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Viewing Note: This story should be viewed with the Edwardian Script ITC font installed on your Windows platform in the c:/Windows/Fonts directory. Microsoft Word installs this font automatically.

Photo Credit: Provided by PB.
 

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Chapter 5
 

The next morning, a concerned Jenny softly knocked before entering Gaby’s room. Instead of seeing Drew getting ready for school, she saw her daughter sitting on the edge of her bed, still in her underwear and showing clear signs that she’d been crying.

“Mum … I’m not going back there … not after last night! You know as well as I do that the whole school’ll know about me before lunch … and then what?” Gaby quietly declared while holding Drew’s school uniform in her lap. “If I have to … I’ll repeat the year in Germany, but I’m not going back … I can’t…”

Jenny was torn as she heard the fear in her daughter’s voice. Jules’ words came back to haunt her with a sickening accuracy.

“Drew’s dead!” Gaby’s voice trailed off as she flopped back onto her bed still holding Drew’s shirt and then promptly burst into tears while she buried her head in one of her pillows.

Jenny slowly sat down on the bed beside Gaby while gently stroking her hair. She knew that for her daughter’s sake, she had to appear strong despite being only too aware of the devastating effect Maddy’s ‘outing’ had on her child and the family.

“Why Mum? Why did she do it?” Gaby asked her pillow between sobs. Jenny swallowed her tears before leaning over and giving her a kiss on the back of her head.

“I can’t answer that, sweetheart … but don’t worry … we’ll get through this. Until we figure something out … neither Drew nor Gaby will be going back to school … I promise … okay?” Jenny whispered in her daughter’s ear. “When you’re up to it … come downstairs and we’ll talk.”

Jules was just finishing up her toast and tea when her mother slowly walked into the kitchen, poured a cup for herself and then joined her daughter at the table.

“Jules … I think I'm going to go see Mr. Woods today and I’d very much like you to be there when I do.”

Jenny was thankful she was only teaching part-time three days a week and with today being one of her off-days, she could focus on Gaby’s problem.

“Sure … but why do you want me?”

“…Because, other than Gaby … you’re the only one who knows how it really was for your sister. I’d like you to tell him everything that you told us.” As Jules was about to speak, Jenny interrupted her and emphasized, “…And I do mean … everything … understand?”

“Even…”

“Even that...”

“When you need me, just have somebody come get me out of sets,” Jules quietly agreed.

“I’m also taking your sister out of Warsop College as of now. She’s terrified of going back, as either Drew or Gaby … and after what she went through last night and at that American school, I can’t possibly blame her.”

“What about her year?”

“I’d really like to see her get that … but she told me in no uncertain terms that she’d rather repeat her year in Germany, than go back. On a positive note … if I let her go with your dad, she could use the time to ease into life in Germany … make new friends and learn the language.”

Silence fell between the two, while Jules thought about her words.

“Mum? Could I do the same as Gabs, then? I’m not going to be able to complete my GCSE’s if I can’t complete my year … so why try? I mean … you’ve already said that English school in Bonn doesn’t necessarily teach the same sets as here, so wouldn’t it be better if I re-did my year like Gabs and…?” Jules wondered.

“Good point. You’d be okay with that? Repeating … I mean,” Jenny asked. “Schools in Germany might be very different than here.” Jules eagerly nodded a reply.

“Alright … I’ll take you out as well … but for now, you’d better get a move on if you’re going to meet the bus ... and don’t say anything about your sister or Drew, until we see Mr. Woods…” Jenny firmly reminded Jules.

After Jules left for school, Jenny sat alone in the kitchen nursing her tea and thinking about events in the last couple of days. A short time later Gaby walked in and proceeded to get some breakfast.

“Any plans today, dear?” Jenny asked.

“I guess I’ll try to figure out what to do next,” Gaby solemnly replied. “Maybe I’ll pack up Drew’s stuff for charity.”

“Best not give his clothes away just yet … at least until we sort things … but you can certainly pack them up,” Jenny suggested.

“…’kay.” Gaby agreed. “Mum? … Helen told me last night that she wants to meet Gaby, so I asked her to come around after school … an’ I kinda told her to bring her bike around so Dad can take a look at it…” Gaby added, sounding a bit more upbeat. “Is that okay?”

“I don’t see why not,” Jenny cheerfully answered. Following a short pause, she rose from her chair and put her empty tea cup in the sink.

“Well … I think I’m going to get dressed and go see my boss. After last night … I should think we have a few things to discuss.”

