Rule #9 (24 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

The halls of Pine Gulch rumble with gossip. It’s like the Stallion mural on the wall cloned itself and hundreds of wild horses jumped off the wall and race through the halls, making tons of noise.

“Did you hear that Vianna beat up her stepmom and will spend her summer either in juvie or boarding school?’

“I heard that Vianna’s mom is writing a novel based on what happened? She already has a three-book series deal.”

“I heard it will be the next reality series.”

“I heard that Vianna’s dad is dating the plastic surgeon’s wife and he bought her an engagement ring.”

“Massie, Vianna, and Natalie have to be separated. Nobody’s determined who will get to stay at Pine Gulch.”

“I think Massie is leaving. Her mom just got a job in London.”

“I heard Massie’s mom moved to France without her.”

“Maybe Massie can move with Jack. He’s moving to Hawaii.”

The facts: Wendy was arrested and released the same day. The plastic surgeon got an apartment, and Wendy’s moving in with him. Vianna’s dad filed for divorce and put his house up for sale. He’s spending more time with his daughter. Vianna’s mom has even gone out to dinner with them, which will start a different rumor. But it’ll take an act of God before Vianna’s mom lets that man back into her house—her words, not ours. My mom left for France for a month. I had to push her out the door this time. She warned my father that she’s getting both me and her dog back. She even threatened to take Alicia. And Jack’s moving to Georgia.

I want to die.

The transfer to Colorado fell through. Jack’s dad received new orders. He’ll be training new recruits in Georgia or something stupid like that. That’s why his mom was so vague about the house hunting.

Oh, and we made the playoffs. I’m not even excited. Once football season ends, Jack will head south. My father, on the other hand, can’t stop bouncing off the walls. It’s not his fault. He
should
be excited about the playoffs. He just doesn’t see past it. But I’m coming to terms with that. Most dads don’t get what their daughters are going through (all of this according to my mother). And although he is having a hard time coming to terms with Jack leaving, it is for completely different reasons.

Alicia has decorated the outside of the house with Stallion colors. Blue and white flashing lights illuminate the porch at night. Flags hang and signs cover our yard. Benny and Bianca take over the kitchen table, making large posters to take to the game. Benny looks good. Benny looks happy.

Benny looks up from his poster. “Hijita, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I grab a marker and doodle on the paper. The pollywog’s a spectator on the sideline. I’d make her a cheerleader but the whole Sidney thing, I can’t. Miss Pollywog’s sad. She wants to cheer for her Pollywog Linebacker but she can’t. So she puts her hands together like she’s clapping but they really hold her heart in her chest. The faint touch of red on her left side bleeds through.

“You’re the one,” Benny says slowly.

“The one what?” I ask.

“You draw the Pollywogs,” he says.

“Guilty,” I raise my fingers.

“They wouldn’t tell me,” Benny says. “At the coffee shop, I asked.”

“Cause it’s supposed to be a secret,” I place my index finger on my lips and whisper.

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” I say. And I don’t anymore. “At first it was because I would only show my dad my work. Then I would leave the drawing at Pollywog’s. The owner would frame and hang them. Then the owner left a note on one asking who the artist was because he thought he could sell them. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. My parents know, Natalie and Vianna know of course, the staff at Pollywog’s, and Gaby. Then Jack, Lily, and Alicia found out. I didn’t think it was a secret anymore.”

“I could’ve told you that, Papi. Lily has one of Jack hanging in her house.” Alicia carries the wooden carving of the Stallion to the porch.

“Will you draw one for me?” Benny asks.

“Maybe.”

#

We win the playoff game. Jack’s the hero again. He had two interceptions. We drive for our victory burritos. Nobody’s going to mess with tradition at this point. Then we follow Tyler to his house. It’s either spending the night playing video games or heading to the party at the Pit. Coach warned the boys, and Jack’s not going to take any chances before the championship game.

We head to the basement, and Natalie and I insist on the dancing video game. Jack beats me. “What can I say? I can dance. We had these dances in Kentucky. Everyone went. But it’s more two-stepping and line dancing,” Jack says.

“I love line dancing.” Natalie screams. She’s beating her two-left-footed boyfriend. Poor Tyler, he can’t dance. He doesn’t have any rhythm.

“I’d rather dance close,” Jack pulls me in.

“Some good that’s gonna do when you’re off in Georgia,” I pout.

“I’m here now,” Jack says.

