Chapter 24

I didn’t have long to wait on Friday, Kathy called in on her way home from school. I was on my own in the house, since Alison was at school hockey practice, when I heard the doorbell. I got up from the chair I was sat in and went and opened it.

“Hi,” she said, a huge smile on her face, “it’s nice to see you up and about.”

“Thanks,” I replied, “it’s nice to BE up and about. What’s got you so happy?”

“I had a weird conversation today at school,” she said.

“With Cal by any chance?” I asked.

“Yes,” she replied, “she said you told her to ask my permission to go out with you.”

“Not exactly,” I said, “we were talking last night, and she brought up the subject of getting back together. I pointed out to her that I couldn’t trust her, and until I could there was no chance of that happening. I also told her that as well, there was no way I was going to cheat on you with her. I did agree, thought that she was right, I couldn’t really tell whether she was trustworthy unless we started going out together again, sort of a catch twenty-two situation.”

“Yes, I could see that,” she agreed, “you won’t go out with her until she can show you can trust her, and there’s no way she could show that unless you went out with her.”

“Exactly. So I told her that if she could persuade you to allow it, then I’d consider it.”

“And do you want me to?” she asked.

“I don’t want to answer that either way,” I replied, “I think you should make your mind up entirely based on your own feelings about it. Basically, if you say no, then I’ll say no. If you tell me you’ve agreed that she can, then I’ll think about it. But really it depends on what sort of relationship that you want you and me to have.”

“What about what kind of relationship you want?” she asked.

“Well,” I replied, after a few moment’ consideration, “I’ve just had my heart broken, I don’t think I’m ready for anything too serious just yet. Do you?”

“No, probably not, but then neither am I, so I’ll tell her that it’s OK with me, shall I?”

“Tell her what you want to tell her Kathy. But if you say OK, then I’ll still only think about it. And you remain number one. I won’t let you down for her.”

“David, I don’t think you’re capable of letting me down, certainly not deliberately. Heck, I don’t think you’re capable of letting anybody down.”

“Oh, I am,” I said, I think in a way I’ve let Cal down.”

“David, she cheated on you, how can you have let her down?” she asked.

“By not being the boyfriend that she wanted me to be. By going off to Hollywood for the summer, instead of staying here with her.”

“That’s the most stupidly ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard anybody say,” she spat, “and I’ve lived with Mike all my life.”

That one made me smile.

“You bear no responsibility whatsoever for what she decided to do, that was all on her. Do you want my opinion on why she did it?”

“I get the impression I’ll get it whether or not,” I replied, “but, yes, I do.”

“Okay then, here goes,” she began, “who in our entire school is the most talented, and the one with the clearest vision of what they want to do with their life?”

“Cal,” I replied, “she has a beautiful singing voice, and knows exactly what she wants to be, an operatic soprano.”

“And what was your role in that plan?” she asked.

“I was her boyfriend, I supported her, helped her where I could and just generally was around,” I replied.

“That’s right and then?”

“And then Sam came to see me in the school play and saw some sort of talent and gave me a part in a film he was producing. We discovered that I have a talent too,” I said.

“And now you have a talent, one that, at least in terms of money far outshines hers.”

“So, you think it’s all down to her being jealous of me?” I asked.

“No,” she replied, “or at least I think she’d vehemently deny it if you confronted her with it. I think it’s at least part just jealously at being displaced from her perceived position as the school star.”

I stopped and thought about what she’d said for a minute, and I could see how that would at least in part explain Cal’s behaviour.

“But I don’t even know if I have any talent,” I said, “I mean I just stood where I was told, moved where I was told to go, and recited my lines.”

“You forget, I came to see the two plays were in last year and you were head and shoulders above the rest of the cast,” she said.

“Careful,” I warned her, “flattery will get you everywhere.”

“Could it possibly get me kissed?” she asked.

“You don’t need flattery for that,” I replied, as I pulled her towards me and our lips locked.

When we broke we were both breathless.

“A girl could get used to that,” Kathy gasped.

“So could a boy,” I replied, “Kathy are you doing anything tonight?”

“No,” she replied, “I would have been going out with my boyfriend, but he had an argument with a bus and lost, why?”

“Do you want to stay for tea, and see me act?” I asked.

