“I doubt a movie star would let just anyone do her makeup,” Michael said. “She looks great.”
Heather blushed.
“If you’re ever looking for a job, let me know,” Michael said. “I’m always looking for good people. Nice to see you again, Blane. It’s been…four years?”
“Five,” Blane said.
“Are you cooking at all now?” Michael asked.
“Just for family,” Blane said. “I’m an acupuncturist now. I’ll finish my Doctor of Chinese Medicine in a couple weeks.”
“You look happy.”
Blane nodded.
“You certainly have a lot in your life now.” Michael took another peek at Mack. “I’m glad.”
“Thanks,” Blane said. “I feel really lucky.”
“Nice to see you again. Nice to meet you Heather.”
With a wave, Michael Moore wandered over to another group of patrons.
“What was that?” Heather whispered to Blane.
“I had a mad crush on him,” Blane said. “Used to drive Enrique crazy.”
“He’s very crushable,” Heather said.
“I haven’t really been out in the world since everything with Enrique,” Blane said. “I just walked away from that life. It didn’t occur to me that people would…”
Blane shrugged.
“Miss you?”
“Or even notice that I was gone,” Blane said. “This life is so good but it’s so different from the way I used to live. It’s hard to believe I’m the same person who lived in both worlds.”
“I feel like that too. Just a year ago I lived with Mom and wondered what I was going to do with my life. Now I have you and Mack…”
“And maybe a new job with a make up pro,” Blane said.
“If I can fit it in with managing your practice,” she said.
Blane beamed at her.
“It’s a good life,” he said.
~~~~~~~~
Sunday evening — 7:30 P.M.
“She looks at me like I’m ‘sposed to do something,” Nash whispered to Jacob.
“Yeah, that sucks,” Jacob said.
“When I suggest something, like going to get cookies or introducing her to Mike, she just shrugs like she’s not interested.”
“Yeah,” Jacob said.
“Dating skill?” Nash said.
“Dating skill,” Jacob repeated.
“What do I do?”
“Just enjoy being around her,” Jacob said. “Go along with the crowd. She hasn’t seen you in a while so she’s not sure about you. You have to kind of prove yourself.”
“Prove myself? How do I do that?”
“Just be safe and nice,” Jacob said. “She’s assessing whether she wants to be your friend.”
“I want her to be my girlfriend.”
“Yeah,” Jacob said. “It doesn’t get a lot easier. I think that’s why Sandy wants you to know what to do.”
“Sandy’s really great.”
“Sandy’s amazing,” Jacob said. “I wish I’d had this kind of help when I was your age.”
“Jake?”
“Yeah?”
“I need to get back to school,” Nash said. “If she’s unsure of me ‘cuz she hasn’t seen me, then I need to be in school. Will you be mad if I quit my job?”
Jacob laughed.
~~~~~~~~
Sunday night — 8:15 P.M.
Panicked, Mike looked around to see if he could get some help. He was standing in front of a painting talking to a man - a random man, a stranger! - when the man asked to buy the painting. When Mike mumbled something vague, the man became more insistent. This stranger was willing to pay whatever Mike asked. He even pulled out his checkbook to accentuate his capacity to pay anything.
The man’s waving checkbook drew people like a magnet. Two new strangers joined the conversation. While Mike panicked, the men began arguing over his painting.
Where was Adam Lerner? Even though Adam was now head curator at the Denver Art museum, this exhibit had been his personal pet project. Mike saw Adam backed into a corner by a checkbook waving woman.
Where was Jake? Jake would know what to do. Mike caught Jake’s eye. Jake nodded and moved in Mike’s direction. But there were so many people that Jake made very slow progress across the gallery.
Mike took a clean handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his forehead. He was about to bolt when he felt someone touch his elbow. He saw an elderly man move between him and the growing group of checkbook waving people.
“May I help you gentlemen?” a heavily accented Russian voice asked.
Otis. Grandfather. Friend. Mike saw his mother standing next to her father. Anjelika gave Mike a beautiful smile.
