Page 30 of Definitely (Maybe) Dating
Piper stepped back until the high sun was squarely at her back, casting a long shadow of her body on the driveway, then snapped the shot. She checked the image on the camera’s screen then walked over to show it to Celeste.
“If you want, I can get a picture of you next toCinderella’s a Lie.”
“Second rule of vandalism—don’t take an incriminating photo.”
“Good point.” Piper slung the camera over her shoulder. “I can print you a copy if you want. I just have to go inside and use my friend’s printer.”
She tossed up her hands. “So you can rat me out? I knew you weren’t cool.”
“I’m cool as shit. And from the smell of it, my friend is probably inside cooking special brownies, and she has something against permits, so I doubt she’ll bat an eye at a piece of street art on her garage.”
With the girls in the house, Skye had a strict no drugs or alcohol on the premises rule. But that didn’t mean she didn’t bake goodies across the street at Ms. Whitmore’s house. Twice a week, Skye and Ms. Whitmore delivered fresh-from-the-oven pharmaceutical grade brownies and cookies to cancer patients in the neighborhood. They never charged, and they never missed a delivery.
“You going to tell her I’m out here?”
Piper shrugged. “Don’t need to. She’s right there.”
They both looked toward the front porch to find Skye in her trademark tie-dyed muumuu with a matching sweatband and white running shoes.
“Well, isn’t that amazing,” Skye said, her hand to her chest, her expression one of pride. “It’s even better than the last.”
Piper eyed the girl, and that’s when she noticed the tiny silver necklace linked together by an infinity symbol. It was the first thing Skye gave a girl when they came to live with her. “Wow,aroundis a lot closer than I thought.”
Celest shrugged. “I had to make sure you werecool.”
“She’s as cool as your aura is red,” Skye said then looked at Piper. “Rebecca has a strong and passionate energy force. She’s going places, this one. Reminds me of you.”
“How long have you been at Skye’s,Rebecca?”
“Oh, Rebecca’s here on a trial basis,” Skye said, walking down the steps and resting a loving hand on Rebecca’s shoulders. “She’s testing to see if my ‘come and go as you need’ policy is true. And I’m testing how many vegetables I can hide in her food.”
“Be careful of the mashed potatoes. It’s really cauliflower,” Piper whispered and laughed when the girl grimaced. “Has Skye told you about the Urban Soul showcase?”
“She said that people who sell their art can make money.”
Skye looked at Piper and gave aKeep her talkinggesture. “You should consider enteringCinderella’s a Liein the show.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes. “I can’t really enter a garage door.”
“That’s why the show is all photographs,” Piper explained. “Some of the area’s top photographers capture each piece of art on film and then blow up the photo. That’s what goes on display and is sold. It’s a way that everyone can participate regardless of their medium.”
It was also a way to ensure that the pieces sold for serious money. A signed photograph from someone like Clive Kessler could go for thousands, and that was the kind of money they’d need to earn to save Skye’s the Limit.
“Can I enter more than one?”
“You can enter as many pieces as you like.”
Rebecca studied her shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. “I’ll think about it.”
“Why don’t we let her finish up her work, and you can help me make the cauliflower potatoes.” With the intuition of a master chess player, Skye knew when to talk and when to let people process. She understood that after being on their own for months or even years, it was hard for some girls to hold eye contact or conversations for long periods of time. Piper still struggled with group settings, which made shooting events like Darcy’s party exhausting.
Piper followed Skye inside where two mugs were already steeping with dandelion tea. “How did things go at City Hall?”
“There was a small snafu with some paperwork, but I took care of it,” Piper assured Skye—and herself.
“So we don’t have to have it here at the house?”
God, she hoped not. She’d only managed to convince some of the photographers to donate their craft because of the pull of a venue like Belle Mont House, and while she’d gotten Darcy to move the date, there was still the small matter of the permit going through.
