The Circle

by Kat Mayor

  “Yeah, well, it was interesting. That Nurse Ratched kind of scares me. She’s got way too much power.”

  “She’s definitely one of those people who feel the need to control others,” Lilly said.

  ‘“I was kind of surprised. It’s so unlike any of the other books you’ve lent me,” Charlie said.

  “Well, sometimes I veer out of period romance into other genres,” Lilly said.

  “There’s nothing wrong with period romance. I liked Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights was pretty good,” Charlie told her.

  “I thought the same thing about A Separate Peace, but The Lord of the Rings did nothing for me,” Lilly admitted.

  “To each his own,” Charlie said amiably. “Actually I tend to veer toward sci-fi myself.”

  “Then how come you haven’t lent me any sci-fi? You’ve been holding out on me.”

  “No, not really. Most of the sci-fi I was talking about are movies and television. Like this show I like from the fifties. Twilight Zone.”

  “I love the old Twilight Zone,” Lilly said.

  “You’re kidding. How would you know about that show? It’s so old.”

  “And just as relevant today as the day it was made, probably more so,” Lilly said. “I wish I had known you like sci-fi. That adds a whole other level of books and movies we can discuss.”

  “Liliana, I wanted to talk to you about something else.” He glanced over in Ian’s direction. “Maybe I should discontinue the trips to McDonald’s with you after band practice. I don’t want to cause problems with you and Ian.”

  “Don’t worry about that.” Lilly laughed. “Ian will have to understand that he’s not the only friend I have in the world. Trust me, he’d drop me in a heartbeat if he ever got a real girlfriend.”

  “So you don’t think he’s jealous? He’s awfully possessive,” Charlie said. Being Sentrian, that was one thing Charlie knew a lot about. Sentrians had turned jealousy into an art form.

  “No, not the way you mean. Besides, guys don’t think about me that way,” she said and bit her lip. She wished she could unsay it.

  “What do you mean guys don’t think about you ‘that way’? Any guy in this school would be lucky to go out with you.”

  “No, I’m not, like, putting myself down. Look,” she said, pointing at Nikki Thompson, the snotty-but-beautiful brunette with a perfect figure. “That’s what guys want.”

  “Some might,” Charlie agreed. “Yes, she’s pretty, and she does have a curvaceous body. But Liliana, you have a curvaceous brain.” Now it was Charlie’s turn to be worried. Maybe he had said too much.

  “A curvaceous brain? That’s the most unique compliment I’ve ever received. Thanks.” Lilly had to admit she liked that Charlie thought she was smart.

  “You’re welcome,” Charlie said. The bell rang, and they were both relieved. After that exchange, anything they said would have been awkward.

  ***

  Charlie was completely distracted throughout his afternoon classes. Before now, his feelings for Liliana had just been bubbling under the surface, easy to dismiss. But now there was no denying the attraction he felt for her. The voice in his head told him, “Remember she’s an Earthan, strictly off limits.” Charlie told the voice, “I know, I know, you don’t have to remind me.”

  Lilly, too, wondered about Charlie. She really liked him; he was fun to be around and interesting to talk to. He definitely respected her, but was that enough to build a relationship on? Didn’t there have to be that spark? She didn’t know. She had never been in love, but she thought there needed to be some sort of physical attraction. Geez! How shallow could she be? Then she remembered what Beth had said that morning about not fooling anyone. If they can see it, then why can’t I?

  The next period the teacher was just reviewing old material, so Lilly decided to do what she always did when she was trying to put things in perspective. She tore a piece of paper out of her notebook and made a list.

  Pros

  Charlie is…

  Well-read

  Intelligent

  Interesting to talk to

  Dependable

  Attentive

  Loyal

  Cons

  Charlie is…

  Very short

  A fashion victim

  OK with his ugly glasss

  Weird

  There were definitely more pros than cons; although, just glancing at the last three attributes in the pros column, it sounded like she was describing the family dog. Lilly looked over the cons. With the exceptions of height and weirdness, these were things that could be corrected. She was being superficial, she knew. But the bottom line was this: Charlie. Was. Odd. If she dated him, people would think she was strange, too. She would like to believe she was above all that, but unfortunately she was just as susceptible to peer pressure as anyone else. Lilly tore up the sheet of paper and threw it in the trash at the end of class.

