you proved yourself right. I’m glad you decided to investigate.”
“What have you been doing, Marcie? Are you home alone tonight?”
“Yes, I’m alone. I was just sitting here in the swing thinking about yesterday.” I could have added ‘and you,’ but I didn’t. “That was a lot of fun, wasn’t it?”
“It sure was. I didn’t know you were such a great golfer.”
“Oh, yes, I’m really good. Is that why I had the lowest score of the group and why we brought up the rear all the time? It took me forever to get the ball in that clown’s mouth on the last hole. Some of the other holes were pretty difficult as well. You weren’t exactly tearing up the course either, if I remember correctly. We must have been five holes behind the others.”
“Oh, I felt sorry for you back there all alone, so I deliberately missed some holes so I could stay back and keep you company.”
“Sure you did,” I laughed, wondering if there was any truth to Brian’s statement.
“Do you want to walk uptown to the Snack Shop? It’s a beautiful night, and we could count the stars in the sky on our way.” Brian looked up at the sky to see if the stars were visible.
“We can’t see the stars, Brian. There are too many street lights on this street.”
“I’ll throw rocks at them and break the bulbs so you cansee the stars.” Brian swung his arm and threw an imaginary rock into the air.
“It looks like you have a pretty good throwing arm. You just might be able to hit those street lights. Let me feel that muscle.” I put my hand on his arm and rubbed it a little bit. As I did so, a warm sensation shot through me. We looked at each other; both were reluctant to look away. Basking in the warmth that my touch had stirred within us, we stood there a moment.
Walking along in silence the rest of the way, the lighter mood that existed earlier was replaced by a strange yet pleasant feeling of closeness between us.
How can this be?I asked myself silently. Brian has been dating Beverly for several months. What is he doing here with me, and why do I feel that we belong together like this?
When we reached the Snack Shop, we found there was no one in there except the waitress. It was almost as though no one else in the whole world existed but the two of us.
Brian ordered two cherry cokes, not asking me what I wanted. He seemed to know without asking. Sipping our cokes through the straws, our eyes met. There passed between us that wonderful something that males and females have experienced for eons.
“I like being here with you, Marcie. It feels right.” He reached over and held my hand as he gazed into my eyes that I knew were brimming with feeling.
“It feels right to me too, Brian, but what about Beverly? You’ve been dating her for a while now. I’m sure she wouldn’t want you here with me.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore to me what Beverly wants. Right now you are all that I care about.”
We finished our cokes, hurrying for some reason. Maybe he is a little afraid Beverly or her friends might come in, regardless of what he had said, I thought. Yet, he would not have brought me here if he cared about that.
“Shall we leave? We can start looking for those stars.” He paid the bill, and we rushed out.
“The street lights are still burning, but maybe if we squint our eyes and block out the lights we will be able to see the stars.” I was trying to bring back the light mood that had existed between us before.
“You’re right, the lights are still burning, but I don’t think squinting our eyes will solve the problem. Neither will throwing rocks at the lights because I might get caught and be thrown into jail. Then I wouldn’t be free to ask you to go out with me Friday night.”
“But you promised I would see the stars,” I teased.
“”I decided rather than take any chances, we’d walk down a street that’s darker so that we could see those stars” Brian led me toward a different street.
“Now, look at the sky a little above the horizon facing north. There you will see the Big Dipper. Follow the two stars up along the right edge of the Dipper and you’ll find that they point to the North Star. The North Star is in the handle of the Little Dipper. See it? It’s a stationary star around which all of the others revolve. If you’re ever lost, you can locate the North Star and then you’ll know your directions, providing it’s a clear night.”
“Gee, that’s quite a lesson in astronomy. I’m impressed. I’ll remember that if I’m ever lost. However, I’d rather have you along to show me the way.”
“If you’re ever lost, I hope I will be along. What a great time we could have lost in the woods! I could shoot bears and rabbits for you to cook.” Brian laughed, pointing an imaginary gun.
“Where would you get a gun, or would you just happen to have one in your back pocket?” I asked, with the return of an air of lightness.
“Heck, no. I’d shoot them with the bow and arrow that I”ll make out of material that I find in the woods. And you’ll cook those animals with fire you make by rubbing two sticks together.”
“Hey, it sounds like you and I just might survive if we are lost. However, for now, my house is over there.” I grabbed Brian’s hand, and we broke into a run, reaching the yard out of breath and panting.
“Do you have to leave right away?” I didn’t want him to leave; it felt so good being with him.
“No, Mom and Dad will be out until late, but I did promise them I would be home by 10 since we have school tomorrow.”
“Let’s go in the backyard. There’s a seat under an old wagon wheel my mother set on a post. Grape vines grow over the wheel, which makes a cozy little nook.”
We walked around the house. I noticed I was still holding Brian’s hand, and I liked the way this made me feel. We came to the bench, but there was only room for one. Brian sat down and pulled me onto his lap.
The night sounds were all around, and a slight breeze stirred my hair. Neither of us had spoken, but each felt a strange current passing between us. I looked at Brian, and suddenly my lips met his in a kiss that surprised us both. Did Brian pull me to him or did I bend my head down? All we knew was that our lips were together and our young bodies were on fire with sensations never felt before by either of us. Our hearts were pounding and our faces were flushed. Deep inside us was a longing we did not understand–adult feelings experienced between a fifteen-year-old boy and girl. Without realizing what was happening, Brian and I were crossing a threshold over which we could never cross back. Never again would the joys of childhood be as intense as before. The emotions that had surfaced as we pressed our bodies close would lead us down a bath lovers have traversed since the beginning of time, a path that changes lives forever.
#
Because of the loss of my father and my mother’s dependence on me, I was mature for my age and carried with me a sense of responsibility for my family. Unlike Brian, I did not have a care-free attitude; rather, I felt I had a burden on my young shoulders, although
