Chapter 28: Black Gold

That night Dawn could not sleep. The stakeout raised more questions than answers. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew that Jenny was up to something shady. She knew she needed to find out what was across the street from Jenny's house on the Stoneybrook Day property. She knew she couldn't tell anyone, Logan's reputation would be on the line if she got caught, not to mention Jessi's. But she knew she had to act fast. This stakeout still just wasn't working.

Suddenly, she shot up. She knew she could text Jamie. Maybe set up a date. They could go down to the barn with flashlights undetected and find something. Quickly, she texted him.

"Care to help me save the environment tonight, and possibly Stoneybrook?"

"Sure. What's up?"

Dawn had been keeping him informed about all the clues and information up until now. 

"I need to find out what is in that barn. I can't let Mary Anne and Logan know what we are doing. I'm telling them we are going to the midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show at Stanford. That will give us plenty of time and explain why we are wearing all black."

"Ok. I will pick you up in 30 minutes. I've got flashlights."

Dawn raced to get dressed and hurried down the stairs. She found Logan and Mary Anne snuggled on the couch watching Stranger Things. 

"I'm going to Rock Horror with Jamie Anderson. I will be back late."

"Ok," they both said just as the bell rang. 

Dawn and Jamie got into his car and slowly make their way around the block. They parked down on the corner in the parking lot of the new church. They just pretended they were a couple out for a jog until they got up a few houses before Jenny's. They could see her backyard was lit up with bright lights and trucks parked all up and down the driveway, spilling into the backyard.

They slowly crept into the woodsy area of the Stoneybrook Day property. Dawn had only visited Stoneybrook Day a few times but she knew she could find her way directly to the barn. They moved slowly and accurately as to not create any noise to alert anyone close by that they were there.

As they got closer to the barn they could vaguely see that it was lit from inside. You could barely see the light seeping through the cracks of the old thick wood walls, and heavy greenery that had grown up and around it over the decades that it had sat there.

Dawn and Jamie moved from tree to ancient tree until they approached the dirt clearing around the gigantic barn. The doors were closed and they could hear voices muffled from the inside the building along with the sounds of movement. They couldn't hear anything that was said in clear words. Dawn and Jamie looked at each other wondering what to do. Dawn crept around the back of the barn that had no windows or doors. Jamie quickly followed.

They sat there in silence a good 30 minutes or so when suddenly they heard the barn door open and Alan and Cary came out wearing hats with lights attached to them, plus carrying lanterns and talking.

"Did you close up?" 

"Yeah. Even if someone came snooping around they wouldn't suspect a thing."

"Great. Let's collect our wages for today. Once we move the boxes to storage tomorrow, we can start digging for samples. We know it's there now all we need to do is get a good reading from a sample and we are good to go."

"Well, this will be our last trip for a few days. We have to secure the uranium in storage until we get word back from The Boss Lady. As long as the right of capture goes through we are good or it's Plan B."

Plan B? Thought Dawn. She made a mental note to find out what the right of capture laws was in the state of Connecticut. 

She and Jamie waited until they knew that Alan and Cary were long gone. Then they casually walked back to the car and drove away. 

Dawn was already looking up right of capture on her phone. "We're sunk. Jenny has every right to pump oil from the Stoneybrook Day School property from her well. She will drain it dry and keep all the money from it for herself."

"And use it in every way possible to best Pete in the election. There is no way he could compete financially, could he?"

"I honestly don't know. He was some kind of specialist doctor that still has a few clients here in Stoneybrook. That's all I know. But I can find out."

"Good. Keep campaigning with him. We need to organize a committee with as many volunteers as possible to assist in every way possible. If we lose this election, we will lose the funds in recycling and parks and recreation. I heard she wants to cut the budget down to nothing and expand on the cliffs over by the lighthouse and cut down all the maple trees adjacent to the property."

"It's worse than I even thought", said Dawn. " At least we have some time to think and plan."

The next day Dawn slept in. She decided to dedicate the day entirely to coming up with a plan. She needed to organize the BSC and other people she had on hand for availability to help Pete campaign whenever possible. She met with Pete for lunch to go over plans and then started texting people to see if they could volunteer for certain days.

The first thing on the agenda was to visit places of worship within the city to talk to them and get a better grasp of their concerns and needs. Dawn would go along with Pete and kind of act as his assistant along with the various stops along the campaign trail.

She hadn't mentioned the oil to Logan or Mary Anne. She and Lewis had been getting along really well lately and she didn't want to ruin it. She did, however, tell Jessi who was working at Stoneybrook Day, and Claudia and Mallory. 

"This will be fabulous for my channel!" Claudia said.

" Claudia, remember you can't expose this until it is time."

"I know. I know. But when it does, it's going to be like liquid gold!"

Dawn made plans to go to Watson's to meet up with Claudia, Jessi, and Mallory that afternoon. They all piled into a lounge on the third floor. Mallory and Claudia had their laptops out.

"Jessi, what do you know about the group on the edge of town that Jenny bought the land from for the storage building? Tell me everything. The more we know, the better."

"I know it started in the 50s or 60s. It was when an incident happened with a doctor experimenting with both new and holistic healing methods within his practice. I think it started with the parents of a child that was killed in his care. They were convinced that the doctor was conducting medical experiments. They managed to sue him for malpractice. They became so consumed with keeping things the way they were they rejected new technology, and once they had a good following of people, they purchased a big amount of land on the outskirts of town. They built a huge village there, kind of like a compound. They reject anything made after 1969. They drive around in these old classic cars and wear these old-fashioned clothes. Sometimes you can see them protesting things down in front of city hall. They mostly keep to themselves and keep their heads down when passing people and won't talk to you."

"That sounds like a cult," said Dawn.

"It is. They call themselves The Nifties and they still recruit people."

"Has anyone ever escaped?"

"Not that I am aware of. But I don't follow it or pay attention."

Mallory had been sitting in thoughtful silence. Suddenly, she spoke." The doctor must be Humphrey Porter. There is no other doctor it could have been."

"Claudia, try to talk to Karen about Humphrey and the cult. Whatever you do, don't let her know why, just say it's for Watson's project on the history of Stoneybrook. Text me and let me know what you find out."

