Revenge Of A Band Geek Gone Bad (20 page)

###

We played with the mariachis for the entire train ride, which took us into Brooklyn.  As it turns out, having a flute play with the band wasn't that bad; I just tried to keep up with the trumpets.  We ran through a bunch of different holiday songs; the performers even taught us some tunes from Mexico.  I guess they liked us since they didn't ask us to leave them alone.  The subway riders appreciated
us,
too, because by the time we were finished, the singer's cup and the guitarist's case were overflowing with change.

"This is our stop," the guitarist said when we'd reached the end of the line.  He divvied up some change from the tips.  "But you take this.  You earned it."

Josh held up his hands.  "Oh no, man, we couldn't.  This is your money."

"Yeah, we were just playing for fun," I added.

"You sure?"
 
the
singer asked.  "You both played good."

"I'll tell you what," Josh said.  "Why don't you just promise us that the next time we're in town we can play with you again. 
Deal?"
  He stuck out his hand.

"Works for me," said the singer.  They shook on it and he gave Josh his business card.  "
Tres
Hermanos
" it said on it.  "I'm Miguel, by the way," he said.  "And yes, next time you're here, you give us a call."

Josh and I gave him our names.

"Now you guys enjoy your holiday," Miguel said.  He then winked at Josh.  "And you make sure you buy your girlfriend a nice gift."

Josh didn’t answer, but flashed me a smile.

###

As we took the train back into Manhattan (we didn't play on the ride uptown), I turned to Josh.  "That was fun," I said.  "But I can't believe you just went up to those guys like that
. "
You're always doing crazy things like this and roping me in."

Josh grinned.  "Be honest, you like that I'm unpredictable."

"No, you're insane."  I stuck out my tongue.

"You know, you're not exactly Miss Innocent, Mel," he said, laughing.  "It didn't take me too much to convince you to do the Kathy thing, the performance at the Dew Drop Inn ...
this
.  You're a lot more adventurous than you think.  You just needed the right person to bring it out of you."

"I guess I wasn't born loony like you."

Josh thought for a moment.  "Believe it or not, I was pretty quiet as a kid," he admitted.  "I almost never spoke in class."

"Really?
  I
kinda
assumed you were the class clown."  I tried to picture Josh as a kid, but couldn't. 

"Well, I wasn't.  I was really shy.  And truthfully, the only time I felt relaxed was when I was performing.  Sometimes that's still the case," he said in a soft voice.

"Are you acting now with me?" I asked. 

"Is that what you think, Mel?"  He squeezed my hand.  "I'm probably more myself with you than I am with anyone else."

###

Finally, we were back in Manhattan. 
"So, where to?"
  Josh asked.  "I planned everything this morning, so you should pick what we're doing for the rest of the day."

I didn't even have to think about where I wanted to go.  "The Met," I said.  "It's my favorite museum."

When we reached the steps leading up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I stood back for a moment and surveyed the imposing building.  "It always gets me how big this place is," I told Josh.  "It's like there's so much going on inside, I don't even know where to begin."

But after looking over the museum guide, we decided to visit the Egyptian exhibit.  We wandered through room after room filled with artifacts and mummies, until we came to a full-sized reconstructed temple.  "Man, that thing is thousands of years old," marveled Josh, as we stood in front of it.  "Long after
we're
dead, this will probably still be standing."

"It's spooky," I said.  "I keep expecting to see the mummies get up and walk around."

He put his arm around me.  "Well, if any of them do, I promise I won't let them get you.”

###

We took in as much of the Met as we could,
visiting
the Impressionist and Modern wings.  We even got to see some of Dali and Magritte’s paintings.  After, we walked through Central Park.  It was only 3 o'clock, but the winter sky was already getting dark and a few snowflakes scattered to the ground.  I wrapped my coat around myself.

"Do you mind if we just sit here for a while?" Josh asked. 
"Unless it’s too cold for you."

"I don’t mind at all," I said, following him to a bench that was under one of the bare trees.  We sat in silence for a few minutes, watching people go by.  Several couples crossed in front of us, arm in arm.

"They should call this Lover's Lane," he said.  "I swear, if I had a dime for every couple I've seen making out..."

I looked out at the grassy expanse of the park, which looked peaceful even in the winter.  I could definitely understand why someone would want to take a boyfriend or girlfriend here.  "Why wouldn't couples come here?"  I said.  "It seems like a romantic place."  I moved closer to him and hoped he'd put his arm around me again.  He didn't. 

"Oh, this is nice, but it's hardly romantic," he said.  "Romance is when you can make an ordinary place, like say, a supermarket, seem special.  It takes no work here."

"You mean like the subway?"  I asked.  I winced, fearing that I was pushing him for the reaction I wanted.

"Exactly," he said, nodding.  He didn't seem fazed by my question.  "If you're creative, you can even turn a
dungeon
into a romantic spot.  It's all in the delivery."

I giggled.  "Is that where you usually take your dates?"

He smirked.  "Not usually.  Why?  Is that where your dates take
you
?"

"Ha, ha," I answered, but felt a chill sweep over me.  From the way he was joking with me, it didn't seem as if he liked me as anything other than a close friend.  He didn't even notice how upset I was.  I was getting a bit sick of all these mixed signals.  "So, where
have
guys taken you?" he was asking.  He snapped his fingers in my face when I didn't answer.  "Mel? 
You there?"

