The Challenge Box

by Isobel Bird

  “You look just like your picture,” she said, her voice shaking. She kept running her hands over Juliet’s back, making sure she was real.

  “So do you,” said Juliet, stroking Annie’s hair.

  They stayed that way for a long time, neither saying anything. Annie tried to take in everything so that she could remember it—the way Juliet’s hair felt, the citrusy scent of her perfume, the feel of her body. Then, too soon, they pulled apart and stood looking at one another.

  “I’m sorry I’m staring,” Juliet said after a minute of standing there looking at Annie in silence. “It’s just that I’ve never seen anyone who looks like me. My brothers and sisters don’t look anything like me.”

  “We look like Dad,” Annie told her. “Meg looks more like Mom. But you and I have Dad’s nose.”

  Juliet hugged her again. “I just can’t believe you’re really here,” she said. “I can’t wait to show you New Orleans.”

  “And we can’t wait to see it,” remarked Cooper, who had been standing a little way off and giving the sisters some time to greet each other.

  “I’m Cooper,” she said now, shaking Juliet’s hand.

  “Annie’s told me so much about you,” replied Juliet. Then she turned to Annie. “I don’t think she looks like trouble at all.”

  “Hey!” Cooper exclaimed. “Just what did you tell her?” she demanded of Annie.

  “Just the truth,” answered Annie, winking.

  Juliet took one of the bags from Cooper and the three of them walked away from the gate. Annie kept stealing glances at her sister, trying to memorize everything about her. It was amazing to her how similar the two of them were, and it felt really strange to be walking through the airport with someone she hadn’t even known about a few months before but who was now family to her. She was surprised to discover that she didn’t even feel nervous now that she was actually with Juliet. It felt like she was reuniting with her after a trip away or something. She wondered if Juliet felt the same way.

  As they exited the doors of the airport they were once again hit with the hot, steamy air. Annie breathed it in deeply, soaking in the earthy, wet scent that was so different from the crisp, dry air of Beecher Falls, which normally smelled like ocean and pine trees. There was something mysterious about the smell of New Orleans, something that felt old, sleepy, and filled with possibilities waiting to be discovered.

  “Is it always like this?” asked Cooper as they walked to Juliet’s car.

  Juliet laughed. “Sometimes it’s hotter,” she said. “And wetter. Don’t forget, we’re basically in a swamp. New Orleans is actually below sea level, so it’s very humid. But you get used to it. Besides, there’s something mysterious about it, don’t you think? I fell in love with the place the very first time I came.”

  Annie smiled to herself when she heard Juliet’s words. It made her feel good to know that she and her sister thought the same way about things, even if it was something as small as what the air smelled like.

  Reaching Juliet’s car, they put the bags in the trunk, slid the painting into the back along with Cooper, and then Annie got in front with Juliet. As they drove out of the airport, Annie remarked on the large number of people pouring out of the terminals.

  “That’s Mardi Gras,” Juliet said. “This town goes insane this time of year. In fact, a lot of residents actually go on vacation for a few weeks until it’s over. If you think the airport is bad, wait until we get into the actual city.”

  As they drove along the highway into town, Juliet told them a little bit about herself and how she’d ended up in New Orleans.

  “I came here with some friends on a trip,” she said. “And like I said before, I fell in love with the place. It’s like nowhere else in the world. The people, the music, the food—it’s all incredible. I went back and told my parents that I wanted to go to school here. They were not thrilled. My father wanted me to go to business school. My mother didn’t care what I did, but she didn’t want me too far away. But I badgered them endlessly until they agreed to let me come here. I’ve been here ever since.”

  “Annie said you work as a costume designer,” said Cooper.

  “That’s right,” Juliet replied. “I work for the Night Vision Theater. They do all kinds of things, from Shakespeare to experimental stuff. They’re really popular here, and they’re particularly known for their elaborate stage sets and their costumes. Everything they do is a spectacle.”

  “I’d love to see some of your costumes,” said Annie.

