The Winter of Candy Canes (A Sweet Seasons Novel) Read online

  “Fine,” she grumbled.

  Tamara carried all the dresses back to the dressing rooms and set Candace up in a large one with a bench she could sit on. “If you need help, let me know. Otherwise, I'll see you in a minute for the first modeling.”

  A few minutes later, Candace had struggled into the brown dress. When she saw Tamara in the fuchsia dress, she laughed hysterically at the look on her best friend's face.

  “I told you, I'm not wearing this,” Tamara growled.

  “The color's great on you, but the style … what is that? Baggy chic?”

  “I'd have to say the same thing for yours.”

  “Next!” they shouted together.

  Candace was not thrilled with either the peach or the black dresses, and Tamara similarly dismissed her green and blue dresses. They retreated back into their dressing rooms, and Candace tried on the burgundy dress.

  “You know, Kurt's going to think you look great no matter what you wear,” Tamara said.

  “And you will look great no matter what you wear,” Candace said. “Have you asked anyone yet?”

  “No,” Tamara admitted as she walked into the hall wearing the white dress. It looked stunning against her olive skin. Candace was also surprised by how well the burgundy looked on her. She would have never picked it out, but it was nice.

  “Now I think we're getting somewhere,” Tamara said.

  Only one dress left for each. Candace pulled on the gold one and admired herself in the mirror. It looked awesome and fit really well. She hobbled out into the hall and Tamara appeared in the red dress.

  “Wow!” they said in unison.

  “And I think we have the winners,” Tamara said.

  “Good choice. I really like this,” Candace said, smoothing down the gold skirt.

  “Ditto. I don't usually wear red, but apparently I should.”

  A minute later they were back in their street clothes and Candace handed the gold dress to Tamara to carry.

  “So, who are you taking to the dance?”

  “I'm thinking of not taking anyone. There's just no one that I'm interested in right now.”

  Suddenly, a thought occurred to Candace.

  “I'm not sure I like that smile,” Tamara said. “I already told you I'm not asking Josh.”

  “Actually, I was just thinking. If you're not interested in anyone, you have the chance to do a good deed.”

  “Okay, I'll bite. What do you have in mind?”

  “Roger is chewing himself up over the fact that Becca's going to the dance.”

  “Oh, I see. You want me to take Roger in the hope that he'll be man enough to dance with her and sweep her off her feet.”

  “Something like that.”

  Tamara sighed. “Fine. As long as he's clear that that's what's going down.”

  “I can promise he will be.”

  “Okay. Set it up.”

  “Thanks, Tam, you're the best.”

  “I know.”

  They reached the register, and Tamara handed the clerk both dresses. “It's on me, although for this favor, you should be buying.”

  “I can buy my own. Paychecks — amazing things,” Candace said.

  Tamara rolled her eyes. “You figured out what you're getting Kurt yet?”

  “You know I haven't.”

  “Then save your money in case you need to spend it on his present.”

  From the mall they headed to Bible study. Jen was already there when they arrived. She looked up at Candace, appearing more timid than she usually did. Candace still hadn't entirely figured Jen out. She was so quiet it was almost unnatural at times. Jen walked over and stared down at the floor. Her shoulders were hunched, and her hands were rammed into her pockets.

  “Candace, can I talk to you?” the girl asked.

  “Sure, what about?”

  “It's about my friend. Well, actually me. Well, my friend and me.”

  “Okay.”

  “You see, my best friend isn't a Christian. I've talked to her about it loads of times, but …”

  “What is it?”

  “I feel like we're drifting apart now that we're in high school. Her idea of fun is going to these parties, and I don't feel comfortable at them.”

  “Why? Are people drinking?” Candace asked, thinking about Kurt's Halloween party that she had herself left for that very reason.

  “And smoking. It just seems dumb. Does that mean that I'm immature or something?”

  “No. If anything, it means that she is. She's playing at being a grown-up without understanding what that really means. To be mature and grown-up means to take responsibility for your own actions, not to do whatever you want.”

  “That's kinda what I thought,” Jen said. “I just don't want to lose my friend.”

  “Are you worried about losing your only friend, or are you worried about losing her specifically?” Candace asked.

  “I'm not sure.”

  “Well, I can tell you this. You can always make new friends. And true friendship can survive just about anything.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Does that help at all?”

  Jen nodded. Other girls started arriving and she moved away.

  “Well said,” Tamara said softly.

  “I hope so.”

  Once everyone had arrived, they went around the circle and discussed what they had done to grow in their target area in the past week. Most of the progress was small, but hard won.

  “I didn't smoke once this week, even when my mom yelled at me,” the one girl said.

  “That's awesome,” Candace said. Not only could she not imagine smoking, she couldn't imagine having a mom that constantly yelled at her. She thanked God quietly for a good home life.

  “I prayed in the morning while I showered instead of at night so I wouldn't fall asleep,” Jen said shyly.

  “Good for you,” Tamara said. “I tried that once, and I still fell asleep.”

  “What do you do?” Jen asked.

  “I pray when I drive,” Tamara answered.

