The Complete Where Dreams - Volume 2 of 2

Chapter 16-1

Chapter 16

“Today’s a dark day,” Tammy informed Perrin as she slipped into the back seat of Bill’s car. Jasp was being a total pill. Sure it was his turn up front, but he hadn’t even offered to move back for Perrin. Perrin had shrugged it off before Dad could dig in.

“What’s a ‘dark’ day?” Perrin had on a nice blouse of pale blue, so plain it was almost a shock. But Tammy was learning. She could see just how well made it was and how perfectly it fit, not clinging, but not loose and sloppy like some generic store thing. It didn’t have to be wild like their red dresses to be amazing. That’s what she wanted to do, make clothes that made her look that nice. Even Perrin’s jeans fit way better than Tammy’s despite how long she’d spent poking around the mall’s racks to find a pair that fit just right.

“Dark day means the stage is unlit. Everybody gets a day off. So today’s pretty much the last time we’re gonna see Dad even close to sane for the two weeks until opening night.”

“At least you get to see me at rehearsals,” he called back as he pulled into traffic.

“Yeah, that’s righteous,” Tammy replied. It was Jasp’s latest word, though it tended to make Dad snort with laughter when they used it. She wondered if Jasp had figured it wrong. “If you think he’s been busy these last couple weeks, just wait. It’s cra—”

“That’s what I wanna do,” Jaspar cut her off. It wasn’t his normal kind of cut-off.

Something was wrong and she didn’t know what it was. And it wasn’t just today. With Jasp she always knew, but not this time.

“I’m gonna do what Dad does. I’m gonna know all about electricity and machine tools and none of that costume crap.”

Dad glanced up into the mirror in apology to Perrin, and Tammy could see the look. When had she grown tall enough to see his eyes in the rearview? Very righteous.

But Jasp missed it. He usually caught onto adult stuff faster than she did. Tammy had found she had to figure out things that Jaspar saw right away and blurted out. He was a just a stupid boy in a lot of ways, but he was “people smart.”

She hated when he descended into one of his troll moods. It reminded her too much of when Mom died. That had been bad for all of them, Jasp had refused to believe her for weeks that Mom was never coming home again. And Dad had been mostly out of it. She’d learned to anticipate and defuse the troll, but she always knew why Jasp was doing it. Tammy couldn’t see this one yet. She’d have to get him aside later.

“I have to worry about the ‘costume crap’ too,” Dad tromped down on him. “Though between Perrin and Jerimy I have to worry less than usual.” He looked at Perrin again in the rearview mirror.

Wow! Did Dad have any idea how much he was showing how he felt about Perrin? They were way past fourth kiss. She was losing track of everything. When had that happened?

Jasp just hunched down in the front seat and glared out the window.