Disclaimer, you know.
The next morning, Friday as Zeb left with Jim and the cart to pick up Cap'n Bill and Mr. Griffiths and their things. she had thought about going but felt that she would be in the way. As she sat on the floor in the living room playing with toto and pockets, auntie Melinda was sitting in a chair looking through a box of photos that she had found in the basement.
"oh, I remember this one, dorothy look at this." Melinda said handing her a photo.
Dorothy took the picture and looked it over. It was a picture of her mother and father, both of them dressed like she and alex were the first time they went to a school dance together. Mr. Alistair and the future Mrs. Alistair were walking behind them, oblivious of the couple standing there. the dress, dorothy remembered wearing the exact same dress at her first school dance, one of the few things that ever left the old house. However, even though she
"when was this taken?" Dorothy asked.
"this was taken at our first school dance, by your aunt, your mother loved that dress, she would always say 'you know, I don't regret going to that dance' it was a beautiful night, and you see how Mr. Alistair is there in the background?" She asked.
"yep." Dorothy replied.
"just after the flash went off, he got distracted and walked right into that street sign, the no parking at any time one." She said.
Dorothy couldn't help but let out a snort at this, but in a moment, she was in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Just imagining the scene in her head, and with how easily flustered and uncoordinated she knew Mr. Alistair could be when it came down to it. after a moment or two she managed however regain her composure realizing she had managed to lose herself.
"sorry, kinda, lost control there for a bit." She said.
"Oh, don't worry about it dear, we all did the same thing that very night, well, except him, he was on the ground, for a good oh I don't know half hour, saying to himself 'why me' he wasn't exactly the luckiest of our bunch, but he was one of the handiest next to my husband and sister in law." She said.
"he still gets easily flustered." Dorothy said.
"I can imagine, but, oh that was a beautiful night, full moon and all the stars in the sky, your father and mother could have danced the entire night." Melinda said.
"I wore that dress, to my first school dance with alex, he showed up that night wearing a similar suit." Dorothy said handing the picture back to her.
"your mother said that she always wanted a daughter that she could one day hand it down to, I'm glad you got a chance." She said.
"I-I know my mother would be proud, I remember she showed me the dress once, when I was little and I had never given it another thought until my aunt brought it up and guilt trapped me into going, but like my mother, I do not regret going to that dance, even if there was a bit of trouble." Dorothy said remembering that incident.
"Well, I won't dwell on the subject anymore." She said going through some more of the old photos.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, Melinda got up and opened it, coming back a moment later with a large envelope in hand.
"what's that?" dorothy asked.
"Something for you, from Kansas, from your school." She said handing it to her
Dorothy sighed and opened it, inside were two large packets, one of which was her packet of school work from when the school was closed and the other, being a packet marked with the words, 'so you don't fall out of practice' written on it in red ink. Her packet of finished work was marked with a 100, which made her smile.
"it appears to be a practice packet." Dorothy said.
"well, at least they're thinking of you." Melinda said
Dorothy smiled and was about to put the packets back into the envelope, however, when she picked it up, she felt that it wasn't quite empty. overturning the envelope, a smaller envelope plopped onto the floor. Picking it up and opening it she found it was her report card. Good marks, which once more made her smile.
" report card as well." Dorothy said.
"your mother, she excelled in all subjects, as did your father, though they both thought school was mindlessly boring." Melinda said
"you know, one time, I remember asking my mother about school, what it was, and when…" Dorothy said trailing off as the memory clicked in her head.
"momma what are these?" little dorothy asked holding up a mess of papers to her mother.
"Where did you find them sweetie?" she asked taking them from the child.
"on the desk in papa's office." little Dorothy said
"And what were you doing in your father's office without asking?" She asked smiling at her.
"looking for the colored drawing things." little dorothy said.
"they're colored pencils dear, but you shouldn't go into your father's study without asking first." She said.
"Well, what are those papers?" little dorothy asked.
"they're papers, from our days in school." She replied looking them over.
"What's school?" Little dorothy asked curiously as she climbed up onto a chair
"School, is where you learn how to read, write, and learn stuff." She replied.
"When will I start school?" She asked.
"well, your father and I have been thinking about that, we've been debating on whether or not to send you to the school that we went to when we were your age, it's out in town, opposite where Emily and henry live." She replied.
"But that's far." Little dorothy said.
"We know, so, oh, it sounds like your father is home." She said as they heard footsteps outside.
a moment later he walked in looking rather tired.
"Papa!" little dorothy shouted hopping off the chair and running over to him.
"Frank, you left your office unlocked, again, why were you looking at our old schoolwork?" she asked walking over to him.
"well, I was looking back at the old days, I found some photographs as well, did the little one get into my stuff again?" He asked.
"she was looking for colored pencils." She replied.
"papa, when am I gonna get to start school?" little dorothy asked.
"maybe after this summer." He said picking her up.
"Anyways, how are Emily and henry doing?" Madeline asked.
"They're doing well, you know, I ran into alexander while in town today, he asked if I had considered sending dorothy to the old school, I told him, that we've considered it, but the problem would be transportation since it's a bit of a drive between here and town." He replied.
"let me guess, he suggested moving back into town?" she asked.
"exactly." He said walking to the living room and sitting down in an armchair.
"what does that mean?" little dorothy asked climbing onto her father's lap.
"It means, well, let's cross that bridge when we get there, don't worry about it." her mother replied
"oh." Little dorothy said.
"dorothy?" came the voice of zeb, snapping her back to reality
Dorothy shook her head and realized that she had tears running down her cheeks. Both toto and pockets were looking up at her worriedly. Her face went completely pale as she realized what had happened. Without a word, she got up and ran out of the room, upstairs to the guest room without even shutting the door behind her. she had just spaced out in the middle of a conversation and began crying her thoughts however were broken by the sound of knocking.
"Dorothy?" Melinda asked coming in
"I-I was remembering, remembering that conversation with my parents." Dorothy said.
"Emily warned me what might happen if your memories somehow clicked in, I can't imagine how much it upsets you, you were so young when you lost them." Melinda said.
"it hurts to think about them sometimes." dorothy said before her aunt placed a finger to against her lips.
"Dorothy, it's alright, would you prefer to be alone?" Melinda asked.
Dorothy said nothing, she simply nodded. Melinda then left the room without a word, shutting the door behind her. dorothy sighed and plopped down on the bed, she once more wished she could just put on the slippers, click her heels, and vanish. But in her mind, she knew it wouldn't be right.
