3

by Shera Eitel-Casey

  My face flushed. And he waited, I nodded. Topher started again “Butt there is another message - Mizz Nicole Newland you got off easy this time.” He mouthed you’re next, took a bow and the class clapped and he ran over to Nic gave her a peck on the cheek, and said “We really tried using butt more butt it just didn't work for us we're not really good poets as you can tell.” And he high tailed it out of the class. Nic's face was smoldering red and I was having a hot flash of embarrassment myself! I covered my face.

  Nic received the same treatment from Cale in her sixth period class.

  Cale showed up early Friday night for our double date. We were going out to dinner, and then the football game to follow. He brought me one red rose. I glared at him when he gave it to me “How thoughtful.” My Mother said. I couldn't help but smile, I placed it in the vase with the other one.

  He flashed his eyebrows “So you kept the other rose I sent you.”

  “Yes, I did.” I said with a smile. He was dressed in tan corduroy pants, a jacket and a button down shirt. He looked like my dad would dress when they'd go out for a casual dinner with their friends. It was a little disappointing for me. He looked much hotter at school. Maybe he dressed that way for my parents.

  He was very mature and polite when he met my parents; he had a long conversation with my mom. They sounded like two old friends that hadn't seen each other in a while, him getting along with my parents so well, worried me. And my parents letting me go with him, in his van, with no windows – and didn't even give me a warning and they didn't announce my curfew in front of him, well that worried me too. Since my mom didn't mention it, I think Cale felt obligated to volunteer information. I tried to stop him “Don’t worry about the van Mrs. Gellar, it's a work van filled with equipment, there's only room for two.” Cale said looking her in the eye steadily and not breaking that bond. Until my mom laughed and said “That's fine Cale, I trust you.” Red alerts were going off in my head.

  I had told my mom earlier that we were going to the game, so when she asked Cale what we were doing, and he replied going to dinner and a movie, I freaked out and retorted “I thought we were going to the game!”

  “Oh, that’s fine Addie we can go to the game, we hadn’t talked about what we were doing after dinner, but there are a couple of movies showing at Summit Mall, or we can go to the game.” He pulled two football tickets from his pocket. “My mom makes me buy tickets whether we go to the game or not she likes to support the school.” Cale said with an arch in his eyebrow looking at me calmly. I sat and smiled at Cale for just a moment as relief set through my body. I think I'm a little more tense than I realized.

  We got in his van and I gave a quick look in the back, it was empty! “What would you have done if my mom checked your van? I can’t believe you lied like that!” I said a little excited. It only took me a minute to calm down and get extremely overwrought again in his huge empty van. I felt a lump in my throat, my head was spinning. What was he expecting, I wanted to know his game plan but because I had no experience in this area, and I could feel my ignorance and inexperience creeping up on me, I just had nothing to say.

  As soon as he pulled out of my driveway I started chattering, talking way too fast. “Who are we picking up first? Are we really double dating because Nic thinks we are and she’s waiting on us? I thought we were going to the game obviously you have other plans. How come I wasn’t aware of all these plans? Is Topher really coming and why is your van empty what do you expect and furthermore don’t you own a car? And if we aren’t going to the game why do you have tickets?”

  Cale put his hand on my knee, I flinched. “Relax,” he said, “it’ll be fine, Topher and I wanted to see the movie at the drive-in. When we pick the other two up we’ll see what everyone wants to do. And obviously, under the circumstances,” he gave me look like he knew I was nervous or maybe it was a look that he knew I’ve never dated before, “we’ll pick up Nic first. “

  I let out a breath of air. Cale continued “I didn’t ask you about the movie ahead of time because I didn’t want you to have to lie to your parents about the van, the drive-in, etc.”

  “....Oh.....” is all I could say. I was silent except for a few instructions on how to get to Nic's. Somehow that didn’t make me feel any better, he started sounding like a player to me and why did they want to go to a drive-in, in this big empty van? Maybe I should cancel, say I'm not feeling well and have him drop me off at Nic's and we’ll call it a day.

