Little Ann Page 5

  There was a lot of laughter from the rest of the band as they gathered their stuff together and headed out the door. Harper turned back and told us to wait until they started the first number before coming out, then he slowly closed the door behind him and left us alone.

  Jeremy looked at me in wide eyed amazement "You know the famous Gordon Deering? One of the most famous guitar players in the south-west?"

  I couldn't tell if he was admiring me or what. There were still some things about him that I just couldn’t figure out. Sometimes he could be so charming and the next minute he would be someone else.

  "I must say" the voice broke in, "that I could probably write several publications just on your life so far. Please continue, I think that we're right about to hit the mark." His chair creaked again. I heard a clunk, he must have dropped his watch. He muttered something I couldn't hear; I just sniggered.

  We snuck out of the back room without being seen and made our way back to the table where Bob and Brenda were sitting. When we got there they were arguing about some stupid thing. There was only one way to handle this. I smiled at Jeremy and grabbed Bob's hand.

  "You haven't danced with me yet, Jeremy's toes are worn out." He gave me a strange look as we moved out to the dance floor. I looked back to see Jeremy talking to Brenda. She was still a little flustered.

  We danced two more numbers before strolling back to the table. Brenda was sitting alone and I didn't see Jeremy anywhere nearby.

  "I sent him off to get us some drinks" she said before I could ask. "I sure could use a stiff one right now."

  "Then we'd have to cart you home in a wheelbarrow" I quipped. "What were you two arguing about anyway" I added.

  "Nothing really" she sighed. "I wanted him to go looking for you two but he wouldn't leave me here by myself. By the way, where did you two disappear too?"

  "I'll tell you all about it later when we're alone." Bob rolled his eyes and didn't say a word. "Besides, here comes Jeremy with the drinks." I turned around and took two of the drinks from him. "How did you manage to pick these up anyway?"

  "Professional secret" he replied with a smile.

  "Where were you two?" Brenda lit into him. "We looked all over for you and nobody had seen you. And no professional secret thingy either."

  "You two tell each other everything?" he asked looking form one of us to the other.

  "Yes!" we replied in unison looking like a pair of wide eyed twins.

  For a moment he didn't know what to say, then he burst into laughter. "You two are something else. Bob, you best be careful around these two."

  "Well, well, well. How are you youngsters doing over here in the darkness?" Mr. Watkins had stepped up behind Jeremy and stood there beaming down upon us. "Is there any alcohol in those drinks Mr. Buxton?"

  "No Sir! Nothing but good old punch" Jeremy replied smiling back at him.

  Mr. Watkins's face went blank for a moment then he smiled at us and wandered off.

  "He's already half in the bag" Jeremy said, "I wonder where he's got it hid.

  Brenda looked at me, "He means that Mr. Watkins has been drinking and not just punch."

  "I know what he meant, I used to live on the Rez, remember?" I watched as Mr. Watkins stopped at another table but I couldn't hear what was being said. He didn't stay there long as Miss. Granger grabbed him by the arm and steered him off toward the back exit. We didn't see either or them again after that.

  The night finally came to an end when Jess stepped up to the microphone and introduced the band and then announced that the last song was going out to Quiet Flower. Gordon stepped forward and looked in my direction before playing a strange and flowing instrumental that spoke volumes in its fluent tones and arpeggios. He may have been a rebellious youth, but he was also one fantastic guitar player. As we passed by on the dance floor I smiled a thank you up to him. He silently nodded and finished the number with a single note that drifted out over the dance floor and just seemed to hang there.

  As the somber tone died away there was a soft hush over the crowd. Jess wished us all a good night and the gym lights came on. As I looked out over the crowd I could see that there were considerably less people here than when it started.

  "Where did everyone go?" I asked.

  "They've been leaving slowly since the band started. Some of them have an early curfew." Jeremy looked at me and said with a bow and mock British stiffness. "Ah how long before you turn back into a pumpkin my dear?"

  "I never asked, but it shouldn't be too late. No sense in getting grounded before I even get going." I looked over at Brenda; "How about you?"