“I certainly understand your interest. They are beautiful,” Otis said. “I flew all the way from Russia just to have a chance to gaze on their beauty.”
Otis turned to wink at Mike and led the men away. Mike felt like he might vomit with relief. Jacob arrived a moment later.
“What happened?” Jacob asked.
“They want to purchase the paintings,” Anjelika said.
“Of course they do,” Jacob laughed. “I thought you wanted to sell them.”
“I wouldn’t mind them sold but selling…” Mike shook his head. “This is an art museum! They should have some respect.”
“Is that your grandfather?” Jacob asked.
“My father,” Anjelika said. “He didn’t want to miss the opening. Mike’s father is also here… somewhere… with Senator Hargreaves, of course.”
Anjelika pointed to a group of laughing people near the middle of the room.
“It’s really crowded,” Mike said.
“Let’s get some air.”
Mike followed Jacob through the crowd to the wide patio outside the front door. Standing near the door, they couldn’t help but hear people’s comments as they trickled out of the exhibit. The early spring air was filled with praise after knowledgeable commentary after glowing review of Mike and his paintings.
“Sounds like you have a hit,” Jacob said.
“When are we playing hockey?” Mike asked.
“Wednesday,” Jacob said.
“Let’s play tonight.”
“Midnight pickup? I’m in if you are,” Jacob said.
“The police have my stick. But you don’t really need one do you. You can move the puck around with your mind.”
Jacob gave Mike a sideways look. Mike shrugged his shoulders.
“I have a couple of sticks,” Jacob said. “You can have one of my extra.”
“You don’t want to talk about your powers?”
“I don’t.”
“Mike Roper is a God,” a woman said as she left the exhibit.
“Yeah, I saw that Valerie Lipson. She’s tiny. I bet I could take her,” the woman’s friend said.
Laughing, the women walked to the parking garage.
“Yeah, I’ll borrow a stick,” Mike said.
~~~~~~~~
Sunday night — 8:30 P.M.
Sandy and Jill were inseparable in the large crowd. After a while, Heather migrated over to them. The women found a little sitting area near the end of the room. Around eight, Katy came to rest on Jill’s lap. Noelle and Nash came by every half hour but otherwise, the women were on their own. When Mack began to fuss, Blane insisted on taking him home.
Tanesha had just appeared when a woman came up to them.
“Hi Jill,” Helen Siegle said. “I’m wondering if you would tell me where Aden is.”
“Hi Helen,” Jill said to the head of the Marlowe School. “Aden’s not here tonight.”
“Do you know how I can get a hold of him?” Helen asked. “I just learned that Nash hasn’t been in school for almost a month.”
“Aden’s not available right now,” Sandy said. “I’m Nash’s guardian. Is there something I can help with?”
“Who are you?” Helen asked.
“I’m Nash’s guardian.” Sandy stood
to meet the woman.
“Where’s Aden?”
“Aden isn’t here,” Sandy said. “If you’d like to talk about Nash, you need to speak with me.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know who you are…”
“I don’t know who you are either,” Sandy said.
Shifting Katy to her hip, Jill stood next to Sandy.
“Sandy, this is Helen Siegle. She runs the Marlowe school. Nash went there until this year.”
Sandy nodded. Helen turned to Jill.
“Where is Aden?” Helen asked Jill again.
“Aden is in prison, Ms. Siegle. Currently he’s in a medically induced coma,” Sandy said. “If there’s a problem with Nash…”
“No,” Helen said. “No. No problem.”
Tapping her lip, Helen looked as if a light bulb went off over her head.
“Aden beat up the pedophile. Jerry told me it was someone at Lipson but didn’t tell me it was Aden. That means that Noelle… Nash… Oh my God. I had no idea. Jerry didn’t tell me and…”
Sandy watched sorrow dissolve the woman’s indignation.
“You’re the girlfriend,” Helen said.
“Right now, I’m Nash’s guardian. That’s all that matters. Is there something wrong?”
