Autumn looked as if she was having trouble breathing. Her face was so white, and I could see her hands trembling, even as she clutched her elbows tightly, embracing herself as if she were keeping herself from toppling forward.
"What are they talking about?" I asked her.
She lifted her head slowly, her eves now bloodshot.
"It's a lie. Its all a lie. They hate me!" she screamed, and shot ahead of me.
"Autumn!" I called after her, but she kept walking. I looked back. The convertible had
disappeared around a corner. For a long moment. I was totally confused and couldn't decide which way to go. Was it a lie? How could she sound and be so innocent before and have had such a thing happen to her? I hadn't been in my new home and community more than a few hours, and already I was enmeshed in a grand drama. I thought.
Autumn had slowed down about a block ahead of me. I hurried after her and caught up as she started to turn the corner toward her house.
"What's going on? I don't understand," I said "Why did they say that?"
"They're just mean. vicious."
"They are mean and vicious to do that. Even if it was true, no one should just come out with that when meeting someone new." I said, and she stopped, ground the tears from her eves, and looked at me. "Are you all right?" I asked.
"No," she said.
I stood there silently, not sure what else to do or say. I looked down, up the street, and then back at her. She was staring at me so strangely now.
"Autumn?"
"Oh, what's the difference? You'll find out anyway. It's tut," she said in a dry voice, just a little above a whisper, and then she started away again, moving at a normal pace, her head still down, her arms still embracing herself.
It was true?
I felt as if I had been dropped into a world of madness, unable to distinguish what was real and what wasn't. It made my heart pound. The roar of two fighter jets passing by was so loud it even drowned out my thoughts for a moment. I saw Autumn walk to her front door, open it, and go inside.
Feeling more sorry for her than confused and frightened now, I continued toward her house.
I pushed the door buzzer and waited. Moments later, a man with short hair so golden blond it was nearly buttercup yellow answered the door. He was wearing a full apron with a picture of Frank Sinatra on the front. I could immediately see the resemblance to Autumn in his face. Both had round, full cheeks and brown eyes and freckles. Her father didn't look to be much taller than five feet eight or nine. He wiped his hands on the apron and smiled at me.
"You must be our dinner guest," he said. "Marjorie called to warn me just a little while ago. You're not a gourmet expert, are you?" he kidded, pretending to look frightened.
"No, sir."
"Good, good. Well." he said, stepping forward and looking past me. "why did Autumn ring the doorbell? Where is she? Wasn't she with you?"
"She came home already," I said, surprised he hadn't heard her enter. She must have been walking on pussy willow feet.
"Oh, has she? Well, then, come on in. I'm Lieutenant Commander Sullivan," he said, offering his hand to me.
"I'm Grace Houston."
"Welcome to the base. I'm looking forward to meeting your father. You guys just came from San Diego. right?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, we've been there. too. You'll like it here, even though the winters aren't as warm."
I nodded. We are always supposed to like the new place more that the old. I thought.
"Well, then," Lieutenant Sullivan said. "come along. I'll show you to Autumn's room." I could see he looked a little puzzled about our separate entrances but didn't care or want to ask any more about that. "I bet you girls have a lot to talk about. It's exciting but nerve-wracking to land on a new beachhead. huh?"
"Yes, sir, it is."