MISS BROWN'S MUSIC CLASS, 1938
NIGHTIE'S POV
My best friend, Dorothy Mills and I walk from Miss Brown's classroom, following Edward Braxton, the seventeen year old I couldn't help but develop a crush on. I had been in Miss Brown's class ever since after Dad and I recovered the Lost Ark, and two months ago, Edward joined our class. He was a really good singer, and we sung a couple times together for class. Our voices were great together, and he was by far my favorite person to sing with. "You're staring at him again." Dorothy laughed. "I know, I just can't help it." I reply. "You know your father would never approve anyways, right?" Dorothy asked. I nodded. Dad had always been over protective of me. I was twelve now, I'm not exactly a little girl anymore. "I'm just glad you didn't change your style just for him." my best friend laughed. I had been changing a lot in the last two years, I decided to grow my hair out and style it. I no longer dressed in shorts, and decided to try skirts out. My appearance was definitely more feminine than it was I was nine, or ten. "Of course, I just wanted to try something new." I replied to my friend's earlier comment. "Nightingale, I'd better get going, I need to pack for my family vacation to Venice, Italy!" she told me. We hugged, and parted ways. I turned left on a corner where someone bumped into me. "I'm sorry, are you-?!" I began, but I immediately froze. It was Edward! "Oh Miss Jones, I'm so sorry." he apologized, pulling me to my feet. "Are you ok?" he asked me as I stood there awkwardly. I silently nodded, completely unsure of what to say. "I'm ok, what about you?" I asked. "I'm fine. I didn't mean to run into you. Well, I did, but not literally." I was confused. "Wait, you hoped to run into me?" I asked. "Yes, my father is hosting a party this next Monday, and he a girl from class and I to sing for his guests. I was hoping you would like to." he answered. "Me? Why would you want me?" I asked. "Well, you're the best singer in the whole class!" he exclaimed. "No, you're definitely better!" I argued. He chuckled. "While I do appreciate your compliment, I cannot take your title. You are, without a doubt, the best singer in the class." he said. "Well, thank you, Mr. Braxton." I say. "Call me Edward." he said. "Alright, I will if you call me Nightie." I replied. He looked at me with a confused look on his face. "Nightie?" he asked. "Short for Nightingale, a nickname given to me by my father." I told him. Edward nodded. "Let me walk you home." he offered, holding his arm. Edward Braxton, invited me to sing with him at a party, and was now walking me home?! Somebody pinch me! I took his arm, and guided towards my house.
"My father gets back from a trip tomorrow." I tell him to make small. "Oh really? Where is it that he is coming back from?" Edward asked. "He's coming back from the Portuguese coast. There is a treasure there he spent all his life looking for." I inform him. "That sounds exciting." he told me. We soon arrived at my house, he walked me to the door step. "I'll see you this Monday, Nightie?" he asked me. "Definitely." I answered, smiling at him. "Wonderful, here is my house phone number." Edward said, handing me a piece of paper. We waved each other goodbye. I entered the house and went up to my room. I had a picture of the time Dad took Willie, Shorty, and I to go see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on my desk. I remembered that strange old man who couldn't seem to mind his own business. Next to that photo, there was a picture of Marion. She and Dad quit seeing each other last year, but I still wrote to her from time to time. Dad had asked me almost two years ago if I was fine with him marrying her, and after thinking about it for a week, I told him I would love to add Marion to the family. They made plans, but about a week before the wedding, Dad got cold feet, and Marion left. Soon I heard the front door close. "Nightingale?" I heard Dad call. "In my room, Dad!" I called back. I heard footsteps as Dad walked up the stairs, he knocked on my door. "Come in!" I said. Dad came in wearing his adventure gear, and he pulled it out of his jacket pocket, the Cross of Coranado. "You've got it!" I exclaimed. "I'm sorry you couldn't come." Dad