his eyes while his friend told a couple others what had just transpired.
Around me were bright eyes and happy faces. I was told how cool Jack was. How pretty Maddy was. They were so cool coming to the school. They were the best. I was so lucky. Eventually the crowd dispersed as students lodged up near the mouth of the hallway, people trying to peer through the window to the office to catch a glance of the star power.
Mr. Pederson remained in the foyer up on the patio that overlooked the trophy case and the two vending machines. I approached him sheepishly like Mojo with her head down when she’d been extra bad and knew it.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m so sorry. I completely blanked on asking Maddy to come to one of your classes.”
He’d narrowed his eyes. He looked upset. Mr. Pederson upset was like seeing Mr. Rogers or Kermit the Frog upset. Even though he had all that size he still radiated this non-threatening quality. Usually. Today it suddenly seemed different. With the bushy mustache and the barrel chest it was like approaching a Greek god who had been wronged.
“What’s your middle name?”
“My what?”
“Your middle name?”
I couldn’t even fathom why he was asking, but I stumbled out with, “Catherine?”
“You sure?”
My mouth moved like a fish out of water gaping.
He laughed and put his hand on my shoulder.
“Sorry. That was mean. My point is…It’s okay. Right now, with everything going on that’s going on, if I was you, Lucy, I don’t think I’d even remember how to tie my shoes. Or my middle name. It’s all right. I begged and pleaded with her myself. She agreed.”
He took his hand off my shoulder and shook his head.
“Lucy. I could not begin to comprehend the strain you’re under right now. I saw what your place looks like. It’s like Woodstock out there. Just promise me you’ll take care of your sister while she’s here. She means a lot to us.”
“Yeah. Yeah. I will. Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He straightened his bow tie and thrust out his chest. “So by virtue of having your sister stop into my drama class should I let the kids suddenly thinking I’m the greatest
teacher ever go to my head?”
“Yes.”
His response to that was lost from all the high pitch shrieking come from the hall. The response was overblown. The door to the office had opened simply to let out a teacher that had been making photocopies. Several students laughed at the girls that had overreacted.
Mr. Pederson rubbed a knuckle into his ear.
“Wow. I think I just lost an ear drum.”
The assembly was scheduled for 2nd period. Maddy and Jack being here was too big a distraction to try and do the assembly any later in the day. After the assembly and Maddy dropping in Mr. Pederson’s 3rd period drama class, Jack and Maddy would take off and drive towards Dayton and Waitsburg, two other small towns nearby, location scouting for the movie Jack might make.
There were no cartoons on my locker for a change. People were glancing at me, and talking if not about me then about the two famous people in the building that I’d brought along. I felt a little like I was standing outside myself or like I’d shrunk a little and the outside of my body was a distant husk.
“Hey.” Sherman leaned against the locker left of mine.
“Hi.”
“You made it.”
I nodded.
“He took it down.”
“What?”
“Nick. He took down the Facebook post where he said the movie was going to bomb.”
“Oh. Huh.”
“You okay?”
I shrugged. It would be hard to summarize how I felt right then. It wasn’t another one of the panic attacks. Everything just seemed so weird like the quiet before the storm rolls in.
At least part of me was firing on all cylinders.
“Is he here?”
“Nick?” Sherman looked around. “I don’t know. I saw Geoff earlier. I saw him and Kitty but that was about it. Nick you usually notice. He has that inverted asshole halo, you know.”
“I told,” I looked around - suspicious someone might overhear - and leaned in close to Sherman. “I told one of the security people about Nick.”
“Jesus. Maybe that’s why he isn’t here. They already got rid of him.”
“Don’t say that.”
“I’m just kidding.”
“I know. Still…”
“Ooh.” He motioned with his chin. “Speak of the devil.”
Nick walked down the hall. He walked right past us, making a point of not altering his head of steam and still glaring at us with some teeth poking out from between his lips.
“Wow,” said Sherman, directing it at Nick. “The mobile-snarl. I think your brother did that better. But good try, buddy. Kudos, even.”
“I don’t think he heard you,” I said.
“Sure he did. Didn’t you see me cup my hand and project like I’ve been taught by Pederson?”
“’Kudos’?”
“I don’t know. It seemed appropriate.”
He grunted when I smooched his cheek.
“What was that for?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Nerves probably.”
He nodded like he was down with that.
Chapter 22
“MAD-DY!” came a scream from the gym bleachers. Stirred by just one shout, the assembled crowd roared.
Principal Colan gnashed his teeth.
“She hears you,” he announced through the microphone on the stand.
A wheeled podium had been rolled on out towards center court. He shook his head. I don’t know how he expected kids to control themselves. There were adults acting just as immature on East Jennings. Something about celebrity mashed down on the civilized part of a person.
We were at mid-court. Eaton Middle and High School were located just the next block over from Eaton Elementary. The grade school had marched over from Hawkins Street into the gym, joining the middle and high school students for the assembly.
