movie, Peter drove them back
toward the stifling farmette. His gut ached thinking of leaving
Libby with her pot-smoking aunt.
“ Are you sure you’re okay
there?”
“ It’s fine. I’m used to
it.” She sighed.
“ Well I’ve been thinking .
. .”
“ That’s dangerous.” Her
voice chimed.
He reached across and squeezed her leg.
“Would you be quiet, this is serious.”
“ Yes sir,” she
giggled.
“ Actually there are two
things.” He returned his hand to the steering wheel. “First, I
think its time we get you out of here.” There, he’d said
it.
“ What are you talking
about?” She sat upright and stared at him through the
dark.
“ It’s terrible for you
here. You have no ties to anything except your psycho aunt. She
sounds like bad news, and honestly, I’m surprised your dad would
leave you with her.”
Libby sat silent and contemplated his words.
He knew they struck close to home.
“ I’m sorry, that was cruel.
I’m sure your Dad did what he thought best.” Peter couldn’t imagine
how a father could leave his own daughter. If he ever lost Libby,
he’d go insane.
“ It’s okay, I know what you
mean. He wasn’t in his right mind.”
“ Grief is a powerful thing
and you’ve both lost a lot. Listen, I’m eighteen now and I want you
to come be with me. You’d be safer.”
He’d said it. Finally. Peter could picture
how much fun they’d have together and how happy Libby would be away
from Rockville. He hoped she agreed.
She sat wide-eyed. She opened her mouth to
speak and then stopped. He could almost see the wheels turning in
her mind.
“ I would love to escape
this town and be together 24/7, but how would we do that? Where
would I live? Would I go on tour with you?” Libby asked the same
questions that rolled around his mind.
“ I haven’t got it figured
out, but I’m working on it.”
“ Don’t get me wrong, I’d
love to run away with you, but somehow I don’t think your family
would be too keen about some strange girl showing up. What about
school? And what about my dad? He’s coming back.”
Peter wanted to say that if he hadn’t come
back in the past year, it wasn’t likely he’d return any time soon,
but he kept it to himself.
“ I know, it’s a lot to
think about, you’re in a bad situation surrounded by people who
don’t care about you, but I care, and I want you with me.” He
reached for her hand and held it firmly. “I’ve got all kinds of
money, it should be good for something. Maybe it can help get you
outta here.”
“ That’s the nicest thing
any one has ever said to me.” She sounded hopeful. “You say the
word and I’m outta here. I’m so happy I could cry, but I’ve already
done enough of that for one day.”
“ Good, I don’t think I
could take any more tears. When you live in a house with four guys,
crying doesn’t exist. Garrett beat that out of me when I was
three.”
“ So what was the other
thing you wanted to tell me about?”
Peter couldn’t wait to lay this one on her.
“I think we should go to your Homecoming dance.” He watched for her
reaction.
Libby stared at him, her mouth agape.
“You’re nuts. You just agreed I have nothing here and now you want
to go to the Rockville Homecoming?”
“ Why not go? I never got
the chance to go to a school dance and it’s something everyone
should do once. It would be normal. I never get to be normal, and
think how surprised everyone will be to see you with
me.”
“ Aren’t we a little full of
ourselves?” she said. “Actually they would be shocked to see me
with a date at all. Heck they’d be shocked to see me out after five
o’clock.”
“ Then it’s a date.” He
wanted Libby by his side. He wanted to show the world his beautiful
girlfriend.
“ I think you’re crazy. How
do you know you can even make it? What if you have a concert or
something?”
“ If I have a concert, then
obviously it won’t work. I guess we’ll have to crash some
toward the stifling farmette. His gut ached thinking of leaving
Libby with her pot-smoking aunt.
“ Are you sure you’re okay
there?”
“ It’s fine. I’m used to
it.” She sighed.
“ Well I’ve been thinking .
. .”
“ That’s dangerous.” Her
voice chimed.
He reached across and squeezed her leg.
“Would you be quiet, this is serious.”
“ Yes sir,” she
giggled.
“ Actually there are two
things.” He returned his hand to the steering wheel. “First, I
think its time we get you out of here.” There, he’d said
it.
“ What are you talking
about?” She sat upright and stared at him through the
dark.
“ It’s terrible for you
here. You have no ties to anything except your psycho aunt. She
sounds like bad news, and honestly, I’m surprised your dad would
leave you with her.”
Libby sat silent and contemplated his words.
He knew they struck close to home.
“ I’m sorry, that was cruel.
I’m sure your Dad did what he thought best.” Peter couldn’t imagine
how a father could leave his own daughter. If he ever lost Libby,
he’d go insane.
“ It’s okay, I know what you
mean. He wasn’t in his right mind.”
“ Grief is a powerful thing
and you’ve both lost a lot. Listen, I’m eighteen now and I want you
to come be with me. You’d be safer.”
He’d said it. Finally. Peter could picture
how much fun they’d have together and how happy Libby would be away
from Rockville. He hoped she agreed.
She sat wide-eyed. She opened her mouth to
speak and then stopped. He could almost see the wheels turning in
her mind.
“ I would love to escape
this town and be together 24/7, but how would we do that? Where
would I live? Would I go on tour with you?” Libby asked the same
questions that rolled around his mind.
“ I haven’t got it figured
out, but I’m working on it.”
“ Don’t get me wrong, I’d
love to run away with you, but somehow I don’t think your family
would be too keen about some strange girl showing up. What about
school? And what about my dad? He’s coming back.”
Peter wanted to say that if he hadn’t come
back in the past year, it wasn’t likely he’d return any time soon,
but he kept it to himself.
“ I know, it’s a lot to
think about, you’re in a bad situation surrounded by people who
don’t care about you, but I care, and I want you with me.” He
reached for her hand and held it firmly. “I’ve got all kinds of
money, it should be good for something. Maybe it can help get you
outta here.”
“ That’s the nicest thing
any one has ever said to me.” She sounded hopeful. “You say the
word and I’m outta here. I’m so happy I could cry, but I’ve already
done enough of that for one day.”
“ Good, I don’t think I
could take any more tears. When you live in a house with four guys,
crying doesn’t exist. Garrett beat that out of me when I was
three.”
“ So what was the other
thing you wanted to tell me about?”
Peter couldn’t wait to lay this one on her.
“I think we should go to your Homecoming dance.” He watched for her
reaction.
Libby stared at him, her mouth agape.
“You’re nuts. You just agreed I have nothing here and now you want
to go to the Rockville Homecoming?”
“ Why not go? I never got
the chance to go to a school dance and it’s something everyone
should do once. It would be normal. I never get to be normal, and
think how surprised everyone will be to see you with
me.”
“ Aren’t we a little full of
ourselves?” she said. “Actually they would be shocked to see me
with a date at all. Heck they’d be shocked to see me out after five
o’clock.”
“ Then it’s a date.” He
wanted Libby by his side. He wanted to show the world his beautiful
girlfriend.
“ I think you’re crazy. How
do you know you can even make it? What if you have a concert or
something?”
“ If I have a concert, then
obviously it won’t work. I guess we’ll have to crash some
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