A Ride With Friends

by Miguel Taylor

and berated him about the situation and how much he knew. He looked at me with watery eyes like a child whose father has just beaten him senseless.

  “Leave him alone!” a female voice said from behind me.

  It was Tracy, coming to save the good Colin from his mean friend.

  “I haven’t known you as long as Colin, Charlie, and Scott, but you are the biggest jerk I have ever met. You had better stay away from Colin from now on. I don’t know how the four of you stayed friends for so long.” She finished by ushering Colin away.

  People were staring at me. I was so embarrassed I left school and went downtown. It didn’t help. I had spent some of the best times of my life here with my friends, and with Charlie. Everything reminded me of them. The old Episcopal church with the ancient cemetery. It had been there so long that most of the graves were illegible, and there was the fountain across the street from that, where Charlie and I took some of our prom pictures last year. And those damn bears everywhere. The ones that Scott, Charlie, and I climbed on to get our pictures taken despite the good Colin's protest. Telling us that the signs said not to climb on the bears. Why did I come down here of all places? I wished that I could turn back the hands of time. To a better time when I would have been kinder to my friends, most of all to Charlie. I would have treated her the way she should have been treated, but as they say, hindsight is twenty twenty.

  I wasn’t the only one not at school though. I saw Charlie and her mom in a shop downtown. It must have been fate. She looked absolutely beautiful in the dress she was trying on. I imagined it was her wedding dress, and how it was bad luck for me to see it before our big day. Then she looked up. I am sure she saw me, but pretended not to as she laughed and smiled at her mom. I still couldn’t believe that Scott was taking my Charlie to the prom. That was a sickening thought, mostly because I thought of prom night last year and the girl that he went with and the hotel room he rented. How he let Charlie and I use that same room hours before he and his date used it. Charlie and I had shared a special moment last year at this time. What if she shared the same experience with him. I almost vomited at the thought. My best friend and my ex-girlfriend together. The thought scratched at my insides like a cat scratching on a leather couch.

  My thoughts drifted back to that night. We had talked about “it” for months. Just Charlie and I. I didn't even let Scott or Colin know. It was a well guarded secret between Charlie and me. I was mostly afraid that if I let the plan slip then “it” wouldn't happen. Charlie and I sat off in a back booth at the Char Burger discussing our plans for prom night. Every now and then I would look around to make sure her dad hadn't sent spies to see what we were up to. “Mike, we have known each other all of our lives, and I feel that I am ready.” Charlie stated

  “I'm ready too,” I managed.

  “Boys are always ready,” she laughed.

  “Not always. I haven't really given this much thought,” I lied.

  “Yeah right. I see how excited you get when we kiss. Mike, you have given this a lot of thought.”

  “Okay, so I have,” I admitted.

  “So why haven't you tried anything with me?” she asked.

  “Because I love you and respect you.”

  She smiled her cute Charlie smile and motioned with her finger for me to come closer. I leaned over the table and kissed her.

  “Gross, no PDA!” I heard from behind me.

  It was Charlie's older brother Pete. “Are you here spying on us?” I asked.

  “Why? Do I need to be spying on you?” he asked.

  “No.” I shook my head.

  “What were you two talking about?” Pete asked suspiciously.

  “We were discussing having sex after prom!”

  To my surprise it was Charlie who fired back at him.

  “Yeah right! Dad would kill Scott if he even thought about that.”

  “We just discussing what we were going to do for prom,” Charlie said.

  “I know what I am doing already,” Pete said with a smile.

  “And what's that?” Charlie asked.

  “Uh, just having a good time like everybody else. It's my last year of high school. There is going to be a killer party at Shannon Decker's house after prom. You should come,” Pete said.

  “You know dad won't let me go out that late. I have to come home right after prom. It isn't fair! Just because you and Floyd are boys shouldn't mean you get to do what you want, ” Charlie argued.

  “Hey, it's not my fault that you were born daddy's little girl,” Pete said walking off.

  For all of our careful planning, when the day came I was a nervous wreck. I couldn't afford a hotel room so I revealed the plan to Scott the day before. He said he had a room with two beds. The plan was for Charlie and I to leave prom early and go to the hotel. I just had to make it to prom first and to do that I had to get through Mr. Parker. “Charlie isn't ready yet. Come in and have a seat,” he said.

