Chapter 1

The First Week of September

I’d gone to bed early the night before but I hadn’t slept well. A month before, I had agreed to date each of the Musketeers individually and exclusively for one month and it was LuAnn’s month. I would have been looking forward to it if I hadn’t been looking back on my month with Fallon. I did not look forward to the next month, essentially avoiding Fallon. It ripped at my core. But I wanted to give LuAnn every opportunity.

I tried to focus so much on LuAnn that there would be no room in my head for Fallon. LuAnn was incredibly beautiful, with her soft, light brown hair, deep brown eyes, and bee stung lips. She had a body to die for, perhaps the best I’d ever seen, at least in person. And she’d shown me some of it on my first date ever. There was a lot to think about with LuAnn but getting Fallon out of my mind was going to be next to impossible.

I showered and shaved and dressed in my typical cords and Hang Ten shirt. I had a new copy of Surfer Magazine that I rolled and stuffed in my back pocket and went downstairs. Mom was waiting in the kitchen.

“You ready?” she asked, and I knew exactly what she meant.

“As much as I could hope to be. I like LuAnn a lot.”

“But she’s not Fallon,” she finished.

“No. Mom, how do I keep from comparing her to Fallon? I know it’s not fair but I don’t know how I can do that.”

“When I first started dating your dad, I compared him to the best date I’d had. He suffered terribly from that comparison. Eventually, I got past the comparisons as your dad carved out his own spot. LuAnn might suffer from the comparison too. At first. And then she’ll carve out her own spot. I don’t think it’s wrong to note those things. But do not, and I repeat, do not share those comparisons with her. That would be unfair and it would turn it into a competition, something she probably already thinks it is. Don’t do that to her.”

“I think it might help that she was my first date ever.”

“Hers too, buddy. And, you’re the only date she’s ever had. You have a huge advantage in having been on a lot of dates with Fallon. Don’t push too hard too soon. Let her grow into it.”

“That makes sense. I bet I would have done that, too.”

“Be patient. Give her the same opportunity you gave Fallon and you’ll be fine. You don’t have to share everything that’s on your heart.”

“Thanks, mom. She’s really pretty. That helps.”

“She’s beautiful, Michael. Absolutely stunning. But she’s a lot more. You were surprised with Fallon. LuAnn has some surprises of her own.”

“Any hints?”

“Nope. She is beautiful, though, isn’t she?”

“I think I told Lisa that I know guys that would crawl a mile over broken glass to kiss her shadow.”

She laughed. “And you?”

“That’s the cool thing, Mom. I don’t have to. I’ll see you for dinner, or call if I get an invite there,” I said, kissed her on the cheek and left. My mom was totally cool and gave great advice.

I pulled into LuAnn’s driveway and bounded up the steps with more enthusiasm than I felt. Not surprisingly, her dad opened the door.

“You here to take Lu to school?” I nodded. “Is this going to be a regular thing?”

“I hope so, sir.” He seemed to be measuring me again. “I don’t plan on doing anything that would get me buried in your backyard.”

“Good to hear. I don’t even have a shotgun.” I knew he was kidding with me and I breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief. “I have a pistol,” he said and smiled. “She’s almost ready.”

LuAnn pulled the door open wider and ducked under her dad’s arm. Then turned and kissed him on the cheek.

“Are you going to be late for work every day this month, Dad? Or just this one?” she asked.

“I suppose that depends on how today goes,” he said, pointed a finger gun at me and shot. I grabbed my heart as though I’d been hit and he smiled. I think I had won the round.

We hopped in my truck and I started it up but didn’t put it in gear. I liked to get to school early but we had time.

“LuAnn, I ... I missed you,” I said, and meant it, but I think it fell a little flat.

“You had a great month with Fallon. It’s okay that you did. Really.”

“Thanks. I just ... well, thanks.” I looked her over. “Do you know what my mom said about you?”

“No. I probably should, but I have no idea. What did she say?”

“I told her you were beautiful and she said you were stunning. That might not be quite right.”

“No?” She seemed first pleased and then hurt.

“Nope. I think there’s a level past stunning. You are breathtaking, LuAnn. I’ll correct her when I get home.” She smiled and slid closer to me on the seat. “What’s your first class?”

“English. Then I have World History and then Spanish II. Then, lunch. After that, I have Math, Earth Science and Home Economics. What about you?”

“History, then American Lit, Trig, and Chemistry. Lunch, then Civics and Auto Shop.”

