The Earth Painter (26 page)

Mrs. Strickland hugged me back. “Sweetie you can have it. I had this copy made for you.”

I let go of her and grabbed my jacket. Fall had set in, and it was crisp outside. “I’ve got to go. I’ll stay late tomorrow.”

“You can’t. You and Anthony have dress rehearsal tomorrow.”

I put my jacket back. “You’re right. I’ll finish up first. I just got so excited.”

“Go baby, go. I haven’t seen you this happy in weeks. Go! I’ll finish up.”

I smiled. “Thanks.”

When I got to the high school, I didn’t even have to break in. The art class was there hanging the sets. I almost chickened out but decided to go in and blend in like I was supposed to be there. I scooted through the side curtains and looked up the ladder. Some guys were up on the catwalk lowering a set. I glanced over, it was Theo’s forest. I stepped back and hid in the shadows, watching as the guys came down. Then I bolted up to the catwalk with my file in my mouth.

I got to the top, made it to the door and opened it. But Theo wasn’t there. The whole place was the stark white
Khai-Ree
preferred. I stepped in and called out, “Hello?” That’s when
Khai-Ree
popped in.

“You!”
His look was indignant. “My master isn’t here. And I’m not sure when he will return.”

Khai-Ree
crossed his arms and glared at me. “We’ll I think you should go, don’t you? I know you didn’t come to visit me.”

I stood there, not sure what to say to the surly little man. “
Uhhh
…I brought this for Theo. Would you please give it to him when he gets back.”

“I will, but I’m not sure when that will be. Theo is with Bio and Geo down in the Amazon. Sort of an extended holiday as you humans would call it.”

My heart sank, heavy like a rock to the bottom of a lake. “Oh, ok. Well, just give it to him whenever he gets back. I think he will like it.”

I made my way down the ladder and along the dark aisle to the door. I didn’t remember driving home. I think I walked passed my parents eating dinner in the kitchen. I hardly remembered the brief exchange between us as I turned down food. Then I locked myself in my room. I never went by the bathroom to brush my teeth. I didn’t even bother with pajamas. I just stripped down to my t-shirt and underwear and climbed into bed.

The last time I looked at the clock, it was midnight. That’s when I flipped my pillow to the dry side and finally went to sleep. The side I’d been laying on was soaked from tears.

I stumbled along with the whole drama class who stayed after school for dress rehearsal. Home arts had dropped off out costumes. We were to go back stage, find the one with our names
on it and get dressed. Ms. Jones was in the back with her boyfriend, Coach Scott, showing him how to operate the spotlight.

The guys were rolling with laughter at their bloomers and tights. They were funny enough to coax a smile from me. A couple of girls grabbed theirs and made their way to the dressing room. I looked through the rack of costumes, but didn’t see mine. I looked through
again,
checking the nametags, still couldn’t find mine. I was about to go get Ms. Jones when the girls who’d gone off to get dressed screamed and came running out of the dressing room.

“Holly! Holly!”

I turned around to see Trish and Nikki running to me. They were both pale and wide eyed.

“Holly, come look. I think your friend from Bantam Chef has been here.” Nikki panted between words.

I just looked at her at first, trying to process what she meant. “Shelby?”I tilted my head, look
i
ng at her like I didn’t understand, because I didn’t. “Why do you think she’s been here?”

Nikki took me by the arm and pulled me to the dressing room and lead me to one of the curtained off stalls. There was my costume with my name on it, shredded beyond any possible repair. And painted on the wall over it were the words, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID.

My mouth hung open, not sure what to say.

“I’m going to get Ms. Jones,” Nikki said and ran off.

Ms. Jones and Coach Scott came running in. Ms. Jones screamed, “Oh my…” She pushed Coach Scott towards me. “We’ve got to call the police. I’m going to get my phone. It’s in my purse up in the light booth. Stay with the girls.”

Coach Scott reached into his pocket. “I’ve got mine on me”. He called 911. The police were there a few minutes later along with a TV news truck.

Needless to say, everyone was questioned about what they saw. The place was dusted for prints, and I was questioned about Shelby and the freezer incident again. Unfortunately, the rehearsal never happened.

By the time we were leaving and locking up, it was nine o’clock at night. Ms. Jones looked at me, her eye makeup smeared from her tears. “Maybe we should put off the play until next semester. Do it as our spring production. We didn’t get to rehearse, your costume is ruined. And there is a crazy girl on the loose.”

“Maybe.”
I couldn’t think of anything encouraging
to say
at the moment. I think I was in shock. It was too much all at once.

When I got home, my parents had seen the news. Apparently, they’d tried to call me, but my phone was off. I sat with them—numb and answered their questions before we all went off to bed.

Chapter 26

The next day in drama, Ms. Jones was fluttering about the stage. “I decided last night that the show must go on. I called a friend of mine over at Converse College. He works in the theatre department. He’s going to find another medieval dress for you, Holly. It will be delivered this afternoon. We will all stay after school today and rehearse. We will do this. We will have our fall production.”

Honestly, I didn’t care one way or the other. Crazy as it sounds, I was more upset by the fact that Theo had not come to see me about the fountain plans than I was about a crazy teen girl out to get me. Stupid, yes I know. But the priorities of teenagers in love are not always in the right order.

As disappointed as I was, I honestly put forth a lot of effort during the mini run through we did with a partial cast during drama class. I enjoyed the release that came with being someone else for a little while. It was still a stupid play, but at the moment, being Lady
Oliandra
was better than being Holly.

At lunch, Anthony and Wayne came to sit, but with Wayne was a blond girl.

“Hey, Holly, This is Vonda, Mr. Winter’s baby sister.”

“Younger sister,” She corrected.

“Sorry… younger sister.
She’s visiting during her fall break, and Mr. Winters asked me to show her around the school.”