  “You’ll get your chance,” Juliet told her. “We’re putting on a production for Mardi Gras. Plus, I’ve been designing the costumes for one of the krewes.”

  “One of the what?” asked Cooper.

  “Krewes,” Juliet repeated. “That’s what they call the individual groups who build floats for the Mardi Gras parade. Some of the krewes have been in existence for years and years. I’m designing the costumes for one of them.”

  “What’s the theme of the float?” Annie inquired.

  “That’s the cool part,” Juliet told her. “It’s all about voodoo.”

  “Voodoo?” Annie said, intrigued.

  “I’m sure you know voodoo is one of New Orleans’s most famous products,” Juliet said, laughing. “Thanks to Marie Laveau.”

  “Who?” Cooper asked.

  “Marie Laveau,” Juliet repeated. “The voodoo queen of New Orleans. She’s famous.”

  “More famous than Anne Rice?” Cooper said.

  “Please,” Juliet answered. “Anne Rice only wishes she was as famous as Marie Laveau. Anne may own half of the city now, but Marie ruled it when she was alive. People were either terrified of her or in love with her. They say she had incredible powers and could do all kinds of magic.”

  “She sounds like our kind of girl, huh, Annie?” Cooper said.

  Annie nodded but didn’t say anything. She had never discussed her involvement in Wicca with Juliet, and she didn’t want to spoil what was so far a great first meeting by bringing up something that was potentially dangerous. Juliet was talking about voodoo and magic as if they were perfectly ordinary, so maybe she would be okay with it, but Annie wasn’t quite ready to risk it.

  “We can take the voodoo tour while you’re here,” said Juliet. “It’s a lot of fun. I mean, I’m sure most of it is total legend, but it’s fun anyway.”

  They had reached the city, and now Juliet was navigating the car through some narrow streets. Annie looked around them as they drove, taking it all in. The buildings were old. Almost all of them were made of brick or stucco, and they all looked like something out of a movie. The streetlights were the old-fashioned kind, and they added to the feeling that they had somehow stepped back in time. Annie half expected to see horse-drawn carriages come around the corners, or people in top hats and hoop skirts walking on the sidewalks.

  There were people. Lots of people. They walked right in the streets. They sat on balconies. They leaned in doorways. Annie had never seen so many people just hanging out. It was as if there was a gigantic party going on and the whole city had been invited.

  “It’s insane even trying to drive during Mardi Gras,” said Juliet. “Once we park this thing I’m not taking it out again until this is all over.”

  She turned down another street and stopped at a wrought-iron gate. She gave a honk and a moment later a girl appeared. She looked at the car, waved, and then opened the gate to let Juliet drive in. Juliet crossed a cobblestone courtyard and drove the car into what looked like a small barn.

  “This used to be the stable for the horses,” she said as she parked. “Now it’s our garage.”

  They got out of the car. The girl who had opened the gate came up to them. “Hi,” she said. “I’m Darcy.”

  “Darcy is one of my roommates,” Juliet said. “This is Cooper,” she told Darcy. Then she put her arm around Annie. “And this is my little sister.”

  “Welcome to New Orleans,” said Darcy. She was tall and slender, w
ith short red hair and pale skin. She was dressed in a black velvet dress that looked like something out of a Gothic romance novel.

  “Cool dress,” Cooper said, noting it.

  “This is one of the costumes for the show,” Darcy explained. “I’m not usually this dramatic. We were just hemming it.”

  “Are you a costume designer, too?” Annie asked.

  “Costume designer, actor, writer—you name it,” Darcy replied. “We tend to do it all around here, otherwise nothing gets done.”

  “Speaking of getting done,” Juliet said. “Let’s get you guys settled. Then we’re going out to dinner to celebrate your arrival.”

  “Isn’t it a little late?” asked Annie, looking at her watch and seeing that it was almost eleven already.

  Darcy and Juliet laughed. “New Orleans never closes,” Juliet said as she picked up a bag and led the girls toward the house. “Especially not during Mardi Gras.”

