Anywhere But Here

by Paul, JL

  He chuckled and placed his lips on my cheek, ever so close to my mouth. He kissed me softly, making my insides quiver. “But I do think so. Good night, Rena. See you tomorrow.”

  He fell back to his seat, arrogant grin on his face.

  I fisted my hand to prevent it from touching the exact spot where his lips had been. I couldn’t summon enough thought to respond so I fled his car and jumped into mine. He waited until I started the engine and darted out of the lot, my hands trembling with a combination of excitement and nervousness.

  I sighed. He was right again – he’d already changed my mind.

  Chapter Ten

  “So, about our non-date tonight,” Fin said over my shoulder as I shoved books into my locker the next morning. I smirked, crammed the rest of my belongings inside, and slammed the door before turning to him with a speculative look on my face.

  “What about it?”

  “I’ll pick you up around six. Is that okay?” he asked, his confidence just a mere mask.

  “Sure,” I shrugged as I started walking down the hall, forcing him to jog to catch up to me. “That’s fine.”

  “You know you’re already planning what to wear,” he said as his stride matched mine. “You’re wondering what to do with your hair.”

  I snorted. “I’m wondering if my favorite sweats have been washed or if I should just wear my pajama pants.”

  He chuckled, his hand holding his stomach. He draped a casual arm around my shoulders and bent his head closer to mine. “Let’s face it - you’re so excited that you don’t know how you’ll make it through the day.”

  “You’re quite full of yourself, aren’t you?” I asked, my heart twittering with each exchange. He was more right that I cared to admit.

  His grin stretched a mile across his face as his eyes sparkled, causing the twittering to increase. “I just know certain things, Rena – you should have realized that by now.”

  “Whatever,” I scoffed as I paused in front of my classroom. “Then you should know for certain that this little…thing…tonight is not a date.”

  He bent his head, his still grinning mouth near my ear. “So you keep saying. But I think you’re trying to convince yourself.” He winked as he moved away, waving over his shoulder. “See you at lunch.”

  I couldn’t contain my smile as I shuffled into class and prepared for the morning’s lecture.

  Fin had been right again – the day was dragging and I wasn’t sure how I was going to get through it. My mind drifted constantly, wondering what he had planned and how things would go. Would he treat me like one of his friends or would he try to romance me? I would have to be prepared for either.

  When lunch rolled around, my nerves were nearly shot and my gut was clenched so tightly that I didn’t think I’d be able to eat. And when Fin appeared at my locker to walk me to the cafeteria, the feeling worsened.

  “So,” I said, trying to be casual. “What am I supposed to wear tonight?”

  One side of his mouth lifted as he swept my body in a sideways glance. “What you’re wearing is fine.”

  I frowned as I looked at my worn jeans and purple sweatshirt. So, it wouldn’t be fancy – that was a relief. I wasn’t much for dressing up in elaborate clothing anymore or fiddling with my hair.

  “And you’re not going to tell me what you have planned?” I prodded. His smile widened as he shook his head. He opened the cafeteria door and waved me before him. “That really sucks. What if it’s something I don’t like?”

  “You’ll love it,” he said, smug.

  We joined the food line but I just grabbed a salad and a bottle of water. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep my meager lunch down but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

  “What if I’m allergic?” I tried as we settled at our table. My skater friends hadn’t entered the cafeteria yet so we had the table to ourselves.

  Fin snickered as he dug into his food. He chewed furiously while managing to keep his irritating, knowing smirk on his face. He swallowed and I watched, mesmerized, as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

  “You’re not allergic but nice try.” He washed his pizza down with a swig of soda, eyeing me with amusement. “Don’t worry, Rena, you’ll enjoy yourself.”

  I speared a lettuce leaf and raised a brow. “You said I wouldn’t enjoy myself.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Let’s face it - you’re going to enjoy yourself no matter what we do because you’ll be with me.”

  “You know, you could knock the arrogance down a peg or two,” I suggested with a serious face but ruined it when I laughed.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Damon asked as he plunked his tray on the table and dropped into a chair, Shane and Reg hot on his heels.

