“But we’re all safe here tonight, right?” Lisa added.
Julie nodded.
Lisa was about to add something philosophical, but then her phone dinged. It was Marlee. Sam had gotten one, too, because she stood and shushed everyone. “Find your hiding spots, everybody. Marlee wants us to wait until Susie’s partway down the stairs before we leap out and yell, ‘Surprise.’ Meanwhile we have to be pin-drop quiet.” She narrowed her eyes at Ronnie. “That’s going to be really hard for some of you, I imagine.”
“Moi?” Ronnie held a hand to his chest pretending to be hurt by the accusation, or maybe he wasn’t pretending. You never could tell with Ronnie.
“Honey,” Jordan said leading him to a hiding spot, “she speaks the truth. C’mon, let’s hide behind here.”
“Fine,” Ronnie said curtly. He turned dramatically and strode offstage behind the furnace screen. Well, there wasn’t exactly a stage, but everywhere Ronnie went, he was on stage. At least that’s what Sam said. The few times Lisa had hung out with him, that seemed to be the case.
“They should be here in a few minutes,” Sam whispered so everyone could hear. “C’mon, everybody find your hiding spots.”
“Sam,” Alivia stage whispered, “come hide with Karl and me over here.” She and Karl were hiding behind some storage shelves.
“I’m good here,” Sam said and dove under the table with Lisa.
“Shhh!” Ronnie hissed at Sam causing everyone to giggle nervously.
Sam sighed, but it was a happy sigh. It was obvious she liked her friends. As the noise level in the basement finally fell to an eerie quiet, Lisa had time to think. But Lisa’s thoughts didn’t take her to the happy party ahead. No, she couldn’t help wondering what Alivia was up to. Alivia clearly knew that Sam had a girlfriend, but she kept touching Sam’s hand or leg while they sat on the stairs. And, why the hell did Alivia want Sam to hide with her knowing full well that Lisa was right there? Lisa’s eyes grew wide as her blood boiled over. How dare that bee-otch try to upset her happy little apple cart! Was it aggravate-the-hell-out-of-Lisa week?
Sam wrapped an arm around Lisa’s broad shoulders just in time. Lisa was about to implode. Sam leaned over and kissed Lisa on the cheek. “This is so exciting,” she whispered so quietly that even Ronnie wouldn’t hear.
Lisa let herself relax. What was wrong with her? Why was she getting jealous? Sam loved her and would never stray. Still, Alivia bugged her.
Lisa’s heart jumped when she heard the crunch of gravel on the driveway. It had to be Marlee and Susie. Sam squeezed Lisa’s arm as headlights flashed through the basement windows.
“Get ready, everybody,” Sam whispered to the hidden crowd causing an excited titter.
“This is so cool,” Alivia whispered from across the basement.
“Shhh!” Ronnie hissed again. Everyone grew quiet as they listened to the sounds of the van doors slamming followed by two sets of footsteps on the gravel. Lisa reached for Sam’s hand when she heard footsteps overhead in the house.
“Mom,” Marlee said from above, “we’re gonna hang out in the basement, okay?”
Lisa couldn’t hear Marlee’s mother’s response, but two sets of footsteps headed for the back stairs.
The basement door opened and Marlee said to Susie, “After you.”
Lisa raised the lens of her camera toward the stairs.
Susie took one step down and stopped. “Mi vida, look at these romantic lamps you lit for us. It’s so sexy. I can’t wait to get you alone and—”
“Surprise,” Sam shouted in the nick of time. Everyone else erupted from their hiding spots shouting, “Surprise!” a second after Sam.
Lisa snapped shot after shot with her camera.
Susie clutched her chest and leaned against the concrete wall along the basement stairs. Her face had turned bright red. She slowly turned toward Marlee. “You! You did this didn’t you?”
Pink raced up Marlee’s cheeks as she nodded. She smiled that sweet smile that made her so endearing.
“Aay, Santo. Casi me orinaba mis pantalones.” Marlee, Sam, and Alivia laughed. Of course Alivia knew what Susie said. Alivia was probably fluent in Spanish. And French. And Greek, Latin, and a thousand other dead languages that no one cared about. Whatever.
