"You are stubborn," sighed the FP when I left my job and immediately went to my car.
"I am," I said. "Because I am safe," I smiled at him. I kissed him on the cheek. "I'm going for a girl"
"Let me know when you get home." He waged a finger at me and went to his car.
"Okay, daddy" I showed him my and got into my car.
Gladys was in prison only through trade-in drugs, so I do not think she would like to hurt someone from her loved ones. FP was exaggerating. I was not in danger.
I picked up girls from school and went straight home.
"How was school today?" I asked with a smile.
"English teacher praised me for writing a nice story," said proud Betty.
"What did you write about?" I asked, curious.
"About the murder on the graveyard," she answered, and I opened my eyes wide.
"Elizabeth!" I said loudly. "How? WHEN?
"But, mom. She has praised me!" Betty started to defend herself, so I decided to let go.
"Fair enough, Betty," I rolled my eyes. "Polly, why are you silent?" I looked at my daughter. She sat with her head lowered down. She was sad.
"Polly is sad because she hasn't been accepted into the cheerleading team," Betty said, and Polly glared at her.
"Shut up," she growled.
"Polly!" I screamed. "Say sorry to your sister," I said.
"I'm sorry, Betty," Polly whispered. My heart ached when I saw my daughter suffering.
"Polly, you're still young, if you want, I'll sign you up to dance classes in our Town centre so that you can practice your skills"
"Really?" Polly looked at me with a smile.
"Yes, Polly."
"And I'd like to learn to play the piano as you do, mommy," Betty said, and I laughed. I drove up to our driveway.
"I can teach you if you want," I replied, and my daughter nodded.
"Will you play our favourite song today?" Polly asked, and I smiled.
"Of course, yes, but first we'll eat the dinner. In the evening, I'll make hot chocolate and teach you how to play the piano. What do you say? " I asked when I got out of the car.
"Cool!" Betty clapped her hands and walked toward the house.
"Polly" I whispered and looked at my daughter. "Cheerleaders are overrated," I kissed her on the forehead.
"How do you know that?"
"I used to be a cheerleader myself for two days. The worst and the longest two days of my life," I sighed and Polly laughed.
"I love you," she said and grabbed my hand.
"Love you too," I answered.
~~~~~
I made hot chocolate and sat at the piano in the living room. My daughters stood on both sides of the piano. I looked at them with a smile.
"Who is singing today?" I asked, and they pointed a finger at me.
"You" answered Polly.
"I'll do backing up," Betty added, and I nodded.
"Okay," I laughed and put my hands on the keys.
I made a brief prelude and took a deep breath.
"Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream, make him the cutest that I've ever seen." I started singing and my fingers smoothly touched the piano keys. I missed playing. "Give him two lips like roses in clover and tell him that his lonesome nights are over. Sandman, I'm so alone don't have nobody to call my own"
"Bung, bung, bung, bung" Betty sang and I laughed.
"Please turn on your magic beam "I looked at Polly with a smile and pointed finger at her.
"Mr Sandman, bring me a dream." Polly finished and I smiled
"Bung bung bung bung" I sang and tore my fingers from the keys.
"Mr Sandman" Betty started.
"Yeees?" I asked, and she laughed.
"Bring us a dream... Give him a pair of eyes with a "come-hither" gleam"
"Give him a lonely heart like Pagliacci and lots of wavey hair like Liberace" and now Polly started to sing. I was so happy that my daughter wanted to sing with me. They enjoyed it.
"Mr. Sandman, someone to hold. Would be so peachy before we're too old..." I looked at Betty.
"So please turn on your magic beam" Betty finished.
"Mr. Sandman, bring us, please, please, please, Mr. Sandman, bring us a dream." We sang the last verse in three.
"Something else," Betty asked, and I bit my lip.
"What would you like?" I asked.
"You often sang one beautiful song when you thought you were alone," said Polly. "I do not remember her title"
"Way back into love," Betty answered. "I googled it"
I smiled slightly.
"But I need the second voice" I shrugged. "Male voice"
I added.
"It's a pity that Jughead and his dad didn't come tonight. You would have someone to sing with," Betty said, and I bit my lip.
FP and I liked to listen to this song and we often sang it together.
"Let's sing something else!" I spoke. "Oh, I know!" my fingers again found themselves on the keys and began to play a well-known melody.
"Love him, I love him, I love him and where he goes, I'll follow, I'll follow, I'll follow" I started singing, but Betty quickly joined the singing together, so I decided to let her play first fiddle.
"I will follow him, follow him wherever he may go... there isn't an ocean too deep... A mountain so high it can keep me away" Betty looked at me.
"I must follow him, ever since he touched my hand, I knew That near him I always must be and nothing can keep him from me. He is my destiny" I sang with a smile and looked at Polly.
"I love him, I love him, I love him and where he goes, I'll follow, I'll follow, I'll follow" Polly and Betty started to sing. "He'll always be my true love, my true love, my true love... from now until forever, forever, forever" we sang the last verse together.
I heard the sound of my phone. I got up from the piano and went to the window. I answered the phone.
"FP?" I said with a smile. I was glad he called.
"Alice, this boy. This boy is dead," he replied, and I froze.
"Poor thing," I murmured. "These pills are so strong that just one was enough to kill him?" I asked.
"I do not know, Al. But it's all suspicious"
"What about Gladys? Is she in jail?" I asked, and FP cleared his throat.
"Yes, she's in jail. Fortunately,"
"So don't worry, I'm sure she doesn't trade these drugs," I replied.
"Alice, children at school have these drugs," he said, and I opened my eyes wide.
"How do you know?" I looked at my daughters who were playing at the piano.
"Jughead brought one packet of these candies today, but fortunately he couldn't eat them. Check if Betty and Polly don't have them," he said.
I was terrified that someone was selling drugs at school. What was the purpose of trading among children? They don't even have money.
"Mom!" Betty shouted, and I looked at her.
I saw Polly on the floor. The phone fell out of my hand and my legs softened. I fell on my knees in front of my daughter who had epilepsy.
"Betty, please call the ambulance," I said, and tears rolled down my eyes.
I tried to calm Polly somehow, but seeing her writhing in convulsions, I was helpless. A blue tablet came out of her pocket. I looked at it furiously. Where did my daughter have drugs?
"Betty, who gave Polly this?" I asked and showed the younger daughter of blue candy.
"I don't know, mom, I don't know," she said, she was as terrified as I was. She knelt beside me and together we tried to calm Polly.
"Will she die?" Betty cried.
I wasn't sure what I could answer. I didn't know what was happening to Polly. I was in a huge shock, I didn't think rationally. My daughter had epilepsy because she took drugs. I had to find out who was responsible for it.
"She will not die," I said when I heard the sound of an ambulance.