by Kelly Oram
“But—”
“You’re about to turn sixteen. It’s time for you to start taking on some grown-up responsibility. Especially if you’re going to own your own car.” She paused to smile at me over her coffee mug. “I trust you to make a good decision.”
Ugh, she was going for the whole guilt trip thing. She’d been lecturing me on the responsibilities of having my own car for weeks. If I told her I couldn’t handle this on my own, she’d probably tell me I couldn’t get one.
Well, if she could go for the guilt trip, then so could I. “Don’t you want to go with me, Mom? It’s for my sweet sixteen. We could go just the two of us. Spend the day together. Get some lunch? We don’t do that very often.”
The truth is, offering some quality girl time just the two of us was pretty underhanded of me. My mom’s a lot more like Angela, and it’s no secret that I’m my dad’s daughter. I felt a little bad manipulating her, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
My mom got really quiet as she set down her coffee cup. I had her! She was going to give in—I could see it in her eyes. When she finally spoke I waited for her to say okay, but what came out of her mouth was, “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I just can’t today.”
That’s when I realized what she was doing. “She totally got to you!” I accused.
“What?” My mom sounded startled.
“I’m going to kill her!”
“Kill who?”
“Angela!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. “That little bi—”I caught myself in time to not get grounded. “Brat!”
“Ellie! What is the matter with you?”
I couldn’t help getting angry at my mom. “You’re blowing me off because you want me to have to go with Seth!”
Mom couldn’t find a reply—I’d hit the nail right on the head.
“You’re as bad as she is!” I yelled.
“Ellie, stop shouting,” my mom said, her voice becoming stern. “It was very nice of Seth to offer to help you. He’s brand new in town and just wants to spend time with the only people his age that he knows. It would be very rude to cancel on him.”
“Oh, please. You don’t care about offending anyone. You just want your freak daughter to be more like your perfect one.”
“Eleanor Elizabeth Westley!”
I’d crossed a line with that one, but I didn’t take it back. I folded my arms stubbornly, falling into a staring match with my mom. I waited for her to start in on me, waited for the lecture and the grounding that I deserved, and was really surprised when I got compassion. “Angela’s not perfect, sweetheart, and you’re not a freak.”
My mom reached across the table and put her hand on my arm. She had that proud-parent look in her eyes. “You are a smart, strong, beautiful young woman, Ellie,” she said. “It was only a matter of time before boys started realizing that. And now that they are, you’re going to have to learn how to deal with it.”
“Oh, geez!” I sank back in my chair, more uncomfortable than I’d ever been in my life. This was not the lecture I’d been expecting.
“I’m serious, Ellie.”
“So am I. I’ll just wait for dad to get a car.”
“You know how awful your dad felt about having to leave this weekend. He’ll feel even worse if you don’t get your car before your birthday. He knows how much you’ve been looking forward to it.”
“It’ll be fine Mom. One week won’t kill me.”
“It’s more than that, Ellie. Your father and I know you’re bummed about your friends being gone this summer and missing your birthday.”
“I’ll throw her a party,” Angela said, coming into the kitchen. “The Fourth is this Friday, which doesn’t give me much time, but I’ll bet I can pull it off.”
My mom looked at me hopefully and sighed when I shook my head. “This is your sixteenth birthday,” she said. “It should be special.”
That struck a nerve, no matter how hard I was trying not to let it. “Well, there’s no way a stupid party full of Angela’s friends is going to make it special,” I snapped.
“Ingrate,” Angela muttered. I glared at her.
“Forget it, it’s just a stupid birthday.”
“Ellie,” my mom said, frowning.
The pity in her voice threw my temper over the edge. “I don’t want a party!” I yelled. “And I’m not going today!”
“What do you mean you’re not going today?” Angela gasped in a panic. “You have to! Ellie, this is basically like a date. I even called Rachel and Brooke to come help you get ready. They’ll be here in like fifteen minutes.”
“It is not a date.”