“Do I…”

“I don’t think you’d need to be there … not this time, anyway. You stay here and gather yourself.” Jenny then went upstairs to change while her youngest finished breakfast and washed-up.

Later when she returned, Gaby noticed how much better her mum looked than just a few days earlier.

“Well … I’m off … shan’t be too long, I expect. How’d I look?”

“You look great, Mum … much better than I’ve seen you in a long time,” Gaby replied as she gave her mum a hug.

As Jenny backed the van out of their close, Gaby prepared to go upstairs, shower and dress.

“Thanks a hell of a lot, Maddy! Well … only one way to go, kiddo ... an’ that’s forward…”

After her shower, Gaby dried and brushed her hair and then did her make-up. Throwing on a black bra and matching panties, she sat on her bed and looked at her reflection in her new full-length mirror on the closet door. What she saw was a very pretty teenage girl looking back at her with absolutely no trace of Drew.

“…Then again, maybe Mad did me a favour. It’s not exactly how I would’ve done it … but at least I don’t have to pretend anymore.”

As she opened her closet to find something to wear, she caught sight of her soft-sided suitcase and remembered that it still contained the presents she was given in Grottoes by the ‘Express’. She reached for the case and put it on the bed before unzipping the large ‘pocket’ on the front. From it, she took out a number of cards and three presents, one from Erin, Frank and a rather large one that Frank had written ‘Fragile’ on the front. Reaching further down into the ‘pocket’, she pulled out her race number from the ‘Winter Classic’ that Lance had autographed. While she sat on the edge of her bed with her case beside her, she fondly looked at the cards and ran her hand slowly over each one, cherishing each and every sentiment while remembering her American friends.

“Was it only three weeks ago?”

Eventually she came out of her daydreaming and focused her attention onto the presents. The first one she opened was the one from the ‘Express’. Gaby quickly recognized it as the team photo taken in Atlanta, only Frank had it framed and signed by all the others.

“Damn these hormones!” Gaby thought as the tears started to form.

After drying her eyes and armed with a fresh tissue, Gaby opened Frank’s present. As she took it out of the box and held it up in front of her, she saw it was a cycling jersey of a non-descript rainbow design, with a matching sports bra top pinned to the back.

“It’s beautiful, Frank … thank you.”

She smiled as she admired the multi-coloured jersey at arm’s length. After she lovingly folded it and put it aside, she reached for the next present.

Erin’s present was a buff-coloured diary with dark brown leather edging and the words “Gaby’s Diary” in a flowing Edwardian script that matched the edging. Below her name was the image of a single red rose bloom. When she opened it up, she noticed a simple handwritten note on the first page.

“Gaby – You’re one amazing young lady and I feel honored to have had the chance to get to know you. Happy birthday, girl! - Erin, 2004”

When Gaby ran her hand over the diary, the memories of her time on the bike with the ‘Express’ rushed past her mind’s eye. As she relived each one, she was more and more determined that she wasn’t going to break down and cry. A short time later, she found herself in front of a mirror, removing her old make-up and re-applying it.

She decided to display the opened cards on her computer desk and set Erin’s diary on the corner of her nightside table. Meanwhile, she also kept looking for that perfect place to hang the team photo. After temporarily placing it next to the cards, she turned her attention to Jessica’s present. At first Gaby thought it was a blouse or a skirt or something because the box said “J.C.Penny” and Jessica knew several outfits had caught her eye when she and Jules went shopping with her. However, when Gaby opened it, the contents and the fond memories they recalled brought another flood of tears to her eyes.

While she thumbed through the box, Gaby realized it contained all the aboriginal jewellery that she’d tried on during the weekend with Jessica, including the knee-high moccasin boots she wore instead of Maddy’s gaudy fluffy slippers. As she carefully emptied the box, she placed each item on her bed starting with the moccasin boots, then a beaded choker, three different pair of feather earrings, the Nighthawk feather for her hair and finally, a bracelet, inlaid with three polished stones. When she got to what she thought was the bottom of the box, she noticed that it was actually a couple of layers of white tissue paper. As she removed the paper, she saw that Jessica had also included the two, ten-inch dream-catchers that had hung over her and Jessica’s beds.

After spotting the time on her clock radio by the bed, she reluctantly decided it was time to finish getting dressed. While rummaging through her closet, she eventually settled on the stone-washed fitted denim shirt and the faded low-rise, pencil-leg, blue jeans that both of the Walters sister’s convinced her to get on one of their shopping trips with their mom. Remembering that Jules always told her it’s easier to pull on tight jeans over a pair of tights, she opened a new package and pulled them on before tackling the jeans. Next she slipped her nylon-clad feet into her moccasin boots and pulled them up over her jeans. Gaby finally took the tan leather belt Debbie insisted upon to complete her ‘denim look’ and threaded it through the belt loops.

