Spring Breakdown

by Melody Carlson

  7

  Grandmother allowed Rhiannon to use the third story ballroom as her design boutique. It wasn’t only the Carter House girls taking advantage of her creativity, but several other girls from school as well. By Thursday, the day before the dance, Rhiannon had managed to help put together outfits for about ten girls and several guys as well. She didn’t make everything from scratch, but she had such a knack for putting bits and pieces together that it all seemed to work out and, for the most part, everyone was pleased. But DJ had been surprised when Casey had gone along with Eliza, choosing to get her outfit from a costume store in town. As it turned out, Eliza was footing the bill, so that explained part of it. But it still didn’t explain Casey’s sudden interest in Eliza.

  “You’re really making some money,” DJ pointed out as she slipped another check into Rhiannon’s cash bag (actually an old beaded evening bag that Rhiannon had given her to use). DJ was assisting Rhiannon in her little business venture by acting as “cashier.”

  “I know,” Rhiannon told her as she continued running her sewing machine, stitching some kind of funky red trim along the edge of a skirt made from several bandanas. “It’s so cool. I mean, I almost feel like I’m a real designer.”

  “You are a real designer,” DJ pointed out. “You’re designing clothes and being paid to do it. How much more real does it get?”

  Rhiannon nodded as she removed the skirt and clipped the threads. “How’s that?”

  “Perfect,” said Haley as she took the skirt and held it up. “Thanks, Rhiannon! And I agree with DJ, you are a real designer.”

  “How does this look?” called out Daisy as she emerged from the makeshift dressing room—several sheets suspended by a wire in a corner.

  Taylor let out a hoot as she entered the room. “Daisy Kemp-ton, you look just like Daisy Mae,” she called out. “Except we need to work on that hair—it needs to be puffy and curly and will probably involve some backcombing and hairspray.”

  “You do look like Daisy Mae.” DJ couldn’t help but laugh at the red-and-white-spotted peasant blouse and tight red skirt with a jagged hem.

  “But do I really go barefooted?” asked Daisy with concern.

  “You could wear cowboy boots until you get to the dance,” suggested Taylor. “But if you’re going for the real thing, you should go barefoot. And you need red lipstick.”

  “Are you here to try on your outfit?” Rhiannon asked Taylor. “It’s not quite ready, but I could—”

  “It’s okay,” Taylor told her. “I just wanted to see how it’s going.” She lowered her voice as Daisy went back to change into her street clothes. “And I thought you’d be interested to hear that Eliza and Casey are trying on their outfits downstairs.”

  “How do they look?” asked Rhiannon with concern. DJ knew that her feelings had been hurt by them looking elsewhere for their dance clothes.

  Taylor grinned. “Pretty lame.”

  Rhiannon looked relieved. “I guess I shouldn’t gloat,” she admitted. “But tell us about them.”

  “The only reason I know is because I wanted to borrow Kriti’s biology book to do some last-minute studying for my final tomorrow. And when I went into her room, Casey and Eliza were there trying on their stuff.” Taylor chuckled. “Eliza didn’t appreciate the intrusion, but just so you know, I was very polite and I told them both that they looked great. Actually, I think I told them that they looked hot.” She laughed. “And that’s not untrue. They look like hookers from the fifties.”

  “And they think that’s rockabilly?”

  “I guess it’s one kind of rockabilly, or at least that’s what the salesman at the costume store told them.” Taylor picked up a big belt buckle. “But I think it’s hokey and I have a feeling Eliza is regretting not letting you design an outfit. Yours are superior by far.”

  “Thanks, Taylor.” Rhiannon continued to sew. “Unfortunately, it’s too late for me to help them.”

  “Looks like Eliza and Casey will have to go as rocka-hookers,” said DJ. “I just hope they’re not sorry.” DJ was thinking more about Casey than Eliza. In some ways, Eliza was simply getting what she asked for. But Casey…well, that was different. For some reason she was being pulled into Eliza’s game and DJ just hoped that Casey wasn’t getting in over her head.