"Yes," I said, wondering why I was getting so annoyed at him.  It wasn't like he knew I was into him.  I decided to tell him the truth about my dating history.  After all, he obviously wasn't interested in me the same way I was in him, so it wasn't like I could look like any more of a dork in his eyes.  I took a deep breath.  "You know, to be honest, I've never even been on a date," I blurted out.  "I've never danced with a guy, never gotten flowers from a guy ...
hell,
I've never kissed a guy."  Josh stared at me.  "Yeah, that's right, I'm a loser," I said, standing up.  "Now you know about me."

Josh held up his hands.  "Whoa. 
Whoa
.  I so didn't mean to get you upset.  I was just asking about you is all."

"I know," I said, sitting back down.  "Just sometimes it gets frustrating, especially when I run into 13-year-olds who've had more experience than me."

"So seriously, you've never been
kissed
?  Like,
ever
?"

"Nope.
 
Unless you count my dad or my cousins.
  And I most definitely
don’t
."

"And you're 15?"  He was still staring at me, his eyes wide.  He blinked a
couple of times like he couldn't believe it.

"Look, this wasn't my choice, okay?  I didn't ask for it to be this way."  I folded my arms across my chest and turned away.

Josh leaned over and before I knew what was happening, kissed me right on the lips.  I was so
surprised,
I fell off the bench and landed in the grass.

Josh grinned at me.  "I was that good, huh?"

I blushed.  "What --
what
was that for?"  My heart was now racing in my chest.  I was pretty sure that I was dreaming but, nope, there he was.

He shrugged.  "Well, now you can't say that you've never been kissed, right?  If people ask, you can tell them that your first was with Josh Kowalski, the best kisser in the universe."

"You wish," I said, shoving him, though privately I vowed to never wash my lips again.

"Hey, it's not like you have anyone to compare it to," he said, giggling.  He stopped laughing.  "I am joking, you know."

"I know.  But now that I'm 'experienced,' I intend to find as many guys as possible to compare you to."

"I wouldn't bother.  I guarantee
,
you've had the best." 

He's right, I thought, knowing that if Josh were the only boy who'd ever kiss me, I'd be happy.  Because he was the only one I wanted.

###

The rest of the evening went by in a blur.  We went to an Indian restaurant for dinner and stopped to do some window shopping, but I couldn't really concentrate on the sights around me.  I kept looking at Josh and imagining his kiss.  I hoped that we'd get to share much more than a peck on the lips, but I didn't want to push it.  I'd take what I could get!

As we rode back to Long Island, Josh stretched out over the row of seats.  I sat away from him until he reached over and pulled me toward him.  "So, you survived going to the city with me," he said.  He rested his chin against the top of my head.  "Was getting up early worth it?"

"Totally," I told him, leaning against his chest.

"Um, about before ... you're not mad that I did that?  I mean, I probably
should've asked you before I went ahead."

"No, it was fine," I said, trying to act cool.  The truth was
,
I'd never forget that kiss for the rest of my life.

###

By the time Josh dropped me off at my house, it was close to midnight.  He walked me to the front door, holding my hand as he did so.

"I guess this is it for a couple of days," he said sadly. 

"Yeah.
  I guess I'll see you after Christmas?"

"Sure.  We'll talk, okay?"  He came closer to me.  "So, I, uh, had a great time today," he stammered.  "Um, thank you."

"I did to," I said. 
"A really, really great time."

"Good."  We stood there for a few seconds looking at each other.  I wondered if he was going to kiss me again, but instead, he reached out and gave me a bear hug.  I clung to him, breathing in his scent, which was a mixture of soap and detergent.

"Merry Christmas," he said, eventually letting me go.

"Merry Christmas," I whispered, as I watched him leave.

CHAPTER 13

"OMG, so he actually
kissed
you?"  It was early the next morning and I was talking to Lana.  She squealed with excitement.

"Yep," I answered.  "Right there in the park."

"Yay!"
  I could hear her jumping up and down.  She was so
loud,
I pulled the phone away so she wouldn't hurt my ears.  "That's awesome, Mel.  You're a lip virgin no more!"

"I guess, but I kind of screwed it up," I admitted.

Lana stopped shrieking.  "What did you do?"

"I was so shocked I fell off the bench," I confessed.  I could hear Lana laughing.  "Gee, thanks for your support.  It was embarrassing, okay?"

Lana stopped giggling.  "Hey, it can't be any worse than my first.  It happened when I went to the movies with Chris
Greenbrook
in the seventh grade.  He slobbered all over me, and I ended up swallowing a piece of chewed popcorn that had been lodged in his teeth.  Then, there was George
Linson
..."  She made a sucking sound. 
"
Fishlips
!
  I felt like I was kissing a trout."

"I don't think I was that bad," I said.  "I think I'll be ready for next time, like when we use tongue and stuff."

"I'm sure you'll do great with that.  Playing the flute for all these years must've given you some sort of practice in that department.  As I'm sure playing the trumpet has for Josh." 

"Lana!"

"Hey, I'm just
tellin
' it like it is."

"You're very strange sometimes," I said.

###

After Lana and I ended our conversation, I went to the home to visit my grandfather.  I wasn't sure what to expect, even though Mom said that he was now talking, but I wanted to give him his Christmas gift in person.

"Melinda!" he called out when I arrived.  A nurse helped him move to a sitting position.  "I'm so ... glad to ... see you."  His speech was slurred and his body still hung limp like a sack of potatoes, but light had returned to his eyes.  Before he'd just stared ahead with this dead expression, but now they were alert and aware, as a
person's eyes should be.  My own filled with tears; mostly from relief, but partially because it suddenly hit me how much I'd missed having him in my life.