“These moccasins’ look hot with these jeans! I’ll be glad when it’s dry enough to wear them outside.”

Lastly, she chose Jessica’s beaded choker and a pair of earrings with a small single feather on each one, to complete the ensemble.

After casually rolling up her sleeves to a point just below the elbows like Britney showed her and leaving the top two buttons undone, Gaby walked back over and closed her closet door. Looping a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear, she once again stood in front of her full-length mirror and inspected herself from every angle. With her shirt tucked in, the jeans emphasized her waist and hips to perfection. Now the only thing remaining was for her mum to get back to show her!

“Whatever you say about Brit … that girl knows her denim! I wish Jessica could see this.”

After carefully re-packing the Nighthawk feather and the rawhide string in the same gift box Jessica used, Gaby put it and the bracelet temporarily on the top of her computer desk, then turned her attention to thinning out the closet and her dresser. In a couple of hours she had all of Drew’s clothes neatly piled on her bed and all of Gaby’s clothes neatly arranged in her dresser and closet.

“When you get right down to it, I really don’t have that much … do I? Bet Mad would just love to have the chance to help me correct this little problem. Oh, well … there’s always Jules,” Gaby smirked to herself as she inspected her handiwork.

Meanwhile at Warsop College, Jenny was greeted in the hall by Mrs. Johnston as both women approached the school’s main office.

“Morning, Mary. Would it be possible to have a moment with Mr. Woods?”

“Don’t see why not. Is it pertaining to yourself?” Mrs. Johnston cheerfully replied.

“Not this time, I’m afraid,” Jenny allowed.

“I saw Jules earlier, but I haven’t seen your youngest … nothing seriously wrong I hope,” Mrs. Johnston sounded concerned.

“That’s yet to be determined, I fear.”

“Well, I’ll let him know you’re here,” Mary responded as they both entered the school’s administration office.

The tone of Jenny’s reply was somewhat ‘distressing’ to Mary as she always had a soft spot for the child ever since she first helped Gaby prepare for her ‘modelling debut’ in one of the school’s earlier information brochures.

A short time later, Mr. Woods appeared in the door to his office.

“Please come in Jenny. I understand you wanted to see me?” As Mr. Woods shut his office door, he motioned for her to take a seat in one of the two chairs by his desk.

“It’s rather delicate matter, I’m afraid. It concerns Gaby. Would it also be possible to have Jules and Fran join us?”

“Certainly ... is something wrong?”

“You could say that. There was an incident last night that involved Gaby and some other students from this school,” Jenny quietly stated.

Mr. Woods went back out into the main office and asked that the two people Jenny requested, be summoned to his office and then he returned to sit down in the high-back leather chair behind his desk. When the two ladies entered, Mr. Woods offered each a chair then handed things over to Jenny.

“Knowing everyone involved, makes this all the harder …” Jenny nervously stated.

“You said it involved Gaby … how?” Mr. Woods inquired.

“It was her birthday yesterday, but this concerns the conduct of two of her friends at her party last night and unfortunately, Gaby was their victim.

“I see … by any chance … were these friends with Gaby in Virginia?”

“Yes … how?...”

“A lucky guess. I read Fran’s student evaluations over mid-term,” Mr. Woods replied. “I think I’d better have Mary sit in. Is that okay with you, Jenny?”

She nodded her approval as Mr. Woods rose to go to his door and asked Mrs. Johnston to join them.

“You know my feelings about our students bullying others … in or out of, sets. From what little you’ve said so far … it sounds as if it's a little more involved to say it was simply a matter of kids being kids,” Mr. Woods continued.

“Would you characterize these actions as deliberate and done with malicious intent?”

“Reluctantly ... I’d have to say ‘yes’.” Knowing what it could mean for Maddy and her feelings for the child, made Jenny carefully consider her words before answering.

“Then it’s only prudent that Mary be present at this meeting. If any disciplinary action were to be considered against these students … she’d have to also be privy to all the information … so, she might as well hear it first-hand … so to speak.” Mr. Woods fumed as he returned to his desk. Once she arrived, Mr. Wood gave the ‘floor’ back to Jenny.

“I think it better if Jules takes this. As both girls were hosted by the Walters and this all started in Virginia, she’s the best one to tell it,” Jenny suggested.

