At First Sight (18 page)

I was still thinking about Britt's outfit when I headed up my front steps that evening. That is, the outfit I'd helped her pick out after our trip to the mall. For her date. With Marcus.

That's right. The two of them had plans to catch a movie and a late dinner that night. Britt was so giddy about their first real date that she'd barely been able to think about what to wear. Luckily, I was there to step in and make sure she looked amazing in her favorite little black dress from Anthropologie and some cool sparkly high-heeled Mary Janes I'd found her at a thrift store recently.

As I opened the door, I sniffed the air,
wondering what exotic epicurean delight was in store for me that evening. After all, it looked like I was going to be home for date night this weekend. I might as well know what I was getting myself into.

To my surprise all I smelled was cat food and dust. Chairman Meow was waiting to greet me by trying to dash outside as usual, but there was no sign of my parents bustling around the kitchen or setting up board games in the den. Slinging Meow over my shoulder, I headed for the steps, wondering if they were still out shopping—I hadn't checked the garage for their cars when Britt had dropped me off.

“Anybody home?” I shouted upstairs.

“Coming!” my father's faint voice replied.

I shrugged, shifting Meow to my other shoulder as I wandered over to the hall table to see if there was any mail for me. He purred and kneaded my back with his paws.

“Ow!” I complained, detaching him and setting him down. “Feels like somebody needs his claws clipped again.”

Yeah. It was shaping up to be a super-exciting Saturday night indeed… .

“Hello, hello. We were just wondering if you'd be home before we left,” my dad said,
hurrying down the steps adjusting his tie.

His tie? Hold on. Back up. It was Saturday. And Dad's number one rule in life was No Ties on the Weekend. Exceptions made only for weddings and funerals.

I stared at him. “Why are you so dressed up?”

He did a little twirl. “Do I look okay, oh fashion-expert daughter?”

“You look hot, oh fashion-impaired father,” I replied, still not really understanding. “But why? Since when do you dress up for date night?”

“Since we decided to take your advice,” my mother replied.

I'd been so busy staring at Dad that I hadn't even heard her coming. Now I did a double take. She looked even more incredible than he did. She was wearing a red knit dress that showed off her trim figure, along with some chunky-heeled black pumps I'd helped her pick out and the earrings I'd given her for Christmas a year or two ago.

“Ooh la la!” I said. “But where are you going?”

“Out.” My father reached for my mother's hand as she reached the bottom step. “Dancing.”

He twirled her. It was a little awkward, since she twisted her arm the wrong way and they had to let go and try again. But it was cute. Especially when they both giggled like a pair of middle schoolers heading off to their first school dance.

Meanwhile I was still confused. “Dancing?” I echoed. “You guys don't go dancing. What happened to date night?”

“Actually, it was your question last weekend that got us thinking,” Dad said.

My mother nodded. “We love our usual routine. But we decided maybe once in a while it might be fun to try something different. So we're taking your advice and going out dancing tonight.”

I was stunned. My advice? Was that what it had been? In any case, I never would have expected this of my parents. Then again, who could have guessed they'd look so snazzy all gussied up, either?

“Wow,” was all I could say as I grabbed Meow before he could sink his claws into Mom's stockings.

After my parents left, I heated up some leftover couscous and carried it into the den to eat in front of the TV. I scrolled through
the recorded programs on the DVR, but for some reason nothing appealed to me. I ended up leaving the TV tuned to the Weather Channel just for company.

“This is weird,” I said to Meow, who was sitting on the arm of the couch staring intently at my food. “Usually it's me going out somewhere fun on Saturday night while Mom and Dad stay here.”

I took a bite and chewed slowly, pondering that. First Britt, now my parents, even Riley with his seemingly hopeless quest for Planetarium Girl … it seemed everyone I knew was turning their lives—or at least their love lives—upside down. So what about me? Did I dare try to follow their lead?

I thought about how great it had felt hanging out with Riley yesterday. And then how terrible it had felt knowing I'd missed my chance to really give things a try with him.

