Prom Night in Purgatory(37)

It was Billy Kinross. She was sure of it. Same glasses and short spiky hair with the cowlick in front. He had a splash of freckles across his nose, and he wore a short-sleeved dress shirt and khakis. He reminded her a little of Wally Cleaver.

“Lizzie,” Maggie leaned toward her young cohort and whispered into her ear. “Who is the boy two stools down on my right?”

“That’s Billy Kinross. Why? Do you think he’s cute? If you think he’s dreamy, you should see his brother.”

Maggie couldn’t very well respond that she knew exactly how “dreamy” Johnny Kinross was. She didn’t need to; Lizzie had simply paused to take a slug of her pink, foamy malt. Maggie pulled the strawberry confection to her own lips and drank thirstily as Lizzie swallowed and continued, her top lip mustached in milky pink.

“Billy is in here all the time, lucky duck, because his mother works here. I think he gets his dinner free.”

“His...mother?” Maggie swung her head around, looking for the two waitresses. “Is she here now?”

“Prob’ly. Billy doesn’t come unless she’s here. No free food that way.” The man in the white cap and apron set baskets brimming with food and lined in red tissue paper in front of them. Maggie’s stomach growled loudly, and Lizzie snickered into her hand.

“Can I get you ladies anything else?” the man asked with a rosy—cheeked grin. Maggie thanked him politely as Lizzie dove in, but his attention was drawn almost immediately to something going on beyond them. Maggie swiveled in her seat to see what had narrowed his eyes and robbed him of his cheerful smile.

Roger Carlton sat at a table with his three friends, but his arm was clamped firmly around a waitress’s trim waist, and his other hand had captured one of her hands in his. The waitress was trying to extricate herself while still maintaining the facade that nothing was amiss, but her discomfort was obvious. Maggie didn’t have to see her face to know it had to be Dolly Kinross. She was a platinum blonde, and her hair was rolled and pinned in curls around her head. Maggie could only see her profile, but she could see how nicely the dress hugged her hips and how youthful her figure was. Roger Carlton seemed to have noticed as well. Funny, Maggie had been given the impression that he was angry with Dolly Kinross for having an affair with his father. Maybe that wasn’t why he was angry at all.

The man behind the counter called, “Dolly...order up!” although no order had been called from the window behind him. The woman freed herself and turned away from the boys. Roger watched her walk away, and his face held a strange expression. He caught Maggie staring at him, and his face smoothed immediately. He gave a little wave, and her heart gave a dread filled twist. She turned away from him quickly. As she turned, she noticed the episode had not escaped Billy Kinross either. His cheeks were ruddy again, and his eyes were on the counter-top, his hands fisted and white. Dolly Kinross slid behind the long counter and shot a grateful look at the man in the apron. He shook his head at her and turned away. She smiled and shrugged and, leaning forward, pinched Billy’s cheeks, causing him to lift his sullen gaze.

“Eat up, Billy. I get off in a few minutes. Can you walk down to Gene’s and ride home with Johnny?” Her voice was musical, and there was the slightest gap between her front two teeth giving her a winsome look. Deep dimples appeared at each side of her mouth. Johnny had those dimples.

“Aren’t you comin’ home?” Billy asked, his voice low and wary.

“In a while, darling.” She glanced away then, and busied herself removing her apron. “Don’t worry about me.” She sat a brown bag on the counter in front of Billy. “This is for your brother. Make sure he gets it now!” Dolly Kinross let herself be distracted, and she hustled away. Billy sighed mightily and grabbed the bag, sliding off the stool as he did. He sneaked a glance at Maggie without turning his head, his eyes darting sideways. He ducked his head when he again caught her looking at him.

“Gee whiz, Maggie!” Lizzie breathed between bites. “Stop staring. You’re acting like you’ve never seen a cute boy before.”

Maggie twisted back around on her stool and stared at the food she hadn’t even touched -- food she no longer had any appetite for. She was almost nauseous with the knowledge she carried. She knew what would happen to Dolly and Billy, to Johnny, even to the little girl who sat next to her. She knew their life stories, their heartaches, and the day each one died. Could she change any of it? Did she dare? What if she made things worse just by being here?

She wanted to run down the street, screaming after Billy, warning him of the perils to come. And more than anything else, she wanted to find Johnny and lock her arms around him, convince him that she loved him, and never go back home. Could she? Was it possible that she could stay and save him from Purgatory all together? Would time go on in the future without her? Or would it remain suspended until she returned, or until she caught back up with it?





~11~

A Time to Keep





When Lizzie and Maggie left The Malt, the sun was setting, and as long as Maggie’s eyes stayed trained on the horizon, she could almost believe she was in the same Honeyville, in spite of all the changes in the last 53 years. Maggie convinced Lizzie to ride farther down Main, past Gene’s Automotive. But the place was locked up, and the plaque on the door read “closed.” There was no sign of the Kinross brothers or Johnny’s car. Maggie felt a surge of panic. How could she shrug her shoulders and pedal meekly back to her house, to Lizzie’s house, knowing that at any minute she could be whisked back to where she had come from.