Susie headed down the rest of the stairs. It took her at least twenty minutes to greet her well-wishers before heading over to Sam and Lisa. “Dios mio, gringa,” Susie said to Sam. “I think you saved me. I was about to say something really inappropriate in mixed company.” She nodded her head toward the rest of the guests.
“Oh, please. I didn’t do it to save you,” Sam said. “I did it to save me. I didn’t want to hear what was comin’ out of your mouth next.”
“Shut up,” Susie said.
“My ears would have been bleeding,” Sam continued. “I’d be sick to my stomach—”
Susie bumped hips with Sam sending her stumbling a few feet away.
“And you!” Susie said with a scowl and pointed an accusing finger at Lisa. “I don’t know how you put up with that one.” She flicked her chin in Sam’s direction. Her expression softened, and she pulled Lisa into a quick hug. “I know you were a big part of this deception, weren’t you?”
“Guilty. Did you know we were planning this?”
“Everyone keeps asking me that, and, no, I had no clue.” Susie leaned in closer. “I thought Marlee and I were going to, you know, have some time alone.”
Lisa felt her cheeks flush with heat. “Uh, sorry?”
Susie laughed. “That’s okay, mi amiga buena.” She pointed to Lisa’s camera. “Send me some of those, okay?”
“Okay.”
Susie patted Lisa on the arm and turned to go, but then turned back. “We’re going to miss you at the dance tomorrow night.”
Lisa looked straight down at the basement floor ashamed at her cowardice. She looked back up. “Thanks. I’m, going to miss you guys, too, but you’ll text me pictures and stuff, eh?”
“Si claro.” Susie smiled at her, but it was one of those sympathetic smiles you’d give a weaker opponent. It was just like when they said, “Good game,” to the players on the Northwood team. No game with Northwood was ever good. Clarksonville handedly trounced them every single time. It almost didn’t seem fair that they were forced to do that every year. Susie had given her a Northwood smile. A pity smile.
Angry tears formed in her eyes. She turned away from the crowd so she could get herself together. She headed for Sam’s iPod. She was just about to turn on the music when she heard Alivia say, “And we rented a stretch Hummer for tomorrow night. Oh my God, Sam, you have to ride in the Hummer with us. It’s settled, right, Karl? It’ll be so much fun.”
Lisa jammed on the music. It was a little loud, but she didn’t care. She spun on her heels and marched directly across the basement floor to where Alivia had Sam captured against the storage shelves.
Doing it for all the wrong reasons, Lisa grabbed Sam’s hand, looked her right in the eye and blurted, “What time are you picking me up for the dance tomorrow?”
Oh, God, what had she just done?
Chapter Four
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”— Psalm 118:24
LISA GLANCED AT her mother in their shared reflection.
“Thanks for doing my hair, Mom.” Lisa turned her head first one way and then the other to check herself out in the mirror. “I love it.” Her mother had separated Lisa’s long hair into braids of varying sizes and artfully piled it on top of Lisa’s head. Most of the hair pins were sturdy and functional, keeping the mass of hair in place, but the ones with white flowers and crystal centers were strictly decorative.
“You look beautiful, Lisa,” her mother said.
“Thanks. And, Mom?”
“Mmm?”
“Thanks for not getting too mad.”
“For what? Springing this on us at the last minute? Expecting your father and me to give yo
u permission to attend a dance at a different high school? What could we possibly be mad at? You only have exams in two days, and I haven’t seen much studying going on.”
Lisa cringed, but despite the hard expression on her mother’s face, the twinkle in her mother’s eye said it was okay.
“Yeah, all of that. I wasn’t gonna go, that’s why I never said anything about it. But then everybody was talking about it at Susie’s party last night and...”
“And you didn’t want to miss out on the fun. We understand, and that’s why we gave you permission.” Lisa’s mother stepped back from the salon chair. “You’d better finish getting dressed so we have time for pictures.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Lisa stood and hugged her mother. “I love you.”
