“Shall we, my dear?”
“We shall,” Lucy graciously replied, and the two walked hand in hand up the steps toward the school.
As they walked, the planter came into view and Kat jumped up from her perch atop Dave’s knee and pried herself from his embrace.
“Lucy, I have to talk to you about tonight.” She stopped briefly to acknowledge Mark’s presence then continued on at the speed of light. “What time are we getting together? You know we have to do our hair; yours is going to take like an hour alone, and mine, oh my gosh, I don’t even want to think about it—”
“Whoa, slow down. It’s not a formal; it’s just the Welcome Back dance. We can go in jeans if we want to, right?”
Kat just gawked in disbelief. She grabbed Lucy by the elbow and jerked her away from Mark with a semi-apologetic smile.
“Are you kidding me?” she said gritting her teeth. “We both, and let me emphasize this for the first time ever, we BOTH have boyfriends right now. Knowing me, that might not last too long, so we’re doing this one right.”
“But what about the game? Am I supposed to go in a dress and heels with my hair all done, just to sit outside for three hours and let the air flatten it into oblivion?”
“Game! What game? You’re not going to any game; I’m not going to any game. We’re going to turn ourselves into the temptresses of the gods, so don’t even think about going to any game!”
Lucy squirmed a little. “Well, I sort of told Mark I’d go watch him at the game. He’s going to bring me his big purple and gold Pirates blanket so I can pretend we’re cuddling while I watch. Maybe we could go for super cute instead of tempting.” She smiled apologetically.
Surprisingly, Kat’s face lit up at the sound of Lucy’s idea. “Oh, that is perfect.”
She stopped, and Lucy could tell that her brain was hatching a plan ‘B’ that would incorporate a complete overhaul and most likely a total abandonment of plan ‘A’.
“Ok, here’s what we’ll do: sexy goddess is out, but I can for sure do cute. I’m thinking pony tails with purple and gold ribbons …” Her brain took over and actually quieted her mouth. “Oh yeah, this will be great. Not as great as goddess, but cute enough.”
The first period bell sounded off in the distance.
“Ok, we’ll talk at lunch.” Kat ran back toward Dave and blew Lucy a kiss. “We may have to skip eighth period just to have enough time; I think we need to go shopping first!” Her shout faded into the cacophony of the bustling high school, and Lucy was once again left with her handsome prince.
Mark dropped Lucy off at her English class, kissed her gently on the lips, and let her go. His smile lifted her so much that she felt as if nothing could shake her contentment. Walking into class she compulsively looked to the rows behind her usual seat. Again, there was no sign of Benjamin.
Good, she thought. You can just stay gone forever.
***
When the bell sounded after lunch, the two couples walked hand in hand out into the sunlight of a seventy-three-degree day. A light wind swept over the campus and Lucy danced out into the sun light with her arms wide.
“What a beautiful day!” she exclaimed.
“So, you two are skipping the rest of the day?” Mark asked.
Lucy looked back at Kat. “What? We’re skipping?” she asked. “The last I heard, we were skipping eighth period because it’s just study hall.”
Kat shot a pleading smile in her direction. “Please, Luce. We need more than a couple hours. Besides, all of our classes are just reviewing from last year and you know we both had last year finished before last year even finished.”
Lucy rolled her eyes and nodded. “I guess,” she replied.
Kat looked at Mark. “Don’t worry, I’ll have her back before the game. She’ll see every pass and run and all that.” Her enthusiasm was so tangible that no one could really ever say no to her.
In the parking lot, Lucy spotted her car in its usual place near the back fence. It sat facing the cemetery, the schools’ closest neighbor, which provided a pleasant view of the city and large full trees where Lucy had stolen away for lunch in past years.
“Aren’t you so excited for this dance?” Kat said as the two girls made their way to the car.
“You have no idea how long it seems I’ve waited for this. He is so great.”
