Slow Dance in Purgatory(45)

Shad stood up abruptly, making the swing shake from side to side. Maggie let out a surprised “eek!” and gripped the chains supporting the swing to prevent herself from being dumped on the porch. Shad looked down at her, his expression fierce and his voice vehement. He shook his scrawny finger in her face as he scolded her.

“Don’t ever say that, Maggie! I worry sometimes that you will disappear….that Johnny Kinross will carry you away to his invisible world…and you’ll never come back.” Shad looked close to tears, and he slumped back down next to her once more, making the swing bobble and shake all over again.

“Shad….really? Be serious.” Maggie’s heart was pounding oddly; stepping into Johnny’s world was something she had daydreamed about many times. Tentatively, she reached over and took Shad’s hand in hers. He gripped it hard and laid his head on her shoulder. His voice was muffled by her sleeve when he finally spoke again.

“Just…stay here, okay Maggie?”

“Don’t worry, Shad. I’m not going anywhere.” And sadly, Maggie feared her words were all too true.





14


“COLD, COLD HEART”

Tony Bennett - 1951





By Friday, thoughts of Johnny consumed her, and Maggie couldn't keep her mind on the dance routine she was rehearsing with her team. Her little mistakes had drawn Dara’s ire, and Maggie wondered again why the team captain seemed to hate her so much. From the very beginning, she had been almost vicious. The night of dance team tryouts, Maggie had been living with her aunt for exactly two weeks and had known absolutely no one. Still, she’d always wanted to be on a dance team, and she heard about the tryouts and had decided to go for it. That night,after tryouts, Dara had informed Maggie that her glasses were 'atrocious' and she needed a serious makeover.

Dara’s critical comments had bewildered her, but Maggie had just shrugged and laughed, letting it roll off her back; but it had still hurt. If Maggie had fought back she could have replied that Dara's eyes were too close together, and her chin was too small, but she would never have pointed those things out; it would have been cold and classless, just like Dara herself. But she'd thought them.

"Maggie O'Bannon!" Dara shrieked and stomped over to the music, pushing pause with an exaggerated huff. 'You are throwing the rest of the team off. It's a triple pirouette there, not a double. If you can't keep up, there's the door." Dara crossed her arms under her fake boobs and tapped her pedicured foot impatiently.

Maggie stepped forward and did a flawless triple pirouette, followed by a standing aerial, and then slid into the splits. Rising lightly to her feet, she smiled sweetly.

"I can keep up, Dara." A couple of the girls hooted and clapped, but Dara rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, Baggie. Isn't that what your friends call you? Just don't make us look bad tonight at the basketball game." Dara turned from Maggie dismissively and clapped her hands, raising her voice to include everyone in the room.

"Remember everyone! We’re performing at halftime tonight. Everyone needs to be there at 6:30 sharp! We're wearing our black sequined costumes and our hair slicked back in a bun. No glasses, Maggie. Stage make-up everyone! You know what that means! Oh, and Maggie, if you need help, I'm sure Jody can lend you a few things." Dara said this in a syrupy sweet voice, and the same girls giggled as had before.

"And remember, we are hosting the dance after the game, and it is semi-formal! We're the dance team, ladies, not girl’s basketball," Dara said snidely. Some of her teammates laughed, but Maggie knew a couple girls on the basketball team who were a lot better looking than Dara, plus they could kick her butt if they felt like it. But she remained silent as Dara continued.

"That means we look like girls and we dress like girls. Make sure you represent." Again her eyes shifted pointedly to Maggie. Maggie refused to squirm.

Maggie loved to dance, but she didn't care much for the school dances, especially date dances. Tonight, she didn't have a dress or a date. Shad would probably go with her, even though he was still sulking and extremely moody, but going to the dance with a fourteen-year-old who looked twelve would, sadly, be worse for her socially than going alone.

"Who has a date for tonight?" Dara continued, almost as if she had read Maggie's mind.

Most of the girls raised their hands, and excited chatter immediately commenced all over the room. Maggie just sighed and gathered her things. She wouldn't be going to the dance and hopefully no one would notice. As a member of the dance team certain things were required, but she thought they could manage tonight without her. Unfortunately, Dara had other plans.

"Maggie, you're not raising your hand. No date, huh? Darn!" Dara's sentiment was about as genuine as her boobs. "Well, I guess that means you can take tickets. Make sure you're at the ticket table, ready to go, before nine! We don't want anyone getting in without paying, right? Remember all the money from ticket sales goes toward Region competition."

Jody Evans slid down next to Maggie as the other girls filed out and patted her knee companionably.

"I really can do your makeup, Maggie. I'll meet you back here before the game. That way if Dara makes a snotty comment, I can tell her I was the one who did it. That should shut her up," Jody whispered conspiratorially. "She's just jealous of girls like you who really don't need a stitch of makeup to be gorgeous. Plus, you're a better dancer than she is, and everyone on the team knows it."