by Jason Zandri
“Well good morning, Miss Bancroft,” Diane responded spiritedly. “I see you’re wearing the minimum amount of bathing suit as required by law.”
“Oh geez,” Melissa said tugging on her pullover and adjusting her top,
“you sound like Mom now.”
“The only reason you get away with that outfit with Mom is because she knows you’re going with Tim and Matthew,” Diane said in a motherly tone.
“Otherwise she’d never let you out of the back yard with it on.”
“Really?” Melissa said turning her comments away from the original playful tone. She looked herself over. “Matthew,” she said, “is this suit ‘too much’”?
“I think it’s fine,” he said looking her up and down once. “You could almost pass for a girl,” he said teasing and quickly backing up.
“You jerk,” she responded back, playfully taking a swing at him. “Paul likes it.”
“Ah, the new guy,” Matthew said coolly. “What happened with Chris?”
“Well,” Melissa said switching her beach bag between her hands and stepping towards the van, “come to find out we wanted different things,” she said peeking into the side view mirror where her brown eyes stared back at her.
“Such as?” Matthew said moving over to open the passenger slider for her to get into the van.
“I wanted him to be… I don’t know, decent, I guess,” she said climbing in the van.
“And what did he want?” Matthew said closing the door part of the way.
“Dumb whore, Jenny.”
Matthew whistled and closed the door. “Guess I won’t ask what that’s all about,” Matthew said looking at Diane.
“Good idea,” Diane said. Matthew came around to the back of the van to cross over to the driver’s side. “Matthew?” Diane said before he stepped all the way around.
Matthew turned back and looked at her. Diane hesitated for a moment with her mouth open. “Have fun today,” she said with hesitation in her voice.
Matthew stared for a moment and looked at her. “Okay,” he said with a small grin. “Was there something else?” he asked taking a small step forward towards her.
Again, Diane hesitated. “No,” she quietly responded. “Just have fun. And be careful.”
“Yes, Mom,” Matthew said jokingly.
Diane curled her hand up into a fist, shook it, and puckered her face tight.
Matthew laughed aloud. “Did you want a ride to the store?” he said wiping his eyes, which teared up from laughing.
“No thank you,” she said politely, “I like the short walk and it’s nice out.”
Matthew waved and turned to get into the van.
***
Diane was at the main counter at Colony Convenience when Elizabeth Wellsworth walked through the door. “Fifteen on pump four, please,” she said handing a twenty to Diane.
Diane turned the pump on and made the change for her. “You’re Elizabeth, right?” she asked.
“Yes,” Liz replied. “You’re Missy’s sister right? Diane?”
“I am,” Diane said glancing out the window and over to her car. She noticed the girls in the car and all the beach attire. “I guess everyone is going to the beach today except me.”
“Really?” Liz said looking around the store. “Is Matthew going?”
“Oh,” Diane said surprised. “I assumed you were tagging along with them. Once in a while there’s a second car full when his van is loaded.”
“He’s going to be at Rocky Neck today?” Liz asked inquisitively.
Diane paused for a moment. She realized that Liz wasn’t going with them and then remembered that Liz and Melissa didn’t get along very well with one another. “Um… I’m not sure where they are going.”
Liz looked out the window of the store as Matthew’s van pulled into the lot. “I guess I can ask him now,” she said and turned to walk out of the store.
She quickly shook out her long red hair.
Mark exited the back room and looked out the window to see his son’s van come to park in the open space. “I see everyone is going to the beach except us,” he said to Diane.
She laughed. “I just said that to Elizabeth,” she said pointing to her outside.
Mark scratched an itch on the side of his head. Diane looked at his graying hair and then reached up touched her own shoulder length black hair.
She was staring at him.
“Do I have something in my hair?” Mark asked playing with it some more.
“Oh, no,” Diane said surprised, realizing she was staring at him. “Sorry.”
Mark walked around the counter to see his reflection in the small two-way mirror on the wall. He sighed. “Just like my Dad,” he said sounding somewhat resigned.
“How so?” Diane asked.
“Well,” Mark said turning around to look at her. “My Dad started getting gray hair in his forties as well. I’ll be forty three soon; I was hoping it would take a little longer.”
Diane turned her right eyebrow up and grinned. “I think it makes you look even sexier than you already are.”
Mark smiled at her. “Easy for you to say; your hair is jet black as the day I met you.”
“And if it wasn’t?” she asked.
“It wouldn’t matter,” Mark said turning towards the larger area of the store, “I’d still want you more than I did yesterday, but less than I will tomorrow.”
A warm feeling rushed over her while she watched him move away.
***
Matthew hopped out of the driver’s door and Tim pulled the slider open to grab the cooler. Michael Anderson popped his head out of the back seat area.
“You guys need any help?”
“Nah,” Tim said, “you can stay with the girls.” He grinned and looked back. Michael shook his fist playfully. “I’ll keep them all warm.” Lesley Patterson, his girlfriend, shoved him playfully at the remark.
