ridiculously excited about going to a school dance. I’d never been to anything remotely like it before. Unfortunately, things that seemed incredible at night often looked less marvelous by morning. By the time I’d gotten dressed for school, my excitement had turned into a major case of apprehension. “Nick, I’m not sure what I’ll do at a dance. And won’t Tina be terribly mad if you show up with me? I don’t want to start any problems.”
Nick took hold of my book bag and motioned to the sidewalk. “I have time to walk you part way before I have to go to work.” We walked in silence at first then Nick spoke. “I’m sorry for the way Tina’s treated you this week. Like I said, she’s got horrible parents, and it’s sort of making her into a really awful person. I won’t lie to you, Tina and I have been a couple off and on for two years. At first I felt bad for her because of her crappy home life, but lately it’s hard to work up any sympathy. Today I told her we were through for good.”
I glanced up at his perfect profile as he stared straight ahead seemingly contemplating the fact that he probably hurt the girl badly in the process. We walked in silence again for awhile before he spoke. “She’s super pretty. Every guy wants her, so I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Then he smiled weakly at me. “And I suspect that my trouble making ancestor made sure that Tina never bothers you again.”
I nodded. “The other students do seem to be walking a wide path around me at the moment. I haven’t decided if that’s a bad or good thing yet.” Then I smiled up at him. “At least he hasn’t scared you away from me.”
Nick rubbed the back of his head for a minute. “It’s not from lack of trying. That I can tell you for sure.”
I grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Did Zedekiah hurt you, Nick? Yesterday, after you left my house, did he attack you?”
“No, Zedekiah didn’t hurt me. I told you it’s nothing.” He stopped at the head of the mountain trail and stared up it for a minute as if he suspected we were being watched. “I’ll be late for work if I don’t head back now.” He handed me back my book bag. “Will your grandmother be O.K. with me driving you to the dance? I could borrow my dad’s old jeep. It’s a junker, but it’s got wheels and an engine.”
“I’ll talk to her about it. I’m sure I can convince her. Besides she’s not going to let me walk down the mountain in the dark.”
He studied my face for a long moment and I wondered if that kiss would ever happen.
“Thanks for carrying my books,” I said.
“Anytime,” he said and turned to leave.
I took a deep breath and started my climb up the path. I had not walked fifty yards when a pink carnation dropped out of the sky and landed at my feet. I picked it up and held it to my nose. Its subtle, musky scent made me smile. Three more steps and a dark yellow rose fell at my feet. The thorns had been removed. I squeezed it in my fingers next to the carnation. Next, three white daisies littered the gravelly ground in front of me. Then two more roses fell, a pink and a red. I had a colorful, fragrant bouquet in my hand before I’d even gone half way.
“It’s a strange day on the mountain,” I said aloud. “It appears to be raining flowers.”
Zedekiah appeared on the path next. There was always something startling yet charming about his appearance. The black brim of his hat lifted and he gazed down at me brazenly like we’d known each other forever. “Fresh flowers suit you, Jessie.”
“So you have come to terms with the fact that I’m not Rebecca?”
The brim of his hat lowered again shading his face completely. “I know you’re not Rebecca. I guess I was trying to convince myself that it had never happened, that I’d never shot the one true love I’d ever had.”
I took a deep whiff of the
Nick took hold of my book bag and motioned to the sidewalk. “I have time to walk you part way before I have to go to work.” We walked in silence at first then Nick spoke. “I’m sorry for the way Tina’s treated you this week. Like I said, she’s got horrible parents, and it’s sort of making her into a really awful person. I won’t lie to you, Tina and I have been a couple off and on for two years. At first I felt bad for her because of her crappy home life, but lately it’s hard to work up any sympathy. Today I told her we were through for good.”
I glanced up at his perfect profile as he stared straight ahead seemingly contemplating the fact that he probably hurt the girl badly in the process. We walked in silence again for awhile before he spoke. “She’s super pretty. Every guy wants her, so I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Then he smiled weakly at me. “And I suspect that my trouble making ancestor made sure that Tina never bothers you again.”
I nodded. “The other students do seem to be walking a wide path around me at the moment. I haven’t decided if that’s a bad or good thing yet.” Then I smiled up at him. “At least he hasn’t scared you away from me.”
Nick rubbed the back of his head for a minute. “It’s not from lack of trying. That I can tell you for sure.”
I grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Did Zedekiah hurt you, Nick? Yesterday, after you left my house, did he attack you?”
“No, Zedekiah didn’t hurt me. I told you it’s nothing.” He stopped at the head of the mountain trail and stared up it for a minute as if he suspected we were being watched. “I’ll be late for work if I don’t head back now.” He handed me back my book bag. “Will your grandmother be O.K. with me driving you to the dance? I could borrow my dad’s old jeep. It’s a junker, but it’s got wheels and an engine.”
“I’ll talk to her about it. I’m sure I can convince her. Besides she’s not going to let me walk down the mountain in the dark.”
He studied my face for a long moment and I wondered if that kiss would ever happen.
“Thanks for carrying my books,” I said.
“Anytime,” he said and turned to leave.
I took a deep breath and started my climb up the path. I had not walked fifty yards when a pink carnation dropped out of the sky and landed at my feet. I picked it up and held it to my nose. Its subtle, musky scent made me smile. Three more steps and a dark yellow rose fell at my feet. The thorns had been removed. I squeezed it in my fingers next to the carnation. Next, three white daisies littered the gravelly ground in front of me. Then two more roses fell, a pink and a red. I had a colorful, fragrant bouquet in my hand before I’d even gone half way.
“It’s a strange day on the mountain,” I said aloud. “It appears to be raining flowers.”
Zedekiah appeared on the path next. There was always something startling yet charming about his appearance. The black brim of his hat lifted and he gazed down at me brazenly like we’d known each other forever. “Fresh flowers suit you, Jessie.”
“So you have come to terms with the fact that I’m not Rebecca?”
The brim of his hat lowered again shading his face completely. “I know you’re not Rebecca. I guess I was trying to convince myself that it had never happened, that I’d never shot the one true love I’d ever had.”
I took a deep whiff of the
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