Somewhere in the Middle

by Linda Palmer

  Roone, who could see better, took stock. “Very crowded.”

  “Then let’s hit the patio.”

  “Good idea.”

  “I should warn you that there’ll probably be couples making out in the dark. Especially since all the grownups are so distracted.”

  “I think I can handle it.”

  Chapter Six

  The huge brick terrace was a sight to see. Two chimineas burned at opposite corners, with wrought iron furniture scattered across the area between them. Each table sported an illuminated poinsettia, and twinkling Christmas lights outlined the surrounding low brick wall as well as the steps leading onto a beautifully landscaped lawn. Without even talking about it, we walked across the terrace and down the steps. As usual, Roone helped me.

  We wandered toward the gazebo, but didn’t go in it. Instead we stood nearby and watched the other couples spilling out the door. Sure enough many—as in most—were soon kissing in the shadows. I pointed to Dayna and Gavin, who were among them.

  Roone softly laughed. “We kind of stick out.”

  “I did warn you.”

  “Maybe we should…?” He tucked his finger under my chin.

  I tensed. “Really? Wouldn’t that be against the rules?”

  “Whose?”

  “Your dad’s for starters.”

  Roone frowned. “Please tell me you didn’t hear us arguing last night.”

  “I would, but I hate to lie.”

  Now he groaned. “I am so, so sorry. He really likes you.”

  “As a typist, sure. As his son’s un-girlfriend, not so much.”

  “Just so you know, I have a mind of my own. And while I try to learn from my father, sometimes his ways just don’t work for me. So forget about any rules you think he might have, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Roone closed the distance between us and lowered his head. I met him halfway, standing on tiptoe even though I wore shoes that gave me four extra inches. Our lips touched. Once. Twice. And then again. Suddenly I was caught up in an embrace so tight it hurt my ribs. I didn’t care. In fact, I barely noticed. When he finally let me go I stepped back, my heels sinking deep into the winter grass. All at once fluttery on the inside and definitely weak in the knees, I somehow managed to hold onto Roone to pull my feet free. He was just so…there. Big and tall and smelling like heaven on earth.

  “All right. Everybody back inside.” Mrs. Collier, school secretary, was so close that I startled. “The ballroom’s clear.” I realized that several chaperones had come out to shoo us back in and were now rounding up couples hidden all over the lawn. “Hurry along now.”

  Before we could get to the terrace, the music began to blare again. I guess I winced or something.

  “Have we done our time?” Roone asked.

  “And then some, in my opinion. Unless you want to stay…?”

  “No.”

  “Then come on. We’ll need to thank the chaperones and tell Dayna and Gavin we’re leaving.”

  Roone followed me to the chaperone area, where we politely chatted up the teachers and spouses who’d come and told them how appreciative we were. Then I caught Dayna’s eyes and pointed to the door before giving her a wave. She pouted, but nodded permission I wasn’t asking for.

  For the first time that night, I saw Sid, who’d never looked so handsome. His immaculate black tux gave him what I called star quality, as in he could’ve stood on a stage in Italy and belted out an aria. If he could sing a note, which he couldn’t. His talents definitely lay elsewhere.

  Sid didn’t seem to be with anyone in particular, but stood with a group of friends and appeared completely at ease. When he spotted us, he gestured to show he had his eye on my sparkly dress and gave me a thumbs up, an opinion I actually valued.

  The moment Roone and I got into my car, I kicked off my shoes. If just two dances were making my feet hurt this much, I definitely should’ve played it smart and gone with flats or, better yet, sneakers. Roone started the car and drove it from the parking lot. I let him drive for a while before I impulsively redirected him. It was early yet, and I just wasn’t ready for Dad’s inquisition. Roone followed my directions without questioning them, so we wound up at a rocky overlook I loved.

  Living on the Cumberland Plateau of northern Alabama meant we had some nice mountains, if not the sky-scraping Rockies. My favorite spot was located on a craggy bluff that was perfect for sky gazing. Determined to avoid further damage to my feet, I subjected them to a different type of torture by walking barefoot from the gravel parking area through some trees to a giant rock that overlooked a valley. Roone shook his head the whole way, which was only a matter of yards, no doubt wondering just how crazy his un-girlfriend really was.

