heart of gold and was someone she could always count on in a crunch.
"Do you have any plans for tonight?" April asked. Her grin returned. "Tonight is Ladies Night at the Full Rack. The 'Studded Tires' roll at eight."
Located ten miles from town near a freeway exit, the Full Rack served the best steak dinners in the county and offered a variety of adult entertainment.
"I would love to go," Shelly said, laughing. "We would have a freaking blast. But I could never pull that off on a school night and definitely not on my birthday – not in a million years. Nope. It will be cake and ice cream with Fred and Evelyn, like every year. If I'm lucky, my folks will let me watch Monday Night Football at Scott's."
"OK, Miss Shelly Irene. I'll take a rain check," April said. She pouted, turned her head, and smiled again. "Maybe I can take Brian. He needs a little excitement."
"Why would I want to see naked men?"
Both girls laughed.
"Come now, Brian. Live a little!" Shelly said. "What else do you have to do?"
"I have to work, remember?"
"Oh, that's right."
Shelly had forgotten that she had switched shifts with Brian to free up her birthday night, just in case something better than cake and ice cream came along. Each worked three evenings a week at Holiday Lanes, a bowling alley on the west end of town, where they operated the cash register, checked out shoes, and manned the concession stand when the regular took a break.
The birthday girl smiled softly at Brian.
"Don't be so glum. You'll probably have more fun than I do tonight."
"I doubt it, but I'll try," Brian said. He grabbed his milk carton and a crumpled brown paper bag, threw them in a nearby trashcan, and stood up. "See you around, ladies. I have a science project to work on."
"See you, Brian. Thanks again for the book."
"Don't mention it," he said as he walked away.
"I should probably go too." April brushed crumbs off the table and loaded two books in a bag. "I want to soak up more of this sun, but I've got work of my own to complete."
Shelly lifted her head as April stood up and stepped behind the bench she had shared with Brian. She grabbed her friend's hand and smiled.
"Thanks for the snow globe. You're the best."
"You are too," April said. "Happy birthday, Shelly. I'll call you tonight."
Shelly watched her classmate disappear into the school building and then turned to a tuna sandwich she had barely touched. She popped the top of a can of cola, took a sip, and stared past the edge of the courtyard to the student parking lot, near the river, where a boy she knew climbed into a Plymouth Barracuda and drove off. She did not notice a woman staring at her.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" Michelle Jennings asked.
"Not at all," Shelly said. "I should probably be heading to class."
"You can stay if you'd like. I don't mind."
Shelly shrugged.
"OK."
Michelle put an orange tray bearing a hot lunch on top of the table and took a seat. Once settled, she grabbed a fork and tore into the chef's surprise, an unfortunate union of ground beef, tomatoes, and macaroni that was probably the rage in Eastern Europe.
"It's nice out here," Michelle said. "This courtyard's perfect."
"Better than the faculty lounge?"
"Better than the faculty lounge."
Shelly studied the newcomer for a few seconds and chuckled.
"Do you know you look just like my mother?"
"I do?"
"You could be twins," Shelly said. "She wears her hair differently and puts on more makeup, but that's about it. You look just like her. You even have the same last name, or what used to be her last name."
"Is that so? She sounds like someone I should meet."
"Oh, you'll meet her sooner or later. She runs the PTA and just about everything else in this town. She'll probably stop in later this week to make sure you're doing your job correctly."
Michelle laughed.
"She can't be that bad."
"She's not, most of the time. But she likes to micromanage as a hobby."
Shelly took a bite of her sandwich and washed it down with a
"Do you have any plans for tonight?" April asked. Her grin returned. "Tonight is Ladies Night at the Full Rack. The 'Studded Tires' roll at eight."
Located ten miles from town near a freeway exit, the Full Rack served the best steak dinners in the county and offered a variety of adult entertainment.
"I would love to go," Shelly said, laughing. "We would have a freaking blast. But I could never pull that off on a school night and definitely not on my birthday – not in a million years. Nope. It will be cake and ice cream with Fred and Evelyn, like every year. If I'm lucky, my folks will let me watch Monday Night Football at Scott's."
"OK, Miss Shelly Irene. I'll take a rain check," April said. She pouted, turned her head, and smiled again. "Maybe I can take Brian. He needs a little excitement."
"Why would I want to see naked men?"
Both girls laughed.
"Come now, Brian. Live a little!" Shelly said. "What else do you have to do?"
"I have to work, remember?"
"Oh, that's right."
Shelly had forgotten that she had switched shifts with Brian to free up her birthday night, just in case something better than cake and ice cream came along. Each worked three evenings a week at Holiday Lanes, a bowling alley on the west end of town, where they operated the cash register, checked out shoes, and manned the concession stand when the regular took a break.
The birthday girl smiled softly at Brian.
"Don't be so glum. You'll probably have more fun than I do tonight."
"I doubt it, but I'll try," Brian said. He grabbed his milk carton and a crumpled brown paper bag, threw them in a nearby trashcan, and stood up. "See you around, ladies. I have a science project to work on."
"See you, Brian. Thanks again for the book."
"Don't mention it," he said as he walked away.
"I should probably go too." April brushed crumbs off the table and loaded two books in a bag. "I want to soak up more of this sun, but I've got work of my own to complete."
Shelly lifted her head as April stood up and stepped behind the bench she had shared with Brian. She grabbed her friend's hand and smiled.
"Thanks for the snow globe. You're the best."
"You are too," April said. "Happy birthday, Shelly. I'll call you tonight."
Shelly watched her classmate disappear into the school building and then turned to a tuna sandwich she had barely touched. She popped the top of a can of cola, took a sip, and stared past the edge of the courtyard to the student parking lot, near the river, where a boy she knew climbed into a Plymouth Barracuda and drove off. She did not notice a woman staring at her.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" Michelle Jennings asked.
"Not at all," Shelly said. "I should probably be heading to class."
"You can stay if you'd like. I don't mind."
Shelly shrugged.
"OK."
Michelle put an orange tray bearing a hot lunch on top of the table and took a seat. Once settled, she grabbed a fork and tore into the chef's surprise, an unfortunate union of ground beef, tomatoes, and macaroni that was probably the rage in Eastern Europe.
"It's nice out here," Michelle said. "This courtyard's perfect."
"Better than the faculty lounge?"
"Better than the faculty lounge."
Shelly studied the newcomer for a few seconds and chuckled.
"Do you know you look just like my mother?"
"I do?"
"You could be twins," Shelly said. "She wears her hair differently and puts on more makeup, but that's about it. You look just like her. You even have the same last name, or what used to be her last name."
"Is that so? She sounds like someone I should meet."
"Oh, you'll meet her sooner or later. She runs the PTA and just about everything else in this town. She'll probably stop in later this week to make sure you're doing your job correctly."
Michelle laughed.
"She can't be that bad."
"She's not, most of the time. But she likes to micromanage as a hobby."
Shelly took a bite of her sandwich and washed it down with a
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