  “Nothing,” I said, shooting a furtive glance at Shane, remembering what Fin had said the night before. Shane was paying me no mind, though, as he unwrapped the ham sandwich he’d purchased from the lunch buffet.

  “We’re thinking about checking out that new flick playing in Oakton tonight. Do you guys want to go?” Damon asked.

  My eyes widened as they landed on Fin, warning him to keep his mouth shut. Fat good it did me as he shook his head with that annoying grin.

  “Nah. Rena and I are going to hang out. I have a surprise for her.”

  I held in a groan as Shane lifted his head, his eyes darting between me and Fin. I wanted to assure him it wasn’t a date but remembered how close he’d been to hooking up with Reg. Maybe if I didn’t say a word, he’d think I was dating Fin and perhaps pay Reg a little more attention.

  “That’s cool,” Damon said, desperately trying to stifle a knowing smile. I wanted to slug him. “What are you going to do?”

  “He won’t tell me,” I said briskly, hoping to staunch the conversation as if it were blood flowing from a wound. Besides, I didn’t like the way Reg’s already dark eyes became more so as she looked from me to Shane and back again. My heart sank. I didn’t need to alienate the only friends I had.

  I paused, nearly laughing aloud. Just a few weeks ago, I was ready to alienate everyone. Such irony.

  “Dude,” Grant said as he joined our little group, playfully punching Fin’s shoulder. “The bus leaves at ten tomorrow morning. Coach wants us to get some practice time in before the game.”

  “I know,” Fin said as he finished his slice. He glanced my way. “Our game is in Bedford – up north a couple hours away.”

  I nodded as I nibbled on my salad. I had no clue where Bedford was or if the team was any good. Maybe if things went okay tonight, I’d drive up there…

  After lunch, Fin walked me to our Creative Writing class. I’d become so used to his presence that even when we weren’t talking, it was comfortable. And I liked it.

  The rest of the day passed fairly quickly – even Study Hall. Gina didn’t speak but glared at me from time to time, making me wonder if she knew that I’d be with Fin later that evening. It certainly would be no surprise – things got around the school so quickly that it was scary.

  After the final bell, Fin caught up to me as I was approaching my car. “Hey, do you want to grab something to eat before we … hang out… or what?”

  I definitely didn’t want to do that – it would be too awkward trying to pay for my food and if he paid, it would certainly seem like a date. This whole non-date thing was turning into more of an ordeal than I could handle.

  “Nah,” I said. “I’ll eat with Aunt Franki. I need to talk to her, anyway,” I added, not totally lying. True, I hadn’t told her of my plans for the evening, but I also really wanted to see what was going on with her. I hadn’t been a very good niece lately – especially after all she’d done for me.

  “Okay. I’ll see you at six.” He winked again, turning on the charm, and jogged to his own car, leaving me a heart-fluttering mess.

  ***

  Aunt Franki was smoothing out a sculpture of a clay lighthouse when I entered the garage. I perched on a stool and watched as her hands wor
ked their magic. She smiled at me as she brushed an errant curl off her forehead with the back of her hand.

  “How was school?” she asked.

  “Okay,” I said, nibbling my lip. “Um I’m going to hang out with Fin tonight – if that’s okay with you.”

  “Sure,” she said, her brows wrinkling. “Fin?”

  “Ian Finley,” I supplied.

  “Oh, the hockey player,” she said as realization washed over her face. “Is this a date?”

  “No,” I said, a bit too quickly. “Not really.”

  She set her carving tool down and folded her arms over her chest. “Not really? What do you mean?”

  “We’re just friends,” I said, toying with the tools in her tool box.

  “But you’d like to be more?”

  I lifted a shoulder. “He’s nice, even if he is a little arrogant. I don’t know.”

  “Well,” she said with a sigh. “You don’t have to decide how you feel about him tonight. You’re only seventeen and you have the rest of your life ahead of you. Don’t worry about it.”

  I nodded, taking her advice to heart as my eyes skipped over the various pieces she’d completed. “What are you going to do with all of this?”

