Hell's Belles (6 page)

The mood in the locker room was bittersweet. The Belles were thrilled to have won so resoundingly, but the fact that there'd been barely anyone there to witness their victory was a major downer.

“So let's put our heads together,” Liz suggested, “and come up with a way to get some butts in those seats.”

“Derby is about showmanship,” Annie said, thinking out loud. “Maybe we can capitalize on that.”

“What do you mean?” said Holly, sarcasm dripping from her tone. “In between jams we can tap dance, juggle . . . maybe even hold a sing-a-long?”

“We could do giveaways,” Lauren suggested. “You know, like, the first hundred people in the door get a prize.”

“Like a date with Sharmila?” Carmen said, giggling. “The boys would totally line up for that.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of a travel mug with our logo on it,” Lauren admitted.

“Oh, right,” scoffed Holly, “because we have a whole storeroom filled with mugs.” She tugged off her torn T-shirt and flung it into her duffle bag. “Those things cost money, which in case you didn't notice, we don't have.”

“Don't listen to her, Lauren,” Annie said firmly. “It was a good idea.”

“I agree,” said Coach Ritter, appearing from behind a bank of lockers to frown at Holly. “Teamwork doesn't just count on the track, Holly. So how about a little less negativity and a little more respect for your teammates.”

Holly nodded, chastised.

“Annie, what exactly did you mean by showmanship?” Liz asked. She was removing the elastic band that held her hair in its tight French plait. “That sounded promising.”

“I guess I was thinking we might add some kind of theatrical element,” Annie explained.

“But what?” asked Sharmila. She was using makeup remover to wipe the chalky black and white paint from her face. With half of her skeleton face paint smeared off, Sharmila looked downright terrifying — like a zombie whose face was melting.

Inspiration struck. “Halloween!” cried Annie.

Carmen shrugged. “Yeah, what about it?”

“We can have a special, Halloween-themed bout!” Annie said. “Instead of our usual uniforms, we can wear spooky costumes and go all out with the monster makeup. The audience can come in costumes, too, and we can even give out sweets between jams. I bet Jesse could find some really cool Halloween music!”

Coach Ritter smiled. “I think that's a wonderful idea.”

“So do I,” said Liz. “I'll talk to Allison Daniels. She's captain of the High Rollers.”

“Well, if she's anything like her teammate Dee Stroyer,” Lauren cautioned, “you might want to bring along backup.”

“Nah.” Liz smiled. “Allie's nice. And she's a really good sport — I'm sure she'll be up for an exhibition bout.”

“I'll do everyone's makeup,” Sharmila volunteered, her gorgeous face now devoid of greasepaint. “Not sure I can make this one any scarier than she already is,” she teased, taking Holly's chin in her hand, “but I'll give it my best shot.”

Holly just laughed and stuck out her tongue.

“What about costumes?” asked Lauren. “I was planning to be a cat for Halloween, but something tells me that won't cut it.”

“I think we should all be the same thing, only different,” said Annie. “Like, say we all dress as vampires. But we can all have an individual persona. Someone can be a nerdy vampire, someone else can be a baby vampire . . .”

“I'll be a sexy vampire,” said Holly.

Liz laughed. “There's a surprise.”

“What about the High Rollers?” Liz asked. “I'll have to tell Allie how they should dress. What do you think they should be?”

“How about witches?” Annie suggested. “After all, that Dee Stroyer's already halfway there.”

Everyone cracked up at that. As the girls brainstormed ideas for songs, posters, and costumes, any gloom they'd been feeling vanished entirely.

And now Annie was more excited than ever for her first American Halloween.

Lexie's pencil flew across the paper as though she were possessed.

Annie sipped her hot chocolate and watched in awe as images appeared on the blank page beneath Lexie's hands. As she had when she made the mural in Rosie Lee's, Lexie was creating something out of nothing.

And the something was an array of vampire personas.

They were sitting in the kitchen of Annie's house, which had belonged to her grandparents and, sadly, had not enjoyed a decorating update in decades. Lexie, of course, loved the dated 1980s wallpaper and tile. She called it “retro.” Annie just called it ugly.

“You're sure you don't mind designing our costumes for the bout?” Annie asked. Lexie had agreed to do it the moment Annie had asked — in fact she'd accepted before Annie had fully finished speaking. This was the sort of project Lexie lived for. But Annie wanted to be certain she wasn't taking advantage of her best friend's time or talents.

“I told you,” Lexie said, flipping her pencil over to erase an errant line. “I want to do it. I'm not usually a joiner, as you know, but this is something I can totally rock.” She blew the rubbings off the page, made her correction, and held up her sketch. “Sexy vampiress,” she announced.

“Lexie!” Annie's eyes went round with admiration. “That's brilliant!”

“Not showing too much skin, is it?”

Annie laughed. “You've been to bouts before. You know that roller girls aren't exactly a modest group.”

“Good,” said Lexie, putting down the pad and reaching for her own hot chocolate. “Because this is gonna look amazing on you!”

“Me?” Annie nearly choked on her mouthful of drink. “No. No way. I was thinking I'd be the sporty vampire, or maybe the nerdy one. Definitely not the sexy one. Besides, Holly already called dibs on being the sexy vampire.”

“Dibs?” Lexie rolled her eyes. “What are we, in third grade? What's she gonna do if
you
decide to be the sexy one? Refuse to go on the seesaw with you at recess?”