Before her mother could respond, Lisa was out of the back room her mother used as a professional hair salon and heading for the bedroom she shared with her almost four-year-old sister Bridget. The gown was hanging from the closet door, the closet she shared with Bridget, although at the moment, three-quarters of it was taken up with Lisa’s clothes.
It didn’t take her long to put on the strapless floor length dress. It was one of three Sam brought back from her recent trip to New York City. Lisa felt uncomfortable accepting the expensive gifts, but hadn’t been able to find a way to refuse. It truly made Sam happy, so she had accepted. Of course, she hadn’t known then that she’d be wearing one almost immediately. The dark green satiny material was soft and fit her very well. Sam had a good eye for fit, that was for sure. Even in her ample bust area. Her mother said the dark color of the dress and Lisa’s black hair contrasted nicely with her light winter complexion. And thank God she’d had some high heels to match. Sure, she was almost six feet tall, but what girl didn’t like heels? Besides Marlee that is.
With a stomach full of butterflies, Lisa checked her makeup and jewelry one last time and gave the mood ring a quick turn for luck. She glanced at the clock. Sam, Susie, and Marlee should be there any minute in the limousine they had rented. Lisa headed out to the living room. Her parents, her younger sisters Lynnie and Bridget, and her younger brother Lawrence Jr. oohed and aahed at her for several minutes. Bridget stared up at her over-tall sister with her mouth hanging open.
“Are you okay, Sweetpea?” Lisa said.
“You look so pretty, Weesa,” Bridget said. “Just wike Princess Tiana.”
“So that makes Sam your frog, eh?” Lisa’s father quipped. He wasn’t her biological father, but had adopted her when she was six years old, and she didn’t really remember a time in her life without him.
“I won’t tell her you said that. But you know what? I do feel like a princess.” Lisa twirled and her dress billowed out much to Bridget’s delight.
“Hey, I hear the limo,” her father said. “C’mon, guys, let’s look.” He ushered the kids to the front window, while her mother fussed with Lisa’s hair.
“Mama?” Lisa fell back into her childhood name for her mother. “I’m nervous.”
Her mother nodded. “It’s your first big dance.” Her face had that all-knowing expression that Lisa had come to depend on. “Papa and I are a little nervous for you, too, but it’s good to see that Reverend Rinaldi didn’t scare you into hiding. Your friends have good heads on their shoulders, so I know they’ll take care of you. Your father and I have firmly decided not to worry.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Well, not too much.”
“Mom, my life might change after tonight, you know?” Lisa furrowed her brow. “And it may not be a good change.”
“Stop scowling. You’ll ruin your make up. You know our family motto. ‘Today is the day the Lord has made—’”
“Let us rejoice and be glad in it,” Lisa finished the Bible quote.
“Honey, let yourself have fun tonight.” Her mother gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Okay?”
“Okay.” Lisa had no idea how she was going to accomplish it, but she’d try.
The front door opened and Sam, Marlee, and Susie hustled in from the cold.
“Sam,” Susie said, “your mouth is open.”
Lisa turned from her mother to see Sam standing near the front door open-mouthed much like Bridget had been. Sam looked gorgeous with her hair done up in a bun, a few loose strands dangling against her neck. And her makeup was so tastefully done, that Lisa wanted everyone to go away so she could kiss those soft, lipstick-covered lips. The look of longing on Sam’s face probably matched her own. Sam cleared her throat obviously struggling to find her voice.
“Oh, this should be good,” Susie said sarcastically.
Before Sam could speak, Bridget threw herself at her. “Hi Samtha.”
“Hi, Sweetpea,” Sam said. “How’s my best girl?”
Bridget giggled. “I’m not your best girl. Lisa is.”
The room grew still; Lisa’s eyes were as wide as Sam’s. “Did you hear that?” Sam whispered as if she didn’t want to break the spell.
Lisa nodded. “She said Lisa. With an L. Lee-sa.” Lisa glanced over at her parents. Her mother had a hand over her mouth and looked on the verge of tears. They had been waiting for this day forever.
Sam cleared her throat. “Um, you got that right, Sweetpea. Lisa is my best girl.” Sam looked up and said, “That Yves Fornier Roux looks stunning on you. Just like I knew it would.”
