The Date

by Brenda Scott Royce

  That’s what these wooden pegs are, she realized. Golf tees. The keychain was a golf tee holder. She turned it over in her hand. “SWANSEA” was printed in gold letters on the other side.

  Evan had already zipped his backpack and was headed for the exit. Mari hurried to catch up to him. She called his name and tapped his shoulder. He turned and flashed a familiar smile.

  “You dropped this.” She held the keychain toward him. “I saw it fall out of your backpack and figured you’d need it.” She didn’t stumble over her words this time. She’d practiced them a dozen times in her head.

  He reached out to take the keychain. Once again, Mari felt a spark when his fingertips brushed against hers.

  “Yeah, I do. Thanks.” He pocketed the keys and looked back at her, still smiling.

  “You’re welcome.” She returned his smile. She had butterflies in her stomach, but she wouldn’t let them take over. You got this, she told herself. She opened her mouth, but he spoke first.

  “Sorry your friend got hurt earlier,” he said, his smile fading.

  “Yeah. Me too.”

  Someone shouted Evan’s name. His friends from the cafeteria were waiting in the hall. One of them hooked his arm through the doorway and called, “Come on!”

  Evan started to turn away, but Mari said, “Wait!”

  She steadied her nerves and smiled. “Will you be my date to the bonfire?”

  12

  Only a few seconds could have passed between Mari’s question and Evan’s answer, but it felt like forever. Finally, he gave a slight nod.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  The words set off fireworks in her brain. She had a date for the bonfire. The date of her dreams! She couldn’t wait to tell Jenae and the others.

  Evan was looking at her expectantly. She realized it was her turn to speak. But her mind was blank. She hadn’t practiced this part! All day she’d known just what to say and do. But from this moment forward, everything would be different.

  This was when her do-over truly began. She couldn’t mess it up.

  “Cool,” she said at last. “Pick me up?”

  “Nah, can’t.” He ran his hand over his hair and shook his head. “I’ve got to work after school. I’ll meet you at the beach.”

  Evan gave her a wink, then turned and headed out the door.

  Mari said, “See you at the party” to his back.

  * * *

  “Let me guess,” Mari said to her father when she came down the stairs. “Spaghetti and meatballs.”

  The table was set for dinner, but the food was still in the kitchen. Out of view from the dining room.

  “Good guess. The aroma is obviously pasta sauce. But how did you know it was spaghetti?”

  Mari shrugged. Scoring a date with Evan had put her in a playful mood. She was having fun “predicting” her parents’ actions.

  “I must be psychic,” she said now. “Bet I know which movie you guys are going to watch tonight.”

  Mari’s mother entered the room carrying a large bowl of spaghetti. “We haven’t decided.”

  “I think you should watch Martians at the Mini Mall.”

  Her dad nodded. “Funny, I was just thinking about that movie. Too bad you won’t be home to see it with us.”

  Mari ate quickly and refused her mother’s offer of seconds. “There’s going to be lots of food at the bonfire,” she explained.

  Mari raced upstairs to change and get ready for the party. She took her time getting her hair and makeup just right. Her favorite sundress was hanging on the back of her bedroom door. She reached for it but changed her mind. The dress was now associated with some unpleasant memories. She could picture herself running down the beach in that dress, barefoot and crying.

  Instead, she chose an emerald green top that brought out the color of her eyes. She paired it with black jeans and the same sandals she’d worn before. They really were her favorites. And the pretty green and gold beads on the sandal straps matched her blouse. This time, she vowed to keep them on her feet.

  An hour later, her mother dropped her off at Casker’s Cove. Music and laughter mingled with the sound of waves gently lapping the shore. A couple dozen teens were gathered around the fire pit, some holding roasting sticks up to the flames. She recognized several of her friends. She knew Jenae wouldn’t be among them. She’d texted earlier to say she was home from the hospital but didn’t feel up to a party. She’d also sent a photo of her forehead with the caption: “Seven stiches!” Mari still felt responsible for her friend’s injury, though she’d never be able to explain why.

