The Banana Split Affair (11 page)

“Ummm.” Susan licked her lips. “Sounds like just what I need. It’s not a banana split, of course, but it won’t be long now....”

“Oh, you!” Her twin sister swatted at her playfully. “As I recall, our agreement was that if we manage to carry this off, you buy me one. And if we don’t, I’m the buyer. How do you feel about that arrangement now?”

“I’d better start saving my pennies!” Susan laughed. “Come on. Race you down to the kitchen!”

It didn’t take Susan long to recover from her traumatic
evening with Richard and Slade and the rest of Chris’s friends. Especially with her Saturday-night date with Jason growing closer and closer.

“I’m really looking toward to tonight,” she confided to her sister as the two of them stood side by side in front of the bathroom mirror after dinner, getting ready for their dates. It was also Chris’s night to go out with Keith. And although she didn’t dare tell her twin, she, too, was looking forward to the evening with unusual excitement.

“Well, you certainly deserve a good time after last night.” Chris leaned forward and peered into the mirror, carefully drawing a comb through the middle of her head to make the center part her sister always wore. “But don’t forget that you’re supposed to be me. That means no shyness, no talking about books or art or school. Try to act the way I would on a date with a guy I really liked!”

“I will. I mean, I’ll try.” Susan scrutinized the eye makeup she had just applied. It was much heavier than what she would have ever considered acceptable but an exact duplicate of the way Chris always wore hers.

When she was certain she looked like a carbon copy of Chris Pratt, including her hair, makeup, and clothes, she surveyed her reflection one more time.

“I guess that’s it.” She sighed. “I’m ready.”

“You look great. Nervous?”

“A little.”

“Sooz, that’s
you
speaking, not Chris!”

“Don’t tell me
you’re
not even a little bit nervous!”

Chris paused, then said, “To tell you the truth, I’m scared stiff! It’s not going to be any easier for me to pretend I’m you with a ... a date than it will be for you!”

Chris bit her lip. She had almost said, “With a guy I’m crazy about.” But she had remembered just in time that Keith West was supposed to be her sister’s crush, not hers. Fortunately, she had managed to catch herself.

“I guess I’ll go downstairs and wait,” said Susan. “No use hanging around up here, watching you turn yourself into me. Good luck tonight. And have fun, if you can.”

“Yeah, you too,”

Susan was relieved that Jason arrived on time. The longer she had to wait for something she was apprehensive about, the more nervous she would become. But once he appeared at the front door and smiled at her in a way that made her feel very special, she began to relax. Even though she would be playing the role of Chris Pratt all evening, she really liked Jason. The reality of going out with him—no matter what personality she happened to be wearing—finally struck her. This was nothing to worry about! As a matter of fact, it was going to be fun!

“Hi, Chris! All ready?”

“Hello, Jason. Yes, I’m all set. Shall we go?”

Jason hesitated. “Uh, wait a minute. Don’t you want me to make an appearance before your parents? You know, so they can look me over and be sure their daughter isn’t going out with one of Hell’s Angels?”

“Oh, Well.” Susan tried desperately to think of an excuse. Then she remembered that she was Chris. “Oh, don’t worry about my folks. They pretty much let me come and go as I please. They trust my judgment.”

“Okay. Anything you say.”

Once Susan was settled in the front seat of Jason’s car, she asked, “So how is this buggy? It looks like it’s still running all right.”

“The fender’s still smashed up. My dad and I spent some time hammering out the dents, but it’s still got a long way to go. We’ll have to let the pros take care of the rest, but not until the insurance money comes through. First of all, we’ve got to get the issue of whose fault the accident was cleared up.”

“Oh, yeah. Have you heard from that nasty man? The one who caused the collision?”

“My father called him. He’s not budging, either He still insists that I’m the one who was at fault. Of course, I explained the whole thing to my father, and he believes my side of the story.” He looked over at Susan and grinned. “The fact that I have a witness helped convince him, too.”

