Salem's Sight (10 page)

“
Funny Salem, real
funny.”

“
Yeah, I thought so.” I
grinned at her.

“
I thought you might have
seen yourself dancing with, oh I don’t know, maybe Robby?” she said
taunting me.

“
Sure I’ve seen that. In my
dreams.”

Berkley’s mouth fell open and took in
a breath so loud it was audible. “So you have dreamed about it? It
seems likely then?” It would have been better if Berkley had turned
out to be psychic; she was so much more into it than I was. But
then again who knows, if she had been the psychic, I might have
thought it mad cool too.

I shook my head. “No, not those
dreams, I meant like in my fantasies. No precognition on the hottie
front.” So much for having the gift of second sight.

“
Well I might not be
psychic, but even I see a hook up in progress there.”

“
You think so?” I asked,
hoping she didn’t see how desperate I was for a close encounter of
the Robby kind.

“
I’d say it’s like
practically a done deal.”

I didn’t know if she was saying it
because she was my friend and she knew I wanted it, or if it was
because she really believed he was as interested as I
was.

Either way I had a serious case of the
grins.

****

Everything I tried on looked horrible.
I mean, it was a high school dance so I couldn’t go over dressed,
but I also didn’t want to go dressed for a normal school day. If
there was the remotest chance Robby would be there like he said he
would, then I had to look good. Which meant I had to feel good.
Which meant I needed a freaking miracle.

Most of the contents of my closet lay
sprawled across my bed, a pile of definite no’s strewn across my
pillows. I pulled mix and match pieces and held them up to my
full-length cheval mirror hoping suddenly the perfect outfit would
materialize and it would turn me into a goddess.

It didn’t.

With a sigh I settled for a spaghetti
strap brown clingy number with beige gauzy overtop. It was
prettyful and at least it was new. I could wear it with my brown
flowy skirt and beaded gold heels.

When all was said and done I looked
good. Not drop dead gorgeous, put me on the cover of Vogue, but
hopefully nice enough to turn the head of sexy senior
Robby.

The top was a little low though and I
needed something, some type of necklace to bring the eye up. I was
about to raid mom’s jewelry case when I decided instead to ask her
opinion. I know, bizarre, but what can I say?

Her head hung down, eyes focused on
the sudoku puzzle in the newspaper, so she didn’t notice when I
entered the room. I cleared my throat and she looked up at me and
dropped her pencil.

“
You look beautiful,
honey.”

I rolled my eyes even though it was
just what I wanted to hear. “I need a necklace. Nothing I have
goes.”

She got up and grabbed my hand as she
walked by me. “Come on, let’s see what I have. What about a gold
chain?”

“
I have a gold chain too.
No, something different.” I had a strange thought and I didn’t know
where it was coming from. For some reason I wanted a link with my
grandmother. “Mom, do you have any of Grandma’s
jewelry?”

She stopped walking and looked at me.
“Sure, I kept it all. Why?”

“
Could we look at it? I
don’t know but…” I shook my head.

“
Oh, she has a cameo, a
camel colored cameo. It would look perfect with that outfit. And
you loved that necklace when you were a kid. You used to always ask
her to wear it.”

“
Maybe being here made me
think of it,” I said wondering if Grandma just wanted it to be worn
again. Mom was right; it was perfect for the outfit.

Holding it in my hand, I ran my thumb
over the cameo. I closed my eyes and just felt the piece of jewelry
in my hand. A flood of ease washed over me leaving me more relaxed
and comfortable than I had been in months.

Since, well, you know when.

“
Turn around and let me put
it on you.” My mother took the necklace from me and brought it to
my throat.

I lifted my hair and felt it fall
against my skin after she clasped it. My neck tingled as if it had
been shocked and I felt a surge of energy run through my body. Hey
Grandma, ready to rock the night away?

I smiled secure that I wasn’t going to
be alone. The necklace, like a talisman, would protect
me.

****

Amazing how the ear shattering sounds
of a local DJ could actually erase the sweaty feet smell of the
gym. Add a silver disco ball to subdued lighting and my pulse
pounded in time with the music, excitement heightened as I looked
diligently for the perfect dance partner.

I spotted Robby the second he entered
the room then actively avoided him until we could accidentally run
into each other, so I could pretend I hadn’t known he was there all
along. Stupid, I know, but it’s not like I’d let him know I was
scoping him out, even though I was. So I looked anywhere except
where Robby happened to be.

And trust me, doing this for an
extended amount of time could be considered an amazing skill. I
quickly scanned the room again.

Guys hung out talking, or attaching
themselves to whichever girl they were momentarily considering
their personal property.

Single girls danced with their other
dateless friends like I had with Berkley, flaunting assets in an
attempt to draw the attention of the guys who came stag.

I clutched at my cameo invoking the
powers that be to get through this ritual.

Okay, I shouldn’t have been so nervous
- it wasn’t like it was my first dance ever. But it was my first
dance here in Rhode Island and my first real shot at
Robby.

Berkley had an on again off again
relationship with Alex Bellis, the senior most likely to earn an
advanced degree. They were both smart and their logic often got in
their way as a couple. As Berkley so aptly put it, ‘Why get
involved when you know you’ll end up going to different
colleges’?

It was a little too logical for me,
but I was lucky to meet her when they weren’t dating because we
were spending a lot of time together.

With the way Alex eyed her now though,
I had a feeling they’d be on again by the end of the
night.