“Tyler!” a shriek comes from upstairs. Tyler also has a stepmom. He told us that she’s a nightmare but I didn’t believe him. The crazy stepmom thing seems reserved for stepdaughters, not stepsons. She doesn’t give him time to respond. She stomps down the stairs. “Someone left their shoe in the middle of the garage. I ran it over.” She gives each us of the eye. Seriously, we individually receive the eye. “You all need to leave,” she says.

We run up the stairs, padlocking our laughter inside. We follow Tyler through the family room and out the garage door. A door on the second floor slams shut. Tyler closes the door to the garage carefully and quietly.

Jack stands in the middle of the garage, shaking his head. He looks at the ground. I follow his gaze to the shoe,
his
shoe, centered under the front left tire. Wow.

“Dude, can you ask her to move the car?”

“You ask her.” Tyler backs away from the car.

“She’s your mom,” Jack says.

“Stepmom,” Tyler corrects him. “Can I spend the night at your house, brother? My dad’s out of town, and she’s scary. My mom and stepdad are celebrating their anniversary tonight, so I was trying to give them some peace. Let me tell you, I’d take a hundred stepdads before I’d take one stepmom.”

“Not me, buddy,” Jack says.

We hightail it away from the garage, without Jack’s shoe.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

“Will you dance with me?” His hand reaches out to me. His crazy emerald eyes pull me in. The curls in his hair are cut back, but he’s let the stubble grow on his face to that soft stage that feels good against my cheek. My sexy high-school boyfriend that all the college chicks famine over looks sweet in his tuxedo. The blue on his cummerbund matches my dress.

“If you tell me your favorite color, I’ll dance with you.”

He pulls me close and his forehead touches mine. “Girl, the blue in those eyes staring back at me is my favorite color.”

This time I say yes.

He pulls me close and I breathe in the coconut and cinnamon. I’ve learned that when a boy knows how to dance, it’s fun—especially when it’s a slow song.

Bianca and Benny said “I do” twenty minutes prior, five days after my dad and Alicia’s first anniversary. The ceremony took place in a small park lined with cottonwoods, pines, and aspen. The leaves from the trees barely hold onto their green. Autumn is on its way.

Annabelle Moo-Moo walked down the aisle holding a pale blue basket, scattering white petals in front of her. She looked to her big sister when she reached the row of folding chairs where Natalie sat with her dad and stepmother. Natalie’s mom stayed home. She’s having a hard time with the truce between Natalie and Stephanie. The drama was easier for Natalie’s mom to deal with.

Vianna and her parents came together—in one car. Her parents have been seen out together several times. I guess there was some act of God. I don’t ask. Vianna will start her first year at college as a Husker. Her dad’s doing his best to support her.

Gaby, her boyfriend Sam, and his girls came as well. The girls tolerate Gaby. I’ve told her it’s a good sign. Gaby’s learning not to push.

My mom tried to decline the invitation to the wedding, but Benny begged her to come. “That would be a little awkward,” she told him.

“That’s not so,” Benny said. “But I understand. You’ll eat lunch with my daughter but you won’t come to my wedding? I see how it is.” My mom and Alicia sometimes go out for lunch. I think that’s a little weird.

My mom gave in. She brought “a friend.” His name is Hamish. She won’t even let the poor bloke slow-dance with her. She met him in England. I like him. He talks all British and cool. He uses the word
bloke
all the time and I love it, so I’ve stolen it from him. She claims Mr. Bloke is in the U.S. for a Trendy Teen meeting. Okay, whatever. None of her coworkers has ever looked at her the way he does.

Lily came with her mom, Sissy. Sissy is visiting Jack. He didn’t move to Georgia. His mom and dad promised to make it to Colorado for all the games his senior year. Jack says he stayed for me, but he also needs to play ball, and if he moves he can’t play the first few games of the season because of recruiting rules. I’ll take it either way. I still have my boyfriend.

Jack’s the best man and I’m the maid of honor. And it’s time to toast. Jack clinks on his glass with a spoon. “I always wanted to do that,” Jack says. My linebacker’s such a goof. He hands me the microphone. “Ladies first.”

I stand. My palms sweat and my knees start to buckle. I remind myself to bend my knees. “I wish I had some kind of quote or funny fact,” I say into the microphone. Those who know me laugh. I pause for a second trying to think of something to say. Something that means something. I was going to rehearse it, but I then I would need a piece a paper with notes. I thought winging it would be better. I thought wrong.

My mom sends Annabelle Moo-Moo to the stage with my smartphone. “Here you go, Massie. Your mom says to look at it.” The sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen look up at me. Annabelle hands me the phone.

“Thank you,” I whisper. Then I hug her.

