Phillis Juball sighed, sat back down on her straight-backed
black stool and twirled herself around. The floor, made from ply wood set on
top of old pallets, was tilted, so the chair always slowly rotated to face
towards the door in the back. She was working at her little red vegetable stand
and trying to stay sane in the heat. Every little while the wind that blew
across from the fields on the other side of the street would swirl the dust on
the gravel parking lot of the gas station that her stand stood next to and
bring it in a little gust to hit her sweaty face and stick to it. She felt
incredibly grimy. The front counter was full of fresh vegetables and fruits,
and it was a Saturday, but business was very slow. She surmised that it was the
heat that was keeping the customers away. That, or the weather report that a
thunderstorm was on its way. It certainly felt like a storm. The air was heavy
with humidity and the sky was very dim for only 3:30 in the afternoon.
A little rumble came from the direction of the dark clouds
behind her stand, so she got up. If she left the hanging pots full of petunias
out to be caught in the rain, the flowers would be ruined and it would take at
least two or three days of sunny weather to make them look full and beautiful
again. She hummed as she lifted the pots two at a time by their hangers and set
them under the tent next to her stand, where the rest of her flowers and herbs
sat on tables, beautifully arranged to encourage customers to buy. She liked
feeling her arm muscles working when she lifted the heavy pots, so she lifted
them higher than was necessary. Back inside, a small feeling of resignation
came over her. Today wasn’t going to be the best day, but she would still make
a little money. It was better than nothing, and tomorrow was her day off. She
couldn’t wait to finally leave the hot stand and enter her air conditioned
house and, even more importantly, to wash her dirty feet and snuggle with her
kitten. She could not think of the right name for that kitten. It was adorable;
half calico and half tiger, with huge green eyes. She loved how it could be so
playful one minute and so cuddly the next. Her thoughts of the kitten ended as
a blue SUV pulled up. A middle aged man, dressed in a suit got out and strode
up to the counter.
“How are you?”
She smiled her practiced fake smile that she gave to all her
customers. He didn’t answer, but pointed at a quart of tomatoes.
“Just those.”
He handed her three dollars as she pulled out the bag
surrounding the quart and handed it to him.
“Thank you, have a nice day!”
“Mhmm.”
When he was gone, she restocked the empty quart basket and
placed it on the counter as she watched a bicyclist pedal by. Another dusty,
humid breeze smacked her face. She sat back down on her chair and again
attempted to read her book “organic chemistry for dummies.” It was not boring
to read but not exactly a thrill to read either. She was doing it because she
wanted to be prepared for the course when she took it for one of her sophomore
classes at Roberts
Wesleyan College
“Close it, close it!”
She jumped in surprise. She knew that face! Closing the door
as quickly as possible, and pushing the metal piece back down, she turned to
see him. He was sitting on the floor, gesturing for her to come close and
listen to him.
“Don’t tell them I am here. Please! Make them leave!”
Almost as soon as she stood back up, a white Jeep with a
colorful logo on the side swung into the lot from the road and stopped with a
loud crunch of gravel and smaller accompanying screech of brakes, sending
another swirl of dust in her direction. Two men stepped out and ran up. One
held a very expensive-looking Cannon camera.
“Did you see a young man run by here? One that looks like
Ashton Rydner?”
She could feel her heart pick up. Was that really Ashton
that was sitting below her counter?
“Oh, no I don’t think anyone ran by here. A bicyclist just
went by a couple minutes ago! Is Ashton in the area? That’s so cool!”
“Which way did the bicyclist go?”
She pointed down the road the opposite way from which they
had come. The man with the camara seemed satisfied.
“Thanks!”
He ran towards the
Jeep. The other narrowed his eyes.
“Are you sure you didn’t see him? Are you alone in there?”
She frowned
“If I saw Ashton Rydner I would most likely be screaming
with joy… and you are asking creepy questions. Please go, I have pepper spray!”
He pursed his lips, looked around one more time, and walked
away. The Jeep drove off in the direction she had pointed. Her eyes got wide,
but she didn’t look at the young man. She stared out the front of her stand.
“What just happened?”
The young man was looking up at her.
“You saved me from the media finding out where I am…
thanks.”
She finally looked
down at him. Her eyes got wide.
“Whoa. You are Ashton. Oh my goodness… ”
And then her wide eyes got wider
“I didn’t lie to them did I?”
His big blue eyes crinkled up and he smiled his famous
crooked smile with one big dimple. Her eyes were still wide and her cheeks were
getting pinker by the second. He actually loved it. For some reason it felt
good to him to be sitting in the dirt on the floor, watching a girl who was
obviously a fan of his blush at his random appearance. There was none of the
screaming and tugging of a crowd of tween girls trying to get his autograph or
a picture with him. Just one girl and a simple blush and now, slowly, a shy
smile.
“No, you employed bluffing, distraction and the wonderful
red herring fallacy instead.”
He smiled then nodded toward her.
“What’s your name?”
“Phillis. With no Y”
She looked down. She couldn’t believe he was sitting right
there, in her little stand. She had his total attention. It was almost every
girl’s dream to meet Ashton, and now he was right here, looking at her.
“Why were they chasing you? Why didn’t you want them to know
where you were?”
He hesitated
“I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”
His eyes twinkled. Her dimples got deeper; she knew he was
teasing her.
“Well go ahead and tell me then, I am already in any girl’s
heaven.”
He smiled, but then looked serious again.
“It’s really not a secret. I am surprised you don’t know.”
His smile came back.
