New York Debut (6 page)

As soon as the room switch was complete, Kriti set up her laptop on the small desk and went straight to work. Funny, but it had never occurred to either Taylor or DJ to use the desk as a desk. For one thing, Taylor rarely did homework. And when DJ did hers, she usually opted for her bed or the window seat. Now it seemed odd to see the desk actually in use. Naturally DJ didn’t mention this.

Dinner was a somber affair that evening. Eliza was obviously in a snit, but unable to make a fuss since she knew she was still in the doghouse. Kriti seemed to be pouting as well and, consequently, barely seemed to touch her food. But it was Grandmother who made everyone uncomfortable. Not only was she stern and in lecture mode, but she was obsessed with perfect manners. It was as if she thought she could make up for, or perhaps undo, the past five months in one meal. And it figured that as dinner came to an end, it seemed Grandmother’s patience was doing likewise.

“Sit up straight, Casey!” she said for the third time. “Butter knife, Rhiannon!” She sounded like Sergeant Etiquette as she barked out her brisk commands. “Chew with your mouth shut, DJ. Kriti, at least pretend that you are enjoying your meal.” Eliza was the only one who escaped Grandmother’s manners radar, and DJ suspected this was only because Eliza, trained by the best, knew how to act perfect . . . when perfection was required.

“May I please be excused, Grandmother?” DJ inquired as politely as possible. The tension in the room was making her stomach hurt.

“Not until I remind everyone that we will be having our Saturday modeling session tomorrow. We will begin promptly at nine.” She cleared her throat. “I feel it’s only fair to warn you girls, I have come precariously close to canceling Fashion Week altogether. In fact, I am still not convinced that we will be participating.”

Eliza’s jaw tightened, and Rhiannon’s disappointment showed in her eyes as Grandmother continued. “However, I have decided that it will do us no harm to be prepared just in case we do participate in Fashion Week. I have decided not to inform poor Dylan otherwise, just yet anyway. In the case that I am disappointed in any of the Carter House girls, I will consider replacing them with some of the other young women who will be in attendance in our sessions. I hope you understand the significance of this.” She turned to DJ. “Yes, Desiree, you may be excused.”

“Thank you.” DJ stood and left. She wished she could leave the house too, but thanks to Eliza’s stupidity last night, all the girls were on some kind of house arrest for the next few days. No one was to go out, and no one was to come visit — period. Grandmother had made that crystal clear as soon as they’d sat down to eat. And, although it was unfair, DJ couldn’t help but think it was about time Grandmother put her foot down. She just hoped that she’d have the good sense to realize that her new disciplinary tactics might need to be adjusted and administered on a person-by-person basis.

The house was slowly coming back together, but Eliza’s work was far from done yet. Despite her attempt to pressure Kriti into helping this afternoon, DJ had stood up to her. “No, Kriti cannot help you,” she’d said firmly. “This is your punishment, not hers.” Then later, according to Casey and Rhiannon, Eliza had even resorted to bribery. Naturally, they resisted, although Rhiannon said the rather large cash offer was tempting. But Casey told Eliza where she could put her money.

Later that evening, DJ learned through Conner that Harry and Seth were getting off pretty lightly since this was their first offense — or rather the first time they’d been caught.

“It sounds like they’ll do some public ser vice and take a mandatory class about the dangers of underage drinking,” he told her on the phone.

“Too bad they don’t have to come over here and help Eliza clean up this mess.” Then she reconsidered. “Although that might turn into fun and games, and it’s supposed to be punitive.” Then she told him how she’d accidentally walked into the powder room downstairs, finding Eliza down on her knees, with Inez supervising, as she scrubbed what looked like a vomit-encrusted toilet.

“Oh, man.” He chuckled. “I’d like to see that for myself.”

“The queen ruling her throne.” DJ laughed, then felt slightly guilty. “I guess I’m not being very nice.”

“Eliza is getting what she deserves.”

