Burned

by Kristi Holl

  While mulling that over, she checked her email again before logging off. She already had a response from Mom.

  Hi, Sweetie! You caught me doing homework for that online class I’m taking. I’m sorry to hear about everything you told me. I hope Abby is better today. I’ll call this week. Have a good night. Love and hugs, Mom

  On an impulse, Jeri sent an instant message, hoping Mom was still online.

  JerichoGirl: ANY-1 HERE?

  She sat and waited thirty seconds, just in case. Then a reply popped up.

  imHis: Hey there, Sweetie! I was studying. I’m going to ace this test.

  JerichoGirl: WTG

  imHis: What? Your mom needs plain English.

  JerichoGirl: ok. way to go. wish U were here. what should i do about Tim????????

  imHis: I’m glad you’re being his friend, even though you had to say no to Dallas. Did you agree to be Tim’s partner because you felt sorry for him?

  JerichoGirl: i guess. is that wrong?????????

  imHis: Would you want someone to go with you because he felt sorry for you? Tim needs your genuine acceptance and caring — but not your pity.

  JerichoGirl: i’m just trying 2 B nice 2 him.

  imHis: That doesn’t mean you can’t have special friends or that you can’t be involved with certain people more than others. We shouldn’t treat some people with kindness and be uncaring to others.

  JerichoGirl: what do i do????????????? Tim is hard 2 say no 2—he gets his feelings hurt.

  imHis: I love that you’re considering Tim’s feelings. Keep your word about the three-legged race, but also do other things with Rosa or Dallas or Abby. Don’t wrongly give Tim the idea that you’re his girlfriend. You’d just hurt him more later, and that isn’t kind.

  JerichoGirl: ok. thanx mom. wanna talk friday??

  imHis: That works. Gotta get back to work. I MIGHT have a surprise for you.

  And she was gone. Jeri wondered about the surprise, but her thoughts were interrupted by the bell. She grabbed her books for her second-period class.

  The rest of the week passed quickly and quietly. The biology lab was cleaned up, and the windows were replaced and ready for use by Wednesday. Sometimes Jeri felt guilty that she was enjoying Tim’s absence, especially since it was her fault he couldn’t work. All the talk now — between classes, at meals, and in the dorm at night — was about the Hawaiian luau on Saturday. Abby was back in class, Lyndsey’s arm was healing, and girls had stopped asking her about her “honey bunny.”

  But Jeri couldn’t forget what she’d read online about arsonists. They had deep psychological problems that would get worse unless treated. They tended to set fires until their “cry for help” was heard—or they were caught. According to the professionals, the arsonist would strike again. And this time it could be deadly.

  On Friday night, Jeri’s mom called. “What’s the surprise?” Jeri asked right away.

  Mom laughed. “Hello to you too. You sound better—I’m glad.” She paused. “My boss—you remember Carol—is sending me to Virginia to see a client. I can time it to be in Landmark Hills Easter weekend!”

  “Awesome!” Jeri hadn’t seen Mom since Christmas break. “How long can you stay?”

  “Overnight two nights. I’ll start back right after church Easter morning.”

  “This is the best surprise,” Jeri said. Hmmm … Church on Easter. Maybe she could introduce Mom to Dallas.

  On Saturday morning, Jeri thanked God for the gorgeous weather after the blustery week. She, Nikki, and Abby had agreed to help on Rosa’s decorating committee. Jeri put the fires out of her mind as they all rode in Ms. Carter’s car to Gracey Park. When they arrived, girls from Landmark’s middle school and high school were already transforming the plain white shelter house into the setting for a Hawaiian luau party.

  Rosa turned in a slow circle. “We’ll put the coconuts and wax fruit over there. And the candles floating in pineapple pots go on that ledge around the dance floor,” she said, pointing above. “We’ll add the water later.”

  A CD of tropical island music played while they worked. Some older girls put colorful stuffed parrots in the tall inflatable palm trees outside the shelter house. Then they grouped some pink flamingos, balanced on one leg, around the entrance. Jeri spotted Lyndsey helping hang strings of electric tiki lights around the shelter house and yelled “hi!”

