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~*~
"Six students from the student body will be elected to the Phoenix court. The princes and princesses of Attaway. Then at Phoenix fest we will announce the king queen." Cathy told us in Home Ec.
"Late again Miss Chambers." Our teacher said as Jo slid into the seat next to me. " That's another demerit." She looked at Jo before turning to the class. "Any questions class." Alices hand shot up. The teacher pointed at her and she turned to Cathy.
"How do we know your not stuffing the ballot box get yourself elected." Alice asked. Cathy stood up.
"Mrs. Jenkins tallying the ballot box herself. You have to fill them out by noon at her office by the library, you know where that is right Alice." Cathy then sat down, Jo smiling widely.
...
At lunch the three of us sat at the table quietly talking.
"Have you spoken to your mom?" Jo asked.
" i'm not speaking to her and she's not even acknowledging me." She replied.
"Is that a good thing?" I asked taking a bite of my apple.
"Yes I'm not sorry at all."
"Well," Jo sighed," Uncle Bobby found the photo."
"What!" I exclaimed.
"How?" Cathy asked.
" I had a xerox in my bag." Jo explained rolling her eyes.
"Hey." Allen's voice said. We all glanced at him as he set his tray down. Jo and Cathy gave him weird looks.
"What?" He asked his hair falling into his eyes.
"Nothing!" All three of us said quickly.
"Okay, then what were you three just talking about?" He asked frowning.
"Mr Richards!" I Said at the same time Jo said math homework and Cathy said Phoenix Fest. We all look at each other uneasily.
"Mkay." Allen said taking off his backpack and setting in an open spot. "You think I'm stupid?" Allen asked wiping his head around. Jo shrugged. I lightly elbowed her. She glared at me. "FH, The secret rendezvous's in Miss Jenkins office." He looked at all three of us studying our faces. "Just tell me," he begged, "I have something I need to tell you too." I frowned.
"Fine." Jo snapped.
"But You can't tell anyone." Cathy begged.
"Yeah it's too secret." I added in. Allen nodded. Jo pulled out the picture of her mother.
"So here's the story." She said. "My mother Frances chambers, died in the Attaway fire everybody knows and when Cathy and Shelley." He looked at me. "Were looking at pictures for Phoenix Fest they found this picture of my mother after the fire. And we're trying to figures out where she went." Jo explained to the best of her ability. He nodded. Allen examined the photo.
"Jo's uncle found the photo copy this morning and that's that." Cathy sighed. Allen's hand wiped across his mouth.
"Okay." He said.
"Okay?" Jo asked in disbelief.
"Okay." He repeated calmly. We all looked at each other. "Jo, at the party I said there was something I needed to tell you." Picked up an envelope and fiddled with it. "It's this." He said shoving the paper towards Jo and I. It was a check from Lenny Alvarez from the Fitzroy's.
"I don't understand." I muttered. Jo looked up at Cathy.
"Does Lenny Alvarez work for your parents?" She asked Cathy. Cathy snatched the check out of Jo's hands and looked at it. She frowned.
"This is a personal check how did you get this?" Cathy asked. I already new the answer and deep down my heart broke.
"It came in the mail this morning." He replied.
" so you went digging in Lenny's trash?" Jo asked. I almost face palmed, catch on woman! "With out us!"
"Jo..." I started.
"It can't be" Cathy mumbled. Looking up at us.
"What!" Jo asked. "What!" She said a little louder grabbing the check from Cathy's hands. I looked at Allen, his eyes refusing to meet my gaze. "What cant be!" She asked clueless.
"I wasn't always Allen Powell. That's my moms name." He looked down at the table. A sense of dread overtook me. I didn't want it to be true. " I was born Allen Alvarez." There it was. I looked sat Jo's face. An unreadable expression on it. "Lenny is my father."
"Jo.." I asked lightly touching her shoulder. She looked at me then at Allen.
"I could have sworn you just said..." she stopped mid sentence. An uneasy silence fell among us. She looked up a dark look in her eyes. "Your dad killed my mom." She spit out.
"Jo..." Allen tried to reason. "He's innocent." My mouth parted.
"What do you mean?" I asked him. He ignored me.
"That's why I came back here to prove it. And this photo could be the key." He said shoving the photo to Jo.
"This whole time. You following me. It's because your Lenny's son."
"Now Jo he wasn't following-" Jo slapped a hand over my mouth keeping me from talking.
"It was like that then I got to know you. All of you." He said looking at us all, his gaze resting on mine.
"How could I be so stupid!" Jo cried removing her hand from my mouth.
"Jo at least hear him out." Cathy said.
"You said it yourself nothing that happened that day could be taken at face value. Couldn't that be applied to my family to?" Allen asked Jo.
"We can't blame him for his fathers mistakes." Cathy said.
"It wouldn't be right." I said as well.
"If anyone should understand that it's us." Cathy said quietly.
"So you guys are on his side." Jo asked in disbelief.
"Jo I'm not on anyone's side!" I cried.
"I'm not on anyone's side I'm just saying-" Cathy started.
"You two don't get it." She said looking at us both. "You've never had to deal with anything in your entire life's." She spit. Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes.
"That's not fair." Cathy said lowly.
"Maybe people like you two can pay your way out of your problems." She waved the Fitzroy check in our faces.
"It's not my fault your dad works a blue collar job." Cathy shot back.
"Cathy..." I said. Jo laughed.
"Yeah poor penniless Jo Chambers."
"That's not what she said." I told Jo. She scoffed at me.
"Same old Cathy Fitzroy, spoiled , spineless and meek. And you." She said turning to me. "Shelley Tanner, Rich Bitch, Cheerleader, grow up." Jo spit. "Cathy needs a boy to tell her what to do. Shelley needs her mommy to tell her what to do. You both need me to tell you what to do. Well here are are your final orders, Leave me alone." Were her last words before grabbing her bag and walking off. Tears dropped from my eyes as sobs came crashing through my chest. A pair of arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly.
"Hey,Hey Shelley, it's okay, listen to me." Allen's voice whispered in my ear. "You are none of those things. Your caring, kind and beautiful. Don't listen to her alright." I felt myself nod as he stroked my hair. I let myself relax into him but Jo's words still replayed in my head, Rich Bitch, Cheerleader, grow up. And that,that mad me feel terrible.