"Ok. And Mallory and I will go through all the old records we got from the hospital. Maybe we can find some names of members of the cult in there and previous patients."

Dawn hung out with Mal, Jessi, and Claud the rest of the afternoon into the night. When she got home she was feeling satisfied and refreshed. It was bothering her about Humphrey Porter, but she knew that she would learn more after visiting with the Nifties with Pete. 

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Jessi's phone pinged. It was Derrick Masters.

"Start preparing to get famous. Netflix has picked up and ordered 12 episodes of the show. We will start filming you and your students in August. I will be coming down early to help with the preparations."

Jessi beamed. This was just what she had always wanted. But with all the stuff with Jenny going on she knew she was going to have to be transparent with Derrick about what his ex-wife was up to. 

"Awesome! I can't wait! But Derrick there are some things you should know about Jenny..."

 Chapter 27: Don't Beleive The Hype

The next day they were ready for the stakeout. Dawn was a little surprised that Logan was coming, but glad because she knew lawyers did a lot of this sort of thing for their jobs sometimes.

The first plan for the day was to have Mallory and Jessi walk down to the open field by Alan's lighthouse and pretend to do yoga and keep an eye on any activity at his house.

Dawn, Bart, and Mary Anne we're going to jog around the neighborhood by Jenny and pick up Claudia. From there they were going to have Lewisnring the doorbell and introduce himself as a new neighbor, which technically he was. Once inside, he would figure out how to get her talking about the campaign so he could observe and see if he could find any clues at the house. Then, according to anything they uncovered they were going to meet back at Logan and Mary Anne's for lunch and regroup for phase two that afternoon. They were hoping by that night they would have enough information.

First, they all met at the Bruno's for breakfast except for Claudia. Jessi and Mallory arrived, along with yoga mats. 

"I just made a batch of smoothies. There is bacon, sausage, and eggs for the carnivores," said Mona.

Logan had printed out paper copies of maps of Stoneybrook to keep in their pockets and mark down any location they saw, any unusual activity. Mallory was ready with a writing app to add any clues. 

"Ok everyone, group text if you see anything unusual. The rest of us will be standing by if anyone needs us while Lewis is in Jenny's house. The most important thing is to stay safe and act casual," said Logan. They scarfed down their meals and Mallory and Jessi headed out first.

Next, Dawn, Bart, Logan, and Mary Anne set out to pick up Claudia. They hoped since they had been seen jogging together so often they would not seem unusual. They rounded the corner in unison and texted Claudia. When she caught up with them she was wearing camo yoga pants and a camo 80s style off-the-shoulder shirt with a black sports bra and G.I. Joe earrings. "I am ready for war," she said. Her new camera was tucked away in a fanny pack so she could document everything. 

"Claudia, do not post any of the footage you get today until we know more. We don't want to alert them to what we are doing," said Dawn.

"I won't. I would have to edit it all first anyways, and I need to have the entire thing before I can edit it. It is going to be a masterpiece."

As they neared Jenny's house, the others decided they would be able to hide behind the big manicured hedges and bushes near the property. They had to be careful in case there were security cameras. 

"Here goes nothing," said Lewis and bravely walked up and rang the doorbell.

Meanwhile, Mallory and Jessi settled in their yoga spot. Jesse instructed Mallory on the breathing exercises, so they could keep an ear out on the lighthouse. They had been there a good 30 minutes or so when a truck came pulling up at the lighthouse. Cary Retlin got out and knocked on Alan's door. 

Slowly, Mallory and Jessi made their way closer to see if they could hear any of their conversations. They couldn't hear anything through the thick walls, but Cary and Alan finally came out on the lighthouse railing.

"When should she let us know?" Jessi couldn't tell which one of them was talking. 

"We can't start until it gets dark. She is doing what she can from her end until then. Hauling out all that storage is going to keep us in steady work for a while. She said she was building some storage buildings just outside the city on a property she bought from those people on the compound."

Jessi knew which people he meant. There were this strange group of people on the outskirts of town that like to wear old clothes and rarely came into town unless it was to protest outside the courthouse or to do various unavoidable necessities. 

"She better finish it soon if we are going to start the real dig in a few weeks. At least after tonight, we will know more about what exactly we are dealing with."

"She just texted me. She said the results came out good. The real orientation starts tonight at sundown in the barn." 

They gave a high five as they cackled ominous laughter.

The others couldn't believe Jenny answered the door and Lewis had walked in. There were a lot of workers going in and out of the property with hard hats and trucks. "I don't remember the Home Owners Association approving any work on Jenny's house lately. I wonder if she filed for a permit," Logan whispered. 

Lewis stepped into the doorway. He couldn't believe he had made it inside. The house was beautiful with big windows and a beautiful red oak wood floor with teal-painted walls. 

"Nice to meet you, Lewis. Would you like something to drink? Water, coffee, tea?"

She was nicer than he had anticipated. The way the BSC had talked you would think she was some sort of shallow and superficial person. This girl was kind and down to earth and friendly. Lewis noticed a stack of campaign yard signs in the entryway. "Coffee thanks." He wanted to stretch out this visit as long as possible to get as much information as he could.

Jenny returned with a coffee pot and beautiful cups with a colorful design on a serving tray and set them down on the marble coffee table. "So, you are a new neighbor?"

"Yes, I live just down the street with my cousins. I moved here from Kentucky. I don't know how things are done here, but in Kentucky, we introduce ourselves."

"Kentucky...oh, you must be related to Logan Bruno."

"Yes ma'am."

Jenny hugged Lewis and explained that Logan used to babysit her when she was younger. "Let's go out in the backyard. I am having some work done and need to keep an eye on the workers."

They stepped out onto the porch and Lewis suddenly realized that the backyard was filled with trucks and digging equipment.

"I just recently discovered oil on my property. Luckily I do have the mineral rights."

"That must be nice. So you are running for mayor?"

"Yes. I grew up here and after quite a while in LA I have returned. I am concerned about maintaining our small town and its wholesome charms. I was surprised at how much of it had already changed in the time I had been gone."