  Beside the door, a tall surfboard was stuck in the ground, with ALOHA painted across it in neon green. Wind chimes hung in the trees, and a wooden totem pole marked the direction to the games. Jeri loved watching the park’s transformation. Inside the shelter house, colorful paper lanterns hung from the rafters. On the walls, travel posters depicting various Hawaiian islands were interspersed with movie posters of Gidget Goes Hawaiian and an Elvis movie called Blue Hawaii.

  The shelter house was filled with round tables sporting grass table skirts; the tables would be removed later for the dance. Table centerpieces consisted of shells, colorful paper leis, and wax fruit. Multicolored helium-balloon fish dipped and swayed when a breeze blew through.

  Jeri gave Rosa a high five as they surveyed the decorations. “Your committee really outdid itself. You’d think we were on some island.”

  “That’s the idea.” Rosa smiled. “I bet Dallas will like it too.”

  Jeri’s smile faded, and she said nothing. Yes, for sure, Dallas would love it.

  They spent the afternoon back at the dorm, fighting for the showers, practicing last-minute hula steps and backbends for the limbo, and then dressing in their luau costumes. Rosa had bought a grass skirt to wear over her shorts, huge sunglasses, a shell necklace, a floppy beach hat, and sequined flip-flops.

  “Look!” she said, plopping the hat on top of her long curls and twirling around the room.

  Jeri fought the envy that rose in her. Rosa looked so cute that she’d have every boy at the dance fighting to be her partner. Jeri glanced down. With her cut-off shorts, flowered shirt, and paper lei, she looked like 90 percent of the girls going. When Nikki appeared in their doorway, she was wearing the same outfit she wore every weekend: her leather boots, denim jeans, and a denim shirt. For the luau, she’d stuck a paper flower in her hair, but it hung upside down over one ear.

  At three thirty, they lined up outside to ride buses over to the park. When they arrived, none of the boys were there yet. Rosa and Nikki went to help with food. Jeri and Abby strolled down the center of the park, where the boys had set up various booths after lunch.

  “Look at that,” Abby said, pointing.

  The boys had set up a game called “hot coconut” that was like hot potato with tropical music. Next, there was a coconut bowling game, where players were challenged to get a spare or strike by knocking down plastic pineapples. The “hula-hoop spin-off” promised big prizes for the person who kept his or her hoop spinning the longest. Near the edge of Sutter Lake was a place to fish for “sharks.” At the bottom of several wading pools menacing-looking plastic sharks lurked. Rows of fishing poles stood ready nearby.

  As she and Abby strolled around the magically transformed park, Jeri found herself getting excited about the luau despite being Tim’s partner. After all, it was only one three-legged race. She was making a big deal out of nothing. Still tired from her time in the hospital, Abby decided to rest under a tree while Jeri walked down to the lake.

  A few minutes later, Mariah gave Jeri’s lei a jerk as she ran by. “Your boyfriend’s here!”

  Turning, Jeri spotted Tim, dressed in a flowered blue shirt, climbing out of a green car in the parking lot. He waved as the car pulled away. Apparently the Head hadn’t barred him from the luau after all. Jeri’s good intentions evaporated like fog on a sunny morning. I’m not ready for this, she thought.

  Doing an about-face, she hiked with long strides to the shelter house, heading directly for the restroom. Inside, she leaned against the sink. God, why do people have to be so mean when I’m only trying to be nice? She didn’t admire herself
for it, but she cared what others thought. She didn’t want everyone at both schools to think she was Tim’s girlfriend. Why did loving or accepting others have to be so complicated?

  She splashed her face with water and stared at her reflection. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Stop being such a chicken.”

  Just then, Nikki popped into the restroom, the front of her shirt covered with juicy mashed strawberries.

  “What happened to you?” Jeri asked.

  “Blender went berserk. I was helping to make smoothies.” She wetted some paper towels and scrubbed at her shirt, smearing the stain even worse. “Tim’s looking for you. Why are you hiding in here?”

  “I’m not hiding!” Jeri said, stung by the truth.

  “Sure you are. I saw your face earlier. You couldn’t get in here fast enough.”

  Jeri sighed. “I can’t avoid him forever,” she said. “We’re signed up for the three-legged race together.”

  “You sound like that creepy Lisa Poole.” Nikki cocked her head to one side. “You care what others think as much as she does.”