Tim looked over at his girlfriend Patti and then he turned to Matthew who came around the van.
“Hi Liz,” Matthew said to her as she approached the van.
Tim looked into the van to see Melissa scowl while she looked past Carrie and Alecia.
“So I see you’re all headed to the beach as well,” she said, overtly adjusting her top. Matthew followed her hands with his eyes.
Carrie gave Melissa a slight shove and pointed. Melissa turned back, looked at her, and whispered in a harsh tone. “What?”
Tim stuck his head back into the van part way to listen inconspicuously.
“She’s going to bait him,” Carrie said quietly. “She’ll find out where we’re going; do you really want her there?”
“Not really my business,” Melissa said quietly. Alecia leaned in. “I have a new boyfriend now and…”
“And nothing,” Alecia said. “Paul was conveniently around and asked you to the movies when Chris pulled that bullshit stunt. I’ve never understood why you and Matthew never got together.”
“I know why,” Carrie said confidently in a hushed tone. Patti listened in as well. “It’s like Alecia said, you never really give him the chance. You end one boyfriend and end up with another one asking you to a movie or skating or something.”
“So it’s my fault that I like to go out and do things with boys?” Melissa asked defensively.
“It’s not that. You just never give him the chance.” Patti interjected.
“We’ve been friends for years,” Melissa responded, looking over fondly at him. “I never considered it much and always figured if he liked me more than friends he’d say something.” Her tone changed slightly. “He never has.”
“That’s what we’re saying,” Carrie replied. “You’re never really giving him the chance. You are good friends; he knows that too. He doesn’t want to ruin that so when a chance opens, he treads lightly, but before he takes a chance you’re out to pizza with the next boy.”
Melissa didn’t respond immediately. She continued for focus on Matthew and Liz. She
watched him look at her and then looked up and down her figure
herself. “If I stepped out of the van now he wouldn’t even see me.”
Alecia looked over at Matthew. “You have a boyfriend now; he knows that. He’s not going to challenge.”
“Liz has a boyfriend too. More than one for that matter,” Melissa glared.
“Not stopping him from looking at her like that.” Self-consciously, she pulled at her bathing suit top. “Maybe if I looked that… healthy…”
“Pay better attention, girl,” Patti said with a snap in her voice, undoing her sandy blond hair and pulling it back into a ponytail. “He looks at Liz like that when he sees her; when she’s front and present. Take a better look at him at other times. That look in his eyes; it’s always there for you, whenever someone mentions your name, even when you’re nowhere around.”
Tim took a couple of steps back. Liz reached up and hugged Matthew quickly.
“I’m sure we’ll run into you,” she said, letting go and turning to look into the van through the windshield. She smiled directly at Melissa and turned to walk away.
Tim looked over, saw Mark exit the store from the main door, and walked over towards the boys. “Live it up,” he called out warmly, “summer is almost over and then it’s back to the grind.”
“Hi Dad,” Matthew said turning to walk up. He glanced over to watch Liz head back to her car. “Can we pay for some ice to keep the sodas cold?” he asked while Tim followed.
“No,” he said simply. Tim and Matthew stopped dead in their tracks and turned to look at one another. “When have I ever charged you for the ice?”
“Man,” Tim said, “I never get used to your dry humor, sir.”
“I like that you boys always ask to pay. It’s the right thing to do.” Mark said.
“Is my Dad here yet?” Tim asked while they all continued over to the ice machine.
“Not yet,” he said. “He’s been working a lot; we’ve had a full schedule for weeks now but his back was bothering him. I told him to rest up a little this morning and that I would tackle the first couple of cars in myself.”
Tim turned his head slightly, “Thank you for that, Mr. Sanford; I know he appreciates it.” Tim looked over at the cars in the side lot. “I see you’re selling some used cars now,” he said, setting the cooler down.
“Yes,” Mark replied diverging slowly away from the boys and heading to the garage bay. “We finally got that dealer license we needed and I picked
those up at auction last weekend. Your father has a keen eye; saved me from some potential lemons.”
“Didn’t you sell some cars before, Dad?” Matthew asked, shoveling ice into the cooler.
“We have been for a couple of years now but it’s been under the maximum since we didn’t have the license to do more. Diane got everything together for me at the state, forms and such, which allows us to sell more of them legally.”
Another car pulled into the pump area at the north side of the store.
Matthew looked over to Liz who finished pumping her fuel. He then looked back at the fuel pumps on the north side of the property and closed the lid to the cooler. “How are the new pumps on that side working out?” he asked flipping his thumb backwards over his shoulder.
“Good,” Mark said stopping at the door to the garage. “People heading up and down Ward Street favor them and it keeps some of the congestion down at the front of the store.” Mark looked over quickly at the girls stepping out of the van to stretch their legs. “Not for anything guys,” he said, “I’m amazed that the girls’ fathers let you three boys take off with their daughters in a van to the beach.”
“Dad!” Matthew said while Tim chuckled.
“Kidding!” Mark said. “But you do have five of them in there; safety in numbers I suppose,” he said.
