Chatoyant College Book 5: Parents' Weekend

Chapter 26: Town Tour

Dawn managed to talk her family out of driving to the town. "My friends and I always walk," she explained, "and the main street is longer than the drive between the campus and the town. Plus, the walk to the parking lot is almost as long as the walk to the town. So unless you guys particularly want to get some exercise or use up some gas, walking makes the most sense."

Her dad laughed. "Us? Exercise? Unheard of."

Dawn took the lead as they waited to cross the road, then walked between two houses to get to the main part of the town. Her dad walked up and joined her. She smiled at him. "Glad to see you again. What was so important that you were on the phone all day yesterday?"

He sighed, obviously not happy to be reminded of that. "Do you really want to know? It's just boring work stuff."

"Well, I am curious what it was that took up all that time."

He nodded. "Basically the problem was that they can't make decisions without me. Or they don't think they can, anyway." He launched into an explanation, which was long even though he was obviously trying to simplify things for her, of some contracts his company was trying to get and why they kept needing to ask him to approve or change things. He was the head of an architectural firm, and every job was a new story.

She shook her head in disbelief when he had finished. "If they can't decide anything without you, why were they even at work on a Saturday if you weren't?" He, of course, was often at work on a Saturday, so Dawn didn't question that. She'd gotten quite used to it growing up.

"Oh, you know, they thought they'd get some paperwork done, and then the phone started ringing. I hear you had some great lunch without me."

"We did. Sorry you missed it. But at least you got a chance to meet Rico."

"They did eventually give up and go home. We'll work out the rest of the details on Monday."

At least he didn't seem too unhappy about it. The negotiations, whatever they were, must be going in his company's favor. Sometimes, Dawn's father seemed so miserable about his job that she wondered why he didn't quit and do something he'd be happier with. Her mother's teaching salary would be sufficient to support them all for a year or so, she was pretty sure. But maybe he liked the job and his happiness just depended on whether or not he was getting what he wanted from the companies he contracted with.

They spent a couple of hours walking around the town. Dawn showed them where the supermarket was and assured them that she was still eating healthy foods (despite her father's persistent, and she suspected only half-serious, skepticism that a vegetarian diet could be healthy). She also pointed out the stores and restaurants that she'd been to, including Cesare's, the Italian place that her friends had taken her for her birthday.

She talked mostly to her mother and father during that time. She still wasn't entirely sure how to act toward her aunt now that she knew it was Pru's doing that she had the Sight—not to mention that she was sure Pru was hiding something about her own time at Chatoyant College. Maybe she could get her aunt alone again before they left and ask her. Any new information about this strange school could only be helpful.

Finally, she'd shown them everything she could think to show them, and her mom was tired, so they decided to return to campus. As soon as they'd gotten past the road and were heading for the school gates, Dawn took her phone out of her pocket. "I'm going to call Naomi," she told her family. "My roommate. Dad hasn't met her and I haven't met her family yet, so I'm going to see if we can meet up now."

"That sounds lovely," Dawn's mom said.

Naomi picked up fairly quickly. "Dawn! Where are you?"

"Just getting back on campus with my family," she replied.

"We're at the art building," Naomi said. "Want to meet outside the building in a few minutes?"

"Sounds perfect," Dawn replied. "See you soon."

"See you!"

"We're meeting them outside the art and theater building," Dawn reported to her family. "Maybe she'll show us something she's been working on. She's been telling me about this sculpture for her one class, but I haven't seen it yet."

"I'd love to see that," Pru said. "And I'm sure Naomi and I have more to discuss when it comes to the art department!"