  But when we got where we were going, he did just what I did—instantly forget the cold. By then I had his jacket draped over my shoulders. I sat on the jutting rock. He sat next to me. We eyed the heavens stretched out before us, a canopy of night sky and windswept storm clouds that teased us with fleeting glimpses of starlight.

  Click!

  “I feel like I could reach out and pick that star like a flower,” I said, pointing to the one and only we could see at the moment.

  “What would you do with it?”

  “Keep it in a wishing jar.”

  Roone smiled at me. “And what would you wish for?”

  “I’m not sure yet. World peace?”

  “World peace works.”

  “Or maybe a cure for every disease that’s incurable.”

  “That works, too.”

  “Or maybe free pit tickets to a Linkin Park concert.”

  That made him laugh.

  “Do you like them?”

  “Who?”

  “Linkin Park.” I reached over to untie his tie and unbutton the top button of his crisp white shirt.

  He swept his forefinger around the front of his neck to widen the opening I’d made. “I’m assuming that’s a band…?”

  Hm. “Into country music, are you?”

  “Y-yes?”

  “Classic or country rock?”

  He just looked at me.

  I sighed. The boy had definitely been living under a rock before he moved to McAlister. I tactfully changed the subject. “I love everything to do with outer space. When I was typing your dad’s theory, I couldn’t help but think how cool it would be if he was right. Imagine a wormhole—” I gave him a half smile “—or ‘cosmic kobling,’ as he calls them, that would take us from here to someplace we never imagined existed.”

  “That would be very, very cool.”

  “Wouldn’t it? There’s this show on one of the Discovery channels that I totally love called ‘Through the Wormhole.’ Morgan Freeman is the host.” Surely he’d heard of Freeman.

  Roone nodded as if he had.

  “In one episode, he talked about parallel worlds, which are unproven at this time, but entirely possible, at least according to many physicists, your dad included, obviously.”

  “Apparently you’ve picked the right major. Do you come here a lot?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ever see anything besides this?” He swept his arm to encompass the sky.

  “The moon?”

  Roone grinned. Was he…relieved?

  “And occasional lightning in the distance.” Suddenly remembering a night like tonight, I grabbed his shirt sleeve. “One night back in July or August I saw the most incredible lightshow ever. The clouds in that part of the sky?” I pointed to the east. “They were so dense and colored so weirdly that it looked like the Earth was rising up to meet the lightning. I tried to catch it on my iPhone, but some clouds moved in and hid everything—”

  “So you didn’t get a picture of it?” Roone’s voice sounded oddly strained.

  “No. Too dark.” I shivered and then blinked when a single snowflake landed right in my eye.

  Roone actually startled as if remembering something. “Are your feet cold?”

  “Past cold int
o frozen so hard my toes might snap off.” I expected Roone to suggest that we leave. Instead, he slid off the rock, squatted in front of me, and began rubbing some warmth into my feet with his decidedly toasty fingers. And I’d just walked barefoot from the car! I pulled them back. “My feet are too dirty for that.”

  “Your feet are fine.”

  “We should go.” Gulp.

  “Oh! Okay.” He stood, frowning slightly.

  “You’re not one bit cold, are you?”

  “I’m wearing shoes.”

  “Yeah, but…” Standing, I touched his nose, his cheek, and his neck, the only parts of him exposed to the elements besides his hands, which I’d already felt. All just as warm.

  He could tell I was surprised. “I, er, run a little hot.”

  “Apparently. Too bad I don’t.” I turned toward the car, but before I could take a single step, Roone swept me into his arms. “Whoa!”

  “Don’t want you to lose any of those adorable toes to frostbite.”

  That was okay by me. Being carried by Roone was a decidedly heady experience—as in I’d never felt so feminine—and I wasn’t about to complain even if my toes were far from adorable. When we got to my car, he let me open it and then set me inside. I thanked him for the ride with a voice that shook.

