Just as they pulled in to a drive through, a Taco Bell, Darla decided to speak.
“I do indeed know how to break into cars.”
“Good. It may come up.”
Or it might not. Keeley would have to play that by ear. They ordered a lot more food than seemed natural for three girls, the slightly chubby girl in the window goggled a little at them. She looked young enough to be in school, even working at nearly eight on a week day.
“Hey, do you go to school around here?” She said it as if the girl was someone she recognized from the halls. She didn’t, but that was alright, it was just about starting a conversation.
Darla spoke before the girl with her funny visor could say anything.
“Oh, sure she does, Keeley, this is Becky Hoader. She does most of the props for the school plays. Really nice work too. I loved what you did for Macbeth. I had to actually go and touch some of those fake boulders, to see if you’d just had them carted in. Real talent there.” This got said to Becky, with enough eye contact that it seemed like Darla was hitting on the poor thing, who blushed a scarlet red.
Keeley asked if she was going to the dance, talked up the party a bit and handed over her credit card, one that Darla paid for, to settle up the bill.
“So, Becky, when do you want to be picked up?” Keeley said as if there had been some agreement and the girl was definitely going to the party.
“I have to work several of the events myself, but we can get you a ride if you want? And you can hang out with us when we’re at the Raintree party. I mean, if you want. It might end up just being us and a bonfire, but, what the hey, right? Everything is a risk and I don’t know that many people at school yet. Kind of new still.”
Eve sat up in the back seat.
“That would be cool. We’ve never really hung out. I figured it was, you know, you being one of the arts crowd and, well, I’m just a cheerleader… It could be fun though.”
Becky looked baffled and sounded a little scared, which Keeley thought she understood. What would a group of hot cheerleaders want with her? Except that they wanted what everyone did. Friends. Or in this case, being a little more mercenary, bodies at a party. The nice safe one that would have police standing by to keep trouble down.
“Oh, God… Duh.” Keeley held her forehead in her right hand for a second, a real gesture even, not something contrived.
“Guys, don’t let me forget, we should invite Maria too, she really liked Rob and she shouldn’t be alone, if she doesn’t already have other plans.”
Becky passed the second large bag to Darla. Who handed them both to Keeley. It smelled really good. For a half second she almost tore into the bag without waiting to get her card back.
Becky’s mouth opened just a bit, not shocked as much as just as if she was thinking something new.
“Wait, Maria Gonzales? She’s a friend of mine. I mean, we’ve worked together on props, and sit together at lunch sometimes. I didn’t know she liked Rob. She didn’t mention it to me. No wonder she’s been so down this last week. She’s really sweet too, it’s horrible to watch.”
That seemed to decide the girl, knowing someone in common who was nice, and she agreed to go, though she could drive herself, possibly pick up Maria too, maybe a few other people, if they wanted to go.
Keeley cheered inside her head. If it worked out that was one, maybe even two, whole people that would be showing up. It was possibly a two hundred percent increase.
“Everyone is welcome. Actually, if you could make a point of letting people know, that would be incredible. Oh, tell the guys that if our party numbers beat Wilson High’s we’re sending girls around to flash the crowd. Hot ones too. Darla already said she would and Eve just might. So, that might get a few more people to show up.
“Really?” Becky looked very skeptical, but Darla nodded.
“Yes. See what levels Keeley makes me stoop to? Hardly fair, but there you have it, she promised to organize a party and it seems nothing is going to stand in her way, not even having me branded the school slut. Sigh. It’s almost enough to make me hope one of the other schools win. Then I’ll at least only have to worry about the pictures being seen on the Internet.”
She shook her head sadly, but then grinned and winked at the girl who blushed again.
“Say, are you in too? All four of us could do it, then we’re just being wild and adventurous, not worthy of scorn.”
Becky laughed and sent them on their way, but seemed happy enough about having been asked. So there was that if nothing else.