  "Well the Sonic is still open" Bob laughed. "Anyone for a hot dog?"

  "A hot dog?" Brenda screamed at him. "Do you know what a hot dog will do to our dresses?"

  "Aren't they rentals?" he replied meekly.

  Brenda was this close to kicking him so I socked him in the arm. I always wanted to sock someone and he made a cute target. It was part of the play we'd done together and I kind of liked doing it.

  "Why did you do that?" he asked lamely.

  I looked at Brenda and we both laughed at him.

  "I told you to be careful around these two Bob" Jeremy quipped. "Come on, we might as well take these two home. Bob looked a little forlorn and I knew he was hungry, I could hear his stomach growling.

  Chapter 21: - Tell me all abut it

  Aunt Margaret was waiting up for us when Jeremy brought me home. He dropped Bob off first and then Brenda before bringing me home. Like a gentleman he escorted me to the door just as Aunt Margaret opened it. He smiled at her, then kissed my hand. He waved as he rode away.

  Aunt Margaret's face was unreadable as she closed the door behind me. "Did you have a good time Ann?" she asked gently.

  "Yes I did" I beamed. "I hope he can walk tomorrow, I sure stepped on his toes enough."

  I heard her chuckle before she headed up the stairs to her bedroom. "Don't forget to hang up your dress before it wrinkles. I'll see about getting it dry-cleaned before we take it back next week."

  The next day Brenda was waiting for me at the door. "Grab your coat, let's go for a walk."

  I put on my coat and some better shoes and headed out the door with her. "Aunt Margaret has gone down to the local store to pick up some things and should be back shortly so I can't be gone to long" I told her.

  We didn't talk for a bit, just walked.

  "So, where did you two steal off to last night? We drifted around the whole gym looking for you?" She sounded worried.

  "Jeremy knew one of the band members so we snuck out the door to where they were taking their break. You'll never guess who the guitar player in the band is?"

  "You knew someone in the band?" She sounded shocked. "I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Tell me who?"

  "Well, Jeremy knew Harper, the bass player" I told her, "but the guitar player is Gordon Deering. My friend Mary's older brother."

  "Not the same one the police hauled away?" she asked incredulously.

  "Yes! I didn't recognize him at first but he knew me right off." I thought back to the rest of what he had said. "He was also Silent Runner's grandson. Then he told Jeremy that his grandfather was watching over me and to tread lightly and not to lead her astray." I said in a solemn aged voice.

  We both giggled over that.

  "How did Jeremy take that" Brenda asked.

  "I could feel him shaking in his boots" and we giggled again.

  "So when Gordon played that last number to Quiet Flower, he was playing it for you?" Brenda asked in awe.

  "He said he'd tell Mary I was doing fine but I didn't expect him to dedicate a song to me. I don't think that Jeremy even noticed." I thought back, and at the time it seemed his mind had been somewhere else.

  "That was a beautiful song, but I don't think anyone else noticed."

  "What happened between you and Bob?" I asked.

  "Oh he got sick of me dragging him around looking for you two. Can’t says I blame h
im. How'd you get back in without being seen?"

  "Harper told us to wait until they started the first song before coming out, nobody would be watching then. I thought we'd been caught when Mr. Watkins came over."

  Down the road I could see Aunt Margaret's car, she'd be home in a few minutes. "We should head back, I'll have to start lunch before too long."

  Chapter 22: - Saturday night

  "I'm amazed at how you continue to avoid it" the voice mused in the background.

  "Avoid what?" I asked.

  "My notes show that what we're looking for takes place in your sophomore year of High School but not exactly what it is. He sighed and dropped his watch again. I heard it hit the floor again, his chair creaked as he reached to pick it up.

  "You may continue."

  Jeremy asked me out several times after that, mostly for a movie and either a restaurant or a burger joint. Each time we had to double date as Aunt Margaret didn't think I was old enough to go out alone yet. I didn't push it as I still had plenty of school work to do with finals coming up in another month.

