Barbara L. Clanton - 1 - Art for Art's Sake

by Barbara L. Clanton

  MEREDITH LEANED AGAINST the windowsill in Mr. Dalton’s classroom as Dani invited their classmates to the Whickett Days open house of the soon-to-be-renovated Randall-Bradley House. The open house was schedule for the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, just over three weeks away. Mr. Dalton seemed pleased with their work, and their classmates had seemed interested, too. Meredith knew Dani’s outgoing personality was the main reason most of their classmates were attentive, but she couldn’t help thinking that perhaps she had satisfied her classmates’ curiosity about herself. Surprisingly, she hadn’t been that nervous talking in front of them. Ben had helped in that regard. At the beginning of her part, he winked at her. She hoped Dani hadn’t seen, because she didn’t want Dani to know that she and Ben had talked.

  Meredith smiled when Dani flicked her head to get a lock of hair out of her eyes and felt that oh-so-familiar warm sensation sneak up on her again. She watched the strong athletic way Dani moved, and the way she riveted everyone’s attention. How could I have ever let her out of my life? What in the world was I thinking?

  Dani powered down her laptop. Mr. Dalton stood up and said, “Thank you, ladies. That was an excellent presentation.” Meredith and Dani returned to their seats in the back of the classroom. “I’m sure we’ve all wondered about that old house at least once and what serendipity—discovering Esther and Millie at Hudson Pines. It sounds like it was meant to happen.”

  Ben raised his hand. “Uh, Mr. Dalton, what does ‘serendipity’ mean?”

  Mr. Dalton laughed. “How can you be seniors in high school and not know what serendipity means?” He laughed again when the students protested his assessment of them. “Okay, okay. Uh, let’s see. Serendipity is the effect of discovering something you needed, when you weren’t looking for it. For example, have you ever found something, like your lost car keys when digging out a sock from behind the dryer?”

  Every student, it seemed, had a ready story about serendipity. Mr. Dalton let the conversations continue for a few minutes, but then he called the class back to order and reminded them that the finalists would display their projects during the Whickett Days Celebration. He went behind his desk and pulled out a piece of paper that presumably held the names of the finalists. Attaching the list to his clipboard, he scribbled something on the bottom, walked to the front of his desk, sat on the edge, and said, “Now before I name the finalists, I’m reminding all my classes that the final fundraiser for the senior class is this Saturday, nine a.m. at the Freezy-Frost. You’ll be washing cars for a good cause—your senior prom. Dani tells me this is the very last fundraiser. The prom should be all-systemsgo after this.” The students clapped enthusiastically, and Dani put two thumbs-up toward Mr. Dalton for plugging the senior fundraiser.

  “Okay, okay,” Mr. Dalton continued. “Here are the finalists from this class. Finalists, please see me soon about displaying your projects during the celebration.” The class turned quiet. All eyes were on their teacher. “Sarah, Jeff, and Ben. Your interviews with the members of the Whickett Swing Band were top notch. I had no idea that the Hudson Pines Senior Center even had a swing band. See me later and we’ll figure how to display your project downtown. Maybe the band can play.”

  Meredith watched Ben lightly smack Sarah and then Jeff with the back of his hand as if to say, “Good job, project mates.” Dani leaned forward and patted him on the shoulder. Ben beamed when he turned around. He smiled first at Dani and then at Meredith. Meredith smiled right back. Her smile faded when she felt Dani’s questioning gaze on her. Meredith turned to face her and shrugged. “What?”

  Dani shook her head, but never lost the smile in her eyes.

  “And,” Mr. Dalton continued, “I will also need to see Joe and Palmer. Your rap about the history of Whickett will simply have to be seen by the entire town. Maybe we can squeeze you in after the swing band.” Joe and Palmer looked pleased with themselves as they looked around the room grinning at their classmates.

  “Finally, I hope that Esther and Millie are ready to have a lot of people at that open house because I think the entire town might just be curious about seeing the old painted lady. So Meredith, Dani, let’s talk with your new friends and see what we can do to help, okay?”