“I almost took Auto Shop.” I looked at her skeptically.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No. Dad does car restorations and I’m always helping. I thought it would be cool.”

“LuAnn, they don’t have a pair of coveralls that would fit you. And even that wouldn’t stop every guy in the place from drooling over you.”

“Ha, ha,” she responded and then looked at my face. “You weren’t joking, were you?”

“No. Not even close to joking.”

“You’ve said I was pretty and I kind of think I am but then you said some stuff that’s just like ego boost stuff, right?”

“No, LuAnn. When I said you were breathtaking, that’s what I meant. You are beauty queen beautiful and that is not an exaggeration. Has no one ever told you that before?”

“Not like that. Wow.”

“Yeah. Wow. I don’t have to exaggerate.”

We pulled into parking. By the second month of school, kids that drove had sorted out the best places to park and I was pretty familiar with who was parked around me. We were surrounded with senior jocks’ cars and I knew most of them. I got out and walked around to let LuAnn out.

I opened the door and let her down and stayed close. This had worked before with Fallon. She would have to kiss me to move me, I thought. But she didn’t. She’s not Fallon, I reminded myself, and we started towards her locker. She took my hand in hers before we got far, and I smiled at that.

We got to her locker and it dawned on me that no one but the Musketeers and me knew that I would date Fallon for August, LuAnn for September and Tina for October. If Fallon went places without me, her friends might think I’d dumped her. I needed a remedy for that.

As LuAnn got her books out of her locker, I decided to try to get her help.

“LuAnn, for the last month, Fallon and I have gone a lot of places together but now I’m with you.” She nodded. “And a month from today, I’ll be with Tina.”

“Right. So...”

“So, a month from now, I don’t want everyone to suddenly think I dumped you.”

What I was saying dawned on her. “I hadn’t thought of that. But that’s what’s going to happen to Fallon, isn’t it?” I nodded. “And you don’t want Fallon or me to look like we got dumped.”

“Exactly. So, do I just let Fallon deal with it or help her? And you, a month from now.”

“Let me think about it. That’s really thoughtful. I have earlier lunch than you do so we don’t see each other.”

“I can be there when you get out. I’ll see you at the front of the Student Union as soon as I can. If you think of something you can tell me then.” She nodded, then gave me a little peck on the lips and a big smile and was gone.

When I got to third period Trig, I asked Tina the same question and she understood immediately.

“You want her to save face, is the bottom line, right?” I nodded. “But you don’t want to mislead anyone.” I nodded again. “And at the same time, you have this tiny little part of you that thinks that come November you might want to date Fallon instead of me.”

“Yeah. Just a tiny part,” I said. I was kidding but Tina wasn’t. Damn.

“Have her break up with you. Do it publicly. Same place you two always eat lunch. Don’t make a spectacle. Word will get out that it was her idea.”

I thought about it. It sounded reasonable. I nodded. After Chemistry, I raced to the Student Union to meet LuAnn and tell her what I was going to do. She thought it would work and that she could do it a month later. I also reminded her that I’d given her a hello kiss a month ago. She smiled and gave me permission to give Fallon a goodbye kiss.

I knew Fallon was going to the Union for lunch so I waited and LuAnn did too, risking being late for math. When Fallon got there, I told her my idea and LuAnn encouraged her. Fallon didn’t think she needed to save face but that was because she wasn’t self-conscious about that kind of thing. LuAnn left and Fallon and I walked to our normal spot together.

We had the table to ourselves for a minute before anyone joined us.

“I have permission to give you a hello kiss.”

“Like you gave LuAnn a month ago?”

“It was a little more than a hello kiss,” I said and she smiled.

“Can I take a rain check? If we’re about to break up, a kiss wouldn’t look right and I’ll probably need the hello kiss a lot more, say, a week from now.”

“I think LuAnn will be okay with that. She said I could. She didn’t say when.”

“Do you forgive me for yesterday? For not going out with you last night?”

“Nothing to forgive. It was actually pretty considerate. I do like how the three of you look out for each other.”

“Four. Don’t forget Lisa. This is hard.”

“No kidding,” I said. “I wish I’d never agreed to this. What a bonehead.”

“If you hadn’t, we wouldn’t have dated. You would have just dated Lu.”

“I hadn’t thought of that but you’re probably right.”

“The way I see it, I stole a month from Lu.”

“Really?” She nodded but her heart wasn’t in it. “I hope your friends get here soon so we can break up. This is driving me nuts.”

“You hurting?” she asked.