“You heard Seth last night on the way home. He’s really looking forward to today. You can’t cancel on him, you’ll break his heart.”
“I’ll bet I will. I’m not going anywhere alone with Seth.”
“So take your sister with you,” Mom suggested quickly.
“On her date?” Angela asked, appalled.
But my mom had a point. Maybe there was a chance I could still get my car today. When Angela was there, Seth did a decent job of controlling his creep factor.
“It’s not a date,” I said again. “And if you don’t go, I don’t go.”
Angela stared at me incredulously. “You’re such a freak.”
“Fine. I guess I’m not going,” I said, turning to leave the room.
I got half way up the stairs before Angela came stomping up them behind me saying, “All right, I’ll go. You big baby.”
I locked myself in the bathroom before she could start giving me wardrobe tips.
Luckily, Rachel and Brooke did not show up to give me a first date makeover, but there was an outfit laid out on my bed when I got out of the shower. I didn’t want to give Angela the satisfaction of winning, but I didn’t want to fight with her either. I needed her to be in a good mood to keep Seth distracted.
I could tell she tried to be reasonable. She’d laid out a pair of my own jeans—probably just because I’m too tall to wear any of hers—so I put on the shirt without too much argument even though it was pink, had a strap around the back of my neck instead of sleeves, and seemed to be missing part of the back.
I came downstairs expecting her to complain about my ponytail but she just looked at me kind of startled and said, “Wow. You actually look kind of cute. Man, I’m good.”
“Is this really necessary?” I asked, pointing at the shirt. I looked at the T-shirt she was wearing and frowned. “How come you get to wear sleeves?”
“Ellie, if you’re going to make me chaperone on your date, then you at least have to look like you tried to be cuter than me.”
“Would you give it a rest already? This is not a date!” But two seconds later the doorbell rang and we answered it to find Seth standing there with roses in his hand. Roses! Angela gave me a very pointed look. I ignored it.
Seth’s eyes raked over me from head to toe, lingering curiously on the shirt I was wearing. When his gaze finally made it back to my face, he laughed at my scowl and held out the flowers. “For the almost birthday girl.”
I didn’t realize I was standing there like an idiot gaping open-mouthed at the flowers until Angela elbowed me. Seth had to actually take my hand and put the flowers in it.
“Um, thanks,” I said, but for some reason it sounded like a question.
Seth held out his arm to me and asked, “You ready to go?”
I looked down at his waiting arm and then at Angela. She was giving me a pleading look, begging me to go without her. “I’m ready,” I said, not taking my eyes off my sister. “You ready, Ang?”
Angela rolled her eyes. With an irritated sigh she said, “I just have to get my purse,” and stalked up the stairs.
“Your sister’s coming?”
I looked back at Seth and shrugged.
Seth’s face was careful. “I thought it was just going to be us,” he said evenly.
“She wanted to come,” I lied.
Seth studied m
e for a moment, his gaze intense. “You could tell her no.”
Thankfully Angela came back then. Huh. Never thought I’d say that.
“Okay, I’m ready,” Angela said, glossing her lips as she stopped in front of us.
“Great,” Seth said with a big smile her direction. But as he walked out the door he pointed to her face and said, “You smeared a little.”
When I headed for the back of Seth’s car, he grabbed me by the shoulders, steered me around the car, and plopped me in the front seat. “Stay,” he ordered me and then hurried to slip behind the wheel.
After buckling his seatbelt, Seth brushed his fingers down the length of my arm and pulled my hand into his. I stared down, slightly baffled at how he’d intertwined our fingers—I’d never held hands with a guy before.
“So.” His voice startled me. I looked up and was met with a smile so warm I couldn’t pull my hand away. “I was thinking we could—”
“It’s too bad you won’t be coming home with a car like this today, Ellie,” Angela, who’d finally stopped fussing over her lips, interrupted as she climbed into the back seat. At the sound of her voice I ripped my hand from Seth’s.