  Ben turned around to give Dani a high five. When he turned back around, Meredith blew out a quiet sigh in relief. She was glad he didn’t high-five her. He must have realized he had almost given himself away earlier.

  Meredith turned to look at Dani, and her stomach fluttered when she found Dani already looking at her with those crystal blue eyes. Meredith swallowed and somehow managed to smile back. Serendipity put us in the same history class so we could become friends, Dani, but lately you make me feel really weird inside.

  The bell rang to end the class period, and what Meredith did next was so impulsive it even surprised her. She leaned over to Dani and asked softly, “Walk me to class?”

  Dani looked startled by the request. “You want me to walk you to your next class?”

  Meredith’s stomach fluttered again as she wondered what Dani must be thinking. Meredith nodded almost imperceptibly and said shyly, “Yeah.”

  Dani pursed her lips together as if thinking and said, “Okay, but there might be a surcharge for the service, ma’am.”

  Dani was kidding, of course, but Meredith would have paid triple the surcharge just to keep Dani close for a few moments longer. She wasn’t sure where this sudden impulse had come from, but she felt incomplete without her friend near. Dani held open the classroom door and let Meredith walk through first.

  A LITTLE OVER three weeks after Meredith and Dani patched up their friendship, they sat in what was becoming their regular booth at Fiesta Loca overlooking Esther and Millie’s soon-to-be-majestic painted lady. Meredith motioned for the waiter. The dark-skinned man came over and said in a somewhat thick accent, “What can I do for my two beautiful señoritas?”

  Meredith smiled. “Can we please have a few extra napkins? My beautiful friend here spilled her soda.”

  “Aay, yes, right away.”

  He sped away in search of napkins and Meredith laughed out loud. “Dani, stop laughing. You spilled your soda because you’re out of control.”

  Dani continued to laugh and smack the tabletop with the palm of her hand. “I, I...” she took a deep breath and said, “I can’t believe Mikey tried to take on Ben. Ben called him a what? A pit bull?” Dani started laughing again.

  Meredith pointed her finger at her. “Stop that. I wasn’t ever going to tell you that story.”

  “Oh, but I’m so glad Ben did. He’s a good guy. Really.”

  The waiter handed a replacement glass of Sprite to Dani and a stack of napkins to Meredith. After wiping up the soda spill with a damp rag, he headed to another table in the busy restaurant.

  Meredith said, “Yeah, I think I might have to give Ben another chance. So when did you tell him about you?”

  “Tell him what?” The way Dani lifted her eyebrows, Meredith knew she was teasing.

  “C’mon. You know.”

  “Well, he knew before I did.”

  “He did?”

  “Yeah, he said he could tell. Then he just came out and asked me. Oops, sorry about the pun. He asked me a long time ago.”

  “Is he...you know, gay, too?”

  “Ben? No, but he watches out for me kind of like a brother. Nobody knows this, except you now, but I’ve kind of hid behind him throughout high school. I think that’s why he’s having such a hard time. He and I were always such good buds. Now I’m pulling away from him. I…I don’t hang with him much anymore, you know?”

  “Because of me.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Well, yeah, but he gets that. He’s okay with it. I mean, he even went and talked to you when we were, uh, having our misunderstanding.”

  “Misunderstanding. More like my misunderstanding. And I truly am—”

  “Look, you have to stop apologizing. I know you’re sorry. Hey, we’re here at Fiesta Loca, chec
king out the old painted lady, celebrating your portfolio being done. We’ve left the kids at home—no Ben, no Mikey—and it’s supposed to be a Friday night with just you and me.” She picked up her new glass of soda and saluted her friend.

  Meredith saluted back with her glass of water. “That’s right. We need to celebrate. The AP portfolio slides were mailed today, and I tell you what, I’m finished with painting portraits for a while.”

  “I like the way my angry eyes portrait turned out, but can you, like, not hang that anywhere? I’d prefer the world not see me like that.”

  “Why? I was going to hang it in the front hall of the house, right beside Esther and Millie. You mean you don’t want it there greeting destitute women and children?”

  “Uh, no, they’ve probably seen enough angry eyes for an entire lifetime. But, um, speaking of Millie’s portrait...” Dani tapped her index finger on the table.