“I just can’t believe he’s not in school,” Helen said. “I was talking to a woman who was his teacher. She said he was kicked out. Nash went to our school from the day we opened. One of the original kids. I can’t imagine him kicked out of school. I wondered if there was something I could do. I would offer to take him back into the Marlowe school but we couldn’t do that until next year… at the earliest.”
“Nash has been working at Lipson. We’re looking at options for the fall but he can’t get in…”
“Wait,” Helen said. “The woman I was talking to? Nash’s teacher? She said something. Let me get her.”
Helen darted off. Shaking her head, Sandy sat down with Jill. They had all but forgotten about the crazy woman when she appeared with another woman at her side.
“This is Nash’s guardian,” Helen said. “Tell her what you said to me.”
The young woman looked embarrassed. She looked at Helen and back at Sandy.
“Go ahead,” Helen said. “Consider it your first interview for the Marlowe school.”
“What’s going on?” Helen’s husband, and Nash’s supervisor, Jerry asked. He put his arm around Helen.
“Nash needs to be in school,” Helen said. “Why didn’t you tell me that he was the boy you took onto your team?”
“Now Helen, I…”
“Didn’t want to upset me,” Helen said at the same moment Jerry completed, “didn’t want to upset you.”
“Well, I’m upset,” Helen said. “Tell Sandy what you told me.”
“I’m Nash’s Spanish teacher? Over at Smiley? And…”
“Tell her,” Helen said.
“That Assistant Principal? This isn’t the first time there’s been trouble with him,” the woman said. “He’s been written up a couple of times. And…”
“The boy who attacked Nash is in jail right now,” Helen said. “He attacked a girl and it’s on tape. Her parents are suing the school. And…”
“I have email memos going back a couple of years about that Assistant Principal. I don’t think the Superintendent knows about all this trouble, including the boy who attacked Nash. I was there on guard duty when that fight happened. Nash was attacked. And the principal? She just thought that if she got rid of Nash and Teddy, she wouldn’t lose her job. But…”
“You should take this to the Superintendent, Sandy,” Helen said. “I’ll go with you. Nash needs to be in school. And this Teddy too.”
“They are really good boys,” Jerry said.
Helen, Jerry and the teacher began talking all at once.
“Stop!” Sandy said. Jill, Heather and Tanesha moved to stand next to Sandy in a united front.
Helen, Jerry and the teacher stopped talking to stare at Sandy.
“You’re saying that you’re willing to tell the Superintendent that the other boy attacked Nash,” Sandy pointed to the teacher. “And you’re willing to provide documents that the Assistant Principal was a problem for years.”
“I also have a petition from two years ago when we teachers tried to get him removed,” the teacher said. “I mean, none of us were surprised that he was arrested for child pornography.”
“Ok,” Sandy said. Pointing to Helen, she said, “You’re saying that Nash can go to the Marlowe school next fall. Can Teddy go too?”
“I don’t know this Teddy but…”
“Yes or no,” Sandy said. “Nash isn’t going if Teddy can’t go.”
“I will personally review him and if…”
“Teddy’s a great boy,” Jerry said. “Tough and smart.”
Turning to Jerry, Sandy said, “You. Teddy and Nash love working. Would you take them after school? And this summer? I’m not going to make this happen if they don’t get to keep working. They love having money and they feel really proud of what they do there.”
“I’d have to talk to Jake,” Jerry said.
“About what?” Jacob asked. “Hi Helen.”
“Nash and Teddy working after school. If we start that we may have a lot of kids working after school,” Jerry said. “Some of our families could use the money and…”
“We can make it work,” Jacob said. “Most of our employees are owners now. By law, their kids can work at businesses they own.”
“But…”
“Gentlemen, you work this out on your own time,” Sandy said. Turning to the teacher, she said, “When can you get me the documents?”
“I can email them to you from my iPhone,” the woman said. “I got them ready last night. I knew that Nash knew Mike Roper. I came here tonight hoping to find someone to help. It’s not just Nash and Teddy who suffer. It’s a lot of kids.”
