Chapter 21: Preparations

I would like to thank Julie Demers for helping me with the plots of this manuscript. I apologize this chapter is out so late, but a few days ago there was a fire at the house next door to mine, and there were a lot of things happening over there leading up to that fire. Thankfully our house and my family are safe and no one was harmed during the house fire. 

Preparations

It was the week before the 4th of July. Mary Anne, Dawn, and Mona we're getting things ready for all the festivities. First Lewis was due to arrive on Friday night. On Saturday the Rotary Club party was welcoming the new exchanges coming into town, and Sunday, the 4th of July, was the Rainforest marathon. Everyone had decided to put their thoughts aside from the uranium case and concentrate on having some fun.

Dawn didn't tell anyone but she had decided to put things aside early and give herself the entire week to clear her head. She didn't want to deal with her mom possibly not telling her something about Morbidda Destiny being a Porter on top of this thing with Mary Anne. She could tell that Mary Anne still had in the back of her mind that she needed to settle down and was all nostalgic about her and Lewis because they had gone on a few dates off and on through the years. As if it wasn't already awkward enough with Bart, Pete, and now Jamie at least it would keep her busy though and hopefully Mary Anne will finally give up on taming her down.

Dawn had got some books at Crookshanks on clearing the mind. She spent Sunday night planning out her meditation to be a sound warrior when the time came.    That night she decided to walk down to the cliff by the lighthouse where she could see Long Island Sound. She always felt like she could meditate better with the sounds of the waves in her ears. Besides, the sun was still out and she could watch the sunset. 

With her yoga mat in tow, she climbed up to the top of the incline and found a big flat rock to place her yoga mat on. She gently closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. Just as she was about to complete the movement she heard a car door slam behind her. She turned to see Cary Retlin going into the lighthouse. She wondered what he was up to, talking to Alan after that fight they had at the bowling alley.

She knew she needed to sit tight for the time being as she was out in the open with nothing to hide behind. She saw Cary and Alan loading up some heavy equipment and heavy-duty digging tools into a truck. Then they went back to the porch and we're sitting on some lawn chairs talking. She knew she needed to move closer to find out what they were saying. She decided to make a run for some shrubs on the side of the lighthouse. She knew she could get close enough without them detecting that she was there.

"After this weekend there should be enough samples to test. She said it will take two to three weeks to get the results back. And if it's a go, we will be rich my friend."

"Not only that, but I could get my lighthouse back. Maybe then Karen would take me more seriously."

"And I can finally get my business going."

"See you Monday then. She said to go in the back gate. This is the final dig, so when we are done we need to make sure to clean it up well. All that tall about the chemistry sets over at Dawn's is making me uneasy."

"Oh come on! They'll never trace it back to what we're doing. Everyone has forgotten that knew and if they knew they don't care enough about it. Let Dawn and them go on their uranium chase. It's kind of funny. You're paranoid Alan. Just be cool."

What?! Thought Dawn. Of course, just when I don't need to be chasing a lead. But she would mention it to Mary Anne and the others and by Monday they would be ready. 

The next morning Mary Anne got up early and snuck out to the grocery store with Mona and Shannon. She knew it was going to be interesting having meat-loving Lewis and Dawn in the same house. She knew sometimes differences could be good. Look at her dad and Sharon. Dawn was still out running with Bart and Pete so she took the opportunity to confide in Shannon. 

"Let's go shopping today. We could get some outfits for this weekend and I want highlights put in my hair."

"Yes let's. We could have lunch too. Make a day of it. We won't have time later when everyone arrives and then we will have that part done already."

They jumped into Mary Anne's car and drove down to the mall.

"Kristy said she would be back Saturday night. Abby will be working the store Sunday for a half-day, but after that, they will join us."

"Good. We will all be back again then." Just then Mary Anne got a text from Mallory.

"Need any help for Lewis's welcome party this weekend?"

"Sure. Why don't you come to meet Shannon and me for lunch? We are going to the Lunch Box."

"Ok I will be there in 15 minutes"

"Mal said she would meet us in 15 minutes. She is pretty excited about Lewis. He came with Logan and me to visit her at Riverbend one weekend in high school when she performed in a play. They've been friends ever since then."

"Ooo, what kind of friends?"

"Well, back then we thought that he and Mal were going to be a thing. He had been quite taken with her after seeing her in high school and she grew out of her awkwardness. But once he saw this other girl in the school play, that was all over. He kept in touch with that girl and wound up marrying her. Now he is getting divorced and moving here to be closer to Logan. He needs a firm support system and a new start."

"Well, we'll see what happens."

Mallory could not believe that Lewis was coming to Stoneybrook. She couldn't help that she was flirting with the possibility that she might be interested in him. She knew it had been a while, and she knew she wouldn't know for sure until she saw him again. They had kept in touch a little bit through Facebook throughout the years. Of course, it would be a little complicated because she lived in Maine, and the headmistress at Riverbend and some of the other teachers would be the pretty judge about having gentleman callers on campus after certain hours of the night, but she would see about that when she got there.