“Thanks, Mum. Like I told my parents when Gabs and I talked with them the other day … between the American and British kids … things quickly became so bad for her in Grottoes that I ended up having to talk with her almost every night before bed ... just to keep her from falling apart. There were even a few nights, when I just sat up holding her and let her cry. I either personally saw everything that I'm going to tell you … or Gabs told me during those talks ... but … I saw the effects of what the other kids did to her … every day.”

Jules then proceeded to recount Gaby’s American experience in some detail, including her failed suicide attempt. Fran referred to her notes to confirm Jules’ story. She concluded by mentioning Gaby’s strained relationship with the ‘gang’ after their return to Warsop and her birthday party the previous evening. When she mentioned the pending move to Germany, Jenny jumped right in and explained about Dave’s job offer as well as what it potentially meant for the family and Gaby.

“If you’d like, sir … you could also speak with Allison Lacey about either the exchange visit or the party,” Jules suggested.

“I never would’ve thought that Maddy … and what’s with Em … umm …Rhod? I thought he and Drew … er … Gaby … well … you know who I mean!”

Mr. Woods was getting more flustered as he fumbled with his thoughts.

“We do sir,” Fran quietly agreed.

“I thought those two were mates! Seems they’ve known each for ever … certainly as long as I’ve been here.” Mr. Woods was livid upon hearing that the main antagonists were not only so-called friends of Gaby, but were students of Warsop College.

Addressing Jenny once more, he asked, “Is Gaby…?” Mr. Woods paused ever so briefly, as he recalled his earlier faux pas the morning the kid’s returned from the States. “Is she okay?”

“As well as can be expected I guess … considering all she’s been through. She’s vowed never to pose as Drew again and is understandably quite apprehensive to appear at the school as either Gaby or Drew for fear of what the others will say or think when they find out … and she’s positive they will,” Jenny admitted.

“Considering the circumstances, I think it best that I remove both Gaby and Jules from school … until we’ve moved to Germany and I can enroll them at the start of the next school year,” Jenny announced as the meeting was drawing to a close. “Both girls have told me they’d rather repeat their year in a German school instead of remaining here.”
What about ‘home schooling’? I’m sure that we could let them complete the year by correspondence. At least, they might be able to save their year,” Mrs. Johnston wondered.

“I thought of that, but letting them go with their father whenever he goes to Germany seems to be the better choice. It’ll give them a chance to become comfortable with life there … reduce the culture shock, if you will … before they’re thrown into a German school,” Jenny thoughtfully replied.

“I can see how that would be much better for them,” Miss Cowlishaw pointed out.

“My thoughts, exactly,” Jenny agreed. She then brought the three other staff members up to speed with the timing of the move and family’s efforts to change Gaby’s legal status.

When Jules and Fran rose from their chairs to return to their respective sets, Mr. Woods assured Jenny that he would alter Gaby’s records as soon as her birth certificate was changed and that there would be no problem with complying with her wishes to remove the girls.

As Jenny was leaving his office, Mr. Woods poked his head out the door and addressed one of the secretaries.

“Gail, could you please call Madeline Peter’s parents as well as Rhoderri Morgan’s mother and set up a meeting for tomorrow, if possible … Monday … if tomorrow’s not convenient. You’ll find contact information for both students on Mr. Pilling’s home form list.”

"I'M BACK, DEAR," Jenny called out when she finally returned home. As she sat her bag down on the hall table, she wondered if she was even heard over the music coming from upstairs.

“Bang! Bang! … BANG!” She quickly ran upstairs to Gaby’s room upon hearing all the noise.

Standing silently outside of the opened bedroom door, she crossed her arms and took in the whole scene. Suppressing an audible giggle, Jenny inwardly smiled as she watched her youngest daughter, her back turned to the door and singing along with Roxette’s ‘The Look’* while seductively swaying to the music and admiring her own handy-work of successfully hanging a picture, the hammer still in her hand.

“…Heavenly bound cos heaven's got a number
When she's spinning me around, kissing is a colour
Her loving is a wild dog, she's got the look …"

"…She's got the look (she's got the look)
She's got the look (she's got the look)
What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue
When everything I'll ever do I do for you
And I go la la la la la..."

“LOOKS GOOD!” Jenny playfully announced in a loud voice.

“She's got the lo …! EEK! … MUMMM!” Gaby jumped when she heard her mother’s voice. Upon turning around and seeing Jenny standing in the doorway, she frantically rushed to turn down the music.

“You scared the crap outta me! … ‘Ow long you been standing there?” Gaby demanded in a pout.

