Special Note to my Invisible Friends: With last Friday’s Twirl, several of you were annoyed/ perturbed/ terrified/ frustrated and confused.  Trust me and be patient–all will be revealed in good time.  And remember–the only endings at the Pond are happy ones.

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.  For the previous edition, go here.

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By the time Vivi stumbled into her first dance class the next morning, she was physically and emotionally numb.  All night, her father and Mrs. Angelson had talked in French, laughing and whispering in one another’s ears like school girls.  Even with her head under a pillow and her I-Pod blaring, Vivi couldn’t sleep.   She wanted to sleep, needed to sleep.  But the second her eyes closed, Wade’s blue eyes flickered before her until her own tears blurred them away like watercolor.  Vivi refused to let her father even hear the rouge drops hit the pillow.  One way or another, she was going to get back to Wade.  That one thought was the fuel that kept her going.

“Name?”  A skinny assistant whose shoulder bones stuck through her leotard like tennis balls eyed her over her clipboard.

“Vivienne Markov.  I’m here for the competition prep courses.”  She met the assistant’s haughty stare and lifted her chin.  “Is there a problem?”

“The competition is in two weeks,” the assistant sniffed.  “The serious dancers have been taking prep classes for months.”

Gritting her teeth, Vivi stepped forward.  Her dance bag bumped the assistant’s clipboard.  “I’d be happy to talk to the director.”

“Fine.”  The assistant sneered and promptly scurried into the office behind her.  A tall, thin woman with a humorless face and badly dyed red bun peered out of the office, then crooked her finger at Vivi.  Smothering a sigh, Vivi drug herself into the office and plopped down in the cracked plastic chair.

“What is the problem, Erin?” the woman with the red bun snapped.  “I have a busy schedule.”

“Miss Green, this girl is claiming to be enrolled in the prep courses,” Erin drawled, her voice choked with disdain.  “I told her she was too late, that all the serious dancers have been practicing for months.  This is not just any old dance competition, after all.”

“We’re all aware of that, Erin,” the woman replied.  Her tired watery blue eyes locked on Vivi.  “What’s your name, child?”

“Vivienne Markov,” Vivi repeated.  The woman’s eyebrow rose, but she said nothing.  Picking up a folder on her desk, she cracked it open and skimmed the papers inside.

“What’s your dance teacher’s name?  The one who submitted you into the competition?”

“Beverly Angelson.”

The director’s head jerked up.  She snapped the folder shut and leaned forward.  “Beverly Angelson?”

“Yes,” Vivi answered warily.

“And your last name is Markov?”

“Yes.”

“Is your father’s name Vladimir?  The Vladimir Markov of the dance world?”  Miss Green was practically salivating over the folder, her eyes wide.  Even Erin was eying her with a new respect.

Vivi bit her tongue and replied, “Yes, ma’am.”

“She’s enrolled.”  Miss Green never took her eyes off Vivi as Erin jotted down her name on the clipboard.  “I’m anxious to see how you do, Miss Markov.  I do believe most of us will be.  Your father has–quite a past in the dance world.”

Erin giggled.  Miss Green shot her a glare, then returned her gaze to Vivi.  “Good luck, child.  Please come to me if you need anything.  Anything.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”   Feeling Erin’s smug eyes burning into her shoulder blades, Vivi took her schedule packet and ID cards and hurried out of the office.

The last thing she wanted people to think was that she was her father’s daughter.

***

Groaning and wincing with every step, Vivi crawled over to the ridiculously large hotel bed.  Luckily, her father had gotten a suite with three rooms–one for her parents, one for her and one for Mrs. Angelson.  She was less than thrilled with having to live with Mrs. Angelson on top of training with her for hours a day, but that was only one of her problems right now. By lunch, the whispers and curious looks from the other dancers had become unbearable.  Her classes were filled with hushed giggles and hurried confidences between sessions.

And she had a terrible suspicion it had more to do with her dad than her.

A timid hand knocked on her door.  “What?” Vivi snarled.

“It’s me, darling,” her mother’s thin voice called.  “May I come in?”

Vivi didn’t have the energy to deny her.  “Fine.”

The door creaked open and Vivi’s mother scurried through with a large yellow package clutched to her chest.  “How are you feeling?”

“Rotten,” Vivi snapped.  “Why the hell did you let Dad drag me out of school and bring me here?”

Her mother’s hands fluttered around her face.  “Well, dear, I didn’t really have a choice…you know how your father is….he really is just concerned for your future….I’m sure you can understand…”

“What I can’t understand is how a famous model and movie star lets some jerk boss her around and control her daughter!” Vivi shot back.  Her mother staggered back, hugging the envelope out of her chest.  The second the words were out of her mouth, regret surged through Vivi.  “Mom, I’m sorry…”

Her mother shook her head, blinking back tears.  “Don’t be.  Please, don’t be.  You’re right.  You’re absolutely right.”