Seth started the car, patiently sending Angela a smile in the rearview mirror. “You like it?” he asked her.
I could still feel the warmth of Seth’s hand on mine. My skin tingled where he’d held it, as if it craved more. Why did the first boy to ever like me have to be crazy? And I knew he was crazy because as he chatted with my sister about the perks of driving a BMW, his voice was perfectly friendly but he gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles.
“Ellie?”
I looked up. Seth and Angela were both waiting for me to say something.
“What do you think?” Angela asked again.
“I wouldn’t buy one of these things even if I had a zillion dollars.”
“That’s not what we were talking about,” Angela said. “And don’t be rude.”
“Too rich for your blood?” Seth asked me curiously.
“Try too foreign. This is Detroit. Motor City? Ford, Chevy, GM?”
Seth shrugged. “At least with this car I won’t have to replace the transmission every three years.”
Oh!
Angela saw my eyes narrow and quickly stepped in. “Ellie, we were talking about Patty’s.”
“What?”
“Do you want to go to Patty’s before we start looking for cars? I was just telling Seth how much you love it.”
Patty’s is this old-school diner where they have the absolute best milk shakes on the planet. I didn’t really want to prolong this day any more than necessary, but some things are worth it. “Fine,” I grumbled.
“See?” Angela beamed triumphantly at Seth. “I told you she can’t ever resist Patty’s.”
Seth visibly relaxed in his chair. “What other things can’t she resist?” he asked Angela, grinning devilishly at me.
“Tickets to a Red Wings game,” Angela said automatically. “And guys who play the guitar.”
I gasped. “Angela! Shut up!” I didn’t realize she knew that about me.
“Really?” Seth laughed and I turned a very deep shade of red. “Musicians, huh?”
“Do you play?” Angela asked Seth hopefully.
I prayed Seth wouldn’t realize Angela was trying to play matchmaker, but I also suspected there wasn’t much Seth missed.
“I could learn,” he said.
Patty’s was pretty crowded. When we walked in, I noticed a bunch of the guys I play against at the park sitting in the big corner booth. While Seth and Angela went to talk to the hostess I strolled over to my friends. “Thanks for the invite, jerks,” I teased.
Several guys choked on the food in their mouths when they looked up. I didn’t know what that was about until Dave laughed and said, “What’s with the makeover, Westley?”
I looked around at the group of stunned guys and remembered I was wearing the clothes Angela had picked out. I groaned and made Dave shove over for me. “Don’t start,” I said as I stole a few of his fries. Since everyone was still staring at me I added, “I lost a bet.”
Yeah, I know, I’m a liar. But it was easier than explaining the truth.
“Where were you this morning?” Dave asked. “Kowalski was saying you’re afraid to play against him now since you know he’s going to take you down for breaking his nose.”
I snorted. “He can try. I’m not afraid of that dillweed. I was just busy.”
“Busy?” one of the guys asked, and several of them snickered.
I followed their gazes and found Seth standing behind me. “Our table’s ready, Ellie,” Seth said without taking his eyes off of Dave sitting next to me.
“Really busy,” someone else teased, igniting more laughter.
“Shut it, perverts,” I snapped. Then, with a sigh, I stole a few more of Dave’s fries. “Tell Kowalski I’ll be there Monday morning in case he wants to get beat again.”
When I stood up I heard someone say, “I didn’t know Westley liked ‘em pretty.” Then someone else muttered, “I didn’t know Westley liked ‘em at all.”
I whirled around, ready to knock someone the freak out, but Seth grabbed me firmly around my waist. “Whoa there, tiger,” he said, laughing as he dragged me to our table.
Somehow, though I’d fully intended on sitting next to Angela, Seth ushered me into the booth across from her and sat down next to me before I could protest. Angela smiled at me really big from across the table. Smugly. I was about to kick her when Seth distracted me with a question. “So that guy you were just sitting by, he was the same one you were joking with at the party last night, right?”
“And?”