  Then one day Jeremy called and said he wanted to ask me out to the Senior Prom. This was the last social event for the seniors before finals and graduation. I told him it would have to be a double date.

  "No problem with that" he said, "but neither Brenda nor Bob are seniors. They could only come if their date was a senior."

  "I know that, let me think about it." I replied.

  He said he'd check around also. He was sure he could come up with something.

  "And what sort of arrangement did he come up with?" the voice asked.

  "I didn't know at the time, but he made an arrangement with one of his buddies to ask Brenda but he couldn't find a senior girl willing to date a sophomore like Bob."

  "Why do I sense a negative in your attitude about this arrangement?"

  "Because he didn't tell me that Brenda hadn't agreed and that another girl with the name Brenda was going instead. When he told me about it he said he hadn't known that was going to happen."

  "What happened?" he asked.

  "I ended up on a double date with three seniors without Brenda or Bob." I could feel my eyes tearing up remembering how I felt when I got into the car and didn't know who the other two were."

  "You could have declined to continue. Why did you go with him after that happened?"

  "You have no idea how I felt" I almost yelled at him. "I was stuck in a situation that I couldn't find a way out of." One tear dripped off the tip of my nose as I hung my head.

  "I'm sorry Ann. I'd forgotten how limited the options are to a high school student."

  Was he sorry or was he just patronizing me? Why cry about it, it was water over the dam anyway.

  I made the decision to go anyway. Jeremy had been a perfect gentleman with me every time we'd been out, hopefully this one would be the same. The only bad thing was that there were only a very few other lower classman there, and all of them girls.

  As dances go it was almost the same as the spring fling had been and surprisingly the same band. Mr. Watkins gave a short speech and introduced the band before Jess could crowd him out.

  "Are you going to say hello to Harper?" I asked Jeremy as we passed by the front of the stage during one of the dances. I had already caught Gordon's eye and did a quick wave. He winked back as the song finished.

  "Already done" he replied, "I told him we wouldn't be able to drop by during break. Mr. Watkins has added several more guardians and we are going to be watched very closely tonight."

  We settled at a table with two other couples. Jeremy and his buddies went off to get drinks. Just to my left were Emily Perkins and Esther Harris, both juniors I had taken classes with before and Emily had been my lab partner in Physics last semester. We didn't talk much while we sat there waiting for our dates to come back.

  Finally Esther whispered over to me "How long have you been dating Jeremy?"

  I wondered why she was whispering but answered "Off and on since Spring Fling. Sometimes I won't hear from him for a couple of weeks. We've both been busy with school and other stuff."

  "Did you know that he's also been dating Julie Clark?" she whispered back. She gave me a worried look as we heard the boys coming back. They were laughing over something as they sat down and passed out the drinks. They'd also brought a couple of paper platters loaded with snacks.

  "Well guys" Jeremy quipped, to his friends as he reached for my hand, "anyone for another dance?"

  Esther jumped up and grabbed my arm. "It will have to wait, we've got to go to the powder room. Come on girls!" as she led me off with Emily in tow. Outside the door we met up with Julie.

  I didn't know Julie that well. She lived in Hermosa Junction just north of town. Her family had moved here from Denver a couple of years ago and she was a year ahead of me.

  "Umm! I can sense a little tension in the air. Not to unusual in this age group."

  I turned over and looked at him as he sat there with his feet propped up on the desk. He was twirling his watch on his finger. He stopped when he noticed me watching him. He showed no signs of embarrassment as he put his feet back on the floor and sat up. I watched as he jotted some notes on a pad of paper then turned to face me.

  "Considering the severity of your problem, and I sincerely doubt that this is the cause, teen angst is a powerful influence on the maturation process but subsequent ordeals will mold the psyche to better handle any future encounters." He beamed at me.

  "You talk good" I said. "You actually believe any of that stuff?"

  He chuckled a little "It made a good point in my doctoral thesis."

  "And how many decades ago was that?" I countered.

  "Only a few before yours" he replied cryptically.

  "My what?"

