Dark Night

Surprise

A couple of weeks later, Stan had another competition in France, coming in fifth. He was frustrated because he wasn't getting on the podium, but he still brought home some prize money, good news because he was incurring expenses for next season already. He'd chosen music and was having his costume hand made; it would cost several thousand dollars, and the choreographers were working on a program to highlight the athletic aspects that he was so good at. They were doing all this now because these things were in demand and it wasn't wise to wait. But the week after the competition, he hurt himself in training, a groin pull which required medical attention and therapy and massages. Stan was cranky and I avoided him, not that this was too hard, until he was able to get back on the ice.

Trig was making my life a nightmare. The teacher came in early twice a week to help those of us who were struggling, but I wasn't making much progress. I had no idea how I was going to deal with pre-calc next semester if I couldn't get trig. I was barely hanging onto a C average.

On a day where Mr Sloane didn't offer a trig help session, Stan took his car in for an oil change and brakes, so I followed him to the Brakes Plus. Mom said he could take my car so he could get to the rink and he could pick me up at the library after my shift was over. I didn't like it, but it wasn't a long walk from school to the library, and there were a few restaurants nearby where I could get dinner after studying, before my shift. But after the library closed, my brother was nowhere to be seen. I waited a half hour, but he never showed up. I walked home, taking a longer route that was better lit. I was pretty mad by the time I got home, and Mom made the mistake of asking about my day. She rubbed her forehead, and when Stan got home--finally, clearly having forgotten about me--asked him where he'd been.

"I went out with some of the other skaters," he said breezily, and it sounded like he had a great time. And why not? Everything was going his way.

"You forgot your sister at the library," Mom said tersely.

"Oh, sorry, Del," he said immediately, not sounding sorry at all. "But it's not that far away, anyway."

"That's not the point," Mom said. "You were supposed to pick her up so she wouldn't have to walk home in the dark. That was why we said you could drive Dad's car today."

Stan exhaled. "This is a safe town, Mom. Nobody's going to rape her." I was so mad that I ripped my keys out of his hand and stomped off to my room. I didn't stick around to hear Mom's response.

The next day I was at Grandpa's car ahead of Stan and sitting in the driver's seat. He tried to get me out so he could drive, but I told him that if he didn't want to have to walk to the car place he needed to get in now. He was pissed, but he got in and I drove in silence. I dropped him off and left as soon as he came outside with the keys.

When I got to school, I had a thought and Googled the crime stats for the area that included the library. There were only a few reported crimes; a couple of vandalism complaints, a domestic disturbance, and a burglary. I hunted down the school security officer, a policeman on permanent assignment, and asked him if there had been any crimes that hadn't been formally reported, explaining that sometimes I walked home from the library.

"There was a call from a homeowner who thought somebody was in the back yard," he said thoughtfully. "And a woman thought she was being followed, but the responding officers couldn't find anything." He smiled at me. "The town is pretty safe, but there's no point in taking unnecessary risks. Stick to the streets with more traffic and lights and you should be fine."I thanked him and thought about what he'd said as I walked out to the parking lot. Just because a cop couldn't find anything didn't mean that the woman hadn't been followed or there wasn't somebody in the back yard. Or that there were incidents that hadn't been reported. It was the weeknight that Dad was home for dinner, so we all sat down. The table seemed a little crowded with all of us there.