  I knocked on Nic's door, she answered with her coat on and a big bag of popcorn in hand. I told her on the down low that the van was empty!

  She said “I know isn't it cool! Topher is going to put bean bags in the back!” She sounded excited.

  I didn’t think she heard me over the dog barking, she told Rusty to shut up and get in the house but he just kept on, very unusual for him. Cale stayed in the car I didn’t blame him, Rusty was going to get him if he got out. “How come I wasn't told about any of this?” she shrugged her shoulders.

  “We didn't want you to worry.”

  “What did you tell them?” I was completely panicked.

  “Nothing!” she said back “Nothing! I swear it! I just told them it would be better if you didn't have to lie to your mom. I knew you'd panic if you knew all this stuff but it will be fine, I promise, two are stronger than one.” she said, putting her hand on my shoulder.

  “Let's not push it Nic.” I told her giving her a stern look. We walked to the van together.

  Nic said to Cale “Sorry about my dog he usually never barks unless he feels threatened. I just talked to Topher he’s ready, he said he wants pizza, and the movie starts at 8pm” I turned to look at her with a confused and exasperated look on my face.

  “So we are seeing a movie? What movie?” My head was spinning, how did Nic know all this and I didn't, it was supposed to be my date.

  Didn’t Nic feel trapped that they had a plan; of course not she was part of the plan. What was she thinking, I wish I could talk to her alone, give her a piece of my mind. She hopped in the back and sat on the floor then announced she had to be home by one, I had to be home at midnight, she always seems to be one up on me.

  Cale helped Topher load four bean bags into the van. As soon as they both got in the car Cale and Topher argued over where they wanted to eat, Cale complained Topher always wanted cheap food. Topher argued Cale acted like a Grandpa and wanted to have meat and potatoes all the time. I laughed when I heard the Grandpa remark, thinking he dressed like one too. Cale finished the argument by asking Nic and me what we wanted to eat, “Whitey's of course,” we said at the same time.

  Cale came over to open my door which I thought was geeky, he also put his hand on the back of my neck as we walked into the restaurant, just like my dad does. When we got inside Topher and Nic were getting along just fine, but Cale was acting like my dad, he ordered a salad for me, asked me if I had to use the washroom and other oddities. What happened to the cool guy at school – maybe at school it was all an act and he really was a geek.

  The rest of the night was just weird, Cale and I sat in the front seats the whole time while Topher and Nic were talking and seemed like they were having a lot of fun in the back. They were cracking jokes and laughing the whole time. I just felt uncomfortable.

  The highlight of my night was when we all had dessert in the back of the van on the bean bags – they even set up a couple small tables. We had chocolate and popcorn the best combo, something sweet and something salty.

  Cale was super polite all night, almost a little too much. He didn't try to kiss me but we did hold hands for a bit. He didn’t make a pass at me or anything, which I thought was odd, not that I wanted him to. I hate to say it, but I felt like I was on a date with my grandpa.

  He started the van before the second movie was over and turned the radio to the high school football game, I didn't even know they had a radio station for it. We left and didn't see the end of the movie which was fine because Nic and I saw it
the week before. To my surprise we pulled into the school parking lot, he parked right by the gate and we all stepped outside the van and just hung out. The football game only had a few minutes to go. Cale leaned on his van, pulled me close, told me he didn't want me to get into trouble with my parents, then tucked my hair behind my ear. I didn't put my hair up, I couldn't, not after he asked. And he put his arm around me and gave me a squeeze.

  I think I paid attention to more details of tonight's game than I had any other game. As people started parting the gates, Cale told all of us to tell anyone we talked to that we sat on the visitor’s side. We had the radio on while leaning on the back of his van with the doors open, and who did we run into but my own sister Tori. He couldn't have planned it better.

