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Before the sun rises, Natalia bathes in the dark with cold water. She dresses in silence. All her clothes are plain-black pants and blouses, grey turtlenecks in the winter. Her father buys her clothes. Natalia has no time to pick them out herself.
She doesn't mind. She and her father are, after all, still in mourning. And this way, she can dress in the dark without risking a fashion disaster.
Today, however, she left her clothes out hanging on the wardrobe door. Today she wants to wear a dress.
Natalia gets ready and does her chores in the dark, with her eyes closed. She started to pretend she was was blind when she was five, maybe a week after her mother died and her father lost his eyesight in the fire. She can find her way around now, almost as well as the legally blind. At least in her house. She does it better than her father, who almost never leaves the study.
So. She puts her room in order, first. Then she folds the clothes she left in a pile last night and washes the dishes from her father's dinner-he always goes to sleep so late. Lastly, as the sun starts to rise gray behind her eyelids, she makes omelettes for breakfast.
Natalia opens her eyes to use the stove. She left the stove on once, when she was five. She'd gone down in the middle of the night to warm some milk for herself. She left it there by accident, and it boiled over. Her mother was upstairs. When her father arrived home late and turned on the hallway light, the house exploded. Natalia still isn't sure how she survived.
So Natalia always opens her eyes to use the stove.
Her father pads downstairs, waving his cane. Natalia kisses him goodbye before skipping out the door.
The school day seems to crawl by. Natalia does her best to focus only on her studies, not on her classmates or her friends, and definitely not on the tall new boy with the wide, toothy grin sitting two seats behind her.
Recess finally rolls around, and Gino-because that's his name, the new boy's name-takes her hand as soon as the bell rings, like he's been waiting three periods to do it.
Natalia grins.
They walk together to the benches outside the lunch room, their linked hands swinging between them. Natalia left her red hair loose for him today, just as she wears her knee-length dress.
Yesterday, Gino asked her to be his girlfriend. Natalia said yes; she hasn't said a word to her father about it.
?You don't have time for a boyfriend, Natalia.? He would say. ?Focus on your studies, then come home to your chores. There's too much to do.?
It's true. Since her mother died, Natalia has to do everything she left behind-it's only fair.
But Natalia will make the time. She'll see her boyfriend during recess. Gino seems ok with it.
?Why do you always wear black?? Gino asks, tugging on her dress sleeve.
Natalia lives in a small town-she's never had to explain herself to anyone, they all know what happened. She's surprised to find she doesn't want to answer Gino's question.
No, that's not true. She does want to answer his question. She wants to lie to him.
?I'm inspired by you.? She deadpans.
Gino laughs. He kisses her, and sparks run down Natalia's skin.
That's the thing about Gino-everything makes him laugh, even the things he takes seriously. And she likes the way he kisses her. Other boys have tried to kiss Natalia, hesitant boys or eager, pushy boys. She never liked the idea.
But Gino's kisses are like lightning. There and gone like a really, really good secret.
?Tell me the truth, Talia.?
Talia. No one calls her that but him.
?That is the truth.? She swats his hand away, the one still fiddling with her sleeve. ?Just not the answer to your question.?
?You look good in black.? He says-a compliment for a compliment, that's the game they play. He's good at it, too. He's never let a single of her compliments fly by unanswered, and his are always crazy original, are always about her.
So Natalia tries every day to find more things she likes about Gino. She's going to be as good as he is at this game; better, if she can.
?I know.? She smiles.
Gino wiggles his eyebrows. ?You're not going to tell me, are you.?
?Not today, boyfriend.? She laughs, and swings their linked hands again.
After school she goes straight home, washes dishes, makes lunch, washes again, sweeps, mops, and cleans the windows, because it's Monday. Then she settles down to homework, but Gino stays in her mind, like an annoying little firefly on a still, dark night.
She stays up with her father for a while, tells him about her day while he smiles and takes tea.
?Are you sure you don't want to go back to work, father??
Her father had made a fortune when he was young, but he enjoyed working in the coffee shop by the public library, so that's what he had done-until the fire.
The owner of the coffee shop, Calpurnia, had expressly asked Natalia to persuade her father to return.
?I miss his humor. My new boy is wonderful, but he's rather quiet.? She elbowed Gino and winked at Natalia; because Gino works in Calpurnia's shop. And she can see him every time she buys coffee for her father.