“And you two make such a cute couple. I’ve always thought that, by the way.” Kat nodded reassuringly when Lucy looked at her incredulously.
“I’m just happy, Kat. This is such a great feeling.”
Lucy brushed her hair back from her face and looked up at her car. For a moment she slowed her pace then suddenly made a beeline for the driver’s door. She unlocked it swiftly and threw herself into the seat.
Kat, a bit confused, made her way to the passenger door. Lucy sat and took a few deep breaths before hearing Kat’s gentle rap on the glass. Lucy leaned over and unlocked the door.
“Sorry,” Lucy said, trying not to sound preoccupied.
“What was that all about?”
“Nothing. Let’s get out of here.” Lucy’s demeanor had suddenly flipped.
“Ooooh,” Kat said under her breath.
“Oh, what?” Lucy reacted in a sharp tone.
“That’s Benjamin’s bike isn’t it?” Kat pointed out Lucy’s window.
“Yes, but it doesn’t matter. He’s made his choice and I’ve made mine. I’m happy now.”
Lucy paused as she started her car. She looked out the window at the motorcycle.
“But you know what I really want to do? I want to go up to him and tell him how I feel. I know I had no claim on him, I know all we had were a couple chance meetings and then I started having these really weird dreams where he kills me, but he could have at least not latched onto the biggest bimbo in the school on the first day!”
Lucy was getting down to the facts of the matter and it felt like a long overdue cleansing.
“I want to tell him that he really hurt my feelings; that he needs to take a look around and get some social skills before going into public. He needs get a clue that a girl might like him and at least give her a chance.”
“You have Mark now, Luce. Let it go. To Hell with Benjamin. He lost. You won. That’s all there is to it.”
“I know, but you can’t just go around being that clueless. I mean, my mom bought him lunch, he was all sweet to me and then he’s a total jerk. You don’t do that. I feel like he needs to be punished. I just …” Lucy looked out her window again at the motorcycle. “That’s what I should do.”
“What should you do?” Kat asked apprehensively.
“I should really just go out there and … yeah, I think I will.”
“Will what, Lucy? What are you going to do?” Kat’s voice radiated a little bit of alarm.
Lucy grabbed her door handle and got out of the car.
“Lucy, what are you doing?” Kat said even more frantically.
Lucy squared herself with the shiny black motorcycle.
“Lucy, don’t do anything you’re going to regret. I’m serious!”
Lucy slammed the car door to muffle Kat’s pleadings.
With a sense of justice building up inside of her, she placed her hands on the polished fuel tank of the motorcycle and whispered to it as though she were holding someone buy the throat.
“This is what you get for being such a jerk.”
With one hard push, she leaned into the bike and, more easily than she could have imagined, threw it to the ground with a loud, heavy thud. It rocked on its uneven parts and Lucy stood over it with a pleased look in her eyes. Kat stared in absolute horror and amazement through the window glass.
Lucy opened the door and got back in. “Now that’s a catharsis,” she said as Kat just sat wide-eyed.
***
A silent drive led the girls to Baskin-Robins on Newmark, where Lucy got out of the car, seemingly carefree. Being just after noon, there was no one but the woman behind the co
unter in the store. Lucy walked up to the glass case and ordered a single scoop of her favorite flavor, Chocolate Chip Mint. Kat ordered the same. They waited in silence for their cones and Kat waited for Lucy to speak first.
Their ice cream was served to them, Lucy paid for both, and the two sat down at a small table near the front window. Lucy took one bite and sighed deeply. She savored the mouthful and swallowed it with her eyes closed, a look of total relief on her face.
“Oh, man, that felt so good,” Lucy said.
Kat wasn’t sure if Lucy was referring to the ice cream or the bike tipping incident, so she just hummed in agreement with her mouth full.
Lucy took another bite. “I mean, was I wrong? He deserved it, didn’t he?”
The conversation was indeed about Benjamin and not about ice cream.
