The Contract

by Jerry D. Young

  “She thinks I am handsome!” Mr. Vandeuson said to himself with a small smile curving his lips. The smile faded slightly as the additional thought occurred. “I think.”

  Sara talked to Bootsi first, knowing she was always ready to pull something over on Jason. The two moved to speak to a couple more people. Sara and Trinity talked to Jeffery when Trinity walked up with him.

  “Jeffery, someone said you were thinking about trying out for the Cosmo part,” Sara said.

  “I was thinking about it… But I am really not a very good dancer.”

  “Maybe if we talked to Jason, he might help you,” Sara said.

  She managed to hide her immediate, intense, annoyance when Jeffery said, “I already asked him. He taught me how to dance down at Gypsy’s. He is really good, but I just do not do very well. He told me he would coach me if I got the part.”

  Trinity looked worried.

  “I knew he would help,” Sara said through slightly clinched teeth. “But maybe he could show you a few moves, before you audition. Did you ask him about that?”

  “Well, he suggested it, but I thought I should get the part first, before I bothered him.”

  Only Trinity recognized the sound as Sara growling under her breath. Jeffery actually looked around to see what might be making the odd noise.

  “We all want the best possible Cosmo, Jeffery. Maybe we should ask him to at least show you a couple of things you could use.”

  Sara felt a little twinge of guilt about using Jeffery this way.

  “I really do not have a chance at the part, but maybe if I show an interest, another of the guys that has a lot more talent than me will be willing to audition. That part is going to be one of the hardest in the show. I think everyone is afraid to try.”

  “Gee, Jeffery,” Trinity said, meaning every word, “that is a great attitude. You really are willing to try and fail, just so someone else will try?”

  Jeffery smiled shyly. “Sure. You know how Jason clowns around sometimes. I see him doing something that should seem goofy, but because he does it, without seeming to think about it maybe being goofy, it is not. If I had not seen him do a thing about Socrates one time, I never would have even considered going out for the debate team.”

  Sara suddenly realized that Jeffery was the backbone of the debate team. They had made the state finals the previous year, and had come in second. His klutziness showed not at all when he was at the debate podium.

  “Jeffery,” Sara said, touching his arm to stop him as they started to find Jason. “I am not being fair. I was going to use you to get Jason to audition for the part of Cosmo. I really had no intention of you learning enough to get the part. I feel so guilty… You would have helped us if we had just asked. I never should have tried to use you this way. I am so sorry.”

  Jeffery smiled. “That is okay, Sara. Everyone knows how you and Jason are. I did not really know what you were doing, but that is okay. I think it is neat to be part of one of yours and Jason’s feuds.”

  “We do not feud!” Sara said forcefully. She bit her lip. “Okay. Sorry. Will you help us trick Jason into an audition?”

  “Sure! What do you want me to do?”

  Trinity said, “Pretty much just what were had talked you into doing. Ask Jason to show you some moves. Miss Murcheson and Calvin will be watching.”

  “Hey! If they see Jason doing cool dance moves, and they ask him to do the part, he will. He never lets anyone down! Cool plan!”

  “You are all right, Jeffery,” Sara said and slapped him lightly on the back. She suddenly realized that she had lifted her arm to do so. She did not seem to remember Jeffery being so tall. And a person could not physically grow physically, just because they had grown in stature in someone’s eyes.

  “Jeffery,” Sara suddenly asked, “How tall are you?”

  Jeffery gave Sara a shy smile. “Five eleven. I grew this summer. My mother is after me all the time to stand up straight. I started hunching over because my back hurt from the growth spurt. It does not now, but I still have the habit of slouching. I am trying…”

  “You know, Jeffery, the next time you get a chance, you should ask Betty Mancuso to dance. You are almost as tall as her, now. I bet she would appreciate a dancer at her skill level.”

  “You really think so?” Jeffery asked. “She is so pretty, and so good on the court. I am always surprised she has so much trouble dancing. She is not a klutz, like me.”

