The Circle

by Kat Mayor

  “I finally get to drive you for a change,” Charlie said. He flipped on the radio. An oldies station was playing. He started to change it, but Lilly stopped him.

  “Wait, I recognize this song. What’s the name of it?”

  “‘A Summer Place,’” Charlie answered.

  “I like it,” Lilly said.

  “Yes, the song’s pretty good, but the movie, I didn’t like.”

  “I didn’t even know there was a movie,” Lilly said. “So why didn’t you like it?”

  “The subject matter. Infidelity.”

  ***

  Lilly hadn’t been to the planetarium since she was eight years old. She enjoyed the show, but even more fascinating was Charlie’s knowledge of astronomy. He told her all about the stars and constellations.

  “You sure know a lot about space,” Lilly remarked.

  “Studying space is one of my hobbies,” Charlie said.

  Lilly was getting a glimpse into Charlie’s life—his interests and preferences. At lunch and in the car after school, he always preferred to talk about her. She knew very little about his personal life, other than he liked to read and enjoyed the music and television shows from the fifties. Charlie lived in her world every day; for the first time, she was living in his.

  After being at the crowded planetarium, Charlie wanted to take Lilly somewhere a little more private. “I was hoping you would be up for dinner. There’s a place not too far from here that I really like.”

  “That would be great,” she said.

  ***

  Lilly was not surprised when they pulled up to an old-style diner. The clothes and hairstyles of the waitresses and the decor reminded her of the movie Grease.

  “Wow, you really do like the fifties,” she said to Charlie.

  “We can go somewhere else if you prefer. I like the food here, and I thought you might too.”

  “No, this is great. I’ve never been here before, and I’d like to try it.”

  “Seating for two?” the friendly hostess asked.

  “Yes, we’d like a booth, if one’s available,” Charlie told her.

  “Sure, follow me,” the hostess said, picking up silverware and menus on the way to the back of the restaurant. She showed them to a booth next to a window where they had a view of the avenue. The booths were tall, and when you sat in them it really felt private, as if there was no one else around.

  “What can I get you to drink?” the plump, middle-aged waitress asked.

  “What would you like?” Charlie asked.

  “A Diet Coke,” Lilly said.

  “And I’ll have a coffee, black.” The woman nodded and walked off.

  “So what’s good here?” Lilly asked as she scanned the menu.

  “Everything’s good here, but I highly recommend the cheeseburger.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Lilly told him.

  When the waitress returned with the drinks, Charlie gave her their order. He specified Lilly’s burger was to be plain and dry and asked the waitress to substitute chili for the fries with his own cheeseburger.

  “You remembered,” Lilly said.

  “Meat, cheese, and bun girl,” Charlie smiled. He reached over the table, “Would it be OK if I held your hand?”

  Liliana nodded. This was the first time Charlie had ever initiated any type of physical contact. His hand was warm. It felt nice. Lilly thought she could sit there all night. They chatted about band, their favorite Twilight Zone episodes, and everything in between.

  Even though Liliana was an Earthan, she was so similar to Charlie. She was very easy to talk to, and Charlie was relieved that most of the things she talked about were familiar to him, and he could keep up his end of the conversation. There was only one topic he didn’t know anything about.

  “So, are you excited about homecoming?” Lilly asked.

  Charlie didn’t know what homecoming was, so he didn’t know if he should be excited or not. “Um, I don’t know. Are you?” he asked.

  “Well it’s always nice to see the former band members and the game is kind of fun. And of course, there’s the dance,” Lilly hinted.

  “Yeah,” Charlie said. Not knowing what to say, he decided to change the subject. “So have you read the last few chapters of Brave New World ? We have our final quiz on it Monday.”

  Lilly nodded and smiled, trying to hide her disappointment.

  ***

  After dinner, Charlie drove Lilly home. He opened her car door for her and escorted her up the walk to her front door. “I really enjoyed our evening,” Charlie said.

  “Me, too.”

  “I hope we can do this again. May I call you tomorrow?”

  “I certainly hope you will,” Lilly said.

