Emerge (15 page)

             
We decided on pizza for dinner and there was a little ‘
hole
in the wall’ place near the Pier.  I checked the time out of habit and we still had plenty of time to get back.

             
We laughed and jok
ed over a pizza with everything
, even pineapple. He had taken note of my drink choice a couple of days before and ordered one for me while I was using the ladies’ room.
We told stories about growing up and I told funny stories about May.
It was truly the f
irst time in my life where I was liberated from my home environment and was simply me.

             
My eyes got wide and the realization of the day’s events washed over me like a tsunami. 

             
He saw my face and reached over to take my hand in his.

             
“What? What is it J?” He looked at his wa
tch. “We’re fine. It’s only
seven o'clock
.”

             
“You…you…I…You asked me to marry you.” My eyebrows went so far up that I could feel my forehead crinkle in response.

             
He snorted
and simply replied. “Did you forget? Don’t tell me you changed your mind.”

             
I shook my head east and west and said
,
“No, I just…I don’t know…the reality just hit me I guess.”

             
He let go of my hand and covered his laughing mouth with his fist. “What? You want to go right now? Come on let’s go to Vegas.”
He moved the slightest bit pretending to leave his seat.
He was laughing at himself.

             
“Ha ha…you’re so funny. 

             
He shrugged, “Yeah but you love it.”

             
I looked him dead in the eye and it caused his cackling to cease.

             
“Yeah, I really do love you.” My blush was burning like I’d stuck my face in a fireplace.

             
“And I love you.”

             
We talked some more ad went for ice cream cones. He brought me home at 9:00. He didn’t have to bring me home early, but I insisted since he had to catch up on homework and actually get some rest on his day off.  We parked on the curb and the sound
of
him putting his parking brake on threw my stomach up into my throat.

             
He and I both
simultaneously looked at the house and
noted mentally that the lights were on in the house and the car was in the driveway. 

             
He was clenching and unclenching his jaw. I could see the muscles grinding and flexing underneath the skin on the side of his face.

             
It was my turn to console him.

             
“Carlos, it’s ok. I’m early. I’ll go in and go to bed. It’s no big deal.”

             
“I wish…” He scrubbed his skull trim back and forth
as if trying to stimulate his brain
“You know you can call me if you need me. I’ll come get you or take you somewhere. You know I would come and get you day or night, right?”

             
I smiled at my knight and returned, “I didn’t, but I know now. Thank you.  Believe me. I’
ve thought about leaving. I’ve thought about it ten million times,
but I’m determined to finish high school
and they aren’t going to stop me
.”

             
He nodded the tiniest bit in understanding. He was giving me that look again and I knew our second kiss was coming next.
It’s funny how you experience something one time and then crave it like you’re addicted to it already.
Then from
the corner of my eye I saw the backdoor light come on, it was just a light bulb with no globe on it and the backdoor opened to reveal Medusa in full form.
I did a double take as I saw the snakes for an instant.
She had stepped her left foot onto the first step and had the corresponding hand on her hip. She had that look on her face that said
,
“Date’s over.”

             
I gave him a small smile and got out without saying a word.  There was no way I could defend my childish fear of her and I was embarrassed of the power she had over me. She was still glaring as I got to the porch and moved out of my way and did a ‘
Vanna
White’ gesture to let me into the door.

             
“What does one do all day alone with a boy? I bet I can guess.”

             
She slammed the back door and pushed me out of the way and stomped into her room.
She was convinced that I lived the kind of life she did at my age but what she didn’t know
,
was that I
lived every day trying to be the opposite of her in every way.

             
I flipped off my shoes and noticed some sand in them even though we didn’t walk on the beach. It warmed my heart and I rubbed my chest with my fist convincing her that it would be all right.  He was mine and he loved me and not just today. He wanted me for the rest of our lives.

Chapter 14

             
We went out on two more dates after that. We continued to see each other every day at school. One Saturday we went out to the movies and dinner with
Natalie and Oscar, the boyfriend and their
‘cute as can be’ baby Caroline. 
Natalie grabbed me by the arm on the way in to the pizza joint after the movie and slowed me down to a turtle’s pace.

             
“He really, really loves you. You know that right?”

             
I smiled back at her, “Yeah, I know. I love him just as much.”

             
“Yeah, I saw that when you bailed out of the theater that day.”

             
I snorted, embarrassed by my own jealous behavior.

             
“Yeah, sorry.”
She laughed and it was the most lovable giggle.

