“Vivian! Hellooo, Vivian!”

Vivian fastened her Revlon Fire & Ice smile in place, and opened her eyes wide so as not to look like she was scowling, then turned to see Helen Harper waving at her.

Does she know?

“Why, Helen, hello yourself! You’re looking well.”

She really did like Helen. Charlotte’s friend Barbara’s mother. A dear, really, and on any other day she’d have enjoyed stopping to chat, but Vivian’s current state of mind had made everyone a potential enemy.

“Who, me? Oh, pshh, you’re sweet. I’m exhausted from the holidays already, and Christmas isn’t until next week!”

Helen’s rushed, cheery tone was the same as it always was, and Vivian saw nothing in her eyes other than overcaffeination and general holiday chaos. She relaxed her shoulders and stifled a sigh of relief.

“Now, Vivian.” Helen’s voice dropped to a lower octave. “I heard something . . .” She placed her hand on Vivian’s arm and peeked over the top of the rhinestone-accented horn-rims she always wore.

Vivian’s shoulders went rigid again and she struggled to keep her smile bright and eyes wide.

“Is it true that the cheerleading tryouts are held in front of the whole school? The girls are expected to perform in front of nine hundred people?”

Vivian sucked air in through her teeth, which Helen probably thought was a reaction to the number of students watching the tryouts rather than the conversational crisis she felt she had just avoided.

“Oh, garsh, I don’t know,” Vivian answered, not having considered it.

“That just sounds like an awful lot of people. I don’t know how those girls do it. So brave!”

Barbara and Charlotte were both planning to try out for cheerleading in the spring, or something. If Charlotte made the team she’d need new saddle shoes. That was what Vivian had been thinking of when she thought about the tryouts. Having to ask Edward for money for new saddle shoes, although she hadn’t thought of it since she overheard the Betty Miller phone call. Who gave a rat’s ass about the size of the crowd watching them? Wasn’t that all part of being a cheerleader? Shaking your taters in front of large crowds? How was she going to afford new saddle shoes on her salary if she had to leave Edward? Her inner voice had gone shrill.

“Oh, well,” Helen sang. “That’s quite a ways away. We don’t need to worry about it now. If I don’t see you again before Christmas, have a merry one!”

“FINE, THANK YOU!”

Helen was already thinking about spring, and Vivian’s inner shriek had just considered leaving Edward. How do you like that? A chill shivered through her body. She gave a shake of her head, then looked down at the grocery list she was still pressing between her thumb and forefinger. Well, good for Helen for not having a horrible scandalous secret she was desperately trying to keep under wraps. The anxiety returned in a flash and Vivian pushed the cart quickly down the aisle.