3 (13 page)

“Can I help you?” Cale
retorted.

“Ah no, but Addie I have a
message and love letter for you from Logan.” He held up a folded
piece of paper. I froze and said “What?” shakily.

“He said he loves you and to
call him.” Storm said it with such a bite I wanted to smack
him.

He waved the note “It says
it in the note too.”

Cale just chuckled and
didn't seem concerned at all. Storm walked into class still holding
the letter in the air. “Jerk” I looked back at Cale thinking he was
going to have questions for me but instead he bent over and
whispered “He likes you.” He kissed me on the cheek and said “I'll
catch you later,” and left.

I sat at my desk and the
folded note was sitting on my desk. I sat down and picked it up
like it was a diseased piece of paper and put it on Storm's desk.
He didn't touch it he left it there the entire class, and he gave
me the cold shoulder so badly I could feel a chill in the air.
What’s his deal? I tell you Storm has more moods than Jekyll and
Hyde, but his main mood is grouchy.

He got up in a hurry after
class and bolted for the door, leaving the note on his desk. I of
course couldn't leave it there so I grabbed it and threw it in my
bag.

Later that afternoon, Nic
and I met for a bathroom break. We never actually went to the
bathroom, we would just pick a time and place and meet up and chat
some. Today I brought both my notes, I gave her the note about my
dream, we both leaned up against the wall just around the corner
from the elevators. “That truck keeps on coming up everywhere.” I
told pointed to the place in my letter where it mentioned it.
“Yeah, I see that...” she said, we were deeply engrossed in my note
when we heard a noise.

I stopped holding up the
wall and looked around the corner but saw no one. We finished up
that note and I handed her the one from Logan.

“I wonder if they ever found
Jewel's bracelet and if she was really attacked like I saw?” I was
rambling “I can't take it that Logan’s trying to contact me, and
what if he's telling everyone what happened and better yet what if
he is embellishing the story, telling everyone a bunch of
lies.”

I think Nic was listening to
me, at least as much as she could while reading at the same time.
“This guy's unbelievable, and I don't think he's going to leave you
alone unless you say something to him or send your own message back
to him.” Nic said. She looked up at me with sympathetic eyes. But
then they got really big. “Hey Cale!” she said and handed me my
notes back “see ya.”

I folded the notes up as
fast as I could and jammed them into my pocket and turned around
slowly, not sure of what to say, I just smiled.

“You're lucky I'm not the
hall monitor” Cale said with a no teeth smile. “She's on the second
floor right now.”

I replied “I know, funny
seeing you here.”

“I should say the same. What
are you and Nic up to?”

“Swapping notes.”

“Hmmm,” was his response. He took my hand and
kissed it, “I gotta go, I'll catch ya later” he said pulling my
hand gently with him letting it go slowly and giving me a wink. I
shook my head, who is this guy Romeo or what? I wonder why he
didn't ask me about that darned note again, here he sees it twice
and could care a less about it. I wonder if he heard us talking. I
hope not.

I flashed back to my dream about my wolf, its
grey eyes against his sandy brown coat and white under belly.

Nic and I were sitting in
Home Ec and I was daydreaming when the class got interrupted, in
walked Topher, he whispered to the teacher and then toward us and
announced to the class “This rose is from an admirer
butt!”
he said
putting the emphasis on the word 'butt’.

“
...
he doesn't want to disclose
his name!” He cleared his throat and started again
‘
butt' h
e
really wanted to send... this message to you my dear
Addie...

I like you very much
butt

We owe you big because you
started it

You need to challenge
me
butt

Not run and flee

Although you may want
to

Cause paybacks are coming to
you,
butt

Just so you know they'll be
fun and gentle

Cause our meeting was not
accidental

Will you go out with
me?

…..this is a special gift
for you.”

He handed me a single red
rose. The class “Ahhh's” but he wasn't done “
Butt
in return my dear he would
like permission for a date this Friday.”