  Before long, the room cleared out and it was just Rhiannon and DJ. “I’m kind of worried about Casey,” DJ admitted as Rhiannon continued to sew.

  “Yeah, me too.” Rhiannon glanced up then turned her attention back to the sewing machine. “And I feel partly to blame because I gave her that ‘we should be nicer to Eliza’ speech too.”

  “Seems like she took it a little too seriously.”

  “Oh, rats!” Rhiannon stopped sewing and pulled out the piece and shook her head. “I sewed that on wrong.”

  “I should probably quit distracting you.” DJ stepped away. “Besides, I need to study for a botany test anyway.”

  “Tell Taylor that you guys can come try on your outfits in…let’s see…” She looked at her watch. “Is eleven too late?”

  “That’s pretty late for you, Rhiannon.” DJ looked down at her hardworking redheaded friend and suddenly got worried. “Hey, what about your classes? Do you have time to study?”

  Rhiannon just nodded as she used a tool to rip out a seam. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Because you don’t want your grades to—”

  “I said I’ll be fine!”

  DJ took another step back and just looked at Rhiannon. She knew that making money was important to her, but school should be important too. Rhiannon had been hoping to go to a good design school. But wouldn’t she need decent grades to do that? “Later,” DJ called as she headed out. Hopefully, Rhiannon was right. Hopefully, she was fine.

  The late-night fitting went well and both DJ and Taylor were pleased with Rhiannon’s work. “Aren’t you going to bed, Rhiannon?” DJ asked as she and Taylor started to leave.

  “Not yet.” Rhiannon was back at her sewing machine. “I have to finish this.”

  “Don’t overdo it,” Taylor warned.

  “I’m fine,” Rhiannon shot back in an irritated tone.

  After Taylor and DJ left, DJ felt even more concerned. And, once they were back in their room, she voiced this to Taylor.

  “I know.” Taylor nodded. “I think she’s working too hard.”

  “I mean, it’s been a good distraction,” DJ admitted. “I haven’t heard her mention her mom once this past week.”

  “The good news is that the dance is tomorrow,” Taylor pointed out. “And even if Rhiannon is exhausted by then, she’ll have all of spring break to relax.”

  “Well, besides our little photo shoot.”

  “Your grandmother promised it was only a one-day thing.”

  “Let’s hope so.”

  “Anyway, it won’t do Rhiannon any good to worry about her.” Taylor was rubbing cream onto her elbows now.

  “But we can pray.”

  Taylor nodded as she put the cap back on the cream. “Exactly.”

  DJ wanted to ask Taylor if she ever wanted to pray together, but somehow DJ couldn’t quite get the words out. Besides, she was sleepy. Maybe some other time.

  Taylor had taken charge of ordering the food for the dinner party at Harry’s family’s beach house. And since they were unsure of the number of guests (it kept changing), she had eventually told the caterers to plan on twenty-four guests. “Does that sound okay?” she asked DJ after her final phone call on Friday morning.

  “I guess it’s better to have too much than too little.”

  “Precisely my thinking.”

  “And do we need any kind of a plan…I mean, just in case someone tries to sneak in some booze?” asked DJ as she pulled into the school parking lot.

  “Conner and Bradford promised to act as bouncers so that Harry and I can play hosts.”

  “And I can help them,” offered DJ.

  Taylor chuckled. “Yes, I can just imagine you flex
ing some muscle in your cute little rockabilly costume. They’ll be sure to take you real seriously.”

  “I’ll have on my cowboy boots,” she pointed out. “I could really kick some…booze-smuggling behind.” She laughed. “Hopefully that won’t be necessary.”

  By the end of the school day, it felt like the entire school was on some kind of a high. Classes were finished and spring break seemed to have broken out fully. Suddenly everyone was acting like they’d just been released from a long prison sentence. Carter House was no different as the girls rushed about putting together the final touches to their rockabilly outfits as well as packing their bags for tomorrow’s travels to Florida. Taylor was helping with makeup, and since Rhiannon (their usual hair expert) was still doing some last-minute alterations, Grandmother had brought in her own hairdresser, Val, to help the girls with their hair. His makeshift salon was located in the library.

