"You're a liar! You're a damn liar! Britt saw me at the drive-in." Erica threw her pillow at Morgan.
"No." Morgan caught the pillow. "You're mistaken. If she'd seen you she would've said something. Why didn't you come over and talk to us?"
"Why should I?" Erica spat angrily. "You were having a good time. You didn't need me."
"This doesn't make sense." Morgan sat on the bed. "Why do you hate Britt so much?"
"Hate her! I don't hate her, she hates me... and the feeling is mutual." Erica giggled at her own contradiction.
Morgan reached over and touched Erica's hand. "In some ways you and I are different."
Erica pulled her hand away. "I know, I despise Britt and you love her."
Morgan nodded. "Yes, I do love her. But I love you too. It's a different kind of love." Morgan put her head in her hands. "I wish I could explain. There are things about me...
"It doesn't matter," Erica said coldly. "My parents are divorcing. I'm going away to school."
* * * *
Erica's stone had been cold for three days. Out of habit she put it in her pocket and then went down to the garage and got her bike. When she peddled out to the street she didn't even glance in the direction of Morgan's house.
At the creek she leaned her bike against a tree. She noticed with displeasure the scattered trash. She found a paper sack and a forked stick and picked up the worst of the encroaching litter. She surveyed her territory with some satisfaction, then sat on her tree trunk.
Behind her a familiar slow, easy voice said, "May I join you?"
Erica whirled around. "Morgan!"
Morgan took a few steps toward Erica. "I was hoping I'd find you here," she said softly. She sat next to her, their shoulders touching. "I want to talk."
Erica didn't move away but answered sullenly, "There's nothing to talk about."
Morgan took a package of Lucky Strikes and a book of matches out of her pocket. Erica watched out of the corner of her eye while Morgan lit two cigarettes and blew out the match. She handed one to Erica.
"Since when do we smoke?" Erica said, taking the offering.
"I've been smoking for a few months." Morgan drew in the smoke and exhaled slowly.
"A little trick you learned from Britt?" Erica asked sourly.
Morgan shook her head. "Britt doesn't smoke."
"Neither do I," Erica said, tentatively puffing on the cigarette. "Why do you do it?"
"It calms me," Morgan said quietly, and then added, "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," Erica said honestly.
Morgan reached into her pocket and pulled out her stone. "Friends?"
Erica waved her away. "My stone is faded. The light is totally gone. I don't have anything to light you with." She took it out and looked at it. "I managed to keep it lighted for nine years," she sighed. "It looks so ordinary without light."
"Years ago you told me all you needed was a clicked stone, not a lighted stone."
"Did I say that? I don't remember anymore."
"I think it's worth a try."
When the two friends clicked and the stones returned to their former brilliance, tears filled Erica's eyes. "I thought I'd lost it forever."
Morgan put her arm around her friend. "Your light will go on endlessly."
Erica pressed her face against Morgan's, spilling tears down both their cheeks. "Will our friendship go on endlessly, too?"
Morgan rocked her gently. "Of course it will."
~ Chapter 7 ~
"You girls finish unpacking, we'll go to the office and get Erica registered," Paula directed.
When her parents were gone Erica turned to Morgan. "This place gives me the creeps."
Morgan laughed. "You'll get used to it."
"I don't know," Erica confessed. "I've never been alone before."
Morgan tried to soothe her. "You'll make friends."
"I wish I hadn't agreed to come here," Erica mourned.
"Why didn't you change your mind?"
Erica shook her head. "I couldn't. My father was so excited when I told him I'd come to Nelson I didn't have the heart to disappoint him. Besides, I couldn't choose between my parents."
Morgan took her friend's hand. "You'll be all right."
"I only get to go home once a month, that's a long time between clickings. Both of our stones will be cold most of the time."
Morgan smiled. "I doubt you'll let your stone get cold. It's too important to you. You'll probably have the whole place lit up in a week."
"That's not true. You said it yourself, we only click with each other."
"No," Morgan said firmly. "I didn't say that, I said I only click with you. It isn't as important to me as it is to you. You'll click with many people."
Erica pulled her hand away. "I thought you liked clicking. Now you tell me it's not important to you."
"You are important to me, not the stone." Morgan pulled out a small package. "I wanted to give you this. It was my mother's."
Erica opened it slowly. She gasped. "A ring! It's so beautiful. I don't know if I can take it from you. The stones are real, aren't they?"
