Bluehour (A Watermagic Novel) by Brighton Hill Page A

or acted any different. My brown hair was a
little longer than in the past and I had a slightly more shapely
body. Maybe the new combination? As far as I could tell, I looked
very average. Possibly plain was coming in style.
    The rest of the night passed as a blur to me
in many ways. Ashton talked a lot about his summer vacation in
Hawaii and some about competitive swimming. Some of his stories
were funny and interesting, but I kept finding myself drifting off
to other thoughts.
    Agatha and Danny kept telling silly jokes and
laughing hysterically amongst themselves. They seemed to get along
great. Really, they were the perfect couple, but I couldn’t tell if
Danny was interested in her romantically or not.
    I was glad that Ashton didn’t try to kiss me
when he walked me up to my apartment door. I didn’t want my first
kiss ever to happen in an awkward moment with a boy I hardly knew.
Maybe it would be nice for it to be with him, but I didn’t know how
I felt about him yet.
    I got the feeling that he had rules in his
mind about dating like don’t go for the kiss on the first date,
open and close her car door, compliment her on some of her
attributes, etc… He was almost the perfect guy in some ways, kind
and considerate.
    When I walked through the door, my parents
were waiting in the living room for me anxiously. My mother even
had homemade cookies and milk waiting for me as a little
celebration. It was only around 10:30 pm, but they wanted to hear
all about my first date with popular dream boy, Ashton Benson. They
knew who he was from past swim meets. He often took first
place.
    I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at their
surprising eager interest. “What?” I laughed. “It was no big
deal.”
    My mom patted the couch between where she and
my dad were sitting. It was kind of funny and dramatic.
    I walked over and sat down, helping myself to
the cookies. “These are great, Mom,” I mumbled with my mouth full.
I was trying to prolong all the attention they were showering upon
me.
    My dad wasn’t as interested as my mother, but
he played along well. “So, kiddo, were did Mr. Benson take
you?”
    I swallowed and then smiled for a moment
before speaking. “We went to Sam’s Pizza. That’s all.”
    “You were there a long time,” Mom said.
    “He didn’t get fresh—did he?” My dad asked in
an angry tone.
    “No! It was nothing like that. We played the
video games and laughed at Agatha’s and Danny’s laughter.”
    My dad nodded. His massive demeanor was
calmer now. “Are Agatha and Danny dating now?”
    “This was their first date. And I think Danny
just went because Ashton invited him. But really, they should go
out because they get along so well.”
    My mom looked anxious to hear more. “So what
did Ashton talk about?”
    “The date wasn’t that thrilling actually. He
was friendly and nice, but there was just a bunch of small
talk.”
    “Did he ask you on another date?” She probed,
buttoning the top button on her nightgown.
    I paused for a moment. “Actually, no.” I
shook my head.
    Mom’s bright eyes looked concerned now. “Oh,
don’t worry. He’ll probably ask the next time you see him.”
    “I’m not sure if I want to go out with him
again.” I looked down at my hands.
    “What!” Mom’s eyes popped wide open. “Of
course you do. He’s such a great boy. He’s sure to get into an Ivy
League school. Maybe you can even go to Berkely together.”
    “Mom!” I said in an exasperated tone. “I
don’t even know if I like him.”
    “Give it time.” She patted me on the leg and
carried the rest of the cookies back into the kitchen.
    My dad was already flipping through the
channels on the TV. “Give it time,” he repeated Mom’s words,
seemingly unaware of what he was saying. It appeared as if he lost
interest after my assurance that Ashton didn’t get fresh .
Once he knew I was okay, assuaged, he tuned out.
    “I signed that permission slip for your
school trip to Catalina