First Date

by Krista McGee

  “Addy? Did that bite mess with your brain?” Kara waved her hand in front of Addy’s face. “Hello. I’m still here.”

  Addy laughed. “No. I just need to tell you something, and I’m nervous. So I was planning how I was going to say it.”

  “Wow, you really do think too much.” Kara shook her head. “You can tell me anything.”

  Kara sat on her bed, and Addy lowered herself next to her, her heart hammering in her chest. Why am I so scared, God? Help me. This is my friend, and what I’m going to tell her is the good news.

  “I’m a Christian.” Addy held her breath and waited for Kara’s reply.

  “Okay.” Kara looked at Addy, her eyebrows knit together. “I kind of thought so. I mean, you read a Bible. Who does that? And your parents, they were like missionaries, right?”

  Addy nodded, her stomach still in knots.

  “Why are you acting like it’s such a big deal? You look more scared than you did right before your kazoo solo.”

  “I was worried it would change our friendship.”

  “Only if you’re going to start treating me like a project instead of a friend,” Kara said, her perfectly tweezed eyebrows arched.

  “A project?”

  “Yeah, once I had this friend who was a Christian, but she didn’t really care about me, she just wanted to ‘save my soul.’ She kept coming at me with Bible verses and horror stories about hell, but when she finally saw I wasn’t interested, she was done with me.” Kara used her long arms to punctuate her story.

  “I’m sorry your friend did that. That’s not how Christians should treat people.”

  “I know you’re not like her, Addy.” Kara smiled. “You’re just about one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.”

  “Thanks, Kara.” Addy looked at her friend. “I believe God has a plan for your life, and that his plan is so much better than anything you could ever imagine. I don’t want you to miss out on that.”

  “I’m just not interested, okay? I’m happy with my life the way it is.”

  All right, God. What do I say? “If you’re right, no big deal, but if you’re wrong, huge, enormous, horrible deal”? No, I can’t scare her into believing. I’ve got to just keep praying for her. I don’t want to be like that friend she had. “Okay.”

  “That didn’t sound like an ‘okay’ okay. That sounded like an ‘I don’t like it, but I have to say okay’ okay.” Kara nudged Addy with her shoulder. “We’re still friends, right? You’re not going to drop me because I don’t believe the same as you, are you?”

  Addy reached over and hugged her friend. “Never. But I will be praying for you.”

  “I guess I can handle that,” Kara said. “Will you pray that I make it to the Top Five?”

  The girls laughed, then Addy asked to know about the week she had missed. Kara told Addy about the fun she’d had in Dallas, her favorite part being the two days the girls spent at Six Flags.

  “The roller coasters were amazing. But I wish you could have been there to go on them with me.”

  “No, you don’t.” Addy stood and paced the length of the trailer. “I don’t even ride merry-go-rounds. No way would you get me on a roller coaster.”

  “Oh, well, then it was a good week for you to miss, I guess.”

  “Interesting how God worked that out, huh?” Addy smiled.

  “Or just plain old good luck,” Kara retorted. “Oh, I almost forgot—there was some major drama this morning.” Kara crossed to the bed, her eyes wide.

  “Lila?”

  “No, none of the girls, actually. One of the guards. Yours, as a matter of fact,” Kara said.

  “Mike?”

  “Apparently Mike has been making Hank mad for a while. But when we all got off the bus, Hank was giving us orders and Mike turned to walk away. I don’t know why. But Hank tore into him like you’ve never seen. And we’ve seen a lot from him.”

  “He yelled at Mike?”

  “At the top of his lungs,” Kara said. “Hank told Mike the only reason he was still here this week was because his replacement couldn’t come in yet. But he swore to not only fire him but also make sure he never worked anywhere ever again.”

  I’m sure Mike wasn’t too intimidated by that. But still, Hank has no right to treat Uncle Mike that way.

  “I think Hank would have hit the guy if he wasn’t so big. Hank probably worried that Mike would mess up his pretty face.” Kara laughed but stopped when she saw Addy’s face.

  “Addy, what’s wrong? I know he was your guard and all, but . . .”

