Searching Till Forever- Chapter 7

chapter 7:

“Ah!” I giggled as I was running from the hands of Luke who was also laughing. I can’t remember why he was chasing me. I think I made a smart comment about something he said. This was always happening though. I would say something then he would get “mad” and start chasing me and we would laugh the whole time like we were five. “Stop!” I giggled but I didn’t want him to.

Our first date was more then amazing. We barely did anything and yet it was like we did everything. I was so nervous before he came and, like any girl, couldn’t find anything to wear! I tried on about fifty different outfits before settling on one of the outfits August had gotten me when she had come that weekend. Brushing my long brown hair that came slightly above my waist a few time, I decided not to curl it like August did, I was out on my date.

Luke had taken me to one of the few restaurants in town and just ate and talked. It was so easy to talk to him and he always seemed like he knew everything there is to know about the world and how to live it. He was more optimistic when it came to life, and didn’t think twice on anything. That’s one of the main things I liked about him.

“I’m gaining on you!” Luke yelled as he trailed shortly behind me. The truth was Luke was not just gaining on me he was way passed me. When it came to life he was the first in line while I was way in the back by the sign that says “2 hours from this point” except it was so much longer then that. Even though when I was with Luke I felt free and different when I got home I was completely the same, thinking about Riley and how she died all the more frequently. “I almost got you!”

“Ah!” I screamed as he put his arms around me and started tickling me uncontrollably. “Stop” I laughed. And laughed. And laughed. “Please!”

“I’ll stop when you agree to go to prom with me!” he said while keeping up with tickling. “Come on, come on!”

“Ah! Ok, ok! I’ll go to prom with you!” I yelled still giggling.

He stopped tickling me but left his arms around me and said “good. I mean it took you long enough.” He smiled then kissed me on the cheek, letting go of me and heading for his car. We were at the local park which, because of some budget cuts, looked more like a big patch of grass land with an old, rusty swing. For the last two weeks since we have been dating, we came here almost everyday. It was mostly deserted because all the parents took there kids to the newer park in the next town over. We usually had the place to ourselves except for the occasional groups of middle schoolers who went to the school about a block from there, and sometimes parents and there kids who didn’t feel like driving to the other park, and the few dog walkers. Besides them, it was almost like this was our special spot we had together.

Although I was turning sixteen in only a week or so, and that’s how old Luke was, I was almost worried of the difference in grades. “You don’t mind taking a sophomore to your junior prom?” I asked him hesitantly.

“What?” he said quickly and surprised “why would I mind?”

“I don’t know.” I replied “I mean, I don’t want you to feel obligated to take me because we’re going out or anything.”

“Why would I feel obligated? I asked you because I want to take my girlfriend to my prom. Is that ok?” he asked sternly. I was almost embarrassed for bringing it up.

“Of course! I just…I don’t know. Forget I said anything.” I replied feeling defeated.

“Hey” he said stopping and putting his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t worry about it ok” he finished then kissed me lightly on the lips before returning to his car.

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Later, after looked dropped me off at home, I decided I would walk to Joe’s and get a few more new, used books.

“Hey Joe!” I said as the bells rang loudly on the door when I entered.

“There’s my best costumer, a new shipment of books came, I left them in the box and put ‘em over there just for you.” Joe said, pointing to the box by the window.

“Thanks!” I replied heading towards them. Nobody was in the shop, like usual, so I didn’t have to whisper or jump over people when they were crouching down to look at a book and I needed to get to the other side. Joe’s was smaller then normal book stores and consisted of three short rows of book shelves and two tables for you to read at.

“How was your day?” Joe asked me as I scrounged through the box of books.

“Pretty good.” I replied picking up an old copy of Alice and Wonderland.

“Anything exciting happen?”

“I’m going to prom” I replied trying to decide between Jane Austen’s, Emma or Charles Dickens, Bleak House. I decide to just get both.

“Well that’s exciting!”

“Yeah, I guess it is huh.” I replied then brought the books up to the register.

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When I told August about prom over the phone, she nearly broke my eardrum. She was so excited for me and the more she was, the more I started realizing that I was actually going to prom. Unlike August, my dad didn’t seem all too happy that I was going to prom though.

When I told him about Luke and prom he was sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper and drinking coffee, like always. “I don’t know…” Is what he first said. Taking a sip of coffee, he looked at me then put the coffee back on the table and patted the empty spot next to him and said “come here.” I followed his directions and sat next to him as he put his arm around me. “Listen sweetie, guys his age have… expectations from girls, especially during prom and because he’s older.”

“Dad, no. He’s only a few months older then me and Luke’s not like that.” I said and knew it was true.

He didn’t say anything for a second. His face looked serious, like he was really thinking about everything. “I know honey, and I trust your judgment. I just worry I guess and…”

Cutting him off I said “If you want we can come straight here after prom. I mean, if that will make you feel better.”

“That would make me feel better.” He nodded “Can you promise me something?”

“Sure. What?” I asked scared of what he wanted.

“Promise me” he hesitated “that you’ll wait till college at least.”

