Truth or Dare Read Free

her scalp.  The black wig landed like a dead thing on her dresser.  She shook out her hair until it hung down her back in curls that fell halfway to her waist.
    "Ah."  It felt so good to be out of the disguise.  But the wig and ill – fitting clothes had served her well.  She had the job, and she intended to keep it.  So she'd just better get used to the idea of wearing those awful clothes and that hideous wig.
    When she rejoined her children, Mike said, "Now you look like the mother we know and love."
    Rachel had to admit she certainly felt more like herself in her snug fitting jeans and loose T – shirt.  "The bag lady is no more . . . until Monday morning.  Now, tell me how your day went.  How are you two making out at your new schools?"
    Mike complained about being forced to read A Tale of Two Cities .  Rachel laughed at the face he made, and promised to buy him two new Louis L'Amours if he got a good grade on his book report.
    "I had a great day," Caroline said.  "I signed up for a girl's softball team."
    "That's wonderful," Rachel said with enthusiasm.  She knew Caroline had worried she might not get to play this year.  "Tell us about it."
    "I don't know much, really.  Except that my new friend, Debbie, you remember hearing about her.  Well, her dad's the coach, and she says they've already started practice, but that they need a good short stop.  And that's me!  It's some sort of inner – city league and they play nearly all summer.  And you don't have to worry about how to get me to the games.  If Mike can't take me, Debbie says there's always a bunch of carpools going on with the parents."
    "Sounds like you're settling in at school pretty fast," Rachel observed.
    "Well," Caroline said.  "I miss all my old friends, but I'm making new ones."
    "I'm glad, sweetie .  You both know I hated to uproot you, especially in the middle of a school year, but I didn't have much choice.  Now that I've got a job, things'll be fine, you'll see."
    Mike laughed and shook his head.  "You mean, now that the bag lady has a job."
    "Watch it, kid."  Rachel raised a fist in mock anger and shook it beneath her son's nose.  "It's bad enough having strangers laugh out the corners of their mouths when I walk by.  I don't have to take it from you two." 
    "Yeah, but Mother," Caroline began.  "Isn't what you're doing, you know, changing your looks that way, isn't that kinda like . . . lying . . . sorta?"
    Rachel sighed at her daughter's trouble look.  "Yes, honey, it is lying, I suppose.  And I don't like doing it.  But I've tried being myself at jobs before, and it never worked out.  Lying is never a good thing to do, but in this case it was my only choice if I wanted to get a job and keep it.  That doesn't make it right, but that's what I've done."
    "You've always told us liars get punished," Mike said gravely, a twinkle in his eye.
    "Oh, don't worry.  I'll be punished.  Those clothes and that wig are so uncomfortable I don't know how long I'm going to be able to stand them.  And if I don't go blind from wearing those awful, green glasses, it'll be a miracle."
    *  *  *  *
    Monday morning Rachel had Mike drop her off at work a half hour early.  They had decided he would use the car during the day to get to school and to take Caroline to her softball practices, since Rachel really had no need to leave the office until time to go home.  But she didn't want her new boss to see Mike just yet.
    Jared Morgan had not asked about her marital status or if she had children, and she hadn't volunteered the information.  She also hadn't told Mike and Caroline about that.  They had enough problems of their own without being made to feel their mother was hiding their existence.
    The first thing Rachel noticed when she got to her office was the audio cassette lying in the middle of her desk.  The note taped to it was addressed to her.  Jared would be late coming in this morning.  The tape contained correspondence he'd