  Aaron was sitting on a folding chair, playing his guitar. Annalise was on a blanket, leaning back against Nic. Mari waved to them, her eyes still scanning the crowd for Evan. She finally spotted him, sitting off to one side. Their eyes met, and he smiled and waved her over.

  “Saved you a seat,” he said, moving a large duffel bag off the chair next to his. “I came straight from work on the bus, so I still have my school stuff.” He gestured at her backpack, which she’d just lowered to the ground. “What’s your excuse?”

  Mari rolled her eyes. “My mom packed me snacks and water—even though I told her there’d be food and drinks. And she insisted I bring a hoodie in case I get chilly.” Mari didn’t mention the sunscreen and first aid kit her mother had also shoved into her backpack at the last minute “just in case.”

  Evan took a sip of his cola. “She’s one of those helicopter moms?”

  “Not really. But she probably circled the parking lot a few times to make sure I didn’t get kidnapped on my way over to the fire pit.”

  Evan chuckled softly, then put an arm around her shoulders. “Well, you’re safe with me now.”

  They pulled their chairs closer to the fire to roast marshmallows. Evan let the flames lick his marshmallow, burning its surface to a crisp. “The best way,” he insisted, laughing. Mari held hers above smoldering embers until it turned golden brown. Then she blew on it to cool it off.

  “Ouch!” she said when she bit into the molten goo. “Hot, hot, hot!” Evan laughed again.

  The crowd swelled as more kids joined the party. Chelsea had arrived shortly after Mari. Her arm was in a sling. Mari felt a little sorry for her. Not because of the sling. The shoulder injury was probably just like hers had been. A minor sprain. Nothing serious.

  But she saw how Chelsea kept glancing over at her at Evan. She knew what the girl was probably feeling. She’d felt the same way when their roles were reversed.

  When they finished their snacks, Evan stood. The setting sun cast shadows across the lake. He held a hand out toward Mari. “Want to go for a walk along the shore?”

  Mari remembered the lakeside kiss between Evan and Chelsea. The scene was burned into her memory. But it was about to change. She reached out and took Evan’s hand.

  13

  The evening sky looked as though it had been painted by an artist’s brush. Magical, Mari thought. Her gaze took in the sky as she walked hand in hand with Evan.

  They were approaching a small stand of trees. Mari recognized the large palm tree she’d hid behind last time. Her heart sped up. Soon, she knew, she’d get to kiss Evan.

  She slowed her pace. She wanted to savor every second. But also, she wanted to get to know Evan. They’d been in the same math class all year but had barely spoken. She knew nothing about his life outside of school.

  “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” she asked.

  He nodded. “An older sister and a younger brother.”

  She smiled. An only child herself, she’d always wanted siblings. One of each seemed like the perfect number. “What are their names?”

  “Emily and Sean.”

  “What about pets?” she continued, figuring that learning more about Evan would make her feel closer to him.

  “Um, no.” He let go of her hand and bent to pick up a stone. Then he walked to the water’s edge and looked out at the lake. “Used to have a dog, but he died a few years
ago.”

  “What was his name?”

  “Luke. As in Skywalker.”

  “You’re a Star Wars fan.” Mari smiled, glad to know they had this in common.

  With a quick flick of his wrist, he sent the stone in his hand rocketing toward the water. It skipped across the surface once, twice, then sank. Frowning, he said, “My brother named the dog. He’s the Star Wars nerd.”

  “Oh.” Mari leaned against a tree. “What kind of movies do you like?”

  “Pretty much anything off the beaten track. Indie films, documentaries. I don’t like superheroes or space aliens.”

  “Me either,” she lied.

  As they talked, she watched him skip three more stones. The first two were duds, sinking as soon as they struck the water. He palmed the third one and rubbed its surface with his thumb. “Nice and flat. This is the one.”

  This is the one, Mari repeated in her head. But she wasn’t thinking about a rock.