“So let’s go home!”  Vivi flew up from the bed, ignoring her screaming muscles.  “Come on, I haven’t even unpacked.  You go stand up to dad, I go home, go back to school…”  See Wade and find the third clue, she added in her mind.

Her mother hesitated.  “First, darling, I have to tell you something…Were the girls in class mean today?”

“Why?” Vivi raised an eyebrow.

“Well, your father was a big influence in the dance world,” her mother murmured.  “But there were some bad things…did they say anything?”

“Nothing I could hear,” Vivi replied, raising her other eyebrow.  “They just all stared at me like I was a zoo exhibit.  What bad things?  Mom, what happened?  Does it have anything to do with you being a model?”

Vivi’s mother nodded.  “You see, honey”–  From the other side of the wall, Mrs. Angelson’s laughter rang out.   Vivi’s mother stiffened, the blood draining out of her face.  Her eyes slit as her head revolved slowly towards the black wall and her fists shook by her side.

Vivi stepped back.  “Mom?  Are you ok?”

Her mother pressed her lips together in a firm line.  “I will be, dear.  But I need to tell you this.  Soon.  Do you think you could take some time off of class to meet with me in the next day or two?”

Curiosity gnawed at her, but Vivi held her tongue and just nodded.

“Great,” her mother replied, glancing again at the wall.  “And don’t tell your dad or Mrs. Angelson, ok?”

“Ok.”  Vivi reached for her bag.  “So, you ready?”

Her mother looked at her bag blankly for a moment before shaking her head.  “Oh, I’m afraid not dear.  See, we can’t go home yet.  It’s a crime scene.”

“What?”  Vivi’s legs buckled and she tumbled onto the bed.  “What are you talking about?”

“This morning I was out running errands when Susanna’s dad called me.  He and Susanna had stopped by our place with Susanna’s copy of the key to pick up the papers she needed, he said.  Something about a project the two of you were working on.”

Vivi nodded her head, her words frozen in her throat.

“Well, when they got there the door had been kicked open.  Her dad ran inside to find some crazy old lady up in your room, tearing it to shreds.  She literally ripped your bed apart.  He said she kept screaming about the locket and trying to find the clue, so he called for back-up and arrested her.  She’s being held right now in jail because she assaulted an officer.”

Vivi took a deep breath and shuddered.  “What about the papers?  Where did my project go?”

“Oh, Susanna said she got it all,” her mother said.  “She made a big packet for you and gave it to me before I left.”  She handed Vivi the large yellow envelope.

“Mom, what was the woman’s name who broke into our house?” Vivi asked.  Her fingers were slick against the cool envelope and her hands trembled.

“Margaret something or another,” her mother said with a shrug.  “The cops said she’d had dozens of complaints against her.  Apparently she’s a historian who hunts for buried treasure.  Just some nut case.  She’s been arrested for breaking and entering before, Susanna’s dad told me.”  She reached forward and stroked Vivi’s tangled reddish golden curls.  “I promise you, Vivi.  I’ll tell you everything.  Then you’ll understand.”

Vivi’s nails tapped impatiently against the envelope seal.  “Thanks, Mom.  Good night.”

“Good night.”  Her mother stepped out and slowly closed the door.  Jumping up, Vivi twisted the tiny steel lock.  Glancing around as if someone was watching, she ripped the envelope open.  Shaking out the contents onto her covers, she clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle her cry of joy.  A small laptop the size of a paperback book, the locket and packet of aged letters stared up at her next to Susanna’s hot pink stationary.  Vivi picked up the pink card and burst out laughing.

“Vivi,

Since your dad is a bastard, I had to get my dad involved. I’m sure your mom told you about Margaret being arrested at your place–man, that woman is nuts!  She’s terrifying, actually.  The only good thing is that she’s locked up and tied up in red legal tape for awhile.  Plus, you get to redecorate your room!

I gave Wade your letter, and he gave me one for you.  I put it on top of some of Bullet Bill letters with the locket–I know you’re going crazy over there!

My dad also gave you a laptop from the department he works in at the station.  They use them when they’re out in the field.  It’s a really old one they never use anymore, so you can give it back after you get done in Houston.  Along with e-mailing Wade, my Dad wants you to e-mail or call him if you ever need help or have a question.  Margaret really bothered him.

My mom’s driving me down Friday, so I’ll see you then.  E-mail me tomorrow between classes–and don’t let your dad find out!

Love, Susanna.

Shaking her head with amusement and relief,  Vivi pressed the small laptop to her chest.  Her eyes flickered over to Wade’s letter, and her heart jumped.

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  Tomorrow we have a fun Critter Confessions and next week, more whimsical fun!