“Unfortunately, so are we.” DJ sighed. “Eliza’s detention is being applied to the whole household for the time being.”

“That seems a little harsh.”

“Yeah, but in a way I’m glad. At least Grandmother is taking this whole thing seriously. It’s about time.”

“I hope Harry and Seth’s parents are taking it seriously.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if Harry and Seth took it seriously themselves?”

“Or at least think twice before they do this again.”

“I hope so. I don’t see why so many kids our age think that getting wasted is fun. Especially when it hurts others.” Of course, she wasn’t only thinking about the New Year’s partiers now. She wondered how Taylor was doing. It had been a week without hearing a single word from her. What was going on? What was she thinking? Was she okay? And was she ever coming back?

5

ONCE SCHOOL STARTED UP AGAIN
, Grandmother lifted the house arrest on everyone except Eliza and Kriti. “I expect both you girls to come home directly after school,” she told them at breakfast. Neither girl argued. Kriti probably didn’t care. In fact, it seemed like she didn’t care about much these days. DJ thought maybe she was depressed, but she didn’t know why. Eliza, on the other hand, looked ticked. Beneath that smooth veneer of no emotion, DJ could tell that Eliza was seething. Yet she didn’t say anything. DJ suspected that Grandmother was threatening to call her parents if Eliza refused to toe the line. Whatever the case, maybe it would prove a good wake-up call for Eliza.

“Aren’t you riding with me, Kriti?” asked Eliza as the girls were heading out of the house.

“Oh, yeah.” Kriti nodded and slowly trudged behind Eliza out to the car.

“What’s wrong with Kriti?” asked Rhiannon as she got into the backseat of DJ’s car.

“Yeah,” said Casey as she climbed in front. “She’s like the walking dead. What’s up with her, DJ?”

“I have no idea.”

“Does she talk to you?”

“Hardly. I ask her a question, and she gives me the briefest possible answer. She studies a lot.”

“Do you think something happened to her during Christmas break?”

“Maybe something with a guy?” suggested Casey.

“I thought she and Josh Trundle were kind of an item,” said Rhiannon.

“I asked her about him,” admitted DJ, “and it sounded like there might still be something there. Although she wasn’t very enthusiastic.”

“She’s not enthusiastic about anything,” said Casey.

“And we know it’s not because of having her room switched,” Rhiannon pointed out. “Because she was already acting different before that.”

“Well, I’m going to try to figure it out,” DJ declared. “I’ve been praying for her. I’ve realized that I haven’t been much of a friend to her.”

“None of us have,” admitted Rhiannon.

“Yeah, we kind of just let Eliza take her over.” DJ stopped for the traffic light. “It’s like we handed Kriti over and never thought twice about it.”

“It’s not like Kriti minded.”

“Or she was too polite to show it.”

“We were too busy to notice,” said DJ.

“Well, let’s all pray for her today,” said Rhiannon.

“Absolutely,” agreed DJ.

But Casey just shrugged like she was unsure.

“Don’t you
ever
pray?” asked Rhiannon.

“I don’t know . . .” Casey’s voice was quiet now.

“I thought you were returning to your faith,” said Rhiannon. “You said that things were changing.”

DJ didn’t know what to say as she pulled into the school parking lot. She knew this was still a touchy subject for Casey. As much as Rhiannon seemed to assume that Casey had “turned a corner,” DJ had never been completely convinced.

“I’m thinking about it,” said Casey. “But I’m still not totally sure. And, most of all, I don’t want to be a hypocrite.”

“Meaning you think we are?” asked Rhiannon.

They were all getting out of the car now, and Rhiannon was looking curiously at Casey, expecting an answer.

“No . . . that’s not it,” said Casey. “You guys seem pretty sincere about it. If anything, it’s you and DJ that got me thinking about God again, which is pretty surprising considering that I gave it all up a few years ago.” She laughed. “Trust me, the last thing I expected was to come out to Connecticut and have some kind of faith experience. If anything, I came out here thinking that I was going to . . . well, raise hell.”

