Letter full of secrets

You're fabulous.

Yes, you. I can see your eyeball twitching, your head turning as you check behind you. It's ok. It's you. You're fabulous.

And I have full authority to say that, you see, because the fabulous Jen thinks I'm fabulous. Have you met Jen? She's more than fabulous. She's creative, sweet, supportive and can make skyscrapers from rocks. She's just that good.

I can barely get my socks to match.

I know I'm supposed to pick five lucky bloggers, but in my current state of sleep-reduced delirium, I'm feeling the love for everyone.

Speaking of blogging delirium, I have a confession, my darling Invisible Friends.

I know I haven't been able to visit you all that much in the past few days, and I do apologize. I've actually been having to work at work (God forbid) and I'm in the middle of a stunning blog redesign for the Pond.

It's good. It's really good.

So I'll catch up today and tomorrow. Also, please don't be offended if I don't follow you. I put people I like on my blog list, and I have a whole word document of people to add. I plan to add you in the next day or two, so please know I like you! Just give me a few days to get caught up.

Oh, and I read a blog post about people commenting back to comments on a post. I don't comment back here because I go to your blogs to comment. I feel blogs are like a college dorm room white board. I leave comments on your board, you leave replies on mine. If I put all my comments on my board, then you don't have any on yours. And really, don't we all want a full white board on our door in life?

Right.

Anyway, here's a new Twirl! New Invisible Friends, Twirl is the story of a star-crossed ballerina named Vivi and her handsome cowboy named Wade, who have stumbled into a international ballet scandal and a old Texas legend that might possibly lead to riches!

For the previous edition, go here. To catch up in the archives, go here and here.

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Vivi and Wade couldn't drop their forks fast enough. Wade threw a few bills on the table and lead Vivi out the front door of the dancehall.

"Sheriff, we'll follow you out there!" he hollered, tipping his hat at two blue-haired old ladies toddling into the dancehall. One had a half-empty bottle of whiskey tipping out of her bright red plastic purse.

"SHH!" the sheriff hissed, glancing around. He shot a terrified look at the old ladies' backs. "Are you stupid, kid? You don't want to go bellowing around about this. Folks around here are old enough to remember."

Wade grinned as he helped Vivi into the pick up. "No offense sheriff, but I doubt they're about to grab a shovel and go digging all over the Hill Country."

The sheriff shook his head, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Boy, you don't know nothing. People have ways of getting things without doing it themselves."

Climbing into the battered county car, he fired up the rusty old engine and peeled out of the parking lot. Wade was chuckling when he swung into the front seat of the truck. His blue eyes met Vivi's and he beamed. Without a single word, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. His rough warm hand cupped her shoulder, his thumb stroking the smooth skin slowly as they kissed. Vivi felt like she was falling as she leaned forward towards him. Her mind was spinning and her heart was pounding in her ears. Energy was racing through her veins and thoughts jumbled around in her head in broken fragments.

Wade leaned back and grinned. "Have I ever told you how crazy I am about you?"

Vivi shook her head. For someone who had just been kissed, her mouth was surprisingly dry. She couldn't even find the strength to babble.

Wade just smiled and flipped on the engine. He pulled off on the old dirt road, hanging just far back enough from the sheriff.

"What'd your parents say about you meeting my Grandpa?" he asked, flipping on a country music channel. "They all right?"

Vivi shrugged. The last thing she wanted to talk about was her parents. Her chest tightened as she remembered her mother's face and her father's demands. The happiness she felt over Wade's kissed faded away. The only thing she could could think about now was the same questions and worry she had always felt.

"They didn't mind you coming out all day, after being gone so long yesterday?" Wade probed. Vivi could feel his blue eyes boring into the side of her head, watching every expression flicker across her face. She looked out the window and bit the inside of her cheek.

"It's not a big deal," she answered finally. "Don't worry about anything." It was all she could do not to scream. Didn't he understand how messy her family was? If she didn't understand them, how could he?

Although she was afraid to admit it, she was terrified once he knew them, he would leave.

Wade's eyebrows crinkled together. "Vivi, did you tell them where you were coming?"

Vivi bit her cheek so hard it bled. "No," she muttered, curling towards the window.

"Why?" Wade asked. He tapped his hands against the steering wheel. "Is it me? I don't mind meeting them. I'm sure your dad would like me if he got to know me."

Vivi shook her head so hard she knocked her chin into the window. "Wade, it's not you," she promised. "My dad has been really obsessive lately. He wanted me to train all day for some dance with my teacher...he even wants me to blow off school! He's just pushing me really hard. And it's the same old arguments, the same old drama." Her voice was clipped.

Wade was silent for a few minutes, his jaw moving up and down as his eyes stared out on the road. "You just left, didn't you?"

"I stayed with Susanna last night." Vivi tried to sound positive. "It was like a girl's night or whatever."

"Listen Vivi," Wade said, taking a deep breath. "I know you've got a weird relationship with your folks, but I don't want to add to the trouble of it. Promise me you'll quit hiding from them or lying about going out. I don't want to lose seeing you."

"I'll be more open with them," Vivi said carefully. She knew she couldn't promise she'd quit lying or hiding. It was the only way to survive in her family.

"Good." Wade beamed as they pulled onto a old farm road. The truck rattled down a old gravel driveway, stopping in front of a worn house that appeared to have once been painted green. A old woman with long silver hair and deep ridges in her face scowled at them for the porch.

"Well, darling," Wade said, taking a deep breath. "Get ready for one of the weirdest afternoons of your life. I don't know much about this old historian, but I know she's different."

Vivi looked at the woman's hard black eyes and gulped. She sat frozen in the woman's gaze as Wade walked around the car, pulling the door open for her.

"Wade, is she a witch or something?" Vivi murmured under her breath. "I feel like she might cast a spell on me."

"Only if you're lucky." Vivi jumped, her head snapping up. The woman was standing a few feet from them. Her long silver hair was pulled back into a long messy braid and she wore a long black dress over scuffed black boots. A chunk of turquoise hung from a braided silver chain around her neck, and every finger was adorned with a ring.

She was the most terrifying person Vivi had ever met. Still scowling, the woman turned toward the sheriff and reached for the letter. He handed it to her, looking as uncomfortable as Vivi and Wade.

"Shall we go inside?" she growled, turning toward the old house. "The dead don't wait for just anyone, you know. We only have a short amount of time to reveal their secrets." Cackling, she threw her head back and revealed a row of rotten teeth. Vivi tried not to wince. Grabbing Wade's hand, she followed the woman toward the house.

The only thing she could think was there better be something really good in that letter.

To be continued....

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! Tomorrow we have a new recipe and Friday a date with the Fuzzy Duck and Rubber Chicken! We've also got a whole weekend of whimsical fun! Stay tuned!