Forks

by A.E. Davis

By the time I got home, I was still indecisive about going to the party. I changed into my sweats and even tried to do some of the homework I missed, but my heart wasn’t in it. A cool breeze wafted into my room. I lifted E up. “What do you think E, should I go or stay home?”

  E stared me down with his one eye.

  I sighed and set him back on my bed. “Well that didn’t help.” I got up and turned on my computer, thinking maybe I could blog about something but after ten minutes, my computer still wasn’t connecting to the internet. “Stupid thing.”

  Deciding to kill some time while it booted up, I went downstairs to see what Mom was doing. She was all dolled up in one of her best dresses. “Wow, Mom, you look great,” I said.

  She turned and skimmed her hands down the sides of her wrap around dress. “Do I?”

  “Yes, you look awesome,” I said with meaning. Mom always looked good but when she dressed up she was a real knock out. “Where are you going?”

  “Ken’s taking me out to dinner and the movies.” She preened in the mirror, checking her reflection. “Do you think he’ll like my dress?”

  “I should say so,” I said.

  “Oh, Amber, I think he’s the one,” she gushed.

  “The one?”

  “Yes…the one.”

  My heart stopped. “Mom, I thought you were going to take it slow.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Um because …” I bit my tongue I didn’t want to ruin her excitement by bringing up the past and all of her failed relationships.

  “Yes…” she prompted.

  I shook my head. “I think that’s great Mom.”

  She took a breath and exhaled shakily. “Yeah, me too,” she said.

  I didn’t mention that she had just met him and he probably wasn’t on the same page as her yet and that he might never be. I didn’t want her to get her hopes up but I didn’t want to squash her enthusiasm either. I was stuck.

  “He’d be an idiot not to feel the same,” I said, meaning every word. Granted, Ken had turned out to be pretty great too. Most people wouldn’t even consider falling as fast as my mom, but she always said, in relationships, if you’re going to take a chance you should go all in and play to win. If not, it’s just cheating yourself out of your own happily ever after. The problem was, where my mom was concerned, it usually turned out to be a happily never after.

  “What are you doing tonight?”

  “I don’t know, probably just hanging out here.”

  “Oh.” Her face fell.

  “Why?”

  “Well, I kind of had something special planned for Ken, here, after.” She walked over to a bag and pulled out some sexy lingerie.” It was very small with lots of black lace.

  “Oh God, Mom! Eww.”

  “Come on, Amber, you’re not a child.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t want to hear about, that!”

  She made a face. “You’re ridiculous.”

  The last thing I wanted to do was be home when Mom and Ken were doing the nasty. “I think I’ll go out after all.”

  “Where?”

  “There’s a party tonight some kids at school are having.”

  “Oooh that sounds like fun,” she said, emphasizing the fun part, probably because she was thinking about her own night. “Don’t forget you have a curfew.”

  “What time do you want me home?” I lifted my brow.

  She giggled. “How about oneish?”

  “Sounds good.” I was probably the only teenager on earth who actually didn’t mind having a curfew. It gave me an excuse to come home when the night fell apart, and it usually did.

  “Are the Roth boy’s going to be there?”

  “Um, maybe…. I’m not sure.”

  “Those two are really cute,” she said, reapplying her lipstick. It was bright red and contrasted with her pale complexion. Only my mom could carry that color off without looking trashy. If I tried it I would look like a demented clown. My lips were too big.

  “Yeah, they are,” I agreed.

  “Which one do you like?”

  “Mom,” I groaned. “I don’t know.”

  “Ah…” She turned thoughtful. “So that’s your problem,” she said like she knew the hidden meaning of the universe.

  “I don’t have a problem,” I argued.

  “Yes you do.” She smiled knowingly. “You just haven’t figured it out yet…but you will…give it time.”

  “I gotta go get ready.”I started toward the stairs.

  “Who are you going with?” Mom turned.

  “Um, this boy named Jason.” I paused at the bottom of the stairs.