"I know what you mean. I have visited Logan through the years and I remember there was just a Sonic. Now there is a Starbucks on every corner."

"Exactly! And it's things like Bill's Donut Shoppe that make the town unique and I would hate to see these major corporations phase out our small businesses."

Lewis could see her point. He was starting to think they were barking up the wrong tree. Sure, she cheated in the marathon but he hadn't seen anything suspicious other than that. But if Jenny wasn't working with Alan and Cary, who was?

Chapter 26: The 4th of July

 The next morning Dawn was well-rested. Lewis had given her one of his vapes to keep and it would tide her over until she could find another locally or have someone ship one from California. She calmly vaped on the balcony while eating her granola. She and Lewis had gathered enough photos together from the internet and arranged them to divide amongst the group for the reenactment. Claudia was bringing her good camera Watson had bought and of course, everyone could use the camera on their phones. As it turned out Claudia, Mallory, Jessi, Bart, and Lewis we're coming that afternoon to reenact the events.

Dawn went downstairs to pack her picnic basket. She put in red wine, avocado toast sandwiches, yogurt, and fruit. She also put in some sparklers Logan had picked up from Abby's joke shop. Then she and Lewis got into the truck and drove downtown to meet everyone. They met near Town Hall where the race began. The food trucks and vendors were setting up for the festivities that afternoon. 

"Ok, let's spit up into groups. Of you can, go to the area you were in yesterday for the race. Look around and walk around for any place that looks like a shortcut. Remember not all of the race was areas that spectators were watching. Check around those areas. If you find something, send everyone a group text and we will all meet up at your location. If we don't find anything, I say check in with the group in about an hour and a half," Dawn said.

They divided up.

Because Dawn and Bart had been running the race and didn't have a stationary position they retraced the route in Bart's car, getting out every so often to look around. Even though they felt it had happened down by Watson's neighborhood they started from the beginning. They didn't find anything in the square so they moved on down the road. They got to the spot where they met Claudia and later Karen and Alan. They started walking around the area surrounding the road. This had been a spot on the route that forked from Burnt Hill Road and High Street. Bart started walking toward the playground of Stoneybrook Elementary School. Then he started running faster. He ran across the street and up to a rock formation that was on the corner. He took a good walk around the rock formation. He kicked at the rock sticking out on the bottom. It didn't move. He picked it up with his hands and then he saw it. The rocks were covered space on the ground that was big and slanted down a hole like a storm drain. But it wasn't a storm drain. 

"Dawn! Come here a minute!" Dawn rushed over. "I think I've found it!" It had steps. It was a secret passage. 

Dawn realized how close she was to her mom and Richard's house. "It's a secret passage. Don't text everyone yet. Let's see where it leads."

They got some flashlights out of Bart's car and began walking down the steps.

Later that afternoon Dawn and Bart were in Miller's Park in the loft of Ambrose Sawmill. A ladder and a door were leading up to the roof. They opened it and we're eating their picnic lunch and discussing the passage and enjoying the remains of the day before the fireworks.

"I just don't want to tell the others yet. The secret passage that was in my house always scared Mary Anne." Dawn laughed remembering." Well of course some of that is my fault. I spooked her on purpose so she wouldn't share a room with me anymore and we could stop fighting."

"Really?"

"Yes, and you are sworn to secrecy because ai never told her."

"Your secrets are safe with me."

Now that they had solved that mystery Dawn was ready to move into what Alan and Cary were up to for the next day. 

"What do you think they could be doing?"

"I don't know but we will be taking them out tomorrow."

"There has been a lot of noise coming from Jenny's place. We need to cover all the bases of her property."

"I've got Mary Anne, Logan, Lewis, Claudia, Mallory, and Jessi all coming to work on the stakeout. We will get to the bottom of it. We are professionals."

"Oh, I remember. I remember."

Dawn laid her head down in the hay and looked up at the sky through the door in the roof. 

"You know we used to have a barn before the fire. Kristy and I used to swing from a rope in it. That's when I first moved here."

"What made you move away?"

The sun was beginning to set which always made Dawn at ease.

"When I first moved here my parents had just gotten divorced. My brother had a hard time adjusting. He never really made any friends other than the Pikes. It would have been different for me too if I hadn't joined the BSC. It was still strange. Everyone always made such a big deal about what an individual I was but I was just like everyone else back in California. People are very conforming and set in their ways here. They like their meat and potatoes and I eat salad. They didn't always understand my ideas or feelings about things either. I just felt I needed to be with more like-minded people."

"That's understandable. Do you feel different this time?"

"I do. The last time I visited it was with Maggie on a break. She had been having problems with her parents and was struggling with anorexia. She put too much pressure on herself to be a perfectionist. When she lost her diary on the visit she got a bad grade in English. She spiraled out of control partying a lot with our friend Sunny. She committed suicide the first day of school because they made her go into remedial English for the grade. She had been dealing with a lot of other things but we didn't know until Mary Anne found the diary and mailed it back to me. Bu then it was too late. Maggie was gone. I coils only bring myself to read a few entries and I sent it back to Mary Anne because I didn't want to read anymore. It took a long time to get over. Me and Sunny started partying every weekend. It wasn't until after college that I started to calm down and separate from Sunny. She is still partying and not really doing anything with herself."

"That must have been really hard."

"This time feels better now. Different. I'm glad I came back."

"Me too."

Dawn thought Bart would kiss her again but when he didn't and continued watching the fireworks Dawn turned her head and looked down. She could see a figure of a woman in the brook.

The which hurried quickly down by the brook. She thought she had done the spell correctly but nothing had happened yet. And the crystal ball had been struck by lightning. She had to buy a new one and try once again. Time was running out. Lightning could have altered the spell. So far she had seen nothing. She had done it correctly once. That had been decades ago and it was getting hard to remember. She took her crystal ball and we ended in the lake. She knew she was ready and this time it would take....

Chapter 25: Cultures Across America Party

 Cultures Across America Party

Dawn was excited as she arrived at the Cultures Across America Party that evening. Dawn always enjoyed anthropology and she knew that the people visiting Stoneybrook would bring some new life to the small town. She saw Rick Chow was there taking pictures of the food tables decorated with each culture's foods and other trinkets. Dawn wouldn't have chosen the country club for the party if it had been up to her, but she let it go to enjoy the evening. 