  “I have a show next weekend – sort of like an exhibit.”

  “Oh, cool,” I said, remembering my vow to find out more about her. “Where?”

  “Chicago,” she said as she went back to work. “Do you want to go?”

  “No thanks,” I said in a droll tone. “I’d like to stay away from Chicago for a while. Do you mind if I stay here?”

  Her face puckered as she studied me over her sculpture. “You’re not going to have a party, are you?”

  I laughed, though it was a valid question. She knew my past. “That part of my life is history, I promise. I’ve learned a lesson or two and I swear to you, no parties. I won’t invite anyone over or anything.”

  “I trust you, Rena,” she said softly. And I wouldn’t let her down. “Whatever I don’t sell in Chicago, I’ll bring back here and try to sell in Mathilda’s old shop.”

  “Did you inherit that, also?”

  “No,” she said with a wry grin. “She left the shop to Sean Mahaffey. He was a client of hers, also.”

  Her pink cheeks caused me to slide off the stool, glee filling my heart. “You like this guy!”

  “No,” she tried to deny as the color in her cheeks darkened. “I mean, sure, he’s nice and very good looking, but I’m not into dating right now.”

  “Uh huh, sure,” I teased. “That’s why you’re selling your stuff in his shop.”

  “Rena,” she scolded, though her words were far from harsh. She giggled as her shoulders dropped. “Mathilda was an old romantic. I think she purposely left me the house and him the shop in hopes that I’d settle here and hook up with Sean.”

  I laughed hard enough to draw tears as Franki, still quite embarrassed, turned her back on me, busily fussing with the sculpture.

  “It’s not happening so don’t get any ideas in your head,” she warned.

  “Hey, I’m not the one who set this whole thing up,” I claimed, lifting my hands. “Good old Mathilda beat me to it.”

  “Don’t you have a date to get ready for?” she asked.

  That stopped my laughter short. “Um, I’m eating here with you then Fin’s picking me up at six.”

  She looked at me over her shoulder. “Don’t you need to figure out what to wear?”

  I shrugged. “No. He told me what I had on was fine.”

  “Rena,” she sighed, shaking her head and abandoning her sculpture to cup my chin. “Go get a little gussied up – you are going to be with a handsome boy tonight.”

  “But he said…” I tried to protest.

  “Do as I say,” she smiled. “Trust me.”

  “You know, I have dated before,” I grumbled as I headed for the door. “I know how these things work.”

  “Could have fooled me,” she called.

  ***

  “Your aunt is cool,” Fin said as he pulled out of the driveway. “Do you get along well with her?”

  “Yes,” I said, nervousness settling in the pit of my stomach. “She’s great.”

  “Are you ever going to tell me why you came here?” he asked.

  “I got into a little trouble at school last semester. I was suspended before the winter break – pending expulsion. My parents weren’t happy and Aunt Franki offered to let me stay with her for a while.”

  “Wow. What did you do?” he asked, a little in awe.

  “Stupid stuff,” I said in disgust, embarrassed by my idiocy. “I started hanging around the wrong sort of people. At lunch one day, I went with them to the parking lot and drank a few beers. It was stupid.”

  He chanced a quick, disbelieving glance at me before returning his attention to the road. His brow furrowed as he worded his next question. “Do you still, you know, drink and stuff?”

  I snorted. “No. Like I said, it was stupid. I don’t know what I was thinking. And I was very lucky – I don’t know how Aunt Franki and my parents managed to get me into Dunewood High. I thought for sure that I wouldn’t be able to attend or something even though I’d already served my suspension.” I paused, allowing him a second to digest everything I’d told him. “I’m, um, on probation.”

  “Probation?” he asked, shocked.

  “Well, not probation, probation,” I said, clarifying. “My dad managed to get me out of trouble with the law, but I’m on probation here, at school. If I mess up, they’ll toss me out. No second chances.”

  “Guess you’d better behave yourself,” he smirked.

  “Guess so.” I frowned at the window as he pulled into the community parking lot. “What are we doing?”