  Charlie took hold of her wrist and lifted it up. Very lightly he touched his lips to the top of her hand. Then he walked to his car and waited for Lilly to enter her house. Lilly stood at the window and watched as he drove away. With her finger she lightly traced the spot where he had kissed her hand.

  ***

  For Charlie and his parents, Sunday was a day for worship and rest. They started at daybreak. Charlie and the other Sentrian families met at one of the elders’ homes. It was an opportunity to worship in their own language and in the manner they were accustomed to, but it was essentially the same type of service used by the early churches of Earth.

  Louis preferred that Charlie and Helen stay home with him on Sunday afternoons. While Charlie and Louis watched the news, Helen Gray would prepare a large midday meal. Usually it was baked chicken with chocolate-covered cucumbers and oat bran muffins. And of course, coffee.

  The three of them would sit at the dining-room table after dinner and talk for hours. Sometimes Charlie and his father would play a game of Jamfel, a Sentrian version of chess. That was what they were doing today. Helen Gray sat in her comfy chair cross-stitching, while Charlie and his father played their game.

  “It’s good to finally spend some time with you. Between my work and your band practice, I hardly get to see you anymore.”

  “Yes, band does take up a lot of my time,” Charlie agreed.

  “So how are your studies coming?” Louis asked.

  “Great. All As,” Charlie answered.

  “That’s good. I don’t want your studies to suffer because of all this band practice. No wonder Earthans are so ignorant; they spend all their time on activities other than learning,” Louis said. Charlie didn’t respond.

  “So, are you liking your job?” Charlie asked.

  “As well as can be expected.”

  Charlie made a move that ended in checkmate. “Good one,” Louis commended him. “It’s been a while since you defeated me. I’ll have to work on my strategy. Why don’t we take a coffee break?” It was four in the afternoon. According to Sentrian custom the Sabbath was over. After having coffee with his parents, Charlie asked if he could be excused.

  “I need to get my car washed.”

  Louis nodded. Charlie did need to keep his car up. “Hey, Charlie, why don’t I go with you? It’s been a while since I’ve taken a ride in the Mustang.”

  “That’s OK, Father. I know you’d probably rather read your paper or something. Enjoy your day off.”

  “Well, just be back in time for dinner,” Louis said. Charlie retrieved his car keys and walked out the door.

  ***

  Lilly had finished her homework and practiced her French horn, and she was now organizing her closet. Michelle had invited her out for dinner and a movie, but Lilly declined. She wanted to stay home in case Charlie called. She had just about given up when the phone rang.

  “Please be him, please be him, please be him,” she said as she ran to the phone. Even though she was right beside it, she let the phone ring one more time so it didn’t seem as if she had been waiting for it to ring all afternoon, which is exactly what she had done.

  “Liliana? It’s me, Charlie.”

  “Hi,” Lilly said. “So, what’s going on? What have you b
een doing all day?” she asked.

  “Going to church, spending time with my family, the usual. How about you? What have you been doing?” Charlie asked.

  “Homework, horn practice, organizing my closet, the usual,” Lilly said.

  “You and your mom don’t go to church?” Charlie asked, surprised. Worship was so important to his people. It was hard for him to understand why anyone wouldn’t go to church.

  “No, we used to go to Mass when Abuela was alive, but after she died, my mom started working on Sundays.”

  “Who’s Abuela?” Charlie asked.

  “My mom’s grandmother, my great-grandmother, but I just called her Abuela. We lived with her for a while after my dad left, so we were very close to her. After she died, my mom didn’t want to stay in Spring with all the memories, and that’s when we moved to Clear Lake.”

  “You said your dad left. When was that?”

  “Oh gosh, I was just a baby. They were young when they got married, and my dad couldn’t handle the responsibility, so he just took off.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Charlie told her.

  “It’s OK. It’s not like I ever knew him.”

  “You have no contact with your father?”

  “No. Not since I was a baby,” Lilly said.

  “I’m sorry,” Charlie said again. He couldn’t imagine growing up without his father. “So your mom never remarried?”

