Chapter Three

"So, Claribel," Claire's father said as soon as she walked through the door, "How was your day at school today?" Claire smiled to herself. She knew there was no way she could tell her father about meeting Watts Kemmer. There was no way he would understand. And, admittedly, she wanted to get that whole situation out of her mind. It was fun and interesting meeting a celebrity, even one she'd never heard of before, but she was irked by Jeanne's constant insistence that she become coupled up with someone. Jeanne had enough boyfriends of her own – why did she need to come up with Claire's as well?

There was another reason that she wasn't opening her mouth about Watts Kemmer. She knew the mere suggestion of a romance between Claire and Watts, even meant humorously, would send her father up the wall. He wasn't accepting of the idea of interracial romance, and Claire had no desire to get into that argument with him. In fact, she was never in a mood to argue with her father – she left that up to her sister, Sage, who was three years older.

And so, she explained, "We had an assembly. We have a lot of math homework. I met some new kids who are living next to Jeanne. They're pretty cool. Can I go upstairs?" By this time, Mr. Allen had already tuned his television to the O'Reilly Factor and was only paying half-attention to what Claire was saying, so he shrugged her off and she rushed upstairs. Her sister was already in the room they shared, and she was typing vigorously away at a paper of some sort. Probably a term paper, Claire thought.

"Hey, Claire," Sage said as Claire walked in the room, "Lemme guess – Bill O'Reilly?"

"You got it," Claire replied with a grin. Now, Sage, there was a person Claire could tell everything to. Sage knew how it was to be a teenager. "The most crazy thing happened today…" She proceeded to tell her about Watts Kemmer.

"That's insane!" Sage responded, "That Jeanne Bardot. Always meddling in other people's lives. I ought to sock her."

"No, no, that's what makes Jeanne happy. I don't mind it that much. She means well."

"Just like," Sage replied with a groan, "Our father means well when he talks our ear off day in day out about how we need to stay away from the blacks and the Arabs and the this and the that. I swear, he does it just to antagonize me! Anything I support, he hates. I swear, one of these days I should believe everything he claims to – he'll probably go right back on his views and become a Kerry-voting liberal!"

"I'm surprised he didn't vote for Kerry," remarked Claire, "He's always saying he hates Bush."

"Well," Sage explained, "Bush is too LIBERAL for Dad… Ugh. I don't see how Mom does it. She just always sits around and goes, 'that's right, dear.' I could never stand a marriage like that."

"Neither could I. Parents are one thing, but when you get married… I mean, I'm not trying to say they're wrong, but when I get married I want it to be equal weight, you know?"

"I know what you mean! That's why you need to start standing up to people like Jeanne Bardot, Claire. If you listen to her, you'll end up with… Watts Kemmer! Not that, given his looks, that's a terribly bad thing," Sage joked. "But really. Make your own decisions… You do that well enough as it is, though. I couldn't have asked for a better younger sister."

"And I couldn't have asked for a better older sister… But if you'll pardon me, I'm going to do that math homework we got assigned."

"Go to it, sis."

But after a few moments of pacing, Claire decided that the homework could wait.

"I think Brian's working tonight," she said suddenly, "I'm going to go drop by the restaurant and visit him."

"Go for it," Sage replied, "You're not getting this computer for a good while, so go amuse yourself. Dad won't even notice, since O'Reilly's talking about immigration reform." Sage grinned good-naturedly. Claire walked quietly downstairs and slipped the door open. Sage was right – Mr. Allen was yelling at the television.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I VOTED FOR BUSH!" he snapped. Claire grinned and popped outdoors.

It was about a ten minute walk from her house to the Cherry Hill Mall. Within the mall was a small café, known as Erik's. She strolled inside, pulled up a stool and said to the waiter on duty, "Is Brian Steinberg working here tonight?"

"He is," replied the waiter, walking back and returning with a lanky, athletic black-haired young man of about twenty. Brian Steinberg had been a college student… twice, actually. But he had dropped out and decided to pursue a career in the restaurant business. Claire had met him one day when she had gone out with her friends to eat at Erik's, and Claire had nearly left her pocketbook behind. The two of them had struck up a friendship. Claire and Brian had gotten very close, and she felt that, besides her sister, Brian was the one person to whom she could truly tell what was going on.

"Guess who moved to Cherry Hill?" Claire said, as Brian poured her a Ginger Ale.

"Who?"

"Watts Kemmer. The boxer, you know."

"I think I've heard of him. He was on TV once or twice."

"Good for you, because before today I'd never heard of him in my life. I met him today. He's living next door to Jeanne."

"I'm sure Jeanne's thrilled," said Brian with a laugh, "Watts better invest in some blinds, or else Jeanne will have 24-hour coverage on him on tape. It'll be like that movie, The Truman Show."

"So true."

"Anyway, you going on the MS Walk tomorrow?"

"That's tomorrow! Damn it! I completely forgot and I don't have my pledges. I guess I'll just see you when you get back." They talked for a few minutes before Claire said, "Well, I guess I'd better be getting back home. Call me when you get back and let me know how it is!"

She walked out of Erik's and down the road, back to her house.

"Thank God for Brian!" she said quietly, "He's the person I can talk to, after all. If only I knew what to do about this whole Watts Kemmer business to get Jeanne off my back. But, oh well, I can deal with it tomorrow. Tomorrow."