by Krista McGee
(She looks all around the door. When nothing happens, she begins banging on the door. The other girls join her.)
GIRL 4: Help.
GIRL 5: I don’t even think anyone can hear us. This door is solid metal.
GIRL 1: We’re going to die.
GIRL 2: If we’re going to die, we need to die together. (She wakes Girl 3)
GIRL 3: So when we were trapped on that roller coaster . . .
GIRL 4: This is not how I want to go out.
GIRL 5: What does it matter? Let her finish her story.
GIRL 3: We tried and tried to get that seat undone. But we couldn’t. There weren’t many people around, so the guy working there thought we wanted to ride again. So we kept riding and riding.
GIRL 1: So how’d you get out?
GIRL 3: The guy had a key. The seats were stuck, so he had to use his key to open them.
ALL GIRLS BUT #3: A key!
(They begin looking around.)
GIRL 3: We felt so dumb. And sick. I still can’t go on roller coasters. Just thinking about them makes me feel dizzy. (She sways and puts her hand on the coffee table to balance herself) Hey, a key.
(Girl 3 walks to the door, puts the key in the lock, and walks out. The other girls stare at the door. It closes.)
GIRL 1: A key.
GIRL 2: I feel so ridiculous.
GIRL 4: Acting like we were going to die. Oh man. I hope no one finds out about that.
GIRL 5: All right, let’s go. I need some fresh air after all that.
GIRL 1: (Looks on the table) Where’s the key?
GIRL 2: No. Oh no.
GIRL 4: (Looking at the door) Don’t tell me.
GIRL 5: She took it with her?
GIRL 4: I said don’t tell me.
GIRL 1: What are we going to do?
(Girl 2 takes the other girls and walks them over to the clock. They all stare at it until they fall asleep.)
Chapter 28
Sit down.”
“Let me get you some ice.”
“Would you like something to eat?”
Flora put her hand up, silencing the three Beacons. “I am merely here because Dr. Smith insisted at my follow-up visit that I spend my entire day off resting my ankle.”
“And we are taking the entire day off to make sure that happens,” Dad said.
“‘The countenance is the portrait of the soul, and the eyes mark its intentions.’ Cicero was certainly right. You mean well, and I love you for it. But, please, if you want to make me happy, sit and talk with me. The daily chatter of teenage girls has become a bit unnerving.”
Mom sat on the leather couch beside Flora. “You have been doing a great job, Flora. Above and beyond what we asked. You really should have taken a day off before now.”
“Nonsense. I’m staying at a house cooking and cleaning, things I would do if I were home on a day off.”
“But at home, you’re not cooking and cleaning for ten girls.”
Flora waved her hand in the air.
Dad joined Mom on the couch and spoke slowly, with conviction. “Your ankle can’t heal if you’re working as a housemother for another two weeks.”
“No.” Flora shook her finger at Chad’s parents. “I committed to this. I have prayed about this. I am invested in this. I might be damaged in body, but not in spirit. I will see this through.”
“Flora.” Chad knelt in front of her. “We can get someone else. You can still be praying. You can even be a consultant.”
“Absolutely not,” Flora said. “Chad, you have been my student and my helper. I have watched you since you were a baby. I can’t say you’re like a son to me, because I don’t know if that is completely accurate. But I can say with confidence that you are like a very dear nephew.”
Chad tried not to laugh. Flora is so honest.
“I agreed to this because of you, because I believe the girl we pick is going to be an important part of your life.”
Chad nodded. “But it’s just a show.”
Flora shook her head, today colored a burnt orange. “It is your future. And I believe God has given me the job of helping to shape that future. No sprained ankle is going to keep me from that job.”
Mom patted Flora’s knee. “Could you make the decision now?”
Flora hung her head. “I am torn. I feel like Jane Austen’s Emma. There is a Frank Churchill and there is a Mr. Knightley. Frank is dashing and he says all the right things. He seems perfect for Emma.”
Chad groaned. “Jane Austen again? And wasn’t Knightley twenty years older than Emma?”
“Sixteen,” Flora corrected. “And he could be insensitive at times, and pedantic. But he was right for Emma.”
“Sixteen years? So you’re looking at a one-year-old? ” Chad laughed.
“Chad, you are being too literal,” Flora said. “Metaphorically speaking, there are, in my mind, two serious contenders for your costar. A Frank Churchill and a Mr. Knightley.”
“Knightley is the right one, isn’t he?” Mom said. “I mean, she?”
“Yes, but my Knightley isn’t quite ready,” Flora said. “I need more time.”
Dad leaned forward. “Is she the same one you talked about before?”
“She is.”
“The one who isn’t a Christian?” Mom asked.
“She isn’t a Christian yet.” Flora punctuated the last word with her hands. “There was a time, Maria, when you weren’t a Christian yet. And you, Bill. And even you, Chad.”
Dad rubbed his eyes. “The whole reason we’re doing this is to find the girl God wants for this show. A Christian girl.”
“And I want the same thing,” Flora said.
“So, what about the ‘Frank Churchill’?” Chad asked. “What’s her story?”
Flora folded her hands in her lap. “She is very polite. She is helpful. She doesn’t fight with the other girls or get too wrapped up in the details of the show. She says she is a Christian.”
“Wonderful.” Mom clapped once. “She sounds like what we’ve been praying for.”
Flora sighed. “I am uncomfortable saying that she is God’s choice.”
“Why?” Dad asked.
“I don’t know.”
“But what you’ve said about her is very positive,” Mom said.
“Oh yes.” Flora nodded. “Unfortunately, I find myself unable to put into words the reasons for my discomfort.”
Chad looked at Flora. Her eyes were half closed, her lips tight. “We trusted Flora with this decision, Mom, Dad. I think we need to give her the extra time she’s asking for.”
Flora touched Chad’s cheek with her small hand. “Thank you, Chadster.”
“I don’t know.” Mom looked from her son to her friend. “What about your ankle?”
“I can take care of myself.” Flora sat up straighter.
“We know that,” Dad said. “But can you also take care of ten teenage girls?”
Flora pointed a finger in Dad’s direction. “‘No question is so difficult to answer as that to which the answer is obvious.’”
Chad wrinkled his brow. “Shakespeare?”
“No.” Flora smiled. “But he is a British playwright: George Bernard Shaw.”
“So you’re going to stay on as housemother?” Chad asked.
“Of course.”
“Two conditions.” Dad walked around the coffee table so he was facing Flora. “If you go back, you must take it easy.”
“I will,” Flora said, as if the thought of not taking it easy had never occurred to her.
“And.” Dad held up a second finger. “The girl you choose must be a Christian. I don’t want you choosing by Jane Austen’s standards. We have you in there to pick the one God has chosen.”
“I know.” Flora linked her fingers together in her lap.
“I don’t want you thinking in terms of Knightley and Churchton.”
“Churchill,” Flora corrected.
Dad waved his hand. “It doesn’t matter. The pur
pose for this whole audition process is so you can help us choose a godly young woman to work with Chad.”
Mom cleared her throat. “I agree with Bill. Give this other girl a chance. I know you like your ‘Knightley,’ but even if she were to become a Christian, she would be young in the Lord. This other young woman is already a believer.”
“We all love Chad.” Flora looked at him and smiled. “He has been the center of all of our lives for the last seventeen years. And you both are superb parents . . .”
“But?” Dad asked.
“But perhaps this is not about Chad. Perhaps God orchestrated this whole thing—his fame, this show, these auditions—because he wanted to bring this one girl to himself.”
Dad gave a heavy sigh.
Mom looked from her husband to her friend. “We still have two weeks. Let’s just see what happens. We’ll promise to keep an open mind if you do the same. All right?”
Flora straightened her leopard-print skirt. “Certainly.”
Chad lifted his glass of cranberry juice. “Two more weeks.”
The others did the same, glasses clinking in an unspoken prayer.
Chad excused himself and headed over to Will’s house for a game of basketball, Flora’s words still ringing in his ears. God, am I being selfish? Thinking everything is about me, what I want, who I need? Flora might be right. This might all be about that girl: Flora’s Mr. Knightley, who doesn’t know God but needs to know him. And if that’s what it’s all about, help me to get out of your way. I don’t want to be so self-absorbed I miss being part of your plan.
So maybe this wasn’t the Kara McKormick he was hoping for. But she was like her; she didn’t know God. Help me to be open to what you want. No matter what that means.
Chapter 29
I’m so glad you came to get me.” Kara leaned back in the passenger seat of Addy’s car, looking out at cow pastures on either side of I-4.
“Me too,” Addy said. “But it’s not going to be the most exciting day.”
“I don’t care.” Kara clicked the seat back as far as it could go, making room for her long legs. “I just needed to get out of there for a little while.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to Disney with the others?”
“No,” Kara said quickly. “Ashley said it was just for fun, no cameras or auditions. I’d rather wait and go with Ma and Pop.”
“When are they coming?”
“As soon as Pop gets better,” Kara said.
“He’s still sick?”
“‘Under the weather,’ Ma says. But this has been going on since I got here. And he’s so stubborn. Refuses to go see the doctor. He won’t even let Ma bring the doc to him.”
“But your mom is a nurse.” Addy checked her rearview mirror before pulling into the next lane. “Can’t she diagnose him?”
“Pop won’t let Ma nurse him. He just wants to rest, says he’ll be better in no time. He tried to get Ma to come down here without him.”
“She refused, huh?”
“No, I did,” Kara said. “She’s not leaving Pop when he’s sick. He needs to be her top priority. I have you. And the ugly stepsisters.”
“It’s not getting any better with the girls?”
Kara groaned. “It’s not big stuff. Nobody is getting into fights or calling names or trying to sabotage anybody else. It’s more subtle than that.”
“Like what?”
“Like Haley always hogging the bathroom so I have no time to get ready. Or Anna Grace making little comments about my performance or my outfits.”
“What kind of comments?” Addy asked.
“Right after our last audition, she came up and said that I was looking at the camera during the shooting.”
“So?”