  “Yes sir. How are you this evening.” I had been dreading this moment.

  “Mike, you and Charlie have known each other since kindergarten. Now I don't have to tell you how much I love my little girl do I?” he asked.

  “No sir,” I said, trying to keep my voice even.

  “I expect Charlie home right after prom. If I have to come looking for you it won't be pretty. I have a gun and some shady cousins that do things and they don't ask questions. Do we understand each other?” Mr. Parker asked.

  “Yes sir,” I squeaked out.

  He sent a wide smile in my direction. “Good.”

  Moments later my angel came to my rescue.

  “I'm ready,” Charlie smiled.

  Scott was waiting outside with his date. Our parents took pictures, and had the expected they grow up so fast talk. Then Charlie and I were off to dinner and prom.

  Charlie and I had a wonderful time The first slow song came on, and Charlie and I went out to the dance floor. I loved just looking into her eyes and seeing that perfect smile of hers. About an hour before prom was over Charlie and I took Scott's spare key and made our way to the hotel. I kept looking over my shoulder nervously.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “I'm pretty sure your dad threatened to kill me while you were getting ready,” I told her.

  I had a hard time trying to unlock the door, but finally we were in. The room was wonderful. We went in and sat on the bed and held hands. We looked into each others eyes. We were both nervous. With all our months of talking and planning we didn't know how to begin. So we started kissing. Our hearts were racing, but I was still distracted. “What is it?” she asked sweetly.

  “I don't want to die.”

  Charlie just laughed and kissed me on the lips. “He won't find out, I promise.” Then we started kissing again.

  We finally found our way, and it was one of the best experiences of both of our lives. Afterward we lay there under the covers. She had her head resting on my chest and then reached up and kissed me.

  “I love you,” she said.

  “I love you, too.”

  We got dressed and Charlie fixed her hair. Then we headed back to the prom. Scott was smiling at us when we got back, but he didn't ask any questions. I got Charlie home right after prom was over. Her dad was standing on the porch, just waiting when we pulled up.

  Charlie laughed. “Dad, what are you doing out here?”

  “I was just making sure Mike got my little girl home on time.”

  “Of course he did. Whatever you said to him had him nervous and watching the clock all night. We didn't have much fun, and most importantly, it cut out our time for sex,” Charlie told her father.

  “You don't have to be a smart ass Charlotte,” Mr. Parker said.

  “Well, you don't need to ruin my prom night by scaring my boyfriend. He wasn't fun at all tonight. He was shaking and looking over his shoulder all night.”

  “I'm a dad. It's my job,” he smirked.

 
“Then where is Pete and what is he doing?” she asked.

  “That's different, Charlotte.”

  “Because he's a boy!” Charlie snapped.

  Her father was at a loss for words against this argument. She motioned to me with her finger, and I came to her and she kissed me gently. “Thanks for a wonderful evening.”

  “Thank you,” I said back.

  I could have flown home I felt so good, but I did need to take my dad his car.

  But that night was long past and I knew I would never be that happy again.

  I left to go to the Java Joint to drown my sorrows in something heavily caffeinated. The bell to the Java Joint rang and I saw them come in. Her mom saw me and came over and spoke and asked if I was out trying on tuxes for the prom. I politely let her know I wasn’t going to the prom. She gave me a look of pity. I assured her that I was fine, and that I was happy for Charlie and Scott. My stomach lurched at the thought. She walked away and I heard Charlie ask her why she bothered to even talk to me. It hurt to hear it, but still not as bad as the look she had given me when she said Scott was going with her to the prom.

  night came faster than I expected, and no matter where I went I saw signs of it. I wished more than anything that I could go to the prom Carrie style and burn people alive. Not really, but I did want to make sure Scott didn’t have a good time at the prom or after. I knew I had to at least see her before she left. I got on my bike and rode over to her street. The house across from hers was for sale so I climbed up the tree. A half an hour later a limo pulled up and Colin and Tracy got out. Then Charlie and Scott came