Chapter 79: Dates And Plans

Sunday, April 4, 1982

We needed to study. This was an exam week and we all needed the time. However, no one was going to get away without some conversation.

Mel wanted to talk all about the election. And James. And Randy. And the likelihood of bats and my head meeting again. Or fists. She was thrilled and worried, and, honestly? It was rather cute.

“Mel, don’t worry, please. I’ll be watching out and I’ll avoid places at school where I’d be alone. I don’t think he’ll hang on to it that long.”

“Probably not. He’ll find something else to screw up.”

Cammie giggled. “But maybe not to screw for a while. He’s pissed off most of the girls. And the girls who aren’t as pissed off are the super-conservative girls whose panties have padlocks.”

Mel grinned. “Kinky!”

After a while, Jasmine and I went over to the billiard room. “So, you had news?”

“Before I get to that, I need to check. I’m meeting Jessica tomorrow to figure out when we can date. Either of the two weekends before State are fine. Sooner might be more fine. Therapist Saturday the 17th, that’s about it for anything official.”

“Either Friday or Saturday next weekend is fine, lunch included on Saturday. I’ll take up a bunch of the rest of your time. Well, me or someone,” she said with a wink. “Mikayla wants more time. Sam wants to talk more. Birthday and all, you know. There are others.”

“I’ll stay flexible and let Jessica choose.”

“Letting Jessica choose is good. Anything else? If not, tell me your news?”

“Nothing else, so ... remember that brunch I had with Megan’s parents?”

“Uh huh. It seemed ... well, cool, but maybe ... too much. Buying your daughter’s date an expensive brunch? Nice, but a lot.”

“They had two very conflicting stories about me.” She blinked. “Megan’s — that I was a friend and a gentleman and had refused to take advantage of her and had turned down Jessica to keep a date with her when I could easily have backed out. And ... someone else’s ... who said I was manipulating Megan and Jasmine and Jessica and most everyone else and was an awful, immoral person.”

“Cindy!” Jasmine spat out.

“Got it. They didn’t really believe Cindy, but didn’t trust that I was who Megan described, either, not without seeing for themselves.”

“Duh. I wouldn’t in their place, not with an insecure freshman.”

“I found out Saturday morning. I needed to ... um ... take defensive measures.”

“Tell your parents.”

“Some, anyway. They have an idea about our relationship being open. Since they don’t know that we’re having sex, what that means is ... um ... unclear? I think they know ... okay, I’m sure they know ... they just, well ... refuse to acknowledge it.”

“Also duh. They’re not that dumb.”

“I refused to answer whether I had, so, that’s an answer. But I won’t go beyond that.”

“It’s okay with me if you implicate me. Though it might curtail our freedom and that’s not okay.”

I nodded. “I also made it clear I was friends with at least one lesbian.”

“Lizzie.” I nodded. “Safe choice and no secrets.”

“They’d guessed I wasn’t a virgin. Of course, as you said. They knew about Lizzie; I still get points for saying it before they did. They didn’t know about the open relationship, except that they knew I could accept a date with Jessica, which implied you weren’t coming after me with a knife.”

She giggled. “Yeah. So it’s somewhat things they knew, but more spelled out.”

“They specifically said they wouldn’t try to close the barn door belatedly. They know they’d have to cut out most of what I do in order to have a chance, and even then it wouldn’t work. I think they’re a bit disappointed, but not surprised.”

“So, mostly win-win?”

“I’m willing to disappoint them on this point.”

“I should think so!”

“Angie listened in, got caught at it, and pretty much owned up to the same non-virgin status without saying anything.”

“Duh. If you weren’t a virgin, the odds were spectacularly low she was.”

“Mom actually offered to let her go on the pill.”

“Good for your mom!”

“We got the not-in-our-house lecture and the be-responsible lecture. Lecture really just means a stern phrase or two. It wasn’t bad. And I can agree completely with those terms.”

“Good. If they’d tried to close the barn door I would have been very unhappy.”

“Me, too!”

“I may have to thank Cindy for helping improve communication.”

“Please make sure she has no sharp objects handy.”

She chuckled. “I’ll do that!”

Monday, April 5, 1982

I didn’t have the chance to thank Cindy during Debate. The day itself was calmer. Still hugs and handshakes and well-wishes from people I didn’t know, including several cheerleaders. But, calmer.

Cindy contributed to the calm by being absent. Meg said nothing, so maybe it was a normal absence. Ryan was there; I decided asking him would be a terrible idea.

Meg got everyone doing mock rounds. Debate, Extemp, LD, whichever. Many of us were rusty and we needed to get back into form for State. The few who weren’t going were exempt from practice.

Megan hugged me in the hall, after class. “Thank you again, Steve. That was ... amazing! I had such a good time. My parents are thrilled, too. I don’t know what I would have said to Cindy, but I’m so glad she wasn’t here so I didn’t have to find out. I would have been so incredibly pissed if she’d gotten them to cancel it!”

“You’re very welcome. I had a great time.”

“I, uh ... I’d love to go out again. Of course we can’t, you know, be a thing. You’ve got a girlfriend, and I even like her! But I’d still love to go out again. And it’s already cleared with the parents. They’ve decided they trust you with me without chaperones watching over us.”