  “No. You’d have to know her. She’s loyal to a fault. She fell hard for my dad, and even though he turned out to be a jerk, she never wanted to remarry. He was her one and only. I know that sounds kind of strange.”

  “No. Not really. If something happened to my father, I know my mom wouldn’t remarry, and vice versa.”

  “That’s so sweet. So your parents are still really in love?”

  “You could say that. Commitment is a big deal for us, I mean them,” Charlie said.

  “Wow, Charlie. Your life is so Norman Rockwell. It sounds idyllic.”

  “I guess so,” Charlie said. “It’s all I know. You talk about Abuela, but what about your grandparents? You haven’t mentioned them.”

  “That’s because they died before I was born. Car accident. My mom was a teenager, and she kind of flipped out. She started staying out late, skipping school—you know, the whole teenage-rebellion thing. Well, Abuela laid down the law. She grounded her and told her to stay away from my dad. My mom, of course, hated that. Soon after she turned eighteen, they ran off and got married. And, well, you know the rest.”

  “It sounds like your mom has had a difficult life. She must be a strong person to have raised you by herself, especially with all the personal tragedy she endured.” He knew his own mother could not have handled it.

  “I guess so,” Lilly said. She had always thought that her mother threw herself into work to avoid having a social life, but now that Charlie brought it up, Lilly had to admit it took a certain amount of strength just to get out of bed every day and go to work. “I know she was devastated when her parents died, and getting married so young wasn’t a good idea, but things are better now.”

  “Getting married young isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Charlie said. Even though Lilly had no idea about Sentrian customs, he still felt the need to defend them.

  “Maybe not, but in Michelle’s case it was disastrous. Besides, these days, it’s just not done. You finish college, live on your own for a while, and then think about getting married.”

  “Um,” Charlie said. Maybe if his people had a seventy-plus-year life expectancy, they wouldn’t get married so young, either.

  “So how old were your parents when they got married?”

  “Uh, eighteen,” Charlie said. Actually they were younger than that, but Charlie knew enough of Earthan laws to know that sixteen was considered underage.

  “Well, no wonder you feel that way. Your parents are one of the success stories. Good for them,” Lilly said.

  The car wash employee signaled to Charlie that his car was ready. “Liliana, I’ve got to go. My father expects me home for dinner, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Sure,” Lilly said. “See you soon.” She wished he could have talked longer, but at least he had called. The conversation made her realize something—she wanted to tell her mom about Charlie.

  Lilly bounded down the stairs with a smile on her face. Michelle was in her recliner, channel surfing. “Mom, remember when I told you I went to the planetarium with a friend? Well, the friend was a guy. His name is Charlie…”

  ***

  After Lilly told her mother all about Charlie, Michelle insisted on meeting him. A couple of nights later, Lilly invited Charlie over for Michelle’s enchiladas. Charlie was nervous. He had never gotten far enough into a relationship to meet the girl’s parents. But Lilly was important. He decided he would do whatever it took to get on Mrs. Garcia’s good side.

  Charlie looked up Earthan courting rituals on his PCD. He found some tips from an etiquette expert from the fifties. With regard to meeting your sweetheart’s parents, she recommended wearing something nice: no jeans. Always be polite and friendly. Try everything, even if you don’t like what’s being served. She suggested bringing a bouquet of flowers to your sweetheart’s mother. He thought these things seemed simple enough to do.

  The night of the dinner, Charlie arrived at the Garcia home in navy trousers, a button-down long-sleeved shirt, and tie. He rang the doorbell and waited. When Lilly answered the door in blue jeans and a T-shirt, he realized he was overdressed. “Charlie, wow, you look great,” Lilly said. Michelle was standing right behind her, peering over her shoulder.

  “Mom, this is Charlie Gray. Charlie this is my mom, Michelle.”

  Charlie could see the resemblance immediately. Lilly was a younger version of her mother. He extended his hand. “How do you do, Mrs. Garcia?”

  Michelle shook his hand. “It’s great to finally meet you, Charlie. You can call me Michelle.”

