Chapter 27
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN
REBEL
Gunner Kinsey is staring at me.
And normally, that wouldn’t do anything but annoy me. If I even noticed at all.
However, today , I notice.
And I force myself not to turn his way for fear of losing my train of thought. The last thing I want to do is look like an idiot on the nightly news.
Kierra Griffin, a high school classmate, conducts the interview.
Kierra’s got a chirpy, upbeat personality, which wouldn’t suit a metropolitan news station. However, there’s something about hearing ‘a chicken thief’s on the loose’ or ‘there’s flooding around the Lonely Rise Creek’ with her exuberant, smiley-faced delivery.
“Okay, I think we’ve got enough for tonight’s slot. Thanks, Rebel,” Kierra says, her dark eyes glittering.
“No problem. Is that all?” I step back.
“Oh, one more thing.” Kierra gestures to me. “I notice you didn’t mention the Lady Luck Society at all.”
“Er… no I didn’t.”
Her eyes sharpen and I see exactly why Kierra went into journalism.
“Was that intentional?” She shoves the mike at me as if she wants to stick it into a nostril.
“Ugh…”
Never losing the smile, she sinks her claws in, smelling blood. “Everyone in town knows about the announcement made at the game. However, Carol Kinsey—the chairwoman of the Ladies—has yet to put out a statement. Do you know why she hasn’t publicly declared you as one of the Ladies?”
“Well, Carol Kinsey is busy.”
“Can you clarify what your position is in the Ladies and whether they had anything to do with today’s community transformation?”
I inhale deeply and my eyes stray to Gunner again. He’s sitting up and leaning forward like he’s ready to bolt over to me if I say the word. What does he intend to do when he gets here? Push Kierra and the camera away? Scream ‘no paparazzi’?
The thought makes me smile. Mostly because I can’t imagine Gunner ever raising his voice or making a scene. He’s so contained, so frustratingly aloof, that it’s more likely he’d just take my hand and run.
“Rebel?” Kierra insists.
It’s at the tip of my tongue to admit that I’m not a part of the Society.
On the one hand, it might be better for me to see myself out than to have Carol Kinsey kick me to the curb.
However, some part of me hesitates to blurt the truth.
I glance at Gunner again.
He half-rises from his seat, his eyes intent on me.
I clear my throat. “Kierra…”
“Yes?”
I take the microphone from her, square my shoulders and look the camera dead-on. “The biggest supporter of today’s event was the Lady Luck Society.”
Kierra raises both eyebrows.
“For years,” I say sternly, “Lucky Falls residents have felt abandoned, left out and unheard. But I came today with the Lady Luck Society’s full support and with a message.”
Kierra grins from ear to ear while ripping the mike out of my hands. “What message is that?”
“The Society is for everyone. No matter where you live, no matter what you do, no matter who your parents are and what they do and do not have, if you’re a part of Lucky Falls, then the Ladies are a part of you. You are not forgotten. You are not abandoned. We see you and we will build with and for you.”
Kierra sniffs as her eyes turn glassy. “How moving.”
I lower my eyes to the ground.
“You heard it here, folks. The Lady Luck Society is at it again, being the heartbeat of our beautiful town. I’m Kierra Griffin with Lucky Falls News.”
“And cut!” the cameraman yells.
Kierra shakes my hand. “Congratulations, Rebel. I’m so glad you’re a part of the Ladies.”
“Really?”
“I once thought the club was just a way for rich families to show off. But if you have a seat around the table, I know real change is going to happen.”
My heart swells. Technically, I don’t have a seat around the table. What I have is my pink-polished toes in the door. And barely. Each of my little piggies are probably black and blue from trying to stay there when Carol keeps closing the door on me.
But I’m hoping, after this interview airs, it’ll be difficult for the matriarch of the Kinsey family to keep me out.
While Kierra and her team pack up, I return to the volunteers who have been working tirelessly all day.
I clap to get everyone’s attention. “Thank you so much for coming out today. We’ve accomplished so much in such a short time because we’ve been working together. Now that the end is in sight, let’s keep pushing!”
Cheers and hoots go up from the volunteers. The crowd is much smaller now than it was before. Many of our neighbors went back home. Renthrow left with Gordie about an hour ago since she was getting tired.
However, the other members of the hockey team are still around. There’s enough people that I’m confident we can hit our schedule.
“I’m here! I’m here!” a familiar voice yells breathlessly. I hear the thud of feet pounding the sand and turn to find April galloping toward me.
“Slow down.” I laugh when she flops against me, breathing hard.
Her straight brown hair fans across her cheeks and the strands lift with every puff of her breath. “I saw the news van. Did you have an interview?”
“Kierra came by.” I fan my best friend’s face with my hand.
“Kierra’s nice.” April pants. “Why is it so hot? Speaking of hot…” She whips her head up. “Where’s Chance?”
I roll my eyes.
“Right here.” Chance opens his arms and April flings herself into them. He brushes her hair back tenderly and tilts her chin up, his eyes skating affectionately over her freckles. “Did you run all the way from the garage?”
April swats him teasingly. “You’re lucky… I’m too tired… to talk.”
“What was wrong with the car?” I ask distractedly while looking around for Gunner. He seems to have disappeared again.
April shakes her head and prepares to launch into an explanation, but we’re interrupted by Benji.
His hair is sticking up in places and there are paint spatters all over his clothes. The skin behind his neck and on his nose are a different shade than the rest of him. I probably should have offered him sun screen earlier.
Benji draws close to me. “Rebel, you were amazing . You almost convinced me to pack up and open a firm in Lucky Falls. I was that moved.”
“It was nothing.”
Benji touches my shoulder. “I’ve seen lawyers twice your age choke in front of a camera. You’re a natural.”
“Rebel’s never been afraid of the spotlight,” April jumps in, her eyes darting from where Benji’s touching my shoulder to my face.
I clear my throat. “April, this is Benji. His father is the owner of Scooby’s Nightmare. Benji, this is my best friend and business partner, April. If you ever have car trouble, this is the person you should call. She’s never met an auto problem she can’t solve.”
Benji looks impressed.
“April’s a genius with cars.” Chance puffs out his chest, proud as a peacock.
I can’t help but snicker at him.
April gestures to me. “Rebel’s a genius too. But since you saw her work on Scooby’s Nightmare, I don’t have to convince you.”
“You two must be drowning in customers. I know I would love to bring my car to a shop with such beautiful mechanics.” His voice softens and so does his gaze when he looks at me.
I clear my throat again.
April frowns. “It’s a good thing people bring their cars to us because we can actually fix them and not just because we’re pretty.”
“Oh.” Benji’s eyes widen. “I didn’t mean that with any disrespect. Of course, you’re both extremely capable. I only meant?—”
April chuckles. “Relax, Benji. I was just kidding. Any friend of Rebel’s is a friend of mine. I’ll second what Rebel said about bringing your car around if you have trouble. We’ve got a full schedule, but I’ll make time for you.”
Benji’s grin is tinged with relief. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
Finally, I spot Gunner coming around the school building. Something’s wrong. I can tell by his quick, urgent strides, stiff shoulders, and tense arms.
I lunge toward him. “Gunner, what happened?”
He careens to a stop and looks down at me. My gaze gets sucked into a pale, worried blue.
“My mother,” he swallows, “she’s in the hospital.”