Morgan nodded. "It's a ruby, the small stones around it are chipped diamonds. I want you to have it. I've thought about it for a long time. Now you can have one special stone you only click with me."
Erica laughed. "Click a ruby?"
"It's a stone, isn't it?"
Erica put the ring on the finger usually reserved for a wedding band and held it up. "Click me."
Morgan tapped the small gem and smiled when it burst into light. "Now when the light goes out the stone won't look so ordinary."
Erica hugged Morgan. "I'll wear it always."
* * * *
The car disappeared down the winding road. Erica was alone for the first time in her life. She tried not to cry but the lump in her throat grew until the tears flowed involuntarily.
* * * *
"Hi kid, can I come in?"
Erica looked up from her book to a girl with the reddest hair she had ever seen.
The redhead had already begun to make her way into the room. "I'm Kelly Redmond and puleeze don't call me Red, it just makes me sick. What are you in for?"
"What do you mean what am I in for?"
"I mean what did you do to get sent to this prison?"
"Why... nothing," Erica said. "My dad wanted me to go to a good school. He heard that this was the best, so here I am."
Kelly looked doubtful. "Nobody comes here because they want to. My mother has me here because she thinks I'm boy-crazy."
"Are you?" Erica asked.
"Hell no!" Kelly stated. "But who the hell wants to spend the best years of her life around a bunch of girls? Do you have a boyfriend?"
Erica shook her head.
"Where did you get that neat ring?" Kelly squinted at Erica's hand. "I've never seen such a bright stone. What is it?"
Erica's jaw dropped. She stared at Kelly for a moment and then asked, "Do you want to be friends?"
"Sure I do, kid."
Erica walked over to her basket of stones, chose one and handed it to Kelly. "Hold it up like this." She demonstrated with her own stone.
"What are you going to do?" Kelly held it gingerly.
Erica smiled. "When I meet a new friend there's a ritual...
* * * *
September 19, 1954
Dear Morgan,
You were right about one thing, it's going to be very bright around here. I met a girl named Kelly and she noticed the light from my ring right away.
Kelly says that Mrs. Simons (our housemother) listens to conversations through the air vents in our closets, so we cover the vents with a blanket.
I was so sad when you and my parents left. I've never felt so lost and alone.
The dorm is really noisy. Right now I bet there are about fifteen different radio stations going and everyone has their door open. Kelly is in her room writing to her boyfriend.
I do understand no
w a little better how a person can have more than one friend. I'm even glad that you have Britt as a friend. I would hate to think about you not having anyone to talk to with me gone.
Thank you again for the ring. It means so much to me.
Love,
Erica
* * * *
Kelly poked her head in the door. "Hurry! Simons is a bear."
Erica quickly changed into her pajamas and ran down the hall to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Mrs. Simons intercepted her. "When we have our pajamas on we wear a bathrobe, dear."
Erica escaped to her room, turned off the light and slipped into bed. She could see Kelly waving her lighted stone in the dark room across the hall and waved back with her own stone.
Before going to sleep, Erica turned her new ring around. She held her stone in the same hand, pressing it against the ruby.
* * * *
September 20, 1954
Dear Morgan,
My head is ringing from all the bells. Bells to get up, bells to go to meals, bells for classes.
After breakfast we have to straighten our rooms and at nine our first class starts, except today we had an assembly in the chapel.
After assembly we went to the school store to get our books and our school sweaters, blue with a big white "N" on them. In our uniforms, with our blue skirts and sweaters and white blouses and our blue and white saddle oxfords, we all look like a herd of penguins.
Kelly's boyfriend is named Noel, but she spells it NOvEL, because he is so different.
She spells my name ERatICA. Guess why.
I wish Nelson wasn't so far away so you and Mom and Dad could come up on Sundays.
I really miss you.
Love,
Erica XXXOOO
~ Chapter 8 ~
Erica handed the papers back to her friend. "I think it's a great valedictory speech, but I don't agree about computers. It just isn't logical that a machine that takes up a whole room now will be replaced by something that people put on their desks. Maybe a hundred years from now but not now. Not in nineteen fifty-six."
Kelly shrugged. "I don't care one way or the other. I'm just so glad to be graduating after two years in this hell-hole. But you'll see."
"I'm really looking forward to graduation," Erica said. "I hate this place, but I'm going to miss Maudeen."
"Maudeen?"
"The horse I've been riding down at the stables. I don't know how to explain it but from the first time I saw her it was like we had always known each other."
"Love at first sight."
Erica laughed. "How was your weekend?"