Annie laughed. “Okay, okay, I get it.”

“Besides, Holly may have that whole ‘naughty girl' thing going on but trust me, she'll never be able to pull off what I have in mind.” Lexie indicated the bottom half of the drawing. “See? This costume is designed for long legs like yours. Check out the slit up the side.”

Annie squinted at the drawing. “Oh, wow. That is revealing.”

“What's revealing?” asked Dad, popping in from the family room.

Blushing, Annie snatched the drawing from Lexie and covered the sexy vampire sketch with a napkin.

“Uh, nothing,” Annie said.

“I'm glad you girls are here,” said Dad, going to the fridge to remove a jug of sweet apple cider. “I could use a little help.” As he poured himself a glass, the tart, sweet smell of apples filled the kitchen. “Business, as you know, is not exactly booming. I need to get people into Rosie Lee's and I need to get 'em there soon.”

“Sounds like Rosie Lee's and the Liberty Belles are having the same problem,” Lexie observed.

Annie raised her eyebrows. If Lexie even so much as
hinted
that Annie's dad should show up at the café dressed as a sexy vampire, she'd kill her!

“Exactly,” said Dad. “And like the Belles, I'm going to try to solve that problem by tapping into the Halloween spirit.” He joined them at the table, sipping his drink.

Dad's eyes twinkled as he shot a look at Annie. “Tell me, does the high school still throw its annual Halloween dance?”

Annie lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “I may have heard something about such an event,” she hedged.

Dad chuckled. “Well, have you two lovely ladies decided which lucky lads are going to have the privilege of escorting you?”

“Uhhh —
no.”
Lexie wrinkled her nose. “See, I usually make it a point to avoid any teenage social ritual that includes crêpe paper streamers and punch.”

“How about you, String Bean? Do you want to go?”

Yes, I want to go more than anything! I want to go with Tyler Erickson, the most beautiful boy on the planet.

“Hadn't really given it much thought,” Annie said.

“Really?” Dad seemed surprised.

“Well . . .” Annie nonchalantly swirled the chocolatey liquid in her mug. “I mean, maybe if somebody asks me, I'll think about it.”

“Hmm.” Dad looked as though he might want to say more on the topic, but instead, he turned back to Lexie. “I seem to recall that the trick-or-treating here in Liberty Heights is second to none. Is that still the case?”

“Absolutely,” said Lexie. “People are totally into it. They give out candy by the bucketful. And not those wimpy little fun-size bars, either. The big ones! People practically wage war over who's got the best decorations. They throw open-house parties and hold pumpkin-carving contests.”

“I was counting on that,” said Dad. “Which is why I'm going to create a whole spook-inspired Halloween menu.”

“Hey, that's a fabulous idea!” cried Annie. “People will come in to buy treats for their parties, and they'll probably stay for a scone and a cup of hot chocolate.”

“Or hot mulled cider,” Dad said, smacking his lips as he finished his drink. “I was hoping you two geniuses would have a few ideas for me.”

“Spooky food, huh?” Lexie frowned in thought. “Well, personally, I don't think there's anything scarier than my mom's tofu veggie lasagna, but I don't think that's the kind of scary you had in mind.”

“I have an idea,” said Annie. “What if you baked brownies with maraschino cherries in the mix?”

“That's not scary,” said Dad.

“It is if you call them blood clot brownies!”

“Urg. I believe you're right.” Dad picked up Lexie's abandoned pencil, then reached for the napkin that concealed the vampire-meets-glamour-model sketch.

Annie gasped, but luckily, Dad seemed too intent on scribbling “blood clot brownies” on the napkin to notice the risqué drawing. “What else have you got?” he asked.

“Lady fingers,” Lexie proposed. “Ones that look like an actual lady's fingers, chopped off an actual lady's hands. You can use red icing to make them really gory.”

“Excellent.”

“How about mummified gingerbread men?” said Annie.

“I like it!”

Half an hour later, Dad had a list of horrifyingly delicious treats to add to his repertoire. He wasn't too sure about Lexie's idea for cupcakes with vomit filling (apple sauce with chunky chocolate chips and coconut flakes stirred in), but he promised to think about it.

“Thanks for all your help,” he said, tucking the napkin with his notes into his shirt pocket. Then he leaned back in his chair with a wistful expression on his face. “Annie, do you remember the first time Mum and I took you trick-or-treating in London?”

Annie nodded. “I went as a lobster, right?”

Dad nodded. “Mum was a real trooper. She knew the neighbors would think we were nuts. Still, she went along with it anyway, patiently explaining to all our confused neighbors why we were standing on their doorsteps asking for candy, with our three-year-old daughter dressed up as a crustacean.” He laughed, but his eyes were sad. “No one had any candy to put in your bag, but I remember Mr. Harrison gave you a handful of cough drops. And old Mrs. Bentley gave you some shortbread she'd just baked.”

Annie closed her eyes. She could almost smell that shortbread, sweet and hot from the oven.

Not for the first time, she wondered if Dad missing Mum was a first step toward them working things out.

Then she sighed. Of course, the fact that Mum hadn't even called for a week didn't bode well for that possibility.

There was a lump in her throat as she brought her mug to her lips.

“You sure made an awfully cute lobster,” Dad said softly. Then he sighed and stood up abruptly. “All right, girls. I've bothered you enough. I guess I'd better start looking up recipes for these devilish desserts.”