Chapter 14: Progress

August 31, 1980

I got up late, again, and rushed to get ready for church. When we got home, I helped Mom make lunch. Maybe because of the help, lunch wound up late. We just managed to arrive at the library on time, got busy studying, and before we knew it, time had run out. Candice and I spent a bit of time kissing in the park. I didn’t say anything about last night, nor did she, but it was clear she was happy. She mentioned the dance several times, telling me she’d talk to her parents by Tuesday. She was hoping they’d just say yes and she wouldn’t have to ‘work on them’ for weeks.

All too soon, she had to go and Angie and I rode home. I was tiring of always being rushed, but that’s the schedule we’d set up.

For family games, we picked ‘Life’ this time, and Dad was the big winner. By silent agreement we decided that trying to get another big concession out of them in the middle of a game was not a winner and tabled it until tomorrow.

I went to bed early, as usual, planning to read a bit. I wasn’t at all surprised when there was a knock or that it was Angie who came in when I said it was fine. As before, she closed the door, then came over and perched on the edge of the bed. “Sooooooooo. Candice. She seemed happy after the movie. Like, really happy.”

I smiled. “She told me you knew, so you don’t have to be vague.”

“Damn, bro. You got her to orgasm during the movie? Seriously?!”

I laughed. “See? Direct. And, apparently so. Either that or she sure wanted me to think she had.”

“Damn. I didn’t think she’d let you get that ... handsy.”

“She didn’t. Everything stayed well above her waist.”

“Wait? Just her boobs? Now I’m really jealous!”

“Well, those, yeah. Plus, I’m a great kisser.”

“Yeah, right. Boobs,” she giggled. “Wow. She must be super-sensitive. I mean, mine are pretty sensitive, but that sensitive? I dunno. That and I mean, she’s just ... impressive.”

I shrugged. “I wouldn’t say the least thing against Candice, but, they weren’t the first thing that caught my eye.”

She made a face. “C’mon, you don’t need to lie to me, big brother.”

I shook my head. “I’m more partial to ... I don’t know. Proportion? Looking at her, I wonder how her back is going to feel in a decade.”

She blinked. “That’s what I say to myself to pretend that she’s not won the boob lottery.”

“Well, I can’t say anything, of course, that would be inappropriate...”

“Yeah right. Pshaw.”

“ ... but if I could say anything, I’d say you have nothing at all to worry about. And I’m sure Dan agrees.”

She giggled. “OK! Having my brother praise my boobs is not something I ever thought I would approve of. And yes, Dan agrees. I need to talk to him about squeezing less and stroking more, but yes, he definitely agrees.” She gave me a look. “I am fucking jealous of Candice though. All the way. Damn. You go, girl!” She chuckled a bit more.

“The thing that intrigues me is the dance. We’ll have to behave, but I’m looking forward to it more than I thought I’d be.”

“Girls love dances. I know you know that. As long as you don’t stomp on her feet, she’ll be thrilled.”

“I was pretty sure.”

She bit her lip, pondering something, then grinned. “Soooooo. Would I be right in saying you needed to be alone last night when we got home? I thought about coming over to talk, but I decided it wouldn’t be a great idea.”

I blushed, and harder than I expected. “Um ... well. Yes. It might have been ... awkward.”

She laughed. “Candice should’ve helped.”

I shook my head. “Nuh uh. She wasn’t ready and besides, I really didn’t want to sneak in with my pants all stained.”

She giggled. “OK, well, you have a point there. Still. Fair’s fair.”

I shrugged. “It’s not about fair. It’s about what’s right for her. She’ll be ready or she won’t. I’ll be fine either way. And, speaking of ... Ang, sometimes it’s ... really distracting, but I was trying to pay attention. I trust Dan, and I know you do, too. But, if you ever need me ... well, I’ll try to know if you do.”

“Oh, Dan’s a teddy bear,” she grinned. “And I have plans for him. Not right away, but ... plans. We need more privacy.”

I shrugged. “We’re fourteen. We’ll get there soon enough.”

“Yeah, but I hate waiting.”

“Hey, we’re way, way ahead of where I thought we’d be, less than a month into school.”

“So? I still suck at patience.”

“Well, practice at it. You’ll get better.”

She leaned in, hugged me. “Love you, big brother. Bedtime for me.”

I hugged back. “I love you, too, sis. Sleep well.”

September 1, 1980

Our Spanish tests came back. Everyone in the study group got an A. I’d expected it and not expected it, simultaneously. I knew I’d learned more. I knew I’d done well. But this test was a solid F the first go-round. It was one of a handful of F’s I’d ever gotten on a test. It left me struggling to pull the grade up the entire rest of the semester.

An A. I was just thrilled! Angie gave me a big hug, then Emily did, too. Morty looked at me. “Hey, sorry, not going to hug you, but I’ll pretend I was thinking of it.” That got us all laughing. We headed off to class in a great mood. I couldn’t brag to the parents about a single A. Even an A for the semester would only be noteworthy compared to my junior high performance. They had no idea what a struggle this had been before.

The day dragged on. I kept thinking about asking Mom and Dad about the dance. Part of my mind said we should wait, that it was too much change. But a bigger part said it was unfair to Candice to let this drag on, unfair to Angie too, and, really, unfair to Mom and Dad. As much as I wanted them to say yes — and I very much wanted them to say yes — I respected them and that, if they said no, it’d be for a good reason.

Finally, we were home, and we’d finished dinner. Mom was fetching dessert. I caught Angie’s eye, gave a quick nod. She figured it out. Mom came back in with apple pie and ice cream, handed out bowls, and sat down.

“So, Mom, Dad...”

Mom laughed. “What is it now? We can’t give you a car yet, even with a hardship license.” Well, that was an interesting thought. I would file that one away. “A computer? We’ve been thinking about it.”

“No,” I laughed. “Nothing that big. Maybe next year. But, maybe big? It’s about Homecoming.”

Dad nodded. “I thought you kids were already going to all the home games. That was a surprise! You never cared about football before.”

“Eh, my friends do, and now I’ve got a friend starting on the JV, too. I can’t go to his games, but I bet he’ll be varsity next year. Anyway, yes, we’re going to all the games.”

Mom looked puzzled. “OK, so, you’re already going. What do you need from us?” Dad got it. I could read his expression, and that he was positive.

“Homecoming’s not just about a game, Mom. There’s a dance, too.”

She frowned. “Isn’t that just for upperclassmen?”

Angie jumped in. “Nope. Winter Formal is for juniors and seniors, and Prom is for seniors. Homecoming’s for all grades and a lot of kids are going.”

Mom bit her lip. “I don’t know...”

“It’s chaperoned, right?” asked Dad.

I nodded. “Of course. There will be a bunch of teachers there.”

“And who might you be taking if we say yes?” Mom again. No surprise.

“Candice Matthews.”

“You already asked her, I take it? She’s a nice girl. That’s not nice to risk letting her down, is it?”

“Aw, Mom, do you think I’d do that? Of course I asked, because, if there’s no one to go with, why bother going? I don’t like dances enough to just go stag. But I told her I didn’t have permission yet and would have to ask. She doesn’t either. I imagine her parents will call you, or vice versa.”

Dad turned to Angie. “You’re clearly in on it. Who’s the lucky guy?”

Angie blushed, but only a little. “Dan Miller.”

Dad nodded. “Well, I can’t say anything bad about him, either. We’ve known him for years.”

“Sam, you think we should let them go? They’re still just fourteen. It seems early...”