  Candace looked at her in surprise. They had been friends for thirteen years, and that was a new one. It just went to show that no matter how well you knew someone, they could still surprise you.

  When it was Joy's turn, she smiled at everyone. “I managed to up my devotion and prayer time with God to two hours every day.”

  Candace just stared at her, and all she could think was that either Joy was lying or she had no life whatsoever. What was worse was seeing the look of discouragement on the other girls' faces when they heard that. All she's doing is making everyone feel that there's something wrong with them. Why does she do that?

  Candace cleared her throat. “Good for you,” she said. “It must be awesome to have no work, family, or school commitments in the evening so that you can do that.” She tried to keep her tone light.

  “Oh, no,” Joy said, wide eyed. “I'm very busy. But I think God's worth it, don't you?”

  For the first time, Candace actually thought about using her crutch on someone. She gritted her teeth. She didn't know how to move past this without ripping into Joy or completely dousing the other girls' sense of self-worth.

  “God is worth everything,” Candace said quietly. “But all he asks of each of us is our best. Clearly, some have more time, some have more ability, and some have more humility,” she said.

  She was walking a fine line, and she knew it. Joy's eyes narrowed as though she suspected she had just been slammed. She wasn't sure, though, and Candace could use that to her advantage.

  “I'm very proud of the progress we've all made. It sounds like some major battles have been fought and won in people's lives.”

  At the end of the study, Candace climbed into Tamara's car and fumed as soon as they pulled out of the church parking lot. “Why does she have to do that? What's with the holier-than-thou thing? I mean, seriously, that doesn't help anyone. It just discourages the girls who are actually trying.”

  “Maybe
she's insecure,” Tamara suggested.

  “Do you really think that?”

  “No, but I'm trying to find a way to keep you from punching her lights out next week.”

  “I'm so glad you never play those games,” Candace said with a sigh.

  “No. However, I have been known to play richer-than-thou games with people who make me mad.”

  “I think I've seen that,” Candace said, smiling at the memories.

  “Maybe Joy doesn't even realize what she's doing. Who knows, maybe her parents do that, and she thinks it's what's expected.”

  “So, you think I should try to talk to her.”

  “At least find some common ground or a way to tolerate her.”

  As much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew Tamara was right.

  On Thursday Candace arrived at The Zone early to hunt down Roger. She asked a ref, who had seen him heading toward the Thrill Zone a few minutes earlier.

  She hobbled her way there. It was getting easier to use the crutches now that she was putting her full weight on both legs. Her shoulder felt better too.

  When she got into the Thrill Zone, she saw a group of referees huddled around the Spiral roller coaster, staring and pointing upward. Candace stopped and looked up. Becca walked along the tracks, head swinging back and forth.

  “What is she doing?” Candace asked.

  “Looking for the golden candy cane,” someone nearby said.

  “She's going to hurt herself!”

  “Yeah, but you got to admire her dedication.”

  “Go, Becca!” someone else shouted.

  “But surely it couldn't be up there!” Candace protested.

  “Why not?” Roger asked as he walked over, eyes still staring skyward.

  “That's absurd.”

  “Not really. Two dozen referees have already gone over every inch of the off-field areas with no luck. That leaves areas on field that only referees can get to. This certainly counts.”

  “But no sane person would put it up there!”

  “Have you met all the Game Masters? I'm quite sure at least a couple of them are certifiable.”

  “But she could fall!”

  “Not Becca,” someone said.

  “She's got great balance; she used to be a dancer,” someone else pointed out.

  Candace couldn't believe how calmly everyone else seemed to be taking Becca's high-wire act.

  Finally Roger turned and looked at Candace. She could see that his face was pale, and there was fear in his eyes. “Do you honestly think you could stop her?” he asked.

  “No,” Candace admitted, “even if I had two good legs.”

  “Exactly. If you find a way to get her off there now, she'll just be back. She's almost done; it's better to let her finish.”

  “She certainly is taking this candy cane hunt to new heights,” Candace said, wincing at her own pun.

  Three minutes later Becca finished. She jumped back down onto the loading deck, and everyone gave her a round of applause. She blushed and did a little curtsey before retrieving her clipboard and heading for the exit.

  “She's amazing,” Roger said wistfully as he watched her go.

  “Roger.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Actually I was looking for you.”

  “What's up?” he asked.

  “I was thinking. I have a way that you could go to the Winter Formal and have a chance to sweep Becca off her feet.”

  “How?” he asked, eyes wide.

  “You could go with my friend, Tamara — strictly platonic of course. She said she'd take you as a favor to me so that you could get a chance to be there with Becca.”

  “That would be awesome!” he said, grabbing her in a bear hug. “Oh, sorry,” he said, pulling away as she winced.

  “I'm okay. So, would that be cool?”

  “Yes.”

  “Great.”

  “What color dress will she be wearing?”

  “Becca? I don't know.”

  “No, Tamara. I should at least get her a corsage as a thank you.”

  “Oh. Red.”

  “Cool.”

  “I'll see you later then,” Candace said as she headed back toward the Santa Zone.

