wouldn’t be fair to me or whoever I ended up with.”
Rebecca thought for a moment. She had an opportunity to go to a dance on Dylan’s arm. She could think of nothing better. But what if someone saw her? What if word got back to her mother or father or someone else in her community? What was she supposed to say if they asked her to explain her relationship with Dylan? Her relationship with Dylan was a mystery even to her. Wondrous and magical but oh-so-confusing.
If someone accused her and Dylan of being more than friends, she wouldn’t be able to deny the accusations, but how could she possibly confirm them? But she couldn’t keep saying no every time Dylan suggested they engage in a public activity without Mr. and Mrs. Mahoney around. If she kept doing that, Dylan would eventually get fed up and find someone who wasn’t afraid of her own shadow. No matter what she said about not “settling” for someone else.
“I would love to go with you.”
“But?”
“I don’t have anything to wear.”
“I know where you could find the perfect dress.” Dylan’s face lit up. Hope blossomed in her eyes. Rebecca loved seeing that look on Dylan’s face. Moreover, she loved knowing she had put it there. She didn’t want to be responsible for taking it away.
“When is the prom?”
“Next Saturday night. Should I buy tickets?”
“Would we be the only ones…” Rebecca’s voice trailed off. She couldn’t say the word most people would use to describe what she was. Did she need to? She loved Dylan and Dylan loved her. Why did there have to be labels attached?
“Would we be the only people like us? No. Willie’s taking a girl from our French class and my friend Brendan is going with his boyfriend James. We can all sit at the pink table.” Dylan tossed the sandwich wrapper in the cooler and rested her arms on her knees. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I won’t get mad. I won’t be upset. Don’t say yes just because you think it will make me happy. What do you want to do?”
Rebecca weighed the pros and cons. The negatives outnumbered the positives, but the weight of Dylan’s smile tipped the scales in her favor. “I would love to go to the prom with you.” Dylan whooped and Rebecca began to gather her things. “But right now, I want to go driving.”
Dylan’s smile widened. “Driving or parking?”
“Both.”
Dylan grabbed the cooler and the fishing rods. “Let’s go.”
Lately, they spent more time parked by the side of the road than they did driving on it. Their lessons had devolved into make out sessions—fifteen minutes of driving followed by thirty minutes of kissing and feeling each other up. Rebecca could sit in Dylan’s lap and kiss her forever, but when Dylan’s eyes darkened and her voice grew husky, that was Rebecca’s cue to stop. If she didn’t take the cue, Dylan would gently put an end to their feverish kisses. Rebecca preferred to be the one who pulled away. If Dylan had to do it, Rebecca knew she had pushed her too far.
Rebecca longed to take the next step. At least, her body did. When Dylan touched her, she felt like she was on fire. A fire that Dylan had started—and only Dylan could extinguish. Reluctantly, she took her cue. She climbed off Dylan’s lap and slid into the passenger’s seat.
“Let’s find you something to wear.”
Dylan took the wheel. While she drove, she pulled at her clothes as if they were too tight. Rebecca knew the feeling.
Rebecca looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror. Was that really her?
That afternoon, Mrs. Mahoney had taken her to get her hair and nails done. Then Mrs. Mahoney had shown her how to apply makeup. Rebecca ran her hands over her strapless white gown. When she tried on the dress, the lady in the formal wear store had told her she looked like a princess. Now Rebecca felt like one. The tiara-shaped spray of flowers in her upswept hair added to the impression.
Rebecca pulled on the black shrug
Rebecca thought for a moment. She had an opportunity to go to a dance on Dylan’s arm. She could think of nothing better. But what if someone saw her? What if word got back to her mother or father or someone else in her community? What was she supposed to say if they asked her to explain her relationship with Dylan? Her relationship with Dylan was a mystery even to her. Wondrous and magical but oh-so-confusing.
If someone accused her and Dylan of being more than friends, she wouldn’t be able to deny the accusations, but how could she possibly confirm them? But she couldn’t keep saying no every time Dylan suggested they engage in a public activity without Mr. and Mrs. Mahoney around. If she kept doing that, Dylan would eventually get fed up and find someone who wasn’t afraid of her own shadow. No matter what she said about not “settling” for someone else.
“I would love to go with you.”
“But?”
“I don’t have anything to wear.”
“I know where you could find the perfect dress.” Dylan’s face lit up. Hope blossomed in her eyes. Rebecca loved seeing that look on Dylan’s face. Moreover, she loved knowing she had put it there. She didn’t want to be responsible for taking it away.
“When is the prom?”
“Next Saturday night. Should I buy tickets?”
“Would we be the only ones…” Rebecca’s voice trailed off. She couldn’t say the word most people would use to describe what she was. Did she need to? She loved Dylan and Dylan loved her. Why did there have to be labels attached?
“Would we be the only people like us? No. Willie’s taking a girl from our French class and my friend Brendan is going with his boyfriend James. We can all sit at the pink table.” Dylan tossed the sandwich wrapper in the cooler and rested her arms on her knees. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I won’t get mad. I won’t be upset. Don’t say yes just because you think it will make me happy. What do you want to do?”
Rebecca weighed the pros and cons. The negatives outnumbered the positives, but the weight of Dylan’s smile tipped the scales in her favor. “I would love to go to the prom with you.” Dylan whooped and Rebecca began to gather her things. “But right now, I want to go driving.”
Dylan’s smile widened. “Driving or parking?”
“Both.”
Dylan grabbed the cooler and the fishing rods. “Let’s go.”
Lately, they spent more time parked by the side of the road than they did driving on it. Their lessons had devolved into make out sessions—fifteen minutes of driving followed by thirty minutes of kissing and feeling each other up. Rebecca could sit in Dylan’s lap and kiss her forever, but when Dylan’s eyes darkened and her voice grew husky, that was Rebecca’s cue to stop. If she didn’t take the cue, Dylan would gently put an end to their feverish kisses. Rebecca preferred to be the one who pulled away. If Dylan had to do it, Rebecca knew she had pushed her too far.
Rebecca longed to take the next step. At least, her body did. When Dylan touched her, she felt like she was on fire. A fire that Dylan had started—and only Dylan could extinguish. Reluctantly, she took her cue. She climbed off Dylan’s lap and slid into the passenger’s seat.
“Let’s find you something to wear.”
Dylan took the wheel. While she drove, she pulled at her clothes as if they were too tight. Rebecca knew the feeling.
Rebecca looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror. Was that really her?
That afternoon, Mrs. Mahoney had taken her to get her hair and nails done. Then Mrs. Mahoney had shown her how to apply makeup. Rebecca ran her hands over her strapless white gown. When she tried on the dress, the lady in the formal wear store had told her she looked like a princess. Now Rebecca felt like one. The tiara-shaped spray of flowers in her upswept hair added to the impression.
Rebecca pulled on the black shrug
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