I looked into my fathers eyes and they looked helpless and full of want. All he wanted was for me to promise him this one small thing, and how could I refuse? We had both been through so much these past months, that giving my father something this big seemed small and unimportant. “I promise.” I whispered and I truly meant it.

“Thank you” he said giving me a huge bear hug and stroking my hair. And that was my community service for my dad. Reassuring that I will stay his little girl till, and maybe after, college.

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Walking through the halls at school was complete madness as everybody was gearing up for prom. Normally, because the school is so small and there are hardly any students, the halls are pretty mellow. However now that prom has struck and is only a week away it’s as if the world as we knew it has fallen upside down, only to be spilling out prom queen posters, tiaras, and the latest prom gossip.

For example; when I was passing this group of freshmen I overheard them whispering “Did you hear what Mary Shelby did to Tara in order to get votes for prom queen?” or when I passed a couple of football players one asked “Who should we vote for, for prom queen?” The other one responding with “I don’t know, who do you think looks hotter in a strapless dress?” Then in unison they completed with “Tara.” What pigs.

I tried not to get sucked into the power and madness of prom but how could I not. Especially when Luke’s junior friends were talking about where the were getting their dresses. I had a back up pan in th back of my closet that I got from the store back in Florida, but that’s just in case. I really didn’t know where any stores were close to town, and August wasn’t coming next weekend, so I couldn’t ask her to bring me something.

Besides the dress issues, there was also Luke’s friends issues. When he told them he was taking me, all the guys were siked for him, but the girls just rolled their eyes and started talking about other things. I was beginning to feel like I was closer to the guys then any of the girls. Besides Luke, I hadn’t really made any friends. The guys treated me like I was one of them, playing jokes on me and punching my shoulder. But when I tried to talk to the girls they just ignored me or thought of a snotty remark.

The only girl that was friendly to me was the girl from my chemistry class, who I later found out’s name was Leah. We talked during class and were always lab partners. I found that she was completely dedicated to school and had her mind set on going to an Ivy League school so she could “get out of this rat hole of a town.” Like me she was a sophomore and had a junior boyfriend named Rick, who was close friends with Luke. Unlike me, however, she actually had made friends with the rest of the junior girls.

One day we were working on a lab when Leah said “So, you and Luke huh?” I didn’t know what she meant. And the way she had said it, her tone showed no certain emotion and I couldn’t see her face because she was looking down at the lab paper.

“What do you mean?” I asked. She looked up at me, her red glasses on her nose and just smiled.

“I mean, I’m not a one any more.” A wave of relief fled over my face. She looked back down at her paper and said “You know some of the girls are less then pleased about Luke taking you to prom and all.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” I spoke in a sarcastic tone. “What I don’t get is why. I mean they all have dates themselves.”

She looked back up at me annoyed. “It’s like this; every girl in school secretly wants Luke to aske them out, I mean he’s the most popular guy, if you hadn’t noticed” and sadly I hadn’t really. I knew he was lie by just about everybody. I just didn’t know they were all girls. “And even though they all have dates to prom, they would all dump them in a second if Luke asked them out. And what really ticks them off is that he’s not only taking you, the new girl, he’s taking you, a sophomore.”

“You’re a sophomore.” I replied weakly.

“I’m not Luke’s date though.”

“Do you think I’m out of my league to be going out with him?”

Leah looked at me sadly. “Personally, I could care less who Luke takes to prom. But he has a whole school of girls who would love to have him take them, and the fact that he picked you says that… I don’t know… maybe he’s just a little out of you’re league.”

I would never consider Luke out of m league in a million years, but the fact that Leah had said that me a little more confident. “Thanks” I replied then looked at the paper we were supposed to be working on together.

“What color dress are you going to wear?” Leah asked me straying away from her junior friends who were also talking, again, about their dresses while I was sitting alone next to their circle listening to them, while Luke was playing pass with a football with Rick.

“I don’t know yet. I don’t even know where to go to get a dress.” I answered honestly.

“Oh, I know! There’s like no where. Most of the girls just ordered online, but it’s kind of late for that.” She said. “I just am wearing this old dress my sister gave me a long time ago.”

“Oh. I have this yellow dress I have that I could wear. I mean I’ve never worn it or anything.” I replied

“That’s cool.” She said, looking over my shoulder. I turned around and saw Luke and Rick coming towards us. Luke sat down next to me and put his arm around me. Rick did the same with Leah.

“what are you girls talking about?” Luke asked curiously.

“What everybody at this school is talking about.”

“Prom.” We all nodded in unison.

“It’s almost sickening” I said.

“What?” Luke questioned.

“All the talk about prom”

“Your excited, just admit it.” He replied, looking at me as if he knew something I didn’t.

“I am excited” I quickly responded.

“You better be.” He joked then kissed me on the cheek. His light touch on my face suddenly caused a warm chill in my body. It was like, even though all these people didn’t like me and I didn’t particularly like them, this was exactly were I was supposed to be. With his arm around me and us together, it was home.