Carlson Melody - Stealing Bradford

They all laughed, and even Casey almost cracked a smile.

“Okay,” said Casey. “If I were to agree to this—this whatever it is—where would I even begin?”

“Lose the safety pins,” said Taylor.

“And the skull T-shirt,” added Kriti.

“And the army boots,” said Eliza.

“I don’t know,” said Rhiannon. “I think the army boots are kind of cute…maybe you just need something different to go with them. Have you ever tried them with a skirt?”

“Oh dear,” said Eliza.

“Come on,” urged Rhiannon. “She gets to be herself, right?”

“And maybe you could tone down your hair,” suggested DJ. “Unless you’re really into the punk-rocker thing.”

Casey ran her hand over the longer strip of blue down the middle and shrugged. “It’s kind of high maintenance to keep it up. My roots are already starting to show now, but at least I know how to color it myself.”

“What is your natural color?” asked Eliza.

“She’s a strawberry blonde,” said DJ. “She had the most gorgeous hair you’ve ever seen. Soft natural curls. I would’ve gladly traded my hair for hers any day.” She laughed. “Well, not her current hair. She can keep that.”

“Thanks a lot,” said Casey.

“Sorry.” DJ held up her hands. “Just being honest.”

“Well, you guys have made your point.” Casey stood.

“But you could care less,” said Taylor.

Casey sighed deeply. “No, that’s not it…but I need to think about it.”

“Yes,” said Rhiannon. “Sleep on it.”

“I have homework,” announced Kriti.

“I think our little meeting is adjourned,” said Eliza. She turned to Taylor. “And thankfully, no one was eaten.”

The girls began trickling out of the living room until only DJ and Rhiannon were left. “You wanted to talk?” said Rhiannon.

“If you don’t need to do homework or anything?” asked DJ.

“I didn’t have any today.”

“Lucky you.”

“So, what’s up?” asked Rhiannon.

DJ told Rhiannon how she’d been trying to remember that she’d made a commitment to God and how she’d even prayed several times today. “But I’m just not sure if I’m doing this thing right.”

Rhiannon laughed. “I don’t know if there is a right way, DJ. I mean, you just do it, you know.”

“That’s all?”

“Well, no…I mean you do need to read the Bible, and you should start going to church…but I don’t think it’s really too complicated, but it is hard—it takes some conscious effort. Although I’ve only been doing this for a year myself. I’m not exactly an expert.”

“I don’t even have a Bible,” pointed out DJ.

“Get one.”

“Right.”

“And you’re welcome to come to church with me. And youth group too. That’s on Wednesday nights at seven.”

“Tomorrow.”

“Right.”

“Okay.” Then DJ told her about what had happened with Conner, actually going into all the details of their conversation.

“Wow,” said Rhiannon. “That’s really cool. I’ve never known Conner that well, but hearing that makes me respect him a lot.”

“Me too.”

“He’s not a Christian, is he?”

“I don’t even know.”

“You should ask.”

DJ frowned. “Really? That seems kind of personal.”

Rhiannon laughed. “So does kissing. If you guys are dating, you need to ask him, DJ.”

“Is Bradford a Christian?”

Rhiannon nodded. “Yes. But he struggles with it sometimes. Like me, he wasn’t raised in a Christian home. He still has questions.”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Meaning you don’t?”

“I suppose I do…but there’s something inside me, DJ—something so strong and alive and burning—which I believe is God’s spirit. And it keeps me going, you know.”

DJ didn’t really know, but she just nodded.

“So, get a Bible,” said Rhiannon. “And I’ll show you where to start reading it. Not at the beginning, that’s for sure. I tried that and it really bogged me down.”

“That was cool what happened with Casey tonight, wasn’t it?” said DJ.

“Yeah…kind of miraculous if you think about it,” agreed Rhiannon.

“Like an intervention.”

“Do you think she’ll really change?” asked Rhiannon.

“I have no idea.”

“Well, I’m really going to be praying for her.”

“Me too,” said DJ.

It was pretty late when they finally quit talking and went upstairs. Casey had already gone to bed, and DJ tried to tiptoe around as she got ready. Then, once she was in bed, DJ really prayed for Casey. Okay, she wasn’t sure that she was doing it exactly right, but she hoped that God would understand. Mostly, she just wanted her friend to get better—so that she wouldn’t have to leave Carter House and go to boot camp. DJ honestly believed, especially after tonight, that Casey belonged here.

THE NEXT MORNING, DJ WOKE UPlater than usual, but at least she had the room to herself because it looked like Casey had already gotten up. DJ had just finished her shower when she noticed something strange in the bathroom trash can. It looked like blue feathers. She peered closer to see that it was hair. And there on the bathroom counter was a pair of scissors. DJ picked up the scissors and, feeling like a detective, used them to push the strange-colored hair clippings aside in the trash can to reveal what looked like a used bottle of black hair dye beneath the blue hair. And there on the bottom of the trash can were a couple of safety pins. Casey was trying!

DJ hurried to dress and was about to go downstairs when she heard Casey’s voice coming from Rhiannon and Taylor’s room. The door was cracked open, and DJ decided to see what was going on. “What’s up?” she asked.

“Come in,” called Rhiannon. “It’s just me and Casey.”

DJ went in and blinked in surprise when she saw Casey dressed in a striped skirt that was topped with a T-shirt and beaded denim jacket along with her army boots. “You look great,” said DJ as she reached down to touch the rather interesting skirt. “Is this made out of ties?”

“That’s right,” said Rhiannon. “Men’s ties. I made it myself.”

“And she beaded and embroidered this jacket,” said Casey. “She’s letting me borrow these for today, and then she’s going to teach me how to do some of this stuff for myself.”

“Cool.” DJ looked at Casey’s hair which was all cut short now and all black. “I like your hair too.”

“Better?”

“Way.”

“And no safety pins,” pointed out Rhiannon.

“Yeah, I noticed.” DJ almost pointed out that Casey had lightened up on the eyeliner too, but she didn’t want to make her feel too self-conscious. “You really look great, Casey. How does it feel?”

Casey shrugged as she checked herself out in the mirror. “In a way, I guess it feels more like me…like who I really do want to be.”

“Cool.”

When they came to the breakfast table, DJ could tell that all eyes, including Mrs. Carter’s, were on Casey.

“Looking good, Casey,” said Eliza with approval.

“I like that jacket,” said Kriti.

Casey explained that it was on loan. “Rhiannon did the beading and embroidery,” she said again. “And she made the skirt too.”

Mrs. Carter looked more closely at the clothes. “Rhiannon may have a good career ahead of her in clothing design.”

Rhiannon beamed as she sat down, and DJ was certain that was the first real compliment that her grandmother had given to her.

Once again, Mrs. Carter did not seem wholly pleased to give the girls a ride to school, but when Taylor offered to use her Vespa and take one girl with her so that the others could ride with Eliza, Mrs. Carter put her foot down. “Perhaps you’re not aware that we have helmet laws in Connecticut,” she pointed out.