“Well, if I ring my mum and ask, I think she’ll say yes,” she said, “but how would I see you act?”

“Because we’re going to watch a rough cut of my film tonight, there’s no music, and some of the effects aren’t all there, but we’ll be able to get an idea. Just one thing though, you can’t tell anyone that you saw it, and you mustn’t let out any details of what’s in it.”

“OK,” she agreed, “but will it be all right with your parents?”

“Mum will be all right, she’s used to the three of us just turning up with someone in tow, and Dad just goes with the flow. But I’ll ring her on her car phone and let her know.”

I did that while Kathy rang her Mum and it was quickly agreed.

Kathy and I sat and chatted for a while longer until first Andy, then Alison arrived home. They both greeted Kathy warmly, and We all set about doing homework, with Andy and I both giving Kathy help with her Algebra.

Mum and Dad arrived home around five thirty, and Mum started dinner.

“Can I help Mrs. Barker?” Kathy offered.

“No dear,” Mum replied, “but thank you for offering, it’s just one big pot, and a pan of potatoes.”

That was good it meant it was Mum’s stew, always a family favourite. Mum put the food in the middle of the table, and gave her customary order, “Dig in”

We all did, me, Andy and Dad all doing so twice, before we finally mopped our plates clean with chunks of an uncut loaf.

“Thank you Mrs. Barker,” Kathy said as she finished, “can I help with the washing up?”

“No thank you dear,” Mum replied, “Andrew and Alison will stack the dishwasher, and there’s nothing else to do. Why don’t you and David go through to the living room and get the film ready to start?”

We did.

When the rest of the family arrived in the living room, we had the DVD loaded and ready to run. Complete with a bowl of popcorn to share.

“All ready?” I asked when everyone was seated.

They all either nodded or said some variation on yes, so I gestured to Kathy to press the play button and the screen announced the Walt Disney Pictures presented a Magnum Production. Then the title card, which in this case was Untitled SciFi Film.

“They haven’t decided on a title yet,” I explained.

The screen went blank and after a few seconds, a deep almost sepulchral voice came from the speakers.

“Space,” it began, “limitless, without borders. Without protection, until one man, with a vision united the planets. From that Union sprang forth the greatest force for good in the history of the universe, the space warriors.”

As the last word died away the opening credits rolled. Of course everybody clapped when they saw my name, ‘Introducing David J Barker as Greg Paradise.’

“David J?” Kathy queried softly.

“There was already a David Barker registered with SAG,” I replied.

“SAG?” she asked.

I took out my wallet and handed her the card.

“Oh, an actor’s union.”

“Yes,” I agreed.

I learned something about myself while watching that film, I did not like seeing myself on screen. It felt, just weird but once the film was finished, everybody agreed it was good. The best Sci Fi film since Avatar was what Alison said.

Once the film was finished, and everybody (even my brother) was telling me how good it looked like being, and how good I was in it, it was time for Kathy to be getting home. I offered to walk her, but Mum didn’t think that that was a good idea, so instead, the two of us were bundled into the back of Mum’s car, which didn’t leave a lot of leeway for any serious lip to lip action. So we got out of the car in Kathy’s street and I walked her to the door, where we exchanged a very tame kiss or two before I went back to the car and Mum drove me home.

“Kathy seems like a nice girl,” Mum said as we drove.

“Yes, she is,” I agreed.

“Is it getting serious?” she asked.

“No Mum,” I replied, “we’re good friends, and we go out together, but it’s not serious. We haven’t talked about whether we want to be able to see other people as well or anything. We’re just going day by day, or should that be date by date?”

“You’d want to see other people?” Mum asked.

“I’m not bothered one way or the other,” I replied, “but given that Kathy is going out with me partly to find out what it’s like, and partly to convince her dad that she’s mature enough to date maybe she’ll want to.”

“Oh, so it will be all right for Kathy to see other people but not for Cal?”

“Mum, there’s a difference,” I complained, “Kathy wouldn’t be doing that behind my back, and she certainly wouldn’t be doing what Cal did in Germany.”

“Well, no,” she agreed, “I would hope not. But you really should give Cal another chance.”

“Mum, it wasn’t the going out with Wolfgang that was the problem, although the rest probably would have been, it was that she kept it from me, and did it behind my back.”