The Shadow of the Bear: A Fairy Tale Retold (19 page)

She was silent for a moment, and he said, quickly, misunderstanding her. “That’s all right. You don’t have to say anything.”

“No, it’s not that,” she insisted.  It’s just that…” and once again words failed her.

The taxi turned onto her street and came to a stop. He looked at her. She returned his gaze, and then quickly got out of the taxi, pulling her cloak around her. He followed her out as she ran up the steps to the door in her stocking feet and rang the doorbell.

“Blanche, ” He said her name, hanging back by the taxi, hands in his pockets, looking earnestly at her.

“I—” The words wouldn’t come. Could he tell? Someone inside was opening the door, and Blanche grabbed it and resolutely held it shut for a moment as she blurted, “I think I’m falling in love with you.  That’s all.”

She hadn’t meant to say that much. She saw his face for a second, dazed but elated, then she turned away from him, opened the door, and hurried inside past her bewildered sister.

Rose, wrapped in her bathrobe, stood in the doorway, gaping. Bear waved at her with a happy smile, then jumped back into the taxi. It pulled rapidly away into the dawning grey light.

Chapter 13

ROSE LAY drowsing in her bed Sunday afternoon, picking idly at the chipped polish on her nails. Climbing down a fire escape and over a fence had taken its toll on the burgundy enamel. Her cheeks colored at the thought of how foolish she had been last night—her hair and makeup and nails had been sophisticated enough, but apparently she had left her brains behind. Why couldn’t she be sensible and
aware
of things, like Blanche? Her older sister never would have gone to Rob’s party, let alone be caught with him in a bedroom. Rose castigated herself remorsefully, and then forgot about it seconds later as another, more attractive thought entered her mind: the mystery of Bear. She thought it was wonderful that Bear had taken her sister out to the prom—although Blanche had been strangely reticent about the romantic possibilities therein. Blanche’s story of the fistfight, her fainting, and her awakening, narrated over a plate of pancakes cooked by Mother early in the morning, had held Rose spellbound. Despite her weariness, she had hardly been able to sleep, mulling over the new paradox.

Rose yawned fitfully in her bed. “Are you awake, Blanche?” she asked.

“Sort of,” Blanche said from her burrow of quilts and pillows. She continued to follow her own thoughts.
In a way, Bear leaving was a good thing.
After all
,
she didn’t know what could have happened if he had stayed. She would have dated him, she supposed, but it would have been strange and uncomfortable and different. For now, she was safe. Though that was poor comfort as she lay curled up in bed, wondering where he was and worrying about him. But it was the one dry crust she was offered.

“I just can’t figure out how Bear got you into such a gorgeous apartment,” Rose said, yawning again. “It boggles the mind.”

“That makes two of us,” Blanche said dryly. Both she and Rose discussed the mystery of the previous night over and over, but they couldn’t come to any conclusion about it.

“Do you think we could figure out what street it was on?” Rose asked thoughtfully. “Maybe if we walked around some nice Manhattan neighborhoods …”

“I really have no idea. I didn’t get a good look at where we were, and even if we found the right building, then what? It’s impossible to find out who owns those kinds of places. Rich people buy those apartments on the top floors of buildings so they’ll have privacy!”

“A penthouse!” Rose breathed, her arms folded under her head. “How in the world—”

“Maybe his brother owns it,” Blanche had a sudden thought. “His brother was there.”

“You know, he never told us much about his brother,” Rose bit a half-colored fingernail and speculated. “Maybe their mother was rich, and she left him all the money without giving Bear a cent. Maybe that’s why Bear didn’t like to talk about him.”

“No, wait. They didn’t live there. They were talking about a Steve and a Mrs. Foster,” Blanche mused, sitting up and stretching. “That’s where they lived, I think.”

“Hmm. Maybe we could look up ‘Foster’ in the phone book.” Rose rolled off the bed and ran downstairs in her bare feet to get the New York City telephone book. A few minutes later, Blanche heard her groan.

“What’s wrong?” Blanche called.

“There are three pages of Fosters–and at least ten of them are ‘Steven Foster,’ not counting all the ‘S. Fosters,’” Rose complained, coming up the stairs.

“They’re leaving the Fosters, anyhow,” Blanche said, touching her cheek gently. She had a yellow bruise there from the fight in the school parking lot. “Well, I suppose it will remain a mystery.”

At the word, Rose’s eyes glimmered green. “Not if I can help it,” she breathed. She stood up straight in her pink nightgown, one hand on her hip. “Watson, I think we have a case.”

Blanche moaned and threw herself on the bed. “Just what I need,” she murmured, pulling the pillow over her head. “Bear is gone and my sister is getting delusions of grandeur again!”

“Delusions?” asked Rose indignantly.  “The game is afoot!”

Neither girl was anxious to go to school on Monday morning. “I can imagine what Rob must have told his buddies about what happened,” Rose moaned as they walked to school. “He probably told some lovely whoppers.”

Blanche was quiet. She desperately hoped the girls wouldn’t tease her about “her boyfriend.” Just now she was feeling very tender in that area.