Or had I? Suddenly a plan popped into my head, one worthy of Britt's nuttiest moments. I dropped my fork and thought about it, turning it over in my head. It was so crazy it just might work … or would it?

I supposed it didn't matter. It wasn't as if I'd have the guts to try… .

Just then I noticed my sketch pad lying on the chair where I'd left it that morning. It was open to a recent design, an awesome gown with totally daring cutouts in the bodice and a funky hemline. The kind of outfit that would look amazing strutting down the runway—at least in my own humble opinion—but that I'd never in a million years have the guts to wear myself.

Or would I? Maybe if I thought I could ever really be the fashion designer I was in my dreams, I needed to start proving I had it in me to put myself out there. And I wasn't thinking about wearing some cutting-edge prom dress to school. No, I had something completely different in mind.

The cat let out a soft yowl and stretched one paw toward my food. I just stared at him. Even Chairman Meow was willing to fling himself out into the wide world without a thought of how he was going to get home again… .

I smiled as I recalled Riley cradling the crazy cat in his arms after the last escape. And thinking of Riley, remembering him
that way, made me realize I had to try. After all, if he could put himself out there to find me—or her, or whoever—I should at least be willing to risk a little embarrassment to meet him halfway.

I took a deep breath as I stared up at the imposing, blocky façade of the Air and Space Museum. It was the next day, just a few minutes before noon. I'd hopped on the Metro early and spent the extra time wandering around the Mall fighting my jangling nerves and wondering if I could really do this.

But now that I was here, I felt ready for whatever was about to happen. Or at least resigned to giving it my best shot and seeing what came of it. Entering the museum, I headed upstairs immediately.

Riley was leaning against the wall near the top of the escalator. He was looking at his watch, which allowed me to get pretty close before he noticed I was there.

When he finally did look up, his eyes widened in surprise. But I didn't give him a chance to speak. I had to spit this out before I lost my nerve.

“We really
have
to stop meeting like this.”

“Wh-what are you doing here?” Riley blurted out, clearly startled. He took another look at his watch. “Megan will be here any minute.”

“I know.” I was slightly embarrassed to note that my voice was shaking. But I couldn't stop now. “I figured this was my last chance to let you know how I feel. Even if you don't believe I'm really the girl you met that day”—I waved a hand vaguely toward the planetarium—“well, I guess I wanted to do that much.”

I gulped as he stared at me with panic in his eyes. “Wait,” he said slowly. “What exactly are you trying to—”

“Sweetie!” Megan was breathless and giggling as she appeared at the top of the
escalator, juggling her purse and her cell phone, and her eyes made a beeline for Riley. “Oh my God, I was afraid I was going to be late!”

Riley shot me an unreadable look. I held my breath, waiting for him to respond to what I'd said. But he just reached into his pocket and pulled out the guitar-pick necklace.

“Sorry.” His voice sounded funny, as if it were coming from very far away. “I have to go.”

Have you ever actually felt your heart breaking? I hope not. Because I'd never wish what I was feeling right then on anyone, not even my worst enemy. Not even Perky Megan.

I watched just long enough to see Riley hurry forward to meet Megan and bend down to kiss her. That was enough for me. She hadn't noticed me yet, and I wanted to keep it that way.

Sidling out of view behind a large informational sign, I looked for an escape route. All I wanted was to get back to the Metro, make my way home, and lock myself in my room for a good long cry. But a huge group of elementary school kids—maybe a Sunday
school group? I didn't know, and didn't really care—had just started pouring up into the second-floor aisleway from the escalator. In my current condition I wasn't sure I could fight the screaming, laughing, shoving tide. So I just stood there, taking deep breaths and pressing my back against the wall to keep from passing out.

I'd tried. That was all I could do, right? Maybe if I kept telling myself that, I might actually start to feel better. Someday.

The young kids were making a lot of noise. But even so, I couldn't help overhearing Riley and Megan from the other side of the sign. I didn't want to—Lord knows I would have preferred to be anywhere else on the planet right then. Or even up in space in one of the rocket ships hanging from the vaulted ceiling. But I couldn't help it.

