White Rabbit Chapter 27

27.

            After making sure Delores did not kill herself, the man blowing the whistle booted her out. It was the most pleasurable part of his job as a security guard.

            “Delores! I asked you not to get us thrown out!”

            “Relax, Whitney. I am thrown out. Not you.”

            “I am not going to stay here alone!”

            “Why not?”

            “I don’t know.” She complained. “This is our last night together.”

            “For two weeks. Why is that you want to stay here at all?”

            Silence.

            “Ah, a boy! Is it that Bruce boy you told me about from the tree lighting ceremony?”

            “Maybe…” Whitney smiled blushing.

            Delores laughed. She was putting on her boots. “Well, it’s now or never. Go talk to him. I will go to Dunkin’ and wait for you there.”

            “I don’t know.”

“I do know, Whitney. Go! Go!”

            “I don’t want to leave you!”

“Fuck! I will be fine. Go!”

“You think I should?”

            “If you don’t, you will regret it. Like Holly Golightly in the book ending.”

            “She was a hooker.” Whitney laughed.

            “Not in the movie. And you remember how miserable the book ending made you feel. She left.”

            “I’m not like her.”

            “Be like her, darling. Tonight. Just go talk. Skate with him. Just promise me no matter how charming he is or what he says that you don’t blow him.”

            “Delores!”

            “Well, thought I might offer that little bit of advice. I wouldn’t want you to be like every other girl I know. Not you. It’s much too soon and I like you the way you are. Be a kid. Not Lindsey Lohan or Kim Kardashian or Snooki. Be Whitney Ryan. She is much better than those people.” Whitney began to tear up at the compliment. “Enough with the waterworks, chick. I’m out of here.” Hug. Delores left the park and looked back to see Whitney skating up to a small cluster of people. Bruce was with his parents and his little sister. She could see them smile and Bruce’s parents smile and wave to them as they skated off together. She never would have went had Delores not been kicked out. Mission accomplished. She had seen Whitney eyeing Bruce. Delores slung her skates over her sore shoulder. Snow fell the way confetti does in hokey school plays from upturned boxes in the raters blown by hoisted floor fans. She had watched a high school play version of It’s a Wonderful Life once as a young kid but she didn’t understand any of it besides the ringing bells and that confetti snowfall. It was a quiet walk to Dunkin’ Donuts. Car headlights illuminated the icy frozen snow-packed roads and exhaust rolled out of the tailpipes. Her boots trudged along making crumpling sounds with each step. Then there was an echo of steps. She turned around and no one was there. She felt that she was being followed and watched. She was right.