  “He’s not just my guard. He’s my uncle.”

  Kara stood, her hands over her mouth. “What? Why didn’t you tell me? I can’t believe . . . I mean . . . what?” She sat back down, waiting for an explanation.

  “It’s a long story,” Addy said, trying to regain her composure. “Eric called him the second week. He’s a cop.”

  “But how did you guys keep it secret? Didn’t Hank know you two were related?”

  “Hank doesn’t read our files, Kara. He leaves that to the ‘little people.’”

  “True.” Kara grabbed Addy’s hand. “Wow. I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

  What do I do, God? Uncle Mike came out here to help me and instead gets screamed at and treated like dirt. He doesn’t deserve that. Why was Hank so angry? She could tell he was miserable. He wanted control so badly he lashed out at anyone he thought was trying to take that control from him. But why?

  Kara, noticing Addy wanted some time to think, left the trailer. On a whim, Addy flipped open her laptop and typed in “Hank Banner.” There were dozens of hits.

  As Addy skimmed the various articles, blogs, and websites, she learned that Hank hated God. Dozens of websites revealed his hate, the source of his hatred, the reasons and rantings about it.

  “I am my own god,” he announced in a webzine article. “I have finally realized that it is a waste of time to serve some fabricated deity. My time is better spent devoting myself to me.”

  Addy thought of Hank’s tirades and constant pandering to the press and wished that he could see how useless a life devoted to self really was.

  Addy shut her computer, feeling overwhelmed.

  Hank isn’t just a mean guy; he hates the God I love. The God who created Hank, whether he believes in him or not. No wonder he interrupted Uncle Mike while he was praying that day. That’s probably why he doesn’t like Mike to begin with.

  Addy wasn’t sure how to pray, or what to do to help her uncle. Even after her talk with Kara, Addy still worried about sharing her faith. She especially feared sharing her faith in public. But she sensed that, somehow, she would need to do just that.

  Fear tore at the pit of her stomach. She needed to walk around to clear her head.

  Chapter 45

  Addy had walked only a few steps when she saw a very angry Hank walking toward the guards’ trailers.

  I guess now wouldn’t be a good time to talk to him. He looks so mad. I hope he’s not going off to yell at Uncle Mike again.

  “Addy, over here.”

  Déjà vu.

  Jonathon stood at the door of the editing trailer, motioning Addy in.

  “You’ll never believe this.” Jonathon pulled out a leather chair for her before sitting in one himself. “I had to tell someone. This is unbelievable.”

  “What’s unbelievable?” Addy said, intrigued by Jonathon’s excited demeanor. “Tell me.”

  “Okay.” Jonathon paced the trailer. “I woke up early this morning. I couldn’t sleep. Not sure why. Anyway, the guys in editing have been sending me the raw footage of the show, and I have it all saved on my laptop. So I decided to take some of the ‘throwaway’ footage and play with it. I may not be able to be an editor for a living, but it can be a hobby, right?”

  Addy nodded and motioned for him to continue his story.

  “So I found this file under Trash marked Top Secret. I’m not even sure how it got to my computer. I’m sure it was accidently
sent. But I couldn’t resist, you know?” He laughed. “At first, I thought it was a TV show. Then I realized what it was.” Jonathon leaned forward, his eyes bright. “Addy, a few days ago there was an attempt on my life, and the Secret Service guys found out and stopped it.”

  Addy tried to look surprised as she saw on-screen the scene she had viewed from the bathroom door: the would-be assassins being taken off the airplane by Secret Service agents.

  “Eric just happened to call as I was watching it, so I asked if he knew about it and he said he did, but that I wasn’t supposed to.”

  Addy remembered Eric had been filming the takedown.

  “I said I had just found out and I wanted to thank the person responsible. He told me your guard, Mike, had discovered the plot. Mike! So I asked Eric to find Hank so he could help me get something together for Mike.”

  Addy was beginning to piece things together. Jonathon’s excitement coupled with Hank’s earlier anger suddenly made sense. Addy laughed at God’s sense of humor.