  Cooper and Annie followed the other girls. As they crossed the courtyard Annie heard the sound of a brass band playing somewhere beyond the gate. It was almost as if they were playing a welcome song for Annie and Cooper.

  “I think we are going to have a great time here,” she said to Cooper.

  CHAPTER 5

  Kate woke up on Saturday morning wishing she were dead. It was the first day of break, but it felt like anything but. Not only was she not in New Orleans with her friends, but she had to spend the week working on her science project with Sherrie. What could be worse than that?

  She looked out the window of her bedroom and saw the answer to that question. It was raining. Snow she could handle. Snow was pretty, and it was kind of fun to walk around in. Rain was a different story. Rain was wet and cold and miserable, particularly in winter. Now it was raining steadily. Everything outside looked gray and depressing, which made Kate feel even worse than she already did.

  She pulled the covers over her head and closed her eyes. Maybe I can just stay here all day, she thought. That wasn’t such a bad thing. It was warm under the covers, and she felt safe there. There was no Sherrie, no science experiment, no problems. It was like she had shut the whole world out and was all alone. The only problem was, she couldn’t breathe.

  She threw back the covers and sighed. Staying in bed wasn’t the answer. She had to get up and face her day. Reluctantly, she put one foot over the side of the bed and forced herself to sit up. It was a monumental effort to keep her eyes open, let alone approach the idea of standing up and going to take a shower with anything even remotely resembling enthusiasm or motivation. Maybe I can get away without showering, she thought darkly, unwilling to give in to the demands of her usual morning ritual.

  Then she caught sight of herself in the mirror over her dresser. Her hair was a mess. The shower is definitely not out, she conceded. Then she spied the box Cooper had given her at Sasha’s birthday party. True to her promise, Kate hadn’t opened it again since bringing it home. It sat on her desk, waiting for her. She stood up, shuffled wearily over to it, and carried it back to her bed. Sitting cross-legged beside the box, she lifted up the top and looked inside. There were the seven gifts, each one numbered.

  Kate picked up box number 1. It was small, and when she shook it it rattled very slightly. Wondering what it might be, she ripped the paper off and looked. It was a cassette tape. She looked at the label, which read “Cooper’s Surprise Mix Tape,” and smiled. Leave it to Cooper, she thought. Wondering what exactly her friend had put on the tape, Kate got her tape player from her desk drawer and slipped the tape into it. She put the headphones on, hit play, and listened.

  “Hey there,” said Cooper’s voice. “If you’re listening to this when you’re supposed to, it’s Saturday morning. Assuming our plane didn’t crash, Annie and I are in New Orleans. We wish you were here. But you’re not, so here’s some cool music to help you get through your first day without us. Enjoy.”

  Cooper’s voice faded out and a song began. It was the Ramones singing “I Wanna Be Sedated.” Kate laughed. Cooper was always playing old Ramones tapes in the car. Not only did the song remind Kate of good times with her friends, but it totally captured how she felt right at that moment. “Twenty-twenty-twenty-four hours to go-o-o,” Joey Ramone sang. “I wanna be sedated.” With its punk rock sound and humorous lyrics, the song was exactly what Kate needed to jump-start her day. She stood up and began dancing around the room as she gathered up the clothes she wanted to wear and prepared for her shower.

  Twenty minutes later she was in the kitchen, getting herself some breakfast. She was still listening to Cooper’s tape. The Ramones had been followed by Blink 182 and then Eve 6. Kate was having a good time listening to the songs Cooper had put together for her. It didn’t make up for not being with her friends in New Orleans, but at least listening to the tape put her in a better mood.

  Her father had already left for the sporting goods store he owned, but Mrs. Morgan was still home. Coming into the kitchen and seeing Kate dancing around, she looked at her daughter with a bemused expression. At first Kate didn’t see her, and continued to shake her head and wave her spoon in the air as she ate her cereal. Then she caught sight of her mother standing in the doorway and she stopped, turning red. She switched off the tape and removed the headphones.

