Page 31 of The Fault Between Us
Frannie felt a rush of relief and sat down with Jerrylynn and a couple other girls. Paul sat across the table with Sam, the cute one, andthe other boy she’d met but couldn’t remember his name. “Thanks,” she said to Jerrylynn, trying not to sound as relieved as she felt. They all dug in like they hadn’t seen food in days. The boys goofed off, keeping everybody in stitches, competing to see how many cartons of milk they could guzzle.
“I have to scoot,” Jerrylynn said as they shoved their empty trays through an opening to the kitchen. “I’m in the show tonight.”
“What’s the show?” Frannie asked.
Jerrylynn pointed to the stage on one side of the dining lodge. “It’s different every night. Sometimes it’s a song and dance number, or skits. Last night of the season, the guys borrow the girls’ dresses and try to win a beauty pageant. It’s a riot. Last year, Sam took home first prize.”
Frannie wasn’t surprised. Sam was a cutie patootie.
An old lady with white hair and glasses snagged Frannie’s elbow. “You’re the new girl?” she asked, and without waiting for an answer, “Can you sing?”
“I was in the church choir,” Frannie said, then realized how lame that sounded. Before she could say wait-a-minute, she was on stage with a mimeographed sheet titled “The Dinner Bell Song,” singing to the guests as they filed into the cafeteria.
After the dudes sat down to eat, Jerrylynn and some boys put on a skit about an unlucky tourist and a bear encounter. Sam played the bear and had everyone roaring. Then a five-piece band came onstage and everybody—savages and dudes—started dancing.
“Come on, new girl.” Sam pulled her out on the floor to do the bunny hop. Suddenly Frannie’s feet didn’t hurt and she was having a blast. She jumped into one dance after another until everybody had their arms around each other’s shoulders, singing the last song. She didn’t know the words but managed the chorus of, “Yellowstone, Yellowstone, best place I’ve ever known.”
Then they were walking back to the rat trap, with the stars and the mosquitoes out in full force. The boys shouted goodbyes as they veered onto the trail to the dungeon. Jerrylynn linked her arm withFrannie’s, and a girl named Vicky did the same on her other side. “So, Frannie,” Jerrylynn said, “What did you think of your first day at Canyon?”
Frannie looked at her new supercool friends—one on each side. “I think I died and went to heaven.”
“Up and at ’em!”
It was still dark when Frannie came awake, her nose cold from the bite of the morning air. A mosquito whined near her ear and she pulled the blanket over her head. Just a few more minutes of blessed sleep. The singing and dancing after dinner were terrific, but the thought of another day emptying ducks wasn’t thrilling.
The girls around her began to stir. She rubbed her eyes and put her feet on the cold floor. How could it be so hot during the day and so cold in the morning?
Vicky was wiggling out of her pajamas and into a pair of pedal pushers. “Remember, Frannie-pants, we’re going up to Mount Washburn after our shifts.”
“What for?” Frannie asked. She kept her blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she sorted through her clothing for something kind of clean.
“Initiation.”
Frannie gave Vicky one raised brow. She’d perfected the look in front of the mirror at home and was pretty proud of it. “What’s that?”
“Just something everybody in our gang does.” Vicky pulled a sweater over her head. “The boys are coming,” she added.
“I’ll be there.” Frannie had been wanting a reason to wear her new short shorts and Sam was it. He was the best-looking boy of the whole bunch.
After cleaning a million cabins, Frannie and Vicky raced back to the rat trap that afternoon. “We have time for a shower if we hurry.” Vicky grabbed a towel from the clothesline.
“I was going to call my sister,” Frannie said. Claire was probably worried sick. Twig had told her she could use the telephone in the lodge office, but she had to be there before he locked up at five.
Vicky was already heading out the door. “Suit yourself,” Vicky said over her shoulder. Frannie hesitated. A shower would be divine, and she wanted to look her best for Sam. “Wait for me.” She grabbed her shorts and a shirt and ran to catch up. She followed Vicky to a concrete-block building set off from the west-side cabins. A strong odor of mildew came from the row of showers with flimsy plastic curtains.
“It’s freezing!” Frannie yelped when she stepped into the spray of water.
“Then make it quick,” Vicky said unhelpfully.
“You’re late,” Sam said when they met the boys in the parking lot. “But whoo-whee.” He took a look at Frannie. “Worth waiting for.”
Frannie’s cheeks warmed. She’d bought the short shorts at the beginning of the summer and wore them for all of ten minutes before Dad went stark raving mad. Now, she could wear whatever she wanted and be friends with whoever she liked. Sweet freedom.
Frannie’s stomach growled. “What about dinner?” Lunch was a long time ago. “And where’s Jerrylynn?”
Ernie held up a sack. “Got sandwiches from the kitchen. And some bottles of soda. Plus a little something from Hamilton’s.” He grinned. Hamilton’s was the tourist store across the canyon that had everything from batteries to beer.
“Jerrylynn didn’t want to play hooky from the show tonight.” Vicky hopped in the back seat of a cherry-red Chevy convertible. “She’s such a dweeb.”
