“Hi, uh, can I talk with you guys for a minute?” River, Avalon, and Larsen were surprised to see Kenny standing before them. “Look, um, Avalon, I don’t know if you’re aware, but I had a talk with your brother—”
“Oh, no! He beat you up!”
“No—”
“Your nose is bleeding like crazy. Looks like someone slammed you head first into the ground. You’ve got sand and dirt stuck all over your bloody face, and unless you’ve got a nose that dispenses cherry sauce, I’d say it’s bleeding pretty serious. ” Avalon reached into her bag. “Here’s some tissues. Sorry. I don’t have anything else.”
“Sit down, dude. You look a little dizzy.”
Kenny took River’s seat on the boulder and dabbed his bloody nose with the tissue. “I don’t deserve any of you to be nice to me. I just wanted to say to Avalon and Larsen that I’m really sorry. I should have never put those notes on your locker. I was an idiot doing that just because I wanted some jerk senior to be my friend.”
Larsen looked uneasy. “I appreciate the apology. Can’t wrap my brain around why you even wanted a friend like that, though. Just hope you learned from it. For the record, your apology doesn’t make the ugly words go away. But thanks for saying you’re sorry.”
“Thanks, Larsen. Do you hate me, Avalon?”
“No, I don’t have room for hate in my heart. I don’t want to be like the people who hate on me. I’ve seen this kind of thing before where an older bully gets a younger one to do his shit for him. My dad calls it ‘bully by proxy.’ Anyway, I feel pretty much like Larsen does. I don’t have much more to say about it. Just that I’m sure as hell not gonna try to make you feel better just because Jax put you up to it. You knew damn well what you were getting yourself into, so you handle that mess yourself. I’m not gonna clear your conscience for you. You deal with that. ‘Nuff said, Kenny. So, did my brother punch you in the face?”
“No, he really didn’t. Jax did. Your brother was right: Jax was just using me. Erik said he wouldn’t have anything to do with me if I stopped doing his dirty work. I knew he was right, but I didn’t think Jax would punch me and throw me on the ground when I said I was done taping up notes. Once he had me kissing the sand, he kicked me a bunch of times in my hips and my shins. Called me a yellow-bellied coward and a piece-of-sophomore shit. And a whole lot more I won’t repeat. After what I did to you guys, I deserved it.”
Avalon reached out for Larsen’s water bottle and poured some water on the last few tissues she had found. “Here, wipe off your face. Maybe you should go see the school nurse. As for Jax, he’s an expert in being a coward; he just doesn’t know it.”
Kenny wiped his bruises with the soggy tissues. “I’ll be okay. Like I said, I deserve it for being so stupid. Here’s the thing, though. I kind of think your brother might have been following me from a distance after school, and he might have seen Jax beating on me. He told me that if Jax bothered me, he’d be my friend. So, um, I don’t want him to get into trouble with anyone on my account. He was really harsh with me at lunch, but I deserved it. He’s really a cool guy. I couldn’t bear for him to … Erik!”
Erik sauntered over to the quartet. “The bastard got you good.”
“Yeah, Erik. He was no friend. Just like you said.”
Avalon looked frightened. “You’re not going to do anything to Jax, are you? Our family has enough problems. Please.”
“Nope. I don’t do dope, and I’m not messin’ with that one. Karma took care of his ass.”
Larsen took another long drink from the water bottle Avalon had returned to him. “What do you mean, Erik?”
“Who’s the chick that gets a ride home with the principal? Do you know, River?”
“Sure. That’s Simone Dreighton, Hal Dreighton’s daughter. She’s a junior.”
“Well, she got video of the whole thing with her phone, and her BFF took some from another angle. Jax is on probation, right?”
“Wow, dude! He so is. Looks like it’s expulsion time for Reinhardt.”
Larsen hinted at a smile. “Oh, well.”
Erik took an arm and pulled Kenny up from the boulder. “C’mon. I’m taking you inside to clean up. You’re not going home to your mother and sister looking like roadkill.”
