First Date (8 page)

She laughed uncomfortably. “School isn't so bad,” she said. “I'm in the band.”

She immediately regretted revealing that.

Why did I tell him that? she wondered, feeling her face grow hot. It sounds so dorky.

“What do you play?” he asked seriously. “Tuba?”

He didn't seem to be joking, but Chelsea was insulted. He thinks I'm so big and fat, I should be playing tuba. Why didn't he say
flute?

She shook her head. “You're making fun of me,” she said, turning her eyes to the kitchen. Ernie,
pencil poised over the folded-up newspaper, hadn't moved.

“No, I'm not!” he protested, raising both hands in the air. “I just thought maybe you play tuba.”

“Well, I don't,” she replied sharply. “I play saxophone.”

“That was my second choice,” he said, lowering his eyes to his coffee cup, a hint of a smile crossing his lips.

“So, do you work?” Chelsea asked, changing the subject.

“Do you like to ask questions?” he snapped, his smile fading.

“Sorry.” Again, Chelsea felt her face grow hot. “Just curious. If you want me to go, I'll—”

He reached across the table suddenly and grabbed her arm. “No. Stay.” He didn't seem to be aware of his own strength. His tight grasp was hurting Chelsea. She was about to protest when he let go and pulled his arm away.

“I'm looking for a job,” he said, his expression a blank again. “My mom and dad, they want me to get a job. You know, until I decide what I want to do.”

“Where have you looked?” Chelsea asked.

He let his eyes survey the empty coffee shop. “Well, this place looks pretty good,” he said, his smile returning, his dark eyes gleaming. “Looks
like you could use some extra help here. What do you say?”

Chelsea sighed. “Not funny. Where have you been looking?”

“Well, I had an interview at the mill,” he said. “I think it went pretty well.”

“The mill has been closed for years,” Chelsea blurted out. “My friend Nina drove me up to see it.”

“Oh. Then I guess the interview
didn't
go very well,” he cracked and snickered at his own joke.

She had caught him in a lie.

Maybe, she thought, everything he says is a lie.

What is he trying to hide?

Suddenly he reached across the table again and touched her hand. “Hey—you busy Saturday night?” he asked. “Let's go do something wild.”

I can't go out with him, Chelsea thought, realizing that her heart was pounding in her chest. I don't know anything about him.

And I don't trust him.

She suddenly remembered Will.

“I already have a date for Saturday night,” she said.

Sparks stared at her as if trying to decide if she was telling the truth. “Too bad,” he said finally, jumping to his feet.

Chelsea looked up at him. His features were tight with anger.

He reached into his jeans pocket, then tossed two rolled-up dollar bills onto the table in front of her.

His face was red. His eyes were narrowed, his lips drawn tight.

“See you,” he said coldly.

“Yeah. Okay,” Chelsea replied in a tiny voice she barely recognized.

He grabbed his jacket with an angry jerk, then turned and stomped toward the entrance. He pushed open the door and stepped out into the rain, still carrying his jacket.

“Wow,” Chelsea said out loud, not moving from the booth.

What a scary guy, she thought.

Like a bomb ready to explode.

chapter 10
 

“W
here are we going?” Chelsea asked.

“To the movies,” Will replied quickly, his eyes straight ahead, both hands on top of the steering wheel.

“But the mall is that way,” Chelsea told him, pointing, “on Division Street.”

“I know,” he said softly. He pushed down on the gas pedal, and the old Pontiac responded with a roar. “The same film is playing in Waynesbridge. I saw it in the paper.”

Chelsea stared out the car window, hiding her disappointment. This was her first date, after all. She wanted to go to the sixplex at the mall where all the Shadyside High kids hung out, where everyone would see her with Will.

Why was he taking her to the movies in the next town?

She stared out at the houses passing in the darkness. The radio was turned to an oldies station, and a Beach Boys song filled the car.

The rain had finally stopped that afternoon. It was a clear, cool Saturday night; the grass and trees, even the street, were sparkling from the recent rain.

Even in the dark everything seems much cleaner, much brighter, Chelsea thought. Was it because of the rain? Or because she was out on her first date?

Suddenly she realized why Will was taking her to Waynesbridge.

It was their first
secret
date. He was keeping it their secret.

Their private, romantic secret.

She turned and smiled at him, watching his serious expression as he drove, feeling better, feeling nervous and happy at the same time.

“This is a great car,” she said, running her hand on the vinyl seat. “How old is it?”

“I'm not sure,” he replied. “Late seventies, I guess.”

“Did your family buy it when it was new?” Chelsea asked.

“Yeah … uh-huh. It's the only car I've ever driven,” he said.

“You'd better put on the defroster, don't you
think?” Chelsea asked. “The windshield is getting all steamy.”

He slowed to let a car pass, then reached his right hand to the dashboard and fumbled around with the dials, trying to slide on the defroster. Chelsea laughed as he turned on the air conditioner instead.

She stopped laughing when a disturbing thought flashed into her mind. If his family has had this car most of his life, why doesn't he know how to work the defroster?

“How come you can't work the defroster?” The question just slipped out of her mouth. “I mean, you said this was the only car you've ever driven.”

In the light of the passing streetlights she could see his cheeks go red. He slowed the car a little, his eyes straight ahead on the road.

“I guess you found out my secret,” he said quietly, seriously.

She felt a sudden stab of dread. “Your secret?”

“Yeah,” he said, glancing at her for a split second. “I'm a complete klutz.”

