Falling Stars (Shooting Stars 5)

"Hell, half the people I know can have that nickname," Ice commented.

"Present company excluded. I hope." Rose said.

We all laughed. The clock was ticking, however, and everyone knew what that meant. After dinner ended, we all cleared the table, helped with the dishes and silverware, and reset the table for the morning. Then, quietly, no one so much as breathing loudly, we paraded up the stairs to our rooms to change. Cinnamon had decided we would go up through my window. They all gathered in my room, but just before we started out, we heard the boys coming up the stairs. Cinnamon indicated we should all be very quiet. We heard them talking and then pausing to listen at my door.

"Maybe they didn't come home vet," Steven said. "They're probably having a Treat time."

"So?" Howard came back at him. "We had a Good time, didn't we?"

"No," Steven replied.

Ice smothered a laugh. We heard them go to their rooms and close their doors.

"Okay," Cinnamon said. She approached my window, 'No one speaks. Just take your time going up."

She opened the window and stepped onto the landing. Rose looked at me and I followed. Ice next. Rose last. As quietly as we could, we climbed the metal ladder to the landing above. The light was on in whatever room it was. Cinnamon waited for us all to reach the landing and then she approached the window, which was shrouded by a curtain. She tried the window, and it moved.

"Careful," Ice warned.

Making it up a little more than an inch at a time. Cinnamon had it open about a foot and then parted the curtain. We gathered around her and the four of us peered into the room. It was a bedroom, not unlike our own. A closet door was open and we could see a row of men's slacks, some sports jackets, and some shirts.

"Look," Cinnamon said, nodding toward the bed. "Aren't those your clothes. Honey? Your blouse and jeans?"

"Yes." I said.

Suddenly, we heard music. It was the same music I had heard coming from behind the mysterious doors in the costume room. In a whisper. I told the others.

We continued to listen and wait. No one moved. I could hear Rose breathing hard at my left ear. Ice was between Cinnamon and me and Cinnamon leaned into the window. Then she pulled back quickly.

Rose gasped. but Ice held her hand over her mouth.

Edmond Senetsky entered the bedroom and then walked toward the closet. He was wearing a sports jacket, tie, and slacks, but his feet were bare.

"But he doesn't live here, does he?" Rose whispered.

"Shh," Cinnamon said, putting her finger to her lips. We watched him standing at the closet door. He took off his jacket and began to undo his tie with his back to us. Then he reached for a hanger and hung up the jacket. He put the tie on a tie hook and began to unbutton his shirt.

"Now we're the Peeping Toms," Ice muttered.

"Just wait," Cinnamon said. "Something's not right."

"Tell me about it," Ice whispered in my right ear.

We continued to watch. When the shirt was completely unbuttoned, he began to peel it off, and that was when we saw what looked like a bandage wrapped around his upper torso. He looked down and began to unwind it.

"What the heck is he doing?" Rose whispered.

No one dared speak or could speak. I think all our hearts were on pause. We barely breathed.

Then he turned-- and we saw the bandage free a small, perky bosom. I couldn't move, couldn't swallow. We were clumped together, all of us finding a place to grasp another. Ice had her hand wrapped tightly around my right wrist. Rose was grabbing my blouse and pulling it so hard. I thought it would tear. I had one hand clinging to her blouse and Cinnamon had her left hand pressed against Ice's thigh.

"That's not Edmond Senetsky," Cinnamon whispered.

Whoever it was lowered the slacks. We saw what looked like men's underwear briefs, but when they came down, there was no doubt in any mind this was not a man.

The scene before us was hypnotizing. No one could turn away, nor could anyone move a muscle.

Whoever it was then headed for the bed and picked up my blouse. She put it on and gazed at herself in the mirror.