“I wish I could die. But I’m going to do my best to see that LuAnn never knows it.”

“Should I tell her?”

“Tell her what? That you and I both feel bad? Or that we’re going to run away together?”

“That she’s going to feel terrible on September thirtieth. But so, will you.”

“Not like this.”

“Don’t kid yourself. You’ll love LuAnn. You’ll hate Tina ... for a half a day. And then you’ll do your best for Tina. Here comes Jay and Annie. She’s got the biggest mouth in school. She’ll do. Where are you going to eat?”

I looked around and saw a bunch of water polo guys but they were all near Tina. It would do. “Other end of the dome.”

“I’ll be in the Student Union,” she said and then when Jay and Annie walked up, she looked from them back to me. “That’s it. We’re done. I’m not having any of that.”

“Fine with me,” I said and walked away. When I looked back, she and her friends were on their way to the Union.

I walked over to the other side of the dome. Tina saw me, stood and walked to intercept. I waited for her near an empty table.

“How are you doing, sport?”

“How do you think?”

“I can’t imagine. I’ve only had to get rid of assholes. Sorry.”

“Yeah. Fallon doesn’t qualify.”

“Nope. Not even close. No way around it.”

She put her hands on my shoulders and waited until I looked at her. I didn’t know what I was expecting but it was nothing but tenderness and empathy.

“You’re a good man, Michael. Fallon and I talked for three hours last night. She had nothing but good to say.”

“Is she okay? Did she seem alright to you?”

“No. Not even close. She’s probably going to try to sell the breakup story with her friends without doing your reputation any damage. We’ll talk and I’ll probably end up where I normally would for lunch tomorrow.”

“Where’s that?”

“With my best friend, of course. Inside or out here, one or the other. You and LuAnn going to be okay?”

“Yeah. It’s not like dating LuAnn for a month is some kind of hardship.”

“Good. Not dating Fallon is the hardship.” I nodded. “Enjoy September. It will be over before you know it.”

“And then...”

“And then, October.”

“You’re patient.”

“I’m thirty days patient. Did you give Fallon a hello kiss?”

“She took a rain check. Wants it in a week or two. I hope LuAnn is a good kisser.”

“Because Fallon got the hang of it.”

“And how.”

“Perhaps you need something to cleanse your palate.” I saw the look in her eye. She was ready to kiss me. Normally I would have welcomed it, but she saw it in my eye. “Perhaps not. Soon,” she said, gave me a peck on the cheek and walked back to her table.

Amazing how that little peck on the cheek seemed to set me straight. I sat down next to Randy and Moose.

“Hey, Amigo. Where’s Fallon? You two have a falling out,” he asked.

“Something like that. Long story. She’s amazing.”

“Is she back on the market,” Randy asked.

“Not a question I really want to answer,” I said. “She’ll have to do that.”

“Complicated?”

“More than you’ll ever know. More than you’ll ever know.” We ate lunch and talked about Newport Harbor’s returning team.

It was a good conversation but my heart wasn’t in it. I excused myself and walked over to the gym, through it and out to the pool. There was a class in the pool but it wasn’t really full. I walked over to coach Murphy and waited for him to take a break from talking to students in the pool.

“What’s up, Mike?”

“Coach, this is my lunch period, and I see your lanes aren’t that full.”

“And you want to put in some miles at lunch?” I nodded. “That would be great. Set an example for some of these lazy guys.”

“Thanks, coach. Maybe a lot, maybe a little. I just wanted to know if it was okay.”

“For this semester, yes. Can’t say about the next one until we get the numbers.”

“Probably just be for this month, coach.”

“I’m sure there’s a story there somewhere. Yup. This month is fine.” I thanked him and walked back toward the dome but the bell rang before I got there. I noticed Tina watching me return from the pool. She didn’t miss much.

My Civics class had just started the section on the legislative branch. I thumbed through it and could have taken the test that day. In Auto Shop, we started a section on carburetors. It was easy but still more challenging than Civics. We paired up and each pair had their own carburetor and a rebuild kit. We had clear plastic guide mats and instructions on the rebuild. Andy Miller and I started taking ours apart. It was really a one-man job so I let him tackle the tear down as I watched. We were at the last workbench in the row and when I looked out the window, I realized we were across from the Home Economics classroom. LuAnn would be there.

I moved around trying to see in. I spotted the teacher and started eliminating students from right to left. Too many brunettes, I thought. I tried to narrow the field by height but that was difficult, too. Class was almost over, and Andy was putting our stuff in the pan to store it for the next day. I spotted LuAnn as she was putting up something. She was on her toes, reaching for her shelf and I spotted her. She turned around. Definitely LuAnn but she didn’t see me.