  “Woo-hoo!” Evan shouted as his stone flitted across the water. “One, two, three, four, five. Personal best!”

  She flashed him a wide smile.

  She had more questions for him. She wanted to know how he spent his weekends, what video games he liked, what was on his playlist. Did he play sports? Was he planning to go to college? But for now, she’d keep those questions to herself.

  They stood side by side, looking out at the lake. Then Mari picked up a small pebble. She’d never been good at skipping stones, but she’d thrown lots of coins into fountains. So, after making a silent wish, she tossed the pebble high into the air.

  The sky had grown dark. She couldn’t see where the pebble hit the water, but she heard a tiny plunk. She wondered if her wish would come true. It was almost time to find out.

  She turned to look at Evan. He stared back at her.

  They stood in silence for a moment.

  “I keep asking about you,” she said finally. “Do you have any questions for me?”

  He took a step closer to Mari, then looped an arm around her waist. “Just one,” he said as he pulled her close. Then, he asked, “May I kiss you?”

  Not trusting her voice, she simply nodded.

  14

  As they kissed, it seemed like the rest of the world melted away. Mari imagined the night stars swirling around the two of them. No one else existed.

  Mari had spent a million math classes picturing this. But it was even better than she imagined.

  After a few perfect moments, Mari took a step back and breathed in the night air.

  Evan’s face was handsome in the moonlight. He slipped his fingers through hers. Grinning, he guided her farther down the shore.

  Mari was quiet as they walked. The kiss was replaying on an endless loop in her brain. When the silence became awkward, she went back to questioning him about his life.

  It turned out they watched some of the same TV shows and had similar tastes in music. His part-time job kept him too busy for video games or sports.

  “Where do you work?” she asked.

  “Swansea.” Evan pointed toward the opposite shore.

  Mari squinted into the darkness. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

  “The golf club,” he said. “On the other side of the lake.”

  Then she remembered where she’d seen the name. “Your keychain. The one you dropped at school. It’s from there?”

  He fished the keychain from his pocket and nodded. “My work keys. I owe you big time. They’d dock my pay if I lost another set. This one,” he said, wriggling a small silver key, “is for one of the staff golf carts. It costs a fortune to re-key those carts. If a key gets lost, my boss freaks out. He’s afraid someone will find the keys and come steal the cart.”

  “Work keys,” Mari repeated slowly. “And those wooden things are golf tees. At first I thought they were game pieces, like where you move pegs on a board until there’s one left.”

  “Yeah, we sell those games in the club shop. Along with keychains and other souvenirs. Golfers buy all sorts of stuff made out of golf tees or golf balls.”

  Her throat went dry at the mention of golf balls. She pictured a river of golf balls spilling out of Aaron’s locker. Golf balls she’d spent an entire class period retrieving from the science wing. She remembered seeing a logo on some of the balls. Faded, but recognizable as a bird. Not just any bird, she realized now. A swan.

  Mari felt dizzy. She closed her eyes. A whirlpool of emotions swirled inside her, not all of them good.

  Then Evan put his arms around her. She hadn’t realized she’d gotten cold until that moment. It was a nice feeling. She wanted more moments like these. She wanted, more than anything, to be Evan’s girlfriend.

  So what if he worked at the golf club? That didn’t mean he was the one who planted the balls in Aaron’s locker.

  Eyes still closed, Mari tried to recall the moments just before the prank. She remembered both versions of the events. The first time, she’d just called Evan’s name. She was gathering up the courage to ask him out. He’d said, “Yeah?” and turned toward her. There was a slight smile on his face. She’d believed he was smiling at her.

  But after the do-over, things were different. Mari had watched from a distance. She’d seen Evan glance over at Aaron as he opened his locker. They exchanged a few words. Evan had the same hint of a smile on his face. Like the mischievous expression her father got when he was up to something.

  Evan’s locker was close to Aaron’s. It would have been easy for him to look over Aaron’s shoulder and see the combination. He probably stored the golf balls in his own locker. Then, when no one was around, he transferred them to Aaron’s. She remembered seeing him leave the cafeteria early.

