The Real Me (15 page)

"Mattie?" Sherry called out into the darkness.

I waited a moment, then answered, "What?"

"They're going to announce the king and queen of the prom. You don't want to miss the crowning."

"Oh, no," I said dryly. "I wouldn't want to miss that."

I went inside, left my shawl in the kitchen, and followed Sherry into the lunchroom. The attendants from all the classes were lined up. Ross and Erwina were the junior class attendants. They would crown the king and queen as soon as they were announced. From where I stood I thought the back of Erwina's dress looked dry. Thank goodness for something positive.

One of the chaperones stepped up to the microphone to make the announcement. "King and Queen of the prom--Kevin
Laconia
and Nicole Sandhurst!"

Everyone applauded. Nicole put her hands over her mouth as if she was surprised. She hugged two girls standing near her, then took Kevin's arm as they walked over to the chariot.

Kevin stopped Erwina before she placed the crown on his head. He had her turn it around so he could examine it for a moment. He looked out at the crowd, searching until he saw me standing by the kitchen door, and smiled in my direction.

I could feel myself blush. At least I was standing in a spot where the light was especially dim.

Ross carefully placed the other crown on Nicole's head, then handed her a bouquet of white roses.

Kevin and Nicole stepped into the seahorse drawn chariot to have their pictures taken for the school newspaper and yearbook.

Nicole flashed what looked like, to me, a truly happy smile. She seemed reluctant at first to leave the chariot when the picture taking was finished. But suddenly she left Kevin standing alone as she ran across the room into someone's arms.

It was Craig. He was dressed in tennis clothes, already sporting a tanning booth carrot-colored complexion. The perennial summer boy.

When the band started playing "A Summer Place" again and Selena sang the reprise, there was a moment of confusion. The king and queen and attendants were supposed to dance. After a few seconds the attendants partnered up, but Nicole handed her bouquet to a bystander and started dancing with Craig.

Kevin took off his crown, placed it on the chariot, and headed toward me.

I wanted to duck back into the kitchen, but I knew hiding wasn't going to solve anything. So when Kevin stood before me and asked me to dance, I said, "Yes."

Kevin pulled me close and held me tight. I was sure he could tell I was shaking.

"I saw the piece of blue glass in the crown," Kevin said. "Did you put it there for me?"

I nodded. "I knew you'd be the one to wear it tonight."

"You know, I'm a lot happier dancing with you than I am being king of the prom," Kevin said. "I'm glad Nicole got to be queen, though."

"You are?" I felt ice spreading through my veins.

"Yes. It meant the world to her."

The ice thawed. I sort of knew what Kevin meant. Nicole's mother had been prom queen. Nicole had a tradition she seemed to feel she had to live up to. I was glad I didn't have to live up to someone else's life.

As the music played, I thought about the song Selena had sung. I wished Kevin and I had a "summer place" where we could always be together. This made me think I should ask him about our date, if he didn't say something soon.

"Mattie?" Kevin kissed the top of my head.

"Mmm?"

"About tomorrow--"

I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Nicole.

"Excuse me," she said softly. "I'm supposed to be having this dance with Kevin."

It was the last I saw of Kevin for the rest of the night.

When Dad picked me up after the dance and asked if I had a good time, I replied honestly, "I think I had as much fun as most of the people at the prom."

Chapter Fifteen

"About tomorrow …." Kevin's last words to me echoed in my head the next morning as I got ready to go to the school to clean up.

I didn't know if I should have breakfast. If I was going out for brunch with Kevin, I wouldn't need any. If I wasn't, I wouldn't want any. Either way, I guess breakfast was out. I drank a small glass of milk just to settle my stomach.

I thought maybe I should call Kevin to find out what was going on. But I couldn't bear to hear that he was out with Nicole, if that was the case. I didn't even know if Kevin had planned on picking me up or meeting me at the school. I wondered if I should just walk there. I could always catch a ride home from George or Erwina if I needed one.

I decided to walk. It would burn off my nervous energy, if nothing else. The sunlight sparkled on the early morning dew as I trudged to the school, but a cool breeze made me shiver. I should have waited a bit longer for Kevin. Or at least called him. What if he was at my house right now, looking for me, and my folks told him I'd already left? What if he decided that since Nicole was available …?

Suddenly I was aware of a car approaching slowly in back of me. The street was deserted. It could be some weirdo. I walked faster.

The car horn sounded. I didn't turn around. I wasn't about to give some crazy person any encouragement. I started to walk even faster.

The car accelerated and pulled ahead of me. It stopped. From the corner of my eye I saw a tall, dark figure get out and head toward me.

I turned to run the other way, but he caught me by my arm.

"Mattie, what's wrong?"

I stopped struggling. "Kevin! I thought it was some crazy person after me."

"You were right." He grinned. "I am crazy--about you. Now how about getting in the car, so I can give you a ride to the school?"

"I like that idea."

In the car Kevin apologized. "I'm sorry I didn't pick you up at your house. But we never did get a chance to decide what time I should come over."

"That's okay," I said. "I was, uh, kind of … confused about our plans, too."

"We're together now," Kevin said as he pulled into the parking lot. "That's what matters."

Even though everyone was slightly bleary eyed from the night before, the cleanup went faster than I'd expected. Maybe it just seemed to go faster because Kevin was there.

Erwina skipped over to me and Kevin. "Hi." She winked, then said in one big, long breath, "It's nice to see you guys finally got together. Boy, Kevin, you really had your hands full with Nicole last night. Well, look, my father's here to pick up the tree and grass shack. You guys must have plans. Why don't you get going and let me finish up here?"

"Well …." I hesitated.