said. "Yeah, hopefully I can join more adventures when school is over." I said, smiling at him. Dad seemed relieved to hear that. "I'm going to shower and get dressed, then we can do whatever you want. I'm going back to my teaching job on Monday." Dad said. "Sounds good. By the way, one of the boys from Miss Brown's invited me to sing with him at his dad's party." I told him. "A boy?" Dad asked, raising an eyebrow. "How old is he?" he asked. "Dad, it's not like that! We're just friends!" I exclaimed. "How old is he?" Dad asked again. "He's seventeen." I say, looking down at my feet. "Absolutely not." Dad said. "But I already said I could!" I argued. "And I'm telling you that you can't go." he counter-argued. "But that's not fair!" I yelled. "He's seventeen, and your twelve! Not to mention, I've never met him!" Dad argued. "Unbelievable." I said, stomping down the stairs. "Where are you going?" Dad asked. "To Dorothy's, she needs help packing for her trip!" I angerily said. "When will you be back?" he asked me. I shrugged as I walked away. It wasn't fair, Edward wasn't even interested in me! He just wanted to sing! I arrived at Dorothy's house and knocked on the front door. Mrs. Mills answered the door, and smiled at me. "Ah, Nightingale! What a pleasant surprise!" she said, giving me a hug. "I came to help Dot with packing." I told her. Dot was a nickname I gave Dorothy when we first met. We were three, I had a hard time pronouncing her name, and she wore a polka dot dress. The rest is history. "She's down in her room." Mrs. Mills told me. I went downstairs, and knocked on Dot's door. "Come in." she said. I walked in, and admired the room.
Dot had posters of Louis Armstrong in her room, and had "Swing that Music" playing on her record player. She had lavender painted walls, and an off white bedset. "Hey Nightie!" Dot came, giving me a hug. "Hi, Dot. I'm here to help you pack." She looked a little confused. "Oh, is your dad going to be late again?" she asked. I shook my head "No, he was here on time." I answer. She tilted her head a little. "Shouldn't you be visiting him?" I sigh deeply. "He and I got in an argument, and I ran out." I admitted. "You and your dad, you two had an argument?" she asked, surprised. "So get this, Edward came over to talk to me after you left, and he invited me to sing with him at his dad's party next Monday." I told her. She gasped "Oh my gosh, that's amazing!" she exclaimed. "Right?!" I ask. "I thought so too, until I told Dad." I continued. "Oh no." Dot said, already seeing where this was headed. "It's so stupid, Dad was all like 'He's too old, I don't even know him!' I tried to explain it wasn't a date, but he didn't care!" I pouted. "What are you going to do?" she asked me. "I don't know, I'm considering sneaking out to go sing anyways." She looked at me uneasily. "Nightie, are you sure that's a good idea?" Dot asked me. "Relax Dot, Edward gave me his house number, I'll just call him, tell him to give me a ride, and sneak back in before Dad notices. Dad doesn't even know what time or day the party is." I say. "If you're sure." Dot said.
INDY'S POV
I called the Mill's number and explained everything to Mrs. Mills. "Can you please call me as soon as she leaves?" I asked. "Of course, Dr. Jones. I'll even drive Nightingale home myself." she offered. "You don't have to do that, Sofie." I replied. "No, but I choose to." she said. "Thank you." I say as we hung up. I sighed as I looked at the picture of Deirdre on my desk. "I wish you were here, you'd know just what to do." I said. As Helen grew older, she became more interested in boys, which was expected, but I didn't realize it would be this hard! I was worried, I didn't want our relationship to be like how it was with my father, but I also wanted to protect her. I looked at the calendar on my wall, it was Saturday, on Monday I had to go back and teach my class. Hopefully Helen and I would be able to make up and spend time together tomorrow. I thought about what we could do as I sat in my recliner. Two hours later, Nightingale came in through the front door. "Hey, how are you?" I asked cautiously. She shrugged as she went up to her room, closing the door behind her. I sighed as I shook my head. Please, can we get along tomorrow?