you. Like I said. Werenât you paying attention? The Averyâthatâs the theater where youâll playâitâs just across the square from Hattieâs. And besides, I know this town better than anybody else. So I can get you there better than anybody else.â
âIâm supposed to be stayingââ
âWith your cousins,â Dahlia finishes.
âYes. My cousin, Paul. He was the old piano player. He called me last week. His brotherâs sick.â Nickâs voice gains speed; he rattles on nervously. âPaulâmy cousinâwas called to go help the family in Oklahoma. He needed me to fill in. As pianist. At the Avery. It was a shock. My older brothers, theyâre the ones who always get jobs. Theyâre bigger. Stronger. Even though Iâm the oldest. Just graduated from high school. And you know, until just now, just this moment, Iâd never once realized that I have never played in front of an audience!â He cackles. âHa! Can you believe it? Never once! And I was so flattered, I jumped at the chance. Without ever thinking about what it would actually entail. Until just now. I never thought of it when Paul asked me. Paul. Myââ
ââcousin,â Dahlia finishes. Her hands are still proppedon her hips and her head is tilted down, and sheâs staring up at him through her eyebrows. A look of complete disbelief saturates her face. âBoy, you sure talk a lot. You gonna be okay, mister?â
âWell. I suppose I should be. Shouldnât I?â
âCome on, then. Iâll take you to the Avery. Donât worryâGeorge will have a place where you can stash your bag during rehearsal.â
âRehearsal,â Nick repeats, growing still another shade paler.
âAw, donât worry, mister. Youâll be fine. Promise.â Dahlia points toward the Avery.
Nick takes a step in the direction Dahliaâs instructed him to take.
âOne thingââ Nick says, stopping so abruptly that Dahlia crashes into his back. As they untangle themselves, he asks, âHowâd you knowâthat I was Nick?â
âBecause no one was there to meet you, and you looked like you didnât recognize anyone else. Plus, you had that look on your face, like Verona was something brand-new. I know Verona so well, I canât imagine it being new at allâto anybody. But, anywayâthatâs how I figured it out. Really e-genious, huh?â
âIngenious,â Nick corrects. âBig word for such a small girl.â
Dahlia frowns. âNot so small,â she grumbles.
Nick takes a deep breath. âWell, Grace? I thought you were going to show me the way.â
âSay! I told you my name was Dahlia.â
âNot to me, it isnât,â Nick announces, trying to turn on some charm. But heâs sweating, and he has to fight to stand up straight beneath the weight of his bag. And nothing about him, right then, seems very charming at all. He tugs at the tie near his throat as if vying for more air. âTo me, your name is Grace. Like grace notesâthe smallest, sweetest notes in all of music.â
âNot so small, I said. The sweet partâs maybe not bad.â
Nick grins. Encouraged, he asks, âShall we, Grace?â as he tries to offer her his arm.
âCome on already,â Dahlia barks. âLetâs go. Weâll be late, and George depends on me.â She skips around the corner of the depot, ready to show him her favorite path to the square.
From the audience, I shake my head as I watch Nick struggle to keep up. This guy is not exactly the Romeo I had expected. Not after all Dahliaâs bedtime stories. Skinnyâs one thing. But this guy isnât healthy. It isnât the way I ever thought she was asking me to picture him. Up on the screen, he drops his suitcase, fights to catch his breath.
Once she realizes sheâs lost him, Dahlia backs
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley