navy-blue skirt, a long-sleeved blue blouse and a yellow scarf. I’d never seen her before, so wondered why she’d come over to me.
“Yes?” I asked curiously, since there was an age restriction in the contest rules disqualifying anyone over thirty, and this withered old woman had to be at least thirty times three.
“I wondered if you could spare some water,” she asked weakly, pointing to the water bottles Eli had bought earlier. “So many hours waiting … and I’m feeling dizzy. I can pay you.”
Eli reached out and handed her a bottle. “You can have it, no charge,” he said.
“Thank you so much. I knew just by looking at you two youngsters that you were kind.”
“Are you here for the competition?” I asked.
“Only to support my talented grandson. But after a visit to the ladies room, I’ve lost him. He must have gone inside but the guards won’t let me in.”
“They won’t?” Eli said with a fierce frown. “Well, I’ll see about that. Come with me and I’ll talk to them for you.”
“That’s sweet of you, but I don’t mind waiting.” She waved her hand a bit helplessly. “Although it’s getting so warm and I’m—” Her voice broke off and her feet buckled.
We both moved to help but Eli reached her first, cradling her in his arms so she didn’t fall. He grabbed a water bottle, twisted it open and held it up to her mouth. “Take a sip,” he encouraged gently.
“That’s better … but, ooh … everything is spinning.” She stood up and took a step forward then swayed.
“You need medical attention,” Eli said firmly. “I’ll talk to the guards and see if there’s a medic nearby.”
“Gracious, no. I don’t want anyone fussing over me. I’ll be fine if I just take a moment in the ladies’ room.”
“I’ll take you there,” Eli offered.
She shooed him away. “Young men have no place going near a ladies’ room. I’ll be fine.”
But it was obvious by the way she wobbled that she couldn’t make it two feet on her own.
“I’ll take you,” I offered.
“You can’t leave now,” Eli protested.
“This won’t take long, and you can hold my place for me. The restroom isn’t far and I can get back before the line moves.” Not giving Eli a chance to argue, I stood and took the frail woman by the arm.
She moved surprisingly quickly once we neared the restroom. When I reached for the door, I frowned at an
“Don’t mind that,” she said, pushing the door open. “I was here earlier and it works just fine.” Then she wobbled, and I lunged forward to keep her from falling.
The bathroom seemed to be in working order: no leaking faucets or overflowing toilets. I led the woman to a stall. She leaned against the door and reached into her shoulder bag.
“I’m going to go now,” I said as I turned around.
“No, you aren’t. You’re staying here with me.” She whipped something gray out of her bag and aimed it at me.
A stun gun.
As I stared in astonishment, she reached up and yanked off her gray wig. Shining red curls tumbled down over her not-so-old shoulders.
Too shocked to think, I said the first thing that popped into my head. “What is it with you and bathrooms?”
“It was the only place to get you alone.”
“I can’t believe you followed me over four hundred miles! Are you obsessed or something? What’s this all about?” I was trying to stall her while I gauged the distance between the door and her gun hand, considering my chances for rushing her. I was taller than she was by at least six inches, but she was wider and probably stronger. I could run faster … but not faster than her trigger finger.
“No sudden moves.” She kept the gun aimed at me. “I don’t want to use this, but I will if you don’t do exactly what I say.”
I nodded, fear creeping up my spine. “What do you want?”
“My best friend back the way she used to be,” she said with a weary sigh. “Sharayah, this is an intervention.”
23
“I’ve missed you so much, Shari,” the redhead continued, so miserably that even though she held the stun gun, I felt a little sorry for her.
Best friend? I remembered Eli telling me how Sharayah dumped all her friends, even her closest friend since childhood.
“Hannah?” I guessed.
“I followed you hundreds of miles and borrowed my mother’s Taser just to get you alone.” She wiped tears from her eyes with her free hand. “I even went to this funky Taser party with my mom to learn how to use this. I’m not kidding around, Shari, I will stun you if that’s what it takes to keep you here.”
“But I have to get back to the audition. I was almost to the front of the line and there isn’t much time left before—” I hesitated, realizing this wasn’t the time or place to explain about Temp Lifers. “Anyway, this competition is really important.”
“Other things are more important … like our friendship.”
“Hannah, I know you’re a wonderful friend, but I really need to go back to Eli. Can’t we just meet after the competition?”
“To hell with the goddamned competition!” Then she blushed, as if ashamed by her outburst. “See how crazy you make me? I almost never swear because of how we think it’s so demeaning. Remember when we found that Shakespearean-insult website and went around saying stuff like ‘thou crusty beef-witted canker blossom’ and ‘thou poisonous fly-bitten fustilarian’? We mocked other kids who only repeated the same boring swear words. But you’ve changed … I can’t believe what I’ve been hearing about you.”
That’s for sure, I thought ruefully. I nodded to show her I was ashamed, then subtly took a step closer to the door.
“Stop!” she ordered, with a steady aim of the gun. “I’m way serious about this intervention.”
“I have to g—”
“Don’t interrupt! I’ve gone through hell because of you, and the least you can do is give me fifteen freaking minutes of your time. I don’t want to hear any more arguments. Be quiet and listen until we’re done … or else.” She pushed the gun closer to me.
I lifted my hands in surrender. “I’ll stay,” I promised.
She exhaled so deeply that the faux wrinkles on her face relaxed. Now that I could see her close up, I was embarrassed that I’d been fooled by the grandma act. Her reddish-brown lashes curled over large chocolate eyes that were glistening with emotion. But her full lips were pressed together with determination as she kept a steady grip on the gun.
“You have to do what I say.” She reached behind her for a cheerful blue beach bag and pulled out a small blanket. She tossed it on the floor and told me to spread it out, then sit down.
Impressed with how far she’d gone to help a friend — and not wanting to give her any reason to try out that Taser — I obediently sat down. Hannah’s granny skirt flared out on the blanket as she sat down across from me, keeping her gun hand lifted while she grabbed the straps of her bag and swung it between us.
“This is how this works.” She spoke with determination. “You sit still and look at what I have to show you. No interruptions.”
“But what about Eli? He’ll worry when I don’t come back.”
“I’ll take care of him.” She withdrew a phone from her bag, then flipped it open with her pink-frosted thumbnail. It was a smooth move, actually, since her other hand continued to hold the gun. I couldn’t help but be