Susan swallowed hard and looked out the window. “Oh, right. Do you know anything more about when I’ll have to appear at a hearing?”

“No, not yet. In fact you might not have to go through with all that after all. It depends on what happens with the insurance company and all that.”

Thank goodness! Susan thought. Now that she didn’t have to worry about that so much, she could concentrate on having a good time with Jason. And acting like Chris.

“I hope I don’t have to appear,” she said flippantly, “To be perfectly honest, I haven’t the slightest idea of what one is supposed to wear to a hearing! I don’t think I have anything appropriate to wear!”

Once again Jason glanced over at her. But this time the look he wore was one of bewilderment. “Gee, Chris,” he said gently. “You sure do say the most peculiar things sometimes.”

“Oh, that’s just my zany sense of humor,” Susan retorted with a wave of her hand. “You know me. I’m hardly ever serious. I’m much too busy having fun.”

“Um,” was all that Jason said.

“So, where are we going?” Susan asked after the silence that fell between them had become awkward.

“There’s a new movie downtown that’s supposed to be good. Some of my friends saw it last week, and they said it was worth seeing. That is, if it’s okay with you.”

“Sure,” Susan said flirtatiously. “I always enjoy sitting in the dark with a good-looking boy.”

She regretted her comment as soon as she had said it. What a thing to say! And to someone she barely even knew yet! What was wrong with her?

That’s how Chris would act, isn’t it? another voice said in her defense.

Still, she couldn’t be sure. Whenever Chris said smart-alecky things, the boys seemed to love it. Jason, however, seemed made uncomfortable by her playful remarks. Perhaps she was overdoing it a bit ...

Jason said nothing about her comment. But Susan noticed that he clutched the steering wheel much more tightly than necessary and his lips were drawn into a straight little line.

“Here we are,” he said with forced cheerfulness as they pulled into the movie theater’s parking lot. “Just in time, too. Look: Everyone’s just going in. If we hurry, we can get a good seat.”

Susan was about to say something about how she wouldn’t mind sitting in the back row with him, but she stopped herself in time. She could see that Jason had had enough of Chris-style cute remarks for now.

When they were settled inside, sitting in the center of the movie theater, Susan decided to make use of the five minutes or so before the film started.

“You know, Jason, I’m
so
glad you picked this movie. I read somewhere that it was filmed in France, and I simply
adore
France. It’s such a
civilized
country. And French is such a
gorgeous
language. It sounds more like music than words. And the people—why, they’re
divine!
Just divine!”

She was talking .so loudly that everyone seated around them could hear her

In an especially soft voice, Jason said, “Really, Chris? I had no idea you spent time in France. Where did you go?”

“Oh. Well.” Susan could feel herself turning red. “I’ve, uh, never actually
gone
to France. But I’ve seen a lot of pictures of Paris! And read some things, too! That’s almost as good as being there....”

Fortunately the lights went dim at that point and the movie came on. Susan sat in the dark, on the verge of tears. What
was wrong
with her? She was supposed to be acting like Chris, but was this the way she really behaved around boys? Susan always thought she did. But somehow her flirtatiousness had a different effect on the boys she was trying to impress. Susan knew she was doing something wrong—something
very
wrong—but she was doing her best. What was going on?

It was impossible for her to enjoy the movie. It looked as if it were funny; everyone in the theater was laughing except for her. But she couldn’t get lost in it. Instead she went over the things she had said in her mind.

Well, she concluded as the movie drew to a close, now I’ll get a second chance. Surely Jason will suggest that we go someplace for something to eat. Then I can try toning things down a bit. I’ll still act like Chris, but I won’t be quite as extreme.

But after she and Jason briefly discussed the movie and climbed back into his car, he said, “Gee, Chris, that ran longer than I expected. I’m afraid I’ll have to take you home now. My father asked me to bring the car back early tonight....”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Susan said, really meaning it. “I was hoping we’d get a chance to talk some more. I don’t feel like we had much of a chance to find out very much about each other”

“Maybe next time.”

“Right. Maybe next time,” Susan repeated morosely.