My mom has it all ready. I read the screen and then look at my mother. I grin. She’s always right. “Rule Number Nine.” I look at my mother and smile. Then I look at my friends. Then I look at Benny. And last I look at Alicia. Then I let the crowd in on this inside joke which is not a joke but more of a fact. “Translation, don’t judge people before you know them. Alicia was never the wicked stepmom.”

I nod to Jack and he pulls out two wrapped packages. I didn’t practice the speech but I knew I was going to do this. “Bear with me here, this is going to take a minute,” I say. I let the tears come. The bitterness no longer grips my heart. I’ve found that the dragon can’t hurt me when I allow the water to come. The water puts out his fire.

Jack hands the first package to my dad and Alicia. Jack whispers, “Don’t open it yet, Coach.”

I clear my throat and say, “Today we not only celebrate Benny and Bianca’s wedding, but my dad and Alicia’s anniversary. I apologize in advance for my first statement.” I take a breath. The audience looks a little worried. “A year ago I sat in a setting similar to this. My thought was,
I didn’t sign up for this shit
.” I look to the flower girl. “Sorry, Annabelle, don’t ever say that word. It’s not nice.” I look back to my dad and stepmom. “I was so sure that the woman who married my dad was going to take everything I cherished away from me. I couldn’t have been more wrong. She has given me my daddy back, and I must tell you, I like him better now.” My dad turns red. “Sorry, Daddy.” I nod at Jack again.

“Okay, Coach and Mrs. Coach, you can open it now,” Jack winks.

As they tear the plain brown paper away I speak. “This is how I saw you that day, and it is how I see you every day. You bring out the best in each other. You radiate love. Not that I watch because that’s kind of weird. But I wish I would’ve opened my eyes sooner and not given you so much—” I pause. “Well, you know.” I look at Annabelle Moo-Moo and decide I won’t finish my sentence.

Alicia’s hand covers her heart. Then her fingers move along the framed picture. “Jack added the flower.” The
Brighamia rockii
flower, the one that my dad drew for her in Hawaii, peeks above the pollywog bride and groom. “Daddy, I see why you love her so much. I see why you drew that flower for her. It’s her essence.”

I don’t wait for his response. His response isn’t for me, it’s for her. And I’m really liking my moment right now. The gushy stuff between them—it still grosses me out. Teachers don’t pee and parents don’t do the deed; really, the stork brought me. I’m sure of this.

I nod to Jack again. He takes the other package to Benny. My eyes go back to my stepmom. “Alicia…” My words are barely audible even with the microphone. “…you’ve given me more than I deserve. I’ve spent my whole life without grandparents. Here I was so afraid to share my dad, and you never once batted an eye when it came to sharing your Papi. Without you—I would not have him.”

I look to Alicia’s father. “Open the present, Benny.” I smile.

Benny rips through the package like a little kid. Watery eyes and a big grin appear across his face. Bianca beams, watching her new husband. She was in on it the whole time—or so she thinks. Her staff at the pottery place helped me frame the picture—the
pictures
.

“Bianca, look at the picture,” I say. Bianca sucks in air, and her hand covers her mouth. “Alicia, thank you for the gift of my Abuelo and Abuela,” I say.

The pollywogs sketched on the cream paper sit on top of lily pads holding hands. The pollywogs resemble the man who taught me how to chase off the dragons and the women who conquered his. Above them written in calligraphy,
Abuelo & Abuela
.

The pollywog of my Abuelo Benny—the one Bianca
thought
he was getting—hangs in my room next to the Contract of Three. He’s mine.

That weaving of families isn’t so bad after all.

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

God – Mark 7:34 “Eph’phatha”

Duane – For always believing in me, encouraging me and loving me no matter what. You are my best friend and my world. 143!

Emily and Andrew – For accepting your crazy mom just the way she is. You both are the light in my life. Love you this much more and show (yes show) much!

My family – Without each and every one of you I would be nothing.

My book club (the Wow Girls) – Without this group I would never have known I wanted to write.

Mary Anne M – For not liking the first version of this story and having the guts to tell me. I cut seven chapters and kept working.

Lizzy Y – For loving my story even when it needed tons of work.

My critique group Ariel, Cynthia, Daphne, Kathie, Lisa, and Monica – Without you, I would still be editing this story.

Cathy W – For being my conference buddy. You made those first few years of hanging out with “real authors” a little less frightening.

DeAnna Knippling – My talented editor who also created my cover. You are amazing!

Reilly S. – For letting me use part of her list and her mom Angelle for sharing it.

Debbie M – For all my Kentuckyisms. “Apple at cha”, you are the heart of where you come from.

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