choked on her soda. She managed to swallow it and let out a laugh. “That’s awful, Lou. What if the guy really liked me? That wouldn’t be right.”
“You’re a party-pooper, you know that?”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Well, if you change your mind, let me know.”
Bernice smiled. “I won’t.”
“I know, but I wish you would. We need to have as much fun as possible in case you go away for four years.”
Later on I told my mom I’d do the dinner dishes. When I had finished, I plopped down on the sofa opposite my dad.
He was sitting in his favorite chair, reading the paper.
“How’s work been?” I asked.
“Fine,” he replied.
He just sat there, staring at me.
“Is there something you want to talk about?” he asked.
I shifted in my seat. “I just wanted to hear how things have been at your job,” I replied unconvincingly. “You know, find out about the office.”
“I’m a pipefitter,” Dad snickered. “I don’t sit at a desk.”
“I knew that.” This was going bad fast. I decided I better get to the point and not dig myself a deeper hole.
“Did you want to talk about something else?” He looked anxious to get back to his paper.
I cut to the chase. “Yeah, I do want to talk to you about something else. Jim asked me to the school dance, but I told him I had to check with you first.”
Dad smiled. As he thought it over, time seemed to stop.
“I don’t see why not,” he finally answered.
Chapter 13
Jim was a grade higher than me, so I hadn’t seen him at school yet but hoped I’d bump into him today so I could tell him the good news.
I craned my neck to see if the guy in the center of a group of girls was him when Frankie came into my field of vision, his freckled face ugly as ever.
“Hey, Lou. How’s your sister?” He was smiling but his tone was accusatory, not conversational.
I wasn’t in the mood for his crap so I chose to ignore him.
“Tell her I’m getting a car soon, and that’s she’s welcome to go for a ride.”
That comment stopped me.
Recognition hit – and he knew that I knew.
I wanted to charge him, to go ballistic and slap him repeatedly until he begged for forgiveness. Instead I smiled back, gave him the middle finger, and then walked away.
The rest of the day I struggled to focus on school. And I didn’t even bother looking for Jim I was so angry. All I wanted to do was race home right when the bell rang so I could wring Jeannie’s neck. I couldn’t believe she had been so careless.
When I walked in, Jeannie was smiling, but once she saw me, her expression changed to concern.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Mom was nearby so I motioned for her to follow me to my room. I shut the door and sat her down.
“How much do you trust this Chuck fellow?” I asked.
“I trust him completely. Why?”
The comment proved her naivety. “Because I think he’s been telling someone about you and him. That’s why.”
She shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that. He knows we have to wait until I’m older to be seen in public together. Right now, we’re just getting to know each other. Nothing’s happened. I swear.”
“I thought you only saw him outside of work that one time?”
Jeannie scrunched her face. “Well…”
“Jesus Christ.”
“Don’t freak out, okay?” she said. “I’m in love with him. I just can’t pretend he doesn’t exist and have another girl get him because of bad timing.”
I sighed. I could understand how she felt, but was still upset. “And nothing has happened?”
Jeannie looked me in the eye. “We’ve kissed, but that’s it.”
This was going from bad to worse, but since she had leveled with me, I didn’t want to lose my cool. “Well, someone has either seen you in the car with him or he’s talked, because that idiot Frankie was spreading rumors about you today.”
Jeannie gasped. Then her forehead crinkled, the way it did right before she was going to start bawling. “He promised me he
“You’re a party-pooper, you know that?”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Well, if you change your mind, let me know.”
Bernice smiled. “I won’t.”
“I know, but I wish you would. We need to have as much fun as possible in case you go away for four years.”
Later on I told my mom I’d do the dinner dishes. When I had finished, I plopped down on the sofa opposite my dad.
He was sitting in his favorite chair, reading the paper.
“How’s work been?” I asked.
“Fine,” he replied.
He just sat there, staring at me.
“Is there something you want to talk about?” he asked.
I shifted in my seat. “I just wanted to hear how things have been at your job,” I replied unconvincingly. “You know, find out about the office.”
“I’m a pipefitter,” Dad snickered. “I don’t sit at a desk.”
“I knew that.” This was going bad fast. I decided I better get to the point and not dig myself a deeper hole.
“Did you want to talk about something else?” He looked anxious to get back to his paper.
I cut to the chase. “Yeah, I do want to talk to you about something else. Jim asked me to the school dance, but I told him I had to check with you first.”
Dad smiled. As he thought it over, time seemed to stop.
“I don’t see why not,” he finally answered.
Chapter 13
Jim was a grade higher than me, so I hadn’t seen him at school yet but hoped I’d bump into him today so I could tell him the good news.
I craned my neck to see if the guy in the center of a group of girls was him when Frankie came into my field of vision, his freckled face ugly as ever.
“Hey, Lou. How’s your sister?” He was smiling but his tone was accusatory, not conversational.
I wasn’t in the mood for his crap so I chose to ignore him.
“Tell her I’m getting a car soon, and that’s she’s welcome to go for a ride.”
That comment stopped me.
Recognition hit – and he knew that I knew.
I wanted to charge him, to go ballistic and slap him repeatedly until he begged for forgiveness. Instead I smiled back, gave him the middle finger, and then walked away.
The rest of the day I struggled to focus on school. And I didn’t even bother looking for Jim I was so angry. All I wanted to do was race home right when the bell rang so I could wring Jeannie’s neck. I couldn’t believe she had been so careless.
When I walked in, Jeannie was smiling, but once she saw me, her expression changed to concern.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Mom was nearby so I motioned for her to follow me to my room. I shut the door and sat her down.
“How much do you trust this Chuck fellow?” I asked.
“I trust him completely. Why?”
The comment proved her naivety. “Because I think he’s been telling someone about you and him. That’s why.”
She shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that. He knows we have to wait until I’m older to be seen in public together. Right now, we’re just getting to know each other. Nothing’s happened. I swear.”
“I thought you only saw him outside of work that one time?”
Jeannie scrunched her face. “Well…”
“Jesus Christ.”
“Don’t freak out, okay?” she said. “I’m in love with him. I just can’t pretend he doesn’t exist and have another girl get him because of bad timing.”
I sighed. I could understand how she felt, but was still upset. “And nothing has happened?”
Jeannie looked me in the eye. “We’ve kissed, but that’s it.”
This was going from bad to worse, but since she had leveled with me, I didn’t want to lose my cool. “Well, someone has either seen you in the car with him or he’s talked, because that idiot Frankie was spreading rumors about you today.”
Jeannie gasped. Then her forehead crinkled, the way it did right before she was going to start bawling. “He promised me he
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