and said you were coming back early. That way you don’t have to make up something to tell them. I can say you’re coming home this weekend or whenever you want.”
He reaches over and strokes my cheek. “I’ll leave that up to you, Ceejay. You’re my girl. I know I can count on you to do what’s best.”
“That’s right. You can count on me.”
He scrunches down and leans his head against mine. “But I don’t want to think about that stuff right now. All I want to do is ride.”
“Okay,” I tell him. “We’ll just ride then.” I still don’t have answers to the million questions I want to ask him, but at least we’re together and I’ll settle for that right now.
17
My plan is simple—since I get off work before the parents do, I’ll go home, get cleaned up, maybe go over to Gillis’s for a while, and then come back just before dinner when I know Mom and Dad will both be there and spring my story on them. I’ll make a big production of it, really build up the suspense, then—
bam!
—hit them with the phony news that Bobby called while they were at work and said he got an early furlough. He’ll be home this weekend.
Should be easy, right?
Still, I go over my lines all afternoon while I’m painting with Uncle Jimmy. It’s like I’m rehearsing for a play. I recite my little speech over and over in my head, thinking up answers to questions my parents might hurl at me and trying to visualize the facial expressions I’ll need to make my delivery convincing.I even pick out the outfit I’ll wear. By the time Uncle Jimmy drops me off after work, I have everything well rehearsed.
“Did you hear me, Ceejay?” Uncle Jimmy says as I open the door to get out of the truck.
“What?”
“I said I’d be by to pick you up half an hour later tomorrow morning.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Where’s your head been today, girl? You seemed like you were off in another galaxy.”
“Just daydreaming, I guess.”
“Boys, huh?” He smiles slyly.
“What? No.”
“Sure.” He says it like he doesn’t believe me. “Just do me a favor. If you meet up with a boy that’s anything like I was when I was your age, run as fast as you can in the other direction.”
I force a smile. “If I meet a boy like you, he’d better be the one to run.”
I’m home a little later than I figured, so I hurry to get cleaned up and changed. I wanted my yellow top because yellow is a happy, good-news kind of color, but it’s in the clothes hamper. White will have to do. Like Mr. White says, it’s the color of hope, but it’s also the color of innocence, and I may need both before I’m done.
When I go to Gillis’s, he can tell right off that something’s up, and I can’t fool him like I can Uncle Jimmy. There’s not much reason to keep Bobby a secret from him now anyway, but from the way he reacts, I wish I had.
Everything that comes out of his mouth is negative. Maybe Bobby’s AWOL. Why else would he have to go sneaking around? Maybe the military police are searching for him right now, and if me or my family help hide him, then we could allgo to jail. Or Guantánamo Bay. After all, it might be considered treason, this being wartime and all.
It’s too much. “Why can’t you just be happy for me?” I ask him, and I end up leaving earlier than I planned.
But now I’m not so sure I want to spring the news about Bobby coming back. I don’t want to believe it, but I have to admit there is a slim possibility that Gillis might be right. Bobby could be AWOL. That would explain a lot.
The strange thing is my parents’ cars are already parked in the driveway. They’re never home this early. I’m like,
Red flag—something must be wrong
. As soon as I step inside, Mom bustles around the corner. She’s still in her cheery office clothes. Even her makeup seems happy. “Ceejay! I’m so glad you’re back. Come on in the living room.”
Obviously Mom is in a good mood, but that’s nothing new for her. She could
He reaches over and strokes my cheek. “I’ll leave that up to you, Ceejay. You’re my girl. I know I can count on you to do what’s best.”
“That’s right. You can count on me.”
He scrunches down and leans his head against mine. “But I don’t want to think about that stuff right now. All I want to do is ride.”
“Okay,” I tell him. “We’ll just ride then.” I still don’t have answers to the million questions I want to ask him, but at least we’re together and I’ll settle for that right now.
17
My plan is simple—since I get off work before the parents do, I’ll go home, get cleaned up, maybe go over to Gillis’s for a while, and then come back just before dinner when I know Mom and Dad will both be there and spring my story on them. I’ll make a big production of it, really build up the suspense, then—
bam!
—hit them with the phony news that Bobby called while they were at work and said he got an early furlough. He’ll be home this weekend.
Should be easy, right?
Still, I go over my lines all afternoon while I’m painting with Uncle Jimmy. It’s like I’m rehearsing for a play. I recite my little speech over and over in my head, thinking up answers to questions my parents might hurl at me and trying to visualize the facial expressions I’ll need to make my delivery convincing.I even pick out the outfit I’ll wear. By the time Uncle Jimmy drops me off after work, I have everything well rehearsed.
“Did you hear me, Ceejay?” Uncle Jimmy says as I open the door to get out of the truck.
“What?”
“I said I’d be by to pick you up half an hour later tomorrow morning.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Where’s your head been today, girl? You seemed like you were off in another galaxy.”
“Just daydreaming, I guess.”
“Boys, huh?” He smiles slyly.
“What? No.”
“Sure.” He says it like he doesn’t believe me. “Just do me a favor. If you meet up with a boy that’s anything like I was when I was your age, run as fast as you can in the other direction.”
I force a smile. “If I meet a boy like you, he’d better be the one to run.”
I’m home a little later than I figured, so I hurry to get cleaned up and changed. I wanted my yellow top because yellow is a happy, good-news kind of color, but it’s in the clothes hamper. White will have to do. Like Mr. White says, it’s the color of hope, but it’s also the color of innocence, and I may need both before I’m done.
When I go to Gillis’s, he can tell right off that something’s up, and I can’t fool him like I can Uncle Jimmy. There’s not much reason to keep Bobby a secret from him now anyway, but from the way he reacts, I wish I had.
Everything that comes out of his mouth is negative. Maybe Bobby’s AWOL. Why else would he have to go sneaking around? Maybe the military police are searching for him right now, and if me or my family help hide him, then we could allgo to jail. Or Guantánamo Bay. After all, it might be considered treason, this being wartime and all.
It’s too much. “Why can’t you just be happy for me?” I ask him, and I end up leaving earlier than I planned.
But now I’m not so sure I want to spring the news about Bobby coming back. I don’t want to believe it, but I have to admit there is a slim possibility that Gillis might be right. Bobby could be AWOL. That would explain a lot.
The strange thing is my parents’ cars are already parked in the driveway. They’re never home this early. I’m like,
Red flag—something must be wrong
. As soon as I step inside, Mom bustles around the corner. She’s still in her cheery office clothes. Even her makeup seems happy. “Ceejay! I’m so glad you’re back. Come on in the living room.”
Obviously Mom is in a good mood, but that’s nothing new for her. She could
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