Jenny tried to hide the huge grin as she saw her daughter standing there, all stiff with feet firmly planted apart and arms tightly folded beneath her breasts. Capping it all off was the unmistakable deep crimson blush of embarrassment.

“Long enough, kiddo. Parent’s tend come home when you least expect them to,” Jenny freely advised. “Believe me … you’re not the first…”

“Mummmm,” Gaby whined as she visibly relaxed her stance.

“…And I certainly didn’t dance like that at 14,” Jenny lovingly observed. “Maddy?”

“Debbie…” Gaby weakly answered as she bit her lower lip. “She saw me dancing by myself an’ I guess I wasn’t too good ‘cuz she stuck around an’ tried to teach me.”

“It looks like she did a good job…” Gaby blushed even more with her mother’s comment. “Maybe … even a bit … too good?””

“She said the best advise she could give me was to close my eyes, listen to the music an’ move however it makes me feel.”

“Hmmm … maybe I should try that … if I can ever get your ‘ol man to take me dancing, again!” Jenny joked and then she turned her attention to the room.

“May I?”

Gaby stood aside as her mother slowly walked into her room.

“You’ve been busy, I see!” Jenny enthused as she gingerly picked through the several neatly folded piles of Drew’s clothes lying on her daughter’s bed.

“Thought I’d get Drew’s clothes ready to pack…” Gaby quietly replied.

“Good idea!” Jenny agreed. It wasn’t long before she spied Dave’s red toolbox, sitting open on Gaby’s computer desk.

“And your father’s toolbox?”

“I was hanging a few things?” Gaby innocently answered.

Jenny turned around to face her daughter and calmly looked at the hammer in her daughter’s hand.

“Uh huh … speaking of which …better give that to me.”

She then slowly walked back over to Gaby’s desk and returned it to the tool box before calmly closing the lid.

“What’s all this other stuff?”

“Birthday gifts from the ‘Express’.” Gaby became quite animated as she proceeded to show her mother her gifts. “Look! ... Erin gave me this diary … an’ look at wot she wrote in it.”

She was positively beaming when she showed off Frank’s gift and the cards from her American friends.

“You think Dad could make a frame for my number?” Gaby asked as Jenny examined her daughter’s autographed race number.

“I thought I’d hang it right below the ‘Express’ photo.”

“I think he could ... why don’t you ask him when he gets home?”

“…’Kay.”

“You know … I still can’t believe you actually asked Lance for his autograph in the middle of a race,” Jenny playfully commented.

“Seemed a good idea at the time,” Gaby smugly replied.

“I like these … where’d you find them?” Jenny asked while examining one of Gaby’s earrings.

“From Jess … erm … Miss Bell!”

“That’s okay, Kiddo … we don’t have to worry about you slipping up in front of Mr. Woods anymore,” Jenny joked. “Anyway, you were saying?”

“I was telling Jessica about Dad’s interests in castles an’ things … then she told me about her interest in the American Civil War and the North American Indians.”

“And…?”

“She’s got a whole bunch of aboriginal clothes an’ jewellery … an’ she let me try some of it on.”

“I take it these were some of her things?” Jenny asked while gesturing towards her daughter’s ear.

“Yeah (putting her hand up to carefully feel her earring) ... but there’s more. She sent me all the stuff I tried on!” Gaby revealed. “She also gave me these moccasin boots an’ this choker.” Going into her drawer, she pulled out the box containing the Nighthawk feather, the bracelet and the other earrings that Jessica sent. “An’ this…”

“A feather?” Jenny wondered as she gingerly picked up the feather.

“It’s a tail feather from a Nighthawk … you wear it in your hair ... on the left side.”

“Only the left…” Jenny repeated.

“Uh huh … according to Jessica!” Gaby excitedly affirmed.

“You’ll have to show me some time,” Jenny replied, obviously intrigued with the image her daughter presented.

As Jenny stood and looked Gaby over, she couldn’t help but smile as she exclaimed, “It takes some teenage girls forever to find ‘it’ … but I think you’ve just found your ‘look’.” Gaby blushed at her mum’s compliment.

“You look very lovely, dear…” Jenny whispered into her daughter’s ear as they hugged each other.

“Look at what else she sent!”

“There’s more?”

Gaby turned her mum to look at the wall above the headboard of her bed. Jenny saw what looked like a wooden hoop with spider-web in the middle and three feathers hanging down from the bottom of the hoop.

“What is it?”

“A dream-catcher!” Gaby enthused.

“A dream-catcher,” Jenny flatly echoed.

