Page 55 of Grinchland
“Break a leg,” I whispered before I turned her toward the entrance.
It took her a moment before she started to timidly walk out onto the makeshift stage we’d set up. The spotlight—which was just a flashlight controlled by the janitor, Mr. Rex—turned on her. She stood there, frozen in place.
I waited…and waited…for her to speak. In all the rehearsals, she had been our shining star, so her lack of confidence now was out of character.
I watched as her skin paled, and a weak, “Daddy,” could be heard throughout the silent gym.
I’d never seen someone move as fast as Silas did in that moment. He was out of his chair and to her side in the blink of an eye. It took a moment for me to process what was happening as he scooped her up and cradled her in his arms.
Then he turned and faced the audience. “This play is over. Everyone go home. The ban is still in effect.” His voice boomed through the air.
Finally, my brain caught up with what was going on and my feet started moving in Silas’s direction. He didn’t waste any time as he gathered Isabelle’s things and headed toward the doors that led outside.
“Silas,” I called after him, but he didn’t stop.
He kept moving, and I had to run to catch up with him. He finally cut me a break when he had to stop to put Isabelle in the car and load her things in the bed of his truck. He’d slammed her door and was headed to the driver’s side when I reached out and grabbed his arm. He froze.
“Silas,” I said, my voice breathy from the impromptu jog I’d just done to reach him. “Can we talk?” I dipped down with the hopes of catching his gaze. I needed him to take a moment and breathe instead of just reacting.
“This is over,” he whispered.
I blinked as I knit my eyebrows together. “What?”
Finally, he glanced up at me with a look of fire in his eyes. His jaw was set and his body was tense. “This”—he motioned between us—“is over. Christmas in Grinchland is banned. It has been banned for the last three years and will continue to be banned for as long as I can keep it that way.”
“But, Silas?—”
“Stop trying to change things. You don’t live here. You’re only here for three months and then you’re leaving.” His eyes narrowed. “I was being reckless.”
“Reckless?” I stared at him. Was he serious? Why was he doing this? “Isabelle just had some stage fright, that’s all. That happens sometimes. If you had just waited?—”
“No. No, you don’t understand.” He shook his head as he turned to grab his door handle.
I reached out and grabbed his hand. This wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to help, not drive him away. “Isabelle wasn’t invited to Catalina’s party because it’s a Christmas party, Silas. A Christmas party.”
Silas paused as I watched my words sink in. For a moment, I allowed myself to believe that he was going to change his mind, and the longer he stayed quiet, the more hopeful I became. Until he resolutely nodded his head and yanked open the door handle. “Then Janice was right to exclude Isabelle.”
“But, Silas?—”
“Goodbye, Clara.”
Tears began to form on my eyelids as I helplessly watched Silas climb into his truck and slam his door. I moved to the patch of grass in front of his hood as he started his engine and his lights turned on. He put his truck into reverse and looked up, his gaze landing on me for a moment before he brought his arm up to the passenger seat and twisted so he could see over his shoulder.
He didn’t look at me again as he straightened out his truck, put it into drive, and took off out of the parking lot.
I waited for a few minutes with the hopes that Silas would come to his senses and drive back.
I waited in vain.
TWENTY-THREE
CLARA
I’d been stupid to think that all Silas needed was a good night’s sleep and a big hearty breakfast to come to his senses. I spent all morning on edge because I expected him to knock on my door with some grand gesture and apologize for being a cotton-headed, ninny muggins last night.
I really needed to stop waiting for Silas to do things.
His house was eerily quiet when I walked out to my car to head to school. Just as I pulled out of my driveway, I looked over to see that Pudgie was gone. There wasn’t a spec of Christmas to be seen at his house.