He laughed and slapped the steering wheel with his right hand. She laughed too, mostly from relief.

“I was hoping you wouldn't find out my deep, dark secret,” he said. “At least not so early on our first date. But it's true. I'm a complete klutz. I can't even turn on a defroster.”

“I'm a klutz too,” Chelsea admitted. She told
him about the time her saxophone case had come open just before a band concert at her old school, and her mouthpiece and another section fell off the stage, and she had to climb down and get them in front of the entire school.

“That's pretty klutzy,” he said. “But at least you can work a defroster.”

They told each other stories about their klutziness the rest of the way to the movie theater. It was the easiest, most relaxed conversation they'd had.

He has a great sense of humor, Chelsea thought.

She wondered if he liked her.

He seemed to. He seemed looser, more relaxed than he ever had with her before.

“There's a parking place,” he said and backed the car in easily. He cut the engine and the lights, pocketed the car key, and pushed open his door.

As the ceiling light came on, Chelsea saw that Will had left his wallet on the seat. “Hey—” she called to him, picking up the wallet.

He grabbed it from her so quickly and with such force that he frightened her. “Sorry,” he said, frowning down at her. “Didn't mean to startle you.” He jammed the wallet into the back pocket of his jeans and slammed his door shut.

What was
that
all about? Chelsea wondered, pushing open her door and climbing out.

He didn't think I was going to take his wallet, did he? That's ridiculous.

She forgot the whole incident as Will, smiling warmly at her, put a hand on her shoulder and guided her toward the movie theater.

The movie, a comedy with Will Ferrell and at least two Quaid brothers, was actually pretty funny. Chelsea usually didn't enjoy that kind of film, but sitting so close to Will, out on her first date, feeling happy, she found herself laughing a lot, and even sorry when the final car chase came to a crashing end and the houselights came up.

The night was surprisingly warm as they made their way out of the theater. A sliver of a moon hovered above, cut in half by a thread of a black cloud.

“That was pretty dumb,” Will said, smiling, his hand resting gently on her shoulder as they walked to the car.

“Yeah, but it was funny,” she replied.

“Hungry?” he asked.

She shrugged.

“Know what I'd like to do?” He stopped beside the car and stood close to her on the sidewalk, his dark eyes glowing excitedly in the light from a streetlight.

“What?”

“Drive around, then park somewhere and talk,”
he said, staring into her eyes. He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.

“That sounds great,” Chelsea said.

“Do you know a good place to go?” Will asked, glancing down the street, which was rapidly emptying as cars drove away from the theater.

“You mean you don't go parking with girls every week?” Chelsea teased.

He chuckled. “I'm new here, remember,” he said. “Give me a break.”

“Well, I'm new too,” she said. “But I guess we could go to River Ridge. That's a place on the cliffs above the river. Nina said kids go up there a lot.”

“Who's Nina?” he asked, sounding suspicious.

“My friend,” Chelsea told him. “She's just about the only friend I've made so far in Shadyside,” and then she shyly added, “except for you.”

Instead of acting pleased, he frowned. “Did you tell Nina about our date?”

“No, of course not,” Chelsea said. She pulled open the passenger door. “It's our secret, remember?”

She smiled up at him and his expression relaxed. “Of course I remember.”

He walked around the front of the car, opened his door, and slid in behind the wheel. A minute later they were driving back toward Shadyside, silently, comfortably, the radio playing softly in the rear speakers.

“How do you get to River Ridge?” Will asked as they neared town. Then he answered his own question. “I guess you take River Road.”

“I guess,” Chelsea replied. “Oh. I love this song. The Temptations.” She sang along to “My Girl” for a few seconds. “Do you always listen to an oldies station, Will?”

He didn't reply. He stared straight ahead through the windshield, but his thoughts seemed to be a million miles away.

“Will?” She touched his arm.

“Oh.” He shook his head. “Sorry. I was thinking about something. This is a great song, isn't it?”

River Ridge may have been a popular parking spot for Shadyside High kids during the summer, but on this October night, it was completely deserted.

Will pulled the car right up to the cliff edge and cut the headlights. Below, the river flowed, black and silent. Just across the river stretched the town of Shadyside, mostly dark except for a few twinkling lights from houses and an occasional blinking traffic light.

Chelsea could feel her heart racing. Her entire body was tingling. She felt so happy. She felt like singing, or maybe throwing open the door and flying out of the car, flying over the cliff, over the river, into the dark, starry sky to soar over the small, twinkling town so far below.

Will dropped his hands from the steering wheel and turned to her, smiling. He slid one arm behind her on the back of her seat.

He's going to kiss me, she thought happily.

I'm up here on River Ridge, parked with a boy who likes me.

My first date, she thought, smiling back at Will, leaning toward him as he pulled her close. My first, secret date.

She licked her lips. They felt so dry. But before she could finish, his lips were pushing against hers.

The kiss was awkward and brief.

But he was smiling as he pulled his head back. “Nice night,” he said.

Chelsea nodded. She wanted the kiss to last longer. She wanted him to kiss her again, to hold her.

She had fantasized about a night like this so many times.

She wanted it to be just like all her fantasies.

But Will removed his arm from behind her and replaced it on the wheel. “Feel like taking a walk?” he asked softly. “A short one. It's so pretty up here. I like looking at the town, don't you?”

He pushed open his car door without waiting for her reply.

Chelsea pushed her door open too. He's so romantic, she thought. He was always so shy in
school. But up there, he seemed more confident, more self-assured.