“You two seem really… chummy.”
I knew what he was getting at, and even though that definitely wasn’t the case with Dave and me, I didn’t see the harm in letting Seth believe it was. “Maybe we are.”
“What guy?” Angela asked, startled.
“He means Dave.”
“Dave Holcomb?”
I nodded and Angela laughed. “Yeah, right. Ellie, don’t tease poor Seth like that.”
Poor Seth. Right.
“Dave Holcomb,” Angela said, “is one of the most popular guys in Ellie’s class. He could get any junior girl he wanted. And half the seniors too probably.”
Angela explained all this as if it should be a comfort to Seth, and really she was right—Dave and I are friends, but he’d never ask me to prom if you know what I mean—but Seth didn’t seem very thrilled with the idea of me being “chummy” with such a sought-after guy.
It got quiet for a minute and we all sighed with relief at the sight of our server. “What can I get you guys?” the lady asked.
Seth gestured to me, so I said, “I’d like a chocolate peanut butter shake please.”
The woman nodded, then moved her eyes to Seth. “How about an Oreo cookie shake,” he said. Then he looked at me and added, “We’d better get a basket of fries as well.”
“And for you?” the server asked my sister.
“Oh, nothing for me thanks.”
“You sure?” Seth asked while I said, “Nothing? You were the one who insisted we come here.”
“I’m sure,” Angela said. “I’ll be fine with my water.”
Something was up with Angela. She doesn’t exactly pack away ice cream the way I do, but I’d never seen her sit down in a restaurant and not at least order a Diet Coke.
A few minutes later I figured out what she was up to when I saw Rachel and Brooke walk into the restaurant. Angela looked up just as her friends spotted us. She tried to look surprised, but she’s not that good an actress. “Oh, hey! What are you guys doing here?” she asked innocently when Rachel and Brooke slid into the booth beside her.
“Yes,” Seth said, that cool control back in his voice. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”
Rachel and Brooke didn’t answer Seth’s question. Instead they started cooing at Seth and me l
ike we were a couple of puppies in a pet shop window. “Angela was right. You guys are just the cutest!” Brooke whined.
“Totally adorable,” Rachel agreed. “I’m so glad you’re together now. You know Seth, Ellie’s never had a boyfriend before so you’d better take good care of her.”
I didn’t have time to correct Rachel of my relationship status because Seth, of all people, said, “Oh, we’re not together.” But then he had to go and ruin it by throwing his arm around my shoulders and adding, “Don’t worry your pretty heads about it, though. I have special plans for our little Ellie here.”
“Special plans?” I muttered. “Could you be any creepier?”
Seth ignored me. “I promise you,” he said to my sister and her friends as he pulled me tight against him. “I’ll take extra care with her.”
The blond brigade all sighed and started scrambling to their feet. “Well, we’ll leave you to it then,” Rachel said. “Have fun you guys!”
“Angela!” I hissed when my sister stood up. I knew she was going to ditch me! “Where do you think you’re going?”
“You guys don’t really need me to come today,” she said with a big innocent smile. “Do you Seth?”
Seth gave my sister his first sincere grin of the day. “It’ll be difficult, but I’m sure we’ll manage.”
“You told mom you were coming with me today,” I said, starting to panic. “You promised!”
Angela smiled down at me very condescendingly. “Trust me, Ellie, this is for your own good.”
“But I wore your stupid shirt!”
“Totally cute, by the way,” Brooke said. “You should wear pink more often.”
I glared at my sister. “I hate you!”
“You won’t later,” Angela said, which caused Seth to laugh. Angela winked at him and then ran off with her friends, leaving me trapped in a booth with my psycho neighbor who still had his arm around me.
“Well,” Seth said after my sister was long gone and our shakes were in front of us. “This is a pleasant turn of events. You know? Your sister’s not as bad as I used to think.”
“Yeah, she’s worse. Stupid traitor.”
“Ellie, quit being ridiculous. She did what she did because she cares about you.”