  She walked into the bathroom before fifth period to straighten her barrette and reapply her lip gloss. She stared at her reflection. “Who are you to judge? No one appointed you arbiter of what’s cool.” She was a freaking band geek, not exactly the elective of choice of the in-crowd.

  After thinking about it all during fifth period, she came to some conclusions. Yes, she might not be physically attracted to him, but there was some kind of attraction there. Why else was she looking forward to seeing him again in government and spending time with him this afternoon? She didn’t have to make any decisions right now. Maybe she would just wait and see what happened.

  ***

  Toward the end of the school day, it began to rain. The band was waiting in the band hall to see if it would clear up. Lilly was sitting on her French horn case staring out the window when Ian approached her. “I’m sorry I’ve been a jerk, Mom.”

  “Ian, I appreciate the apology, but you don’t owe it to me, you owe it to him,” she said, motioning to the trumpet section. Ian nodded and walked over to where Charlie was standing. He was staring out the window and hoping Lilly had brought an umbrella.

  Ian’s ego prevented him from coming right out and saying he was sorry. Instead, he asked Charlie, “Are we cool, dude?”

  Charlie got the gist of what he was saying. “Yeah we’re cool.”

  Ian gave Charlie a thumbs up and walked back to where Lilly and Beth were sitting. “We’re good,” he announced. “Now if they would just hurry up and cancel band practice, we could go to McDonald’s.”

  Ian got his wish. A few minutes later Mr. Patterson made an announcement. “Folks, it looks like the rain is not letting up. Marching practice is canceled. But it would be an excellent opportunity for you to go home and practice the music. Especially the bones.” Most of the band didn’t even hear the last part. They started packing up the second he said practice was canceled.

  Ian stifled a cheer. Lilly peered out the band-hall windows. Now it wasn’t just raining; it was pouring.

  “I guess we’ll have to make a run for it,” she said. She didn’t mind. A little rain never hurt anyone.

  “No,” Charlie panicked. “Give me your car keys, and I’ll bring the car closer. Ian can come with me. I think I have something we can use for cover in my car.”

  “It’s OK, I don’t mind the rain,” Lilly said.

  “Liliana, I insist.” Charlie wasn’t just being chivalrous. He couldn’t allow her to get wet. It meant something different to Sentrian males than to Earthan boys. Charlie was already more attracted to Lilly than he ought to be. He did not need the added temptation of having an image of her wet hair and body seared into his mind.

  Ian followed Charlie out of the double entry doors of the band hall. Truth be told, he wanted to get a closer look at Charlie’s Mustang. “Here’s the plan,” Charlie told him. “I’ve got an old blanket in my trunk, but if we walk it back from where I’m currently parked, it will be soaked through by the time we get halfway across the parking lot. I need you to move my car as close to the band-hall do
ors as possible before you take the blanket out. I’ll move Liliana’s Jeep as close as I can to the band hall, then we’ll make a run for it.”

  “Wouldn’t it be easier if we just took your car?” Ian asked.

  “I can maybe fit all four of us in my car, but there’s no way I can fit our instruments, too.”

  “Dude, I don’t even have a driver’s license,” Ian admitted.

  “I trust you.” Charlie tossed him the keys.

  Ian whooped and ran to Charlie’s Mustang. Even though he ran full speed, he was soaked long before he got to Charlie’s car. He backed the Mustang into the parking spot so that the trunk was closest to the doors. Then he jumped out, opened the trunk, and ran with the blanket through the doors of the band hall.

  Lilly’s Jeep was bigger, and Charlie couldn’t get a spot as close as Ian. He was still several feet away. Charlie ran into the band hall. Water was dripping down his face. The girls had moved all their instruments over near the band-hall doors. They picked them up to take them along when Charlie stopped them. “No instruments. Ian and I are already wet. We’ll come back and get them after you two are in the car. Charlie picked up one end of the blanket and instructed Ian to pick up the other.