“Well, it definitely made a statement that you hate his guts,” Kat replied.
“But that’s just the thing, I don’t think I do.”
Kat looked at her, desperate for understanding. “Wait, I thought you were mad at him for ignoring you and killing you in a dream.”
“I was; I am, but there’s something about him that is so weird. It’s like …” She looked out the window for an explanation, but found none. “I don’t know what it’s like, but like I said before, I feel like I’ve known him forever. I’m just really mad at him.”
With a flabbergasted sigh, Kat decided to go for broke and call it like it was. “Lucy, you are losing your mind. I mean, seriously, what is going on with you?”
“I wish I knew.”
“Why are we talking about Benjamin? Do you even like Mark?”
Lucy jerked her head up. “What are you talking about; I love him. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Yeah, but do you like him?”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Guys look at us differently than we look at them. When you go after a guy, you’re looking for strong and handsome. You want him to have those big, strong arms and look good with his shirt off, right?”
Lucy thought for a moment. “Well, yeah, but that’s not all.”
“I know, let me finish. When a guy looks for a girl, he looks for the same kind of stuff. They want delicate, sexy, maybe funny, but it’s all mostly looks.”
“So how is that any different than us?”
“Because, Lucy, when a girl looks for a guy, she also wants supportive, protective, and confident. The perfect guy has all of those qualities. We both know that strong and handsome isn’t good enough, and we both know that Mark is both strong and handsome. So when I ask if you like him, I mean is he all the things you want in a guy?”
Lucy thought about it as she took another bite of her ice cream. “Well, he’s definitely confident.” She thought some more. “Yes, he’s all those things that I want. He supports me, I guess, but that really hasn’t come up yet, and he’s completely protective without being overbearing. He always walks me to my car.”
“Okay. So why get upset over Benjamin or even think about him when you have exactly what you want?”
“I don’t know. I guess I just let him get to me. This has been a really weird first week of school and I just want it to be over so I can move on. I really did think there was something there for a while, but I guess it wasn’t mutual.” Lucy focused on her ice cream for a moment. “But it’s over now. I’m over him and I’m moving on. If I never think about him again, it will be too soon.”
Kat looked a little skeptical, but seemed relieved overall, and her genial smile returned. “Okay, then. Where should we start today?”
There seemed to be an understanding between the girls that the subject of Benjamin Raven was over and life was to move on.
“Let’s start at the shopping center and then go from there. They have these cute tanks in purple and gold,” Lucy said.
“Okay, cool. Then we’ll hit up the craft store and get some really cute ribbon and maybe some Marti Gras beads or something.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter 7
Fans and students poured out of the stands after the first game of the season. It was a victory for the Pirates, but Lucy didn’t care for football. She sat patiently in the stands with Kat, a giant purple and gold blanket wrapped around them.
“How long does it usually take for them to come out?” Lucy asked as she shivered just a little bit in the brisk coastal air.
“Not too long. Guys shower and dress faster than any creatures alive. It’s pretty amazing. You know, you can actually tell how much a football player likes you by how long it takes for him to come out of the locker room.”
“Shut up, that’s totally not true.”
“You’ll see. C’mon, let’s go see who wins.”
Kat stood and reached her hand out to Lucy. Together the two girls made their way toward the locker room.
“There’s the door. I don’t see anyone yet.” Kat pretended to look at a watch that wasn’t there. “Hmmm, it’s not looking good.”
“Stop it, you’re such a dork,” Lucy said, craning her neck around students milling outside waiting for the dance to start. Looking from side to side she saw other girlfriends, girls she knew, texting and talking, waiting for their football players. He better be first, she thought.
“I see movement,” Kat said, and the entire company of girls turned at once to see who was first.
To Lucy’s elation and relief, Mark came bursting through the door.
“And we have a winner!” Kat cheered as all the other girls went back to their phones and conversations.
