CHRISTINE part 3

Copyright (c) 2018 by Randall R. Peterson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED This is a work of fiction. All persons, locations and actions are from the author's imagination or have been used in a fictitious manner.

CHRISTINE

Part 3

By R. Peterson

          Christine was amazed by the other student’s reaction to her showing up at school after more than a month away. Before she had been a loner with no friends, now she was treated like a celebrity. Students lined the corridors to gape as she walked beside the vivacious Chloe O’Brian. The school secretary caught her in the hallway and told her that because of her long absence, paperwork would need to be filled out. “You’re on your own doll,” Chloe said as she pushed her toward the principal’s office.

            Principal Dunn had someone in his office so Christine sat in a chair to wait. The voices were loud and she couldn’t help but eavesdrop.

            “We’ve made repeated requests for your transcripts and so far have received nothing. Where did you say you last went to school?”

            “Koo-Ka-mon-ga.”

Christine gasped. It was Johnny Lang’s voice!

            “I have three undelivered letters that have all come back from Kookamonga.” Principal Dunn sounded like he was getting angry.

            “Did you address the envelopes in English?”

            “Of course I did! What difference does that make?”

            “There’s only one postman in town; he rides a donkey and can only read Kookamongeese. Better get it right this time!”

Mr. Dunn’s voice exploded. “I don’t care how good you are at sports. If we don’t have your school records by Friday, you’ll no longer be a student here!”

The door opened and Johnny smiled when he saw her. His smile turned serious as if he just remembered her troubles. “Sorry about your stepfather … I’m sure your mom is okay … and she will turn up.”

Nothing anyone had ever said to her since that night had made her feel this good. “Thank you!” she gushed.

Mr. Dunn stood up and closed the door behind her as she entered his office. She could feel his broom-bristle eyes sweeping up and down her body. “I’m so very sorry,” he whined. “Having one dear parent murdered and another in jail for the crime is more than any student should have to bear …”

-------2-------

            Principal Dunn kept her until the second hour bell rang. Christine noticed the banners strung across the hallways advertising HOMECOMING DANCE FRIDAY NIGHT as she walked to her second hour class. She caught at least a dozen boys all staring … she could almost tell what they were thinking. Chloe was in her second-hour English class and Christine sat next to her. “Been asked to the dance yet?”

            Christine smiled and shook her head … if it was her choice Johnny Lang would be her date. She noticed Nancy Storms and Susan Foster glaring at her from across the room. Several boys began showing-off, trying to catch her eye.

            “Good,” Chloe smiled and handed her a ballot. “The Homecoming Queen comes to the dance single and then selects whoever she wants to dance with … and more.”

Christine was stunned. Her name was on a list with three other girls as candidates. “I don’t believe this!” Christine stammered. “Who nominated me?”

            “The entire football team and half the guys in the senior class during an assembly first hour,” Chloe said. “You made the entire school shake when you walked in this morning.”

Christine felt like she was in a dream as she put an x next to her name and dropped it in the ballet box as it was passed around. “I’m sure some other girl will get more votes than I will.”

Chloe laughed. “I wouldn’t bet on that,” she said.

-------3-------

Christine was sitting with Chloe in the cafeteria when Johnny appeared and plopped down beside them. “I hear you’re going to be the new Homecoming Queen,” he blurted.

            “My name is on the ballet; that doesn’t mean I’m going to win.” Christine felt herself getting lost as she stared into his eyes.

            “That’s too bad for me and a hundred other guys,” Johnny said. His voice held a whisper of sadness. “I was going to ask you to the dance.”

Christine was in shock as Johnny leaned over and gave her a long, lingering kiss. “Perhaps you’ll save at least one dance for me.”

There was the sound of dishes breaking. Christine looked up in time to see Nancy, Beth and Susan stomping out of the lunch room. Their dinner-trays lay shattered next to their overturned table. When she turned back Johnny was leaving with some of his football buddies. He waved.