  And another strange thing. Both times, Evan disappeared immediately after the prank. Like he didn’t want to be observed at the scene.

  She opened her eyes and stepped back. “The golf balls that were stuffed into Aaron’s locker? I saw a logo on them. A gold swan. Could they have come from your club?”

  She expected him to deny it. She hoped he would deny it. Instead, he nodded.

  “Of course they did. I’m the one who put them there.” He tipped his head back and laughed. “Did you see Aaron’s face? Greatest. Prank. Ever!”

  15

  “You have to tell them.” Mari took another step back. Hands on her hips, she stared at Evan. She couldn’t believe he was laughing. Sure, it was a prank. But someone had gotten hurt. Her best friend.

  He stopped laughing. “Tell them? You’re kidding, right?”

  “No. They’re trying to figure out who did it. The cops were there. I had to give a statement. They asked me to name everyone who was in the hall when it happened.”

  “The cops?” Evan’s face paled. “Did you tell them I was there?”

  “No.” At the time, she had no idea Evan was involved. She’d just wanted to spare him from being called to the principal’s office. Now she felt a stab of guilt for not being honest. “But you should. It’s serious. Jenae slipped and fell. She had to get seven stiches! And Mr. Motoyama—” Mari stopped short. She realized that in this version of reality, the science teacher hadn’t been injured.

  “What about him? Did he fall too?”

  “No,” Mari recovered quickly. “But his classroom is near Aaron’s locker. And he’s old and he’s nice. It would have been awful if he got hurt.” She felt her eyes moisten. She looked away, not wanting Evan to see her cry.

  Evan noticed how upset she was. He pulled her close again and spoke softly. “It was a prank. Like last year. Remember Selina Miller and the water fountain?”

  She inhaled sharply. “Did you do that too?”

  “No! It was a couple of seniors. I just wanted to carry on the tradition. I promise, I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt. Especially your friend.”

  Mari stood in his embrace. She could feel his heart beating against hers. She believed him. He didn’t plan the prank with the intention of harming anyone
. “I know,” she said on a sigh.

  He pulled back and looked her in the eye. “You can’t tell anyone, Mari. I mean it. If I get in trouble, I could lose my job. I could lose everything.”

  “I’m sure they’ll understand.”

  Evan’s tone grew sharp. “No, they won’t. I’m on probation at work. Nothing big. I forgot to punch out a few times, and I lost some keys. I’m a good worker. One of the best. But if they found out I took all those balls—”

  “Wait. You stole the golf balls?”

  “No, not really. The club ‘retires’ old, worn-out golf balls. They go into a huge bin. We donate them to the YMCA or other programs. We’re allowed to give a bucketful to pretty much anyone who asks. So I donated some to myself.”

  She nodded. That didn’t sound so bad. “Still, I have to tell Jenae.”

  Evan took her hand. He guided her over to a grassy spot. They sat side by side, looking out at the lake. “It’s not just the job I’ll lose. The club gives scholarships to employees. My application was already approved. I just have to keep up a B average and keep working there senior year. My parents need that money to help pay for my college, Mari.”

  Mari took it all in. She didn’t know what to say. Telling the truth was the right thing to do. But she didn’t want Evan to get in trouble with the school or his job. And the cops were involved too. What if Evan got into trouble with the law?

  Evan leaned back onto his arms. Gazing up at the night sky, he said, “You ever wish on a star when you were little?”

  She nodded and stared up at the stars. “Seems like just yesterday.”

  “Your wish ever come true?”

  “Once.”

  He let out a sigh. “Well, I wish I could take back the stupid prank. But I can’t. I know that. So I just want to pretend it never happened. Don’t tell anyone, Mari. Please. Promise me.”

  She turned to face him. She could tell by his expression he was truly worried. His future was on the line, after all. She felt silly for making a big deal out of it. After all, it was just a prank.