  “I can see now that Liliana’s beauty is an inherited trait,” Charlie told her.

  Lilly was surprised to see her mother blush. She was even more surprised to hear Charlie refer to her beauty, even if it was indirectly. He never had before. “Thank you,” Michelle said. “Won’t you come in? Dinner is almost ready.”

  “Thanks for having me,” Charlie said. “These are for you.” Charlie handed Michelle a bouquet of multicolored flowers.

  “How lovely. And thoughtful. I’ll just get a vase, and we’ll put these on the dining-room table,” Michelle said.

  “Is there anything I can do?” Charlie asked.

  “Of course not,” Michelle said as she filled the vase with water. “You’re our guest.”

  “Actually, Mom, Charlie makes really good coffee. You should let him brew some, while I set the table,” Lilly said. Charlie nodded.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?” Michelle asked.

  “It would be my pleasure,” Charlie said. Michelle showed him where she kept the coffee maker and supplies.

  “So, you like coffee?” Michelle said. “Most young people don’t have a taste for it.”

  “My parents have always been coffee drinkers. I just started drinking it with them.”

  When it was time to sit down for dinner, Charlie pulled out first Michelle’s chair then Lilly’s. Michelle was impressed.

  “Mrs. Garcia, this dinner is delicious,” Charlie said after taking a few bites.

  “Thank you. It’s a family recipe. And please call me Michelle. Mrs. Garcia sounds so old,” Michelle said as she pulled her hair behind her ear and crossed her legs. Lilly gave her mother a quizzical look. Was she flirting with Charlie? Lilly gave her mom a nudge under the table, and Michelle shot her a dirty look.

  There was no way Charlie would call Lilly’s mother by her first name, but he was curious about something, so he asked. “Your first name is very pretty, but I didn’t realize it was Spanish.”

  Michelle smiled. “It’s not. We’re not all named after saints, you
know. My parents named me after my father’s boss’s wife. She helped teach him English and was very kind. Papi wanted me to have an American-sounding name, so Michelle it was.”

  After dinner, they went into the den for conversation and empanadas. Charlie and Michelle had coffee, but Lilly poured herself a glass of iced tea.

  “Lilly wasn’t exaggerating. Charlie, this coffee is really good.”

  “So are the empanadas. I’ve never had them before.” He sat down on the love seat across from Michelle’s recliner, leaving Lilly alone on the couch.

  “Mom, you and Charlie have a lot in common. Charlie loves the movies from the fifties and sixties, too.” Lilly would soon regret ever bringing it up. Michelle and Charlie both loved Psycho and To Kill a Mockingbird. They began talking about the movies in depth.

  “Gregory Peck was terrific,” Charlie said. “He made an excellent Atticus Finch.”

  “Oh, yes. If Lilly had been a boy, I would have named her Atticus.”

  Atticus? Really? Lilly frowned. Her mom was going overboard. “That was a really good book. I read it in tenth grade,” Lilly said. They didn’t even acknowledge her and started discussing a movie called Vertigo that Lilly had never heard of.

  After talking movies, they moved on to music. Michelle jumped up and ran to the stereo. She put on an Elvis album, Love Me Tender, and started swaying to the music.

  “Would you dance with me, Mrs. Garcia?” Charlie asked.

  “I’d love to,” Michelle told him. Charlie put his arm on her back and took her other hand as they slowly turned in a circle. Lilly rolled her eyes. Her mother was acting like a teenager. But she couldn’t help but notice that Charlie was a good dancer.

  After “Love Me Tender” ended, Michelle insisted on showing Charlie her record collection. They spent half an hour discussing groups from the fifties and sixties. “Don’t mind me,” Lilly mumbled. “I’ll just sit here and count the fuzz balls on my sweater.” She said it softly and under her breath but was surprised when Charlie looked up at her. He stood up and walked over to Lilly. He put his arm around her and brought her over to where he had been sitting with Michelle and tried as best as he could to include her in the conversation.

  At nine o’clock, Charlie got up to leave. “Thank you for having me over tonight, Mrs. Garcia.”