The Common Thread
Chapter One
Hawkeye Pierce shoved the door to his daughter's room open cautiously. "Anybody home?"
"Nrrrffff..."
"Good morning to you too. And how would you like your breakfast this morning, on your head or on your arm?"
Victoria Pierce sat up slowly. "Dad, you didn't have to bring me food."
"I guess I'm just that sort of great guy. Now eat. I don't think Campbell High accepts late arrivers."
"Darn-damn-darn-damn-darn!" Victoria kicked back the black and red quilt. "Mrs. Bartoletti's gonna murder me. She hates seniors. Yesterday Carolyn came in two--Dad, move. You're standing on my skirt."
Hawkeye stepped to the side. "Bartoletti? The one with the eyes that never focus and the hook nose?"
"Where are my nylons?"
"Scurry on, MacDuff." He tossed Victoria a pair of black stockings that were hanging on the lamp.
As Hawkeye left the room and Victoria started ripping her armoire apart in search of her purple sweater, a yawning Margaret Houlihan came out of the master bedroom. "She's up."
"And at 'em." Hawkeye caught the woman by the waist. "And how was your night?"
"Better." Margaret coughed. "I still can't shake this flu."
"Uh-huh. You know what that means."
"Hawk, I promise. I'll be fine."
"Even so, you're going back to bed."
Margaret sighed and pushed her hair back from her face. "You don't quit."
The two grinned at each other. Even though they'd both collected a few more gray hairs and wrinkles, they could be nominated for best-looking couple of the year, as Hawkeye had recently boasted to B.J. Hunnicutt over the phone.
"Okay," gasped Victoria, slamming the door to her room and cramming a piece of toast into her mouth. "I'm ready. How do I look? Where's my notebook?"
Margaret blew her nose. "You are your father's daughter."
Victoria shot a suspicious look at Margaret. "I hope I haven't been insulted."
"Don't worry. You haven't been." Margaret checked her watch. "You'd better hurry. I heard the bus was going to come earlier, in case the Fergusons hadn't shoveled their driveway and Hank had to wait an extra five minutes for the kids to get through the snow."
"What else could happen?" Victoria asked, throwing her hands up in the air, as if praying for time to stop. "Ciao, Dad. Oh, and by the way, some Jack Bertzwin called last night. He said he needed emergency surgery on his appendix."
"That's interesting, considering I took it out two years ago," said Hawkeye. "Now come on! Go!" He kissed her head. "Tip the bus driver and don't beat up Chuck Minsed."
Victoria winked and exited the house, taking the porch steps two at a time. The bus driver, who'd been impatiently waiting, yanked her on and pulled the door shut with such force that it caused a dent that he'd regret explaining to the principal.
XXX
Campbell Cove, Maine, was Crabapple Cove's sister town, and the two balanced each other out nicely. Crabapple Cove was home to the lobster festival, car dealership, elementary and middle school, Protestant church, grocery store, diner, and fire department. Campbell Cove had the bar, Ben Franklin, high school, police station, Catholic church, gas station, and the Crow's Roost Motel.
Campbell High was one of those schools where everyone knew everyone else. When Mr. Farmington and Miss Anverds were caught half-naked in the furance room, the news took only twenty-two and a half minutes to get from the basement to the third-floor art room.
Victoria usually liked the close-knit atmosphere, but not when she had on one black platform sandal and one brown high-heeled clog, like today.
"Nice shoes," commented Phyllis Morgan.
"Jealous?" Victoria grinned. "I knew you'd like them. I got them in Augusta when Dad had that medical thing last week."
Phyllis snorted. "Uh, Vic, darling, look down."
"What?"
"Look down."
Victoria did, and gasped. "No!"
"Yes."
"You're kidding!"
"No."
"You mean I'm really wearing two different shoes?"
"Yes."
"Ugh." Victoria opened her burnt-orange locker. "Oh, and it figures! I lent my extra pair of shoes to Jenna yesterday and she hasn't given them back."
"I never knew why you kept extras at school anyway. I mean, it's not as if we're in grade school and going out for recess," said Phyllis
"I like to be prepared," Victoria snapped.
"You're not now."
"Thanks for reminding me."
The P.A. system crackled and Mrs. Vermillion's squacked throughout the high school.
"Are we on?" she asked.
"What?" said Principal Davids.
"I don't know if this thing is on or not."
"Is the red light showing up?"
"I think so."