  "Please Miss Lyndes, do continue. I'm sure we'll be done with this before your next class begins."

  I'm still in school?

  I was scared, truly scared. Esther told me that Julie was also dating Jeremy and here we were meeting with her. Julie wasn't one of the beauty queens of the class, and neither was I. However, she was captain of the cheer leader squad.

  "Thank you Esther, you two may leave now." And Esther and Emily went back to the dance.

  I watched them go and when they disappeared through the door Julie turned to me. I didn't know what to expect from her and I was all alone.

  She looked me over then looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching.

  "How well do you know Jeremy?" she asked.

  "I knew him in grade school." I didn't tell here everything.

  "I heard you had a fight with another girl over him?" she accused.

  For some reason Julie looked a little uncertain. Just why were we here anyway?

  "That was a long time ago in fourth grade" I replied. "What's this all about? You don't want me going out with him?" I sensed the need for attack. Julie stepped back with a little bit of fear on her face. I took another step toward her and I thought she was going to cry or run. "Why are we here Julie?" I asked again, more softly this time. "I'm not attached to Jeremy in any way" I told her, "He asks me out now and then and I go along. Always a double date though, never alone." Julie's face softened a little.

  "I thought we were going steady" she said with a sudden shudder, "he gave me his ring to wear. Then I heard you were going out with him too. Then he asked me to the Prom, but I said I couldn't go. Then I changed my mind when I heard he'd asked you, so I asked my cousin Willie Scott to bring me." The words just poured out of her.

  "Didn't you talk to him about it?" I pressed. Seems that he was asking me out when Julie wasn't available. "If you want I'll just walk away" I told her softly.

  Julie's eyes turned very cold. She instantly changed from a soft spoken uncertain girl to a cold maniacal monster. Then her face went very pale. A look of pure terror came over her and then she screamed and tried to claw me. Somehow I managed to fight her off. Someone outside must have heard the commo
tion for one of the chaperones came running in and screamed at us to stop fighting. She grabbed one of Julie's arms before she could hit me.

  "Miss Clark, calm down" as she pinned her in a corner until she stopped resisting. Then through the open door she called for help. "Miss Duncan! Go find Mr. Watkins right now. Then I heard her say under her breath "God, I hope he's still sober."

  "Mrs. Fitzgerald, get in here and give me a hand with her. At that point she turned and looked at me.

  "What's your name young lady?" I told her who I was and who I was with.

  Just then Mr. Watkins arrived. "What is all this about?" He bellowed, unperturbed that he was standing in the middle of the girl's bathroom. He peered at me and said "Well, well, Miss Lyndes I believe. Need I ask which senior you're here with?

  "Jeremy Buxton" I replied. He nodded.

  At that point Julie collapsed in the corner. Within moments the ambulance arrived and they carted her away.

  "If you're finished in here I suggest you get back to your party. And! I want to see you and Jeremy in my office Monday morning." With that he left the bathroom.

  I washed my face before leaving. Julie had scratched my left cheek but I had managed to keep her from doing anything else.

  When I got back to our table Esther and Emily were still sitting there. They looked up at me and their faces were very pale. Esther wasn't sure if she should say something or not.

  "Are you all right?" she finally said. "We heard there was some sort of a fight in the girl's bathroom?"

  It occurred to me that they knew Julie had a bad temper but had no idea what was going to happen.

  "She said she just wanted to talk to you." Esther confessed on the verge of tears. "I didn't think that she would go ballistic…It was Julie they took away wasn't it?" Neither one of us noticed that the boys were back.

  "Yes, she collapsed in the bathroom. Seems she suffered some sort of seizure from what I heard." Jeremy said as he sat down beside me. "I've known that she was mentally unstable but I didn't think it was this bad."

  Word leaked out about the incident and the dance from then on was not very much fun. The band did it's best to liven it up. It was like a pall of sadness had descended upon the crowd.

  We stayed for another hour until the other girls said they wanted to go home. That left Jeremy and I alone. But by then it was ten o'clock and there weren't too many of us left anyway.