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Apr. 11th, 2015 09:11 pmSpring break is over, and as Bonnie goes back into her studio, she finds one of the students already at work on the vehicle they've been working on. Greased Lightning, they've been calling it.
"Where's yer overalls, Zucco?" she asks, tapping her foot on the edge of the trolley he's lying on under the car. "Yer Mom'll have my guts if you get that sports kit covered in oil."
Danny slides himself out from under the car.
"I haven't got time to change, Mrs M; I'm with Sandy first period."
"Since when were you dressed like a jock?" Bonnie asks. Before falling out with Calhoun, he'd been extremely scathing of the T-birds' collective level of sporting enthusiasm.
"You know, I just want her to like me." Danny says, sitting up and rubbing a mucky mark on his white sleeve.
"If I recall, she already liked you." Bonnie points out. "You just blew it by behavin' like a jerk." She shrugs. "If you cain't be who you want to be with her, is she the right girl fer you?"
"I really like her." Danny says, quietly.
"Well all right then." Bonnie says. "But overalls."
***
When she gets home, Lucy is putting the finishing artistic touches to her new bedroom. Bonnie has to admit the room has never looked so pretty - Lucy's style is similar to her tattoos, full of curvy black lines and bright flowers.
"I forgot you were so tidy." Bonnie comments, putting the kettle on for some coffee. "And I smell cake, did you bake?"
"Well since I'm not payin' you rent I might as well make myself useful." Lucy says. "Though I should be able to chip in soon; I've got two weeks of substitute work doing music class."
"You think you'll be all right?" Bonnie asks.
"The voices don't interrupt much when I'm doing music, it helps." Lucy shrugs. "Guess they can't find as much to criticise."
Bonnie has to admit, that if Lucy hadn't told her about the voices, she still probably wouldn't have realised of her own accord. It makes her wonder how many other people are just out there hearing things and never daring to say.
"Bonnie?" Lucy puts the cake down. "Do you think me being here is going to get in the way of you fostering again? Because if I'm ever any trouble, I swear, I'll leave. It's never been that bad before but... I can see why you'd be afraid of me."
"If it ain't got that bad in thirty years I'd take the chance." Bonnie says. "It's whether you're ready fer the chaos that troubled teens bring. I'd understand if its' too much. And... it's a lot less lonely round here with you here."
Bonnie walks past the orphanage later in the week. There had been days, in the past, where she'd wanted to just go in and offer a lifeline to anyone who would take it. But now...
She walks up the driveway and goes straight to the manager's office.
"Mrs Murdock?"
Bonnie can see the manager looks a little wary.
"I found Bill." she says. "He died."
"I'm sorry." the manager says.
"And I'm not ready to foster again just yet." Bonnie says. "But I wanted to ask a question. I've moved my sister-in-law in with me permanently, is that likely to affect my application later? I'd still be the primary caregiver."
"She'd need to complete this form." the manager hands it to her. Bonnie reads down the questions. Nothing they couldn't answer without lying, excellent.
"I think she can manage that. But I'm takin' some time out to grieve first." she says, putting the form in her pocket.
For the first time as she walks out, it is without feeling she has to take half of the kids home right now. There'll always be people to make a difference to.
"Where's yer overalls, Zucco?" she asks, tapping her foot on the edge of the trolley he's lying on under the car. "Yer Mom'll have my guts if you get that sports kit covered in oil."
Danny slides himself out from under the car.
"I haven't got time to change, Mrs M; I'm with Sandy first period."
"Since when were you dressed like a jock?" Bonnie asks. Before falling out with Calhoun, he'd been extremely scathing of the T-birds' collective level of sporting enthusiasm.
"You know, I just want her to like me." Danny says, sitting up and rubbing a mucky mark on his white sleeve.
"If I recall, she already liked you." Bonnie points out. "You just blew it by behavin' like a jerk." She shrugs. "If you cain't be who you want to be with her, is she the right girl fer you?"
"I really like her." Danny says, quietly.
"Well all right then." Bonnie says. "But overalls."
***
When she gets home, Lucy is putting the finishing artistic touches to her new bedroom. Bonnie has to admit the room has never looked so pretty - Lucy's style is similar to her tattoos, full of curvy black lines and bright flowers.
"I forgot you were so tidy." Bonnie comments, putting the kettle on for some coffee. "And I smell cake, did you bake?"
"Well since I'm not payin' you rent I might as well make myself useful." Lucy says. "Though I should be able to chip in soon; I've got two weeks of substitute work doing music class."
"You think you'll be all right?" Bonnie asks.
"The voices don't interrupt much when I'm doing music, it helps." Lucy shrugs. "Guess they can't find as much to criticise."
Bonnie has to admit, that if Lucy hadn't told her about the voices, she still probably wouldn't have realised of her own accord. It makes her wonder how many other people are just out there hearing things and never daring to say.
"Bonnie?" Lucy puts the cake down. "Do you think me being here is going to get in the way of you fostering again? Because if I'm ever any trouble, I swear, I'll leave. It's never been that bad before but... I can see why you'd be afraid of me."
"If it ain't got that bad in thirty years I'd take the chance." Bonnie says. "It's whether you're ready fer the chaos that troubled teens bring. I'd understand if its' too much. And... it's a lot less lonely round here with you here."
Bonnie walks past the orphanage later in the week. There had been days, in the past, where she'd wanted to just go in and offer a lifeline to anyone who would take it. But now...
She walks up the driveway and goes straight to the manager's office.
"Mrs Murdock?"
Bonnie can see the manager looks a little wary.
"I found Bill." she says. "He died."
"I'm sorry." the manager says.
"And I'm not ready to foster again just yet." Bonnie says. "But I wanted to ask a question. I've moved my sister-in-law in with me permanently, is that likely to affect my application later? I'd still be the primary caregiver."
"She'd need to complete this form." the manager hands it to her. Bonnie reads down the questions. Nothing they couldn't answer without lying, excellent.
"I think she can manage that. But I'm takin' some time out to grieve first." she says, putting the form in her pocket.
For the first time as she walks out, it is without feeling she has to take half of the kids home right now. There'll always be people to make a difference to.