  “Who knows. Most of the guys even close to as tall as she is are star athletes, like her. They all are better dancers than she is.”

  “Hey. Maybe, since I am not better than her, we could do okay. I think I will ask her at the next dance.”

  Sara and Trinity exchanged a glance when Jeffery started to walk away.

  “Jeffery?” Trinity said.

  He turned and looked at the two. “Huh?”

  “You were going to ask Jason for help with dance moves?” Sara said.

  “Oh! Geez! I forgot! Yeah. Come on. I think I know where he is.”

  Sara was watching the doors and saw Calvin come in. She breathed a sigh of relief. If they had tried to stall Jason would certainly have caught on to the fact that they were pulling something on him.

  He might, anyway, but any kind of delaying tactic would certainly have given it away.

  With a hand motion she had everyone involved moving into position. It was the only logical spot for Jason to do any athletic dance moves.

  “I see Jeffery found you, Jason,” Sara said. “You going to help him with some moves? We still have not found anyone to do Cosmo.”

  “Sure. I can do that.” He cut a quick look at Sara, after looking around the group.

  “What? All of you going to try out?”

  “Jeffery already admitted he did not think he had much of a chance,” Sara said smoothly. We thought maybe we could help, too.”

  “Oh. Okay. Actually, a couple of moves that I think he could use, need other people to help make it work.”

  Jason turned to Jeffery. “Okay, Jeffery, we need to work with your strengths. If I remember from dance class, you did really good spin turns.”

  Everyone except Jeffery looked stunned.

  “Let me see how you do now that you have matured,” Jason continued, watching Jeffery intently.

  The others were amazed when Jeffery spun around quickly, his feet close together.

  “Still got that move down pat,” Jason said. “Bootsi, you and Trinity take that board there, and stand here. When I give you a signal walk past Jeffery. Jeffery, you spin and lean toward them. Bootsi, you and Trinity hold the board at a slight angle so Jeffery’s hands can land on it. The weight will force it down, but you are both strong enough to catch the weight, then lift the board as Jeffery pushes with his hands.

  “Jeffery, that will throw you back vertical. Do another spin and do a layout, just like the cheerleaders do, onto the floor. Do a pushup, bring your legs up like a leg thrust, but push up with your hands again and go vertical.”

  “Really?” Jeffery asked.

  So did most of the others, in one form or another.

  Jason smiled. “Sure. Believe me, it is a simple move, using Jeffery’s skills, but will look really cool.”

  Jason positioned everyone, then started the action. To everyone’s amazement, except Jason’s, it worked just as Jason had said.

  “Holy cow!” Trinity exclaimed as Jeffery popped back to his feet after the set of spins. Then fell sideways. Fortunately, Jason was expecting that and was ready to catch him.

  “Still get a little dizzy when you stand up too fast, Jeffery?”

  Jeffery nodded.

  “You can beat it,” Jason said. “Just a little practice. And you can actually use the tendency to help transition to another move.”

  “Uh… Maybe you better just show me,” Jeffery said.

  Jason smiled. “Gotta have faith in yourself, Jeffery. You are better than you think. And think back to when you were in class. Think
how much better you are now. None of us will ever be Fred Astaire’s or Ginger Rogers’, but we can all be better than we were yesterday.

  “Watch what I do, then you can try it. Now, I have to do it fairly fast, so I have the momentum.”

  Jason saw the hesitant look on Jeffery’s face. “I can do it a couple of times, to give you a chance to catch the moves.”

  “If you are going to do that,” Sara said, “maybe you could do a few more moves, then repeat them, like a routine. Do you think that would help, Jeffery?”

  “I think so. If I can see the moves, one into the other, I will have a better idea if I even want to try this.”

  Sara bit her lip not to smile. Jeffery was doing great. She could not smile, for this was supposed to be an attempt to help Jeffery. Serious.

  “Okay, then.”