After that Darla took Eve home and told her to hide the handgun, referring to it as a nine millimeter specifically, under the trailer she and her mother lived in. It would be harder for her drugged addled mom to find that way. The woman wasn’t evil or anything, from what Eve said, but Keeley knew for a fact that she was a horrible person. Not mean, true, but if she hadn’t known that her little daughter was being repeatedly raped by her “boyfriends”, Keeley would give up eating for a week. The only good thing about the whole situation was that Eve’s mom was probably going to die inside the next ten years and her friend would be out of there inside two.
Even if she had to join the army or something to do it.
It was part of her current plan to make sure she got away. No matter what.
They couldn’t wait, since they had to get Keeley home before nine, or her father would have a problem. He might already. She was with Darla, who he both wanted to have sex with and secretly thought Keeley already was. It would have goaded her into some kind of teen rebellion, but really, she didn’t have time for it right now. Maybe in a couple hundred years?
They hurried and she ate the whole time they drove, fairly stuffing food into her mouth. It was gross, unladylike and got sour cream and refried beans all over her hands, but she finished it all before they got in the driveway. Darla slid her little car in right next to Frieda and sighed mightily. It was a put upon thing and she shook her head, almost imperceptibly, which got Keeley to look for herself.
There was a huge scratch all the way down the left side of it. One that obviously had involved a nice, bright yellow car, probably something older and American. Like a taxi in color, except all those in the area were white and red checkers, or a light blue.
Keeley pointed.
“Crud. I’m sorry Darla. She’s normally a good driver. Not perfect but…”
This got waved away casually, “just a thing, Keels, besides you can get it fixed, I’ll get you the information for my body shop, they know the right color paint for her. This wasn’t an accident though. Look at the line, how it scrapes along the side like this? Someone side swiped her. Then they turned into her near the front, see how the dent gets bigger? It was poorly executed, so an amateur. They should have turned into the tail end, its lighter, making it easier to move. On a front wheel drive force on the back wheels is harder to correct for too.” She pointed at a second line, perceptible even in the dim light coming from over the garage.
“This is where your mom floored it. Frieda probably outran them easily once she knew to run. People tend not to react correctly at first to attacks, not knowing they’re real. I need to check on your mother and make sure she’s alright.”
They jogged into the house, to find Sherry being held by Charles on the sofa, being rocked gently.
“Mom! Are you OK? We were looking at Frieda. What happened, are you hurt?” Running to her, Keeley put her arms out, which was unusual enough that her dad backed away slightly so that she could hug her mother.
After being hit with the whole story, along with the rest of her life again, including the information that Sherry, did indeed, know all about Keeley’s strange heritage, though she didn’t know that Keeley knew any of it for herself. Finias had told her what she was, but not that their daughter knew about it.
Interesting.
After a few moments Darla walked over, which got Sherry to bite her lip. “Ah, it was a hit and run. I don’t know if the insurance will cover it or not.” She sounded extremely worried about it.
“No big thing if they don’t Mrs. Thomson. Keeley is going to get it into the shop in the morning and we’ll get her fixed up good as new. It’s mainly just cosmetic anyway. I’ll see if I can get Grandma to rent a car for tomorrow, Keels, or maybe lend you a company car. I know there are some. Possibly not as nice as Frieda, but it’s only for a few days.”
That led to Charles asking why his daughter needed a car at all, and Darla chattering merrily on about how busy the day would really be.
“Which means missing two days of school in a row. I can’t like that.” Keeley knew she sounded sad and meant it. She kind of liked school. The work was a little easy, but she made up for that by watching all the interesting goings on and trying to understand the social web of the place. That and making sure she had as close to an “A+” average as possible. Not that it would make a difference later, but it was nice to know she was doing well.
Then her father did something totally unlike him, and shrugged.
“Well, don’t worry about it. You get good grades and two days won’t really make that go away. Plus, spending your day going from school to school has to count. In spirit if nothing else. Get your homework though, I don’t want you fretting all weekend because you forgot.” He smiled and tried to actually look supportive.
It was…
Odd.