When class was over, I beelined for her class and caught her just as she came out. She was happy to take my arm and get a ribbing from some of her friends. She obviously didn’t mind.

“Hey, you,” I said, cleverly starting a deep philosophical conversation.

“Hey, you,” she answered, taking it to an even deeper existential level. I could keep up.

“What’s on your agenda for this afternoon,” I asked.

“I got ahead on everything so I wouldn’t have anything to do this afternoon. How about you?”

“Trig, but it shouldn’t take long.”

“That’s good. Do you normally have little homework?”

“American Lit is the most time consuming but it’s mostly reading and I can do that when I want. Civics and History are really easy. I know most of it already. I do most of my Chemistry homework in class but it will take time when there’s a test coming up.”

“Do you get good grades?”

“Now that I don’t have to take Spanish. It was my only B last year.”

“You don’t hang out with the college prep crowd,” she said as a statement rather than a question.

“No. I don’t really identify with them. Maybe I should. I mostly hang out with swimmers or surfers. Not very mentally challenging but that’s what school is supposed to be for. I have to admit that it’s not. I have three classes that require any kind of focus. Trig, Chemistry and American Lit.”

“Mine aren’t very hard either. Geometry, maybe. Spanish. The rest are easy. But I don’t have any homework.”

“My folks know I’m taking you home from school. Other than that, I’m free.”

“Okay. Let’s go to my house and figure it out. I want to change anyway.”

We had arrived at my truck and I helped her in and went around to drive. I started it up, saw an empty spot in the line and shot toward the exit.

“I’m nervous,” LuAnn said.

“Why? Why would you be nervous?”

“You know. Because Fallon had such a great time and I know you did too. I don’t want to be a letdown.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about that.” But, truthfully, that’s exactly what I was expecting. We were about a mile from her house and I pulled into a Stater Brothers’ parking lot. “Look at me,” I said and she did. I took a deep breath. “You’re not Fallon. I don’t expect you to be. I don’t expect you to be anything like her. I don’t. I had a great month with Fallon. Probably better than you could ever imagine. But I’m looking forward to spending time with you now.”

“That sounds nice,” she said, but was unconvinced.

I wasn’t all that convinced either. There was one way to get things going. I killed the engine and turned to her. She wasn’t sure what to expect. I took her face in my hands and held it gently.

“You are so, so beautiful and I want to kiss you. Can I kiss you?”

She nodded so I did. I kissed her very softly, as though we hadn’t kissed before. Her lips were so full and soft. I pressed into them and we held that simple kiss for a minute and I broke the kiss.

“Your lips are amazing. I can’t just kiss them. I have to taste them,” I said, and leaned forward to kiss her again. This time I sucked her lower lip into my mouth and ran my tongue across it slowly, from one side to the other. She responded by touching her tongue to mine and it was electric. We pressed into a more serious kiss, our tongues meeting and tasting each other.

When we broke the kiss, my heart was racing. “Give me your hand,” I said and she did. “Take my pulse. Feel my heart,” I said as I put her hand to my neck.

She felt around until she got it. Her eyes got wide, and she brought my hand to her neck. Just as fast.

“I think my heart will go faster,” she said, and we leaned in to kiss again.

I checked her heart while she checked mine and we both started laughing.

“Still nervous,” I asked.

“No. That was crazy. Wow. I’m tingly.”

I knew what that meant.

“Good. I like that.” I started up the truck and drove her home. As I did, she slid close to me.

We got back to her house and she invited me in.

“Is your dad going to shoot me?”

She laughed. “No. I’m his only child and a daughter. He’s doing his best to protect his precious little girl. I think he goes on the road tomorrow so it would be good if you talked to him some. You don’t have to say a lot.”

We went in and she announced her arrival. Her mom hollered back from the kitchen.

“Where’s Dad?”

“Shop, where do you think,” she said as she stuck her head out. “Hi, Michael. Come on in.”

LuAnn grabbed my hand and led me through the kitchen into the garage. I saw a pair of legs sticking out from under an old sports car.

“Hi, Daddy,” LuAnn said. “Michael is with me.”

“Hi Princess. Hand me a half inch box end, will you,” he asked.

LuAnn grabbed a wrench I was unfamiliar with from her dad’s tool box and passed it to him.

“Thank you. How was school?”

“Good. Same as usual. What are you working on?”