Kenny smiled and turned to Avalon. “Am I what you call a ‘hot mess’?”
Avalon laughed. “Afraid not, Kenny. Not even close. Just go inside with my brother.”
“Okay. See ya. And, hey, for the record, I think you’re the prettiest girl in school.”
Erik made a face and yanked him away. “Don’t even think of looking at my sister that way. I’m serious. I said I’d be your friend if Reinhardt messed with you. I don’t want your punk ass for a brother-in-law. Get a grip. Come on. You look like shit, man.”
`*`*`*`
“I won’t make the mistake of saying TGIF again, Mrs. D, because I know you’re going to work on the weekend.”
Arielle sighed as she looked through the stack of paperwork on her lap. “I’m going to work tomorrow until four, and then I might come in Sunday afternoon for a few hours. I need to rest, and I most definitely need time with my husband.”
Larsen, who was busy assembling press kits and putting them in envelopes, worked steadily as he spoke. “Is everything on schedule?”
“We’re slightly ahead of the game, but I don’t want to say that too loudly. I don’t want to jinx anything.”
“I’m almost done with these press kits, and then I’ll get the invitations finished. I think you’ll be able to mail everything in the morning. I know the post office is open until noon on Saturday. I’ll stay until everything is packed and ready to go, okay?”
“Would you, Lars? That would be so helpful. Besides, if you do work late, maybe you’ll get a chance to contact Peter. On second thought, I’m not sure how long Gabe and his men are working tonight. And since we’re dealing with a ghost, well, you can’t exactly make an appointment to see him.”
“I’ve thought of that. I wish I could.”
Arielle paused to think. “He must’ve been living in this theater for forty years. All by himself. Wow, that’s some serious loneliness. I wonder if ghosts feel the passage of time the way we do.”
“I don’t know. I just hope he’s still here and wants to talk to me.”
“I think so, Lars. I haven’t had a chance to tell you this, but I think I heard Peter backstage this morning.”
“Really? What happened?”
Arielle peered toward the end of the trailer to make certain that Gabe wasn’t there. “Well, I was looking for Raphael and walked through the breezeway to the backstage area. I started to feel goose bumps on my arms and a chill. Then I heard this very soft crying. A week ago, before I knew the truth, I would have just ignored it. But I know it was Peter. I wasn’t sure if anyone else was around, so I softly called out to him.”
“Really, Mrs. D? What did you say?”
“I told him that my name was Arielle and that I worked here. I explained we were preparing to open the theater to the public again on the eleventh of January. I felt kind of silly giving a date to a ghost, but, strangely, I don’t quite think of Peter that way. I think of him as a lost boy who never grew into a man. I told him that you worked for me and that you were going to come talk to him again when nobody was around. I told him we all knew and loved his mother and wanted to help and that she knew how he really died and was able to release the burden of her secret just a few days earlier. As soon as I said that, he started crying again. Lars, I wanted to reach out and comfort him the same way I did River when he was little, but I couldn’t. Then I heard Raphael calling me, and I felt Peter’s presence leave instantly.”
“At least you were able to talk to him. I’m happy about that.”
“Me, too. I hope I’m not making the mistake of assuming you’re okay with all of this, because helping a ghost is not in your job description. If in any way you’re not comfortable, you can back out. I’ll find a way
to help him myself.”
“No way! I feel like I know Peter through Kathryn. He’s like an older brother who died. Besides, ghosts are a lot easier to handle than bullies.”
“Oh, speaking of which, River told me what happened on Wednesday afternoon. Last night he mentioned that there’s an expulsion hearing with the local school board next week.”
“Yeah, so we hear.”
“Lars, I appreciate that you’re willing to stay until the invitations are ready, but don’t bother trying to contact Peter tonight. It’s just too busy in there and you’ve put in a long week at school and work. So, just rest up. Any plans for the weekend?”