  “So I hear you girls are going to do a swimsuit shoot down in Palm Beach,” Val said as he rolled a section of DJ’s bangs onto a hot roller. “Wish you needed a hairdresser down there. I adore Palm Beach.”

  “Did you mention that to my grandmother?”

  Val laughed. “As a matter of fact, I did. And she turned me down flat.”

  “Too bad.”

  “Tell me about it. Poor Val stuck up here in Connecticut while you girls are down there living the life. I hear the general’s house is amazing.”

  “Really?”

  “Right on the beach, but it has a pool too. Sometimes I think I was born into the wrong family.” He shook his head sadly as he rolled up another section of hair. “I feel like there’s a poor little rich boy trapped inside of me. And that I just need to find those wealthy ancestors that forgot to leave me all their beautiful estates and money.”

  DJ laughed. “I think being rich is highly overrated.”

  He chuckled. “Yes, you’re probably right.” Now he lowered his voice. “It doesn’t seem to make our rich little heiress very happy. That girl was in such a snit when I did her hair earlier.”

  “A snit?”

  “Oh, I know I shouldn’t gossip.” He chuckled. “But I AM a hairdresser, what can I say? Anyway, I asked Miss Eliza about what she was wearing to the dance—you know, so I’d know what kind of a hairstyle she was going for. But, goodness, the girl was perfectly rude about the whole thing.”

  “Rude?”

  He nodded as he began to unroll a hot roller that had apparently been on long enough. “Yes, it seems that Miss Eliza had hoped to ace the best-looking outfit at the dance, but somehow her efforts went sour and now she’s not a very happy camper.”

  DJ laughed. “She had the chance to have a designer original and she passed.”

  “Yes, our little Rhiannon is quite the talent, isn’t she?”

  “She’s been working really hard.” DJ considered this. “She doesn’t have any rich ancestors either.”

  “So, I suppose this is a good reminder that money does NOT buy happiness.” He laughed. “Not that I wouldn’t like to give it a shot sometime.”

  Val continued to rattle on about money and a friend of his who had just purchased a beautiful home in Martha’s Vineyard, and how he’d been hinting for an invitation for weeks now. “At least I might have a chance of meeting someone wealthy up there,” he said as he undid the final roller. “If you can’t be born into money, there’s always the possibility of marrying it.”

  DJ laughed as he brushed out her curls, fluffing them up and backcombing them until she looked like a bad imitation of an old western singer. “Now, remember I’m not the one wearing the hooker dress, okay?”

  He nodded. “Oh, yeah, I was getting carried away.” He pulled it back into a very full-looking ponytail. “How about this?” He fluffed out her bangs.

  “Perfect!” she declared.

  “And maybe Rhiannon can find you a nice big ribbon to tie it with.”

  “Thanks, Val,” she told him. “Shall I assume that Grandmother is handling your tip too?”

  He gave her a sly look. “I cannot tell a lie, she is. But here’s a tip for you, Sweetheart.”

  “Huh?”

  “Watch your backside.”

  “What?”

  “You know I don’t like to gossip, but I overheard Miss Eliza on her cell phone. And I don’t know what she was planning, but it sounded suspicious and your name came up.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “Like she was going to try to slip something past you and Taylor tonight.”

  DJ nodded back at him. “Thanks for the heads up.”

  “Don’t say you heard it here.”

  “I won’t.”

  DJ hurried back to her room, hoping she could tip off Taylor. But it seemed she’d already left. DJ knew that she and Harry had planned to head to the beach house early in order to get things set up. So DJ tried Taylor’s cell and then told her about Val’s warning.

  “Thanks,” Taylor told her. “We’ll be on high alert.”

  “And I’ll let you know if I snoop out anything around here.”

  “I’m sure it’s just that they think they can sneak alcohol into the dinner party.” Taylor didn’t sound too concerned. “And we’ll just deal with it.”

  The general was on hand to take photos of the girls. He seemed to enjoy their outfits—particularly Eliza and Casey’s. “You girls remind me of something,” he said as he snapped some cheesy-looking pinup type shots. “Something from back when I was a young man.”