            “I wouldn’t get too hung up on that boy.” Chloe told her.

            “Why not?” Christine felt more than stupid. Of course a guy like Johnny would have a steady girlfriend.

            “We’ll talk about it tonight while we’re dress shopping.”

            “Dress shopping?”

            “Yeah. We’ve got to allow at least three days for alterations. That reminds me. I’ll have to call and see if a couple of my father’s pilots can fly us to New York. I know some very nice formal dress shops that will stay open all night if we ask. We can sleep on the jet.”

Christine shook her head as she took a bite of her cheeseburger and washed it down with milk. What a difference five weeks could make.

-------4-------

The Lockheed JetStar landed at LaGuardia International Airport in New York City at a little after nine PM. A white limousine picked them up by the front gates and whisked them to Style et Ėlégance an exclusive Fifth Avenue dress shop. Christine was giggling from the complimentary Veuve Clicquot champagne they drank on the way. “Don’t get me going,” Chloe pinched her. “My father had to pay this French sheepherder a thousand bucks an hour extra to keep his stalls open.”

            The tiny bald man bowed low when he met them at the door. “Nous avez été vous attend et avoir toute une équipe à votre disposition!”

            “We both want to look stunning,” Chloe told him. “If you can’t do that it one hour we’re going someplace else.”

-------5-------

            “So tell me about Johnny Lang.” Christine whispered as Claude De Amore and three seamstresses ran to the back room to bring out more gowns.

            “My mother doesn’t know him but she knows someone who does. That witch woman, Melania Descombey who lives on the corner of Main Street and Galbraith. They’ve been spotted riding together in that old Buick she drives. Johnny isn’t real,” Chloe told her blowing a pink bubble with her gum. “He’s a dream and all … but he’s phantom. He’s made of moisture and air and vanishes with the first rays of dawn.”

            “But he’s on the football team!”

            “Doesn’t matter,” Chloe said. “He’s like the weather. When the storm leaves … so does he.”

            “But I love him!”

            “I know … we all do.” Chloe sighed.

Claude held a designer dress up to Christine and his eyes sparkled. “This dress in in love with you,” he said. “You will break its heart if you don’t wear it!”

The gown was a sand-gray cashmere with oyster-shell buttons and real 14 karat gold thread, cut low in front and even lower in back. The bland color fanned Christine’s red-hair into flames.

            “You look damn hot in this!” Chloe gushed. “How much is it?”

Claude turned up his nose. “Si vous avez à poser... alors vous ne pouvez pas vous le permettre!” Chloe giggled, and whispered a translation: “If you have to ask then you cannot afford it!”

-------6-------

Christine tried to connect with Johnny every day during the week, but just as Chloe said, every time she caught a glimpse of him he’d seem to vanish into thin air. She knew Dunn was looking for him too and thought that might be why Johnny was so elusive.

            The formal gowns were delivered Friday morning. Christine’s fit perfectly but Chloe’s needed a few last-minute fixes. Christine used the extra time to take a walk. The large mansion on the corner looked imposing. If there was a real witch in town she probably did live here. Christine remembered running past this place out of breath as a child trick-or-treating. Those courageous children who did brave the stone walkway and scary shrubs were always rewarded with the best goodies in town but she wasn’t one of them. The iron doorknocker was in the form of a gargoyle and she let it fall on a tarnished brass plate three times. She was just turning to leave when the heavy, carved-door opened.

-------7-------

            The Homecoming dance was the most enchanting night of her life even if she couldn’t spot the one boy she wanted to see. A local band called The Bathtub Ring played an assortment of fast and slow songs and Christine was so out of breath from dancing that she had to beg a long line of boys for a rest.

            Principal Dunn wrapped his fat fingers around the lead singer’s microphone and the resulting feedback from the PA system made everyone hold their ears. “I told you guys to turn it down!” He glared at the band. He cleared his throat and waited for the crowd to become silent and expectant.