  I, of course, got home a few minutes early, Cale kissed me on the cheek, and said good night. Topher made fun of him said he should give me a proper kiss and Cale told him to grow up. I thought it was weird too, I felt uncomfortable, especially with Topher and Nic watching our every move. I’m glad this night was over.

  Even though the date was odd it went fine; the oddness could have been my fault. I liked him even though his hair was nicer than mine, at least better groomed, it was always washed and styled, none of the dirty grunge look. He dressed cool, at school anyway. He was tall and slim very nice to look at and always wore boots.

  I had dated some boys in seventh and eighth grade but Junior high dating was never serious, everyone usually went out in large groups and we were all dropped off by parents. None of the gatherings or so called dates were as well planned out as tonight. I actually think I could consider tonight my first real date.

  I was dreaming about my wolf, we were running in the ravine behind my house. When I got to the top of the dirty slide Cale was standing there, I turned and the wolf was gone. Then Cale and I were by my garage door and he was being mean to me, shaking me. I said to him “Cale stop, it's me. What are you doing?”

  “Cut” someone said. And just like that we were interrupted; we were on a movie set, people and cameras everywhere. Cale let go and said “I don't know, sorry.” The look on his face changed, he felt his chest and arms, checking to see if he was really there or was he dreaming. We looked at each other and then around us and everyone from the set was gone. It felt like Cale had really stepped into my dream. I woke up with a pounding headache, it was 3:17a.m.

  We went to a movie on our second date and he brought me another rose. We went out on a Tuesday because he said he had a gig that weekend. My mom actually let me go out on a date during the week. Maybe she was letting me because she liked Cale or maybe it was because we were in High School now. The date was just all right, I was less nervous this time, I think. He wore thick striped corduroy pants and a button down shirt and he styled his hair different, and not a good different either I thought he looked a little geeky. I told him he looked too old to be in high school and I ran my hand across his unshaven face, he could grow a full beard. He grabbed my hand, looked at me, I swear he was going to tell me I was right but replied, “Yeah I graduated a long time ago but decided to re-enroll in high school for the fun of it” and laughed.

  Before we said good night he asked “After our date the other night did you sleep...I mean did you have a dream... I mean a good dream... did you have fun?” What was he really asking me? Was he asking me if I had the same weird dream as he did? Noooo, it couldn't be. I just stared at him and realized my mouth was open and replied “I had a lot of fun but I don’t remember my dreams...” I lied. He kissed me goodnight on the cheek.

  The third date we went on was the following Thursday and he gave me another rose. We met the guitarist from one of the bands he managed for dinner and they talked business, it was fine I guess, boring for me. He was dressed nerdy again, he never dressed or acted like he did in school on our dates, in other words not cool and not hot looking. Maybe Storm wasn't the only Jekyll and Hyde, maybe Cale was too, hot guy by day, nerd boy by night.

  Every date from then on, he would come a little early, give me a single red rose and chat with my mom and or dad. I started to notice that, at least it seemed as if, he liked my parents more. It was like waiting for my parents to get done talking to their friends so we could get going. He was much more interesting and sexy in than outside of school.

  Every conversation we had was all about him. Anytime I brought up something I had done, he had done it and of course, he did it better. Like once, I told him about Nic's and my ski trip and that Nic had all sorts of bruises all over her because we were knocking each other over. He did it and did it better, he and his buddy broke arms and legs when they went skiing. I talked about swimming and he of course he did that too and his experience was superior to mine. Plus, he had done a million more things than I had, I'm not sure how someone so young has accomplished so much already. Maybe I was just jealous, however, I found him to be very boring and I wasn't interested. After my seventh rose I couldn't take it any longer, we had never really kissed. He always just kissed me on the cheek or forehead. Weird, especially after seven dates. He didn’t seem interested in me that way.