  “Getting out of the car,” he said as he killed the engine and opened the door. “Come on.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I said as I followed him down the sidewalk and across the street to the Community Center. “Don’t tell me – we’re going to watch a hockey game!”

  “Nope,” he said as he opened the door for me. “Not at all.”

  He took my arm and led me to the ice rink, stopping at a desk to chat with an older woman.

  “We need some skates, Nancy,” he said.

  “What size, dear?” she asked. He turned to lift a questioning brow at me.

  Realization set in and I backed away, shaking my head. “Oh, no, Fin,” I said. “No way.”

  “Come on,” he wheedled. “You’ll have fun. Now, what size skates?”

  “I haven’t been ice skating in years,” I whined, softening as his face pleaded with me. “Geez, you’re going to actually make me do this, aren’t you?”

  “Yep,” he said as he unleashed a devastating smile. “What size?”

  “Six,” I said with a hopeless sigh. “I will make you pay for this, you know that, right?”

  “Oh, I’m counting on it,” he said as he took a pair of white skates from Nancy. He handed them to me and grabbed my arm, dragging me to bench. “Wait here while I run to the locker room. I have a pair of skates in my locker.”

  I did as he asked, slipping off my boots and replacing them with the skates. When he returned, he sat next to me, shoving his own skates on his feet. He took our shoes and placed them in a cubby hole then offered me a hand, a smug grin on his handsome face.

  “Come on, sissy,” he chided. “I’ll help you.”

  With a thrill surging through my body, I placed my hand in his, allowing him to assist me to my feet. I walked awkwardly to the rink, pausing only to remove the guards from the skate blades.

  He stepped out onto the ice and waited for me, his eyes challenging. I lifted my chin and stuck a tentative skate on the ice, holding the wall for balance. He didn’t laugh but I could tell he wanted to, badly.

  He took my hand and eased us away from the wall toward the center. There weren’t many people on the ice – an older couple, a few middle school kids, and a family of five – so I wasn
’t too concerned about my pride being bruised.

  Fin skated backwards, holding both my hands in his, pulling me as I clumsily shuffled along after him. His patience was admirable as was his heroic efforts to stifle his laughter.

  “So, what do you think?” he asked as we made our way around the rink.

  “I think I suck at this,” I said.

  His smile caused my heart to leap. “Nah. It just takes a little time to get the hang of it again.”

  I nodded, concentrating on not falling. I knew that if that happened, he wouldn’t be able to contain his laughter.

  “Your game tomorrow,” I said as I stumbled a little and righted myself before I could tumble to the ice. “Is it late?”

  “It starts at five. I won’t be back until late, though.” His eyes narrowed as he considered me carefully. “Why? You thinking you might want to go on another non-date?”

  I snorted, rolling my eyes. “Please. I was wondering if your friend, Isaiah, would be around.”

  A queer look passed his face as his eyes briefly clouded. “Hm. Figures. The girls really like Isaiah.”

  “Well,” I said as I wrinkled my nose. “I guess I can understand it – I mean, if you’re into the whole, tall, hot athlete sort of guy.”

  His brows rose. “And are you?”

  Stumbling again, I fell into his chest. He peered at me with soft eyes and my entire body melted. “Not really. I prefer the curly dark-haired hockey player types,” I said in a low voice.

  He smiled brightly as his arms wound around my waist. “Good to know,” he whispered as he brushed his lips lightly over mine. It was sweet and held a promise of better to come. “And I think this just turned into a date.”

  I chuckled softly as I fisted his shirt. “Maybe you’re right. Again.”

  He drew back to lace our fingers as we made another lap around the rink. As I gained a bit more confidence, I was able to strike out a little on my own, but I still didn’t release his hand.

  We skated for nearly two hours – Fin not able to resist showing off his skating skills – until he suggested we go for coffee. When we left the Community Center, he took me to a small coffee shop on the main strip. The long windows were fogged by the hot breath of packs of students milling about, gossiping. Fin and I sat in the loud, obnoxious coffee house, ignoring the rest of the patrons as we talked, mostly about his family and the people from school.