“All the different Indian tribes believe that a ‘Great Spirit’ … is … like … in charge of everything an’ he sends down dreams from the sky when you sleep. The dream-catcher hangs above the head of who’s ever sleeping and attracts all those dreams. Only the good dreams find their way through the web and to the person sleeping below. Jess has a bunch of stuff from different Indian tribes all over.”

Showing her mum a hand-written note from Jessica, Gaby proudly mentioned, “She wrote me this…”

“Happy Birthday Gabs.....”

"I hope you’ve had a wonderful day, just wish I could have been there with you. Recalling our weekend, it wasn’t hard to find something that I thought you’d like short of sending you Paint.”

"If you found this note, you’ve found the ‘dream-catchers’. When you were here, the one over your bed seemed to work just fine, so I thought, considering… you’d like to continue having it watch over you at night. Also, knowing what Jules went through in supporting you, I felt she could use one as well."

"I’m very sorry you had to put up with everything you did, but if any good came out of it — it had to be the time I was able to spend with you. Tomorrow’s going to be so very hard, watching you leave."

"I know you have my email, so use it often.”

"Hugs, Jessica”

“I’ve already hung the one for Jules in her room … to catch all her nightmares…”

“That was very nice of Miss Bell. You’ll certainly have to thank her.”

“I will…”

“Ah … who or what is this ‘Paint’ she mentions in her letter?”

“She’s got two horses an’ that’s the one I always rode. Jess says we bonded.”

“I thought you didn’t get along with horses…”

“I didn’t…” Gaby smugly replied.

“Oh...” Jenny softly replied with a knowing nod.

Following a short thoughtful silence, Gaby added in a weak voice, “I really liked staying with her, Mum…”

The two then embraced and tightly held onto each other for several minutes.

“I wish I could meet her … she sounds like a wonderful woman,” Jenny whispered.

“She said the same thing about you,” Gaby softly replied.

After they released each other, Jenny turned her attention to the piles of clothes on the bed.
“As for these … I think we can safely pack them up. You won’t be needing them anymore, will you?”

“No,” Gaby replied as the two started to sort the piles as to what was still usable and what was to be thrown out.

While they were putting the clothes into either boxes for charity or bags to be collected with the rest of the garbage, Jenny filled Gaby in on the meeting with Mr. Woods. When it looked like they were finished, she went over and opened Gaby’s closet.

“I thought something was missing,” Jenny mentioned. “I don’t think you’ll need those anymore, either…” She then stood and watched as Gaby brought out both of her school uniforms and put them in one of the boxes.

“It looks … so … like … empty now!” Gaby playfully mimicked Britney’s ‘valley girl’ impression as she looked into her closet. Jenny stopped closing the last box and turned around to inspect this new discovery.

“Hmmm … you do need more clothes, don’t you?” Jenny quietly agreed. “I suppose we could always go to Meadowhall on Saturday … that’s, if you want to.”

Gaby immediately broke into a big smile and threw her arms around her mum’s neck as she gave her a long hug.

”C’mon, let’s get this cleaned up … put these boxes in the car. It’s a bit past lunchtime, but we can grab something in town after dropping this stuff off … okay? I don’t want to be too long, though. I’d like to get back here and try and get a bit of a rest before your friend comes.”

“I’ll have to change shoes, first. I’m not wearing these moccasins outside until the summer, when it’s drier … I’ll ruin them,” Gaby told her mum as she left the room.

After loading the car, she ran back up to her room to touch up her make-up and as a bit of an afterthought, decided to put the Nighthawk feather in her hair to show her mum and grabbed the bracelet that Jessica gave her.

As Gaby reached the bottom of the stairs, Jenny noticed something different about her daughter.

“You’re wearing your feather!”

“Uh huh … you wanted to see how it looked.”

“How…” Jenny stared to ask as she lightly touched the side of Gaby’s head.

“Remember that rawhide string I showed you? All you do is braid it into the hair … just enough to hold it in place. Then push the quill through the braided part, so that the feather hangs down … an’ yer done!”

“Simple … but very alluring. I like it!” Jenny exclaimed.

“Jessica said that for special occasions, they’d wear a decorative ‘shield’ to cover where the quill goes through the braid.”

“Did she send you one?”

“No … that’s one thing I don’t think she had.”

On the way out to the car, Gaby grabbed Drew’s black leather jacket and her bag. As she quickly threw it on and zipped it up, she ran her hands up the back of her neck as if she’d done it all her life, flipping her long hair out from underneath the jacket. Jenny watched her daughter in wonderment as she performed this simple act done by girls all over the world.

“Being a girl comes so naturally to her. Was having a son named Drew, just a dream?” Jenny wondered.