My face flushed. And he
waited, I nodded. Topher started again
“Butt
there is another
message
-
Mizz Nicole Newland you got off easy this time.” He mouthed
you’re next, took a bow and the class clapped and he ran over to
Nic gave her a peck on the cheek, and said “We really tried using
butt more butt it just didn't work for us we're not really good
poets as you can tell.” And he high tailed it out of the class.
Nic's face was smoldering red and I was having a hot flash of
embarrassment myself! I covered my face.

Nic received the same
treatment from Cale in her sixth period class.

Cale showed up early
Friday night for our double date. We were going out to dinner,
and then the football game to follow. He brought me one red
rose. I glared at him when he gave it to me “How thoughtful.” My
Mother said. I couldn't help but smile, I placed it in the vase
with the other one.

He flashed his eyebrows “So
you kept the other rose I sent you.”

“Yes, I did.” I said with a
smile. He was dressed in tan corduroy pants, a jacket and a button
down shirt. He looked like my dad would dress when they'd go out
for a casual dinner with their friends. It was a little
disappointing for me. He looked much hotter at school. Maybe he
dressed that way for my parents.

He was very mature and
polite when he met my parents; he had a long conversation with
my mom. They sounded like two old friends that hadn't seen each
other in a while, him getting along with my parents so
well, worried me. And my parents letting me go with him, in his
van, with no windows – and didn't even give me a warning and they
didn't announce my curfew in front of him, well that worried me
too. Since my mom didn't mention it, I think Cale felt
obligated to volunteer information. I tried to stop him “Don’t
worry about the van Mrs. Gellar, it's a work van filled with
equipment, there's only room for two.” Cale said looking
her in the eye steadily and not breaking that bond. Until my
mom laughed and said “That's fine Cale, I trust you.” Red
alerts were going off in my head.

I had told my mom earlier
that we were going to the game, so when she asked Cale what we were
doing, and he replied going to dinner and a movie, I freaked out
and retorted “I thought we were going to the game!”

“Oh, that’s fine Addie we
can go to the game, we hadn’t talked about what we were doing after
dinner, but there are a couple of movies showing at Summit Mall, or
we can go to the game.” He pulled two football tickets from his
pocket. “My mom makes me buy tickets whether we go to the
game or not she likes to support the school.” Cale said with
an arch in his eyebrow looking at me calmly. I sat and smiled at
Cale for just a moment as relief set through my body. I think I'm a
little more tense than I realized.

We got in his van
and I gave a quick look in the back, it was
empty! “What would you have done if my mom checked
your van? I can’t believe you lied like that!” I said a little
excited. It only took me a minute to calm down and get extremely
overwrought again in his huge empty van. I felt a lump in my
throat, my head was spinning. What was he expecting, I wanted to
know his game plan but because I had no experience in this area,
and I could feel my ignorance and inexperience creeping up on me, I
just had nothing to say.

As soon as he pulled out of
my driveway I started chattering, talking way too fast. “Who
are we picking up first? Are we really double dating
because Nic thinks we are and she’s waiting on us? I
thought we were going to the game obviously you have other plans.
How come I wasn’t aware of all these plans? Is Topher really coming
and why is your van empty what do you expect and furthermore don’t
you own a car? And if we aren’t going to the game why do you have
tickets?”

Cale put his hand on my
knee, I flinched. “Relax,” he said, “it’ll be fine, Topher and I
wanted to see the movie at the drive-in. When we pick the other two
up we’ll see what everyone wants to do. And obviously, under the
circumstances,” he gave me look like he knew I was nervous or maybe
it was a look that he knew I’ve never dated before, “we’ll pick
up Nic first. “

I let out a breath of air.
Cale continued “I didn’t ask you about the movie ahead of time
because I didn’t want you to have to lie to your parents about the
van, the drive-in, etc.”