Aster sat on the front row bleachers, her Bluetooth in her ear, and a smartphone in hand. Her hair was down and it made her look somewhat different. More approachable. Not that she was, fully plugged in to the digital realm. I thought of Jack talking about the Star Wars movies. If Dina’s nickname for the assistant was Disaster, I wondered if Jack’s might not be Lobot.
She stared into the crowd, maybe at Mr. Pederson’s choice of bowtie. Maybe just at the giant of a man and the ensemble of loving students.
The deputies and the security team situated themselves, equally spaced around the out of bounds perimeter. If trouble headed for Jack and Maddy they could squeeze in on upon it from all sides.
Another random voice shouted out, “I love you Jack!” I twitched at the volume, the echo of it.
Waiting for an introduction Jack and Maddy were standing just inside the tunnel between the gym and the boy’s locker room.
At sound of that last crowd eruption, Jack popped out of the tunnel, hands around his mouth.
“I love you, too!” he shouted.
Girls screamed. Boys screamed. I was pretty sure at least a couple of teachers screamed.
Jack disappeared back inside the tunnel. Principal Colan probably would’ve told anyone else to quash the encouragement, but this was Jack Ford and Jack Ford was probably about to donate a significant chunk of change to the school, a necessary chunk of change in the time of a state budget crisis.
Principal Colan called for everyone’s attention. Murmurs persisted. He whipped out the standard discontented promise that he could wait all day for everyone to pipe down.
The random ‘shhs’ sounded like air brakes. Peer pressure worked to kill the multiple conversations until the gym turned tomb silent.
Most of what Principal Colan said slipped by me. Dina and the three other security people plus the deputies were going to keep order. Still...they hadn’t been able to keep order out at the house. All those people had swarmed the school bus.
I heard Principal Colan say “--her younger sister, Eaton High’s own Lucy McCall!”
Applause broke out. A few people called out my name. One person hooted, probably Sherman.
Principal Colan stepped away from the microphone and motioned it was now my turn.
Distracted by everything else I’d forgotten my dread of this moment.
I could barely speak in front of a classroom let alone a gym packed full of people. My public speaking achievements consisted of re-enacting bits of scenes from Shakespeare for English class and staring at the carpet and occasionally at the prompts on my index cards in speech class. The index cards always shook in my hand. I always felt like I might faint. Fainting in front of the entire Eaton School District would haunt me far longer than it would take the resulting bruise to heal.
I cleared my throat. I was taller than Principal Colan, or Jack, or Maddy. I hunched down to be able to talk into the microphone. If I tried to adjust it up high enough to my mouth I knew instead I’d only knock the entire stand off the podium and onto the gymnasium floor.
I noticed the kids manning the camera for the school’s official tape recording of the event, and the cameraman for the one local affiliate lucky enough to have been chosen to cover the event.
At least Trent wasn’t staring at me. The last little bit of moisture in my mouth would’ve evaporated with his attention stacked on top of everyone else’s.
“Everyone here probably knows who my sister is. And my brother-in-law. I guess you would unless you’ve been living under a rock.”
I paused. There was some laughter. I smiled. And on the taped recording that smile makes me cringe because I look like I’m certain I’m delivering some real killer material.
“Anyways, even though she’s a big time movie star nowadays, um, she’s never forgotten her roots or the town that she’s from. She might live in Hollywood, but trust me, Maddy McCall is Cougar to the core.”
There were shouts and applause. Boys thumped their feet against the bleacher
foot wells.
It never fails. Mention the sports mascot and people eat it up.
Figuring it was better not to let the momentum ebb, I raised my voice just a bit to be sure I could be heard over the subsiding noise and said, “Ladies and gentleman, my sister and her husband, Maddy McCall and Jack Ford!”
People in the crowd jumped to their feet. The noise filled the gym. It was like a Presidential candidate walking out to speak to the party faithful at the nominating convention. Maddy hugged me. Jack hugged me. Then they shook hands with Principal Colan as though they hadn’t already spent part of the morning with the man.
Maddy smiled and waved. Jack did the same.
While the crowd was still going wild Jack and Maddy tried to figure out who should talk first. She’d point at the microphone. Then he pointed at it.
I heard him say, “Ladies first.”
Maddy hollered back, “Age before beauty.”
He liked that. He clapped his hands together he liked it so much.
Edged up to the podium Jack waited for people to settle down. They did although a few people remained squealing as everyone else got quieter and quieter.
Jack almost got started. The crowd had nearly quieted down completely when it happened.
Because he was standing close enough to the live microphone just about everyone heard Principal Colan say the ‘s’ word. It was plenty loud in the lull, a moment of weird quiet where everyone was simultaneously shocked to silence.
The boys and girls locker rooms were located against the south wall of the gym. Attention had shifted from mid-court to the south wall of the gym.
Aliens had walked right out of the girl’s locker room.