  Random flakes of snow turned into more by the time we got halfway to my house. They swirled in the headlights, none of them sticking to anything at the moment. I put on my shoes before I got out of the car to avoid questions from my parents. We walked to my front door together. I handed him his jacket.

  I glanced at my watch—just ten-thirty. “Coming in?”

  “Uh… Sure.”

  Was he simply being polite? He definitely had the most astounding manners I’d ever seen in a teenage boy. “You don’t have to. But my big brother is home now, and I wanted you to meet him.”

  “I’d like to.”

  He put on his jacket as we went inside. I led the way to the den, where my entire family was bowling with the Wii. They all looked toward the door when we stepped into the room. “Cory, this is my friend Roone Thorsen. Roone, Cory. Have a seat. I’m going to change clothes.”

  Just as I headed down the hall, I heard my dad grilling my un-boyfriend about the dance. “You’re back so soon? How was it?”

  The moment I got to my room, I kicked off my shoes and slipped out of the dress. What a relief it was to put on jeans and a sweatshirt, not to mention my fuzzy house shoes. I felt a pang of remorse that Roone wouldn’t be as comfortable, but assumed he wouldn’t be at the house long enough for that to matter. I mean, we’d made an appearance at the dance, which was our sole goal for the night.

  I next took down my up-do, pulling out all the pins I could find and then bending over to shake my hair out, which put a few more pins on the floor. After tossing aside my dangly earrings, I headed back down the hall to the den where I found Dad and Cory arguing about football.

  Roone, who was listening intently, didn’t say much. I had to wonder why. What male didn’t have an opinion about sports? Was he staying politely out of it? Or was he clueless? I had no trouble believing the latter, which had me wondering. Any guy with a body like his had to be into something athletic.

  Mom jumped up and gave me a hug. “I can’t believe that chandelier fell! Tonight of all nights. You could’ve been killed.”

  “Me and a bunch of other dancers.” I so wanted to add Roone saved us all. But was I really sure of that? Thinking back, I couldn’t be. It all happened so fast.

  “Will you play Mickey with me?” Eli asked Roone when he could get in a word edgewise.

  “I don’t know how.”

  Should I rescue him? I wondered. Though I probably should, I held off. I wanted to know if he was familiar with video games.

  “It’s easy. I’ll show you.”

  Eli expertly changed out the game and handed Roone a control. Noting his blank look, Eli then explained the remote and rules of play. Moments later they began the Disney game called The Power of Two featuring Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Rabbit on an adventure in Wasteland. Since I’d played the game countless times and knew it was fun for all ages, I only worried a little that Roone was bored. I shouldn’t have worried at all. In seconds my two favorite guys in the world were totally engrossed.

  Click!

  And though Roone quickly caught on, Eli easily outmaneuvered him. After a third game, Roone laid down the control with obvious regret. “You’re too good at this, and I really need to go.”

  Eli turned his yawn into a protest that Mom quickly cut off. “It’s late, buddy.”

  “Way past your bedtime for sure,” said Dad, assuming the father role. He stood and offered Roone a handshake. “Thanks for taking care of my daughter tonight. We’ve enjoyed having you over. Come back anytime.”

  While Roone murmured goodbyes all around, I walked to the door of the den. We headed to the front door together and stepped onto the tiny porch.

  I saw that he’d taken his tie completely off and stuck it in his pocket at some point, but had kept his jacket on even though everyone had offered to hang it up for him at least once. “I had a really nice time.”

  “But we only danced twice,” he said.

  “Doesn’t matter. It was still fun.”

  “Yeah. It was.”

  Was he going to kiss me? I waited, admittedly half hoping, but he simply took a step back and turned to go down the steps. I waved. “See you Monday. I’ll be at your house around eight.”

  “Okay.” With an answering wave he was on the move. Shortly after, his car started, and he left.

  Since I was one big goose bump again, I went back inside. But I avoided the den full of family or tried to. Cory, just stepping out of the bathroom, met me in the hall.