  Jason started to turn away. “Should any of us do anything?” Sara quickly asked. “I watched the movie when we decided we could do this. Cosmo does a lot of moves with other people and objects.”

  “True,” Jason said. “And I think Jeffery could do similar things… Okay…” Jason looked around then started giving quick instructions.

  His eyes cut to the stage where Miss Murcheson, Calvin and Mr. Vandeuson stood.

  Jason showed no indication he had seen them.

  “Maybe if we move over here…” he said, watching Trinity, rather than Sara.

  At the startled look, Jason turned around. “No. It is better here. Okay. Is everyone ready?”

  When everyone nodded or spoke an affirmative, Jason started the short routine he had laid out.

  No one expected Jason to turn and run the other direction after he had done the things he had set up. Before anyone could say anything, he had turned again and run toward the wall of the gym. When he did the classic run up the wall and flip back to the floor, turned to Sara and winked, she glared at him.

  “You knew!”

  “Do you think I will get the part?” he asked, just loud enough for Sara to hear.

  “I am going to strangle you,” Sara said.

  Everyone heard that. And grinned. Jason had got Sara again.

  “You never learn,” Bootsi said to Sara as Jason walked away.

  “I do not want to hear it!” Sara replied when the others all laughed.

  “Every one of you want to get him as bad as I do!” Sara added. “How come, when he gets me, everyone gets such a big kick out of it? None of you seem to care that much when he gets one of you. “

  “That is just it,” Jeffery said. He grinned at her. “You care. We just sort of expect to get got. You never do.”

  Sara growled and stalked off.

  Then fumed even more when it was decided that Jeffery’s klutziness would work just as well as Jason’s dancing ability for the part.

  Jason managed to stay out of Sara’s reach long enough for her to cool down, after she discovered that Jason had provided over half the donated funds that were required to do the production.

  “I should have known from the start,” she complained to Trinity and Jason as Sara drove them to the house several days after the final performance. “It was just too quick and easy.”

  “But he did raise a bunch of money from other people,” Trinity protested.

  “Sure he did,” Sara replied, frowning over at Jason, before putting her eyes back onto the road. “He always has a cover story.”

  “What I cannot believe is that my father knew, and never let on,” Trinity said, this time frowning at Jason.

  Jason shrugged. “No one knows everything that goes on.”

  Sara looked over sharply. “Except you?”

  Jason smiled. “Of course not! I certainly do not know everything that goes on.”

  “You sure do know more than most,” Trinity said as they pulled into the circle drive.

  “Not really,” Jason said. “The two of you know all kinds of things about all kinds of things of which I have not a clue.”

  “Like what?” Trinity asked.

  Jason and Sara both just stared at her as the three walked toward the front door of the house.

  “Oh,” Trinity said after a moment. “I suppose you would not know, if you do not know. Huh?”

  “Something like that,” Jason replied, with a laugh. “You know who is dating whom. Where everyone is going to go to college. What teachers are returning next year. Many different kinds of things.”

  “Well, sure,” Trinity replied. “Okay, I get your point. But you still find out more of the really important things than we do.”

  “That is only because he manipulates so many of them,” Sara said with a snort.

  “Who made sure Bootsi dumped… what was the term you used? That no good, low life slime bucket? And managed to get Fred and Betty involved enough to go to the prom together? Not to mention helped the school counselor get appropriate counseling for Kathy and her parents. Plus…”

  “Okay, Okay!” Sara said. “I get the point. You are still ten times better… Better is not a good term for this… Skilled at it than I.”

  “He has had much more practice, with a much more difficult subject,” Trinity said with a grin.

  “I suppose he has had more chances. I only got started… Hey!” Sara suddenly exclaimed, the implication finally sinking in.

  Trinity danced back out of Sara’s reach.

  Jason laughed.

  Sara spun around and said, “I would not laugh, if I were you, mister. You are already on my list, as it is.”

  “I am always on your list,” Jason said as they made their way to the study.

  “He is right about that,” Trinity said, also with a laugh.