  As she climbed up on her stool and accepted the basket of candy canes, she couldn't get Roger and Becca out of her mind. Soon her thoughts drifted to Becca's search for the golden candy cane.

  “Now, if I were a Game Master, where would I hide that golden candy cane?” Candace asked herself. The obvious answer was in one of the baskets of real candy canes that they used in the “Santa Zone,” as she had started calling the area.

  That didn't seem quite fair, though, since it would distinctly narrow the field of possible refs who could find it. No, it would either have to be somewhere isolated where no one was likely to find it, or somewhere everybody went on a regular basis. Since it seemed like it definitely wasn't off field, that would severely limit the possibilities for the latter group.

  “So, where does nobody go, and where does everybody go?”

  Becca would know the answer. Then again, somebody else might have already found the candy cane. She had to believe, though, that it wouldn't be that easy to find. It would take skill, perseverance, and lots and lots of luck. That's how she'd set it up if she were a Game Master.

  11

  On Friday morning Candace considered staying in bed. She really was not looking forward to auditions in drama class. She knew she'd never hear the end of it from Tamara, though. Reluctantly, she got up.

  By the time she made it to drama, she was so nervous she thought she might be sick. Tamara didn't look any better than Candace felt. Mr. Bailey, however, had never looked better. He was laughing and jumping around the stage, his impossibly long legs bending in every direction as though he were a rag doll.

  “Okay, class, as you know, today we are auditioning. First, we'll sing a little, and then each of you will read a couple pages of the script.”

  He sat down at the piano. “Ladies first. Gather around here.”

  Candace stood up and hobbled over to stand next to Tamara.

  First he played a series of notes, asking them to sing “La” to each of them. After that, he had them sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” After a few minutes he let them sit down and had the boys come forward and do the same.

  “Good!” he said, standing up and taking a seat with the rest of the class. He picked up a clipboard and shuffled some papers.

  “Now, I'm going to have you read some scenes. Let's start with Candace and Greg. You don't have to go up on the stage … just stand in front of it.”

  Candace grabbed her copy of the scene from Mr. Bailey as she hobbled to the front. Candace felt herself beginning to sweat as she glanced at the lines for Aldonza, the female lead.

  “And action!” Mr. Bailey said.

  Candace read the lines with as much feeling as she could. Better that than for Mr. Bailey to ask her to do it over. When they reached the end of their scene, he asked them to read for two different characters. Then he asked them both to sit down, and he called up Tamara and one of the other guys.

  Incredibly, everyone had auditioned before class came to an end.

  “Excellent,” Mr. Bailey said, smiling. “You all did a fine job. I'll be posting the cast list before Christmas break.”

  Candace was relieved. That way she wouldn't have to spend the break worrying about what she was going to have to do. She would already know, and hopefully the news would be good.

  “You were awesome!” Tamara said as they headed for their lockers.

  “Please,” Candace said.

  “Truly.”

  “I thought you did really well.”

  Tamara shook her head. “I did okay, but I think he's got his eye on you for the lead.”

  “I have a hard time believing that. Besides, it's not just about acting, it's also about singing, which I've never done before.”

  “You sounded just as good as anybody
else,” Tamara pointed out.

  “I refuse to stress about it until I have more information,” Candace said.

  “Candace, you totally rocked!” one of the guys said as he walked by.

  Tamara raised an eyebrow. “Is that enough new information?”

  Candace just shook her head.

  When she got to The Zone, Candace was a couple minutes early but decided to head for her post anyway. She saw that she would again be taking over for Lisa.

  “Hey,” Candace said as she hobbled up.

  “You know, I can't figure you out,” Lisa admitted.

  Okay, totally random.

  “What do you mean?” Candace asked.

  “No matter what happens to you, you keep coming back for more.”

  Candace shrugged. “I don't think it's all that unusual.”

  “Yes, it is. Even after what I did to you over the summer, you can still be civil to me. What is that?”

  Candace took a deep breath. “I don't want to be,” she admitted. “I want to hate you, but that's not what God wants. Don't get me wrong, I really don't like you, but …” She shrugged. It sounded pathetic, even to her. She just wasn't sure how to express it all.

  “So, you're what, a Christian?”

  “Yes.”

  “What's that like?”

  Candace just stared at her for a minute. She wasn't exactly sure what Lisa was asking, and she was even less sure how to answer her. “Well, it's good. I mean, no matter how bad things get, I know I'm never alone.”

  “Do you really think God answers prayer?”

  Candace thought of the miserable night she had spent trapped in The Zone and the miracle when she had actually won the most impossible game in the midway area. “Absolutely.”

  “I tried praying once that Kurt and I would get back together,” Lisa said.

  Candace really wasn't sure how to answer that one. She sighed.

  “Why do you like Kurt?” Candace asked, surprising herself.

  “I like him because he doesn't care about next week or next month or next year. It makes him easy to be with. He's so different than my father. My dad is all about the bottom line, the end goal, the plan.”

  Candace was struck by the irony of it. The very thing she couldn't stand about Kurt was the thing that Lisa loved.