Riven - Jerry B. Jenkins [28]
Forest View High School
The Norths were hard to miss. Besides looking too young to be the parents of a high school senior, they looked like they belonged on the cover of some fashion magazine. Alex’s dad actually had a cashmere sweater slung over his back, the sleeves tied in front.
A little girl was distracting Alex’s mom by running all over the place, and more than once the woman had to retrieve her and make her sit. A few minutes later she was gone again, apparently as soon as her mother became engrossed in Alex’s performance.
And Alex was good, playing perfectly the whiny musical agent beset by an overbearing mother. Brady had to admit that Alex rose to the occasion and actually exhibited some urgent compassion for his own Conrad Birdie character. Maybe they could pull this off after all, despite all that was already between them offstage.
Brady felt good about his own performance too, though he knew Mr. N. would notice how many times he peeked out at the house. He was just trying to get a read on the family dynamic, dreading the staged meeting.
Interestingly, Mr. Nabertowitz found some errand for Alex when that time came, then made it appear he had just thought of the introduction. “Oh, Mr. and Mrs. North, I want you to meet our Conrad Birdie. This is Brady Darby.”
Mr. North thrust out his hand, seeming to measure the boy with his eyes. Without a smile, he said, “Jordan North, Alex’s father. And this is my wife, Carole. Alex’s sister, Katie, is running around here somewhere.”
“She’s right behind me, actually,” Mrs. North said, turning to try to pull the girl into view.
Katie peeked at Brady and smiled. “He’s cool!”
Brady felt himself redden, and ignoring that Mrs. North had not of- fered her hand, he reached for it anyway, resulting in an awkward pause. He realized his mistake and was pulling away when she seemed to reluctantly reach for his hand. He laughed and shook her hand, but it was limp as a soggy newspaper, and Brady could see he repulsed her.
“Alex says you live in a trailer,” Katie said from behind her mother’s leg.
“Katie, hush,” Mrs. North said quickly as Brady’s smile disappeared.
“Well, do you?” Katie insisted.
“A trailer? Yeah, right! Do you?”
Mr. Nabertowitz jumped in. “I just thought you all should meet, since Alex and Brady will be working together, and—”
“We live in a mansion!” little Katie said.
“I’ll bet you do,” Brady said, somehow gathering himself. “Anyway, nice to meet you all. Alex is really good.”
“Thank you,” Mr. North said. Mrs. North was looking elsewhere.
When they moved away, Katie was still standing there smiling shyly at Brady. “I’m nine,” she said. “You date younger women?”
Not rich little wenches like you. “You kidding?”
“Of course, silly. I bet you do live in a trailer.”
“No costume tonight, Conrad?” someone trilled on the activities bus.
Brady had been furious to have to carry his sopping clothes home in a plastic bag after his audition, wearing his leather jacket over the suit. It may have been dramatic and won him the part, but it made him look like an idiot offstage.
Brady had learned not to even turn to see who needed a beating. He just kept reading his script, knowing he should be studying. He amazed himself with how much he had already memorized, and he couldn’t argue with Mr. Nabertowitz that if he applied that same skill to schoolwork, he wouldn’t have anything to worry about.
Soon, however, he found himself unable to concentrate as he ran over and over in his mind the meeting with the Norths and their bratty daughter.
Brady was surprised to see his mother home from work already. It bothered him that she was usually out at all hours of the night with her boss-slash-boyfriend, but at least that way he didn’t have to worry she’d be putting her hands on Petey when Brady wasn’t there. He sure hoped Peter would tell him if she did, but the boy knew Brady had threatened her, so who knew if he was hiding something?
She was yelling at Peter when Brady entered.
“Zip it, Ma!