Alibi High

I'd had to make some more promises in order to ensure Emily's participation and to get her to agree to perform “Footloose” with me. “ “ Yeah, yeah . Tomorrow. But ,” I said. “But let's focus on tonight our performance .”

“No,” she said, frowning. “ Let's just ge I just want to get it over with t tonight over with so I can start rebuilding my life after it's ruined on stage here in just a moment.” .”

“So dramatic,” I said.

She stuck her tongue out at me.

Jake materialized from the curtain wearing a tuxedo that fit him perfectly. He scanned the notecards in his hand, then pointed at me with the microphone. “You guys are next.”

Emily groaned .

“ I know,” I said. “We're ready.”

He nodded, then smiled. “I have to admit, you pulled it off. It's going really well. People are having fun.”

“ You doubted me?”

“ Never,” he said, shaking his head. “I doubted others.”

“ Hmm.”

“ But I'm really thinking we need to get you your licen se,” he said.

“ My license for organizing talent shows?” I fluffed my hair, my fingers touching the crimped curls I'd styled for our act. “Or my beauty license?”

“ Neither,” Jake said. His eyes lingered on my hair, though. He loved curls.“Your investigator's license. Not only did you pull this show off, you solved the thef t. You're three for three now.”

While I was happy that we'd figured out what had happened to the computers, I was ready to be done with mischief and mayhem for awhile.

“ No,” I said. “I do not want to be a private eye. I just want to be a mom and a wife.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Well, you've got those two down. And like it or not, you seem to have the other one down, too. I told you before. You could start your own business. ”

“ You were kidding.” I stole a quick glance around the backstage area, looking for Emily. She'd disappeared when we started talking and I saw her leaning against the wall, a dark-haired guy holding a violin and smiling at her.

“ I was sort of kidding,” he said. He smiled at me. “Look, as much as I tease you about your...inquisitive nature, the fact is, it's not going away. And if this is something you like to do, the investigating...” His voice trailed off.

“ No,” I said, shaking my head. “I'm just looking for some peace and quiet for awhile.” I glanced at Emily again. The boy had moved closer, his hand bracing the wall behind her. “Although I might be investigating that really soon...”

He chuckled. “That kid doesn't stand a chance.” He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Alright, I need to check on the rest of our acts. I'll try not to butcher yo ur name when I introduce you.”

“ Yeah, you do that,” I said, laughing as he strode off.

“Daisy!” Harriet Hollenstork said, shuffling up to me. “This is turning out magnificent!”

I turned away from my pouting daughter and smiled . “Thanks ,” I said, smiling. .”

Harriet phoned me earlier in the week with exciting news. The school would be using their store to upgrade the lab and to purchase anything new with the funds from the show. She'd thanked me about a million times and brought the PTA out in force, helping to man the door and run the backstage area for the show. .

“Harold is out there,” she said, peeking at through the thin opening between the curtain and the stage. “And he just wanted me to tell you thank you again.”

“You don't need to keep thanking me,” I said. “I'm glad it's all worked out.”

“For everyone,” she said, grinning. “Yes, for everyone. Okay, I need to go check on a couple of the kids. Good luck!”

She shuffled off . and Emily rejoined me, her hands fidgeting nervously.

“You're, like, the school hero now,” Emily observed.

“Right? Maybe I should get a cape or something . ”

“Oh my God. Whatever.”

“Some boots? Some tights?”

“You are so weird, Mom.”

I was about to suggest getting a shirt with a giant, fancy D on it when Miles Riggler waved at me from the other side of the dressing area and . He made his way over to us. gingerly across the stage, his large, re d , clown shoes about ten sizes too big on his feet.

“You two all ready?” he asked.

Emily shrugged.

I smiled. “Think so.”

“Awesome,” he said. “And I haven't had a chance to say thank you this week with everything that's been going on. So thank you.” He paused . , then held out a key. “I just brought this with me. I didn't want to leave it under the mat or anything.”

I took my house key. He'd shown up at five on the button at our house to use the Internet, part of our deal to get him on stage. “Thank you. You got done what you needed to get done?”

He nodded. “ Yeah. And I had some other news I wanted to share with you.”

“Other news?”

He turned so his back was to Emily. “The class I was taking?” he whispered. “I worked with my instructor to speed it up. I finished it. And passed it.”

“That's great,” I said, genu n inely happy for him.

“Still a few more to go,” he said, smiling. “But I have a better idea of what I'm doing now. So thank you. For all that stuff.”

“You're welcome,” I said. “Very welcome.”

He stepped back. “ You guys have fun. I'm gonna go watch I need to finish getting ready . , ” he said. “Break a leg!”

He descended the stairs that led to the seating area of the theater. headed back toward the dressing room area.

“What was he whispering about?” Emily asked.

“Just stuff about the computers,” I said. “He's just very happy that it's all over with.”

“Yeah, well, I'll be happy when this is all over with if I can manage not to not make a fool out of myself,” she said, frowning.

I took my daughter by the shoulders. “Emily, there will be plenty of times in your life that you will make a fool of yourself. You have my genetics. It's going to happen.”

She stared at me.

“But it doesn't mean you're a fool,” I said. “There's a big difference. So relax. Laugh at yourself. Have fun. This Because this is going to be fun.”

“This is going to be torture,” she said, shrugging out of my grip. “And we are going to the phone store as soon as it opens tomorrow you're giving me back my phone the minute we walk off the stage .”

I laughed. We did look looked ridiculous . S – s pandex pants, neon tops, bandanas . C , a c omplete 80's ensemble. And she probably would be embarrassed for that night. But I hoped that at some point she would look back on this and laugh about it and maybe be even be glad that we'd done it together. I didn't know for sure that she would, but I hoped she might.

“Stop laughing,” Emily said, but she smiled when she said it. Applause erupted from the other side of the curtain and a high school boy strutted off the toward the stage and around the curtain with his guitar.

Emily sighed. “Okay. I think we're up.”

“ Okay. “ Are you ready?” I asked her.