Lisa’s mouth dropped open. “This is a designer dress?” Lisa was used to getting her clothes at the local Walmart or sometimes the thrift store.
Sam nodded as if it were an everyday thing. “Do you like mine?” Sam took off her coat and revealed a knee-length dress of similar design, but in a complementing lighter green color.
“I love it,” Lisa said. “No wonder you asked me which one I was wearing.”
“We had to match, didn’t we?”
“Of course you did.” Susie made a gagging sound, but everyone knew she was teasing. “Should we take some pictures?”
They set up for pictures in front of the closed living room curtains. The gold curtains made a nice backdrop for Lisa and Sam’s gowns and for Marlee’s dove-gray pants suit which complemented Susie’s formfitting charcoal, white, and black knit dress.
Lisa’s father took most of the pictures, but Lisa took a few of her friends with her own camera. Susie reached for Lisa’s camera and said, “How about a family picture?”
“Get in here, Samantha Rose,” Lisa’s father said. “You’re part of the family now, aren’t you?”
Lisa smiled at how red Sam’s cheeks became as she stood by Lisa’s side in the Brown family picture.
“Samtha,” Bridget tugged the hem of Sam’s dress, “are you and Lisa getting married?”
Lisa snorted in a most unladylike fashion, but before anyone could answer, Lisa’s six-year-old brother blurted, “Girls can’t get married, stupid.”
“Lawrence Jr.,” Lisa’s mother boomed, “do not call your sister ‘stupid.’ Do you understand me, young man?”
“Yes, Mama.” Lawrence Jr. hung his head.
“And, for your information, girls can marry girls if they want to. They can marry boys, too. And boys can marry boys.”
“No, they can’t,” Lawrence Jr. said defiantly to his mother. He was clearly taking his life into his own hands.
“Yes, they can,” Lisa’s nine-year-old sister Lynnie said calmly. She was the bookworm and official smarty-pants of the family. “It happens all the time.”
Lawrence Jr. scowled. He was clearly unhappy at being told he was wrong.
Lisa’s mother bit down a smile. “But Lisa is too young to be getting married anytime soon, so you can stop worrying about it, okay?”
Lawrence Jr. nodded but continued to scowl. It looked like he was trying to make sense of things. Lisa figured it might be time for her to have a talk with her little brother. The sooner the better. He was already in first grade after all.
Lisa pulled on her silk wrap and then they all put on their winter coats. She and her friends said their goo
dbyes and braved the cold for the limousine parked in front of the house. Cassie, the limo driver, opened the door for them, looking every bit the part of a chauffeur with her white gloves, dark pea coat, and black cap.
“You look fabulous, Lisa.” Cassie held out a hand to help her in the limo. Lisa had met Cassie the weekend before when she had been Marlee and Susie’s driver for the Clarksonville Winter Formal.
“Thank you.” Lisa tried to take a deep breath for courage without anyone noticing. Getting into the limousine was making this whole thing absolutely real, and her heart was racing.
As soon as Cassie pulled away from the house, Sam grabbed Lisa’s hands in both of hers. “You are more beautiful in that dress than I ever imagined. I swear to God, if I had a ring, I’d ask you to marry me right now.”
Lisa felt the flush start from somewhere in her chest and radiate upward. “And I would probably accept.”
Susie and Marlee snuggled on the seat across from them, obviously letting them have their moment. But, as usual, it didn’t last long.
Susie cleared her throat. “You two kids done?”
“Shut up, Sus,” Sam said with a grin. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe you’re here with us,” she said to Lisa.
“Yeah, man,” Marlee said, “I’m glad you found the courage.”
“Me, too. I didn’t want to miss this with you guys. You’re all graduating in the spring and leaving me.”
“But we have each other now,” Marlee said, “and we’re gonna have a good time tonight.” She showed off some cheesy dance moves in her seat which made everyone laugh. Lisa was glad for the diversion.
“You know,” Sam said, “Daddy wanted Roland to drive us in the Town Car and have his bodyguard go with us. How wonderfully comfortable would that have been? Excuse me, Bruno, but can you look away while I properly kiss the love of my life?”
Tools of the Devil Page 3
