At about 6:30, the doorbell rang. I tip-toed to the top of the stairs just in time to see Ren open the door. The whole family was there. I guess they were all very curious about Larry. If only they knew.
Ren paled, and I thought her eyes would pop out of her head. Then, in a split second, she looked normal again. Darn. She's not as calm as she acts. She can't be.
"Larry. What are you doing here?"
Louis' mouth dropped open, and Mr. and Mrs. Stevens looked relieved that it was someone they knew at least.
He walked past Ren gloatingly and I walked downstairs.
"Hey Candi. Lookin' good," he said, making Ren look nauseaus.
I smiled. "Not so bad yourself, Beal."
"Mr. Stevens, it is okay that I take Candice out tonight?"
Suck-up. That's perfect. Ren looks like she could throw something.
"Uh, of course . . . Larry . . . Um, just have her back by ten fifteen, all right?"
"You got it. Later Ren."
"Uh, bye Larry."
"See ya, Ren," I said, as I walked out the door. Her reply was a glare.
When we got outside, we both started laughing.
"Did you see the look on her face?" I said.
"I know, man, that was priceless! If only I had a camera."
"Yeah, well, there's plenty of time for that, now isn't there?"
He smiled.
"Yeah. I was thinking, why don't we just take a walk in the park or something? It'll give us more of a chance to talk. Did you eat dinner already?"
I froze, and looked up at him. He seemed like he hoped I'd say yes, so I was glad to lie.
"Of course. I was sort of hoping we could talk."
He breathed a sigh of relief, as did I.
"So, what do you think we should do to her? It's gotta be something awful. I mean, terrible. Priceless. Something she'll never forget, but that she can't get any evidence to blame us for."
"Exactly. I love the way that mind of yours works."
"You're not so bad yourself."
All of a sudden, I thought of something.
"What's the one thing that Ren wants most? Besides to complete her stupid 5 year plan or whatever. What's something she really really wants to do, but thinks she could never get?"
"Valedictorian? No. She's got that in the bag already. Um . . ." he trailed off, thinking, and I began to hum. "To sing!"
"Right. So what would really push her over the edge?"
He grinned.
"Dang, you're better than she made you out to be. That's pretty bad, girl."
"Yeah, well. She hasn't seen me for a while. I've grown up. She hasn't seen half of it. Not yet. She'll get what she deserves someday."
"Yeah. So, how do we do this? I mean, it's gonna be hard."
"Yeah. But I've achieved things almost as good as this. You've achieved things almost as good as this. Together, we could do better than this. And we will. This is just the beginning."
Ren paled, and I thought her eyes would pop out of her head. Then, in a split second, she looked normal again. Darn. She's not as calm as she acts. She can't be.
"Larry. What are you doing here?"
Louis' mouth dropped open, and Mr. and Mrs. Stevens looked relieved that it was someone they knew at least.
He walked past Ren gloatingly and I walked downstairs.
"Hey Candi. Lookin' good," he said, making Ren look nauseaus.
I smiled. "Not so bad yourself, Beal."
"Mr. Stevens, it is okay that I take Candice out tonight?"
Suck-up. That's perfect. Ren looks like she could throw something.
"Uh, of course . . . Larry . . . Um, just have her back by ten fifteen, all right?"
"You got it. Later Ren."
"Uh, bye Larry."
"See ya, Ren," I said, as I walked out the door. Her reply was a glare.
When we got outside, we both started laughing.
"Did you see the look on her face?" I said.
"I know, man, that was priceless! If only I had a camera."
"Yeah, well, there's plenty of time for that, now isn't there?"
He smiled.
"Yeah. I was thinking, why don't we just take a walk in the park or something? It'll give us more of a chance to talk. Did you eat dinner already?"
I froze, and looked up at him. He seemed like he hoped I'd say yes, so I was glad to lie.
"Of course. I was sort of hoping we could talk."
He breathed a sigh of relief, as did I.
"So, what do you think we should do to her? It's gotta be something awful. I mean, terrible. Priceless. Something she'll never forget, but that she can't get any evidence to blame us for."
"Exactly. I love the way that mind of yours works."
"You're not so bad yourself."
All of a sudden, I thought of something.
"What's the one thing that Ren wants most? Besides to complete her stupid 5 year plan or whatever. What's something she really really wants to do, but thinks she could never get?"
"Valedictorian? No. She's got that in the bag already. Um . . ." he trailed off, thinking, and I began to hum. "To sing!"
"Right. So what would really push her over the edge?"
He grinned.
"Dang, you're better than she made you out to be. That's pretty bad, girl."
"Yeah, well. She hasn't seen me for a while. I've grown up. She hasn't seen half of it. Not yet. She'll get what she deserves someday."
"Yeah. So, how do we do this? I mean, it's gonna be hard."
"Yeah. But I've achieved things almost as good as this. You've achieved things almost as good as this. Together, we could do better than this. And we will. This is just the beginning."
