Girls Only! (7 page)

Upstairs, Coco got all excited, too. He started squawking back at her.

“Calm down, fella,” she cooed, tapping his cage gently. “Nothing for
you
to get wound up about.”

As she spun around the room, her feet could hardly keep from dancing. Maybe her dad was coming out of his hermit’s shell. Maybe things were going to change.

Flying around the spacious room, she felt dizzy and stopped in front of her calendar. The featured world-champion ice skaters seemed to be spinning, too. Both guys and girls.

She reached up and flipped the pages back past August and July, to June tenth. The saddest day of her life, forever marked with a sad face.

Life as she’d known it had stopped on that date. For Dad, too. She knew that no matter how many Saturday suppers they attended, the pain of losing Mom was never going to disappear.

Jenna was sporting an orange T-shirt and navy blue pants when she boarded the bus that morning. Some of the boys cheered, and Livvy giggled about it.

“Back here!” she waved, calling to her friend.

“Why’d the boys carry on like that?” Jenna whispered to her as she settled into the seat.

“Because you’re cute, silly.”

Jenna laughed and fluffed her short hair. “It’s probably the orange and blue colors. I heard it was school spirit day.”

“No one said anything in homeroom yesterday.” She looked down at her own faded blue jeans and white T-shirt. “Are you sure?”

“Well, Diane Larson called me last night. That’s how I heard.”

“Sounds like a trick to me.”

“Well, if it is, I fell for it.” Jenna straightened her iridescent orange shirt. “But, oh well . . .”

“How can you just do that?” Livvy stared at her.

“Do what?”

“You know, pretend like it’s nothing.”

Jenna piled her book bag on her lap. “It’s not easy getting along with someone like Diane. But I have this feeling about her. Like I told you, I think she needs a true friend.”

It was the way Jenna said
true
that made her wonder. Something about it reminded her of Grandma Hudson’s approach to things. Her dad’s mother had always been one to forgive and forget quickly.

“Hey, I have some good news,” Livvy said. “We’re
coming to your house on Saturday. If we’re still invited.”

“You sure are!” Jenna squeezed her hand. “This is so cool!”

“I didn’t know what Dad would decide. He’s been hiding away from the world—like a hermit—since Mom died.”

Jenna nodded. “I don’t blame him. Do you?”

The comment took her breath away. Her friend had a way of firing off unexpected questions. “Well, I think I understand why he’d wanna stay away from people. It’s been just a little over two months since we lost Mom.”

“Maybe that’s why your dad picked Alpine Lake. It’s far away from the past, isn’t it?”

Livvy felt like she was being quizzed. “Dad and I had a long talk last night. Bottom line: He says we needed to get away from our old house back in Illinois.”

“Because it reminded him of your mother?”

Livvy nodded thoughtfully.

The bus made another stop. Suzy and Diane came on board, laughing and talking to each other. Livvy was thankful that they found seats close to the front.

They waited for the traffic light to turn, then the bus jerked forward. All the while, Livvy stared at the back of Diane’s head.
Is she the mystery caller?

Livvy turned and looked out the window, watching the
old clapboard houses and the cars whiz by. She longed for the old days as tears blurred her vision.

“I’ve been praying for you, Livvy,” her friend said.

Livvy fought the lump in her throat, still gazing out the window. “Thanks,” she managed to say.

“Ever since you wrote me about your mom’s illness,” Jenna added.

Jenna’s remark touched her heart. And Livvy was ashamed for not praying much herself.

They rode along in silence. Halfway to school, Jenna pulled something out of her pants pocket. “Before I forget . . . your letter finally came.”

Livvy studied the double postmark. “Looks like it got forwarded to your new address.”

“You called this town Podunk, USA, in your letter, remember?” Jenna was grinning about it. “But you know what? I think I like that name almost better than Alpine Lake.”

Now
both
of them were gawking out the bus window. Livvy noticed there were fewer trees here than back home. Mostly tall Ponderosa pines. Rugged and irregular, they were different from the trees in Chicago. Everything was different here.

“Podunk’s pretty tiny, isn’t it?” Jenna said, snickering again. “But you should’ve seen the place where we used to live. My dad called it a ‘one-horse town.’ And I’m not kidding.”

