The Visconti House (20 page)

The next morning, she left early and waited for Leon outside Mrs. Murphy’s. When he came out, she tried to explain again. “It’s true, what I said. I don’t like dancing. And I haven’t got anything to wear.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Leon hunched his shoulders and thrust his hands deep into his pockets. “I don’t care.”

“We could do something else.”

“Just let it go.”

Laura wished fervently that yesterday had never happened. Things had been going so well. Why did Leon have to spoil everything by asking her to the dance? They walked on in silence, neither looking at each other.

As they arrived at the school gate, Jenny Peters was unloading a pile of large plastic bags from a car. They were full of streamers and posters.

“Hey, Laura,” she called out, “can you help me carry these? They’re for the dance.”

Laura turned to Leon, but he had already walked off without saying good-bye.

“Sure,” she replied, hurrying over.

The bags were bulky and difficult to carry. They kept slipping from their hands and one dropped onto the ground, splitting open. A sudden gust of wind almost sent the reams of colored paper flying across the school grounds. Laura and Jenny bumped into each other trying to rescue them.

Jenny burst out laughing. “Quick, before another gust comes,” she said, stuffing the streamers back into the bag and attempting to hold it closed.

“Yeah, otherwise we might end up decorating the school yard instead of the gym,” said Laura.

“Imagine that!” Jenny’s eyes met hers. Laura had a vivid image of the streamers swirling out over the school and began to laugh, too.

“Help, I think I’m losing my grip again,” she said.

Jenny grabbed the bag just before it fell.

They struggled forward with their troublesome loads, giggling and calling instructions to each other, until they reached the hall. As they went through the door, Laura glimpsed Kylie and Maddy walking across the yard, staring at them.

“Thanks for that,” said Jenny when they had
deposited the bags in the foyer. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come along.”

“I thought we were going to lose them,” panted Laura. She felt light-headed, talking with Jenny Peters like this.

“Doesn’t it look great?” Jenny waved her hand toward the gym, where a transformation was already taking place. There were large posters of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones on the walls as well as a huge psychedelic montage with rainbows and suns. A silver ball was hanging from the ceiling, catching the light on its mirrored surface, and three boys were maneuvering the sound system onto the stage.

Laura nodded. It did look wonderful. She had a sudden vision of the room full of students in swirling dresses swaying to the music under the dancing lights of the silver ball.

“You really must come,” said Jenny. “It will be heaps of fun.”

Laura thought of Leon. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Maybe it would have been fun to go to the dance, but it was impossible now — now that she had refused Leon.

She felt dazed all morning and hardly noticed
Kylie, Maddy, and Janie when she came out of the classroom at recess. They were standing by the door as though they had been waiting for her. To Laura’s surprise, Janie offered her a chip and asked, “Have you decided to come to the dance, then?”

Laura shook her head.

“Why not?”

“I don’t like dances.”

She waited for a snub to follow, but instead it was Kylie who spoke. “Are you going away over Christmas?”

“No.”

“Neither are we. It’s not fair. We never go away. I’m gonna be stuck here all summer. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

Laura choked. “Maybe,” she said.

“You want to go to the cafeteria? I’m going to get a doughnut.” Kylie took out her wallet and smiled at Laura.

“No, I’m fine.” Laura remembered the apple she was holding and polished it against her sleeve. “I’ll see you in class.”

As she watched the girls walk away, she chewed her apple meditatively. Was Kylie serious about wanting to hang around with her over the summer? What would
they do? A little voice in the back of her mind kept saying that it would not be comfortable and fun like it was with Leon. She couldn’t imagine Kylie wanting to explore an old house or talk about poetry or just sit on the veranda eating apples; she couldn’t imagine Kylie wanting to do any of the things she liked to do.

She shook her head. No, she told herself, it
would
be fun. And anyway, Leon was not going to be there.

The following afternoon, Laura found herself coming out of the locker room after school at the same time as Kylie, Maddy, and three other girls. One of them was Jenny Peters.

“We’re going down to Sam’s Hamburger Joint. You want to come?” asked Kylie.

Laura almost fell over. What was happening? Her world had turned upside down since Jenny Peters had started talking to her. Now everyone was talking to her. Of course it was probably just because they wanted to be friends with Jenny — everyone wanted
to be friends with Jenny Peters — but it was all very unsettling, and she was not sure how she felt about it. Ahead she could see Leon, lounging by the front gate, waiting for her. “No, I . . .”

“Come on.” Jenny slid her arm through Laura’s, steering her toward the other gate. “It’ll be fun.”

Laura saw Leon swing his bag over his shoulder and walk off. “OK,” she said, trying not to think about Leon trudging home alone and feeling angry — or worse, hurt.

Laura had often looked at people sitting at the tables outside Sam’s and wished she could do that sort of thing. She had thought it looked like so much fun. Now, unexpectedly, she found herself there, sipping a milk shake and watching everyone walk by. For the first time, Laura felt very cool and was enjoying being just like everyone else, doing something that everyone else did. She was glad that her mother had insisted she always have some emergency money — surely being asked to Sam’s by Jenny Peters was an emergency. The milk shake, sweet with chocolate and rich with malt, tasted unbelievably good.

A group of older boys from another school was sprawled at a nearby table. One of them shouted,
“Whatcha doin’ tonight? Want to come and join us?”

The girls all giggled. Despite feeling a little uncomfortable, Laura giggled, too.

“My mom said I can have spray tan for the dance,” announced Maddy, still watching the boys from the corner of her eye.

Laura tried to imagine covering her body in fake tan and immediately pictured Leon’s reaction; he would think it was ridiculous, she felt sure. She took another sip of her milk shake. What did it matter anymore, now that everything was ruined between her and Leon?

“You’re so lucky. My mom says I’m too young. It’s so unfair,” said Janie.

