The phone just hung up. Lia was really upset and probably didn’t want to talk to anyone. She would call Deborah back when she wanted to talk. A minute later Deborah’s phone rang out the tone that said she received a text message.
“Can’t talk. Yes. Come over. I am at home.”
Deborah went down stairs. “Mother, can I use the car. I need to go over to Lia’s”
“Are you sure she is home and she wants you over?”
“Yeah. She texted.”
“Okay.” She handed Deborah the keys.
Deborah wasted to time getting to Lia’s place. When she got there, there were cars and dirt caked pick-up trucks parked up and down the street. She had to park around the block. Deborah walked to the door and rung the doorbell. Lia’s mother answered. She wore black and she looked much older than when Deborah had seen her earlier in the week. “I’m here to see Lia,” she said.
“She’s in her room.” She led Deborah through a living room full of lumberjacks and their wives. Finally she got to Lia’s room and went inside.
Lia knelt at her bed and she was still sobbing. She turned around and Deborah could see her red and puffy eyes.
“Do you want Alison here with you, Lia?” asked Lia’s mother.
Lia nodded.
Deborah walked over and sat beside her friend and put an arm around her. “I’m here Lia. We’re best friends.”
“Alison, my daddy died,” said Lia through sobs. She buried face into Deborah’s shoulder and wailed.
Deborah swore in her heart that she would make the terrorist pay for this. If the terrorist was not responsible for spiking the trees that killed Lia’s dad, he probably knew them and she would make both killers regret they ever heard the name Deborah Addison. She was out for blood. She squeezed Lia gently in her arms and patted her softly on her back as she cried.
Life and Death Choices Made Casually: Chapter Eight: Prom Night
It was late Saturday morning and the day of the senior prom. Deborah sat with Lia in her room trying to cheer her up. “Daddy looked forward to seeing me off on my prom date. I should call James and tell him I’m not going,” said Lia. “It won’t be right.”
“You’re going and that is final,” said Deborah. She put her arm around Lia. “Besides, your dad would want you to go to prom.”
“I suppose,” said Lia, “but you have to come too.”
“I don’t have a date,” said Deborah. No had wanted to go with her to prom because of the very public accident she had. Since Lia’s father had died only a few days before, the other students stopped teasing Deborah since she was Lia’s best friend, but Evan Fiscus was still taking Julia Grass instead of her.
“That’s just an excuse,” said Lia.
“It’s not. The prom committee made a rule that everyone has to have a date.” Deborah didn’t really want to go. Still it would pass the time before she could find Flower and have her lead her to the terrorist. Still that would not happen until then end of August. It was still the middle of May. There was one more week of regular classes and then finals week. School was almost over.
“I’ll get you a date then.” Lia ran out of her room and into her bathroom and slammed the door.