  “No, I don’t!”

  “Oh yeah? Why were you so friendly to Tim in the first place?”

  “What?” Jeri frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Didn’t you just want people to think you’re such a great Christian?”

  Jeri stepped back. “That’s mean.”

  “Pretending to be Tim’s friend and then hiding from him in the bathroom is meaner.”

  “You’re wrong. I don’t care what anyone else thinks.” Jeri only cared what God thought, but since Nikki wasn’t a Christian, she’d never understand that.

  Nikki studied her from head to toe, one eyebrow raised as if she could read Jeri’s mind.

  Jeri felt her face heat up. Was that really why she was trying to be nice to Tim? She knew she was only supposed to be concerned with what God thought. The truth was that she cared what the others — including Dallas—thought about her. She knew believers were recognized as followers of Jesus by the love shown to one another — but sometimes it was so hard to do what you were supposed to do.

  “Tim just needs a friend.” Nikki rinsed her shirt. “If you really don’t care what those girls think, go out there and prove it.”

  Face flaming hot, Jeri pushed past Nikki to leave. She looked for Tim, but didn’t see him. She felt like crying when she spotted Rosa with Dallas at the coconut bowling. She couldn’t find Abby in the crowd, but Lyndsey was helping set out food on long tables decorated with miniature flip-flops and children’s sunglasses. At any other time, the smells of barbequed chicken and coconut cake would have made her mouth water.

  For the next ten minutes, Jeri wandered through the crowd in the park. She very carefully did not look for Dallas or Rosa. She was determined to have fun.

  “Jeri! I found you!”

  Jeri cringed at the sound of Tim’s high-pitched voice behind her. Then she shot up a quick prayer. If you love me, you’ll obey me. “Hi, Tim,” she said, putting on a smile before turning around. “Isn’t this a cool party?”

  “It’s almost time for the three-legged race. You ready?”

  As ready as I’ll ever be, Jeri thought. “You bet!” she said, ignoring someone’s snicker behind her. “We’ll beat everybody.”

  “Come on!” Tim said, pulling on Jeri’s arm.

  There were two races, and they would be running in the first one for the middle school grades. A rope of tiki lights tied between two trees was the starting line, and kids milled around behind it. Down the row, Dallas caught her eye and waved. “See ya at the finish line!” he yelled.

  Jeri smiled, but Dallas had already turned back to Rosa. She groaned when she spotted Miss Barbara with a video camera at the finish line. She did not want this recorded for anyone to ever see again.

  Each racing pair was given a long string cut from a grass skirt. “Stand side by side, facing the finish line by the shelter house,” said a deep voice over the loudspeaker. “Tie your inside legs together at the ankle, using your string. You must stay tied together the whole race, and you must use all three ‘legs’ to walk or run to the finish line. Otherwise you’re disqualified. People always think this race looks easy—until they try it. Teamwork is the key.”

  Laughter broke out as pairs of students tied their ankles together. Tim tried, but kept bumping into Jeri and falling over. The other pairs were tied together and waiting on them when Abby ran up to help.

  “Let me do it,” she said, smiling. “Tim, stand tall beside Jeri.”

  “Okay.” He jammed his baseball cap down on his head and wrapped his arm around Jeri’s waist.

  “Ooohh!” several kids behind her said.

  Jeri’s face blazed, and she removed Tim’s arm. “I keep my balance better if I’m free to move.” Finally they were tied securely together.

  The announcer said, “The first four pairs to cross that finish line will get a prize.” He blew a whistle, and the chatter died down. “On your mark. Get set.” Tweeeeet!

  The pairs on each side of them took off. Glancing left, Jeri spotted Rosa and Dallas moving forward in perfect coordination. They’d win at that rate. She and Tim took only two steps before he tripped her, and they both went down. Jeri banged her knee on the hard ground, and Tim’s elbow gouged her in the ribs.

  “Get up!” she yelled over the screaming on the sidelines.

  They crawled to their feet and half-jerked, half-stumbled five more steps before going down again. By the time they struggled to their feet once more, a huge cheer went up at the finish line.

  The race was over. They’d been left in the dust.