  “You think this is funny?”

  “No, no, of course not. You’re just so animated.”

  “Well, if you’d discovered some terrorists were trying to kill you and your life was saved, you’d be pretty animated too,” Jonathon said. “Now, can I finish my story?”

  Addy nodded.

  “So I found Hank and told him I had a big favor to ask. Someone had done something great for me and I wanted to repay him. Hank was really listening and agreeing with everything I said about rewarding this guy.”

  Sure he was. Hank assumed you were talking about him.

  “So I asked him what he thought we should do for the man on staff who had proven himself so invaluable. Hank started clapping and racing around the trailer, saying the guy should get a special segment at the end of next week’s show so America could see a little behind the scenes. Most people don’t know all the work that goes into making one of these shows, you know?”

  Addy agreed, smiling so broadly her cheeks ached.

  “I thought that was brilliant. I told him I wanted to edit it myself, as part of the thank-you. Hank was thrilled at that idea. But then, it was weird . . .” Jonathon shook his head. “I told him the guy I wanted to thank was Mike, and Hank’s whole face just fell. I guess he was thinking of someone else. I don’t know. He shook it off, though. So I told him to grab Mike and get some shots of him at work and interview him about the plot.”

  Addy wanted to jump up and dance. But she controlled herself, focusing instead on Jonathon and his story.

  “Wait a minute,” she said. “Are you sure you’re allowed to discuss an assassination attempt on TV? I mean, doesn’t your dad want to keep that kind of thing out of the public eye?”

  “I called him this morning, right after I found the footage. He said the Secret Service guys do like to keep that stuff quiet, and that he didn’t tell me because he thought it would scare me. I reminded him that I am seventeen.”

  Addy raised her eyebrows. “I’m sure he loved being reminded of that.”

  “We actually had a great conversation. At first, he didn’t want me to make this public. But I told him that America needs to know about the brave men working behind the scenes to keep us safe, and he agreed. After some intense discussion, of course.”

  “Wow, sounds like a great talk.” Addy smiled.

  “It was.” Jonathon pulled out his phone and scrolled through his messages.

  “Oh, look at this.” He showed her his phone. “Since we didn’t get our one-hour date, Eric says he needs a shot of us talking for the show tomorrow.”

  “It’s terrible that we didn’t get that hour.” Addy laughed.

  “Too bad no one was filming you on that horse,” Jonathon said. “I’d like to see that again.”

  “Very funny. Why couldn’t someone have filmed that?”

  “The other girls would be very angry, for one.” Jonathon stretched his back. “And second, if someone recognized any landmarks, our security would be compromised.”

  “You really do have to be careful about everything.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Jonathon sat next to Addy. “Yes, it’s too bad I have to spend another hour with you.”

  “So where are you taking me?”

  Jonathon looked at his phone. “Eric said he’s pressed for time, so he just wants to film in The Mansion. How about we meet up there in half an hour? I have some more work I need to do on this package for Mike.”

  Addy left, her heart lighter than it had been in days. Mike was going to be spotlighted on national TV, earning the praise he deserved for uncovering the assassination plot. And she was getting more time with Jonathon.

  Walking back to her trailer, the morning sun making the dew on the grass sparkle like diamonds, Addy thought of how amazing it was that God was involved in every detail of their lives.

  What were the chances that Jonathon “just happened” to find that particular piece of footage? Or that Mike and I “just happened” to be in that diner at the same time as the assassins? You had this all planned, God. Every bit of it. You are looking out for Jonathon’s life and Mike’s reputation. How could I ever doubt you?

  Chapter 46

  So, Dallas.” Kara met Addy at the catering table, and Addy insisted on hearing all about her week away. “It was pretty fun. Although the other girls kept trying to pull me to the dark side.”

  Addy nodded. “I’m sure. Do I even want to know what they’re saying about me now?”

  “You planned the whole thing, of course.” Kara bit into a granola bar. “The spider bite, the hospital stay. All planned. Maybe not even real. You’re just so desperate for attention, you’ll do anything.”