"Boring. I spent all weekend trying to teach TIMid how to kiss. I think it's a hopeless cause. He's a pretty good lay though."
"I had a wonderful time," Erica sighed. "I spent the whole weekend with Morgan. She couldn't drive back to campus with me because her stepbrother Jesse was arriving. He's riding his motorcycle all the way from San Francisco."
"Is he cute?" Kelly probed.
Erica shrugged. "He's pretty old - I think about twenty-eight."
"Erica." Mrs. Simons was standing in the doorway. "Could you come to my room for a minute dear," she said kindly.
* * * *
"Oh, Kelly," Erica sobbed. "Jesse was in an accident, I have to get to Morgan. If anything happens to him."
"What did Simons say?"
Erica wiped her eyes and looked distractedly at the wail. "She said because he isn't family I can't go. I explained to her that Morgan was my best friend and needed me."
"What were you screaming at Simons?" Kelly asked.
Erica laughed through her tears. "I called her a goddamned motherfucking sonofabitch."
"Gee, kid." Kelly was amazed. "What are you going to do?"
"I'll wait till it's dark and then leave," Erica said with resolve. "You know, Kel," Erica sat up. "As soon as Mrs. Simons said my name I knew something horrible had happened."
"You're probably psychic," Kelly said.
* * * *
June 8, 1956
Dear Kelly,
It has been a nightmare. By the time I got home Jesse had already died. I wanted to go to Morgan but Ted (her dad) said she was too upset to see anyone.
I went to the funeral but I didn't get a chance to get near her. I saw Morgan put something in his casket. She looked awful - it broke my heart to see her like that. I couldn't stop crying.
Jesse was like a god to Morgan. She always adored him and wanted to be just like him. He was a very good artist. I can't even imagine what Morgan must be going through.
After the funeral my dad told me he wanted me to come up to the cabin to study for my exams but I told him I wasn't leaving until I had a chance to see Morgan. He stayed at the house. It didn't even bother him that George (my mom's fiancé) was sleeping there.
I finally saw Morgan leave the house and caught up with her. She looked totally exhausted. I tried to click her but she just waved me away, she told me what she put in Jesse's casket was her stone. I offered her another but she refused. She wouldn't explain. I told her how bad I felt about Jesse and for a moment she almost looked human again - but then she got that haunted look and said she had to go.
Kel, it was like I didn't even know her anymore. I felt so bad I couldn't talk to anyone for two days. About a week later I went down to the creek and found a stone with a perfect "M" on it. You know me and signs. The next time I saw Morgan I gave it to her. She was polite and accepted it but refused to click.
The only other time I saw Morgan she was with Britt. I think she had been drinking. When she saw me she got a real funny look on her face. It scared me. Britt looked real sad. She helped Morgan into the car and then drove off with her.
I let my dad take me up to the cabin to study for my exams. I got passing grades, nothing to shout about. I have an apartment here near State.
My dad bought me Maudeen for graduation. He was a little hesitant about getting her for me because at the stable they told him she is very frisky and a little unpredictable. I found a wonderful place in Topanga to keep her. She's about eight years old, a beautiful roan.
I bought an old Studebaker. It has a bunch of dents which my mother hates, but it gets me around.
Have you decided to go to Berkeley or marry TIMid? I don't know what I'm going to major in yet. I'm hoping it will be a real adventure. I need something to keep my mind off Morgan. I wish one of us had been born a man. I have never met any guy as wonderful as she is. I guess I haven't met the right guy.
Please stay in touch. I miss you.
Love,
Erica
~ Chapter 9 ~
The bell rang, ending Erica's French class. She grabbed her books and darted for the door and bumped into a tall young woman leaving at the same time. Erica's books slid from her arms and fell to the floor. Both women bent down at the same time to retrieve them and bumped heads.
The woman stood up rubbing her crown. "My name is Marty. You have a hard head."
"I'm Erica." She sidestepped, allowing her classmates to get through the doorway.
Marty gave her the books. "Are you okay?"
"No, embarrassed as hell," Erica said.
"As long as you don't need surgery," Marty joked. "I think I can help. About four blocks from here in my refrigerator is a quart of beer. That's what I usually take for embarrassment."
"My car is in the parking lot. Take me to your pharmacy," Erica said grandly.
They walked down the corridor together.
Erica sighed. "This is only my second year. I don't know if I can cut it for three more years."
"You're almost over the hump," Marty assured her. "It'll go pretty fast after this year."
Clicking Stones Page 3