  “Call girls?” DJ whispered to Rhiannon.

  Rhiannon suppressed a giggle.

  “What’s so funny?” asked Casey as she sauntered over toward them.

  “Everything,” said DJ as she looked down at her lace-trimmed denim skirt and stuck out a pointy-toed cowboy boot. “I mean, look at us, we all look pretty crazy.” She tried not to stare at the bulging bodice of Eliza’s low-cut hot pink satin dress, but it did seem that some kind of “enhancing” was going on there. Not that DJ planned to mention this.

  “Crazy good,” said Rhiannon.

  Just then Conner arrived, and DJ realized they needed to get moving if they were going to head off the booze smugglers at the dinner party. “See you guys soon,” she called to the others as she and Conner left.

  “You look great,” she told him as she admired the red fitted rockabilly cowboy shirt. “Did Rhiannon find that shirt for you?”

  “She did.” He smiled as he opened the door of his pickup for her. “And you are looking mighty fine yourself, little lady.”

  He slapped the big buckle on his belt. “This actually belongs to my dad,” he said proudly. “He won it one summer when he was out West working on his aunt’s ranch.”

  “At a real rodeo?”

  Conner nodded then tipped his straw cowboy hat. “And this hat was his too. I think it’s practically an antique. Remind me to be careful with it.”

  “You might want to take it off if you do any actual bouncing tonight.”

  He chuckled as he started the engine. “Hopefully things won’t get too out of hand.”

  DJ said a silent prayer as Conner drove toward the beach. More than anything, she hoped things wouldn’t get out of hand too. For once, it would be nice just to enjoy a fun party without all the crud that some people felt came with the territory.

  8

  As it turned out, things didn’t get the least bit out of hand at the beach house. But that was just because Harry, Taylor, Conner, and DJ seemed to be the only ones to show up.

  “Do you think something happened to them?” DJ asked Taylor when it was past seven and still no one else had come. “Like a car wreck or something?” The guys had already been outside checking out the road to make sure that no one’s car had gotten stuck in the soft spot by the creek. But it looked like they were on their way back now.

  Taylor frowned. “More like an Eliza wreck.”

  “Do you think she’s somehow gotten everyone to boycott the dinner party just because we said no alco
hol?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” Taylor picked up her phone and called Eliza, holding out her phone so DJ could hear it going straight to voicemail. Taylor just shook her head. “I’ll call Casey,” she said as she punched more buttons.

  “Let me try Rhiannon,” said DJ quickly. She hit speed dial and waited.

  “DJ,” said Rhiannon in a relieved voice. “I was so sorry to hear what happened.”

  “What happened?” asked DJ.

  “You know, about the dinner party getting canceled because of that whole plumbing disaster.”

  “What plumbing disaster?” DJ was eyeing Taylor now.

  “You know, the bathroom pipe that burst and flooded the entire beach cabin with sewage. What a mess.”

  “Who told you that?”

  There was a long pause. “Eliza…”

  “There is no plumbing problem, Rhiannon. Eliza flat-out lied to you.”

  “Oh.”

  Taylor looked mad now. “What is going on?” she hissed.

  DJ quickly explained and Taylor looked even more upset. “So where are you guys anyway?” DJ asked Rhiannon.

  “At Lane’s house. He and Eliza threw some things together for everyone so we could have dinner. It’s actually pretty nice.”

  “Yes, I’m sure they just threw them together too.”

  “You could be right. Where are you guys anyway?”

  “We’re at the beach house,” DJ said stiffly. “With a whole lot of great-looking food and no one besides us to eat it.”

  Rhiannon sighed. “I’m sorry.”

  “So are you guys coming or not?”

  “Well, we’ve already started eating, DJ. And I don’t really see how we can make it all the way out to the beach house and back to town without being really late for the dance, and Lane said they won’t let anyone in after nine.”

  “Big surprise there.” DJ growled. “Have fun!”

  “If it makes you feel any better, it’s not that fun. Lane’s parents are at the dance and the bar is open.” Rhiannon sighed. “Wide open!”