  “Of course.” Addy grabbed a Diet Coke and sat on the lawn. “The pictures of me throwing up in the van on the way to the hospital were just the kind of press I was hoping for.”

  “Those were pretty disgusting.”

  “They think I faked all that?” Addy asked.

  “It’s Hank, really.” Kara finished off a bottle of water. “He’s got some kind of deal going with Lila and her parents. He is doing everything he can to make sure she wins, and you are messing that up.”

  “Look at these.” Kara pulled up the Internet on her phone, showing Addy pictures of Lila. “Here she is cutting a ribbon at a store’s grand opening. Do you think any of the rest of us got to do that?”

  “No?”

  “No.” Kara scrolled down and found more pictures of Lila. “We are supposed to be keeping up with our schoolwork or calling home. Meanwhile, little Miss Hawaii goes anywhere she wants.”

  “You sound upset.” Addy nudged her friend.

  “Wouldn’t you be?” Kara looked at her friend. “What am I saying? Of course you wouldn’t.”

  Kara scrolled through her phone again and then handed it to Addy. “I do have something Lila doesn’t have. Randall.”

  Addy looked at the tiny screen and saw a teenage boy staring back.

  “It’s a YouTube video,” Kara explained, pushing the Play button. “Seventy-five thousand hits in the last three days, and it’s all for me.”

  “Kara,” Randall rapped. Very badly. “Yo, yo, wassup. This is Randall. Yeah, that’s my handle. If that Johnny don’t choose you, he’s a foo’, I know that’s true. But, girl, I got your back, and I’ll take you wit’ me. Don’t ya see? Randall and Kara are meant to be.”

  Randall flexed what Addy guessed were supposed to be his muscles. But because Randall had no body fat to be seen, the move was laughable.

  “Girl, you make me crazies. I’ll buy you lots of daisies.” Those flowers filled the screen, then Randall’s face appeared in the center.

  “Is this for real?” Addy laughed as the next video paused to load.

  “Oh, it gets better,” Kara said.

  “Kara McKormick, I’ve been on the floor sick, my love for you is not dormant. Oh, Kara. I love you. Go wit’ me to the prom. You
and me, we’ll be the bomb. I’ll bring a flower for your mom if you go wit’ me to prom.”

  Addy wiped tears from her eyes as Randall knelt in the dirt, wildflowers in his hand, singing loudly and off key. “Ka-a-a-r-a. I’ll be your prom date. Your prom date. Oh, girl, I’m here for you . . .” The last note was so high Addy was sure Kara’s screen would break.

  “And that’s just the first one.” Kara giggled.

  “What?”

  “Oh yes. Randall has posted a new video every day for the last three days.”

  “He really wants to take you to prom,” Addy said.

  “I’ll go too.”

  “What?”

  “Why not?” she argued. “We’d both get tons of publicity. And then maybe next year I could be on Book of Love 2 choosing my date to senior prom.”

  “But he’s crazy.”

  “I’m not going to marry him,” Kara said. “Besides, he’s probably just doing it for the attention. Maybe we’ll both get our own shows.”

  “I hope you’ll be very happy together.”

  “Don’t worry.” Kara patted Addy’s back. “I’ll let you be on the show with me. You can be my conscience, making sure I don’t make any bad choices.”

  “No thanks. I’ve had all the reality TV I can handle.”

  Chapter 47

  You may have noticed that Addy here wasn’t in Dallas with us.” Hank looked into the camera with a mock frown at the end of the evening’s episode of The Book of Love.

  “While the other girls were having a great time in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, Addy was back here in Nashville. Our first hospital visit of the show.”

  Shots of Addy being wheeled into the hospital filled the screen behind Hank.

  Maybe it’s not circus music in the background, but it is definitely comical. Hank must have supervised this edit himself.

  “After taking a walk in the Tennessee woods, Addy was bitten by a poisonous brown recluse spider. The great team of doctors at Nashville Medical Center was able to find and treat the bite, and now Addy is back with us, safe and sound.”

  Hank turned to Addy, microphone shoved in her face. “How are you feeling now, Addy? All better?”