  Mom’s face brightened. “Oooh, is he cute too?”

  “Not really, but he’s nice.”

  “Well,” she sighed, “I guess nice has its perks too.” She didn’t look convinced. “Why aren’t you going with one of the Roth boys?”

  “Because neither one asked me.”

  “Oh.” She gave me a sympathetic look. “Well,” she said breezily, attempting to sound upbeat. “It’s their loss.”

  “Tell them that,” I muttered despondently.

  “Do you want me to?”

  “God, no!” I shouted. “I was just kidding.”

  “Okay,” she sighed and adjusted a curl.

  “Has Ken mentioned Glinda?”

  “No, not since last night,” she said, and put her lipstick back in her purse.

  “I wonder if she’ll wake up,” I said, watching her expression to see if she knew anything. My mom never could keep a secret.

  Her eyes shifted. “I guess time will tell.”

  “So,” I hedged. “Has Ken said anything else about the attacks?”

  “Um…” She chewed on her lip. “Not really.” Her eyes cut to some distant spot in the other room.

  I knew it. She did know something.

  “Well?” I crossed my arms, waiting.

  “Well, I guess I could tell you…” She peered out the door and right then Ken’s cruiser swung into the driveway putting an end to the conversation.

  “Tell Ken, I said hi.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To get ready,” I said, heading toward the stairs.

  “Your hair looks nice,” she called.

  I stopped. “Thanks Mom, you look incredible.”

  She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. “I do, don’t I.”

  “Yes, you really do.” I smiled at her. “Have fun tonight.”

  “Oh…” She blushed. “I will.”

  “You too,” she called after me.

  “I’ll try.” Somehow, I didn’t think my night was going to be nearly as exciting as hers. Not even close.

  I ran up the stairs to get ready.

  thirty two

  My phone was ringing when I got back into my room. I jumped for it. “Hello,” I said, a little breathlessly.

  “Hey Amber, it’s me, Jason.”

  I already figured that. He was the only person other than Glinda or my mom that ever called me. “What’s up?”

  “Listen, I knew you said you would call but…”

  “Yes, I’m going to the party,” I cut him off.

  “Sweet!” he exclaimed and then cleared his throat. “Ah, yeah, that’s cool.”

  I couldn’t help smiling. “So, what time?”

  “I was thinking around nine, is that cool with you?”

  I glanced at the clock. It was seven thirty. “Yeah, that’s sounds good.” Since I didn’t have to do my hair it wouldn’t take too long to get ready.

  “Want me to pick you up?”

  I thought about that for a minute and then decided against it, in case I wanted to leave. I never liked depending on other people to get anywhere. That way I couldn’t be left, like what I did to poor Glinda. I still felt like a deserter and if I had stayed she probably would be the one going to the party with me tonight instead of Jason.

  “How bout I meet you?”

  “At th
e party,” his voice cracked.

  “How about we meet somewhere and then I can follow you.”

  “Oh, all right,” he sighed.

  “I mean if that’s okay,” I tried to backtrack.

  “Sure, sure, that will work,” he said. “Can we still walk in together?”

  “Of course,” I said.

  “Great!” he enthused. “Where do you want to meet?”

  “Um…I don’t know.”

  “How about we meet at the Visitor’s Center parking lot? You know where it is right?” he rushed out. “It’s beside the Timber Museum.”

  “Yeah…” I hesitated remembering that was where the girl’s car was found from out of town.

  “Amber, is that okay?” he asked, sounding nervous like I might bail on him.

  “Yeah, that’ll work.”

  “Cool. I’ll meet you there at nine.”

  “Sounds good,” I said. My weird dream bubbled to the surface and I tried to squash it down.

  “Thanks, Amber,” he said.

  “Why are you thanking me?”

  “Cuz…you know…” he hedged.

  “No, I don’t…know.”

  “Never mind,” he said. “See you at nine.”

  “Kay. Bye.” The lined died.