When their father died, Callie left school. She was already on the decline scholastically, and it was no real hardship leaving her lover there. Tracey was only fourteen and in need of a guardian. His death was no surprise. He'd been dying for quite some time, slowly. His will appointed Callie as Tracey's guardian, as they arranged in the beginning. Sharon didn't even attempt to contest it. Callie'd practically raised her sister, anyhow, was the general consensus. They hadn't seen nor heard from Sharon since the funeral nearing four years past.
"T, what are you thinking?"
"French," she smiled. "I have an exam today. I was trying to remember the term for satisfaction." She stopped staring at her foot, although it kept making eights.
"Never my subject."
"Ah, yes. I know. You are more classical, I remember. Latin was your game, oui?"
"Sic."
"C'est la vie." She shrugged happily.
"Indeed." Callie shooed her vaguely. "Go, do your studies. Be a duteous student for me."
They giggled and Tracey trotted down the hall. After she disappeared into her room, Callie went back to getting her clothes out of the dressing chest. She piled them neatly on the chair at her desk before she tugged at the quilt to make up her bed. She opened the curtains on her very large window and sighed. She hated this place when she was a kid. It seemed there was nothing to do for anyone not old enough to earn a pay cheque, and even then there was nothing for recreation. She turned on the radio and sat down on her bed.
"-ing, Nome. It's going to be a winsome day today. Temperatures will max at about twenty-six downtown, and at higher elevations it shouldn't get much warmer than twenty. Chances are, it will not snow until around three this afternoon. In other news, Jones Crandall's trial will begin next Monday at the Nome Municipal Courthouse. For those of you who haven't been tuning in, Crandall is the man suspected of assaulting and murdering Jana Fitzgerald, the daughter of our mayor, last winter out by the old Hickory esta-" Callie turned off the radio.
"What a day it's looking like."

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