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ANGIE
After checking Lynn's Sociology class, and using my last quarter to call Lynn's place from the payphone in the Union, I plopped down on an orange cube and tried to think. If I was Lynn, upset, and not wanting to go to class, and not wanting to go home, where would I go? I glanced over to the Sorority girls who had set up their tables and wandered over, trying to look like I was interested.
"Hey." I tried to get the attention of the nearest girl, tall, with long red hair, pale skin, and freckles.
"Hi there. I'm Charity, what's your name?"
"I'm Angela, it's nice to meet you."
The girl had on a big, plastic-looking smile and had a scrunchy holding her hair away from her face. She spoke with a bit of an accent, like she was from the south. "Nice ta meet you too, Angela. Are you interested in joining a Sorority? I think the Zeta Phi Beta girls would be happy to meet you. They have a table right over there." She waved to a group of black girls at a table a few spaces down.
"No, thank you," I replied. The girl's smile cracked, but held. "Actually, maybe you could help me. I was wondering if you were here earlier this morning? I'm looking for someone who may have been hanging around here earlier, when you were still setting up."
The redhead clapped her hands, looking like a five year old who just was offered a treat. "Oh, no. I just got here. But, maybe Nora would?" She turned to her friend, who was taking a few booklets out of a box on the floor. "Nora, do you remember seeing anyone around here earlier this morning? A black girl?"
Nora, a blond wearing a lot of makeup, shook her head and said, "No, I don't remem.."
I interrupted, "Actually, she was a white girl. Very small, she might look like she's just a kid to you. Black straight hair cut in a harsh crop, and wearing a blue jean jacket covered in buttons. This would have been about an hour ago?" C'mon, work with me here, ladies.
Nora looked thoughtful. "Um..Maybe... I did see a very short girl with a walkman by herself here earlier. She was getting into a van."
"A van?"
"Yes, I remember it because the driver was double-parked outside. I was trying to move these crates," she gestured, "and he parked just as I was trying to bring them in. Can you believe him? So yeah, because he blocked the ramp, I had to push the cart all the way around to the side entrance." She rolled her eyes, turning to her friend. "I mean, can you believe the nerve of that guy?"
"The guy, driving the van. What did he look like?"
Nora looked back at Angie. "He was tall, and skinny. He had black hair too, like the girl. Long and all the way down his back. He looked like a metal-head." She illustrated with her hands. "I was going to tell him off, but he was too busy talking to the girl, and then by the time I came back for my second load, they were both gone."
I nodded and walked off, calling, "Thanks!" behind me.
Interesting. Lynn went off with Jonathan? I wonder why? I'm not far from Kimball, I could try calling him from there. I'm going to miss another class, but I know there's no exam today, so it's all-right. I'll make up for the time later.
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Back in the dorm, I leaned back in the chair and returned the phone to its cradle.
No answer. Lynn's not at home. Jonathan isn't at home. Who doesn't have an answering machine these days? I closed my eyes and rubbed them, thinking. Then I took out my notes to review them again.
Lynn and Jonathan. What are they up to?
I tapped my finger on the word 'Band', then slowly drew another line. This time, I wrote 'bar' in the circle.
There was a knock at the door.
"It's open!" I called.
"Hello, Angela." Kanu paused in the doorway, then closed the door and sat down.
"Kanu! What are you doing here?"
Her eyes were red-rimmed, like she had been crying. "Angela. I'm sorry."
"Oh, sweetie. I don't know what you think you need to be sorry about."
"For running out on you last night. I know I should not have, but Lynn was, well she was, you know..."
"Acting unreasonably? Running us around in circles? Taking us to seedy bars where we could get kicked out, or arrested? Overreacting to every little thing you said?" I shook my head. "Did I leave anything out?"
"No," Kanu huffed. "You are right about everything. Except for the "unreasonably" part. She was being reasonable. She found Jim, after all." She paused. "She did find him, did she not?"
"Yes. Didn't he tell you?" Whoops. I guess I knew that from eavesdropping. No taking it back now. "Uh, I mean, I know you spoke to him today."
Kanu waved it off, and opened her purse. "I did talk to him, yes. But he did not tell me any such thing about Lynn. He did not tell me where he was, or what he was doing. All he said was that he was out, and that he forgot to call me. For two days. Two whole days." She punctuated the last three words by gripping her bag tighter, then releasing it again. "I asked him if you were the ones that found him, but he did not answer. Then...well then he tells me that he can not see me now, and not until the weekend!" She dropped her hands, and her purse fell open. "I can not believe it. However, I must believe it. He is breaking up with me."
Angie put her arm around Kanu's shoulder, while she searched in her purse again. Pulling out a tissue, she blew her nose.
"Kanu, he's not breaking up with you."
"What?"
"He's not breaking up with you. Listen, like I said, I know you two talked today. He was so upset afterward, that he was crying. He said, "She'll never forgive me." I patted Kanu's shoulder, hoping to reassure her. "I know it doesn't make sense to you why he can't see you, but I think I can explain."
I filled Kanu in on the details of my conversation with Jim and showed her my notes. As I spoke, first her face relaxed, and she stopped crying.
She blew her nose again and said, "Thank you, Angie. I believe you. I think, that perhaps he does care about me. But, I do wish he had not lied to me." She opened her purse again and pulled out a compact.
"So, what does that mean? Does that mean you forgive him?" I asked.
"Well," she said, powdering her nose. "I do not agree with these jobs he has been taking. He will have to stop that immediately, at least if he would like to go out with me again. I cannot be with a criminal."
"And..?" I asked.
"And I will forgive him if he asks for my forgiveness. He has not asked yet." She gave a small smile. "But yes, I may forgive him." She put away her compact. "I assume Lynn knows all of this?"
"No! I mean, I wanted to tell her, actually. I really need to find her. I think she's out with Jonathan right now, but I don't know where."
"Who?"
"Jonathan! The guy from the bar last night? You remember? Oh, wait, no." I shook my head, remembering. "You weren't there."
"I was there. You were there. We all were there." Kanu looked confused.
"Yes but this was after...never mind. I just realized that I already know where Lynn and Jonathan went. She is so stupid sometimes. Should we call the police? No. If I'm wrong then I'd just be getting everyone in trouble. But if I'm right she could be in danger. She really needs to think before she acts." I stood up and opened my closet, then grabbed my sweater and scarf. "Can you take me back there now? To the bar? Maybe we can stop her."
"Yes, she is stupid. And yes, I can take you to the bar again. But I am not sure what is going on."
"Great, let's go. I'll explain about Lynn's detective work on the way." I held open the door for Kanu with one hand, and tried to put one arm in my sleeve with the other.
"Absolutely," Kanu replied. "I will get my coat and car keys from my room. Also, on the way," she said, watching me shrug into my sweater, "Please also tell me, who is this Jonathan?"
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