As they walked up the steps to the main entrance of school, Blanche noticed a flap of tan cloth caught in the center door. “What’s that?” she pointed it out to Rose.

“Looks like someone’s coat,” Rose said, intrigued.

She pulled the door open and the flap shot free. The sudden release propelled its owner forward. Both girls stared at the red-faced man on the floor.

“Idiots!” he screamed at them, scrambling to his feet.

“Mr. Freet!” Rose cried in regret. “I’m so sorry!”

“We saw your coat was stuck in the door …” Blanche ventured.

“Yes, and thoughtlessly decided to open it just as I tried to jerk it out myself!” Mr. Freet was dusting off his coat with quick angry movements. “Little imbeciles. Have you no idea what poor balance people my age have?”

“If we hadn’t opened the door, you might have torn your coat,” Rose felt compelled to point out.

“Ah.  I see.  No doubt you thought it would be more amusing to see me fall flat on my face?” Mr. Freet’s white hair was practically bristling with indignation.

“No, not at all,” Rose pleaded, “We didn’t think–”

“Of course you didn’t THINK!   Just what I’ve always said about women.  Now stay out of my way before I lose my temper!” Mr. Freet bellowed, snatching up his umbrella and striding into the principal’s office in a small white fury.

Rose heaved a sigh. “I must say, we do manage to get on his worst side all the time, don’t we?”

“He really isn’t a very reasonable person,” Blanche agreed.

As it turned out, Rob had decided to ignore Rose, which was fine with her. Apparently he hadn’t told anyone about their little adventure, and Rose hoped fervently he was repentant. But she suspected he was simply nursing wounded pride.

Since it was close to the end of school, the seniors had to be measured for their graduation caps and gowns. Between her afternoon classes, Rose found the hallway crowded with seniors standing around, talking and hanging out. Some of them had already been measured. Others were just killing time. Since she had a few minutes before her next class started, she thought she would find Blanche. She passed the two Freet brothers in the hallway in earnest conversation. Mr. Edward Freet looked at her, glaring, as she passed, and Rose ducked her head, crestfallen. Down at the end of the hallway, she spotted Blanche getting something out of her locker. Eileen, Lisa, and Lani stood around her.

Sensing trouble, Rose hurried towards them in time to hear Lani say, “So have you had many hot dates with this guy, Blanche?”

“What’s it to you?” Rose demanded, shouldering her way in beside her sister. Blanche’s face was red, and she looked thankful for the interruption.

“Oh, it’s Rob’s new little ‘Rose,’” Eileen said. Her eyes were slits, and Rose fleetingly wondered how much she knew.

“What’s that lovely title supposed to mean?” Rose put her hands on her hips, incensed.

“We were just wondering why your immaculately pure sister showed up at the dance with a drug dealer.”

“He’s not a drug dealer!” Rose said hotly. She didn’t care how loud her voice was.

The three girls exchanged glances and laughed. “Now, I’ve heard of being naïve, but this is too much!” Eileen tittered. “So what does he do in the schoolyard—trade baseball cards?”

“I always thought he specialized in ladies of the night,” Lisa said slyly. “We thought maybe Blanche—”

Rose really forgot herself when she realized what Lisa was saying. The next thing she knew, Lisa was on the ground and she was standing over her shouting. There was an uproar going on all around her. Blanche had her hands over her mouth, and Rose thought she was laughing. Eileen was cursing wildly while Lani shrieked bloody murder.

The next instant, the principal was there with Mr. Freet at his side. “I want both of you young ladies in my office!” he said to Rose, and Lisa, who was still gasping for breath. “You too!” he added to Blanche, recognizing her.

Five minutes later, Rose and Blanche sat next to each other in the principal’s office while Lisa, almost crying, described how viciously Rose had attacked her.

“She just laid back and punched me in the stomach,” Lisa went on in a hurt voice. Blanche was amazed that such a tough-looking girl could crumble so easily.

“Excuse me sir,” Rose said politely. “I only shoved her. She was being positively insulting to my—”

“Liar!” Lisa cried.

Rose looked at her with undisguised disgust.

“What provoked you to hit her, Miss Brier?” asked the principal, leaning back in his Victorian armchair. His red forehead was creased and withered, but his eyes were less piercing than his brother’s.

 “She was tormenting my sister, the way she always does, and I couldn’t take it any longer,” Rose’s words spilled out over each other. “She and her friends have been picking on her for no reason ever since we got here. For no reason whatsoever, just stupid cruelty.”

The principal’s eyes were impassive. “How was she tormenting your sister?”

Rose blew out all her breath in an attempt to calm down. “My sister went to the prom with a friend of our family’s. This girl and her friends were making crass remarks—about his character.” If she even thought about what Lisa had insinuated, she’d commit murder.

“Just who is this friend of yours?” the principal asked, eyeing the sisters.

Rose and Blanche glanced at each other. “He calls himself Bear,” Rose shrugged.

The principal considered, then turned to Lisa. “You are not to go near either of these girls for the rest of the school year. I’d hate to have to deny you a diploma over a disciplinary incident. You may go.” Lisa got to her feet muttering, cast Rose a dirty look, and flounced out of the office.