             
She rolled her eyes and said
,
“Ugh, it’s his fault. I told him to tell you that I wanted to meet you. He had run his mouth about you for weeks, maybe months and then he told me you were in his class on that first day.”

             
She shook her head like the memory was that
ludicrous.

             
“He just wouldn’t shut up.  So I said I wanted to see you and I wanted to bring Caroline to school anyway because some of my friends hadn’t seen her. He was supposed to tell you before we got there, I promise.  I wouldn’t have done that to you.  If that had been Oscar, Dios help
me,
I would’ve kicked him in the
cajones
for sure.”

             
That got me laughing so hard. She was all of 5 feet tall.  I don’t think her legs could reach his ‘
cajones
’ if she stood on a chair!
But dang the girl had moxie.

             
“It’s fine.  I jumped to the wrong conclusion so fast. He didn’t have time to blink.”

             
Carlos popped his head out of the front door of the restaurant
smiling
and said “Do we need to bring the food outside?”

             
She pointed her finger at him and said
,
“
No
Chistoso
, we’re coming
. 
C
alma
te
.”

             
I gave him a look that said
,
‘Oh, you just got told’ and he laughed and went inside.

             
She looked sheepish and said
,
“Girl, I am starving, but we can’t let them know they made us hurry. Let’s go and walk really slow inside.”

             
I giggled hysterically
at her walking at the rate of a slug into that restaurant that by the time we made it to the table, I had tears running down my face.

             
We ate and talked and he insisted that I sit on th
e inside of the booth and I gave him a funny ‘what are you up to?’ face but complied anyway
. Then as we were eating, he reached out and held my right hand with his left hand.  He had put me there on purpose. He knew I was left
handed and he was right handed
and that way we could continue to eat and still hold hands
.

             
It was getting late and baby
Caroline started to get upset
towards the end of the meal. W
e had all ridden together so we left to go drop them off.  It was out of the way but we had to bring them home first because of the baby.  By the time we said our ‘goodbyes’ and started towards my house I thought to look and see what time it was.

             
I swallowed and tried to appease the meal which had risen into my throat when I looked at my watch.  It was 10:47 and we were late.

             
“What time is it
,
J?” He looked worried and had already begun to drive at a faster speed before I could answer him.

             
I took a deep breath and shut my eyes tight as I told him. “It’s 10:47
.
”

             
“It’s ok. We’re gonna make it.” I didn’t know who he was trying to convince, me or him.

             
He started driving at a maniac’s pace.

             
“We’re not, so slow down. Getting a ticket isn’t going to make it any better.”

             
He was driving that hellacious stick shift so I couldn’t hold his hand. So, I reached out and tried to rub the back of his neck while he drove. It seemed to calm him down a little.

             
He was full on yelling now.
“I really don’t care about a ticket
,
Jenna. I care about your psycho Mom raining hell down on you for being a few minutes late. You heard her that first time I picked you up. I mean she steals from you and she apparently hits you. Jesus
,
J, at this point I don’t even want to bring you home at all.”

             
I couldn’t bear to look at him so worried and angry anymore so for the rest of the drive I just looked out the passenger side window and prayed. I took my hand away from his neck and twisted my fingers attempting to squeeze extra minutes out of them.
             

             
When we were almost at the turn onto my street he looked at me and smiled and said
,
“What has
four
eyes, but can’t see.”

             
“I don’t know.”

             
“Mississippi
.” He
shrugged and pointed.
There was a road sign that we were passing that said ‘Mississippi Street’. I shook my head and laughed.

             
“Oh, that was really bad.” He laughed
,
too
,
and it helped my heart, a little.

             
By the time we pulled into the house it was 11:13 and all the lights in the house were on including the one by the front door that we never used. It was as if they were creating a beacon for me to come home to so they could make sure I was well lighted
when they punished me for the
thirteen
minute treachery.

             
I took a very deep breath and said
,
“Bye
,
” I got out of the car and started wa
lking up the driveway and before I knew it he took pace
walking with me.  “What the hell Carlos? I’m late already.”

             
“No, it’s my fault. I’m not going to let you take the blame.”
He had a great look of determination on his face.

             
“They don’t care whose fault it is. It’s always my fault, my fault alone.”

             
“Well, get ready cause you’re not alone anymore.” He was a man on a mission and I fell a little deeper in love with him on that driveway.

             
As soon as I walked up to the back door it jolted open and revealed a very
wicked woman who was extremely satisfied with the current predicament I was in.

             
She began her tirade. “Do you know what time it is?”