Page 32 of Keepsake

Vienna beamed, bouncing on her chair with a huge smile and not a hint of red in her cheeks.

“You both are bilingual…”

Dash snorted. I guess it took two minutes into this meeting until it fell apart.

“Something wrong, Mr. Murphy?” The woman asked, but I was on the ball.

“Nothing to worry about,” I said at the same time Logan jumped. “What kind of extracurricular activities do you offer?”

But Principal Godwick had her eyes pinned on Dash. “Just a minute,” she told us both. “I want to hear from Dashiell if he thinks something is amiss.”

Dash tipped his head up, his gangly teenage body trying to appear bigger.

“I guess it’s the first time someone thinks it’s a good thing we speak Spanish.”

Godwick opened a smile. “Here at Lone Pine, we value learning new languages.”

“Here on this Earth, brown bilingual kids are the first to get stuffed into a locker.”

I could bet my left arm he was talking out of his ass. Not that bilingual kids didn’t have a rough time, but Dash had always been taller than anyone his age. He was a tough kid. I knew no one was stuffing him in a locker. Still, he wanted to make a point.

I saw Logan opening her mouth and then quickly closing it when Godwick took over.

“You’re a smart young man, Dashiell.” Breaking eye contact, she reached for a leaflet to the side and slid over him. “You’ll do well in debate.”

His eyebrows rose and the principal chuckled. “It is a good and valid point, but you don’t know how to structure it and it comes off as aggressive.”

I didn’t point out Dash was being aggressive on purpose.

“You can get more flies with honey than vinegar. Have you ever heard that?” she continued, nodding to the leaflet. “It’s not because you’re saying the truth that you’re allowed to be disrespectful.”

To everyone’s surprise, Dash reached out and took the leaflet. Godwick wasn’t done.

“Logan is a Harvard alumnus,” she said before glancing down at Dash’s transcript in front of her. “You have good grades. You’re bright and interesting. There’s no reason for you not to go far, Mr. Murphy. But that’s something you need to decide yourself.”

Breaking eye contact, she clapped her hands and moved to look at Vienna. “Now, you little lady.”

For the rest of the appointment, Dash remained silent. I caught Logan chancing a look at him multiple times, but he made a point to evade her gaze.

We walked the halls as the bell rang, students looking us up and down, making Dash close his expression even more. After that we saw the gym, the lab, and the library, we ended up on the other side of the campus where Vienna would be taking her classes.

It was a way more relaxed atmosphere. This building had artwork on the walls, and they offered dance classes after hours, which by Vienna’s face, she was very interested in.

Finally, Godwick brought us to the door, a smile on her face as she shook Logan’s hand and then mine.

“Thank you for having us,” Logan said once again before we left the building.

“Just think about it,” Godwick replied, making it obvious the opening was ours if we wanted. She peered at Dash, dipping her chin, and I opened the front door leaving the warm hall behind.

IwaswatchingLakeMichigan, a towel around my waist while I put my thoughts in order, when someone knocked.

“Come in,” I called before thinking better of it.

“Dinner is here an—”

I turned from the window to catch Logan standing at the door, her hand still on the knob and her eyes wide. It must have taken thirty seconds of silence until she made a strangled sound and looked away from my chest.

“Dinner is here, we ordered from that place you suggested.” She cleared her throat, “And we have a meeting.”

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