When she got into the front passenger seat beside her mum, Gaby commented, “I’m keeping the jacket!”

Jenny put the Saab in gear and soon they were in town, off loading the boxes of clothes at a used clothing store. After they finished, they went off in search of food, eventually settling for some chips before heading back.

Once back in the house, they both headed upstairs. As Gaby started to enter her room, she turned and looked at her mother as she was walking past.

“Mum? You realize that we just laid Drew to rest, don’t you?”

Knowing exactly what her daughter meant, all Jenny could offer was a whispered, “I know,” as she reached out and touched Gaby’s hand. She then continued to her room after asking Gaby to wake her when school got out, figuring that would give her some time to wake up before Helen arrived.

“I'M BAAACCKK,” shouted Jules as she and Helen later came into the house after school let out.

“Hi, dear. Have a good day at school? Oh ... hello, Helen…” Jenny greeted the two girls as they entered the kitchen.

“Hi, Mrs. Bond … is Dre … umm … Gaby in?” Helen shyly asked.

Almost as if on cue, Gaby walked into the kitchen looking for a tea.

Both girls were taken with her appearance. Jules thought the feather was ‘kew-el’ and Helen was delighted to finally meet the real Gaby.

A few minutes later, Jules was helping herself to a glass of juice when she casually began a conversation with her mother.

“Mr. Woods is really out for blood, Mum. He called me in again when he was talking with Ally and Bernie this afternoon. I’d hate to be Maddy or Rrrr-Em about now!” Jules caught herself remembering that Helen was right beside her.

“Does he think you had anything to do with it?” Jenny inquired, curious as to why Jules should be called into see the Headmaster a second time.

“I guess I was there more to ‘challenge’ anything I thought sounded wrong,” Jules casually replied.

“Ally and Bernie … like … agreed with everything. To hear them talk, neither one knew what was going to happen until it happened … an’ by the sound of Ally’s story, she wasn’t the least bit pleased with Em ... either in Virginia ... or here!”

Jules turned to Gaby and softly said, “Sis … Bernie won’t stop talking about how she let you down on the trip. I know you’ve told her she has nothing to feel ashamed of … but maybe you should talk to her again.”

“I’ll call her tonight.”

Taking that as her cue to leave and let Jules and her mum talk, Gaby asked Helen to go back outside and wheel her bike through to the workshop when she opened the garage door. After bringing her bike in and laying it against the workbench, Helen was amazed as she gazed in wonderment at all the bikes and biking accessories that surrounded her.

“These all yours?” Helen asked.

“Hardly … the dusty one belongs to Jules … the dusty one with the flat tire, is Dad’s … these four are Mum’s … an’ these three are mine … an’ this is the tandem that Mum an’ I sometimes ride together,” Gaby proudly explained.

“This whole place is Dad’s workshop … he does all the maintenance on these bikes for Mum an’ me.”

“Mr. Woods mentioned you and your mum were into bikes … but … wow!” Helen enthused.

“Helen … would you and your mother like to join us for tea?” Jenny asked as she stepped into the attached garage from the house.

“Thank you … but I’d have to phone mum first,” she politely replied.

“Phone’s this way,” Jenny offered as she showed Helen where it was.

After a short call, she put down the receiver.

“Mum says she could be here just after 4:30.”

“Mum? Could you ask Dad to come up to my room when he comes home? Helen brought her bike and I told her I thought he’d be able to have a look at it. Her gears keep gettin’ stuck. I think I know what the problem is … but it’d be easier just to show him,” Gaby later asked as both girls got ready to go up to her room.

When Helen entered Gaby’s room, the first thing she noticed was Gaby’s large computer desk which angled around a corner and had shelving that held a number of books plus her CD collection as well as her computer.

“Feel like listening to something while we talk?”

“Sure, whaddya got?”

“All kinds of stuff … whatever catches my fancy, really … but my tastes tend to be like my Dad … mostly 60’s and 70’s.” Gaby proudly showed her what she had.

“See anything you like?”

“How ‘bout this?” Helen asked as she picked out a CD from the three vertical stacks.

While Gaby proceeded to insert it into the CD-drive in her computer tower, Helen climbed up onto Gaby’s bed and scooted over to the opposite side before sitting cross-legged with her back against the wall. Looking around on the bed, she quickly leaned over and grabbed the stuffed animal off the pillow.

“Who’s this?” Helen cheerfully inquired as she held a large plush flop-ear’d bunny.

Gaby joined her on the bed and sat facing Helen.