"Go," Erwina insisted. "I've already got George to take the garden cart and seahorses back to your house." She collared George as he walked by with his arm around Selena. "Right, George?"

"Anything for you, short stuff." George put his other arm around Erwina. He looked at me. "And you, too, Beautiful. I mean, Mattie."

Erwina gave him a shove. "George, you're seriously impossible. Now get going." She pointed him toward the seahorses. "See, Mattie, everything's under control. So go!"

"Yes, sir, uh, ma'am. We're on our way." I turned to Kevin. "Let's get out of here before she changes her mind."

"Good idea," Kevin said. "Thanks, Erwina."

Just as we were leaving, Laura stopped us. "I just wanted to ask how everything went last night, Mattie. Any problems?"

"None that I couldn't handle." I smiled at Kevin. "How about you, Laura? Did you and Walt have a nice time?"

Laura blushed. "We made plans to go out as soon as he gets his casts off."

"That's great," I said. "Tell Walt I said Hi."

Laura nodded shyly and scurried off.

In the car I kidded Kevin. "What did Erwina mean, you had your hands full with Nicole last night?"

"Any guy who dances with Nicole has his arms full." Kevin wiggled his eyebrows.

I jabbed him in the ribs. "I know what her bod is like. But, really, what did Erwina mean?"

"Oh, just that Nicole was on the verge of tears for the rest of the evening after Craig left. I couldn't leave her side after he took off. You wouldn't have wanted a sobbing prom queen, would you?"

"We l-l-l-l … I guess not. It's probably for the best that you're so soft hearted."

"You should have seen me when she tried to pressure me into taking her out this morning."

"What happened?"

"I told her, firmly, that I had other plans. I must have sounded convincing, because she didn't argue--much."

"Ah, so tell me, oh soft hearted but tough minded one, where are we going for brunch? I'm starving."

"Some place special."

"Where?"

"You'll see." Kevin turned off
Main Street
onto
Harbor Lane
.

"There's no restaurant down this road," I said.

"I didn't say I was taking you to a restaurant. I said I was taking you somewhere special."

"But this is the road to the beach."

"Exactly." Kevin pulled the car into the parking lot. "And here we are."

"But Kevin, the beach isn't officially open for two more weeks. Which means the Snack Shack won't be open, if that's what you've planned--not that it has much in the way of brunches."

"Don't sound so disappointed. You don't need a restaurant to eat at the beach. Come on. I've got to get some stuff out of the trunk."

"Oh, no. We're not going crabbing, are we? It's not even low tide. I--"

"Crabbing? Hmm. I never thought of that. Good idea, though." Kevin pointed at the inside of the trunk. "Does this look so bad?"

I peered inside. There was a huge picnic basket nestled on top of a blanket.

Kevin lifted the lid to the picnic basket. "See? Bagels, lox, cream cheese, fruit. Even something bubbly to drink."

"
Champagne
?" I said doubtfully. "I don't think--"

"Relax. It's sparkling cider. I'm not into robbing the liquor cabinet. Besides, my folks would spot it in a second."

"It all looks delicious."

"So what are we waiting for?" Kevin hauled the picnic basket out of the trunk. "If you'll grab the blanket, we can set up over there." He pointed to the lifeguard stand, lying in the sand, waiting for summer.

I spread the blanket next to the prone lifeguard chair, and we sat down. Kevin pulled out all the food, including a jar of peanut butter that'd been hidden at the bottom of the basket.

"Peanut butter?" I asked.

"Just in case you don't like lox or cream cheese."

"I love both."

"Great. Let's get started!"

Seagulls swooped over the harbor, their gray and white forms standing out against the blue sky. Small waves splashed rhythmically against the shore. With the sun on our faces, we were warm and cozy.

"Everything is delicious," I said, as I devoured the food. "It's a good thing brunch counts for two meals. I'd regain all the weight I lost in no time if I ate like this every day." Whoa. I said that out loud! "Oh! Hard-boiled eggs. Where were those hiding?" I grabbed one, tapped it against the edge of the picnic basket, and peeled it.

"I forgot about the hard boiled eggs," Kevin said. "It's not too much, is it?"

"No." I licked my lips. "I was starved. And as I said, this counts as two meals."

"More?" Kevin held up a bagel.

I shook my head. "I'm stuffed now!"

"So I see," Kevin said. "Some of your stuffing is spilling out."

"What?" I asked indignantly.

"There's a piece of egg white on your lip. Hold still. I'll get it." Kevin leaned across the picnic basket and kissed me.

"That's what I like," I said. "A guy who's neat and tidy."

"Neat and tidy? That's no way for a couple of beach bums to act, is it?"

"I can't be a beach bum this summer." I brushed some sand off the blanket. Maybe it was a good time to tell Kevin about my job. I'd have to work long hours. But if he really liked me, he'd see me when he could. "I've got a summer job. In fact, I'm almost at my place of employment right now." I pointed across the sand. "I'll be managing the Snack Shack. It's a great job, but I'll have to work most weekends."

"You mean you're going to spend the summer with some lecherous lifeguard?" Kevin scowled, crawled around the picnic basket and grabbed my shoulders.

"No! I'm not! I wouldn't--"

"Yeah, you will--if I have anything to say about it." Kevin's scowl spread into a grin. "I'm going to be the lifeguard!"

"You?" I laughed. "No wonder you wanted to sit next to this chair. You're getting a head start on your work."

"Before you told me about your job, I was going to drop all sorts of hints about you spending your weekends at the beach, sitting at the feet of the handsome lifeguard, and then I was going to spring it on you."

"I think I'll play footsie with the handsome lifeguard." I kicked sand on Kevin's feet.