“Well I am a fan
of yours but I don’t have a TV at home, nor do I follow the news, so…”
“Ohhh, I see.”
He seemed a little puzzled at this confession but continued
“Well, I am sort of running away from the media for awhile.
I have been constantly followed for four years. A week ago I got tired of being
watched so I decided to try to disguise myself and live like a normal person-
just plain disappear for a month.”
She nodded
“That is totally understandable!”
“They are too good, though. I underestimated them. It hasn’t
even been a week since I left my house in LA looking like an old plumber and
they already have leads that I am here in Rochester ,
New York
“I’m sorry. It has got to be terrible not having any privacy
at all!”
“It’s ok.”
He smiled
“You gave me another chance! Maybe I can do it still.”
He pointed behind her stand.
“I was hiding in those woods back there but came out and
walked along the road because I needed to find somewhere to buy something to
eat. I took my wig off too because it was so hot.”
His brow came together
“That was stupid, now I’ll have to try again somewhere
totally different!”
“Did those reporters just come along at the right time?”
“Yeah I guess.”
He looked downcast.
“Hey, I’m sure you’ll be able to do it. You’ll get better at
it!”
She smiled at him.
“You still hungry? I have lots of things to eat here or I
could get you something from the gas station!”
He smiled back
“Sure that would be great. What do you have here? I’ll pay
for it!”
“No way! I have strawberries, tomatoes, cherries… not much
other than that would be good to eat raw.”
“I’d love some strawberries, and I am totally paying.”
“Are you kidding? No you’re not.”
He smiled as she handed him a quart of large, shiny, red
berries.
“Ok fine. Thank you so much!”
“Oh and I have an unopened water bottle. The man that fixes cars at the gas station always brings me a bottle on hot days, and I never drink a whole one because I’d have to go to the bathroom.”
“Oh and I have an unopened water bottle. The man that fixes cars at the gas station always brings me a bottle on hot days, and I never drink a whole one because I’d have to go to the bathroom.”
She blushed again as she realized what she had just said,
but he laughed out loud.
A rumble of thunder, louder this time, sounded just as he
laughed and the first raindrops spattered on the white canvas tent that was
over her stand. They both looked up and then at each other.
“I guess I found the right place to hide!”
She smiled.
“Anytime Ashton. I don’t get to host a celebrity at my stand
very often!”
“Hey, snap out of it!”
Madeline Williams was staring at her friend with her hands
on her hips and a perplexed look on her face. Phillis jumped and her big and
staring eyes went to Madeline’s. Her lips were still parted and her face was
blank.
“You’ve been sitting there staring out the front with a really weird look on your face for like
five minutes. What’re you thinking about?”
Phillis looked down.
“Well, not much… just tired I guess. Sorry Maddie were you
saying something?”
“Yeah I was talking. I guess it wasn’t that interesting!”
Phillis rolled her eyes, but then looked repentantly at her
friend.
“I’ll listen this time!”
Maddie smiled
“I just was talking about my trip. Remember Anita, the
horseshoe crab we dissected in Bio 101 freshman year? Well I found a dead
horseshoe crab on the beach and cut it open. It was so cool! It just reminded
me of Anita. Anyway, you’ve been doing this a lot lately- you need to get more
sleep!”
Phillis stood up and sighed.
“Yeah, I do.”
A small white car pulled up and an elderly lady with white
hair and sparkly blue eyes slowly stepped out and made her way to the counter.
She smiled and answered their greetings.
“I just came for some strawberries and tomatoes. Those
tomatoes will do!”
She said, pointing to a full quart. She walked over to the
strawberries.
“Mmmm these smell good!”
She pointed to a quart.
“My grandchildren will love these!”
Phillis smiled
“They have been delicious, so I am sure they will!”
When the lady had paid and left, Phillis turned to look at
Maddie.
“It’s not fair. You know exactly what you want to do with
the rest of your life- it’s a really great thing to be too- and I can’t even
figure out what I want to do tomorrow. I don’t know if I want to become a
physician’s assistant anymore. I just can’t figure it out!”
She put her hand on her forehead and sighed.
“You know what I really want to do- and have since I was a
little girl?”
Maddie smiled
“A gazelle rider?”
Phillis laughed.
“No, other than that! … I… I want to be an actress.”
She left Maddie staring at her and went out. The clouds
really were gathering and the petunias still needed to be moved. Maddie
followed her out after a few seconds and her mouth was still slightly O-shaped.
She crinkled her nose and then lifted her eyebrows in a quizzical look.
“Are you serious?”
Phillis nodded stubbornly.
“I really don’t care what people think, and I know it’s
impossible, I was just wishing.”
She walked to the front where hanging baskets full of
flowers encircled the posts holding up the front canopy. She picked two up and
walked back. Maddie was still looking at her.
“You know that’s a really sadly unrealistic and somewhat
naive and silly and immature dream to have right?”
Phillis looked at her and raised her left eyebrow.
“Uhhh thanks so much for summing that up. I guess it is all
those things, but still- who said dreams have to be realistic? If they were no
one would ever achieve anything that hasn’t been achieved already, and nothing
new would ever happen!”
Maddie had a confused look on her face.
“But other people have become actresses…”
“That’s not the point!”
Later that night Phillis remembered her confession. Where
had that come from? Before voicing that she wanted to be an actress, she had
never even thought of it. She had
begun playing scenarios out in her head awhile ago and they continued to get
more and more life-like. She loved the thought of being able to act the
scenarios out- write a book and then make it into a movie. Something like that!
It would be so fulfilling.
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