Everyone was dressed up in formal dresses and tuxedos. Some even had on authentic outfits from their native countries, including Claudia who was wearing one of Mimi's kimonos. Kristy and Abby arrived followed by Karen with Alan and Watson and Liz behind them. It was the type of party where someone announces the guest's names and states where they are from when you enter. It was pretty much an event that Dawn would have preferred them introducing just the new guests.

Dawn was seated at a table with Mary Anne and Logan, Shannon and Robert, Pete and Bart. At least she would be in good company. Lewis was also there and she discovered that he was sitting at a table with Mallory, Jessi, and Claudia. Stacey and Sam arrived just before the head of the Rotary club began to speak and introduce each guest. After the beginning introductions, everyone began to eat dinner and dance while the DJ played a wide variety of music. 

"Watson is hosting the Zuni guest. I wonder if he remembers when we had that huge sleepover for the Zuni pen pals."

"That would definitely be cool. I noticed Alan showed up with Karen tonight. I wonder how Kristy is taking it."

Jessi was the first one out on the dance floor with the elderly gentleman from the exchange. Mallory and Lewis, we're next, just as soon as a country and western song came on. 

"May I have this dance Dawn", asked Pete. They got out on the dance floor and joined them. Mary Anne and Logan hung back for a few minutes and then got out on the dance floor too. Soon everyone was doing a line dance led by Logan and Lewis. When the song was over Jessi continued to dance. Dawn and Pete and most of the others went to get food. 

" I want to be sure each of the exchanges knows that they are welcome to the 4th of July fireworks show tomorrow downtown. The city has spared no expense this year on getting the finest available plus there will be food trucks and lemonade stands out in the square," said Pete. 

"Plus live music, I heard the Junk Bucket is playing a gig sometime in the afternoon there. Plus the restaurants in the area are going to have their patios open for anyone who wants to view the fireworks." Said, Dawn.

"I heard there is also going to be a laser light show before the fireworks. My friend is helping them set up," said Bart. 

"Well if I can recover from today I will be out there," said Dawn.  

She was glad she had taken a long nap that afternoon before the party. It gave her time to calm down and rest her muscles and be less mad about Jenny and her friends cheating the race. Dayen excused herself to the lady's room to freshen up. When she got there she ran into Kristy and Abby in the adjoining dressing room talking about Alan.

"I'm telling you he is up to something. He is talking to Jenny an awful lot tonight even though he came with Karen and then he comes back like nothing ever happened and is talking to Karen about how wonderful Pete is and getting his lighthouse back," Kristy said. 

"He is up to something! He and Cary Retlin are planning something on Monday. I overheard them talking at the lighthouse when I went over to the cliff to do yoga. We are going to do surveillance on them."

"There is no telling what he is up to. I am worried he is trying to take advantage of Karen."

"Well we've got Mallory at Watson's and Claudia is working with her at Crookshanks. We are keeping our eye out."

"At least I will be here for a longer stay," said Kristy.

Dawn left them to return to her seat. The Rotary Club had a video projected on the walk that showed their projects through the years and pictures of the local members doing all sorts of things. Daen noticed that when the lights came back on Karen and Alan were gone and never returned to the party. Dawn relaxed and danced the night away with Pete, Bart, sometimes Lewis, and various others including Watson and an elderly gentleman named Bob.

After the party, everyone caravaned over to Logan and Mary Anne's house to talk about the race. Stacey brought Erica and Claudia brought Rick. She also had statements from Watson and Karen who weren't coming. First, they went through the footage Erica had of the race that day but it was only shot from the finish line and you couldn't tell much from them. Then everyone looked at the photos Rick had taken. His we're much more helpful because they were taken throughout the race from multiple points during the race. 

"You can see that she was consistently behind Dawn and you guys until about the time you see Karen at her watering post. Then you don't see them again until that photo of Pete flashing the peace signs," Rick said.

"I have an idea," said Claudia. "Why don't we go back tomorrow to the locations from the race to see if we can find some sort of shortcut they could have used that wouldn't have been noticeable? Most of us will be downtown for the fireworks anyway. We can just plan to go early and that way it won't get in the way of our fun."

"That's an excellent idea, Claudia!" Said, Dawn.

They all got together and decided to do a sort of reenactment in chronological order of the photographs. 

"It's like the JFK assassination conspiracy." Said Lewis.

They all agreed to meet up the next day downtown at noon. 

The group started to break up with some of them going home. Mallory and Bart stayed behind to hang out with Dawn and Lewis. They roasted marshmallows in the fire pit and continued to drink their beer and wine.

"This has been the most exhausting day," said Bart.

"I tried so hard to win that race. But what are we going to do if we find out that Jenny did cheat to win?"

"Maybe Erica will pick it up as an exclusive for the tv station," offered Mal. 

Dawn wasn't sure, but she was getting that feeling of hair standing on the back of her neck. She knew she was on the verge of figuring out what happened. Dawn got up to get their phone and look at the pictures from the race. She knew she could see more from the Facebook page she could thumb through and use the next day. 

Bart got up as well and gestured for Dawn to follow him on a walk away from the group. 

"Do you want to hang out and watch the fireworks tomorrow night after the reenactment?"

"Sure. We will all be down there anyway. It will be fun. I feel we could both use it after such a full day today."

"Good me too. I know a really good spot my family has been going to since I was a kid. We can make a picnic out of it."

"That sounds fun! You get your basket together and I will make mine. I will just go with you once the reenactment is over." 

"It will be the best 4th of July you have ever had."

 I hope so, thought Dawn. When they walked back Mallory was getting ready to go. Lewis walked her to the door and Dawn was pretty sure he kissed her goodbye behind it. Lewis came back outside with another beer. Logan and Mary Anne said their good night's and hurried off to bed. 

"Aren't you tired?" Lewis asked Dawn. "That was an intense race and then dance to boot, who!"

" I had a good nap in between. Besides now that I've got a mystery to work on I've got my second wind."

Lewis shook his head. "You are somethin'". 

" Do you want to help me go through these photos?"

