The Year I Almost Drowned (30 page)

I hadn’t thought about going; I hadn’t even discussed it with Nana. She usually

helped plan it but I didn’t know if she was this year. So much of what she used to

do

was

all

but

a

distant

memory.

“I

don’t

know.”

“Would

you

like

to

go

with

me?”

“You

mean

you’re

not

on

duty?”

I

teased.

He laughed. “No. Not for the dance,” he answered and then looked at me,

gauging

my

reaction.

“Sure,”

I

answered

quickly.

“Good. I’ll pick you up at your place then, say around seven?”

“Okay.”

“I’ll need the address, but I can get that from you some time this week. Can I help

you carry these?” He gestured to the Cokes and popcorn.

“Please,” I said. We walked through the maze of blankets and camping chairs,

finding

our

way

to

Sidney.

“Sidney, you remember Everett,” I said. They had met in the diner.

“Hi.” She eagerly reached for the Coke and took it out of his hands. She sucked

on

the

straw

and

took

several

sips.

He

handed

me

my

Coke.

“Thanks,”

I

said.

“You’re welcome. Y’all enjoy the movie,” he said. “I’ll see you later this week to

work out the details for next Saturday.” He touched me on the arm and smiled.

“See you later, Everett,” I said and then sat down next to Sidney who was giving

me a strange expression.“What?” I said to her when he left.

She raised her eyebrows. “Work out the details for what, Finn?”

“Nothing.” I shrugged. “We’re going to the dance next Saturday.”

“Jesse won’t like that,” she said and took a handful of popcorn.

I rolled my eyes. “That doesn’t get old to you, does it?”

“Nope.”

She

smirked.

***

The credits rolled for the old, 1980’s flick and people cleared out as quickly as

they had come. Sidney and I lingered, while the bulk of the crowd disappeared.

Even for Graceville, it would’ve meant driving in traffic, so waiting around a little

while longer to avoid sitting behind a long line of cars was fine by me.

Meg and Hannah had come to the movie, too. Hannah brought Matt and Noah

came with Meg. They were inseparable, like Jesse and I used to be. I had never

seen Meg so happy. Noah was the perfect fit for her. She had a knack for

attracting the wrong guys; I was happy to finally see her with someone who wasn’t

a

jerk.

There was a slight chill in the air. Even though it was a summer’s night, it felt

more like autumn. I was wearing a pair of jeans and a zipped up gray hoodie over

my t-shirt. Yet, I was still a little cold. Sidney and I stood around talking to Meg

and Hannah. Matt and Noah were off to the side talking about sports or some

other type of men’s only subject that I had no interest in.

“So,

what’d

you

think

of

the

movie?”

I

asked

Meg.

“It was a typical 80’s classic, campy but cute,” she answered.

“I miss seeing you,” I told her. And I did. With our work schedules and her

relationship with Noah, we rarely got the chance to hang out.

“Me, too. We’ll have to go out some time this week,” she said reassuringly.

“Sounds

good.”

I

smiled.

“Maybe

you’ll

come,

too,

Hannah?”

I

said

to

her.

“Sounds

like

fun,

Finn,”

she

said.

“Sidney,

too,”

Meg

added.

“I’m so there. Make sure that where ever we go, there are lots of boys,” she said.

“I

need

a

date

for

the

dance.

Finn

already

has

one.”

“You’re going to the dance next weekend?” Meg asked. “With Jesse?” She

perked

up.

“No.”

I

shook

my

head.

“I’m

going

with

Everett.”

Hannah

gave

me

a

strange

look

and

stayed

silent.

“He’s not as good a dancer as Jesse. Watch those feet of yours. You may want

to

actually

wear

shoes,”

Meg

joked.

“I don’t always wear flip flops,” I said and then realized that was exactly what I

was

wearing

right

then.

She arched her eyebrow and smiled. “Sure,” Meg said. Her forehead creased.

“Ev’s

kinda

old.”

“We’re just going to the dance. We’re not getting married,” I said.

“Just

saying.

He’s

like

twenty-six

and

you’re

nineteen.”

“We’re

just

friends,”

I

said.

“What are you going to do if Jesse has a date?” Meg asked.

“Nothing,” I said, but then felt pain to my heart. Seeing Jesse with anyone was

going

to

be

heartbreaking.

“Well, for your sake and his, I hope he doesn’t go,” she said.

“Me,

too,”

Hannah

chimed

in.

Everett came over to us. “I think that was the easiest sixty bucks I’ve ever made,”

he

said,

interrupting

our

discussion.

“It almost seems wrong,” Meg said. “Why did they need a cop here anyway?”

“Anytime there’s a crowd, you have to have police on duty,” he answered.

“I hear you’re taking Finn to the square dance next weekend,” Meg said to him.

“Word travels fast,” he said. “Yeah, I am.” He looked in my direction.

“Don’t step on her feet. I remember dancing with you when I was a kid. I had

bruises

on

my

toes

for

weeks,”

she

said.

He rolled his eyes. “My cousin exaggerates, Finn. Believe me, I can dance,” he

said

to

me.

“I’m sure you can,” I said. What did I know? I wasn’t the world’s best dancer

anyway.