“Actually, there’s someone I am hoping to see on Saturday who might have some advice for me about Peter. I was going to spend time with Kathryn on Sunday, but she told me she has some personal business to deal with, so Riv and I might hang out. The heat is supposed to drop into the high sixties on Sunday, so we might go hiking.”
“He mentioned that. Funny, people are freezing all over the country, and we’re rejoicing that the temperature is dropping twenty degrees. That’s desert life for you.”
Larsen straightened the pile of nine-by-twelve envelopes on his desk. “I’m getting really excited about opening night, aren’t you? If I have any brain power left tonight, I think I’ll work on my monologue.”
“I can’t wait. Restoring this theater is wonderful, but I want to get into the real business of putting on shows and developing performers. I hope that the reopening of this theater will be something special for all of us, especially Peter and Kathryn.”
Chapter 27
Larsen was grateful that the heat had subsided, but he felt ridiculous standing by the Mystekal Sands box office for twenty minutes all by himself.
“Someone stood you up, huh?” When the ticket clerk spoke to him through the loudspeaker system, he was so startled that he jumped.
Larsen turned to see a thirty-something-year-old woman with a cheerful smile and walked over to the window to speak to her. “Oh, no. I was just hoping a friend might join me, but I don’t think she’s coming.”
“The afternoon shows bring in the crowds. It’s only eleven o’clock. Not prime time for most moviegoers. What are you going to check out today?”
“I don’t know. What’s playing?”
“Well, there’s a comedy and a love story that both start soon. The action movie doesn’t play for another two hours. I’m thinking someone your age would prefer the comedy.”
Larsen thought about it and dug his hand into his pants pocket. “Actually, I definitely want a ticket for the love story. Sorry, I only have a twenty.”
The clerk smiled awkwardly as she slid his change and ticket under the glass partition. “Enjoy your show.”
As Larsen walked through the lobby to Theater 3, he looked to his left and right several times. Once inside, he saw only one couple in their seats and chose one that was farthest away from them.
Two hours later, as the film credits rolled, Larsen felt silly for having wasted his time, but not knowing what to do with himself, he sat back while the last song played.
“How did you like the movie, Larsen?”
“Martha Joy!”
“You remembered my name.”
“Sure I do. I’ll never forget your name. Or you.”
“Nor will I forget you. This seems like an unusual choice for you. Did you need to get out of your house again like the first time we met?”
“No, um … actually, I moved out of my mother’s house in late October. I’m living with this really nice lady named Kathryn Winterstrom.”
“Oh, you moved. How did—”
“Martha Joy, can I be really honest with you? This is probably the weirdest thing I’ve ever said to anyone in my life … ”
“Feel free to speak your mind. I’ve got plenty of time and an open mind.”
“I actually came to see this movie because I was hoping you’d be here. And, no, it’s not really what I would have chosen. But I liked it okay. I learn from watching different films, you know, about people and their behavior. And right now I’m just mumbling random stuff because I’m nervous, but I want you to know that I’m very cool with everything.”
Martha Joy smiled warmly. “What exactly are you very cool with?”
“Um … something really bad happened to you about five years ago, didn’t it?”
She paused to consider the question. “You mean when I saw my husband kissing another woman in a Palm Desert restaurant?”
“Yeah. That. But, you know, the really bad thing that happened right afterward.”
“Oh, you mean when he ran out to his truck trying to flee the scene and ended up killing me?”
Larsen felt lightheaded. “Yeah. That.”
“You’ve done your homework. You’ve found me out. And I’ve tried so hard to make myself look just like you, meaning being a flesh-and-blood person. It takes an awful lot of strength, you know.”
“I only found out about you because you told me about your husband. I knew you meant Reggie Lee White because your description of him matched my mother’s new boyfriend.”
“My, my. Such a small world. Such a small town.”
“Yes. It is.”
“Are you looking for advice on how to handle that man? I wish I could help you. If I had known how to do that, I wouldn’t be caught between two worlds. I’d be in heaven, or I’d be alive.”