"Sure let's meet back here in 10 minutes. I want to get out of these nice clothes." Dawn rushed upstairs and changed into some pajamas and came back down with some wine in her hand. 

"Thanks for helping me. I know it's kind of silly to be upset over a race but it is more to me than that. Jenny used it for political gain over Pete. And if there is any way I can help him win the election I am going to do it," said Dawn.

"No problem. I'm pretty passionate about issues too. I was on a few committees back in Kentucky."

"Really? Like what?"

" Well, the Historical Preservation Society, equal pay committee, and one to legalize marijuana."

"Really? I had a committee in California when we were voting on that in 2016."

"Really? I didn't know you smoked."

"I don't. I vape or eat gummies. But I ate all my gummies on the plane here. I was going to ask Karen where to get more but I haven't been around here that much. Don't say a word to Mary Anne though. She won't understand."

"My lips are sealed. I have a few vapes up in my room. Come on let's go out on my balcony and make some cloud." 

Chapter 24: Rainforest Marathon

 I would like to thank Julie for helping me with the development of Lewis and Jenny P.

Rainforest Marathon

That night after the party was over Bart, Pete, Mallory, and Stacey all came back to Logan and Mary Anne's house. They all sat around on the patio talking about Pete's campaign and the Rainforest Marathon the next morning.

Lewis asked Pete a lot of questions about his campaign. "Not only do I have a booth for the Rainforest Marathon tomorrow but I am also running in it. And then tomorrow night is the Rotary Club party. I've been working with them on getting some people to visit here more often from different cultures. Dawn and I have been making our rounds to different places in Stoneybrook and one thing I've noticed is although the town is progressing the people haven't been exposed to culture outside of Stoneybrook that much. And there seems to be an unwelcomeness to outsiders. I hope that we can improve. I hope Stoneybrook welcomes you into their social circles and you feel at home here, Lewis."

"Thanks, Pete. I feel pretty welcome so far. And I've got Logan and Mary Anne to show me around and introduce me to people."

"Some may tease you at first about your accent but they'll get used to you."

"Logan and Mary Anne have invited me to the Rotary Club party. I'm sure I will meet some people there."

"For sure. And good people."

"Tell me more about the marathon."

"Well, there will be booths set up all up and down Main Street and throughout the route. Local businesses signed up to promote their products and show off their eco-friendly things. There will also be food vendors and arts and crafts. Not much happens in Stoneybrook so any excuse to the party we pretty much go all out."

"That sounds like a lot of fun."

"It will be. And some healthy competition between some of our guests here tonight." 

Everyone smiled.

The next morning Dawn woke up well-rested and psyched for the marathon. She put on her marathon t-shirt that had cute rainforest animals and plants on it with "Save the Rainforest" written on the front. She put on her island print shorts and a bright teal tutu and topped it off with blue butterfly earrings and running sneakers. 

She ate a granola and yogurt breakfast and washed it down with some orange juice out on her balcony. She was surprised to see Logan, Mary Anne, and Mona we're already up and loading up the car with ice chests of water. Logan had done labels for the water printed up with his law firm advertised on them to pass out to runners during the race.

Mona was dressed head to toe in an island print bandana on her head. Mary Anne was a little more subtle in her Rainforest t-shirt and plain black bike shorts but had neon green socks and neon green leaf earrings.

It was then that Dawn heard a noise at the balcony next to hers and saw Lewis come out. He already had a beer in his hand.

"Need any help down there Logan?"

"Yeah, we still have the banner to load up and the sound system."

Lewis rushed down to help them and Dawn got a text from Bart. "Are you ready yet?"

"Let's Do This!" She texted back. 

"I'll be there in 5 min."

When they got to Main Street they couldn't believe the transformation. People had booths all along the sidewalk. Others had lined up lawn chairs and coolers to sit and watch the race. There was music blasting from speakers. Erica Blumberg had set up with the tv station right by the starting line and Dawn could see Stacey talking to her in a matter top and sun hat. Kristy and Abby, we're at Charlie's Good Sport booth giving out koozies and demonstrating their eco-friendly straws. Shannon and Robert, we're at the Rotary Club booth. Dawn scanned the sea of booths until she found Jamie's. While making her way through the crowd she stopped and her jaw dropped. There, right next to Jaime's booth was Cokie Mason and some other girls with beehive hairdos, Rainforest Marathon t-shirts, and short cut-off jean shorts. Dawn looked up and saw it was the booth for Gloriana's House of Hair. Dawn kept walking but was laughing to herself and made a mental note to make sure she beat Cokie in the race.

"Hey! You made it!" Said Jamie. 

"Yep! I'm also ready to kick some ass!" Said, Dawn.

They chatted for a few minutes then she went back to Logan and Mary Anne to get ready to line up and get their numbers for the marathon. As they stood in line she pointed Cokie out to Mary Anne and Mona. As they got closer to the check-in booth Dawn saw that Jenny's campaign booth was right next to it. It was red, white, and blue and said "The Stars and Stripes of Stoneybrook" above it with a Hollywood headshot of Jenny in one of the stars. Jenny was signing autographs and taking pictures with people lined up at her booth. On the other side was Pete's booth. He said, "Beat the Heat, Vote for Sneaky Pete". He was giving out cooling sweatband bandanas made out of recycled plastic bottles. There were a lot more people at Pete's booth than Jenny's. Mary Anne and Dawn stopped at Pete's booth after getting their numbers.

" Good luck! Looks like you are already beating the competition."

They got some bandanas for themselves and Logan and Bart. Mary Anne and Mona left Dawn while she went over to the bandstand where Bart was talking to Ben. "Here I picked this up for you. It will keep you cool while we are running."

"Thanks. Are you ready to do this?"

"Are you kidding? We have been training forever. Plus, now I've got some healthy competition. I need to at least beat Cokie Mason and Jenny or the girls will never let me live it down."

"Those two? Oh please. Cokie will drop out as soon as her beehive deflates and Jenny will dramatically break a nail."

Dawn laughed. "I hope you're right."

"A kiss for luck?" Bart asked. Dawn kissed him and Ben came by.

