Elementary

by Jason Zandri

  “Oh no. Is Mr. Sanford mad? Maybe I should come down to let him know it’s all my fault.” Melissa said.

  “I think Mark’s fine. Matthew is level-headed, and I’m sure if he’s telling his father this same story, things are fine.” Diane turned to wipe the counter. She put Mark’s cookie tin back into the bag with Matthew’s. “It might make sense to come down here regardless. I’m sure Matthew would like to see you.”

  “No, he won’t. He made that clear on the bus.” Melissa sounded disappointed.

  “So you’re never going to speak to him again for your whole life?”

  Diane asked. “I think he’s embarrassed about the fact that a girl he thinks a lot of walked right up to him in plain view of everyone and kissed him on the lips. It’s a lot for a boy like him to process. His reaction is to get upset and be protective of himself.”

  Melissa sat quietly on the phone for a minute then said, “When did

  you become smart like Mom?”

  Diane smiled widely. “Oh, about three forty-five yesterday afternoon,” she replied.

  “So, could I come by? I am hungry. And I’d like to see Matthew.”

  “Sure,” Diane said, looking over at the hallway. “I think that by the time you get ready and walk over here, his Dad will have finished talking with him.”

  ***

  Matthew sat at the desk and took out his homework, then his father opened the door and walked in.

  “So …” he said, taking a seat on the small couch in the office, adjacent to the desk. “Why don’t you let me know what happened.”

  “It was just like I told you, Dad,” Matthew exclaimed, somewhat frantic. “I’m sitting with Liz Wellsworth, minding my own business, when Missy comes out of nowhere and kisses me right on the mouth. Girls are crazy like that! Don’t you believe me?”

  “Oh, I believe you,” Mark said with a smile. “So that was it? She kissed you … you kissed her back—”

  “I did not kiss her back,” Matthew snapped. “She attacked my mouth, unprovoked.”

  Mark tried his best to not laugh, but he enjoyed the exchange too much. “Okay, she assaulted your mouth in the third degree; then what happened?”

  “Well, it’s like I said. Miss Haddleword was playground monitor today and saw it happen and sent us to the office over it.”

  “Okay, we can deal with the after school thing. Half an hour clapping erasers isn’t a big deal, and neither is this ‘crime,’” Mark said and made finger quotes in the air. “So, what are you most upset about regarding all of this?”

  Matthew stopped to think for a minute. These conversations were his father’s way to get him to think about his conflicts and life issues and find better ways to deal with them. “Well, it’s hard. I’m upset that Missy just went and did that. I don’t even know why.”

  “Well, have you talked to her and asked her why?”

  “No,” Matthew said and blushed. “On the bus, I still felt upset over the whole thing. I wouldn’t talk to her.”

  “Okay.” Mark scooted to the front part of the couch. “I’d suggest you try that first. Did you stop to think she might have been a little impulsive herself and now regrets the way she did what she did?”

  “No.” Matthew looked down at the desktop calendar. “I never thought about what she thought or felt.”

  “So now you have something new to think about. Was there anything else that bothered you?” Mark asked.

  Matthew mulled over the question for a moment then said, “Well, I was just starting to get to know Liz a bit better. She has a lot of friends. She’s real popular. She’s pretty. It was nice that she paid some attention to me.

  When I tried to get her attention later, after all this happened, she didn’t say much to me.”

  “And that bothers you?”

  “Yes,” Matthew replied. “She’s hard enough to talk to. There’re always people around.” He looked down and continued in a quiet voice,

  “She’s very pretty.”

  Mark smiled. “What was that, sport? I couldn’t quite hear you.”

  “She’s very pretty,” Matthew replied loudly. “I’m always nervous when I talk to her. Today I wasn’t, for whatever reason. You know, right up to the point where Missy tried to eat my mouth.”

  Mark couldn’t keep from laughing any longer. “Well, when you get the chance to talk to her again, and I expect you will, you can always start off about the crazy girl who ran up and kissed you.” Matthew looked up at his father. “You know … a common subject to start from.”