  “Roone’s cool.”

  “I know.”

  “But just a friend?”

  “Yeah.” I explained our charade.

  “Well that sucks swamp water.”

  “Doesn’t it?” I winced. “I didn’t mean that like it sounded.”

  Cory flashed a grin. “Uh-huh. Be careful, Everloo. Love just might sneak up and bite you on the ass.”

  I flipped him off and went to my room where I plopped down on my bed in the dark. I lay there on my back for the longest time staring at the snow swirling around the security light outside my window, my mind full of that night’s events.

  The dance had been shockingly bearable thanks to Roone and that crazy chandelier. And since I couldn’t stop thinking about it, I dreamed about it, too, once I showered and went to bed. Well, sort of, anyway. In my dream, Roone was a magician in a Mickey Mouse sorcerer’s apprentice robe and star-studded wizard’s hat. He openly manipulated a giant prism of light by moving his raised arms all around. While that made total sense in the context of my dream, the moment I woke up and remembered it, I burst out laughing.

  Still…I had to wonder if there wasn’t a measure of truth in it. I’d seen Roone move his hand in the same direction that chandelier swung, defying laws of gravity that should’ve resulted in it falling straight down. What force had shifted it? A human one? If so, that human was unlike every other human my world had ever known.

  At least so far.

  On Sunday I felt a little lost and without a clue why. It wasn’t until I caught Cory’s moves from the corner of my eye and turned expecting to see another guy that I realized what was going on. I missed Roone. I actually missed Roone. How odd. It wasn’t as if we’d spent enough time together for me to. In truth, if I’d added up all the minutes we were in proximity, I still wouldn’t have a whole day. Nonetheless, he’d somehow become a rock-solid fixture in my existence, and I wanted to see or at least talk to him.

  Around noon, I called my father’s mother to see if she needed me to make a Walmart run, thinking I’d swing by Roone’s house when I made it. But she didn’t. And it wasn’t until an hour later that I found an excuse to get out. I spotted Thorsen’s handwritten pages, which I’d forgot
ten to return. I thought of simply calling to say I’d get them to him, but nixed that, choosing instead to drive to his house right then and hand over his originals.

  But not before I put on my nicest jeans and a fairly new Old Navy hoodie. I also fixed my face and pulled back my hair in a ponytail that I stuck through the hole in the back of a Crimson Tide cap. A squirt of Mom’s best perfume came last. After telling Cory where I was headed and promising not to stay long—he told me he had a date later—I left.

  The drive over was awesome if a little scary thanks to the snow that had fallen all night. Finally sticking, it had covered everything in a blanket of white that glittered even though the sun was nowhere in sight. And it still fell. Huge flakes that landed on my windshield just in time for the wipers to swish them away.

  When I got to the Thorsen’s, I half expected to see Roone sitting on his porch as before. But he wasn’t there. I walked up the drive to avoid messing up that beautiful snow-blanketed lawn, intending to cut across it when I got closer to the house. But hearing shouts and laughter, I paused halfway there to listen. The sound seemed to be coming from the back.

  Curious, I walked to the side of the house and cracked open the gate of their tall privacy fence. Hedges rimmed the yard, which was huge and snow covered like the front. I noted multiple flowerbeds that would be gorgeous come spring. I saw a split-level deck and a covered hot tub as well as two big oak trees, their limbs heavy with the white stuff.

  In the middle, the grass had been trampled clear by Roone and Jon, who were tossing something luminescent over some kind of net. Dressed in jeans but no shirt or shoes, they each slammed what I decided was a souped-up volleyball back and forth to each other with their fists. It was only after one of them fell into the net that I realized it wasn’t actually there. A hologram? Wow.

  But that wasn’t the only unbelievable sight. Both guys had the kind of bodies that dreams were made of. Tall. Tan. Buff. My heart dropped straight into my stomach as I gaped. Me, the girl who would never, ever judge or admire anyone based on their looks. That was unfair and could be cruel in my opinion, yet here I stood in total awe, my eyes wide and my mouth hanging open.