Principal Davids grunted. "New secretaries, may God help me." There was a shuffling and soon his voice became clearer. "We've been having a few issues with our bells-"
"I'm sorry, Principal, but I honestly didn't know what that lever did," Mrs. Vermillion began.
"-so homeroom will begin in approximately seven seconds."
"That ends the morning Davids and Vermillion routine, the hottest thing since Abbott and Costello, brought to you by the makers of WriteRight School Supplies," Phyllis intoned.
"Come on, Lis, let's go," said Victoria. "We all know what a witch Bartoletti can be when we're late."
"Or when we're early," muttered Phyllis.
Once Campbell High's two hundred and twenty-nine students were in their homerooms, Principal Davids cleared his throat. "Good morning, students."
"He couldn't have said that before?" Phyllis muttered to Victoria, who rolled her eyes.
"We have some very exciting announcements today."
"Yeah, they cleaned out the shower drains the locker rooms," Victoria whispered.
"First," coughed Principal Davids, "all--freshme--my, I seem to have a bit of a frog in my throat today. Mrs. Vermillion, would you mind getting my coffee?" There was a clunk as the microphone was set down.
"Yes, sir...where is it?"
"On my desk."
"Oh...where?"
"On the stack of order forms for the new desks."
"Uh-huh...I can't seem to it."
"RIGHT THERE!"
"Oh, it's right there. Honestly, sir, don't have to yell."
Principal Davis's deep annoyed breathing was audible as he continued the announcements. "All freshmen, go to room three-forty-six for Composition."
"That doesn't concern you," Mrs. Bartoletti said from her desk.
"Really?" asked Cameron Phillips, who had been deemed the class's resident smart-aleck, which annoyed both Phyllis and Victoria. They considered themselves just as annoying and sarcastic as he was.
"A representative from the University of New Hampshire will be here from nine to eleven-thirty this morning," continued Principal Davis. "Talk to Mrs. Frenzlie in the office if you'd like to speak to him about possible enrollment. Seniors get first priority, followed by juniors, followed by sophomores, followed by freshmen."
"I think this guy was a kindergarten teacher in a former lifetime," Victoria murmured as she pulled out her copy of The Scarlet Letter and tried to concentrate on the introduction. "How far in this did we have to be in this for class today?"
"Page fifty-nine," Carolyn Green answered from behind Phyllis.
"Great."
"You sound like you're having a fun day," said Phyllis.
Victoria turned to face her. "You want to hear what I did this morning?"
"Sure. It ought to be more fun than the announcements."
"All right. First of all, I woke up-"
"Should I be taking notes?"
"No. Anyway, I woke up-"
"I heard that part already."
"Stop interrupting me! I woke up--yes, I know, you heard it already--I found out I was late, I got dressed really, really, really fast, I didn't get to eat hardly anything, then Fast Freddy almost slammed the bus door on me, and then I had two different shoes on, and then-"
"Miss Pierce?" Mrs. Baroletti interjected. "Would you care to speak up so the whole class may hear you?"
"No," said Victoria. "Thank you, though."
Phyllis snickered.
Principal Davis coughed. "All seniors in anatomy, report to room three hundred for sixth through eighth hour. Josephine Bigelow will be here to share her Korean War experiences with you. It is expected that you all be on your best behavior."
"Best behavior," repeated Mrs. Bartoletti.
"Bad behavior," Cameron said.
"Those of you who are in physical education," Principal Davis continued, "meet in the library during class today."
"They're weight-lifting with typewriters," said Tyler Finnegan.
"And now...with a total of sixteen pounds of dictionaries...'The Champ' Mullroy!" Bob Mullroy shouted.
"Hurdles with encyclopedias," added Rodney Compton.
"And with that, I conclude our morning announcements," Principal Davis said. "Oh! Yes, there is one more thing. All members of the Female's Sacred Choir, you have practice right after school. Bring your copies of 'Lead On, O King Eternal' and congregate in the music room."
"Very punny," Phyllis called to the speaker as the bell rang and the eight-nine seniors left the classroom.
"Josephine Bigelow," said Victoria, frowning. She leaned against the water fountain, squirting the cold liquid over the back of her sweater.
"Having a good day?" Phyllis asked.
"It just keeps getting better."
A.N: Wow. This is the longest chapter I've written since the beginning of Crash. How's the length? Do you want shorter or longer or about the same? I think I may be growing attached to longer ones...