Operation Beautiful

“How’s it going?” I ask, sitting on the huge blanket outside in the grass. Jessica and Emmaleigh have joined our little group and the weather’s nice, so we’ve started sitting outside for lunch.

“Meh. Nothing much going on,” Spike says, lying back and running a hand through his hair. “Loving this weather, though.”

“Mmm,” is all Trevor says, chewing on his sandwich absentmindedly.

“Trevor, what are you eating?” Janice asks, pushing Matt away as he tries to sit a little too close to her. He dejectedly scoots down a little. I just throw him what I hope is an encouraging smile.

“A sandwich,” Trevor says, waving the two slices of bread at her.

“What kind of sandwich?” Jessica asks, digging into her spaghetti.

“A cheese one,” Trevor says. We all stare at him. “What? I was too lazy to make anything else!”

“But you don’t like cheese by itself,” Clarice reminds him.

“Like I said. Laziness trumps personal preference.”

Spike just rolls his eyes. “When’s Haley coming back?” he asks, still flat on his back next to his girlfriend.

“Friday,” Trevor, Clarice and I say at the same time. Janice smirks a little, but Trevor ignores me.

“That’s in, like, two days. Her dad is coming back with them,” he says, putting the sandwich down.

“What’s wrong?” Emmaleigh asks. Everyone can see that Trevor’s looking the slightest bit annoyed.

“Ah? Nothing. Just...nothing.”

“Nothing?” Janice says with a laugh. “Absolutely nothing?”

“Mhm.”

“You haven’t met her dad yet, have you?” Spike asks from the floor.

“Not yet,” Trevor says, taking another bite of the sandwich. This time he grimaces slightly. “I don’t think any one of us has.”

“True,” Matt says. “So is that what you’re worried about?”

“A little,” Trevor admits, leaning back until he’s lying down next to Spike. “She said her parents want me to come over for dinner when she gets back. Apparently her dad’s already taken a disliking to me and her mom doesn’t want to say anything right now.”

“Makes sense,” I note, letting my hand rest on top of Emmaleigh’s. She just smiles and leans into me a little. “This is the first time Haley’s parents have met in the last three years, isn’t it?”

“What if we all come over for dinner?” Clarice asks, snapping her fingers. “Would that help?”

“Of course, especially when Mr. Waters meets Spike,” Janice says, raising an eyebrow and chuckling dryly.

“Hey,” Spike says. “I resent that! I can be perfectly respectable if I need to be.”

“Fine,” Clarice says. “It’s settled. I’ll ask Haley if a couple of us can come to dinner that night as well. Who wants to go?”

“I’m going,” Trevor says with the smallest of smiles. Matt lets out a chuckle.

“Are you sure? You can always come over to our place.”

The joking continues and I lean my head down so I’m speaking into Emmaleigh’s ear. “Do you mind if I go?”

She shakes her head. “Nah. If it’s not too much, I’d like to come.”

“I’ll ask Haley.” I tell her quietly. Then I speak up so Clarice can hear me. “I’ll go.”

“I’ll pass,” Janice says. “I have plans.”

Jessica looks at her strangely. “They didn’t even say when it was.”

“Then I’ll make plans,” Janice snaps in reply. “Matt. Let’s go see a movie some time.”

“Uh...okay?” Matt says hesitantly as Jess glares at him.

“There. I have plans,” Janice says sharply.

I cover my mouth so no one can see my laugh. Lucky, lucky, Matt. Though whether or not Janice will actually call him is up in the air.

“I’m going,” Spike says slowly, his arms behind him as his fingers slide across the grass.

"Um, honey, as much as I love you, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Clarice says tentatively, running a hand through his hair.

“Why? Mrs. Waters liked me.”

“Mrs. Waters went to Japan to interview a man who made clothes out of recycled glass,” I remind him. “You were normal to her.”

“Fine,” Spike says. “I’ll take out my earrings and wear a dress shirt, okay? And you guys can call me...” he pauses, thinking. “Uh...what’s the snobbiest name you can think of?”

“Worchester,” Matt says, in the worst imitation of an English accent I’ve ever heard. I start to laugh.

“That’s horrible!” I say.

“No,” Janice says. “Ichabod is pretty horrible.”

“Eugene!” Jessica says with a laugh. “It’s horrible, snobby, and nerdy!”

“Ugh!” Spike sits up with a groan. “Eugene? Really?” He shakes his fist at the sky. “The things I do for you, Haley, I swear!”

“It’s very nice of you,” Clarice agrees, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

“You know, it’s not such a bad name after all!” Spike says with a grin. We just laugh.

***
“Corey! It’s your mom!”

Okay, what is it with moms and their psychic powers? I pick up the phone nervously, well aware that I’m going to have to tell her about Emmaleigh.

“Hey, Mom, how are you?”

“Good, good.”

I waste as much time as possible talking about the neighbors and old friends and things until my mom asks about Haley, as usual.

“She’s doing well,” I reply. Fully aware of the next question.

“Good. Met any other nice girls?”

“Um...actually...”

“What’s her name?” The previously jovial tone is now stern.

“Emmaleigh. And...we’re dating now.”

“Corey! What were you thinking?!” It’s the same lecture. The saaame one. I zone out a little, snapping back to attention for the key phrases. “Corey, you’re going to be coming back to Belgium! I warned you against starting a relationship over there and first it was Haley and that didn’t end very well now did it? Corey, this is a lose-lose situation. Either the two of you don’t work out or you have to break up when you come home anyway. Why would you do something like this?”

“Mom, I like her. It’s not something I can control.”

“As much as you liked Haley?”

I hesitate before my next sentence, even though I know it’s true. “More.”

There’s a deep sigh on the other end. “Corey, this won’t work out.”

I’ve been worried about that same fact ever since Mark brought it up, which is probably why the statement gets me as defensive as it does.

“Mom, how can you say that? How do you know it won’t work out? I’m going to Belgium for the summer for sure, but who knows where I’m going to college? I’ve applied to schools here and back home. It could work out.”

There’s a long silence before my mom speaks. “So what are you saying? That you’re willing to leave home for this girl?”

“No!” Of course I screwed up. Okay, Corey, get this back on track. Don’t get flustered like you usually do. “Mom! I didn’t say that! I mean--what I meant--” Ugh. Let’s try this again. “What I meant was--”

“Corey, let’s talk about this later. I have something on the stove.” And then she hangs up.