  “Ladies, if you wouldn’t mind stepping under the blanket.”

  When Beth and Lilly were sufficiently covered up, Charlie kicked the band-hall door open with his foot. He and Ian walked the girls over to Lilly’s Jeep. Lilly opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat, and Beth climbed into the backseat. Charlie and Ian ran back to get the instruments and put them in Lilly’s trunk. Charlie closed the hatch, satisfied that the girls’ modesty was preserved.

  Charlie climbed into the passenger seat. He was completely soaked. He couldn’t even see through the lenses of his glasses. Lilly hadn’t really been paying attention to what he was doing, but she suddenly looked up. What she saw changed everything. Charlie took off his glasses looking for something to wipe them on. Lilly couldn’t believe her eyes. Without those awful glasses, Charlie looked like a different person. He was beautiful. And perfect. And she couldn’t stop staring at him. His eyes were the color of dark chocolate. With those hideous glasses she had never even noticed before. The transformation was amazing.

  He finally found a tissue in Lilly’s glove box to dry his glasses. That was when he noticed Lilly staring at him. “Is something wrong?”

  “Not even,” Lilly said under her breath. Then she shook her head no. Of course Charlie had heard. That response puzzled him, but he shook it off. Lilly just sat there, staring at him, until he finally put his glasses back on.

  “OK, let’s go,” Lilly said, clearing her throat. She put the car in gear, and they drove off.

  ***

  After dropping off Beth and Ian, Lilly drove back to the school parking lot to deliver Charlie to his car. The rain had slacked off; there was only a drizzle now. Charlie decided then and there that he was going to get two umbrellas: one for his car and one for hers. He wouldn’t be caught off guard again.

  “I’m glad you and Ian are cool now, but I still can’t believe you let him drive your car. I kind of thought the Mustang was your baby,” Lilly said.

  It was. “Keeping you dry is important,” Charlie said. He turned to open the door, and Lilly asked him, “Charlie, do you have to wear glasses?”

  “Of course,” he said. All Sentrians suffered from severe myopia. “That’s an odd question.”

  “What I mean is, can you wear contacts or a different pair of glasses?”

  “I suppose,” Charlie said. “But why would I? These are perfectly fine.”

  Lilly sighed.

  “What?” Charlie asked.

  “Nothing. Forget I brought it up,” Lilly said. “I’ll just see you tomorrow.” She turned the key in the ignition.

  “No wait,” Charlie said, grabbing her hand and turning the ignition off. “I want to hear what you have to say.”

  “No, you’re going to think I’m really shallow.”

  “I doubt that,” Charlie said.

  “OK, I know I’m being petty, but I really don’t like your glasses.”

  “Oh,” Charlie said. They were quite fashionable back in the fifties but maybe not so much now.

  “And when you came in from the rain and took off your glasses to wipe them off, I kinda noticed that you’re, well, you’re a nice-looking guy, Charlie,” Lilly said, blushing. “I just don’t think those glasses do you any favors.” She hoped she hadn’t offended him.

  He started laughing. “They’re really that bad?”

  “Yeah, they’re awful.” Now she was smiling, too.

  “Well, OK,” Charlie said. “I’m open to change.”

  “I am so glad to hear it,” Lilly said animatedly. “My mom knows this great eye doctor, and…”

  “Whoa, Liliana, take a breath,” Charlie said.

  “Sorry,” Lilly said. “But I could go with you if you want.”

  “You want to go, don’t you?” Charlie asked.

  “I could help you choose another pair,” Lilly suggested.

  “Then go ahead, make the appointment.”

  A week later, Charlie had his new glasses. Lilly thought the improvement in his appearance was huge. She even convinced him to get a pair of contacts, although he thought he’d never wear them. He couldn’t care less what he wore as long as he could see, but he was happy that these new glasses pleased her.