“Stop it, not so loud,” Lucy said quietly as she smiled with glee that Mark, the star tight-end had been first out the door.
It took him a minute to adjust to the low light outside, but he spotted Lucy as she walked toward him.
“Here’s test number two,” Kat said as Mark came running over. “See if he talks about you or the game first.”
“Shush,” Lucy said, waving her hand playfully for Kat to stop talking.
Mark’s hair glistened in what light there was—the sign of barely dried hair after a shower. He walked up to Lucy without hesitation and wrapped her up in his arms.
“Oh my gosh, you must be freezing out here.” Mark stepped back and quickly removed his letterman jacket. “There you go. Better?”
Lucy nodded.
“Good,” Mark said, scooping her up in his arms and kissing her softly on the lips. Lucy was in heaven and didn’t even notice that Dave had shown up and he and Kat were staring with apparent disgust at the public display before them.
“Oh, I think I just threw up a little bit,” Kat said, making a gagging noise. She laughed and took Dave by the arm.
“You’re just jealous that you haven’t been swept off like me.”
“I can fix that,” Dave said as he likewise pulled Kat off of her feet. She shrieked and the two couples headed for the dance.
The lights were down in the gymnasium. Purple and gold streamers and hand-painted spirit banners covered every square inch of empty space on the walls. Banks of strobe lights flashed from a DJ stand at the opposite end of the basketball court from where the students entered and the bass of the subwoofers could be felt in the floorboards. Lucy and Kat held tight to their dates’ hands as they walked across the room.
“Hey, Big D, what’s up?” Mark greeted Damien Avilla, the senior linebacker and captain of the team. “Good game. You guys managed to hold them scoreless.” Mark held out his balled up hand as they shared a fist bump.
“We kind of had to since you boys on the O-side of the ball only scored twice.”
“You know, we like to keep it close.” The two boys bumped fists again and Damien was dragged away from the conversation by some of the other seniors on the team.
Mark turned to Lucy. “You want to dance?” He held out his arm.
“Uh, I don’t know.” She looked to Kat who grabbed Dave.
“That sounds like fun,”
said Kat. With a jerk, she pulled Dave toward the dance floor.
Lucy shrugged. “Why not?”
“Excellent,” Mark exclaimed and he escorted Lucy out.
As they approached their first embrace on a dance floor, Lucy raised her right hand and waited for Mark to respond. He took Lucy’s hand in his left and the two began to sway back and forth. Lucy noticed that Mark was slouching a little bit.
“You okay?” she asked.
Mark looked confused. “Yeah, why?”
“You just look a little … tired.”
“No … well, maybe a little. It’s not a big deal. I’d stay up all night with you.”
Lucy smiled at him as he pulled her close to him and they continued to sway.
As they moved to the music, Lucy felt something odd. It was like an electric current, weird and subtle. She could quite literally feel the flow of it move between their hands. The sensation was startling, yet somehow familiar, and she looked to see if Mark could feel it, too. While he didn’t give off any sign that something strange was happening, Lucy did notice that his back had straightened and his expression was much more alert. He was more awake and his movements became more pronounced and lively. Looking back into her eyes, he smiled widely and wrapped his arms tighter.
“You feel so good to hold,” he whispered in her ear and the current filled her whole body. It was the strangest sensation, but she knew one thing was for sure: she loved being held by Mark.
When the song ended, Mark let go of Lucy and took her by the hand. They walked over and found seats at a table where she sat on Mark’s lap and cuddled into his chest. The electricity didn’t stop. She didn’t know what that sensation was, but if it happened when she was with Mark, she liked it.
For more than an hour they danced, had punch and cookies, and laughed about everything from school to movies to music. Not once did he talk about football, and not once did she think of Benjamin Raven.
It was nearly midnight before someone outside of Lucy and Mark’s private bubble intruded and addressed the entirety of their friends.
Immortal Light: Wide Awake Page 9
