The Kissing Deadline (16 page)

Flash.
The bright light of Paige’s
camera paused their battle.

“Excellent,” the director said. “Ryan and
Cassie are a perfect example of stretching the boundaries. Thank
you for getting a photo of the demonstration, Paige.” They moved on
to memorialize Megan and Larry. The fabric bore several wet
splotches where his tongue marked it.

Cassie took a deep breath and tried to stay
balanced. She touched Ryan’s arms. “Slowly.” Ryan rolled up. She
pointed to the wall. “Don’t stand, just wiggle that way, and I’ll
follow.” He rolled side to side and pushed with his feet.

Cassie followed with a crawl until their
backs hit the wall. She rested, panting a bit and elbowed her
cocoon. “What’s wrong with you?”

Silence. She sighed, crawled into his lap,
and put a hand on his arm. It was a gutsy move, but the fabric hid
her location, and playing Madrageen had made her comfortable with
being on his lap. Ryan sat still and tense against her, and the
elastic behaved. Cassie put her mouth against his ear and
whispered, “Tell me, Ryan. What did I do?” She pulled back and met
his eyes, hers wide and curious.

His eyes narrowed. “Your note in lab.”

Ryan was annoyed she passed notes? Whatever.
“I always pass notes.”

Ryan looked away and crossed his arms over
his chest.

“Please,” she whispered against his ear
again.

He pushed a hand through his hair. “You were
so complainy about your Family Day. The more I thought about it,
the more it pissed me off.”

She smiled, and he stiffened even more. He
said in a low voice, “You know what I’d give to have a Family
Day?”

Things with his parents must not be going
well. Her smile faded. She wrapped her arms around him and stroked
her palms down his back, within the pillowcase where no one could
misinterpret her comforting gesture. “I’m sorry.” She held on to
him until he relaxed and put her mouth near his ear. She whispered,
“Shall I tell you about Family Day?”

Ryan didn’t say anything.

“You remember my brother, right?”

He nodded.

“Well, Family Day can be fun if we get to do
what Spencer wants. If we don’t, he makes sure he gets his
way.”

Ryan turned his head and looked at her with
less angry green eyes.

Good, she had his attention. “When I
complained, it was more about the zoo than Family Day.”

“You don’t like the zoo?”

“I like the conservation idea. But that’s not
the problem. Whatever my parents suggest, Spencer agrees
whole-heartedly. Then if it’s something he doesn’t want to do, he
sabotages the trip.”

“He’s a kid.”

“Last time we went to the zoo, he tested the
security of the animals by trying to locate the locks on the
cages.”

Ryan relaxed, and his lips twitched.

“If there’s glass, he taps on it.”

He nodded, starting to see the picture.

“But his favorite is to disappear then almost
immediately we hear over the loud speaker the call for Lost
Parents.”

Ryan grinned, no longer tensing away from
her.

“My parents feel so guilty for losing their
kid; they baby him and ask what he wants to do next. Usually we end
up at the IMAX or racing go-carts.”

Ryan laughed.

* * *

Trallwyn High School Dragon Scoop:
Wednesday, March 14th

No cell phone use near the
school pool
.

Coach peered at the P. A. speaker, but
frowned as it remained silent. “Listen up. I know what I said about
the single file lines through the door. But if we see any evidence
of smoke and it’s not outside our window, what direction are we
heading?”

Mike said, “Out the window, Coach.”

“Right. Mike, let’s hear Lockdown.”

Mike blew the whistle twice. The class sprang
into action. Megan locked the classroom door. Cheryl stood behind
her with concealing construction paper. Together they taped it over
the window, using the roll of duct tape which now hung from the
doorknob. Amber climbed onto Kristnaldo’s shoulders and taped off
the air vents. Ryan didn’t seem to notice or if he did, he didn’t
care.

Brooke drug out the shelter kit and called
out inventory to Larry. “Tent--check, water--check, radio--check,
food--check and flashlight--check.”

Mike and Ryan ran to the windows and taped
them off. Coach peppered his instructions with scuba diving
metaphors such as, seal the suit, buddy dive, and sharks are
circling. Cassie joined the remaining students in the center aisle
and sat along with them in a single file row. It was their job to
stay out of everyone else’s way.