  ***

  To Lilly, it seemed like she and Charlie were the couple/non-couple. They were inseparable at school, and she was sure that everyone thought they were together, but they had never even gone out on a date. Heck, they’d never even held hands. Lilly was starting to feel defective.

  Beth was getting fed up with their non-romance. She decided to take matters into her own hands. She cornered Charlie one morning before school. “What’s up with you and Lilly, anyway?”

  “What do you mean? Has she said something to you?” Charlie was concerned now.

  “What I mean is that she doesn’t know if you two are even together. So are you going to ask her out, or what?”

  “I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it,” Charlie lied. Going out with Liliana was all he thought about.

  “Well, you sure are giving mixed signals. Look, if you don’t want to go out with her, fine. Your loss. But be fair to her. She really cares about you. So let her know something one way or the other.”

  Charlie let that sink in. She really cares about you. Those were Beth’s exact words. Was he being unfair to her? He considered Liliana his best friend on Earth. He didn’t want that to change. But how could he take it to the next level? It was all so complicated. If he did nothing, would she still want to be friends, or would she want more and decide to look for someone else? The thought of Liliana dating someone other than himself was unsettling. He had to make a decision. The conversation with Beth was the catalyst he needed to move forward. Charlie spent the rest of the day getting his nerve up. After band practice he approached Lilly and blurted out, “Liliana, I was thinking of going to the planetarium on Saturday. Would you maybe want to go with me?”

  Lilly jerked her head up. The invitation took her by surprise. “Like on a date or something?” It was a fair question.

  Charlie swallowed. “I would like it to be a date, but if that makes you uncomfortable, then would you consider spending a day at the planetarium with a good friend?” There. He said it. Now there was no doubt where he stood.

  “Then let’s consider it a date,” Lilly said.

  ***

  Charlie was fine with his decision until he pulled into his driveway that afternoon. Although he had no intention of telling them about Liliana, his parents were a vivid reminder that what he was doing was wrong.

  “Good, you’re home,” Helen Gray exclaimed. “It seems like these band practices are getting later and later.”

  Charlie sat down at the dinner table. His father was again absorbed in his paper. “If you don’t nee
d me around the house this Saturday, I was thinking of joining the science club for a trip to the planetarium.”

  Louis put his paper down. “You sure are taking this edict from the elders seriously. First band, now science club. You’re really immersing yourself in Earthan teenage culture.”

  “Band is time-consuming, but I would want to go to the planetarium either way. I just thought it would be more fun going with a group.”

  “It’s fine with me, if it’s all right with your mother,” he said. Helen Gray nodded her approval. Charlie finished his dinner, went upstairs to his room, and lay down on his bed. The voice in his head told him, “You are really crossing the line now.” He ignored the voice and closed his eyes. His thoughts turned to Liliana, the reason for his rebellion.

  ***

  Lilly fussed with her hair for about an hour before Charlie was to pick her up. She had already changed her clothes three times, finally settling on a pair of jeans and a sapphire-blue shirt. Now, she was sitting in the living room, just waiting for the doorbell to ring. When it finally did, she jumped up immediately to answer it.

  “Hello, Liliana.”

  “Hi, Charlie.”

  “I suppose I should introduce myself to your parents,” he said.

  “Well, it’s just my mom, and she’s at work. But she knows we’re going to the planetarium, and she’s cool with it.” Lilly had told her mom she was going to the planetarium with a friend. She never mentioned it was a boy. Lilly decided to put her mom on a need-to-know basis.

  “Well, OK. If you’re ready, we’ll head out.” They walked down the drive to Charlie’s Mustang. “I like the blue,” Charlie said.

  “What?” Liliana asked. She assumed he was referring to his car.

  “Your blouse. I like blue, and that color looks good on you. You should wear it more often.”

  “Thanks,” Lilly said. It wasn’t, “Liliana, I’m enthralled with your beauty, and my heart skips a beat every time you are near.” But it was a compliment, and she would take it.

  Charlie opened the passenger-side door for her. This was Lilly’s first time to ride in Charlie’s car. Ian was right; it was an awesome ride.