“I’m so sorry … I actually didn’t come to talk about Reggie or my mom.”
“You didn’t?”
“No. I saw you last weekend. You were standing outside with the crowds. I tried to reach you, but you disappeared.”
Martha Joy chuckled. “That is one of the benefits of being a ghost.”
“I think I’m dreaming.”
“Please, Larsen, tell me how you think I can help you.”
“Well, there’s kind of another ghost in town, but he’s not as easy to see or hear like you. In fact, it’s an entirely different situation. Funny thing, though, you’re both living at theaters. You’re here at the movie theater, and he’s living at the Desert Theater. I think he’s been trapped in there for forty years.”
“Do you know his name?”
“Yes. It’s Peter Winterstrom. He’s the son of the lady I live with. Just last week, she told some close friends the real story of his death. He was gay, like me, and his boyfriend’s father hated his son and Peter so much that he tried to kill both of them. But only Peter died.”
Martha Joy’s warm smile turned to a worried frown, and Larsen could see the pain on her face.
“I’m so sorry. I’ve upset you.”
“Well, I’m very unhappy to know there’s another soul in such pain.”
“Martha Joy, can you tell me why you’re here? Can you tell me why he’s here? How do I approach him? What should I say? What can I do? I’m sorry to ask, but—”
“I’m the only ghost that you know?”
Larsen felt the room begin to spin. “This is too bizarre. That’s actually kind of funny. But, yes, that’s what I’m trying to say.”
“Well, dear, when we die, there’s a very short time between our death and our transition to heaven. When I was killed, it happened instantly. There was a warm rush of luminous white light, and in it I saw my mother and my father. Their arms were outstretched, and they were beckoning me to come join them. A moment later, Snoodles, the beloved cocker spaniel I had as a child, appeared next to my mother, wagging his tail. Oh, Larsen, I so wanted to cross over. And in the distance, walking toward me, I saw my grandparents. For years, my heart ached because I missed every one of them. Joining them felt so wrong because my death had happened so quickly, and I didn’t understand why. I wasn’t ready to go.
“My mother kept asking me to come, and she tried to assure me that everything would be all right. But I simply couldn’t leave. Even when the angels came for me, I still couldn’t let go of this world despite my desire to live anew in the most br
eathtaking place I had ever seen with those that I loved and had longed to be with again. One day, when you travel this world, you’ll find magnificent beauty awaiting you at every corner of the earth. But you’ll never see anything as extraordinary as the glorious splendor that awaits you when it’s your time. The pull toward the light was so great, Larsen, but I still felt tethered to the earth. And then, with great force, I was yanked back to this in-between world, where I have searched for answers, for joy, and for peace.”
“It’s been five years. Aren’t you ready to leave yet?”
“You’d think so, but I’m not yet prepared to go.” Martha Joy paused to reflect on the words she had shared.
Larsen waited patiently for her to continue. “Are you okay?”
Yes, thank you for asking. Now, let’s talk about Peter. Yes, Larsen, you can help him.”
“How? What can I say?”
“Like me, he stayed behind because the circumstances of his death were sudden and tragic. He wasn’t prepared for the afterlife, nor could he begin to comprehend why he should be there. You must carefully reunite him with his mother and allow her to be the one to send him to the light. But before you do that, he must be able to trust you. Remember, his trust was shattered when he was alive. He carries enormous fear with him. When he is able to trust you, you will know. Truth brings forth the light. Truth is stronger than the darkness that we cloak ourselves in. Peter must have truth. He must know how much he is loved, but no doubt, his mother will remind him.”
Feeling overwhelmed, Larsen lay back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. Only seconds later, as he looked to address Martha Joy, she was gone.
Larsen got out of his seat, walked to the end of the row, then up the aisle toward the doors. As he walked through the lobby, he noticed something was different. There were three movie posters with a banner across the top corner reading Now Playing. None of the posters were of the film he had just seen, nor were they of the other two.
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