?No, thank you, Natalia. I'm quite happy where I am.? Her father lied pleasantly. ?Besides, I would drop and spill everything, likely-bump into everyone. Calpurnia would be upset with me.?
?She would not.? Natalia laughs. ?Father-? she hesitates. Then she bites her lip and says it anyway. ?Calpurnia thinks you're ?quite the gentleman'. ?
Natalia's father stiffens. Then he laughs nervously and says. ?I hear there's a new boy in your school; a young man from the city.? her father raised an eyebrow. ?What's he like??
?I wouldn't know.? Natalia hears herself say. She stands up and takes the empty cup from her father. ?His name is Gino...? she looks at his milky eyes, at the sad, serious lines on his face. She can't tell him; he'll hate it, he's just too old-fashioned. He'll think she's irresponsible, too young to date and kiss boys and be away from home. He'll feel lonely.
?He doesn't talk much.? She kisses her father's cheek and turns out the lights. ?Good night, father.?
Who is the Guilty Party?
Everyone in class just looked down at their shoes when Ms. Granger stood in front of them looking as angry as they had ever seen her.
?Okay, I want to know who did it and I want to know right now. If no one will tell me then you will all get detention.?
Samantha Jones lifted her hand.
?Yes, Samantha, what is it? Are you ready to confess or tell me who did it??
?It isn't fair that we all get detention for something we didn't do.?
?Perhaps, you are right, Samantha, but this is a heinous act and the perpetrator must be punished.?
Amil lifted his hand up.
?Yes, Amil what is it??
?I know what both heinous and perpetrator mean. I have been studying my word power list.?
She smiled.
?That is good of you, Amil.?
?Do you know why I have been studying my word power list??
?Because you need to improve your vocabulary??
?Yes, you are right. It is also because my favourite teacher suggested I do so and I trust her.?
He smiled at her and she smiled back.
?I did it.?
Everyone turned around and stared at Almara. She was a tall girl, taller than all of the boys and rather beautiful.
Ms. Granger looked at her and shook the blond curly hair back and forth.
?No, you didn't and whom are you trying to cover up for??
?I did it. I confess that I did it. It was me. Now punish me and let the others out of detention.?
?Almara, you are one of the sweetest girls that I know. When you first came to me you could barely read or write English and now you are one of the top students in the entire school.?
?Yes, and it is because of you pushing me. Well, let us say nudging very hard that I was able to attain the position that I now currently occupy.?
?You didn't do it did you, Almara??
She hung her head down and shrugged her shoulders.
?No, Ms. Granger, I did nothing wrong.?
?That is what I thought and never gain will you take blame for something you didn't do. I want everyone to learn that lesson because it is a life lesson. You never accept culpability for something that you are no guilty of no matter the circumstances.?
?I know what culpability means,? Amil smiled.
?I think there should be a reward for ratting out the person.?
Jowell was a pretty, brunette girl with very strong, dark eyes. They were even hypnotizing.
?Okay, the first one that rats out ? I'm sorry, I don't like that word. How about we come up with a different word??
?I like the word jabber.? Amil looked around for approval. ?I will use it in a sentence. We were in class and Ms. Granger wanted to know who did the deed and strongly suggested someone jabber the name of the guilty party.?
?Very good, Amil,? smiled Ms. Granger. ?I think I have created a word power monster.?
Everyone laughed.
?See this is what we love about you Ms Granger, you are such a character. You always know how to make us laugh.?
?I am vocabulary monster and my insatiable appetite are words. I am so good.? Amil was very proud of himself.
Everyone laughed.
Ms. Granger sighed.
?I did it.?
Tommy McCann was a tall boy with long, stringy blond hair and a chip on his shoulder. He had been disruptive in every teacher's class except Ms. Granger's room.
Ms. Granger didn't say anything at first.
?I would be shocked if it was you, Tommy.?
?You would??
?Yes, I would because I was pretty sure that you went down the straight and narrow path.?
?Well, I guess I regressed.?
He smiled and made a face at Amil.
?Actually, while regress is a word that might fit the situation, I think-
?Amil, enough already,? cautioned Ms. Granger.
Jowell shook her head.
?What I can't understand is what was the heinous crime??
?Yes, no one told us exactly what happened. Maybe, if we knew then it would help us determine the character that committed the crime.? Almara flashed her beautiful smile.
?Somebody keyed the principal's car.?
Almara looked around and shook her head.
?That isn't right because a bunch of us walk to school with Mr. Harris. He doesn't use a car.?