  The final straw that broke the camel’s back, as the saying goes, was when we were on a date that I don't remember much of. He had coaxed me into having a glass of wine at dinner, a dinner he made for me at his apartment. His parents weren't home either. I remember it being so clean it didn't even look like anyone lived there. I was very nervous about it so I drank the wine, it didn't even taste that good. After dinner we cleaned up and I remember putting my coat on, when I woke up we were parked in a driveway of a house I'd never been to. The house we were at was a white ranch with green shutters in need of a fresh coat of paint. A couple trees in the front and one that peeked over the top of the roof from the back. I saw Cale come out of the side door and shut my eyes quickly before he got back in the van so he wouldn't know I was awake.

  I'm not sure why I faked it for a couple of blocks but I did. I wanted to know where we were coming from so I pretended to wake up. I think I took him by surprise by the look on his face but he put his hand on my shoulder and said “Hey, sleepy head.” He smiled at me and I forced a smile back.

  “I'm sorry. Did I fall asleep long?”

  “No, not long at all,” he glanced at me as a cars headlights passed us by and his eyes glowed just like Logan’s did that night, the same mirror-like reflective looking eyes that showed no color at all. I froze not able to breathe or move, but made myself look out my window so he couldn’t see my reaction until I forced myself to breath and swallowed back the bile that began to rise in my throat. Something definitely wasn’t right.

  I didn't notice the names of the streets we turned on, it was too dark and my vision hadn’t returned its focus yet, but I bet I could find it again. We were in Brecksville and weren’t far from the highway. I didn't say much on the ride back home and neither did he thank goodness, I didn’t want to have to force another smile on my face.

  That night when I got home I noticed I had a bruise and a couple of marks in the crook of my arm. I didn't feel like anything else was out of place, I don't think he did anything to me but, whatever happened wasn't right. It felt creepy and sinister, maybe even vindictive. That was it for me, way too outlandish for me. I was going to have to end it, but before that I should see if I could find out why his eyes looked the same as Logan’s did, it seemed a little too coincidental.

  I went up to him in Art class and was going ask him straight out if he knew Logan and then tell him flat out ‘we should just be friends’ but when I got to his desk he started talking about this and that and how awesome he was. I think he liked to hear himself talk. Then he announced he was going out of town for a long weekend and wouldn't be back until next week. He started talking about his trip and what he was going to do. It was business mixed with pleasure and by the end of it I had no idea what he said. Nor did I say a word to him, I just walked back to my desk.

  Nic asked “How did it go? What did he say?” I looked up
at her in confusion and shrugged my shoulders.

  “Huh, you didn't do it? Addie, you’ve just got to do it.”

  “Maybe later today.”

  “Yeah, later today” she agreed. “I have to tell you something…”

  “Ok”

  “The notes of your dreams you gave me, they’re gone.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah all of them – gone into thin air – I asked my mom if she’d been in my room and she said no and I believed her. Everything in my room was out of place like someone was looking for letters or something. It had to be the other night ‘cause mom said Rusty was barking his head off at something even though we always said if someone robbed the house he wouldn’t bark.” She just looked at me. “Aren’t you mad or worried? ALL your notes are gone.”

  I replied nonchalantly “Not all of them I still have mine.”

  “What do you mean you have yours?”

  “Well I held on to some ‘cause they just seemed silly or odd or were repetitive, so I didn’t give them to you.”

  “I’m not sure if I should be mad or not.”

  “Well don’t be you can see them, they’re silly.”

  I sat down and started to work on my project. I was concentrating on how I would break up with Cale when I remembered he told me he was going out of town for a long weekend. In fact, he made it sound like he'd be gone for at least five days. That's five days I don't have to talk to or see him that perked me right up.

  Even though I wasn't bold with Cale, when I got to history I decided to be bold more of the time with everyone and I was going to start now. I looked Storm square in the eye and asked him “What did I do to you to make you hate me so much?” He looked stupefied like he had no idea what I was talking about.

  I continued “I like being your friend and if you don't want me hanging out with your girlfriend, I don't have to. If I did something stupid, because I do stupid things tell me what I did and I'll try and fix it. But you acting all huffy and cold around me is awful and I'm done with it.”