  Matthew nodded and opened his schoolbook. Mark got up slowly to see if Matthew had anything else he wanted to add. He got all the way to the door and opened it before Matthew spoke up. “Dad?” Mark stopped and turned his head, stepping just slightly out of the door. “So you’re not upset I got in trouble at school?”

  Mark thought about the trouble he’d gotten into when he was his

  son’s age and mentally made that the threshold. “Over something small like this? No, son. I don’t want it to become a common occurrence, but kissing the girls? I can think of bigger things to hang a man for.”

  Matthew grinned. “Thanks, Dad, for understanding and all.”

  “Diane has something for you, to celebrate the opening of the expansion area of the store. Come out in half an hour after doing some homework. I’m sure she’ll be looking forward to giving it to you.”

  Mark looked down at his feet. “You know, son. … You’re reaching a point in your life where girls mean something different to you than they did before.” He turned his head to look at Matthew a little more and noticed he was looking up and paying attention. “I don’t want to get into the whole

  ‘birds and bees’ talk here at the store, but maybe sometime soon.”

  “Okay, Dad,” Matthew replied with obvious unease.

  “Not for anything, I know you’re a little upset with Melissa right now with how things went, but she seems like a nice girl. If she’s anything like her sister, she’s going to be a nice person when she grows up. It’s early to talk about being with someone long-term, but something for you to keep in mind for the future; even if you can’t be with a girl in that special way, a good friend is a great friend to have.”

  Matthew just stared at his father. Then he said, “So, you think Diane’s special?”

  “Oh, I know she is. They don’t make ‘em like her anymore.”

  “Have you told her that?” Matthew asked as a smile grew across his face.

  “Wise ass,” Mark said, returning the smile and shaking his finger.

  Mark closed the office door and turned around. Diane stepped into the hallway. “Mark,” she said abruptly, “Melissa is going to walk here; she’s hungry and wanted something to eat. My mother will be late.”

  “Oh, that’s fine,” he said and walked past her, out into the store area.

  “Why don’t you go ahead up the street; meet her halfway and walk in with her.”

  “Thank you,” Diane said and reached for her coat. “I think she’ll want to sit and talk things out with Matthew if that’s okay with you.”

  “Of course.” Mark turned his head to look towards the office area.

  While Diane stepped outside, a customer got out of his car and came inside.

  ***

  Melissa cracked open the office door just enough to step in part of the way. Matthew sat bent over his homework. She eased her head through the gap and said, “Look, I know you’re upset with me, but can I talk to you?”

  Matthew took his time closing his book and turned around to switch on his small radio. “Close the door, please,” he said, waving a hand. “I don’t need your sister or my Dad hearing us; the walls are thin enough as it is.” He fished around for one of his 8-tracks while Melissa took a seat on the couch.

  “What’s on that one?” Melissa asked.

  “Styx, Kansas, Boston, Steve Miller … I forget who else.” The music started.

  Melissa adjusted her skirt.
“Why don’t you mark up the label?”

  “Well, sometimes I re-record on the 8-track tapes. You know, when I’m in the mood for something different.”

  “And you do that from your albums?”

  “Yeah. When I’m home I usually just listen to the records, but when I’m here, I have the tapes I make.”

  “Okay, so, I know you were mad at me from today,” she said as innocently as she could, “but there was a reason I did that.” Matthew said nothing and just stared at her from the desk. “Okay. So the girls were talking about you. They were saying all kinds of stuff, you know, about you.”

  “Like?”

  “Well …” She cleared her throat. “They said you were kissing the girls. And I was trying to defend you. You were sitting with Liz Wellsworth and they said you were holding hands and kissing. And there were other times too. Then they got on me about kissing you.”

  “You told them?” Matthew yelled.

  “No! I didn’t.” She was so upset and worried he would be even madder at her. “I didn’t tell anyone. Honest. I swear. Not even Diane. Even though I wanted to.”

