Free The Earth Painter by Melissa Turner Lee

on the stage watching the pageant just as he had sat on the stage that first day I met him.
    The picture was over twenty years old, but Theo still looked my age or near it.
    I hadn’t slept all night when I got into Shelby’s car without even looking at her. When she cleared her throat for the fifth time, I finally glanced at her. I almost didn’t recognize her. I stared at her now chestnut brown hair that flowed to her waist. The hair on top was lifted in a bump, and the strands were held back by a clip
    “Wow…your hair… is completely different.”
    Shelby laughed. “I dyed it and added extensions. We learned how to put them in yesterday in class.”
    “It looks good.”
    “I’m playing around with false lashes too. What do you think?” She blinked super fast and smiled.
    “It’s nice.” I didn’t sound particularly enthusiastic.
    “You don’t like it?”
    “No… I mean yes… I like it. I didn’t sleep well last night so I’m kind of not thinking straight.”
    “Are you going to be up for this afternoon?” Shelby pulled into the school’s parking lot.
    “This afternoon?”
    “Shopping. Dinner. Football game. Ring a bell?”
    “Oh, right. See I told you, I’m not all here.” Shelby Parked the car. “I’m sure I’ll have it together by this afternoon.”
    “If not, we’ll take a detour through the Starbucks drive-thru. I’m overdue on shopping. Only death can get you out of it.”
    Shelby opened the door and got out, but I didn’t move. “I’m going to sit here for a few minutes and try to wake up.”
    “Ok. See you.” Shelby shut the door and walked to the bus parking to get on the bus for the vocational school.
    I only sat in the car a few minutes before getting out and heading for the door. Just as I was about to go in, the late bell rang . That meant the back door would automatically lock and all late students would have to walk to the front door to enter by the office and check in.
    I trudged around to the front of the school noticing the dug-out that led down to the auditorium’s side door. The one I’d ran out after painting. No wonder it was popular with the smokers. The door was completely hidden at the bottom of the steps. The same door the boy with the cigarette opened just by lifting the bottom. I looked both ways to see if anyone was around, and then ran down the steps into the seclusion of the underground doorway. I glanced around once again, just to be on the safe side before bending and grabbing the bottom of the door. I almost expected an alarm to sound when I lifted it and the door popped open. When nothing sounded, and no one came to investigate, I peeked in. The stage lights were all off except for the ghost light. I stuck my head in a little further, not quite sure what I expected to find in there. I was about to chicken out and leave when I heard a voice. It was Theo calling out to somebody.
    I eased in, making sure to stay in the shadows. Theo was on the stage, looking up towards the rafters in the flies. “I’ll be right up.”
    I tiptoed up the steps and hid myself in the black stage curtain. It smelled like dust. I’d probably dislodged a cloud of it. I couldn’t see in the darkness because I almost sneezed.
    Theo started climbing the ladder. I waited until he was swallowed by the shadows before I jumped out to follow. I didn’t like heights, but I had to know what Theo was up to and…what he was for that matter.
    I started climbing, but stopped to look down. That was an enormous mistake. I closed my eyes and a flash of clues started playing in my mind. I looked up the ladder and resumed my ascent. I climbed with stealth. When I got to the top, he was gone, but I saw an opened door. The light coming in looked like it led outside to the roof.
    I crept onto the catwalk and over to the door. I closed my eyes, gathered my thoughts before I opened them and looked through the opening. It wasn’t the roof. Tall green trees swayed in a slight breeze of a