“So we’re not supposed to look at the camera,” Kara said. “And I wasn’t. But she says stuff like that all the time, just to make me nervous.”
“Maybe she was trying to help.”
“Come on, Addy.” Kara looked at her friend. “You know Anna Grace. You saw how she was on The Book of Love: all sweet on the outside, but ruthless on the inside.”
“What about the one girl you said was nice?”
“Oh, Jillian.” Kara shrugged. “She is nice. And she really likes Flora. She’s with her more than I am.”
“She’s a Christian, right?”
“She says she is.”
“So they probably have a lot to talk about.”
Kara looked out the window. “I guess.”
“You’re not really connecting with her either?”
“Not really.” Kara looked at Addy again. “She just seems to say whatever Flora does. If she does say something different and Flora disagrees with her, Jillian changes her mind to agree with Flora. It’s like she’s trying to impress her.”
“Maybe she’s young in the faith and she sees Flora as a mentor.”
“I just don’t understand people who have no opinions of their own.”
Addy laughed.
“I mean, is that what Christianity does to you, takes away your personality and your brain? You just think whatever people tell you to think?”
“Is that what you think of me?”
“No, of course not,” Kara said.
“What about Flora? Is she like that?”
Kara grinned. “No way. Flora is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. And she sure doesn’t follow the crowd.”
“Have you tried reading John?”
“Yeah. I’ve gotten to chapter five. It’s pretty interesting.”
“I told you.” Addy grinned.
“I mean, I don’t get all of it. Like this one part I read. It said Jesus healed a guy, and then he got in trouble for it. What was that about?”
“Only God can heal,” Addy said. “The religious leaders knew that Jesus was claiming to be God, and they hated him for it. That’s the reason he ended up being crucified.”
“Because he claimed to be God? That’s a lame reason to kill someone.”
“Not to the Jews. They were looking for the Messiah.”
“Don’t you believe Jesus was the Messiah?”
“Yes, but they didn’t. So they killed him because of it.”
“Weird.”
“Keep reading. The end of the story is the best.”
“It’s definitely not as bad as I thought. I still don’t know if I can buy into all of it, though. But being a Christian doesn’t seem as strange to me as it used to.”
“That’s good, because you’re going to meet a whole lot more Christians today.”
“I am?” Kara leaned forward. “Where are you taking me? ”
“I told you I had plans.” Addy smiled. “And you said you didn’t care, that you were up for anything.”
“Oh, great. Please tell me we’re not picketing some senator or standing on the side of the road holding Jesus Loves You signs.”
“No, nothing like that.”
“Good.” Kara leaned back into her seat. “Then what? ”
“We’re helping an inner-city mission restock their food pantry.”
“Really?” Kara said. “Wow. Do you do this a lot?”
“Actually.” Addy moved into the right lane to allow a sports car to pass her. “This will be my first time.”
“You just woke up this morning and felt like restocking a homeless shelter’s food pantry?”
“No.” Addy laughed. “I was talking to Jonathon and he was telling me something he learned from Chad.”
“Chad Beacon?” Kara turned to face Addy. “Do tell.”
“You’re still thinking about him?”
“All the time.” Kara sighed.
Addy shot her a look before continuing. “Chad told Jonathon that he and his family have days when they go and serve others, doing lots of different things. They try to be Jesus to people. Jonathon loved that idea, so he went and helped a gardener at the White House one day.”
“Jesus helps gardeners?”
�
��Jesus loved others and put their needs above his own,” Addy said. “Listening to Jonathon talk about his day made me see that I don’t do that enough. I’m so wrapped up in my own world.”
“So you’re doing this to feel better?”
Addy shook her head. “I want to be more like Jesus.”
“So you’ll get, like, brownie points or something? ”
“No, we serve God because we love him,” Addy said. “Not because we’re trying to impress him.”
Kara considered that as Addy pulled into the shelter.
The girls arrived at Tampa Cares just before noon. Over a hundred homeless men, women, and children were sitting in a cafeteria eating their lunch.
“They don’t look like the homeless people on TV,” Kara whispered to Addy as they entered.
“What do you mean?”
“You know. Gray sweaters and white beards.”
“You watch way too much TV.” Addy laughed.
Kara glanced at the sea of faces. There were teenagers and young adults, some in fairly fashionable clothes. There were a few of the “TV homeless” too, with their garbage bags clutched in their laps. But overall, these were just people.
“A guy who works here told me a lot of the people here are homeless because they lost their jobs and their homes and didn’t have family or friends they could move in with,” Addy said.
“That’s terrible. I can’t imagine.”
Addy nudged her friend. “With the size of your family, you won’t ever have to worry about that.”
The girls found Ellen, the woman in charge of the food pantry, and got to work.
“I had no idea people sent so much junk to food pantries.” Kara handed yet another can of expired cranberry sauce to Addy.
“Look at this.” Addy held up a half-empty box of potato flakes.
The pantry was full of crates, some stacked with canned foods, others boxed foods, some with paper goods. Nothing looked very appetizing. As the girls sorted through the last crate for their shift, a woman just a few years older than them entered the building.