The Night When They Arose

At 12:59 Lance drove into our yard, driving too fast. He stopped a few yards away, and got out of his car. This car was nice , not kidding at all. It was beautiful.

He got out of his car. “Sorry for the rudeness, when I― what are you gaping at?”

My eyes snapped from his car to his face. “Huh? What? Oh, sorry Lance. Nice car.”

He smiled, his teeth gleaming in the sunlight. “Thanks, so are you coming or what?” He asked me.

I got up from the porch step. His eyes scanned me over. “What are you looking at?” I taunted.

He swallowed, and went over to his car.

I shook my head. “I was kidding jeez.” I muttered to myself, with a smile on my face. I hopped into his car and buckled my seat belt. “So where are we going?” I asked.

“Well, you wanted ice cream correct?” He glanced over at me.

“Well I guess, ya.” I smiled.

He smiled too. “Would snow cones work as well?”

“Oh, yes they are amazing!” I looked over at him. “They have a parlor here?”

“I guess so.” He looked at me again, panicked.

“Why are you like that?”

“Like what?” He asked rudely.

“Well you looked troubled.”

“Oh, I’m just not into ice shavings.” He said curtly and looked out the windshield.

“Oh, then why’d you offer?”

“Well, you know what.” He smiled and looked at me. His teeth were shockingly white. “I over heard your brother’s thoughts when I offered to take you out for ice cream . ―First he got defensive over you, and then he said that you preferred snow cones.”

“Huh, I’m surprised he remembered that.” I was actually shocked.

“You do actually sound surprised.” He smiled, yet again.

“Well I am like seriously! He hasn’t treated me the same since mom left dad.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“What are you sorry about?”

“I brought it up,”

“So?”

He shook his head. “What ever it doesn’t matter.”

“So did you freak when I almost burnt the stove?” I burst out laughing.

“That was not funny.” He said so seriously I stopped laughing immediately.

“Sorry,”

He rolled his eyes and looked out his window. “I was worried.”

“I figured that much.” I grumbled.

“But it was kind of funny watching you say ‘this is not the time to light up little buddy.’” He looked at me again, smiling with his eyes.

“It was perfect for the moment.”

“You try to be funny don’t you?”

“I guess,”

“It doesn’t work well.” He turned the steering wheel. I didn’t notice that we were in Custer.

“Oh,” I fiddled with my thumbs.

He laughed. “I was kidding,”

I looked at him. He smiled. “We’re here.”

I looked out the window. “Oh, you almost never notice the road flying by.” I put my hand on the door handle.

Lance chuckled. I looked over at him, but he was already getting out of the car. I watched him walk around the front of his car, and open my door for me.

I got out. “Uh, thanks,”

He nodded his head courteously. “This way,” he placed his hand on the small of my back and led me to the parlor. I shivered at his touch. He led me over to a round picnic table with four tiny benches branching off of it, with an umbrella.

“Thank you,” I took a seat, and stared at the flavors that they had.

“Now you’re the one that looks troubled.”

“So many flavors, it’s going to be hard to choose one.” I looked at him, to see if my answer satisfied him. He was staring right at me. And for the first time I noticed what he was wearing. He was wearing an ivory turtle neck, which the sleeves came past his knuckles; and big sunglasses, like I was wearing but his were an older style. I noticed that I had been staring at him too, for too long too. “Are you going to get anything?” My voice trembled.

“No,” his voice was flat. He sounded depressed. Could he be? No he had his siblings, but they were also outcasts at school, as far as I could tell.

I looked at him for a moment longer then gave my attention to the flavor board. I was torn between two, blue raspberry, and strawberry lime. I turned to Lance. He was gazing at me but not actually looking at me. “Lance?”

His vision snapped from the distance to my eyes. “Hmm,”

“Make the choice for me.”

“Okay, what do you want me to decide for you?”

“Okay, blue raspberry, or strawberry lime?”

“Blue raspberry sounds nice.”

“Thanks,” I smiled. I should’ve made the decision myself now knowing that I wanted to show him my blue tongue.

“So what size would you like?” He asked casually.

“Umm, a small please,” it sounded like a question.

He nodded and got up from his small bench and stood in line. A few people we went to school with were in the line, but I couldn’t recognize them; they left the line. The only person in front of Lance glanced back and then started to wait for his order impatiently.

Did Lance just smile? He ordered for me, and waited up against the little excuse for snow cone parlor. After a minute or so Lance received my snow cone. He came back, and handed me the dinky paper funnel. He handed me the cup awkwardly, was he trying to avoid touching my skin?

“Thank you,”

“The pleasure is mine, Miss O’Brian.” He didn’t say it mockingly like I expected, he said it like he was trying to make me feel special.

I looked down at the blue lump of ice, with an attempt to hide my blush. I looked up his golden eyes prodding.

“Do you not like it?”

I looked down; I put my hand two inches above the ice. “I think I’m going to wait a bit.”

“Why? If you don’t mind my asking,”

“I want it to cool down a bit.”

“Cool down?”

I looked up again, quickly. “I mean warm up!”

He smiled. “Whatever floats your boat.”

I put the hand that was over top of the ice to my forehead. My face felt extremely hot, I don’t know if it was the weather or my blushing too much.

I licked the blue ice. “You know what I meant.”

We were both silent until I was down to blue flavored water. I sipped the remnants of what was left of my snow cone. For the sixth time I asked: “Is my tongue blue yet?!”

“Very blue,” he smiled. “Now are you finished?”

I poured the rest of the water into my mouth. “Seems like it,” I said as I peered into the funnel.

He sighed. “Let’s go,”

“Baa,” I stuck my tongue out at him.

“Okay yes its blue I get it.” He rolled his eyes and walked over to his car.

I got up too, and went to toss my cup, when I noticed a water fountain and a recycling bin. I skipped over to the fountain rinsed out the cone, and then put it into the recycling.

“Are you coming or what?”I skipped over to his car and got in. “Since when were you a world activist?”

“Since it’s better to recycle, ―my dad doesn’t recycle, but my mom does. Recycling makes me feel less―” what was the word I was looking for home sick made me seem wussy, but it would fit the part the best. “Home sick,”

“Hmm,” that was all he said as I got buckled up. He started his car and started to drive away from the little shack. Lance was silent all the way back to my place. I had made a complete and utter mess out of myself; I embarrassed myself in front of Lance. That was horrible.

Lance pulled into the yard. “Thanks Lance that was ― nice.” I looked at him after I undid my seat belt.

He had his hand over his mouth like he was thinking, as he leaned against the door, looking outside. He nodded.

I had the general knowledge when I wasn’t wanted, so I opened the door and slammed it with unnecessary force. I walked up to the porch with the sound of tires on gravel behind me. I didn’t want to look back if he was going to be arrogant.

I stomped angrily into the house.

“Did you have a date with the stable boy?” Travis asked. For once he sounded concerned.

I looked at him, for a brief moment. I hope my face explained, because I didn’t really want to explain; because nothing really happened I just felt horrible on the inside. I trudged up to my room with out me or my brother saying another word.

I moped around in my room until the late hours of the night, and then eventually decided that it was late enough for bed.