Don’t cry. Not now, anyway. Wait until you get home.
Chris
would never cry in front of a boy. Not over something like
this.

Susan was quiet as Jason drove her home. He turned the radio on softly, then started to talk, just for the sake of filling the silence. He talked about his school, the sports he was involved in, his family. He really was a likeable guy, Susan noted. It was too bad.

“Maybe next time,” he had said. But Susan knew as he stopped in front of her house that there would never be a “next time.”

“I don’t suppose you’d like to come in,” she offered in a dull voice.

“Gee, thanks, but I really don’t, have much time....”

Susan decided to give it one more try. I dedicate this remark to my twin sister, she thought halfheartedly.

“Would you like to kiss me good-night, Jason?” She had tried to sound coy, but instead her words sounded silly.

Jason was obviously taken aback. “What? Oh. Gee, Chris, I don’t think ...”

Before he could finish his sentence, Susan opened the door and flew out of the car. Her eyes were so filled with tears that she could hardly see.

I have to get away, she thought over and over, have to get away ...

When she reached the living room, she slammed the front door and let the tears that had been building up inside her all night flow freely.

“Is that you, Chris? Or is it Susan?” her mother’s voice called from the kitchen. “Whoever it is, what are you doing home so early? Is this some new self-imposed curfew?”

Susan knew if she answered her mother, her voice would crack and betray how upset she was. So she ran upstairs to the safety of her bedroom. She flung herself across her bed and cried into her pillow.

Why? she asked herself over and over again. Why had she acted so foolish? She really liked Jason, more than any boy she had ever met before. And now she had ruined everything. She had behaved stupidly, and now he would never want to see her again. He had certainly made that clear enough. Oh, why did everything have to be so difficult? And why did she have to meet Jason while she and Chris were playing this dumb game of the Banana Split Affair?

Susan couldn’t wait until Chris came home. She wanted to tell her everything, to share with her the horror of the evening she had just spent. Maybe talking it over with her would somehow make her feel better. And maybe Chris would have some idea of what she could do to make Jason like her again.

In the meantime, though, all Susan wanted to do was to be left alone to cry. She was glad that her mother didn’t come looking for her. She must have sensed that something was wrong.

Once I talk to Chris, everything will be all right again, Susan told herself. Chris will know what to do. She always knows how to fix things like this. After all, she’s one of the most popular girls at school, isn’t she? She must know something about making people like her.

With that comforting thought, Susan stopped crying. Within a few minutes, she had drifted off to sleep.

While Susan was sitting in the darkened movie theater
with Jason Simms, feeling morose and on the verge of tears, Chris was having one of her most pleasurable dates ever. Her initial perceptions of Keith West were proving to be correct. While he was generally quiet and withdrawn, there was another side of his personality that he showed to those who took the time to get to know him. He was thoughtful, gentle, and had a dry sense of humor that Chris found delightful.

“Where would you like to go?” she asked him when he arrived at the front door of the Pratts.

“I’d
like
to go to Acapulco for three days of snorkeling and sunbathing. But I’m afraid you and I will just have to settle for an evening of roller skating. That is,” he added quickly, “if that’s all right with you. I know there are some people who end up spending more time sitting down than standing up when they go skating. If you happen to be one of those, we could always find something else to do. I
did
ask you on the phone to see that movie at the Kensington.”

“Oh, no,” Chris-as-Susan assured him. “Roller skating sounds great. I love skating.” As for the
real
Susan, she thought, the very first—and last—time she tried roller skating, she broke her wrist. Isn’t it funny how things work out sometimes!

“Okay, then, skating it is. Unfortunately, my limousine is being repaired, so we’ll have to take the bus.”

“No problem at all. In fact,” Chris said in the same dead-serious voice, “I’m kind of tired of running around town in limousines. It’ll be nice to try something different, for a change. See how the other half lives.”

Chris could tell that both her parents approved of Keith when she introduced him. He shook hands with them both and asked her father what time he wanted his daughter home.