“That’s ‘Mr. Snuggles’. He used to be my sister’s … but I seem to have custody of him now.”

“Oooo … he’s soft! Reminds me of ‘Stuffy’ my penguin.”

“… ‘Stuffy’?”

“…He looks like some kind of posh butler in his tux.” Helen was laughing as she tried to mimic his comical expression and soon had Gaby laughing along with her.

“You know … that’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh since I meet you … it’s kinda nice,” Helen commented.

Her face then became sombre and she clutched Mr. Snuggles tight against her, as she looked at Gaby.

“Gaby? You know the others were wondering where you were today … not that we didn’t have an idea … it’s just that we’re all kinda hoping, you know? Your friends really feel bad about last night…”

“After last night, Mum pulled Jules and I outta school ... we felt it was for the better.” Gaby offered. “Both Jules and I told Mum we’ll gladly repeat our year after we move, rather than go back.”

“Did Maddy say anything about me not being there?”

“Not that I know of … but she didn’t look all that happy, either. I don’t think she even glanced at your seat more than once or twice all day. At morning break and lunch … she kinda stayed away from Ally, Bernie and me … not that she had much choice. When Mr. Pilling told Maddy and some boy … Rhod I think it was … that Mr. Woods wanted to see them after lunch … Maddy went all pale-like…”

Gaby’s gaze dropped after she heard about Maddy.

“What was she thinking last night?” Gaby quietly wondered. “The Head’s gonna have her head … on a platter.”

“I’m sorry. You still think a lot of her, don’t you?” Helen apologized.

Gaby looked at her and muttered, “You don’t know how much.”

“I have a good idea … you told everyone last night that you loved her.”

“I did … didn’t I? Does that bother you?” Gaby nervously asked.

“Should it?” Helen softly asked. “…because it doesn’t…”

She immediately followed with a more playful, “…But for the record … I prefer boys.”

“Helen … does your mum … know about the party … an’ about me?” Gaby asked with some apprehension in her voice.

“Yes and no,” Helen timidly answered. “I’m sorree, Gaby.”

Gaby bit her lower lip as she looked at her nervous friend.

“She knew a boy named Drew invited me to his birthday…”

“And…” Gaby softly wondered.

“…And she saw me coming home last night, holding hands with another girl. I had to tell ‘er, Gaby … forgive me?” Helen confessed.
She expected Gaby to get upset with her and her eyes were already starting to get moist.

“Mum understands and she just wants to meet you. If she was upset … she wouldn’t be coming for tea … an’ … I wouldn’t be allowed to be here,” Helen quietly explained.

“Gabs … Dad’s here!” Jules called out as she poked her head into her sister’s room before heading off to her own room. “Mum said you wanted to show him some problem with Helen’s bike?”

Gaby silently got off the bed and grabbed a tissue from her night table and offered it to her friend.

“You’ll probably need this.” As Helen dried her eyes, Gaby gave her a hug and told her she didn’t do anything wrong.

After putting her CD away and logging off the computer, the two girls went down to meet Dave in the garage. By the time they both came through, he already had the bike in the homemade bike stand that he used when he worked on Jenny and Gaby’s bikes.

“Hello, Helen.”

“Hello, Mr. Bond.”

“What’s wrong with your bike? It’s not the usual setup I’m used to working on … but I’ll give it my best,” Dave offered.

“The gears keep sticking. Sometimes I can fix them by jiggling this,” Helen replied as she pointed to the wire that connected her shift lever with same bar that Drew had previously examined.

“I tried fixing it the other day and noticed it was bent,” Gaby added.

“Hmmm … doesn’t look too bad … leave it with me,” Dave thoughtfully commented.

As the girls were taking their leave, the front door bell went and a few seconds later Helen heard her mum’s voice.

“Mrs. Bond? I’m Ann Joyce … Helen’s mother?”

“We’ve been expecting you … c’mon in … and please … call me Jenny,” Jenny cordially offered as she took Ann’s coat.

“Hi, Mum! This is Gaby!” Helen was quick to introduce her friend to her mum.

“Hello, Gaby … it’s so nice to meet one of Helen’s friends.”

“Hello, Mrs. Joyce … pleased to meet you.”

“Helen … your bike’s ready. Oh … hello ... Dave Bond. I’d shake hands but…” Dave greeted as he held up his grease-covered palms. “…I’ve just been working on your daughter’s bike.”

Dave continued talking to Ann while he washed up in the sink. As he dried his hands, he turned to Gaby, “You diagnosed the problem perfectly, sweetheart!”

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-7kTUTjv4Y

 
 
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To Be Continued...