DJ snickered. “I think that’s what Grandmother thought when she first saw you too.”

“But you’ve changed,” persisted Rhiannon. “And not just on the outside either, Casey.”

“Maybe . . .” Casey shrugged. “But some things take time.”

“I know what you mean.” DJ nodded as she adjusted her bag over her shoulder. “It took time with me too.”

“You’re absolutely right,” agreed Rhiannon. “Sorry if I sound too pushy. I guess I just want us all to be on the same page.”

“I think we are.” Casey sounded slightly defensive now. “I mean, for the most part.”

“We are,” said DJ. “Being open is really all we can ask, right, Rhiannon?”

Rhiannon nodded, but DJ suspected she was disappointed.

Maybe it was because her own faith was so vital to her that she wanted everyone to have the same thing. And DJ totally got that. She wanted everyone to make a commitment to God too.

But she also understood where Casey was coming from. She knew that Casey, like DJ, would have to find her faith on her own terms. Or maybe on God’s own terms. Rhiannon could talk all she wanted, but Casey would have to get to that place on her own. But at least she seemed to be listening.

“I can’t promise to pray . . . but how about if I send good thoughts in Kriti’s direction,” offered Casey. “Will that work?”

“I think it’s a great start,” said DJ.

“Yeah, just try to send them via God, okay?”

Casey laughed. “Fine, Rhiannon. I’ll try to send them via God.”

DJ’s first class this semester was an advanced PE course called Personal Training. Of course, both Taylor and Eliza had teased her for this choice when she’d mentioned it last semester. Not that DJ cared what they thought. Mostly she wanted to make sure she stayed in shape for spring soccer. Swimming had helped a lot, but when the season ended, she was still ready for more.

“Looking good, DJ,” said Ms. Jones as DJ completed her weight repetitions.

“Thanks.” DJ smiled. “It feels good to get a solid workout after Christmas break.”

“How’s your leg feeling?”

“Just fine. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

“Really?” Ms. Jones smiled. “Because Coach Henderson was asking about you.”

“About me?” DJ knew that Henderson had just started coaching girls’ basketball this year.

“Yeah. It seems the girls had a pretty slow start to basketball season, and he was asking me about some of my volleyball girls.”

DJ nodded. “Oh, yeah, Casey is pretty good at hoops. Have you talked to her?”

“No. But I told the coach I’d talk to you. What do you think? Are you strong enough to play yet?”

DJ considered this. “I’d probably have to check with my doctor, but I’m sure there’s a possibility.”

“Well, if you’re interested, I’m pretty sure that Coach Henderson would like to discuss this with you.”

“Even though I missed the first few weeks?”

“You were on swim team, DJ. Remember, we make exceptions when the athlete is involved in another sport. Plus there was your leg.”

DJ brightened. “It’d be fun to do basketball . . . and it would keep me in shape for soccer.”

“If it works, I know the team would love to have you.”

“Do you think Coach Henderson would let Casey play too?”

“I don’t know why not.”

So by the end of the day, DJ had not only put in a call to her doctor, but she’d also talked to the coach, and he agreed to let Casey come out with DJ. “Just get me your doctor’s okay first,” he said. “We don’t want you reinjuring that leg.”

“I’m on it,” said DJ. “I’ll get back to you.”

He grinned. “And don’t say I said this, but we could really use some skill on that team.”

She laughed. “I can’t make any promises, but I do like to play.”

After school, she turned on her phone to discover a message from the receptionist at the doctor’s office, saying that the doctor had already signed DJ off for sports participation at her final appointment, so she was good to go. “Just don’t go too hard,” she warned. “The doctor says to use common sense.”

“Good news,” DJ told Casey as they met in the locker bay.

“I’m going out for basketball.”

“Huh?”

“And you are too.”

“What are you talking about?”

So DJ filled her in. “Come on, Casey, it’ll be fun. The season’s half over, so it’s not like a huge commitment.”