“I’m sure we can. I owe Jessica a date; once I have that scheduled, we can pick something.”

“Good. I want to date people in my grade, but maybe ... not quite yet. I’ll start rounding up some suggestions on who’s nice, though.”

“Sounds good.”

She gave me a quick kiss on the lips, then grinned. “See you tomorrow!”

Jessica found me right after Debate. And hugged me, which drew pretty much every eye in the hall. “C’mon, let’s go talk!”

I followed her out to the benches. And, yes, by followed, I do mean ‘watched her extremely cute ass.’ I’m absolutely certain she knew I was doing that, and just as certain she was happy about it.

We sat close on one of the benches. And I do mean close; legs touching, close. Her choice.

“So ... did you figure out what dates work for you? For dates?”

She giggled adorably. I should just stop here. It was nearly impossible for Jessica to not be cute and adorable unless she was trying not to, so everything counted.

“I did. Either Friday or Saturday, either of the next two weekends. Dinner, lunch on Saturday, whichever. The one complication is that I’m busy mid-afternoon on Saturday the 17th.”

She smirked a bit. Jessica Lively smirking at me? Still surreal. “Lunch, mm? No hopes of dessert?”

I chuckled. “There’s always hope.”

“Good answer! Let’s just go with this weekend. More chances to see how things go. I’m suddenly feeling like there’s not that much time left this semester.”

“Yeah, I get that,” I nodded. “So, Friday?”

“Friday’s good. I’ve already got approval from the parents, though they’re used to me setting my own schedule now. I just have too much going on to have to check in constantly.”

“I’m the same. Ever since I started driving, and especially since I started being out late over and over, they’ve let up on trying to track things. Trusting me only half the time makes little sense.”

She smiled. “You’re very busy. A girlfriend, several other girls, rehearsals, classes, exercise, preparing for State, the Council race, study group twice a week ... getting enough sleep?”

I blushed a bit. “Surprisingly, yes. I don’t know how long I can continue at this pace. Something will have to give. Also, if I ran through a list like that with you, you’d probably have me arrested.”

She giggled and clapped her hands. “I’m already glad we’re doing this. Everyone ... well, everyone male ... walks on eggshells around me. Most girls, too. I agree, it’d be creepy. I get that it’s creepy when I do it, too. I do. But, I’m the spider in the middle of the web. All the gossip gets to me. I’ve got spies watching my spies.” She giggled a bit more. “Okay, that’s overblown, but it’s got some truth to it. You’re more towards being a black hole. I get lots of information but no dirt. If there’s dirt to be had.”

“I’d like to believe there’s no dirt,” I said, shrugging a bit. “But everyone probably does that, or claims there’s no dirt. I know some people think there’s a lot of dirt. Others hope there is.”

“Cindy Baird, the Palmers, Randy Holmes. That’ll do to start with. You’ve got a group of detractors, I know. They don’t like me either, so, we’re on the same side.”

“I’ve known we were on the same side since the first Council-takeover meeting. No one got invited to that meeting unless they were.”

“Yeah. Quite a few very interesting people. I’ll say that I was pretty curious about you before that, but I didn’t know you’d be there. Spy failure! But the planning had to be very hush-hush.”

“It did, and apparently it was.”

“Okay, you have a dance class to get to and I have a study group meeting. Cheerleaders,” she said with a giggle. “We have to keep our grades up, too! So, Friday. I require lobster on first dates.” She paused. I think she was pleased that I didn’t react. “Pretty sure you got the joke, but if not, that’s a joke! It’s actually a failed case of ... counterintelligence. For a while there was a rumor that I wouldn’t go on a second date if there wasn’t lobster on the first date. I pretty much like all the places my spies tell me you’ve gone on dates, and I like surprises. I can eat most anything; I exercise too much for anything to stick. I’ll have to change that when I get to college or I’ll put on the Freshman Fifty!”

“Not seeing that happening. Nor even the usual Fifteen.”

She grinned. “Yeah, me neither.” She leaned over and hugged me. “I can’t wait. Really!”

I hugged her right back. “I can’t either.”

She planted a kiss on my lips. No tongue, but ... Jessica. Surreal!

“Bye, Steve!”

“Bye, Jessica!”

I watched her ass bounce away. Arms wrapped around me from behind. Angie, of course.

“Damn, she’s hot, big brother.”

“Almost as hot as the blonde behind me.”

Whap! “She is hotter and you know it!”

“I will always disagree with you on that one point.”

“Flatterer! But I love you anyway.”

“I love you, too.”

“So?”

“Friday after school. She requires lobster on a first date.”

Angie giggled. “Debunked rumor. She said that?”

“She joked about it.”

“Got plans?”

“Maybe.” I looked around. If she had spies, they were well hidden, and I trusted Angie to keep this off the grapevine. “I’m thinking maybe Dim Sum.”

“Oh! That’s a cool idea! Not that I’m all that plugged in, but I really doubt anyone’s taken her for that. They’re all aiming for an expensive dimly-lit steakhouse.”

“That was my thinking. Also, that it’s fun and light and there’s not so much poring over the menu taking every choice seriously.”

“I like it. Okay, c’mon. We need to get dancing!”