"Hey hey, you two. I hate to break this up but I'm about to announce runners to get to the starting line. You don't want those prissy to win. Go! Go! I have money on you two!"

They said goodbye to Ben and started making their way through the crowd. Ben got up on the stage and the band started to play "Don't Stop Belivin'". At the end of the song, he told everyone registered to line up at the starting line. After a brief reading of the official rules, Ben shot off a gun in the air and everyone started moving.

Dawn's strategy was to try to keep up generally in the middle until the last mile of the race. She figured by keeping a steady pace of power walking in the beginning and waiting for the others to tire out or drop out before using up all her energy to cross the finish line. Besides, she didn't want to lose the experience of being a part of the movement. It was incredible. And just seeing the community and Stoneybrook in that way was something she wanted to remember forever. She knew Mona and Mary Anne were just there for the experience, too, and we're not as into winning. 

They saw Richard and Sharon in the crowd on the sidelines and walked over to them for a picture and then continued walking.

" You know Dawn you really should come with us to see them next week. You can't avoid your mom forever." Mary Anne said.

"I know. I just want to figure out what is going on. If Morbidda is my relative why would she keep it from me?"

" I don't know. But you don't even know if it is true or not."

"Yeah, you're right. I will come along with you next week."

" Good." Mary Anne smiled and hugged her sister.

They walked a while in silence just taking in the atmosphere. They were reaching the corner of Rosedale by the hospital and they could hear the cheers from the crowd. People were waving signs for people, for the Rainforest, and Pete and Jenny. Radios we're blasting WSTO where you could hear The Junk Bucket playing cover songs. 

Dawn turned to Bart. "Is this not amazing?" She asked.

"It's incredible," Bart said. 

They linked arms and at that moment they heard someone calling Dawn's name in the crowd. It was Rick Chow. He had his fancy camera and yelled "Smile for the paper!"

Bart, Mona, Dawn, and Mary Anne posed for Rick and he snapped a picture. A few feet away they saw Claudia in the crowd who gave them all water. "We are all stationed throughout the marathons route to give you guys water. As soon as you guys leave my area another one of us will be stationed not too far away. As soon as you pass me, I'm heading to the finish line. We will all meet you there! Good luck!"

They continued down the street. "You guys think of everything don't you?" Asked Bart.

"What do you mean?"

"You and your friends. I've never seen a group of people so prepared all the time."

"Well, when you've grown up around Kristy..."

"Enough said."

They rounded the corner to Elm Street and the crowds cheered again. Dawn tried to keep Cokie and Jenny in her view. It was easy to spot Cokie with that beehive hairdo but Jenny and her group were harder to keep tabs on. Sometimes they were in front, sometimes behind her. Pete was always a little bit ahead of them despite stopping to take photos with the crowd every so often. And Jamie was running around with a bag giving out water and granola bars to people. Every so often he would stop to walk with Dawn and Bart like this Amazon social butterfly. 

Dawn looked out into the crowd. She saw Rick Chow again taking more pictures. Dawn wondered how he got there so fast. He must be driving to different locations along the route, Dawn thought. He was taking a picture of Karen and Alan. As soon as Karen saw them she ran up to see if they needed any water. "Dad and Liz are at home. They said they'd come out and give you water and snacks once you get to their street. You are doing great!"

They went back to walking. Dawn looked around and saw Cokie and her big headed croons behind them. Pete was up ahead taking photos with a baby. Dawn couldn't see Jenny anywhere in site.

"What's the matter?" Asked Mary Anne.

"I don't see Jenny anywhere. I can't find her!"

"Oh I bet she is lagging behind or dropped out."

"I hope you're right. I want to beat Cokie but losing out to Jenny would be even worse."

Dawn decided to get her phone out and send a text out to the group in group text. Maybe someone saw her up ahead or lagginging behind. A few minutes later, one by one, they all texted back that they did not see her anywhere. Where could she have gone to? Dawn hoped she had given up and went on home. 

Dawn tried to forget about it and enjoy the rest of the marathon. They were getting close to Watson's now and she could get a piece of fruit and some water before the second half of the route. 

"Don't worry about it Dawn. Everyone knows Jenny is a flake anyways." Said Bart.

They soon saw the familiar campaign signs coming up to Watson's mansion. Watson had a box of raisins ready for Dawn. She told him about losing Jenny on the route. He said he hadn't seen her ahead of them. Pete came up to give Watson a high five and Dawn told him about how she lost where Jenny was. "It's ok. We are all just here to have a good time."

They continued on down the street. Dawn tried to forget about Jenny and have a good time. She must have not had a good poker face though because Pete and Bart started dancing a jig around her as they walked. Dawn giggled. Then she linked arms with Mary Anne and Mona and they skipped down the street singing "We Are Off To See The Wizard". 

They were finally reaching the home stretch. Dawn took one more look around. She saw Cokie was still behind her. She didn't see Jenny or her friends at all. She took one last swig of water from the bottle.

" Ready to run?" She asked Bart.

"On the count of 3. 1, 2,3!"

And off they ran. They passed Pete and a few others that were still just pretty much power walking. Cokie saw Dawn take off and also started running. They passed the main crowd of runners and we're now amongst the serious runners. She still saw no sign of Jenny. She saw Mallory on the sidelines by the stakes and Mallory held up a neon poster that said "Go Dawn!" Dawn waved at her as she crowded on past. Dawn and Bart were pretty much head to head running together. When Dawn turned back to face the front she saw Jenny and her campaign team magically directly ahead of her. They were running fast and they did not seem as sweaty or tired as everyone else. Before they knew it they could see the finish line in sight and could hear all the cheers. Bart and Dawn started pounding the pavement as hard as they possibly could. No matter how fast they ran, they just couldn't keep up with Jenny. They were always several feet behind them. And before they knew it, Jenny crossed the finish line and had won the race. Dawn and Bart came in 5th and 6th place. 

After everyone ran up to congratulate them Dawn collapsed under Jamie's booth. Jenny got a huge reception in the winner's circle. She made a speech which was basically just an advertisement for her campaign. The entire thing was making Dawn mad. She knew they had to have cheated somehow. But how? 