“Good job, b-team,” Coach said when they were
all seated. Cassie didn’t mind riding the bench.

Brooke said, “You don’t have to tape off
windows for Lockdown. Tape is only necessary for sheltering in
place.”

Jabbing a finger at Mike, Coach indicated he
should relinquish the whistle to Brooke. “Brooke, give the signal
for Shelter-in-place.”

Brooke looked at the communal whistle and
wiped the mouthpiece on the side of her shirt. Taking a deep
breath, she prepared to blow the whistle three times.

After the second blast, Coach knocked the
whistle out of her hand. “The poison gas just got the signaler. So,
we only heard two rings. We needed three. Is that a chance you want
to take?”

Brooke shook her head.

“Right. I’m not saying my team is more
important than the other teams, but we have several star players in
here. My classes will get out.”

Brooke raised her hand. Cassie knew she just
couldn’t help herself. “What about Tornado drill?”

Coach got still. “Are the other teachers
going over Tornado drill?”

Brooke and Mike answered, “Yes.”

The coach lifted his arm, clenched his fist,
and jabbed it toward his side.
“Losers.”
He looked toward
the window. “This is not Kansas. When do tornadoes occur in
Houston?”

Brooke said, “After a hurricane?”

“Correct,” Coach said. “And with hurricanes
what do you get?”

“Warning?” Sierra said.

“Yes, when we get the warning, we’ll start
practicing hurricane drill. Until then, you need to concentrate on
what you don’t know about
these
drills.”

* * *

Mike and Ryan sat at Cassie’s lunch table
again. Amber followed, jumping on the seat directly under the
announcement board. She gave a nod to anyone reading the board.

How did she throw the most popular kids off
her lunch table, or at least one of them?

Ryan interrupted Cassie’s thoughts by handing
her a large pale pink dress box tied with a gold ribbon. She took
it with interest. It was early for her birthday, but present,
yay.

The gift stirred up attention. Amber narrowed
her gaze on the package and Megan took a seat at their table.
“What’s that?”

Ryan said, “An overdue replacement.”

Cassie untied the bow and lifted the lid.

Cassie lifted the plaid dress free, and the
tissue rustled.

“I told my mom blue,” Ryan said.

Cassie’s face heated at all the eyes on her.
Yes, he’d ripped her skirt, but while helping her out of a
supposedly burning building. She hadn’t expected him to replace it.
The dress was gorgeous. His mom had nice taste. “Thanks.”

“That’s a D&G.” Amber tossed down her
fork. “You bought Cassie a $500 dollar dress?”

Cassie gasped and folded it back into the
box. Dad would have a fit. She couldn’t take this.

Ryan ignored Amber. “Did you bring cookies
today?”

Cassie handed him the bag of chocolate chip,
and said again, “Thanks.”

* * *

In rehearsal, everyone worked on blocking and
line reading. During the last part of the hour, duos who had
performed poorly on their trust exercises were asked to line up for
another task.

Cassie and Ryan didn’t have to ask. They got
in line for their new assignment, as did Megan, Larry, and a few
other crewmembers.

“Today’s assignment is called,
I Feel Your
Proximity
.” From over in the line-reading group, Sierra giggled
at the title. She wasn’t alone. The giggles were ignored by the
director. “Stand a few feet apart. Discuss the feelings this
evokes. Then move closer. Discuss. Move back and discuss.”

Ryan and Cassie found a corner and stood
about two feet apart. “I feel like I am now entering your space.”
Ryan took a small step forward.

Cassie nodded and breathed in. “I feel like
you made a good choice in cologne this morning.” She stepped
closer.

Ryan laughed, and stretched out a hand to rub
her hair. “I feel your hair is soft.” He stood nearer and breathed
in. “Is that apple shampoo?”

Nodding, Cassie touched his bicep. “I feel
Coach Ameen has increased how much you bench.”

Ryan tightened his biceps for her and came
forward. She left her hand on his arm. Dropping his hand to her
waist, he said, “I feel I can now catch you in a Trust Fall.”

Cassie stepped flush against him and looked
straight into his green eyes. “I feel that’s
not
going to
happen.”