  “Hey,” she said. “I was just—”

  “No, let me guess,” her mother said. “You’ve taken up aerobics? Oh, no, you’re taking interpretive dance at school?”

  “Ha ha,” said Kate. “No, it’s just a tape that Cooper made me because I couldn’t go with them.”

  Her mother smiled softly. “Kate, I know it doesn’t seem fair that we told you that you couldn’t go,” said Mrs. Morgan.

  “It’s okay,” Kate told her. “Really. I mean, I’m upset that I’m not with Cooper and Annie, but I’m upset at me, not at you and Dad. I should have told you about the science class thing.”

  “You are doing your makeup project this week, right?” Mrs. Morgan asked.

  Kate nodded. “I’m meeting Sherrie at the library at ten,” she said. “Our new project is about rocks.”

  “Rocks?” her mother repeated. “What about them?”

  “We’re supposed to write a report about how you can get information about a place by studying the different sedimentary layers in rocks from the area. Ms. Ableman gave us some rock samples from the area around Beecher Falls. We’re supposed to do some research on how this area has changed geographically.”

  “That actually sounds sort of interesting,” remarked Mrs. Morgan.

  “Sort of,” admitted Kate. “But not when you have to do it with Sherrie.” Kate had—reluctantly—told her mother the whole story about getting into a wrestling match with Sherrie over their previous science project. Now Mrs. Morgan tried not to laugh as she said, “Well, just don’t go hitting her with any of those rock samples. You could do serious damage.”

  Kate rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she said as she left the kitchen to finish getting ready.

  An hour later she walked into the library of Jasper College. She was glad she didn’t live too far from the school, as the walk through the rain had been less than inspiring. Despite the umbrella she’d carried, the rain had managed to get her pretty damp, and she was all too happy to shed her coat as soon as she could. She went upstairs to the science reference section of the library and looked for Sherrie. Not finding her, Kate selected a table near the windows and put her stuff down. The view outside was, like the walk, not exactly cheerful, but at least they wouldn’t feel trapped inside, the way they would at a table without a view. Besides, now that she was inside again, Kate sort of liked the way the rain pattered against the glass.

  Sitting down, Kate took out the materials Ms. Ableman had given them. Mostly the handouts consisted of diagrams of rock layers taken from samples found around Beecher Falls. The rocks themselves were actually nothing more than small samples so that the girls could get an idea of what the various layers looke
d like. They were supposed to research the different time periods represented by the rock samples and write a report about how they thought the geography of the land had changed over the years and why.

  Kate looked at the first of the handouts. It was a cross section of rock from approximately ten thousand years before. The different layers of sediment were labeled, and there were photographs of several different plants whose outlines had been preserved when the leaves were pressed between the various layers. Kate found the pictures fascinating. In some ways it was like looking at a scrapbook someone had kept with mementos and memories. Only these memories were made of dirt and minerals.

  Someone dropped a backpack on the table, making Kate jump. She looked up and saw Sherrie taking off her coat and putting it over the back of a chair across from Kate.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Sherrie said coolly. “I had to wait for my father to drive me. I wasn’t about to walk in that rain.” She ruffled her hair as if highlighting the unspoken meaning of her statement—she was far too special to risk getting wet. Kate saw Sherrie glance at her own rain-soaked jacket and give a self-satisfied smirk, as if Kate were somehow beneath her because she had walked to the library.

  Kate merely nodded in response. She wasn’t about to get into anything with Sherrie. This time the project was all about grades. Even if she had to do all of the work herself, Kate was determined to get an A. She wanted to show Ms. Ableman that she wasn’t a total screwup. More than that, she wanted to prove it to her parents and herself. As far as she was concerned, Sherrie was simply an inconvenience.

  “So, what is it we’re doing?” Sherrie asked. “Rocks?” She snorted. “And I thought plants were boring.”

  “At least with nothing to grow, there’s nothing to kill,” Kate remarked, alluding to the fact that their last experiment had failed, at least in part, due to the fact that Sherrie had forgotten to water properly the seedlings they were supposed to be growing.