            “The winners of the nineteen sixty-nine Homecoming royalty are …” He paused for so long obviously cherishing everyone’s agony that a rough voice in the back finally yelled “What’s the matter old man … the cat got your tongue?”

He harumped his throat again and finally went on … as if he hadn’t heard.

The Homecoming Queen is … Christine Louise Brown … and the Homecoming King is … Johnny Lang!”

The band began to pay a cover of Judy Henske’s High Flying Bird and suddenly she was in his arms.

            “I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” she whispered. Thousands of pin-points of euphoria ran over every inch of her body as they touched.

            “I know,” Johnny said. “Melania told me you paid her a visit.”

            “I’m sorry,” she said. He smelled like spring flowers. “I had to know the truth.”

            “It’s not so bad,’ he said. “This way I think I’ll not live … but still be around forever.”

A tear rolled down Christine’s cheek as he kissed her. The night was too perfect.

-------8-------

At least a dozen boys begged to drive her home but Christine told them she wanted to walk … alone. Chloe had left early with this year’s crush … a cute boy named Jesse Paco. Christine tried to stay out of the streetlamps as she walked across town. There were too many boys who would not take no for an answer. Her life had changed dramatically for the better but it was like Melania told her – the only two real things in the universe are dark and light everything else is an illusion created by imagination. There is a balance in all things, the old lady had explained … and a dear price for everything worthwhile … especially love.

            Christine wasn’t surprised to see the garbage truck parked under the ladder that led to the top of the water tower. A breeze came up and blew her dress almost to the top of her nylons when she had climbed only a hundred feet but she didn’t care. Johnny was close now, she could feel him. A touch like no other … living or dead. The last hundred rungs were too easy … she couldn’t climb fast enough.

            Christine Louise Brown, a living legend, stood on top of the railing and scanned the lights on the horizon. She thought she saw her mother sitting there in the stars. Those lights would travel forever and so would she. The moon slid from behind of bank of clouds where it had been hiding and just behind her and to the side she could see Class of 70… and Christine glowing in the reflected lunar light. The yellow words were no longer smeared but bright and eternal. Johnny had fixed it … he had fixed her whole world! She closed her eyes … thought about their first kiss … and jumped.

-------9-------

            It was almost Christmas and people still talked about the tragic suicide that took the life of the beautiful young girl. Such a loss for the entire community. A light powder of snow covered the ground as Melania backed the 1949 Buick Roadmaster out of the garage and let it warm up. It was twenty minutes to midnight … she would have to hurry.

            Her car lights flickered on a lone figure standing next to the Townsend Street Bridge. She stopped and Johnny Lang climbed in next to her. “Where to tonight?” he grinned.

            “I’ve got something special planned,” she told him. “We are no longer alone!”

Johnny turned on the radio as they turned onto Vineyard road and roared toward Black Rose Cemetery. The late night DJ, Rocky Dawn, was just finishing playing Buddy Holly’s "Not Fade Away" when they stopped near the cast iron gates. The clock in the dash ticked off the seconds as they waited. Exactly at midnight the radio began to play the haunting theme from A Summer Place and she appeared walking through the tombstones. Johnny gasped as moonlight reflected off from her gray formal gown and seemed to make her hair catch fire. The weathered grass, three inches below her feet, turned into emerald carpet as she moved toward them. Christine smiled as Johnny opened his door and she slid next to Melania. He closed the door and kissed her. This time she knew it was forever. “Where are we going?” she asked.

            “A Chevy Bel- Air just around the next curve,” Melania said slowing to a stop. “His name is Thomas … he’s sixteen, drowning in pimples, has never had a date and has been thinking about climbing his own tower. He has a flat tire on his dad’s car but can’t get the jack to work.”

The old, classic Buick vanished a second after Christine climbed out.

Tommy Nelson dropped the lug-wrench and almost ran when she appeared, walking down the center of the road as if she owned the world. The girl was probably the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen in his life. When she smiled, he knew she was. “Can I help?” she asked.

He was in love …

THE END.