  Matthew looked at her; she was about to burst into tears. “I guess I have to assume that, at some point, you’ll tell Diane.”

  “Look, they kept after me and after me, and that’s the reason I was upset and defending you. I guess the other part of the reason was that I was mad you were kissing Liz Wellsworth and not me,” she said, burning off the feeling of crying. “So I went crazy and walked up and kissed you. I’m sorry.

  I wanted to show Carrie and Alecia, and that Liz Wellsworth … well … I don’t know what I was going to show them.”

  “So they all think I kissed the popular girl?” Matthew asked.

  “Even if you haven’t, it’s like you have. They’re all talking about it anyhow.” Melissa felt mildly upset that he’d focused on that rather than her admission that she wanted him to kiss her and not Elizabeth.

  “Can I tell you something?” Matthew asked, taking in a deep breath.

  “Anything.”

  “You’re the first girl ever to kiss me. I mean, my aunt has. My mother, I guess …” He stopped to catch his breath. “I can’t remember her ever doing it. Maybe she did when I was a baby. But I can’t remember a time.”

  A couple of tears oozed down Melissa’s cheeks. The day’s events had overwhelmed her, together with learning that she was his first kiss and that his mother hadn’t been there for him.

  “Can we be honest with each other?” Matthew asked, wiping a stray tear away and probably hoping she didn’t see it. “I mean, a lot of this being uncomfortable could have been avoided if you just told me the truth right away.”

  “Yes, well I sort of tried but …” Melissa said. “I agree … no more secrets.”

  “I mean we’re friends, and friends shouldn’t have secrets,” Matthew said, getting up to turn the music down a little and step over to the couch.

  Melissa got up, and her upset morphed into a smile. “I’m sorry that your Mom and Dad aren’t together anymore, but if that had to happen for you to move here and so we could be friends, I’m going to be selfish and say I’m glad it did.” She hugged him tightly then let him go.

  “We should go out into the store … you know … people talk.”

  The two of them laughed and stepped out of the office.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Liz Wellsworth sat off to one side on the front stairs of the Wallingford Public Library. The early April Saturday afternoon sun shone bright, and the warm breeze blew loose papers across Simpson Court.

  Matthew pedaled his bike over from the main sidewalk and called over, “Liz!”

  Liz waved to him, “Hi, Matthew; long time no talk.”

  “Yeah, it’s been a bit,” he said, trying to be as comfortable as he could. She looked strikingly pretty to him, and he had real trouble maintaining focus on what he wanted to say whenever he talked to her.

  “Look, I haven’t had the chance to catch you free in school; if it’s not one person talking to you it’s another, or the class bell or something. I wanted to say I was sorry about all that stuff with Missy.”

  “Oh, forget it.” She played with her long red hair. “I didn’t get into trouble and it’s not that big a deal for me. I understand you had to stay after the next day.” She looked up at him and squinted a little. “On the other hand, I’m thinking the kiss was worth it.”

  “I was so taken off guard that I can’t remember exactly what I felt.”

  He looked away, embarrassed about her forwardness. “You know,” he said, looking back directly at her, “the other girls were saying we kissed and everything.”

  “Oh talk, talk, and talk. That’s all those girls do. It’s not the worst thing. You’re cute anyhow.” She stood and looked over Matthew’s shoulder to some of the girls coming toward them, then stepped right up to Matthew and kissed him on the lips. “I have to go, my Mom is at the light there.” She pointed toward Center Street as the girls walked by and giggled.

  Holy crap! Liz Wellsworth KISSED me! “Why did you do that?”

  Matthew asked. “Why did you kiss me?” He looked over to the girls going into the library; they looked back and continued to giggle. One of them was Jennifer Smith, a friend of Carrie Hoag. Great, Matthew thought, this will be all over school before Monday. Telephone, telegraph, tell-a-Carrie.

  “Well, everyone is saying we were anyway. Now I just made it true.