“....Oh.....” is
all I could say. I was silent except for a few
instructions on how to get to Nic's. Somehow that didn’t
make me feel any better, he started sounding like a player to me
and why did they want to go to a drive-in, in this big empty
van? Maybe I should cancel, say I'm not feeling well and have him
drop me off at Nic's and we’ll call it a day.

I knocked on Nic's door, she
answered with her coat on and a big bag of popcorn in hand. I told
her on the down low that the van was empty!

She said “I know isn't it
cool! Topher is going to put bean bags in the back!” She sounded
excited.

I didn’t think she heard me
over the dog barking, she told Rusty to shut up and get in the
house but he just kept on, very unusual for him. Cale stayed in the
car I didn’t blame him, Rusty was going to get him if he got out.
“How come I wasn't told about any of this?” she shrugged her
shoulders.

“We didn't want you to
worry.”

“What did you tell them?” I
was completely panicked.

“Nothing!” she said back
“Nothing! I swear it! I just told them it would be better if you
didn't have to lie to your mom. I knew you'd panic if you knew all
this stuff but it will be fine, I promise, two are stronger than
one.” she said, putting her hand on my shoulder.

“Let's not push it Nic.” I
told her giving her a stern look. We walked to the van
together.

Nic said to Cale “Sorry
about my dog he usually never barks unless he feels threatened. I
just talked to Topher he’s ready, he said he wants pizza, and the
movie starts at 8pm” I turned to look at her with a confused
and exasperated look on my face.

“So we
are
seeing a movie?
What movie?” My head was spinning, how
did Nic know all this and I didn't, it was
supposed to be my date.

Didn’t Nic feel
trapped that they had a plan; of course not she was part of the
plan. What was she thinking, I wish I could talk to her alone,
give her a piece of my mind. She hopped in the back and sat on the
floor then announced she had to be home by one, I had to be home at
midnight, she always seems to be one up on me.

Cale helped Topher load four
bean bags into the van. As soon as they both got in the car Cale
and Topher argued over where they wanted to eat, Cale complained
Topher always wanted cheap food. Topher argued Cale acted like a
Grandpa and wanted to have meat and potatoes all the
time. I laughed when I heard the Grandpa
remark, thinking he dressed like one too. Cale finished
the argument by
asking Nic and me what we wanted to eat,
“Whitey's of course,” we said at the same time.

Cale came over to open my
door which I thought was geeky, he also put his hand on
the back of my neck as we walked into the restaurant, just like my
dad does. When we got inside Topher and Nic were
getting along just fine, but Cale was acting like my dad, he
ordered a salad for me, asked me if I had to use the
washroom and other oddities. What happened to the cool guy at
school – maybe at school it was all an act and he really was a
geek.

The rest of the night was
just weird, Cale and I sat in the front seats the whole
time while Topher and Nic were talking and seemed like
they were having a lot of fun in the back. They were cracking jokes
and laughing the whole time. I just felt uncomfortable.

The highlight of my night
was when we all had dessert in the back of the van on the bean bags
– they even set up a couple small tables. We had chocolate and
popcorn the best combo, something sweet and something
salty.

Cale was super polite all
night, almost a little too much. He didn't try to kiss me but we
did hold hands for a bit. He didn’t make a pass at me or
anything, which I thought was odd, not that I wanted him
to. I hate to say it, but I felt
like I was on a date with my grandpa.

He started the van before
the second movie was over and turned the radio to the high school
football game, I didn't even know they had a radio
station for it. We left and didn't see the end of the movie which
was fine because Nic and I saw it the week before.
To my surprise we pulled into the school parking lot, he parked
right by the gate and we all stepped outside the van and just hung
out. The football game only had a few minutes to go. Cale
leaned on his van, pulled me close, told me he didn't want me to
get into trouble with my parents, then tucked my hair behind my
ear. I didn't put my hair up, I couldn't, not after he asked. And
he put his arm around me and gave me a squeeze.