“Did you hear that Susie is going to the dance with Michael Nguygen? He asked her last night.” Maddy lifted her skirt a fraction to show off her long legs.

“Who are you going with, Jenny?” said Kylie. “Lots of boys must have asked you.”

Jenny laughed. “No one.” She licked the straw from her iced coffee. “Have you decided if you are going, Laura?”

Laura felt her face go red as everyone turned toward her.

“You could go with Leon Murphy,” Maddy said with a giggle. “He’s always walking to school with you.”

Laura breathed in sharply. They couldn’t possibly know he had asked her, could they? But as the girls began laughing, she realized with relief they weren’t serious. She felt a rush of guilt, though, remembering what had happened. Leon really had wanted to go with her, and she had refused him. It hurt to think they were making fun of him.

“Laura’s not going because she doesn’t like dances,” said Kylie. “She said so.”

“Really?” asked Jenny.

Laura wound a curl of hair around her finger, desperately trying to think of what to say. Now that the girls were being friendly to her, perhaps she did want to go . . . but of course, that wasn’t possible. Not now. “Yes,” she replied, looking down into her drink.

“Why not?”

“She’s too serious, aren’t you, Laura?” said Maddy. “Not like us.” She laughed a little tinkling laugh.

Not like us.
There it was again. Laura heard the words drumming in her head. It was true, she thought. She wasn’t like them. She didn’t want to sit
around at Sam’s after all. She wanted to be at home in Mr. Visconti’s house, curled up in the corner of her bedroom, doing the things she enjoyed. Sitting here at Sam’s, all she could think of was Leon and whether he was still angry with her.

She stood up and reached for her bag. “I’d better be going.”

“To your ghosts?” asked Maddy, laughing again.

“Yes,” replied Laura. “To my ghosts.” She looked directly at Maddy. “I like them.”

Maddy stopped laughing and turned uncertainly to Kylie; Kylie was looking at Jenny, who was smiling at Laura.

“See you tomorrow,” Jenny said. “Have fun with your ghosts.” Somehow, the way she said it made the ghosts sound really cool.

“See you tomorrow.” Laura shouldered her bag and set off down the street, wondering if Mr. Visconti and Veronica would mind being her ghosts.

Her thoughts kept going over everything that had happened. It was so confusing. All she had ever wanted was to be asked to Sam’s with the girls. And now she couldn’t wait to get home. Her pace quickened. Why had Jenny started talking to her like this? It was all very — what was that word her
father used? — gratifying, but very strange, too. And how was she ever going to make things right with Leon?

She decided to stop by and apologize for not walking home with him. That would be a start. But by the time she was passing Mrs. Murphy’s house, it was after five thirty. She knew they would be having dinner, so she continued on. She would talk to him tomorrow. Maybe her mind would be clearer in the morning.

Her mother was chopping vegetables for a salad when she arrived home. “I’ve hit a mental block,” she said. “I’ve no idea where to go next, so I thought we’d have an early dinner. Have you and Leon been discovering more secrets?”

“No,” replied Laura, feeling guilty, although she tried to tell herself she hadn’t done anything wrong. “I was with some friends from school. We went down to Sam’s.”

Her mother looked up at her in surprise. “That’s nice.”

“Sort of,” Laura mumbled, and headed for her room.

She threw her bag into the corner and plumped
down on her bed, disturbing Samson, who was asleep on the pillow. He gave a little mew of protest.

“Why can’t everything be simple?” she murmured, picking him up and burying her face in his fur. “You don’t have these problems, do you?”

Samson mewed again, telling her that he did indeed have problems; it was dinnertime, and he had not been fed.

Laura had to run to catch up to Leon the following morning. He hadn’t waited for her even though she was sure he had seen her.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” she began, panting because she was out of breath.

Leon shrugged. “Why? You didn’t do anything.”

“I went off with Jenny and Kylie.”

“That’s your business.” Leon continued to stare straight ahead. He had not looked at her.

“It was just that they asked me to Sam’s. . . .” Laura could feel herself floundering.

“I don’t care. It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not fine.” She grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to face her. “You’re not talking to me.”

“Yes, I am. What do you think I’m doing now?” His eyes met hers, but there was no smile in them. Laura was shocked to see that Leon had the same
defiant expression he had had that first day at school.

She pressed her lips together. She wished she could feel angry about it, but she couldn’t. She understood completely, and that made it so much worse.

“Why are you hanging around with those girls anyway?” he demanded. “They were so mean to you.”

“They’re not being mean now.” Laura tried to forget Maddy’s gibe about the ghosts.

“That’s just because Jenny Peters has started talking to you. They’d talk to anyone Jenny talked to.” He scowled at her. “And anyway, they’re boring. They just giggle all the time.”

“No, they don’t.”

Leon picked up a stick and threw it against a tree. He threw it so hard, the stick splintered in two. “If you hang around with them, you’ll become like them,” he said. “You’ll become boring like them.”

“I will not,” said Laura furiously. “What’s gotten into you, anyway?”

“Nothing. Nothing’s gotten into me.”

“That’s not true,” shouted Laura, and she stormed on ahead without him. If he was going to be like that, she didn’t care.

She had other friends now.

As soon as Laura walked through the gate, Kylie jumped on her. “My mom said that Mrs. Sweet said that Leon Murphy’s leaving. That he’s got some sort of scholarship, and he’s going to some private school. Is that true?”

“How would I know?” replied Laura, anxiety seeping through her. How did they know about the scholarship? A sudden dreadful thought struck her: what if Leon thought that
she
was responsible for telling them?

Kylie was watching her closely. “You’re always with him.”

“No, I’m not!” At least she wouldn’t be anymore, not now that Leon wasn’t talking to her, she thought with a pang.