The teacher sat down in a chair and began working on her phone. Helen, Jerry and Jacob began talking about Nash and Teddy.
“Are you okay?” Jill whispered into Sandy’s ear.
“Pissed off,” Sandy whispered back.
“What are you going to do?”
“Make this right,” Sandy said.
“We’ve got your back,” Tanesha said.
“Damn straight,” Heather said.
Sandy nodded.
“Ok, they’re in your email box,” the teacher said.
“Time to kick ass and take names,” Tanesha said.
Sandy nodded.
“Say something,” Jill said.
“From now on, I’m doing things my way.”
CHAPTER NINETY-THREE
Sandy’s way
Monday morning — 7:45 A.M.
“Noeeelllle.” Sandy called from the living room of the apartment. “Come on, honey. We’re going to be late.”
With a sigh, Sandy went into the hall. She checked Noelle’s bedroom.
Nothing.
They had just finished breakfast. While Sandy had put on her makeup, Noelle went to get ready for school. Sandy noticed that the door to the bathroom Noelle and Nash shared was closed.
She tried the knob. Locked.
Sandy knocked.
“Noelle! We have to go,” she said. “Finish up and let’s get going.”
Nothing.
Leaning her head against the door, she thought she heard Noelle crying. Slipping off her shoes, she trotted out of Noelle’s room and into Nash’s room. She tried his door to the bathroom. The knob turned.
She said a silent prayer of thanks to whatever saint looked after guardians of children whose father was in a medically induced coma in prison. Shaking her head at her own insanity, she opened the door.
“Noelle?” Sandy stuck her head in the door.
Noelle sat in front of the toilet weeping. When she saw Sandy, she made an animal-like moan and pulled her knees up to her eyes. Sandy rushed to her side.
“What is it, honey? Are yo
u sick?”
Noelle jerked away from Sandy. Curling into herself, the little girl pressed her face into a corner of the bathroom. Noelle made sounds somewhere close to an injured cat. Unsure of what to do, Sandy wrapped herself around the weeping girl. Slowly, gently, Sandy began rocking Noelle like an infant. While the clock ticked past the start of school, Sandy rocked Noelle in the tight corner of the bathroom.
Noelle cried until the flood of sadness was released. When the desperate storm passed, she sighed. She rubbed her face against Sandy’s shoulder.
“What happened?” Sandy whispered.
“I’m fat,” Noelle whispered. “I’m so fat. Everybody says I’m fat. I tried to eat less and I’ve been working out but I’m still fat. FAT! I hate being fat.”
“Honey, you’re not fat,” Sandy said. “Your Daddy is tall. Your… Nuala is tall. You’re going to be tall like Daddy and Nash. That’s all. You’re almost taller than me already. That’s not fat, it’s healthy.”
“The cute girls throw up to stay skinny.” Noelle’s eyes welled with tears. “I can’t even throw up right. I tried and tried and tried but I can’t do it.”
Tears fell from Noelle’s eyes.
“I can’t do anything right. I’m fat and ugly and I can’t even throw up right.”
Sandy rocked Noelle until she stopped crying again.
“Who do you know that’s skinny?”
“The cute girls at school,” Noelle said. “They have really cute clothes and…”
“You wear a uniform!”
“They have theirs tailored to be cute,” Noelle said.
“Ok, besides school,” Sandy said. “Who do you know that’s skinny?”
“You used to be,” Noelle said.
“Before the baby made me look like an elephant? Yes, I was thin and small,” Sandy said. “But I never made myself throw up. Never. Heather and Tanesha? They look great. Don’t you think?”
Noelle nodded.
“They don’t throw up food,” Sandy said. “Do you think Mrs. Valerie looks good?”
“She’s beautiful,” Noelle said. “But I don’t want to be that skinny.”
“She’s downstairs,” Sandy said. “Let’s ask her how she stays so skinny.”
“She’ll probably lie,” Noelle said. “Everybody throws up.”
Cimarron, Denver Cereal Volume 4 Page 4
