It was late and her parents were reading in their bedroom when Katie went upstairs.
“Have fun?” her mom called out to her.
“Yes, Mom. Good night you two.” Katie stood outside their door.
“Close our door now that you’re home, sweetie,” her mom blew her a kiss.
Katie went down the hall to her room. As she got ready for bed, she thought she heard voices coming from her parents’ room. Her parents sounded like they were fighting again. She tiptoed down the hall to see what she could hear. By then the voices had calmed down but it still seemed like a serious discussion.
“Shhh! She’s going to hear us! I told you everything would work out. Katie has a boyfriend. In the here and now. She’s distracted. Isn’t that what you wanted, Jackson?”
“I just want to make sure it stays that way. You have that book under lock and key, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. You are such a worrywart, although I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Joanna, as I have said before, and I will say again, you don’t take all this seriously enough. I don’t understand that book at times. I don’t want to expose Katie to something I’m not completely sure about.”
There was silence for awhile and then the light went out under the door. Katie slowly walked back to her room. Little do they know that I know what they are talking about.
That fight they had in the summer was not over the Mustang. It was over the trip she took back in time. Her mother must have told her dad about it when he first got home. Or maybe Jack Woods did see her and was really her father. She would find out all the answers eventually. For now, she decided she would work on worrying about the dance the next day.
When she got back to her room, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Lindsey to call if she was still up.
“Of course I’m still awake,” Katie said after Lindsey answered. “What’s up? Must be important if it can’t wait until tomorrow.”
“I know this is short notice but do you think you’ll be allowed to go to my aunt’s ranch in Arizona next weekend? It will be Columbus Day weekend and we’ll get an extra day off from school. Plus my mom is going to let me miss an extra day of school, too. I have been begging to go back because it will be my great-grandmother’s 100th birthday. I promised her I would come back for it. The rest of my family can’t go because my brother is in a soccer tournament. My mom really didn’t want me to go by myself, even though I go in the summer alone. I asked her if she would let me go if you came too, and she agreed. So?”
“Wow, I’d love to go. I’m sure my parents will let me. I’ll ask them in the morning. Everyone is meeting here at five, right?” Katie was more excited about going to Arizona than the dance.
“Yes, I’ll see you then.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
The next day was filled with a flurry of activities revolving around the dance. Katie set out her jewelry. She’d be wearing Drew’s necklace. She found some gold dangling earrings with imitation blue stones that matched the necklace pretty well. Katie decided to wear her hair as she always did with just a little more curl to it so she plugged in the curling iron to start working on it. Her mother told her to splurge on shoes since she didn’t have to buy a dress so she practiced walking in them all day. Everything was set.
Katie’s mom knocked on the door. “Need any help?”
“Sure, you can help me with the dress.”
“You know, you and Ty make such a cute couple,” her mom said as she removed the hanger from the dress. “You two could get married one day and live on this street with your parents and in-laws. Wouldn’t that be great?”
“Mom! I’m only sixteen. Give me a break!”
“I didn’t mean now. I was thinking more down the line, like after you graduate from college.”
Katie’s stomach flipped over. “I’m only going to a dance with Ty. After college I may not even be here. Who knows where I’ll live or who I will be dating.”
Katie knew her mom loved having her family close by. That’s why she moved back to Ohio after Katie was born. Her mom, dad, and brother Michael were close by. Her other brother, Will, only lived an hour away. Plus, she had Maya next door.
Katie just hadn’t thought that far into her future or wanted to. She thought it best to change the subject.
“Mom, Lindsey invited me to go to her aunt’s ranch next weekend. Is it alright if I go?”
“The ranch in Arizona?”
“That’s the one. Please, can I? Or may I?” Katie so wanted her mom to say yes. She needed the distraction. It would make her feel closer to Drew. It would help her get through the weekend.
“You’ll be flying? You need a last minute plane ticket.”
“It can be my Christmas present. Oh, please!”
“I’m sure it will be okay. I’ll talk to your dad later. Make the final arrangements with Lindsey.”
“Mom, you’re the best.”
“You’re hard to say no to.”
They finally had Katie dressed and ready. Her mom had tears in her eyes. “Katie, you are so grown up. When did that happen?” She eyed the framed picture of Aunt Lucinda’s wedding. “You sure do look like this Kathryn in the wedding party. It’s unreal. But you also look like Grandma Rett. Those two girls look like sisters more than Lucinda and Loretta do in this picture.”
“That’s what Ru...” Katie caught herself. She was going to say that Ruthie’s sister, Molly, had said the same thing.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, look at my shoes!” Again, Katie thought of a diversion. She was getting good at it. She’d have to get better by Thanksgiving if she wanted to be gone for a few days.
She took her shoes out of the designer shoebox and held them up. They were polished gold leather dress sandals with four-inch heels. Good thing that Tyson was tall.
“Those are great! I hope you didn’t spend too much of my money on them.” Katie’s mom took a shoe from her hand.
Downstairs, they heard her dad letting Lindsey, Brian, Jordyn, Matt and Tyson into the house. The Roberts had planned a pre-party for them. Champagne glasses were waiting to be filled with sparkling cider, plus Katie’s mom had made appetizers. The parents of all the kids were invited too. Suddenly there were many voices drifting up the stairs.