Dawn and Bart decided to get some food from the vendors and have a little picnic lunch. Dawn and can't sat at a picnic table behind Jamie's booth. Bart had a giant fried turkey leg and Dawn had a Ceaser salad. Claudia came over to them. "You guys are amazing! I'm so proud of you!" 

"Claudia when did you get back to the finish line today?" Asked Dawn.

"About 15 min after I left you from giving out water, why?"

"I'm convinced Jenny cheated to win the race just to promote her campaign for mayor. Did you see her before she crossed the finish line?"

" No. I was talking to Logan when the crowd started cheering. That's when I saw Jenny and her friends crossing the finish line."

"Did you see their hair was perfectly in place and they had perfect make up on? They aren't as sweaty as everyone else too."

"You know, you're right now that you mention it. But how?"

"I dont know. I was looking for her because I was keeping tabs on her and Cokie. I didn't see them after we saw Karen and Alan and before Watson's."

"I didn't see them on my way back either."

"We need to get everyone together and get their stories. That's it I'm calling an emergency meeting."

"When? We have the Rotary Club party tonight."

"After the party. I need to get then while their memories are still fresh. I'm sending a text out. We need to gather as many people as we know we're here today."

"Good idea. Tell Stacey to bring Erica Blumberg. The tv station was here filming. And I will get Rick Chow. He was taking photos all throughout the marathon today."

Dawn was going to get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing she was ever going to do.

Chapter 23: Welcome Lewis

 I would like to thank Julie Demers for helping me with the development of Lewis.

Welcome Lewis

Lewis was due to arrive that evening around dinner time. Mary Anne knew that he would be tired and hungry after a long drive. She had arranged for everyone to come over at about 7:30 to get the party started. Shannon had come over to help Dawn with hang up the banner and balloons. They set out some food on the bar by the pool. They were just snacks since they were all going to Good Sport that night to eat and dance the night away.

As soon as the doorbell rang, Logan was at it in a flash. "Lewis, you made it! Come on in! Have a beer! Come out by the pool and unwind!"

Dawn and Shannon were out by the pool area and Mona was in the kitchen set a picture of ice tea on a tray. They stopped what they were doing to line up by the banner and hug Lewis when he came out the door. Lewis was dressed casually in some basketball shorts and plain red tank top and sneakers. He was very rugged and chiseled with defined muscles and a strong jawline.

"Mary Anne, you look gorgeous! I'm telling you if Logan hadn't snatched you up..." He gave her a big hug. Then he turned to Dawn. "My mystery girl! How could I forget you? I'm glad you are staying with Logan and Mary Anne this summer." Then he turned to Mona."Hey good lookin', what's cookin'?" He hugged her too.

"The girls got some snacks together. All your favorites: pretzels, chips, dips, ...and I picked you up something..." There was a basket of all kinds of various flavors.

"My favorite! You remembered! That's funny because I kinda picked something up on my way out of Kentucky for you..." Lewis reached into his pocket and pulled out some homemade beef jerky. "It's from Papy's. Remember when we used to eat these all summer?'

" Oh my God, this is awesome!" They high-fived each other and went and sat on the lawn chairs. 

"You can go swimming if you want to. Cool off before the others arrive save room for Good Sports though, they have the best cheddar peppers in town."

"Thanks, Logan! I think I will and then go change for the party."

"You can choose any room you want, take your pick. And Good Sports is casual you don't have to dress up."

Dawn couldn't help but notice how brawny Lewis had become. I bet he smells like beef jerky though, she thought. She excused herself and went upstairs to get ready. She decided on a yellow tank top and jeans. She curled her hair at the bottom and put on some minimal makeup. She could hear the others gathering downstairs. They had already turned the sound system on with country music blaring out. She heard a screech and went out to the balcony to see Stacey and Abby were both decked out head to toe in Good Sports merch just different colors. They had on Good Sports striped baseball shirts and shorts. Dawn had to admit they looked cute. She ran down to join them. Mallory and Claudia showed up. Mallory was wearing a baseball shirt with an iron-on Krushers decal Claud had made up for it and jeans. Claudia was all themed out too in a football jersey and ripped jeans. One by one everyone arrived and they caravanned over to Good Sports.

Logan had reserved them a huge table and the waiter came quickly to take their orders. Logan and Mary Anne gave the kids some money to run off and play video games while the adults made their way to the dance floor.

A fast song came on and Lewis and Mallory went out on the dance floor. Dawn and Pete soon followed Bart and Claudia right behind them. Jessi had found a good-looking bartender and they were really good together! Sooner or later they had all changed partners and danced with each other. The DJ came on the mike and said," Attention! Good Sports fans! We have Pete Black in the house tonight! Not only is he on the campaign trail, but he can live it up! Be sure to register and rock your vote for Pete Black right here in September!" They put a spotlight on Pete and he waved two peace signs to the crowd. 

"Man, he must be working overtime," Lewis said to Dawn. 

"Kristy's brother owns this place, and her stepdad funding his campaign." Dawn explained.

"Pretty cool. What party is he on?"

"Independent. I've been helping him a lot recently. We all have. I think he has a great chance at winning."

"Independent, huh? That's pretty interesting. I'd like to know where he stands on certain issues."

Dawn was surprised at how interested Lewis was in Pete's campaign. Impressed. Maybe Lewis being here won't be so bad. And Dawn couldn't help but notice Mal and Lewis were pretty much sticking to each other most of the night.

A guy with a camera came up to get a picture of the group at their table. "Rick Chow?' Dawn asked. 

" Yeah. I freelance for the paper. Claudia tipped me off that Pete was going to be here tonight."

"Claudia?" Asked Dawn.

"Yeah, I ran into her a few weeks ago. I'm glad I did. I'm glad to see you and everybody. Who is that guy over there?"

"Oh, that's Lewis. Logan's cousin from Kentucky."

"Oh yeah, I remember him."

Rick went off to go talk to Lewis and Logan. Dawn turned around and found Bart standing there. "I don't think having Lewis here will be as bad as I thought, as long as he doesn't make me eat barbequed chicken carcass we will be okay."

Bart laughed.

Chapter 22: The Sleepover

 First off I want to thank Julie Demers for helping me with the Lewis plot and new developments with the storyline of Stacey. 