“One horse or one mall?” asked Livvy.

“Oh, we had a little mall, all right,” said Jenna. “But nothing to brag about.”

“Like Podunk?” Livvy said.

“Yep,” answered Jenna, laughing.

Livvy couldn’t help but laugh, too.

Dreams on Ice

Chapter Thirteen

Livvy stopped in to see Mrs. Newton at the Cloth Mill after school.

The woman seemed pleased to see her. “How would you like a sneak preview of the new cheerleader outfits?” she asked.

“I thought they were top secret.”

“Well, I can trust
you
, can’t I?” The woman’s bangles and bracelets jingle-jangled as she motioned Livvy over to a wall cupboard. She reached up to turn the knob but paused in midair. “Here we are.” Out came yards and yards of soft navy blue fabric and the top-secret pattern.

Livvy was still surprised that Mrs. Newton was showing her the pattern. “Who will sew the outfits?” she asked.

“Oh, you’d be surprised at the moms who’ll volunteer.”

Livvy nodded slowly, thinking of the many sewing projects she and her mom had shared together over the years.

“Oh, my dear, have I got no heart?” Mrs. Newton was saying. “I’ve gone and lost my head, it seems.” And she asked Livvy to please forgive her. “Such an unthinking person I must be.”

“No, not at all,” Livvy insisted. Here was the perfect time to tell the woman how very kind she had been. Right from the start. “It’s super nice to have someone like you as a friend.”

“Why, thank you, Livvy. I’m proud to call you my friend, too.” There was a glint in her expressive eyes. “I’ve been watching you skate,” she said, her voice growing even more sweet. “During my break, I’ve seen you working out all by yourself.”

“You have?”

“Oh yes, and you’re very good.” Mrs. Newton told her how she liked to stop off and have a cup of coffee at the Oo-La-La Café. “Right across from the rink, that’s where I sip and watch,” the woman said, looking mighty pleased with herself.

Livvy grinned, delighted with the compliment. “Well, thank you. I’m not used to people watching me practice anymore.” She hesitated at first, then found herself pouring out her grief. She talked mostly of her father’s lack
of interest. “I don’t think Daddy understands how badly I want to go to the Olympics someday.”

Mrs. Newton patted her hand. “Stick to your dreams, Livvy. You must never give up on yourself.” She chuckled a little. “My goodness, not as talented as you are.”

She was almost afraid the woman would ask if she was going to try out for cheerleading. But they talked about everything
but
that. And Livvy was relieved.

She hated to say good-bye. But it was time to hit the ice. Today her goal was to push for a forty-minute session. Do or die!

Mrs. Newton’s words of encouragement echoed in her brain, and she grinned to herself. Near the rink, she found a half-occupied bench and began to remove her tennis shoes.

The same grandfatherly man sat at the opposite end, a rolled-up newspaper in his hand. Instead of reading, he was watching several skaters as they practiced their technique.

“Excuse me, do you happen to have the time?” she asked, leaning over.

He glanced at his watch, then grinned at her. “Skate time or otherwise?”

“Otherwise, please.” She didn’t give his clever comment a second thought.

Promptly, he added, “It’s nearly three-thirty.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, young lady.” He unfolded his paper and shook it out. “Please, don’t mind me. You go on and have fun skating.”

She pulled on her white skates and laced up. Livvy could hardly wait to warm up. Skating was like flying—or better. The slick surface beneath her blades made her feel absolutely free. Like escaping from every imaginable problem and pain of her life.

Today she pretended to skate for a packed crowd, filled with hundreds of cheering fans. Soaring across the rink, she practiced some of her best fancy footwork.

Then, when she was ready, she posed at center ice. Waiting as if for the musical cue, she began her short program—the one from her last regional event. She could still hear the music in her head, the dazzling score from
Anastasia
.

She didn’t have to hum the phrases to remember where her jumps and spins fit in. The thrilling strains filled her, and the performance was smooth and elegant. One of the best practices she’d had since coming to Podunk town.

“I skated my best, Mom,” she whispered as she began cooling down. “I did it.”

In her imagination, the fans were standing, throwing teddy bears onto the ice. Thunderous applause! She could almost see the young skaters darting here and there as they picked up bouquets of flowers.
Her
flowers! Just the way she hoped it would be someday at the Olympics.