Riley started off by assuring Megan that she wasn't late. Megan just giggled and launched into some convoluted tale about how late she and her sister had stayed out the night before.

“It was, like, soooo much fun,” she exclaimed. “I can't wait to ditch high school and get to college! You have sooo much more freedom and stuff.”

“That's cool.” Riley's voice was quieter, so much so that I could barely hear him. Even so I could tell that he sounded a little preoccupied. “But listen, Megan. I wanted to meet you here so I could give you something. It's, um, pretty special, just like you are to—”

“Hey!” Megan squawked, sounding irritated.

I couldn't resist a flash of curiosity. Sure, the guitar pick necklace didn't really go with Megan's girly, flirty fashion style. But it seemed impossible that she'd act so offended by just seeing it.

As it turned out, that wasn't what she was reacting to at all. Peeking around the edge of the sign, I saw her glaring at a couple of boys from the kiddie group. I guess they'd bumped into her or something.

“Why don't you watch where you're going?” she snapped at them.

“We were!” one of the little boys shot back.

“Yeah,” his friend added. “We can't help it if you were staring around not paying attention.”

They both stomped off. Riley laughed, sounding nervous. “Kids!” he said.

I ducked back behind the sign, checking around to see if the coast was clear. It wasn't. The kids seemed to be coalescing around the planetarium entrance.

“Anyway,” Riley began. He was clearly unaware that I was still lurking around, listening like some psycho stalker, which made me feel guilty and a little helpless. “As I was saying—are you okay, Megan?”

“Hmm? Oh, sure.” Megan giggled. “Sorry, just looking around.”

There was such a long pause that I started to wonder with relief if they'd wandered out of earshot. But then Riley spoke again.

“Okay,” he said, sounding uncertain. “It's just that you're staring at stuff like you've never seen this place before.”

“What? Don't be silly, sweetie!” Her tinkling laugh cut through the elementary kids' chatter like a blade. “This is where we met, right? Right over there.”

Again, a long pause. “Actually,” Riley said. “The planetarium is that way.”

“Oh, I know!” Megan said immediately. “I was talking about the first time I spotted you. Um, I was sitting right there, and my friend Caitlin says, ‘Hey, check out the hottie—'”

“Are you sure about that?” Riley interrupted her. “Because I thought you said it was your friend Joanie who was with you.”

“Joanie, Caitlin, whatever. As soon as I saw you, baby, I forgot all about everything else.”

“Okay.” Riley's voice sounded funny now. “Um, because right before you got here somebody was telling me something that made me wonder if you really are Planetarium Girl, and then you start acting like you're seeing this place for the first time …”

I froze, my body going hot and cold all at the same time.
Somebody
? Was he talking about me?

“What are you saying, baby?” For a second Megan sounded offended, or at least faux-fended. Then she laughed. “Okay, okay, you caught me. Whatever. I wasn't the chick in the planetarium. Actually, I didn't even go on that stupid field trip—I faked a cold so I could skip it. But when
I saw that cute post of yours on Facebook,
I just knew we'd be great together, especially since all the guys at my school are so lame and immature… .”

“Wait.” Riley's voice sounded kind of
strangled. “So you—you're just another faker?”

“You don't have to be insulting about it.” She sounded offended again now—this time for real. “I just wanted to meet you—you should be flattered. Anyway, what does it matter now that we're together? That reminds me. You said you had something for me, right?”

“Yeah, I did.” Now his voice was steady. “But I'm thinking I made a mistake. Sorry, Megan. I wasn't trying to lead you on or anything, I swear. And I appreciate you taking time out from your sister to come and meet me here. I'm just not sure things are going to work out between us after all.”

I froze. Was I imagining things, or was he … breaking up with her? My mind spun. What did this mean?

Just then one of the chaperones with the kids' group blew a whistle and yelled for all the kids to gather around. I scooted off to the side, trying to avoid getting caught up in the crush. In the meantime I missed a little of the conversation on the other side of the sign.