“We better get down there!” Katie’s mother left her room.
Katie took one last look in the mirror. She had a quick flashback to Lucinda’s wedding day. She was so excited to be in that wedding. She couldn’t wait for Drew to see her in the dress. She felt like she was betraying them all. She would be going to a dance in a dress that Lucinda chose for her wedding. Katie would dance with the wrong partner. She stared into the mirror, wishing she could step through it to her other life. Touching the mirror, it just felt cold and hard.
I’m still here. I’m a sixteen-year-old girl who’s going to a dance with her friends. That’s how it should be. I need to stay focused and get my life together. Tonight I break up with Ty.
Katie headed down the stairs and saw a large group of people. The other parents took her mother’s offer to come over and enjoy the festivities. Everyone snapped pictures, talked and ate. No one noticed she came downstairs, except Ty.
“Katie! You look beautiful.” He kissed her on the cheek. “This is for you.” Ty handed her a clear container with her flowers inside.
“They’re nice.” She smiled at Ty and took them out. He tied them on her wrist.
Lindsey and Jordyn came up to Katie and grabbed her hands. “Pictures!” They said in unison and pulled her away from Tyson.
Before Katie realized, she was in the car with Ty, driving to the restaurant. The other two couples went together in Matt’s car. They rode in silence for awhile and then Ty turned on some music. He took Katie’s hand. “This is a perfect evening. You and me, alone. I don’t want to share you with anyone. I know that sounds selfish but that’s how I feel.”
Katie stayed quiet because she had no idea
what to say in return.
After dinner they headed for the school where the dance was to be held. Tyson parked the car in the school parking lot and ran around to let Katie out. “Just wait till all our friends see us as a couple. Can’t wait. Erin will have to accept it. We’re going to be together forever. This is just the start.” He patted his jacket pocket as if he was checking something.
The entrance to the gymnasium was decorated with fall colored balloons, bales of hay, autumn leaves and a few friendly scarecrows. There were moons and stars hanging from the ceiling. The theme of the dance was ‘Harvest Moon’. Everyone agreed to meet before going into the dance and Katie and Tyson waited patiently for their friends to arrive.
Formal pictures were taken and then the three couples entered the gym which was transformed into a twinkling nighttime dance floor. Katie had to admit they did a very good job. She especially loved the moons. She danced with her girlfriends and Ty throughout the night.
Later in the evening, Jordyn brought Erin and some other basketball cheerleaders over to their table.
“Having a good time?” Erin looked directly at Katie.
“Why, yes we are,” Ty answered as he put his arm around Katie. “Who’d you come with, Erin? Didn’t I see you with Joe Donovan?”
“Yeah, we came as friends, though. That’s all.” She sat down next to him. “Do you mind if I steal him for the next dance, Katie?”
“No, not at all. Go right ahead.”
While Erin and Ty danced, Lindsey and Katie had time to talk. Lindsey looked at Katie very seriously. “What are you planning on doing about the Tyson situation?”
“I’m breaking up with him tonight after the dance. I know that sounds mean but it just can’t go on anymore. I feel like he’s not hearing me when I say I just want to be friends. He has all these plans for us and he thinks I’m going right along with them. I know I have been giving him mixed signals but it stops now. Even my mom is getting in on this! She has me married with children!”
Katie didn’t realize how serious it all was until she said it aloud. Ty was serious, she was not. She was letting him believe otherwise and wanted to end things before it went any further.
“Well,” Lindsey leaned in closely. “If you are going to break up with him, do it before he starts to sound serious.”
Katie looked at her suspiciously. “Do you know something I don’t?” Tyson sounded pretty serious already tonight.
“Just heed the warning.” Lindsey smiled with her attempt at humor.
Ty came back to the table and for the rest of the night didn’t leave Katie’s side. He made sure he danced the rest of the dances with her. He tried to kiss her on the dance floor but she managed to avoid it. Katie knew she wouldn’t have to kiss him again if all went as planned.
“Would you like to leave?” Ty said before the dance was over.
Katie shrugged, “Sure, that’s fine. If you want to.”
They walked out into the wonderful night air. The sky was full of stars and the full moon was glowing brightly. Katie stopped and looked up. She sighed as she looked at the moon with a half-broken heart. She didn’t realize that Ty had put his arm around her.
“Cold?” he asked as she shivered. He took off his suit jacket and put it around her shoulders. “Katie, I was going to wait until we got home but the night has been so great, I can’t wait.” He reached over to take something out of his jacket pocket. He put a small box in her hand.
Heed the warning, Katie heard in her head.
“Wait!” she didn’t mean to sound as harsh as she did. “Ty, we need to talk and this is as good a time as any. Since you’re not hearing me about just being friends, I feel like I have to break this off. I want to be friends forever, just like we said when we were eight. If this means we can’t even be friends, so be it. You don’t seem to get it. I like you, it was fun dating you, but that is all it was.”
Katie looked at Ty. He seemed to be in shock. Good. He heard me, she thought.
“Is there someone else?” he said softly.