Someday, if she ever found another coach. If she ever got back every ounce of her confidence. . . .

Dreams on Ice

Chapter Fourteen

After supper, Livvy sprawled on the couch. The living room windows yawned wide and still the house was warm. Much too hot to do homework or anything else.

Livvy decided to relax in front of the TV for a while. After a few boring scenes, she gave in to the scratchy feeling beneath her eyelids. She closed her eyes—just to rest a bit—and she was in dreamland. Lake Placid, New York, where some of the best skaters in the world train. . . .

In her dream, she heard the musical introduction for her free-skate program. The soul-stirring strains from the overture-fantasy
Romeo and Juliet
by Tchaikovsky started her four-minute routine. Her flowing green costume made her feel like an ice princess with its Austrian crystals sewed on the bodice, sleeves, and hem. They sparkled
like diamonds under the arena lights, and she skated her heart out for the enthusiastic crowd.

Just as she was awaiting the judges’ marks, the phone rang and woke her. The exciting dream was shattered.

She figured her dad had picked up the phone because she, heard his voice in the kitchen.
Probably Grandma again
, she thought. Nestling back into the sofa pillows, she hoped she might recapture the glorious images.

“Livvy, are you awake? Someone wants to talk to you.”

Groaning, she pulled herself up off the couch. “I’m coming.”

Still tired from skating, she staggered through the dining room and into the kitchen. She sat down and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Why are you still here in Alpine Lake?” came the haunting, muddled voice.

Not frightened, Livvy confronted the caller. “Who
are
you?”

“I’m telling you, for your own good—go back home. You don’t belong here!”

She wished her dad had hung around so she wasn’t alone with this phone weirdo. Instead of freaking out, though, she decided to stand her ground. “
This
town is my home now.”

“Not for long, Miss Livvy.”

Something about the way the voice was starting to lose its raspy sound made her think of Diane Larson. Again!

“Who’s
Miss
Livvy? I don’t know anyone by that name.” She baited the caller, hoping to trick the person into speaking more clearly.

“I know your name! It’s Livvy, the loser.”

With each word, the voice sounded more like Diane. So Livvy decided to keep her talking for as long as possible.

“You’ve gotta be mistaken, whoever you are. Because I’m a winner. I
know
I am . . . and I’m going to stay right here in Alpine Lake. You can forget about calling me anymore.” She was surprised at how confident she sounded. Even to herself!

“Listen, girl, I’m not kidding. Leave town or . . . or . . .”

There was sudden silence.

“Or what? You just might get beat out at cheerleading tryouts? Is that what you’re afraid of, Diane?”

A little gasp came through the phone. Then
click
—the caller hung up.

Livvy immediately dialed her friend. She had to tell Jenna the news.

Jenna answered on the first ring. “Hello?”

“Hi, it’s Livvy, and guess what? I’m pretty sure Diane’s the one who called me the other night, trying to scare me out of town.”

“Are you sure?”

Livvy revealed every detail of tonight’s phone call. Even the awkward silence. “It was like she wanted to threaten me, but she couldn’t do it.”

“Wow . . . I was right” came the mysterious reply.

“About what?”

“About Diane. She’s not a bad kid, she’s just dying for attention.”

“Well, that’s a bizarre way of getting it!”

“I feel sorry for Diane,” Jenna said softly.

This was the last thing Livvy wanted to hear. “The girl’s a troublemaker,” she said. “You know it, and so do I.”

“I know you probably won’t understand this, but I think we oughta invite Diane to do something with us . . . soon. The
three
of us.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you’d heard Diane’s hateful voice tonight on the phone,” Livvy retorted. “So count me out!”

“Well, if you’re sure,” Jenna replied. “But I’d like to hang out with her a little. Maybe eat lunch with her tomorrow. Okay with you?”

Livvy despised the idea. She couldn’t imagine sharing Jenna with anyone, let alone a hateful girl like Diane Larson!

Dreams on Ice

Chapter Fifteen

The group of five skaters was working on circular skating steps when Livvy arrived the next morning. Their coach was a petite young woman with blond hair pulled back in a sleek French braid.