  Several girls and guys were pointing at them and laughing. Jeri felt as humiliated as she’d known she would. Bending to untie their string, she became aware of other voices. Nikki and Abby whistled and cheered. Nikki stared at Jeri, challenging her. Jeri gazed back.

  Prove it, Nikki had said earlier. If you really don’t care what those girls think, prove it. Jeri knew she couldn’t do it on her own though. Help me, God, to show your love to him.

  Jeri glanced at Tim, whose big eyes had filled with tears. Yes, people looked at Tim’s outward appearance, which wasn’t at all appealing by the world’s standards. But God looked at his heart — and Jeri knew that Tim’s kind and tender heart was all that mattered. In a split second, she made her decision.

  “Great job, partner,” she said, shaking Tim’s hand. “We fell with more style than anybody else here.”

  “We did?” Tim looked puzzled and wiped away his tears. “Aren’t you mad?”

  “Why would I be mad?” Jeri adjusted the lei that had slipped behind her neck. “We came to have a good time, and I’m having a great time. What’s next?”

  Tim’s face broke into a huge smile. “Wanna catch a shark?”

  “Me too?” Abby said.

  Nikki stood behind her and nodded, giving Jeri a slow smile. “Count me in.”

  The rest of the afternoon’s games were fun. At the hoola-hoop spin-off, Jeri managed to keep her hoop spinning long enough to win a plastic flamingo pin. She handed it to Tim. Grinning, he proudly pinned it to the front of his ball cap.

  And when Jeri turned around, she smacked right into Dallas.

  9

  dynamite dance

  “Whoa!” Dallas said, catching Jeri before she fell.

  “Sorry!” Jeri backed up, stepped on Tim’s foot, and stumbled. Regaining her footing, she glanced up in mortification and gave Dallas a sheepish grin.

  Thankfully Rosa was nowhere around. Abby pointed at the shelter house. “We’ll go save a table,” she said, and she and Nikki headed toward the coconut cake aroma.

  “How’s your day going?” Dallas asked.

  “It’s been a lot of fun. I hope we do it every year.” Jeri smiled up at Tim. “Tim, this is Dallas. We go to the same church. Dallas, this is Tim. He works at our school.”

  “Hi, Tim. I like your cap.”

  Tim showed Dallas all the
buttons as they meandered over to the shelter house. “Want to sit with us girls?” Jeri asked. Both boys nodded, and they quickly filled the six chairs.

  Half an hour later, Jeri felt too stuffed to move, but it was time to turn the shelter house into a dance floor. Darkness had fallen while they ate, and the breeze coming off Sutter Lake raised goose bumps on her arms. Rosa’s pineapple pots with the floating candles set just the right mood.

  While moving chairs to the edge of the dance floor, Jeri watched Tim and Dallas loading pickup trucks with folded tables to take back to Landmark. Tim was a head taller than Dallas—and a good forty pounds heavier—but they worked well side by side.

  Sudden shouts erupted near one of the trucks in the parking lot. Jeri went outside to see what the commotion was about. Two older boys were shoving Tim, and he’d dropped his end of the table. One yelled, “Whatcha gonna set on fire tonight?”

  “Oh no,” Jeri muttered under her breath, digging her fingernails into the rough bark of a tree.

  The security guard raced toward the parking lot, but before he got there, an amazing thing happened. Dallas stepped between Tim and the hecklers, saying something Jeri couldn’t hear. Then he stood perfectly still in the pool of light from the street lamp, staring at the older boys until they finally turned and shuffled away. He slapped Tim on the back, and then they continued loading tables.

  When they were finishing, a car slid to the curb and honked. “I’m coming!” Tim yelled. He lifted the last table onto the truck, shook Dallas’s hand, and then ran awkwardly toward the car and climbed in. As they drove away, he leaned out the car window and waved.

  Dallas hiked up the hill to the shelter house, and Jeri waited for him on a bench. “Thanks for what you did down there,” she said, batting a green fish-shaped balloon. “Kids give Tim a hard time.”

  “Do people really think he’s the arsonist?” Dallas asked.

  “Some do. I don’t.” She glanced inside the shelter house where Rosa and Lyndsey were practicing the limbo. “I’ll tell you about it sometime. If you want, that is.”