Die Job(33)

“Let me walk you down to the auditorium,” Merle said. “I expect I’ll be losing this”—he tugged at his ponytail and grinned—“before the week is out.”

He delivered me to Rachel at the door of the auditorium and hustled off to “brief the school board on the situation.” Rachel looked wan, her face paler than usual against her black hair and clothes. A camera dangled from a strap around her wrist. “Thanks for coming, Grace,” she said, managing a tiny smile.

I gave her a quick hug, glad she’d mustered up the courage to come to school. Being around her classmates was the best thing for her right now, I was sure. Much better than crying alone at home. “Happy to do it,” I said. “Are there a lot of takers?”

For answer, she pushed open the auditorium door. Eight girls waited on the stage with a chair positioned in the center. “They’re all here for Locks of Love. We’ll do the head shaving at the pep rally on Friday. I’m supposed to take photos for the yearbook.” She indicated the camera.

I surveyed the girls, a lonely clump on the bare stage surrounded by the echoing emptiness of the auditorium. I advanced toward them and thanked them for donating their hair to Locks of Love. “Tell you what,” I said. “These are hardly ideal hair-cutting conditions.”

They bobbed their heads in agreement. “How about if y’all come down to Violetta’s after school and we’ll do it there? That way, we can give you a shampoo and make sure you get a style you’re happy with. You can tell all your friends that they can get a free cut at Violetta’s if they’re donating their hair to charity, okay?”

The girls looked relieved. “I only have study hall last period,” said Lindsay, the tall brunette from the field trip. “Can I come now?”

“Sure,” I said. “If that’s okay with the school. And I’ll see the rest of you later this afternoon?”

They nodded and headed for the hall. “I should’ve thought of that,” Rachel said. “It’s, like, a way better idea than cutting hair here.” She swung the camera moodily.

“Either way would’ve worked. You’ve done the hard part by motivating them to part with their hair,” I said. “Want me to take pictures today?”

“Sure.” She handed me the camera and trudged down the hall, a slim figure in black, looking very alone.

“She’s taking it hard. Braden’s death, I mean,” said Lindsay’s voice beside me.

I looked up at the athletic girl who topped my five-six by several inches. Her brown eyes were fixed on Rachel. “They were very close,” I said. “But I’m sure it’s hard on a lot of Braden’s friends.”

“Oh, yeah,” she said, grief in her voice and face.

She fell into step beside me and we left the school. “No homework?” I asked when she didn’t stop by her locker to pick up any books.

“I have to be back later for volleyball practice,” she said. “I’ll pick up my backpack then.”

“Do you like volleyball?” I asked as we cut across the parking lot. She certainly had the height for it.

“Love it. I’ve got a full ride to the University of Maryland. I signed my letter of intent a couple weeks ago.” She mimed a signature in the air.

“Congratulations.”

“My boyfriend’s going to Annapolis, so it’ll work out great.”

“Mark?” I said, remembering the name from Saturday night.

“Yeah, he’s got an appointment to the Naval Academy. It’s been his dream forever. And his dad’s. His dad’s a navy captain down at Kings Bay. His stepdad, really, although his real dad was in the navy, too.”

Kings Bay was the submarine base about twenty miles south of St. Elizabeth. “I think I saw him at Rothmere,” I said. And at the grocery store, fighting with his wife.

Lindsay nodded again, a curtain of brown hair swinging across her face. “Yeah. Mark was Braden’s best friend.” She kicked at a fallen pecan, sending it skittering into the road. “He’s really broken up about it, but he’s not talking about it. You know how guys are.”

She sounded both worried and a bit peeved. I tried to remember what it was like to be eighteen and in love. Had I resented it when Hank didn’t share something with me? I couldn’t remember. “Give him time,” I said. “It’s probably just about the hardest thing he’s ever had to deal with.”

“I don’t know about that,” Lindsay said. She clamped her lips together and lengthened her stride.