Sure enough, he approached and asked
Berkley to dance. For a second I felt lost. I mean, I know other
people and could have walked over to someone and started a
conversation, but when I looked around there was Robby staring at
me.

We locked eyes and for a second I
forgot to breathe. When he smiled, I smiled and gave a little wave,
all the while wondering how stupid I looked doing it.

My heart beat louder and louder as he
began to approach until the sound echoed in my ears and I was
afraid he’d be able to hear it thud above the music.

Suddenly he was in front of me and I
clutched my cameo for support.

The music was so loud he might as well
have been attempting mime. I saw his mouth move, but didn’t have a
clue what he said.

I must have had some kind of duh
expression on my face because he leaned close, his lips barely an
inch from my ear.

“
Want to dance?”

I’m not sure what made me happier, the
offer or the way his breath felt upon my ear.

Incapable of uttering a response, I
nodded. Robby smiled, took my hand, and led me to the dance
floor.

Color me happy, the boy could dance.
It was a risk getting on the dance floor with a guy without a
preview first, because let’s face it; a lot of guys don’t realize
they lack rhythm.

Not the case with Robby. The strobe
lights, the music, and his movements blended perfectly.

Just when I was about to beg off
because sweat threatened, the music slowed. Many exited the dance
floor while other couples arrived. Robby looked into my eyes and
drew me closer.

I put my hands on his shoulders and
hoped my sweaty palms didn’t stain his shirt, until I noticed he
had only one hand secured at my waist. The other sought and tugged
at my right hand.

Okay so he really knew how to dance.
Rather than just swaying back and forth the way most kids did, we
were really dancing. I understood what my mom meant about being
able to follow a good dance partner.

Before Robby I never had a boy truly
lead. It was easy to follow, the music helped me anticipate his
every move, and we floated.

There were couples that were
physically closer, practically molded together. I was glad for the
space. It allowed our eyes to lock and remain focused. We might
have been able to converse, but it wasn’t necessary. Our eyes had a
conversation all their own. One I’m sure neither one of us would
have been able to verbalize.

When the song was over a fast beat
brought the masses back to the dance floor and our hands dropped.
Robby crooked his finger at me in a nonverbal ‘come with me’ and I
followed him off the floor to the gym doors. Almost hypnotized by
being in one of my fantasies, I would have followed him off a
cliff.

Luckily, he only lured me out into the
cool October night. We walked a few feet into the lot where pools
of students congregated, standing in groups or pairs, talking and
laughing.

It was quiet and bright compared to
the loud music and darkness of the gym and Robby’s expression
changed drastically. Did I have on too much make-up? Or had he
suddenly got a good look and realized I just wasn’t that
cute?

He had the same expression he wore the
first time he saw me – weirded out.

His hand came up fast and for a second
I thought he was going to hit me. Instead, he lifted my necklace
and bent toward it.

Then it dawned on me, he worked with
antiques. Of course he’d find a piece like this interesting. “It
was my grandmother’s. Do you like it?”

He gazed at it like it was a treasure
and I hoped I wasn’t wearing the equivalent of my college fund
around my neck.

I’d lost one of my mother’s diamond
earrings down the drain once and we couldn’t use the sink until we
had a plumber come. Can you say grounded? Not because I dropped it
down the drain, but because I took the earrings without permission.
Anyway I learned my lesson. Don’t wear expensive jewelry unless you
can afford to replace it.

“
It’s beautiful,” he said
as he gently placed it back down. “Just like the
wearer.”

Normally flattery doesn’t fluster me.
But when a guy like Robby calls you beautiful, well I have to admit
I could feel my face start to burn with a blush while my vocal
cords refused to work.

It hadn’t seemed like we were outside
that long, the night passed so quickly. But before long I saw
Berkley at the doorway looking for me. “Salem, you’ll miss the last
dance,” she yelled.

Many of the people remaining outside
paused in their conversations and began to move back toward the
entrance to the gym.

“
Let’s go back then,” Robby
said and soon we merged with the others on the floor trying to
savor the last few minutes of the dance.

Berkley had been with Alex the entire
time and I’d been with Robby. Still was with Robby.

The four of us, not wanting the night
to end, waited a little awkwardly for my mother to arrive. As soon
as I mentioned her car was approaching, the boys put more space
between us and said good night. Alex had promised Berkley a phone
call in the morning and Robby managed to ask me to his house the
next day.

It was a miracle.

And more than a little weird
considering I had an appointment with his dad first.

CHAPTER NinE

Okay, so there was like no way in the
universe I was telling Robby’s dad that I was the new local
fortuneteller. I mean shrink or not, he seemed to like me and he
was helping me out with my feelings for my dad.

What do you think he’d say if I just
casually mentioned that my dreams came true?

He’d check me in to the nearest funny
farm and break out the straight jacket. Not exactly high on the
fashionista wardrobe.

So rather than get help on my newest
and strangest problem, I just held back and went with the miracle
cure.

He wasn’t buying it.

“
Are you sure there isn’t
something else that’s bothering you?” he asked.

I shook my head no. If I’d allowed my
voice to answer it would have so betrayed me. The pitch would have
shouted – secrets, secrets, secrets. Step right up, get your big
secrets here.

What is it about certain adults and
their ‘I know you’re lying’ radar? He knew and for a sec I wondered
about the possibility of him being psychic.

“
You know I can’t help
without understanding the triggers.” He hesitated. “It takes time
but I think you’re doing a pretty good job handling your dad’s
death now. I’d swear though that there was something else that’s
getting to you.”