For my 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! To catch up in the archives, go to the Never Ending Stories Tab at the top of this site.

And remember Invisible Friends…I’m still at the beach, so I’ll be sure to visit you when I return next Monday!  Enjoy your first part of a double edition of Twirl!

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Dearest Vivi,

I’m just a simple guy off a ranch, so I know this probably isn’t the nicest love letter you’ve ever recieved.  Being from up North and all, I’m sure you’ve dated guys who could sprout poetry and compose sonnets better than Shakespeare.  Well, I don’t have the words for that.

But I do have the words to tell you how empty my truck feels without you and how dull the dancehall is without you to twirl around the floor.  The nights are too quiet, the days too long.  Even the letters have lost their appeal–searching for the treasure without you isn’t right.  I can’t eat and I can’t sleep.  All I can do is miss you.

I know your daddy won’t like this, but I’m not waiting any longer.  As soon as I can get away, I’m coming for you, darling.  We’ll run away together, just like Bullet Bill and Addy did.  I may not have a hidden fortune, but I got two good hands and a heart for you.

Love,

Wade

***

“What, Damien?” Vivi snapped.  “What now?  What is it you want?”  As he panted, his face dripping with sweat, she rolled her eyes and resumed rushing down the hall.

“Did you find the treasure?” Damien wheezed, stumbling after her.  “How close are you?  How many more letters are left?  Did Margaret find anything?”

Cursing under her breath, Vivi grabbed Damien by the collar.  Kicking open a closed office door, she ducked inside the dark room, dragging Damien in there with her.

“What is the matter with you?” she hissed.  “You can’t just babble on about the treasure like that.”

“I want to know what you found,” Damien whined, his lip curling into a pout.  “I can help you, you know.  I had to leave for Houston a few weeks after I found you at Wade’s ranch, but I haven’t stopped thinking about it.  I want to help.”

“If you want to help, get me out of here,” Vivi snarled.  “I can’t do a damn thing when I’m shut up here like a prisoner.  They even took my cell phone.”

Damien’s eyes widened.  “So you’re not doing anything right now?”

“I can’t,” Vivi snapped.  Enunciating, she drew out each word slowly.  “They’re watching every move I make.  I haven’t heard anything since Margaret went to jail.  For all I know, she could be out looking for clues.”

“She went to jail?”  Damien’s face burned bright pink with giddiness.  “For what?”

“For breaking in my house.”  Vivi scowled and crossed her arms.  “The last person I would trust in this is you.”

“I’m the first person  you should trust!” Damien protested, his eyes wide.  “I mean, I know I was a jerk before, but I was just bored.   Think about it.  I have tons of income, vacant parents and lots of connections.  I could do a lot.  Besides, we’re partners now.”

“We’re not partners,” Vivi snapped.  “We’re victims of my father and Mrs.”–  A group of girls passed by the doorway, their raised voices carrying through the quiet hallway.  Pressing her lips together, Vivi listened to their loud gossip.  Every word felt like a knife digging into her heart.

“Mrs. Angelson,” one of the girls giggled, her shrieks piercing the stillness.  “She and Markov were totally an item back then.  They’re the ones who created the Lover’s Dance.”

“Rumor has it they had a baby together,” one girl cackled.  The elevator chimed.

“I heard otherwise,” a third girl interrupted.  “I heard they broke up because she couldn’t have a baby and he wanted a protege.”

“Can you believe they’re both here?” the first girl giggled.  “Working together with Markov’s daughter?”

“Maybe they never broke up,” a fourth girl mused.  “Maybe they’ve had this secret love affair.”

The doors rolled shut and the three voices were extinguished.  Staggering back, Vivi grabbed for the desk.  Grasping the edge, her feet slid out inch by inch as she descended toward the floor.  Her knees were too weak to resist.

“Vivi, I’m sorry,” Damien murmured, squatting next to her.  His sympathetic eyes met hers.   “I know it must be hard living with the gossip.  And it must be hard working with your father’s mistress”–

“Don’t call her that!” Vivi snapped.  Jerking her head up, she stared at him.  “You knew.”

Damien shifted, looking at the ground.  “Yea.”

“How?” Vivi demanded, her voice hoarse.  Her head spun, her breath ragged in her throat.

“Well, Vivi, it’s common knowledge,” Damien muttered uncomfortably.  He shrugged.  “My mom was really into dance, so she knew the story.  And the longer I danced, the more people talked about it…”

“Who?  When?”   Vivi rested her head against the desk, staring at the ceiling.  She didn’t really see it.  Her mind was racing too fast, her thoughts tumbling over each other.

“Well, everyone.”  Damien shrugged a second time.  “Dance camps, you know…competitions…teachers talking to teachers, students to students…everyone knows.”

“And no one told me.”  Vivi shook her head from side to side.  “No one told me.  How did I not know?”

“Vivi, I’m sorry.”  Damien touched her arm.  “It’s not one of those things you discuss, you know?”

Vivi’s head snapped up, her eyes blazing.  “You mean not to me. Everyone else seems to have no problem discussing it.”  Struggling to her feet, she grabbed her dance bag and flew down the hall.  As she rushed past groups of students, she ignored the stares.  Her eyes burning, she burst out the front door of the academy.  There was only one person she wanted to see.

Several blocks and one elevator ride later, Vivi stormed down the hall to her hotel room.  Jamming her key into the door handle, she yanked the heavy door open and burst inside.  Her mother jumped as she entered, flinging the book she was reading into the air.

“Oh–Vivi–you scared me to death!”

“We need to talk.  Now.”  Vivi crossed her arms and gave her mother a hard stare.   Her mother turned pale, her wide blue eyes circled with deep purple shadows.

“Of course, darling.”  Her mother stood, her shaking hands smoothing her skirt.  “Shall we go to lunch?  I know a fine cafe a few blocks”–

“No lunch, no cafe, no anything,” Vivi growled.  “I want to know everything this instant.”

Her mother sighed.  “Well, what do you know, darling?”

“I don’t want to play that game either.”  Vivi shook her head.  “I want you to start at the beginning and go until you reach the end.”

“How did you find out?” her mother asked, her chin quivering.

“Let’s just say when everyone else knows except you, you’ll find out eventually,” Vivi replied bitterly.

Her mother shook her head, the weary lines etched into her face making her look ten years older.  “Everyone knows nothing.  The real truth….only I and your father know that.  And your Mrs. Angelson.”   She stood, reaching for her purse on the table.  “Let’s go to the cafe, where we can’t be interrupted.  I wouldn’t want….anyone…to walk into our conversation.”

“Fine,” Vivi snapped.  “Then let’s go now.”

To be continued…

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  Tomorrow is the second edition of our double-part Twirl.  Then next week, the Blond Duck is back for vacation and ready with more whimsical tales, tasty recipes and lots of fun!  Stay tuned!

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