Anyone

could

dance

better

than

me,

especially

Jesse.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jesse walk up to Matt and Noah. I hadn’t seen

him all night and wondered if he had been at the movie, too.

“You

guys

ready?”

I

heard

him

ask

them.

“Yeah, just waiting on them to quit gabbing,” Matt answered in his typical sardonic

fashion.

“We’re not gabbing. We just don’t want to stand around and discuss sports. If you

guys

are

ready,

then

let’s

go,”

Hannah

said.

“Where

are

you

off

to?”

I

asked.

“No where, just home. I think these bozos are going out. Ev, you should go with

them,”

she

said

to

Everett.

“Can’t. I have to be on duty in a few hours,” he said. “One of your cups of coffee

would

be

good

right

about

now,

Finn.”

I smiled. “I could open the diner up and make you a pot if you want,” I offered.

“No.

Don’t

go

to

all

that

trouble,”

he

said.

“If you’re making a pot of coffee, we’ll have some too, won’t we guys?” Jesse

said.

“Yeah.

I

guess.”

Matt

shrugged.

“I’ll

take

a

free

cup,”

Noah

added.

“Okay. I guess I’m making a pot of coffee, then,” I said.

Everett took the blanket from my hands and carried it for me as we all moved

across the grassy lawn to the concrete road and into the parking lot of Lilly’s

Diner. I unlocked the door, turned on the lights, and punched in the alarm code.

I went behind the counter and scooped the coffee grounds into the filter, poured

water into the pot and turned it on. “It’ll be a few minutes,” I said.

Meg turned on the jukebox and randomly selected a song to play. It was an old

Motown tune. Hannah, Meg and Sidney began to dance on beat to the music.

Everett, Jesse, Noah and Matt sat in one of the booths chatting, while I stood in

front of the coffee pot watching it percolate. I didn’t know what else to do. So I

stood there and watched tiny drops of coffee fall into the pot. I felt awkward just

watching the coffee, but I didn’t feel comfortable with Jesse and Everett in the

same

room–which

I

didn’t

understand.

“Hey Ev, now is your chance to show Finn you don’t have two big left feet,” Meg

said,

moving

to

the

tune.

He sprang up and came over to me. “Finn,” he said, extending his hand.

I gave Meg a “thanks a lot” look and hesitantly walked from behind the counter

and grabbed his hand. Being the center of attention was never my forte. In fact, I

hate any attention called to me. He pulled me close to him, and we swayed on

beat to the music. He wasn’t a bad dancer, in fact he was pretty good, but dancing

with him was nothing like dancing with Jesse. Jesse didn’t have to think about

dancing; he just moved. Whereas Everett had to think about the way he moved,

where

his

feet

went.

He

just

wasn’t

as

natural.

I could smell the night air on him, the mix of buttery popcorn, grass and flowers

in bloom. His aftershave still gave off a subtle scent. I felt my body pressed

against is. His muscles were tight and firm, almost rock solid. His arms were

wrapped

tightly

around

my

waist.

The music was upbeat, the tempo fast. We moved together, laughing and looking

at each other the entire time. Yet he continued to hold on to me, and I allowed

him to. The song came to an abrupt end and his hands slipped from my waist and

back to his sides. My face felt hot and was almost a little red. And I realized that

everyone in the diner had been watching us the entire time; everyone–including

Jesse.

I glanced in his direction and couldn’t read his expression. Was he angry? Did he

care? Was he indifferent? Nothing. I couldn’t tell a thing. Considering that at one

time he used to be my best friend, I couldn’t read him at that moment and it was

frustrating.

Very

frustrating.

“The coffee is ready,” Jesse said briskly and stood up. He brushed by my side

and moved behind the counter. He reached for a cup and poured coffee in it. It

seemed he didn’t care. But why did I want him to? “Everett, you better get your

cup

before

the

rest

of

these

pigs

take

their

share.”

Everett stopped staring at me and walked over to the counter. Jesse handed him

a cup. He quickly looked at me with that same serious, unreadable expression,

and then began talking to Everett.

I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned in my twin bed, trying to get into a comfortable

sleeping position. I turned over again and fluffed the pillow. It didn’t help. As I lay

there, I continued to think about the diner, dwelling on all the things that needed

to get done. I was wide awake and brimming with thoughts and ideas. The diner

all but consumed me. It had become mine–my baby, and I was unprepared with

how to deal with it all. The weight of it all– the anxiety and stress was

overwhelming.

I

felt

as

if

I

was

drowning.

I shot up in my bed “The alarm!” I said out loud. I had forgotten to turn the alarm

on when I left the diner! I jumped out of bed and didn’t even bother to change my

clothes. I was still in my pj’s: a pair of green and white polka dotted sleeping

shorts and a gray Harrison College t-shirt. I tiptoed down the stairs trying not to

wake Sidney or my Nana, and got in my car to drive to the diner.

It was a little after one in the morning. There wasn’t one car on the road and when

I reached downtown Graceville, it was just as empty. I unlocked the door to the

diner, punched in the alarm code, and locked the door again. I got back into my

car and started to drive home and that’s when I saw him. He was standing on the

high dive and the light was on in the pool, reflecting off of the aqua colored water.