Book 3- Annie Adams-College Years

Annie Adams-College Years

                                                                                         Chapter 29

                                                                                            Delorus

    

     "Do you want me to get your assignments for today," Cela asked Delorus.  "Yes please," she said.  Then she heaved a sigh and added, "I'm sorry I was so rude to you today.  Can you forgive me?"  Cela smiled and said, "Of course."  "It's been a long time since anyone except my mom was kind to me," the girl told them.  Cela thought that was the saddest thing she'd ever heard.

     "Well, you have three friends now,"  Cela said, motioning to Eleanor, Sydney and herself, "who will treat you with kindness."  "At least most of the time," Eleanor said with a chuckle.  Delorus giggled at the comment.  Principal Newman suddenly poked his head in the door and said, I have your excuses ready for History girls.  And Sheriff Summers is ready to take you home Delorus."

     "I forgot Mr. Newman that my mom is at work," Delorus said, "she can't afford to take the day off."  By this time the sheriff and the nurse had stepped back into the office.  "Couldn't I just stay here in the nurse's office till school is out?"  "I'm sorry Delorus.  But that's against school rules," the principal said. 

     "I really don't think she should be alone today," the nurse told him.  "I don't expect there will be any problems, but I don't want to take a chance."  "I'll take her home with me,"  Sheriff Summers said suddenly.  Annie's busy with on line school and the twins, but I have the afternoon off.... staring now."

     "After all, why did I hire Zack, Eric and Jamie if they can't fill in for me once in a while," he said grinning at Cela.  "Dad, you're the best!"  She told him.  "Keep that in mind when I have to tell you "No" at some point in your life.  Everyone laughed while Cela turned red.  So Cela, Sydney, Eleanor and Principal Newman and the nurse waved as the sheriff and Delorus left.

     And then the nurse watched Cela, her friends and Principal Newman walked down the hall to their destinations while thinking to herself, that she wanted all other injuries that day to be of the "minor" variety.  Then she closed the door and went back to her paper work.

     When Len and Delorus arrived at his and Annie's apartment, they found Annie just finishing up her school work for the day.  "Hey hon," Len said, while helping Delorus to one of the comfortable sofas.  Annie immediately closed her computer and held out her hand to Delorus.  "So nice to meet you," she said with a big smile. "I'm Annie Adams Summers.

     "Nice to meet you too, and I like to be called Dee.  I just can't get my teachers to go along with that name."  Then she suddenly got an amazed look on her face and started again, interrupting whatever Annie was saying, "You're the Annie Adams that went to Ridgemont Girls School, and helped out on all those crimes, aren't you?"

     "I am.  But I had a lot of help solving those cases."  "Are the little ones asleep?"  Len asked with a very sober face.  "Yes," she said, but wondering why her husband was suddenly looking so serious.  She didn't have to wait long to find out.  Len sat down on the other side of Dee and cleared his throat, still with that somber look on his face.

     "Dee.  When you got hurt today I called the phone number you had written down on your school paper work; your parents land line number to inform them about what had happened to you."   Dee suddenly looked terrified.  "It wasn't a working number.  I dismissed it at first, thinking your folks had changed it."

     But when you, Cela, Sydney and Eleanor were in the nurse's office I did some detecting."  Dee now begin to sob and Annie put a concerned arm around her.  Len addressed Annie this time, "Her parents were killed in an auto accident a month ago."  Annie gasped and her eyes welled up with tears for this girl she barely knew.

     Len continued, "She's been living on her own from that time on."  "I don't want to be in foster care!"  Dee nearly screamed, while tears ran down her face.  Annie grabbed a handful of tissues and gave them to her.  Then she cast a pleading look toward her husband.  Len was about to say something to his wife with the pitiful look on her face, when there was a knock on the door.

     Len went to answer it.  "Hey!" Beth said as she walked in.  "Hey yourself," Len answered.  Beth immediately saw the crying girl on the sofa and Annie attending her and said, "What's going on here?"  "Beth isn't a shy person," Len told Dee who was now drying her eyes.  She smiled a little at Len's words.

     "Hey Annie,"  Beth said, and right after, "Oh girl!   What happened to you?" she asked while sitting down next to Dee in the seat that Len has just vacated.  Then she carefully brushed a light brown curl out of Dee's eyes.  "Is it okay if I explain Dee?"  Annie asked her.  Dee shrugged and said, almost in a whisper, "Why not?  Everyone will know about everything anyway."

     "No Dee.  Everyone will not know.  Not unless you want them to," Len assured her.  So Len told Beth about Dee being beat up by the two girls that morning and about her parents dying and her fear of being put in the foster parent program.  "Beth's face remained very solemn as she listened but when Len was done her face lit up; which was a shock to everybody, until she said, "I have a solution!"

     Now the faces turned to looks of curiosity.  "Eric and I can foster her.  (Eric and Beth had gotten married at the courthouse the week before.  Much to their friends surprise.)  "That is if you can call Pastor Murphy and square it with him.  And I'll call Eric right now!" she said. "You could do worse,"  Annie told Dee.

     "Gee, thanks pal for that overwhelming vote of confidence,"   Annie laughed loudly, as Beth with cell in hand walked outside for a little privacy.  "Is she on the level?"  Dee asked in a stunned voice.  "Yeah, she is," Annie assured her. "And Dee, I have known Beth Crossley since my first year at Ridgmont.  She was a part of the Mystery Club Detectives."

     "She is a good Christian, a true friend and a...."  "Nut!" Len supplied.  "But a good one," he added.  "What he said," Annie said with a laugh.  "And Beth and Eric just live down the street so you can spend a lot of time with Cela."  Len told her.  "So what do you think?"  Annie asked her.  Dee's eyes filled with happy tears.

     "I think that meeting Cela was no accident.  Cela and my other two new friends may not know it by my rudeness earlier today, but I am a Christian.  And I know that God arranged for Cela to enter my life.  If Beth's Eric says it's okay that I live with them....it's okay with me."  Just then Beth burst through the front door.

     "Eric said "Yes!"  No discussion, just "Yes!"  Is he the best husband ever or what?"  She then flopped on the sofa next to Dee again. " Where'd Len go?" she asked.  "He went to make coffee and then call Pastor Murphy."  Annie answered.  "Well kid.  You don't have to call me "Mom" until you're ready to," Beth told Dee.

     Dee laughed and Annie smirked and rolled her eyes at her friend. Just then, Len came through the archway with a cup of fresh coffee in his hand and a big smile on his face.  "Pastor Murphy is getting the paper work ready now," Len announced.  Beth turned to her new foster daughter and said, while giving her a careful hug, so as not to hurt anything that was sore already. "Okay Dee.  You're stuck with Eric and me now."  "Thank you all so much!" she said, feeling so warm in Beth's embrace.

                                                                      End of Chapter 29