“Um.” The director cleared her throat. “Why
don’t you two go and watch Larry and Megan perform this one.” They
located the duo and went over to watch. Cassie wondered how many
steps forward it would take before Larry’s tongue hit Megan. For
Megan’s sake, she hoped Paige forgot her camera today.

Larry said, “I feel like this distance is too
far.”

“I feel this distance is too far also.” Megan
inched closer.

“I feel anxious you’re in my space.” Larry
took a small step forward.

“It makes me feel vulnerable and not creative
when we stand this close.” Megan took a baby step.

“I feel the need to back off.” Larry
retreated.

Megan shifted backwards too. “I feel I can
now read my lines openly.”

The director clapped. “That was perfect. Look
where you are in relation to each other. You have established your
sense of personal space. Go practice blocking while respecting the
comfort zone you’ve established.”

* * *

Trallwyn High School Dragon Scoop: Friday,
March 16th

Happy St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow: Any
student caught pinching another will be sent to the principal’s
office.

A hallway banner contained a picture of a
poker hand decorated with STOP signs, it read,
Texas Let 'Em
Go.
A dispenser of optional, surgical facemasks had been placed
nearby.

Sierra held up a disposable mask. On the
front of the breathable white fabric was a STOP-sign logo. On each
side hung elastic loops, one for each ear. Sierra covered her face
with the mask, and made deep breathing and exhaling noises, but
instead of Darth Vader’s
Luke, I’m your father
, Sierra said,
“I’m Cassie, kiss me.”

Cassie and Brooke giggled. Sierra grabbed
Brooke's arm and yanked her away, leaving Cassie alone. Cassie
raised her eyebrows at them. Then she knew why they left.

“
Buongiorno
, Cassie,” Kristnaldo
said.

Cassie spun around. Kristnaldo, wearing a
skin tight
Lincoln Park
concert t-shirt, stepped directly in
front of her, close enough she could smell the cigarette smell that
always clung to his clothes. “I have seen you in the play. You are
very good.” He got in her space.

Cassie backed up. “Oh uh, thanks.”

Kristnaldo maneuvered closer. “I can be very
good too.” Another step backwards and she hit the wall. There was
nowhere else to retreat. He moved in.

She hadn’t noticed Ryan in the hallway, but
he appeared beside them and got in their space. He stared at
Kristnaldo’s shirt a long moment. “How was the concert? I was
supposed to go.”

“It was
great
.”

Ryan put his arm around Cassie's shoulders
and tugged her out of reach. “We've got lab.”

Kristnaldo frowned, but retreated and Cassie
heard him behind them. “
Buongiorno,
Cheryl…”

She turned to Ryan. “The dress you gave me is
beautiful, but I can’t accept it.”

Ryan ignored her refusal, a speculative gleam
in his eyes. “If you wear it with tights, we can practice the trust
fall.”

* * *

Coach Ameen said, “Today we’re going to dress
out.”

These were words Cassie thought she’d never
have to hear again. She stared at Coach in horror. She’d finished
her PE credits her freshman year. It had been one of the happiest
days of her life.

Brooke said, “But Coach, I don’t have a gym
locker anymore.”

Sierra held a hand to her curly hair. “I
don’t have my conditioner or shower shoes.”

“I hate running.” Paige moved the camera
strap from around her to across her body like a sash.

Coach ignored their protests and held open
the door.

Cheryl popped up from her chair. “I’m ready,
Coach.”

“Suck it up, girls.” Lizard Larry ejected his
tongue.

Mike and Ryan moved toward the door with
their natural athletic grace. Cassie dragged her feet all the way
down to the girls’ locker room.

“Size?” the oppressed freshman asked her. She
hovered over a clean laundry bin that smelled like starch and
humidity.

“Small.” Announcing your size to the group
kicked off your gym-style humiliation. The freshman handed her
small shorts and a medium shirt. Cassie took the wadded up fabric,
knowing enough to take what she could get. After moving to the
corner to change, she ended up glad that she’d gotten a shirt one
size too big. Because the gym shirt was white, and her bra was
purple.

Sierra eyed the loose shirt. “You can’t
tell.”

Coach yelled from outside, “Two minutes.”