Chapter Twenty-four

Whitney sat crouched beside the house with the mirror and lipstick she had taken from her mother’s drawer. Holding her hand steady, she drew her lips red just like her mother did. Her hand slipped and the red slid down her chin. She frowned and looked around for something to wipe it off with. She tried using one of the branches from the big bush in front, but it was prickly and scratched her skin. She looked down at her pink T-shirt. It wasn’t as dark as the lipstick, but they sort of matched. Plus, she had Jell-O stains on this one already. She pulled up the corner of the shirt and wiped the lipstick on it. When she was done, though, the shirt had a big mark. Whitney picked at it with her finger, but it was still there.

“Whitney,” her mother called. Whitney jumped and dropped the shirt, staring down at the lipstick and mirror she’d taken. She thought about her mouth. She couldn’t go in now.

“Whitney, it’s time to take a bath,” her mother called again, and Whitney could tell she was in the back. She’d be coming out front next.

Whitney shoved the lipstick and mirror into the prickly bush and ran down to the street. She turned the corner, toward school, and ran smack into a leg.

“Oh, my, someone’s in a hurry.”

Whitney backpedaled and looked over her shoulder, but she didn’t see her mom. She looked up at the man, who was watching her curiously, and frowned.

“Oh, sorry,” the man whispered. “Are you hiding?”

Whitney looked over her shoulder again and then stared at him without answering.

“Are you hiding?” he repeated, still whispering.

Whitney tossed her head back and pushed her lips out like her mom did when she was talking to some men. “I’m not supposed to talk to strangers,” she said.

“Very smart,” he said.

“Whitney,” her mother called.

Whitney jumped behind the man.

“Whitney Anne,” her mother called again, louder.

Whitney ran as fast as she could to the neighbor’s hedge and ducked behind it.

She could see the man watching her, but then he turned his back and she saw her mom.

“I’m sorry. I was just looking for my daughter.”

The man smiled and looked down the street in her direction.

Whitney gasped and covered her mouth, but then the man shook his head. “I haven’t seen any little girls, I’m afraid. I’m just looking for my cocker spaniel, Murphy.” He smiled. “I’ll keep an eye out for your daughter if you’ll do the same for my Murphy.”

Whitney’s mom smiled at him and pushed her hair up on one side with her hand like she did with the man at the grocery store. Whitney pushed her hair up, too, wondering if that was what men liked. It just looked goofy to her.

When her mother had gone, Whitney fell over in a fit of silent giggles. When she looked up, the man was smiling down at her.

“Why did you tell my mom you hadn’t seen me?”

He shrugged. “Because I thought you were hiding from her.”

“I was, but you’re a dult.”

“A dult?” he repeated.

“Yeah, like a grown-up.”

“So, I’m supposed to tell her where you are?”

Whitney shrugged. “I guess so.”

“Because dults aren’t fun.”

She shook her head. “No.”

He frowned. “That’s too bad. I’m fun.”

She put her hands on her hips. “You can’t be.”

“Because I’m a grown-up?”

“Yep.”

“Well, I guess I thought you were grown-up, too.”

“How come?”

“Because you look so grown-up in that lipstick.”

Whitney remembered the lipstick and kissed the back of her hand. She had to figure out a way to get rid of it before she saw her mom.

Just then, the man handed her a hankie. “You can wipe it on that.”

She looked at the white hankie and thought about how mad her mom would be if she got red lipstick on something that white. She looked up at him, but he just nodded.

She wiped her mouth on the hankie and then looked at it. It was bright red, all right. She tried to hide that part when she handed it back to him.

“That’s okay. I can wash it.”

Whitney didn’t want to tell him that she thought lipstick stained. That’s what her mom told her last time she got some on something.

“See, I’m not like most grown-ups.”

“How come?”

“ ’Cause I like kid stuff more,” he said.

Whitney frowned. If he could stay a kid, maybe she could too. “What kind of kid stuff?”

The man looked both ways and then pulled a plastic bag from his pocket. “How about this?”

Whitney peered at the little plastic bag. “What’s that?”

“Candy.”

She looked a little closer.

“What kind?”

He smiled. “Cherry.”

“All cherry?”

He nodded.

“How come?”

“ ’Cause cherry’s my favorite.”

Whitney licked her lips. She wasn’t allowed to have candy. Only at Halloween and Easter, and sometimes when she found the candy her mom hid. She didn’t know that Whitney knew about it.

“Do you like cherry, too?”

She nodded.

He handed her the bag. “Why don’t you take it?”

She started to reach out and stopped herself. “All of it?”

He put it in her hand. “Sure. I’ve got lots more.”

Whitney pulled the sack toward her. There had to be like a hundred pieces of candy. She even saw some jellybeans.

“Do you have a favorite kind of candy?”

She nodded.

“What is it?”

“Jellybeans and taffy,” she said quickly.

“I think there’s some jellybeans in there, but I’ll bring taffy next time.”

She nodded.

“Whitney,” her mother called again.

“You’d better go inside.”

She nodded and turned away. Then she remembered her manners. “Thank you for the candy, mister.”

“You’re welcome, Whitney.”

She started to leave, then said, “What’s your name, anyway?”

He gave her a big smile and reached for her hand.

Whitney gave it to him, but instead of shaking it, he lifted it to his lips and kissed it just like a prince. She giggled, even though she knew that wasn’t what she was supposed to do.

“My name is Gerry,” he said. “I hope to see you again soon, Princess Cherry.”

“Princess Cherry?” she asked.

He nodded, smiling. “ ’Cause you get all the cherry candy.” He paused. “If you want it.”

She nodded.

“Very nice to meet you,” he said.

“You too.”

“Now, you’d better get inside before your mom catches you.”

She pulled the candy to her chest and turned around.

“And hide that candy. That’s our secret, okay?”

“Okay, Mr. Gerry.” Whitney waved and ran up the stairs toward the house. Stopping along the path, she tucked the candy under the small bush with the mirror and the lipstick, then ran around and up the back steps.

Mr. Gerry was the neatest dult she’d ever met. She hoped he came back with more candy soon.