I smiled.
“Nice to meet you.”

“Wayne was just telling me about the play you are in. I’m very intrigued to witness your interpretation of the character, Lady
Oliandra
. I, too, portrayed her just last summer at LARP camp.”

I noticed Wayne’s interest at what she said.

“Well, I’d love any pointers you can give. This is my first play.”

Vonda shook her head. “No, I’d rather leave your interpretation untarnished by my input. That way I can see how yours and mine differ.”

The extremely serious way she spoke almost made me giggle. It reminded me of the way Wayne spoke. “Vonda, you have the prettiest hair. It’s almost
a platinum
. Do you color it?”

She shook her head. “No, my mother is Norwegian.”

I had to grin at Wayne’s expression. Somebody should have their dream lover, right?

Everyone went to the Bantam Chef for a quick bite before rehearsal, but I skipped it—not really in the mood to eat. Plus, I was the only one who had not tried on their costume.

I walked back to the costume rack to see if mine was there yet, but it wasn’t there. I turned to leave, but then noticed a white box on the shelf above the hanging rack. I pulled it down to see my name on it.

I took it to the dressing room, opened it and took the dress from the box. Ms. Jones’s friend over at Converse College truly came through in a hurry. The material was much finer than what the home arts class had used to make the ruined dress. My fingertips glided over the deep aqua colored gown. It almost felt like real silk.

The stitching was well done. Mom taught me to notice the stitching when shopping. I held the dress against me and carried it to the curtained area to put it on. When I came out I looked at myself in the mirror. The dress matched my eyes perfectly, making them pop into focus under my red curls. My reflection gave me an uneasy feeling. Not an unpleasant feeling, but more like a stirring. It was like the butterflies I got on stage—a happy anxiousness that came from the excitement of being exactly where I wanted to be and doing what made me the most fulfilled.

I didn’t hear Theo enter, probably because he used his back door, so it startled me when he spoke.

“You look so familiar to me.”I turned to see him scrutinizing me, just as he had that first day on stage. “I’m Holly, remember… the girl you’ve been avoiding.” He moved closer. “But you look like someone I’ve seen… long ago…” His stare was confused but penetrating, like looking harder might help him remember. “More right now than ever, but I can’t remember who.”

I walked over to the bench and sat to put on my shoes. Theo followed me. He stood in front of me and watched me. It was awkward. “Do you need something?”

He sat down beside me. “Are you still nervous about the kissing thing?”

I let out a sigh and continued getting ready. “Well it’s not the way I dreamed my first kiss would be, but I’m an actress. I’ll suck it up and do my job.”

Theo leaned closer. “Well, I was thinking about your request. I know Bio is against it. And he has
valid  points
. But…”

My heart had stopped beating in my chest. It had to have, because I couldn’t feel it or hear it. The whole room was silent except for Theo’s voice. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks, heating them and turning them red.
“But?”

“You’ve done so much to help me secure the well. You never gave up until you found a way. You cared because it mattered to me. I saw the plans you brought by. And this kiss thing matters to you. So, I want to return the favor.”

I stood up and walked to the stand where my bag was and started rummaging through it. “Forget it.”

Theo stood and followed me. “What’s the matter? I thought that’s what you wanted?”

“Having someone kiss me as a favor is worse than having my first kiss on stage.”

Theo stared at me like he couldn’t process what I’d said. “This is impossible for me to get right. Bio was right. It’s a terrible idea. I’ve explained what this will not be for me because it can’t be that for me. I will be playing a role—copying human behavior that I’ve witnessed. I will feel your lips touching mine just to know I am touching something. That’s all. I can’t make it more. But if you want this, I’m willing.”

I stared into my bag but didn’t see it. So the choices for my first kiss ever, were to either kiss a guy I felt nothing for, but who felt something for me in front of the town or, to be kissed by a guy I felt everything for, but who wasn’t able to feel that for me—here in private.

Neither was the way I’d dreamed of since I was old enough to read a love story—to think about kissing a boy myself. It was supposed to be magical, life changing. That’s how I dreamed it would be.

But today I would be kissed for the first time. That was already established, I had little choice in the matter, but I could choose who and where. The play—the part I played demanded that I kiss Wayne in front of the town. But kissing Theo was all my choice. He wouldn’t feel
what I felt. It wouldn’t mean the same for him. It never would. This would be my first kiss—a good-bye kiss.

I moved closer to Theo. I looked into his gray-blue eyes. “Ok, do it.” How unromantic was that?

He came closer to me, and I panicked. I held my breath and braced myself like I was expecting something painful instead of something intimate. It seemed like an eternity passed even though it was actually just a few seconds. When his lips touched mine, my lungs were screaming for air. I exhaled to make room to inhale again and blew air into his lips. I was mortified.

Theo jumped back and closed his eyes and shook his head.

Was that my first kiss?
A quick puff of air into his mouth?
I’d heard first kisses could be awkward, but that was pathetic.

Theo opened his eyes and blinked before looking at me. “I feel…” he swallowed, “different.”

I made my way back to the bench, plopped down and put my face in my hands to cry. I could feel the warm tears dripping into my palms. “I ruined it.”

Theo lifted my chin with his hand. I tried to look away, but he wouldn’t let me. “I remember now. I remember… you… but…but how?” He trailed his fingers up from my chin and touched my lips. “You’re lips are so perfect. Have they always been so soft and pink?”

He leaned in closer. It looked like he was sniffing me, but I knew he couldn’t smell. I shivered as his fingertips traced my cheeks and down to my neck. “You’re freckles are exactly right.” His finger traced along the collar of my dress down the small of my back where it dipped.
“Are they everywhere?”I turned to face him. His eyes were an inch from my face staring at me like he never had before. It was more intense.