  “Oh, God. Don’t remind me. I guess I’m not done painting portraits after all, but I’ve got two weeks left with nothing to do in AP Art except work on Millie. Okay? Happy? Nag, nag, nag.”

  “We sound like an old married couple.”

  Meredith laughed and swatted Dani playfully on the forearm.

  “Hey. That’s going to leave a bruise. I’m going to be the first client at the Randall-Bradley house, I think.” Dani rubbed her forearm.

  “I didn’t hurt you. You’re just wimpy. Hey, speaking of artwork. Mrs. Levine loved your still life. I do, too. You’ve really blossomed as an artist.”

  “I’ve blossomed. How nice. Like a marigold. Just call me Marigold Lassiter from now on.”

  “Now listen here, Marigold.” Meredith smacked her on the forearm again. “You have blossomed. If Mrs. Levine had gotten hold of you a few years earlier, who knows? We might have been in the same AP Art class together.”

  Dani turned her head away. Meredith was sure she had just made Dani blush. Dani said, “Let’s talk about something else. Thanks for coming to the car wash last Saturday. We made way more than we needed for the prom.”

  “Mikey and I had a great time.”

  “He sure washed a lot of cars.”

  “That’s because you were there.” Meredith grinned at Dani.

  “Aw, cut it out. You’re going to make me blush again.”

  “You’re an old softy. Just like Millie.” Meredith teased.

  When Meredith mentioned Millie, they both looked at the house through the restaurant window. Most of the house was cast in shadow except for the third floor that was still bathed in the weakening sunlight of late evening. Meredith imagined the house full of life and new beginnings. She looked back at her friend and said, “I can’t wait to see the old lady with her face lift. Esther said they should get all the legal papers they need next week. They can probably start renovations right away.”

  “Millie and I are going to fix the banister tomorrow. What are you and Esther going to do?”

  “I think we’re going to give the place a deep clean. With no furniture we can get to all the walls and floors. We’ve only got two more weeks to get ready, but with so many people traipsing through for the open house, we’re just going to have to turn around and clean it all over again. Since Esther can’t move very well, I’ll probably be doing most of the work.”

  “I hear you. Millie’s got all kinds of things planned for me, too. Seems I have an ‘aptitude for tools’ according to her.”

  Meredith smiled, but then turned serious. “You know, I think it’s kind of sad that they don’t have any children. Or grandchildren, either. Like, who do they have, besides us, their adopted granddaughters, to help them?”

  “Well, there’s grandnephew Gregory,” Dani said with a hint of disdain.

  “Aha,” Meredith accused. “You’ve been talking to Millie. You don’t like him either, do you?”

  Dani pushed her plate away. “No, I don’t. I think I have spent too much time with Millie. She doesn’t trust him big time. She told me she’s civil to him for Esther’s sake.”

  “Well, he’s Esther’s family, I guess. That was weird when we thought we saw him in that real estate car. I could have sworn it was him.”

  “Yeah, me, too, but Esther said he was back home.” Dani stacked Meredith’s discarded plate on top of her own and pushed both plates toward the edge of the table.

  “We must have imagined—”

  Meredith couldn’t finish her thought because the Fiesta Loca mariachi band strolled over to their booth. The four heavyset men were dressed in matching black suits with fancy trim, white shirts, and floppy sombreros. One of the men, the biggest, had a huge guitar that he held way up high against his large belly. Meredith wondered how he was able to reach his chubby arms around both his belly and the guitar. The smallest of the men stepped up to their table and asked, “Sweethearts?” in a teasing fashion.

  Dani’s mouth dropped open, but Meredith just smiled back at him coquettishly. “Uh, no...” She placed her hand over Dani’s and said, “Just friends.”

  “Ahh, jes friends,” the man said and winked at her.