Secondly, I want to thank you all for being patient with me about getting the chapters out. I think I am back on track now and the chapters will be coming out more regularly like they used to.

The Sleepover

Stacey knew she was going to have to go to the Rotary party. There was no way around it, and she knew that like it or not, she and Sam were reaching a turning point. She decided to go shop for a dress at Bellaire's and talk to her mom.

Stacey made her way through the racks of the formal section. She wanted something blue to bring out her blonde hair. And maybe short or off the shoulder. Just because this thing with Sam was bothering her, she wouldn't let it affect her looking sensational. Flipping through she finally found it. An electric blue slinky dress with plunging sweetheart neckline and silver sparkly straps crossing in the back. It would also go perfect with her blue silver sapphire drop earrings Sam gave her for her birthday. 

She went to the counter and let the clerk check her out. Then she asked him if he could ring her mom in her office. Stacey was looking at silver purses while she waited when her mom came out.

"Stacey! So happy to see you!"

"Hi, mom! I was just shopping for the Rotary party. I was wondering if we could talk."

"Sure, sweetie. Let me tell my assistant and we can get a bite to eat."

Her mom clocked out and they walked a few blocks to the Rosebud. 

"Mom, for the first time in my life I am thinking about settling down. I want a family. I'm just not sure if that's what Sam wants. I'm not sure how to bring it up with him. And he seems so distant lately. I don't know how he feels about me."

"Oh, Stacey he is just like your father, a workaholic. And, truthfully, you kind of wear yourself thin, too. It may do you some good to slow down a little. Or take some time off. Show Sam that you are worthy of being a wife and mom. Perhaps he is having the same feelings you are, but you just aren't what he thinks of when he thinks of the motherly type."

At first, Stacey thought her mom was being very old-fashioned and Boomerish about the whole thing. But Sam could be thinking that way. What did she have to lose? 

She decided to start right away and the best person she knew to ask was Mary Anne. She was feeling better about the Rotary party already.

Dawn decided to face her situation with Mary Anne by approaching it head-on. She wasn't going to confront Mary Anne, but if these little things with her hinting at her and Lewis popped up she would just nip them in the bud, and eventually, Mary Anne would give up. 

While meditating that morning she had an epiphany. She hadn't spent that much time with the girls since she had arrived either. She decided to try to gather as many girls together as she could and have a good old-fashioned sleepover that night. They could work on the Rotary Club decorations and head over the next day and put them up. 

She quickly arranged everything with Mona and her and Mary Anne sent out text messages. They shopped with Shannon for the crafts to make centerpieces and Claudia was bringing over more supplies when she left Crookshanks. 

Dawn quickly set up the pool house for their gathering. She told everyone to just show up whenever they could and they would go from there.

The first person to arrive was surprisingly  Stacey followed by Mallory. Stacey had brought some margarita mix and Mallory brought several books on different cultures to make sure they were being authentic. Next was Jessi who had brought dome popular music from different countries and she was going to teach them some traditional dances. The very last to arrive was Abby who brought a funny book about etiquette in different countries that had belonged to Anna. 

They all got started. Claudia was working on banners to hang off each table with bunting in the colors of each flag to match. Mal and Jessi were busy teaching everyone a few phrases in each language to say to the guests while Abby interrupted them every once in a while with a funny etiquette fact. Stacey and Mary Anne kind of bounced back and forth decorating glass bowls with various trinkets and flowers. When they were done they decided to take a break and eat some food.

"What are we doing Friday night when Lewis comes into town?" Mallory asked.

"Claudia suggested we all meet here to greet him. We can have cake and ice cream and then all go down to Good Sport where we can all dance and watch the game and eat all at once."

"Glad I asked. Now I can figure out something to wear." Said Mallory. She hadn't told anyone, not even Jessi, about her feelings about Lewis. She thought about telling Jessi later that night. 

"I'll help you, Mal. I went there with Karen so I know what it's like there."

"Thanks" Mallory figured she needed all the help she could get. She knew Good Sport was more of a family-type restaurant with a dance floor that served alcohol, but she was more of a coffee house kind of girl.

It was getting later and the girls started to wind down a little bit. They began lounging around on the couch, floor, and bar stools with their wine and margaritas.

"What is Lewis like now?" Claudia asked.

"Well, he likes country music. He is good at line dancing too. We should probably pick out some country music for his welcome party. Nothing too sad though. He will want to be celebrating."

Oh boy, thought Dawn. She liked SOME country music and could tolerate it most of the time, but it was her least favorite. She DID like country line dancing though so she was glad she already knew something she could do to help Lewis feel welcome. 

"I only know a few country line dances. Jessi, could you show me a few?"

"Sure! The tush push and electric slide are my favorites."

All the girls practiced their dance moves until they had at least one line dance down to dance with Lewis.

"What else do we need to know about him," Mallory asked.

"Well, he likes southern food. Fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy are his favorite. He also eats grits for breakfast."

Dawn knew she wouldn't be binding over food with Lewis and it was the thing she was dreading the most. But as long as she didn't have to eat his retro fattening and meat-loving dishes she could deal with it. 

"He is really into sports like Logan and also loves Nascar races. He likes cars and trucks in general."

Another thing Dawn wasn't into. Cars already make pollution. Why have unnecessary car races pollute it even more? Dawn sank in her chair. She was going to just have to try hard to find something herb and Lewis could talk about. 

"He also likes to work out every morning. He is used to getting up early and going to the gym."

Well, that didn't sound all that bad to Dawn. Although she was pretty sure he wasn't taking yoga classes. 

"Does he still like horses? " Mallory asked.

"Yes. He never owned one but he used to ride them at his friend's ranch in Kentucky."

Mal beamed. "Maybe we should take him out to the trails."

Everyone thought that was a good plan. Stacey was the least experienced in riding but was willing to go along and try.

They were all pretty satisfied with their plans and began gossiping about other things too. Pete's campaign was a big topic along with the Rainforest Marathon coming up. Dawn kind of felt bad that Lewis didn't arrive in time to train for the marathon, but she knew he could enjoy the festivities that went along with it. They all began to drift off to sleep.