Katie didn’t answer right away. She just looked up at the moon and thought of her Drew.
“There is, isn’t there?” Ty’s tone changed to anger. “Did you ever like me, Katie? Or were you just using me to go to Homecoming? That’s what Erin said and I guess she was right!”
He stormed back into the building. Katie didn’t know quite what to do. She slowly opened the door and went back inside. There was still a good crowd and the music was playing loudly. No one was sitting at their table. She just stood there, wondering what to do.
Through the crowd of dancers, Ty emerged with Erin in tow. He was holding her hand and pulling her through the dancers. She seemed to be asking him to slow down but he kept going. They whizzed right past Katie, with Erin giving her a slight grin as they went out the door.
Katie stood there, unable to move. What had she done? Ty was so angry. Now he was with Erin? She hoped they would be alright.
Lindsey came running up to her. “What happened? Brian and I were dancing and the next thing we see is Ty grabbing Erin off the dance floor and disappearing into the crowd.” She looked at Katie. “Are you okay?”
Katie had been holding back the tears. “No, no I’m not. Do you think you guys could take me home?”
“Sure, sweetie. Just let me find the rest of the gang.”
Katie sat in the back seat of the car with Jordyn on one side and Lindsey on the other. She cried the whole way home. No one spoke or asked her any questions. Lindsey made sure of that.
The girlfriends walked her to the door and made sure she got inside. Katie’s parents were in the family room, waiting up for all the details. When they saw her face with tears and mascara running down it, they panicked.
“What happened? Where’s Tyson? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Katie answered. “I broke up with Ty and he went home with another girl. Jordyn’s date brought me home.”
“That irresponsible kid! I trusted him with you! Tomorrow I’m going over to their house and giving him a piece of my mind!” Her father paced the floor.
“No, dad, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let it go on so long. Ty and I were friends and it got complicated. I thought we were friends and he thought I was his girlfriend.” Katie barely choked the words out.
Katie’s mom wrapped her arm around her. “Let’s sit down, shall we?”
Just then the phone rang. Katie’s dad answered it, all the while looking over at his two girls.
“No, Janet, Katie’s right here. We don’t know the whole story yet. Please keep us informed.” He quietly hung up the phone. “Tyson has been in a car accident. It seems he had some girl in the car with him and Janet thought it was Katie. She was calling to tell us she got a call from the hospital. When I told her you were here, she got a little freaked out. She’s going to the hospital now.”
Katie rocked back and forth on the sofa. She couldn’t believe how the night ended. She pictured it differently. She wanted to wait until they were safely home and could talk quietly with Tyson. It was not supposed to end like that, not like that. Suddenly Katie realized she still had Ty’s jacket wrapped around her and was clutching the small box in her hand. Slowly she opened it. There was a tiny heart ring with a very small diamond in the center. Ty had put a little note in the top of the box, ‘Step One of the many steps to come’. She snapped the box shut and leaned back, closing her eyes and that was the last thing she remembered.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Katie heard her mom talking softly when she awoke the next morning. It was difficult to hear what was being said. She could only make out a few words here and there. Katie knew she would just have to wait for her mother to get off the phone and give her the details. Someone had put a very soft blanket over her and it felt so good. She would love to hide under it and make everything go away. Instead, Katie sat up and looked down at her dress. It was wrinkled from sleeping on the couch all night.
Luci
nda wouldn’t be too happy about that, she thought. Either would Grandma Rett.
She felt for her necklace...still there. On the floor in front of her was the little black velvet box from the night before. Katie picked it up, and opened it. The ring was still in there with the note. She removed it from the box and placed it on her left ring finger. It fit perfectly. How did he know her size? It was frustrating all Tyson seemed to know.
Well, he should! They knew each other for eight years. They went to toy stores together to spend their birthday and holiday money and swam the summer days away in her pool. He would follow her around the mall for hours as she tried on many outfits. She played video games with him for hours. He beat her at basketball; she out rode him on their bikes. Katie felt a twinge of nostalgia, for the simpler days. She wished she could have loved Tyson like he wanted, she really did. She took off the ring, snapped the box shut, and set it on the table. Her mom was done with the phone call and Katie wanted to know if it was about Ty.
“That was Janet Gray. Tyson is home now. He just got a few bruises here and there. It was a one car accident. He drove into a stop sign.”
“What about Erin?”
“She has a few bumps and bruises, too, plus a sprained wrist.” Her mother folded her arms and her brows crossed. “Want to tell me what happened now?”
“There isn’t much to tell. I broke up with Ty on the way out of the dance. He went back inside, grabbed Erin and that’s the last I saw of him.” Katie wanted to stop talking about it.
Her mom picked up the ring box as Katie finished her story. “And this?”
“You can open it. And do me a big favor by giving it to Mrs. Gray.”
Her mom opened the box and sat quietly for a moment. “He was getting a little too serious for you, wasn’t he? You know that you have to give this back to him yourself, don’t you?”
“Yes, I guess I do. I’m glad you finally get it.” Katie looked away. Tears filled in her eyes. She didn’t want to hurt Ty anymore.
“Oh, and Mrs. Gray said something else. She said Tyson said you like someone else, not him.”
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