  The band launched into a seductive sounding song anyway. Meredith and Dani laughed even though neither of them understood the Spanish. As the band played, Meredith realized that her hand still covered Dani’s. Oddly, she didn’t let go. She didn’t want to. The intimacy of their shared meal and the familiarity of Dani’s company made Meredith want to be close to her friend. She continued to smile at the musicians as if nothing was happening on the table with their hands. She didn’t dare look at Dani, because she didn’t know what her own eyes might convey. Dani, Dani, Dani. What are you doing to me?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Fireworks

  MEREDITH FLUNG HER book bag on the floor of her bedroom and then flopped on the bed. She couldn’t help the smile permanently etched on her face. The warm feeling that had taken over her lately had come back double fold that afternoon. She took her glasses off, put them on her bedside stand, and then laced her fingers together behind her head on the pillow. She stared at the ceiling without seeing it. Dani had announced that afternoon at their very last senior class meeting that there were nineteen days of high school left. With the end of the day-to-day routine of high school came an entire summer of vacation days she could spend with Dani. Mikey, too. During the summer, Mikey pretty much became her responsibility.

  She grinned in spite of herself. This last month since she and Dani had become friends again had been amazing. Two weeks ago, the mariachi band had played that song for them. Two weeks ago Meredith’s hand covered Dani’s, and two weeks ago Meredith developed a permanent fluttery feeling in her stomach whenever Dani was around. She didn’t really understand what was happening to her, but the emotions were becoming so intense that she had trouble keeping them at bay, especially after what happened earlier in the day.

  After history, Dani walked with her to art, which she had done every day since Meredith first asked her to. Meredith started to go into the art room, but turned back when she sensed Dani lingering at the door. She went back to see what Dani wanted, and she couldn’t help herself. With one short, quick motion, she reached up with the tips of her fingers and gently lifted the lock of hair out of Dani’s eyes. The movement had been so immediate that Meredith was surprised she had even done it. Meredith read the look in Dani’s eyes loud and clear. In that one moment, Meredith finally understood what she had been afraid to admit. She was in love with Dani Lassiter and had been for quite some time. Probably since Valentine’s Day when Dani gave her the candy. Valentine’s Day was the first time she had felt that all-encompassing warmth—that first hot chocolate feeling. Outside the art room, she barely remembered to breathe as her heart hammered in her chest. She wondered if the same look she saw in Dani’s eyes was reflected in her own. The shrillness of the school bell snapped them out of the moment.

  Meredith leaned back deeper into her pillow. She sighed and looked at the framed portraits of Esther and Millie. Meredith and her mother had
gone shopping earlier in the week for solid wooden frames. She would hang the portraits in the morning before people arrived for the Randall-Bradley open house. Dani and Millie had already installed the sturdy hooks. Mayor Taylor Brown, Whickett’s longstanding mayor, was going to unveil the portraits during his dedication speech. Mr. Dalton had been right. Serendipity had brought the four of them together, she was sure. Meredith laughed when she thought that not only did fate bring new granddaughters to the two older women, but fate had brought Dani to her, too. I like you so much, Dani. I think I even kind of love you, but am I like you?

  A soft knock on her bedroom door broke her out of her thoughts.

  “Honey, may I come in?”

  “Of course, Mom. I’m doing absolutely nothing for a change.”

  Her mother opened the door and stepped into the room. She looked at the portraits on the desk and said, “You do such beautiful work, and those frames are perfect. I can’t wait to meet Esther and Millie tomorrow.”

  “I’m so glad you guys are coming.” Meredith sat up on the bed.

  “We wouldn’t miss it. After Dad and I take Mikey to his karate—”

  “Taekwondo, Mom.”

  Meredith’s mother laughed. “Okay. After we take Mikey to his taekwondo demonstration, we’ll stop by the house. We can’t wait to see what all the fuss has been about. I’m sure Esther and Millie are wonderful.”

  “They are. They even gave me and Dani a key to the house. Millie didn’t want to leave a key under the flower pot anymore.”

  “Because of the vandals?”

  “Yeah, she said she didn’t want to scare Esther, but she told us she was glad they had moved out when they did.”

  “You and Dani just be careful, okay?”

  “We will.”

  “So, can we bring anything tomorrow?”

  “No, Esther and I went shopping and got lemonade and all kinds of cookies. They rented a couple of tables and lots of chairs for inside the house, so we’ll be okay. Mayor Brown is dedicating the house at one o’clock so just be there by then, okay?”