| Double Dance |

Double Dance: Chapter 25

By Bracha Rosman | March 18, 2020

“Great,” Rikki’s hands shot up into the air. “Just great! Now I’m the nebach who needs help from everybody!”

Rikki’s fingers curled into angry balls. “Ruchie, you’re lying!”

“I wish I were making it up,” Ruchie said. “I didn’t think it was right not to tell you. It just seemed like something you should know.”

Rikki’s voice rose. “Why would she do that? Who asked her?”

“I don’t know. Maybe she thought it would make things easier for you.”

“Easier! I can’t believe it.” Rikki began to pace the small area outside the computer room. “I just can’t believe it!”

“I’m really, really sorry.”

Rikki blinked several times. She didn’t want to cry in school. “Tell me exactly what she said and what happened afterward.” She stopped pacing. “Don’t leave out any details.”

“Okay,” Ruchie pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “So, basically, I thought something was strange right away. I saw you leave the lunchroom, and I saw Mrs. Berman come in a second later. She waited by the door watching you. It was weird! I didn’t know where you were going, but now that I know where you went, I guess she was making sure you were really going to Mrs. Horowitz’s office.”

“I can’t believe it! It was like a whole setup. They actually planned this. I feel like an idiot!”

Ruchie gave her a sympathetic look. “Mrs. Berman told us that she had an important message from Mrs. Horowitz. In a second, everyone stopped talking. I mean, it’s so not typical for a teacher to do that. Anyway, she said that you have an older sister who isn’t well, and that she moved back home recently, and that it must be difficult for you and your family.”

Rikki winced.

“She said we shouldn’t bombard you with questions, and you’ll talk about it when you’re ready. You know, we shouldn’t pressure you, just be there for you.”

“Great,” Rikki’s hands shot up into the air. “Just great! Now I’m the nebach who needs help from everybody!”

“I think they meant well.”

“That doesn’t mean anything. You can mean well, and it’s still a bad idea.”

“I know.” Ruchie twisted her fingers. “Now I feel bad that I told you.”

“Of course you should have told me! Can you imagine if I didn’t know? It would be way worse.”

“I thought so, and I also meant well, but you know, like you said, it doesn’t mean anything.”

Rikki placed her hand on Ruchie’s arm. “No, really, thanks for telling me.”

“Come on, Rikki Dee, we’d better go. The bell is going to ring soon.”

Rikki sniffled. “No, I’m staying here, you go. I’m too mortified to face anyone.”

“The ninth grade will be using the computers after lunch, so you may not want to hang around here.”

With a defeated look, Rikki nodded. “Fine.”

“So, what did Mrs. Horowitz talk to you about in her office?” Ruchie asked Rikki as they walked to class.

“You mean while her plan was unfolding in the lunchroom?”

Ruchie chuckled. “Yeah.”

“She told me she heard about Chaya and wanted to wish my family and me well.” Immediately, Rikki thought of her conversation with her mother that morning. “She said she thinks it would be a good idea for me to speak to the school guidance counselor or Mrs. Berman,” Rikki smirked at Ruchie. “But of course, she said it’s up to me.”

“Oh my gosh. Are you going to?”

Rikki gawked and Ruchie laughed. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.”

***

“Is Devory home yet?” Miri asked her mother.

“No. Why?”

Miri flung her backpack on the chair. “No reason.” She kissed her mother on the cheek.

“How was it last night?” her mother asked. “Did you have fun?”

“A blast. I really like Shoshi. Her older sister is also so nice. I had a great time with them. Thanks so much for letting me go.”

“I love your hair like that.”

“Shoshi’s sister did it for me.” Miri lifted the lid off the pot on the stove. “Yum! French onion soup! Um, Ma? Is there a reason you made onion soup tonight?”

“Not in particular. I just know how much you like it. Why?”

“Well,” Miri leaned against the counter, watching her mother dice a cucumber. “Last time you made onion soup, you told me that you were going to Eretz Yisrael for ten days, and I would be staying with Zaidy and Bobby. The time before that was when you told me I had to have my tonsils out.”

Her mother scraped the cucumbers from the cutting board into a salad bowl. “I hadn’t realized that my onion soup was so ominous.”

“Really, Ma, are you trying to tell me something?”

Mrs. Weiss laughed as she sliced into a tomato. “I’m not going anywhere, and you’re not having surgery. Does that answer your question?”

Miri picked a tiny cube of cucumber from the bowl. “I guess so.”

“Good. Now, why don’t you put your backpack away, then…”

The front door opened then slammed shut, followed by the sound of running footsteps on the stairs.

“I guess Devory’s home,” Mrs. Weiss said.

“And in a bad mood.”

“It sounds that way. How was it in school today?”

Miri wasn’t going to tell her mother about the tuna sandwich. Just thinking about it brought a renewed ache in her heart. “Not as bad as I thought it would be. The girls actually spoke to me… only Devory didn’t.”

“Miri,” her mother said. “Did you and Devory have any, um, complications last night while I was out?”

“Nothing major. Why?”

“No reason.”

“What made you ask?”

“I was just…” Mrs. Weiss stopped cutting the tomato and rested the knife on the cutting board. She faced Miri. “Yesterday, Devory called her father to come home—”

“No way! That’s why you came home early last night?”

“Yes. Miri, she was terribly upset about a name you called her.”

“Ma!” Miri’s hand covered her heart. “I only said ‘her royal highness.’ Is that why she was freaking out?”

“Miri,” Mrs. Weiss said sternly.

Miri lowered her hand. “Okay, I know. Truthfully, I felt bad about it. I mean, I didn’t realize she was in the closet. I would never have said it to her face.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that you’re not cruel, but regardless, she felt bad.”

“So, she called him home to come save her?” Miri shook her head. “What a chutzpah to ruin your night out! She’s such a baby!”

“Honey, this conversation isn’t really going the way I hoped it would.”

“I said I feel bad about it. What should I do? I already apologized at school today. And trust me, that didn’t work, big time!”

“You apologized?”

“Yes.”

“Miri,” her mother smiled. “I’m so impressed. That was so mature of you.”

“It doesn’t matter, Devory didn’t accept it.”

“That’s okay. You did what you had to do. She’ll come around.” Mrs. Weiss walked over to the stove and lowered the flame under the French onion soup. “I just wanted to tell you that Ta and I may speak to you and Devory about the incident tonight.”

“O-M-G!” Miri said slowly. “So, you did have something to tell me. That’s why you made onion soup!”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Jr., Issue 803)

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