Nice, but so different from what she expected that she wondered if it was a trick, or trap. She patted his shirt sleeve covered arm, making enough contact to get the idea. Word had gone around Coretechs, and it was not only suggested that all the employees’ kids go to their schools party, but that a massive citywide Halloween party be done as well. That idea seemed to come from some middle management guy. Not Dan Carmichael and not Darla.
It was also a cool idea. This could act as a kind of test for that possibly?
She’d run it by the others and see if they could find the guy with the idea, after all, if he was using it to social climb or get noticed at work, no reason he shouldn’t get the credit for it. It was, at least potentially, a good PR move. Especially if it was something for everyone. They’d need to hurry if that was the case, to get the word out. As it was, the five parties the next day probably wouldn’t have much by way of attendance. Just not enough time to get anything major going.
Things happened quickly for a bit after that, Darla writing down the information for her body shop and making a few calls to set that up, including someone to come get the van and take it in, knowing that Keeley might not have time for it.
Then she said her goodbyes and left without touching anyone, mainly to keep Charles from thinking the wrong thing. It was a constant stressor in their lives, trying to make sure they didn’t have contact with anyone so that he wouldn’t think the wrong things about them. She started to feel put upon by it, tired of it, but then stopped that and tried to feel very strong and energetic as well as focused and like a hundred year old Demon pretending to be a sixteen year old girl.
It was a lot and took some energy, but at least she’d finally had enough to eat, for now.
Sherry got up, still shaking and a bit pale and started cleaning, trying to use familiar ritual to make herself feel better, Keeley knew. It was a decent idea, but the place was clean already.
“Mom, do you need help putting the flowers together for tomorrow?”
Sherry’s eyes shot open wide.
“Right. I guess I do. I have the flowers, they’re in my office, with the AC turned up on high. I got sidetracked and forgot to do anything with them, I just ran out for some extra tape and then the next thing I know a big tan car was hitting me. I guess that’s not a very good excuse is it?”
“Pretty good actually. Wasn’t it yellow though? The car? The scrape on Frieda is a nice bright yellow.”
“What? No, definitely tan. I don’t know why it would look like that in the dark though. But to answer your question, yes, I’d love some help getting the flowers ready, they have to be ready for pick up tomorrow afternoon. I’m taking them to your school…” She leaned in, whispering slightly.
“That won’t embarrass you will it? I don’t want to damage your reputation or anything.”
“What, having my hot mom show up? Shouldn’t be a problem. Especially since we’ve all been out spending the last several hours telling people that we’d be flashing people at whichever party had the largest percentage of their school in attendance. I’d blame Darla, but it was really kind of my idea too. I went along with it at least. The basic idea is that, if there’s no alcohol, and there won’t be, we need to have something at least a little daring to make it interesting. Now I just need to go up two breast sizes by tomorrow and it won’t be a problem.” Keeley shook her head, expecting Sherry to make one of her normal, shocked faces.
“Well, have fun, and remember, high school only lasts for a few more years, then you can move on to college where that kind of thing is expected. You can go without a bra though, since you’re not too big, and wear a t-shirt, so it will be easier. Of course the police might have a problem with it, so you may want to find out about that first.” Now she smiled, as if her point would actually change anything.
It earned the older woman a nod though, which got a happy smile. Her new short hair looked pretty good on Sherry. Keeley kind of wondered if she should think about trying the same thing? Her hair wasn’t a problem, but she was thin enough to give it a shot now, if she wanted.
“I’ll run it by Roy and see what he says then. Good idea.”
“Roy?”
“The Chief of Police. Roy Benson. Just a warning though, if it’s legal at all, he’s kind of a perv, so he might just say yes. Got to tell you, I’m really hoping I can pawn the whole thing off an Eve and Darla. It seems a little embarrassing just thinking about it.” She made herself blush a bit.
Sherry sighed.
“You’re suddenly growing up so fast. Soon you’ll be out of the house and starting your own life. I’m going to miss talking to you like this. I know we haven’t always been that close, I’ve tried to be a good mother, but with everything, my troubles and all, I think I’ve failed more often than not.”