Ms. Granger straightened out.
?Okay, maybe I was misinformed. I heard that someone wrote horrible graffiti on the bathroom wall that implicated a few people in a horrible crime.?
Jowell shook her head.
?I haven't heard anything of the sort and I am the queen of gossip in this school. You need to try again.?
The students looked at each other a little puzzled.
?Someone broke into the teacher's private supply of goods and stole stuff.? She nodded her head affirmatively.
?How do you know a student did it?? Jowell looked at the teacher.
?Why would a teacher break into the closet when they already have the key?? Ms. Granger looked at everyone.
?Whoever broke into it has to have a knowledge of those types of locks.? Tommy smiled.
?This is true.?
?Also, whoever did it what was stolen?? Jowell smiled.
?I believe that supplies were stolen.?
?What kind of supplies?? Almara looked at the teacher.
?I am not sure.?
?Okay, so someone broke into the teacher's private stash of school supplies. Whoever did it, knew how to work that lock which isn't easy. I know, because I've picked my fair share of locks. There is also the fact that if they stole supplies then they had to hide them somewhere or sell them or get rid of whatever they ripped off.? Tommy grinned.
?I think it was an inside job.? Jowell looked around the room.
?Maybe, it was a teacher??
?No, we've already stated that a teacher wouldn't do that because they have a key. Why would they break into the room when they don't have to?? Ms. Granger looked at everyone.
Tommy smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
?I think the person that did it is a real character. I mean not someone that is necessarily bad, but someone that is very bright, conniving in a positive way and has a good heart.?
?I think Tommy is absolutely right. The character who would pull this off didn't do it for selfish reasons. They did it in order to prove a point.?
?You know, Almara, I think you are one hundred percent right. There aren't any real bad ass characters in this school. At least not bad ass enough to break into the supply room in broad daylight and risk getting caught.? Jowell smiled.
?Especially now that Ms. Granger has straightened out, Tommy.?
Everyone laughed.
?I guess she has a point,? admitted Tommy.
?Well, whoever did it, need to be punished properly.?
?So what is your punishment going to be, Ms. Granger??
?Excuse me, I have no idea what you are talking about??
Almara looked at everyone.
?First of all, you messed up when you threatened to give us all detention. You don't operate that way.?
?Almara is right.? Jowell looked at Ms. Granger.
?And, besides, there is no one that could pick that lock aside from me. You see, after I picked the lock last time, they changed them all and the principal had me try and I told him that I couldn't.? Tommy looked at Ms. Granger.
?I believe that you are culpable, Ms. Granger.?
?Okay, so maybe I did it.?
?You had a driving force or reason why you would do it. Are you going to share??
?Yes, I will because there is a reason why I committed the deed. I had a very bad student years ago. He would make Tommy look like a choir boy when Tommy was at his worse. I tried to straighten him up, but I failed as a teacher, as a human being. Last weekend, I read where he was shot dead robbing a convenience store?
?So you pulled this fake break into the teacher's private stash in order to drive home the point that stealing is wrong??
?I did. I didn't want to fail again.?
?You did not fail that boy, Ms. Granger. The boy failed you.? Almara looked at her coldly and determined.
?Almara is absolutely correct,? said Jowell.
?I could use many words to support the two ladies, but I think everyone can come up with their own.? Amil smiled.
?Okay, lesson learnt. I never want any of you to throw your life away like that. It was a useless waste of human light. This boy had talent; he was a very good artist. But he fell in with the wrong group and did drugs.?
?So nobody is getting a detention??
?Unless, Ms. Granger gets a detention??
?No, Tommy, I am not going to get a detention. Mr. Harris knows what I did and why I did it. Nothing was stolen.?
?Ms. Granger, you just love your students too much. This is the only thing you are guilty of.? Almara smiled and stood up. She walked to the teacher and hugged her.
?I am not allowed to hug anyone.?
They all stood up and took turns hugging her.
?It will be our little crime and secret,? said Jowell.
They all laughed and Ms. Granger wiped the tears from her eyes.
?So you all thought I was guilty??
Everyone nodded their heads.
?Well, it looks like I received a bunch of free hugs. Because I didn't do it.?
They all looked at her very skeptical.
?First, I would never do anything like that. And, second, well I don't have a second.?
?That's fine, Ms. Granger.?
?Okay, now that that little drama is out of the way, we can continue with our lessons.?
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