“We’re eighteen,” Matthew said pointing at himself and then Tim. “Heck, Tim will be nineteen soon.”
“And aren’t the girls seventeen?” Mark asked.
“Well… yeah. They all will be eighteen over the next few months,”
Matthew defended.
Mark waved both of his hands. “I’m joshing with you guys; you’re good boys…” Mark paused for a moment. “Well, I guess, “men” now really.
You’re good men; you do the right things and you treat people well. You work hard. I shouldn’t make light of that.” Mark said. “Have a good day at the beach today.”
Matthew and Tim turned and picked the full cooler up together. Mark headed inside as the two of them head over to the van slowly.
“So I guess Liz is headed to the beach as well?” Tim asked cautiously.
“Yeah,” Matthew said. “Donna and Marie were in her car. They were going to Rocky Neck.”
“Were?” Tim asked.
“Well, when I told them we were heading to Misquamicut, Liz said she’d head there as well,” Matthew responded innocently.
Tim slowed his pace, tugging backwards on the ice chest.
“What?” Matthew asked.
“That’s going to go over like rocks in a boat with Melissa.” Tim said, setting the chest down.
Matthew looked over at the van. Melissa was looking at him past Carrie and Alecia who had stepped outside. “Look, we’ve all known each other since we were little; you guys more than me. Melissa has a boyfriend anyway. And Liz… well… Liz is Liz. She’s not going out with a guy like me when she has the pick of the litter. Heck, she never sticks to one anyway; she has more than one. I’m not interested in being one of many.”
“Even if it means being with Liz?” Tim asked.
“Well…” Matthew said with a pause, tugging forward with the cooler full of ice and soda cans. “I wouldn’t say “no”; you’re right about that. If I could get her out on a date, I might ask. I will tell you there’s no way I am competing over a girl. I feel like I am a nice person and fun to be around.
They should be able to see that; I see those same good qualities in them.”
Tim just nodded at his friend.
“Donna is nice,” Matthew continued. “I thought it might be nice, with a bigger gang at the beach, that it might give me a chance to talk to Donna…
you know, maybe sit with her a while and such.”
Tim nodded again as they reached the van and dropped the cooler inside the side slider door.
“We all set?” Michael asked.
“Yep,” Matthew said looking about the vehicle. “Anyone need to use the bathroom in the store before we get going?”
Michael groaned. Upon Matthew’s comment, all the girls hopped out of the van.
***
The girls made their way back out of the bathroom in the store and Melissa hung back near the counter. Carrie looked at her. “I’ll be right out,”
she said waving at her and heading over to her sister.
Mark instinctively walked into the office, assuming that she wanted a quick, private conversation with Diane.
Melissa tugged at her pull over a little and looked at Diane who stood
with a smug look on her face.
“What?” Melissa asked sounding annoyed.
“I find it somewhat ironic how many times I stand at this counter to find you coming to me for advice.” Diane said in a soft tone.
“Why is it ironic?” Melissa asked.
“Because it’s always about boys and you’ve dated more than I ever did.”
“Well maybe… yes,” Melissa said, quickly looking out at Matthew and flashing the “one minute” signal to him. “The numeric value hasn’t granted me any additional wisdom. Besides, it’s not as if I can ask Mom. She certainly can’t help.”
Diane’s look toned down a little at her younger sister’s comment regarding their mother. She then glanced out the window at Matthew. She then turned back to Melissa. “I have to scratch that,” she said definitively.
“While you tend to ask some advice about boys, it’s not so much about them in general. It always seems to be
about Matthew.”
Melissa looked over at him and bit her lip a little. Her expression turned very soft and timid. “He’s so nice to me; he always has been. I don’t even function well around him. He’s so calm and cool around everyone. I don’t know what to say to him half the time anymore. I want to say everything and I never can. I am so worried I am going to ruin everything if I pursue anything that I never do. I never let him. I make sure I stay away from him when I’m not with another boy…”
“But why Missy?” Diane asked. “If he makes your heart so light that it floats away on its own… don’t you want to try to capture that?”
“I do,” she said with tears welling up in her eyes. “Almost since the day I met him in fifth grade, you know, once I really started to like boys and all.”
She turned and looked out the window to see him again. When he turned to look back in she quickly looked away and back at Diane. “What if I did and things didn’t work out? What if the friendship was ruined going forward from the end of that?”
“Loving anyone that much is a huge risk,” Diane said plainly.
“I don’t know if I would live. I would die if I couldn’t have him in my life at all.” Melissa said wiping a stray tear away.
“You won’t die from heartbreak,” Diane said trying to sound reassuring.
“But it will likely hurt.”
“The way I feel when he’s around… I’d rather have that at a distance than to have it end somehow.”
Diane sighed. “You’re a smart girl Missy. I guess technically after your birthday I’ll have to call you a woman. Regardless, you know there is no right thing to do. You’re not leading him on so there’s nothing to fix or correct. You simply need to ask yourself “what do you want” and then make a choice. I wish I could offer you more advice than that.”