  Sara smiled. They were both right.

  “Enough of that stuff,” Sara said. “I want to get my homework done, get what stuff we have collected so far down to the shelter, then go out and enjoy the snow for a while, before it gets really bad.”

  “You sure did get hooked when we went to the lodge last year,” Trinity said.

  Jason smiled.

  Her eyes bright, Sara said, “I had only suffered when it snowed, before last winter. I had no idea it could be so much fun.”

  “The staff was rounding up things today,” Jason said. “I will go load them in the truck.”

  “We can help you,” Sara said.

  “You guys have homework. I do not. This will be faster.” He smiled. “More fun time.”

  “Thanks, Jason,” Sara said.

  Trinity managed to wait until they had finished their homework before she broached the subject she had been wanting to talk to Sara about all day.

  “Did he ask you?” Trinity asked Sara.

  “George talked to me,” Sara said. “His prom is the same night.”

  “Two proms in one night! You two are going to be busy!”

  “Not really,” Sara said. “Just one each.”

  “Aw! No!” Trinity exclaimed.

  “It is important to his family he be at the Montrose prom. It is important to me to be at Kennedy’s.”

  “Sara, are you two breaking up?”

  Sara managed a wan smile. “No. George offered to get away early from Montrose to come over here. It is not fair to ask him to do that. It will really cause problems between him and his family.”

  “And you would not just go there with him. Skip our prom.”

  Sara shook her head. “I cannot do that. These have been the best two years of my life. Kennedy is the second biggest part of that.”

  They gathered their schoolbooks and put away the references they had used. Trinity studied Sara as surreptitiously as she knew how.

  “Does Jason know,” Trinity finally asked.

  “Yes,” Sara said and nodded. “George even talked to Jason about the situation.”

  Trinity’s eyes widened. “You did not kill him? Either one of them?”

  With a small smile Sara said, “Not about this. George and Jason were friends before George’s family moved. It was just one friend bouncing possibil
ities off another. The way you and I do.”

  “You think Jason put him up to making sure it would not work, so he could ask you to the prom?”

  Sara turned angry eyes on Trinity. “No! Jason would not do that! Trinity, I do not like you thinking that, much less saying it!”

  Trinity took a step back. “I am sorry, Sara! I really did not think it. I just…” There were tears in Trinity’s eyes.

  “No. I am the one that should be sorry,” Sara said. She hurriedly stepped for-ward to hug Trinity.

  “I am more upset than I realized,” Sara said, tears filling her own eyes. “Just three years ago I never even dreamed about being able to go to a prom wearing a nice dress, riding in a limo, arm in arm with a handsome young man.

  “I was just really looking forward to the whole thing. More than I realized. I am disappointed.”

  “But you can still have all that!” Trinity said. “Jason would take you! He loves you!”

  “That is why I will not let him take me,” Sara said quietly. “He did not mind me going with George. He likes George. He will not care who I go with. He wants me to be happy.”

  “And obviously your dream, once you could make it come true, was to go to the prom in a beautiful dress, on the arm of a handsome guy, riding in a limo. That would make you happy. He can do that for you.”

  “And he would know that the only reason I am going with him, is because my first choice cannot go,” Sara said. “He deserves to be a first choice.”

  “And you say you do not love him,” Trinity said softly.

  Sara smiled. “Oh, I have come to love him as my friend, Trinity. And he loves me as a friend, too. He still thinks he loves me as a… future wife. That is the part to which I cannot contribute. I will not give him any encouragement. None.”

  “Tell him that is how you feel,” Trinity said. “He will understand and not read anything into it if you go with him.”

  “Even if I was so inclined, Trinity, I have made such a point of it, that he will not ask me, anyway. Because he loves me. Or thinks so, anyway.”

  “You do have a point there,” Trinity admitted. “He does seem to put your wishes foremost.”

  “Drives me nuts, sometimes,” Sara said.

  “What are you going to do?” Trinity asked.