  Also, like I said, you’re cute. I wanted to.” Liz smiled. “See you in school on Monday.”

  Matthew just stood there holding his bike and watching her walk into Simpson Court toward her mother’s Oldsmobile. When she came around the passenger side of the car, she looked over and waved. Matthew waved back and smiled. Liz Wellsworth kissed me. I still don’t believe it.

  The car pulled out of Simpson Court and turned left onto North Main.

  Matthew moved his bike to under the large Beech tree in the lawn area in front of the library. When he turned to head inside, he noticed someone leaning against the wall in the alleyway. From his vantage point, it looked like Tim Cafferty, but he wasn’t sure until he got closer, and he called out.

  “Yeah, Sanford?” Tim turned from the wall and took a couple of steps forward. “What do you want?”

  “Hey man, nothing,” Matthew answered and swallowed past the lump that had risen in his throat.

  Tim was a big kid by any standard. He stood nearly a foot taller than anyone else in fifth grade; a combination of starting kindergarten later than most kids, staying back one year, and basically hitting the front end of puberty faster than anyone else.

  “Well, if you don’t want anything why are you still staring?” Tim asked, even more agitated, and stepped all the way up to the leading edge of Simpson Court.

  Christ, he’s scary, Matthew thought. “Nah, man. I was just thinking of saying ‘good game.’ You know, from dodgeball on Wednesday in the gym.”

  “You got lucky, squirt,” Tim said in a tone that was at least one octave lower than he’d used a minute ago. “If it’s one thing I’m good at, it’s Dodgeball. You got lucky the fire alarm went off, and we never finished that game.”

  Matthew didn’t know what to say. Tim played well, but Matthew was a good player in his own right. It wasn’t the smartest thing to stand up to a guy like Tim, but it also wasn’t the smartest thing to back down from him either. “Guess we’ll never know, at least regarding that game anyhow.”

  “What are you saying, punk?” Tim stepped right up and looked down on him. “You think if we played that out you would have won?”

  “How can I know?” Matthew answered, still nervous. “The game

  ended because of the alarm. The next game isn’t going to be the same game unless it goes down to just us two on opposite sides again. All your side was out, as was mine.”

  “Cafferty!” An older man yelled from the front doors of the library. “I told you to beat it. You’re not going to come h
ere and cause trouble. Inside or outside. Go home or I’ll call the cops.” The man pointed across the lot towards Center Street, which housed the Police Station.

  “Punk,” Tim said, shoving Matthew backward. He managed to maintain his balance and not fall, but it was a hard shove. The man came down the stairs as Tim walked down the alley.

  “You okay, son?” the man asked.

  “I’m fine, thanks,” Matthew said and moved towards the library.

  “That kid is trouble; you should mind yourself around him and stay away.”

  “I know him from school. I hadn’t realized he lived around here,”

  Matthew said while he climbed the short steps and headed inside.

  “I think he lives over on Valley Street,” the man said quietly, as they entered the library.

  That’s not too far from us, Matthew thought, that’s just a little past West Side Field. The man walked back behind one of the counters while Matthew went over to the reference section. The girls he’d seen outside snickered at him. Matthew smiled at them and puckered up, and they all squealed.

  The lady behind the reference counter shushed them.

  Matthew grinned and went about his business.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Joe Canton sat in his recliner watching his television, drinking beer.

  Diane stepped into the room and looked over at him.

  “Joe?” she asked softly. “Did you want another one?”

  “Hrmph. Yes. Where’s your mother?” He shook the tiny remaining amount of beer in the bottle before finishing it. From where he sat, he glanced at the view out of his front windows and studied the evening sky.

  “I think she’s upstairs with Missy,” Diane said and took the empty bottle away then walked into the kitchen.

  “That Missy cries entirely TOO MUCH!” he shouted, intentionally loud enough to be heard up the stairs. “I can’t even enjoy a Sunday evening in this house in peace. One of you girls is always having an issue with something. If the two of you happen to be settled at the same time, then your mother is the one with the issue.”