"Yes," Cabe said. "Keith Partridge. His family works as a rock band, and he sings lead. He's dreamy!"
"Where are you going with this 'rock star'?" Tara asked suspiciously.
"To have dinner at his house, with his family. That's why he's coming here to walk me to his house. He lives at 698 on this street. You know, the yellow house."
"I want to meet this Keith. He can come in, right? Your father will probably want to speak with him before he lets you go on a date with Keith."
"Of course he can come in. Keith thought that you would probably want to talk to him a bit, so he said that he would come a few minutes early. I think you'll like him."
"What are you going to wear? I don't want Keith's family thinking that you're a slob."
"Believe me, I don't want Keith to think that I'm a slob either. I think that I've got more of a stake in this than you do. This is the first time that a really cute boy has ever taken an interest in me at all. But he did warn me that his little brothers and sisters are messy when they eat, so I should probably wear jeans and an old shirt."
"All right, Cabe, but wear jeans that aren't ripped, would you?"
Cabe nodded and ran up the steps. She hadn't bothered to unpack most of he clothing, and her casual clothes were strewn messily around the cardboard box in which they'd made the trip across the country. Eventually, Cabe managed to dig out a red knit shirt and a pair of slightly faded but unripped jeans. As she was getting dressed, Cabe heard the doorbell ring. She finished in a rush and dashed down the stairs, in the slightly futile hope that Keith had come an hour early.
It turned out to be just Mark, Cabe's father. He was home early due to a broken sprinkler line in his office building that had flooded the place. To top his rotten day off, the garage door was stuck and wouldn't open. Upon being informed of Cabe's date, Mark immediately demanded to meet Keith. Cabe took up watch, sitting on the bench in the bay window and waiting for Keith to arrive.
At 4:45, Keith strolled up the front walk. He had changed out of his school clothes, and Cabe's eyes eagerly took in every inch of his even cuter new outfit. He wore a pair of very snug jeans with a blue zipper-front shirt. His dark mane looked freshly brushed, and the pukas nestled in his collar.
Cabe let Keith in before he rang the doorbell. He behaved like a perfect young gentleman to Cabe's parents. Tara and Mark were initially not impressed by Keith--probably because of the length of his hair and the fact that he owned an electric guitar. But they did consent to allow Cabe to go with Keith. Tara was especially touched by the fact that Keith's father had died in a car accident and now the family band paid for their subsistence.
As they walked together, Keith reached for Cabe's hand. Cabe smiled as Keith's large hand easily enveloped her small one in its warmth. Keith seemed content to remain silent and just hold her hand as they walked down Sycamore Lane, and it was the most romantic thing that Cabe could have imagined.
"See that tree up ahead?" Keith said, pointing to a large tree overhanging the sidewalk. "I think Danny's in his treehouse up there, so we're gonna have to run."
"Why?"
"Because when I left home, my younger brother Danny was filling water balloons, unless Mom caught him and made him stop it. And they were probably meant for you."
"Doesn't Danny want me to come over? I'm sorry, I didn't realize that it would be a problem for your family if I came over for dinner."
"No, Danny just has a bad sense of humor." Keith said, frowning. "He'd just think that it was funny to ruin my date in any way possible. Ready? Now run!"
The pair bolted under the tree. But neither Cabe nor Keith was a track star, and Danny had good aim. Keith could hear Danny snickering in the tree, and the sound sent a lump into the pit of his stomach--he'd been right! There was a loud splat, and Cabe was drenched from a water balloon that had hit her in the face. She gave Keith a look of total dismay and, and then looked up into the tree.
Keith launched himself up the tree, ready to tear Danny to bits. "I'll get you for that, Danny!"
Cabe smiled as she got an excellent view of Keith's handsome backside. There were two loud splats from inside the tree, and then a very wet redheaded boy jumped out of the tree.
Keith himself dropped easily from the treehouse to land near Cabe. He watched Danny zip into the yellow house, leaving a wet trail the whole way. The front door swiftly opened back up and a beautiful blond woman stuck her head out.
"Keith! Danny said you hit him with a...." Shirley's voice trailed off as she caught sight of Cabe's soaked state. "Oh. Danny did that? You must be Cabe."
Keith nodded. "Yeah, Danny did that, but I got him back, so we're even. Mom, this is Cabe McAllister. Cabe, this is my mother, Shirley Partridge."
"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Partridge, although I can't say the same for your younger son," Cabe replied, then shivered as a cool breeze hit her. "I guess I should be going home before it gets colder now. I'll see you in algebra tomorrow, Keith."
Keith gave both Cabe and his mother a crestfallen pout.
"Nonsense," Shirley replied, guiding Cabe into the house. "You're just about Laurie's size--we can get you some clothing to wear while yours dries. Now, inside, both of you."
Cabe let Laurie dress her in a dark blue blouse and skirt, even if it wasn't Cabe's personal taste in clothing. Cabe was just grateful to be dry again. Laurie led Cabe down to the dinner table, where two of the younger Partridge siblings were sticking their hands into each other's food.
Keith was waiting politely in his seat at the table for Cabe to appear. Laurie encouraged Cabe to take a chair next to Keith and away from Chris and Tracy's escalating food fight.
"Hey Keith!" Danny said from his seat next to Laurie. "I bet you a quarter that I can stuff more meatloaf in my mouth than you can!"
Laurie and Shirley rolled their eyes in unison at Danny's challenge. Cabe just took in the spectacle of sibling rivalry. Keith skewered a piece of meatloaf on his fork. He contemplated the meatloaf thoughtfully for a moment before answering Danny's challenge.
"You're on, squirt."
Danny began shoveling in meatloaf as fast as his fork could move. His freckled cheeks bulged like a squirrel hoarding walnuts. Keith, on the other hand, took a more methodical approach, packing away larger pieces. It swiftly became apparent that Keith's strategy was working better. His smooth, handsome face puffed up to easily twice the size of Danny's.
Shirley looked at Cabe, hoping that Keith and Danny wouldn't succeed in chasing away yet another of Keith's "here today, gone tomorrow" girlfriends.
Abruptly, Danny choked on his meatloaf and began coughing. He grabbed his napkin and hacked, his face turning the color of his hair. Keith gulped twice, swallowing his faceful of meatloaf, and began laughing at Danny. Laurie settled for giving Cabe a look of total mortification.
Shirley stood up and steered Danny away from the table, taking him to the bathroom to clean him up. A few minutes later, a cleaned-up Danny emerged, followed by a slightly stressed Shirley.
"Would you two please try not to make fools of yourselves when we have company?" Shirley said, with a pointed look at Keith and Danny.
Cabe giggled. "It's okay. I'm an only child, and I've always wanted brothers and sisters, but the only time I ever get to see what that's like is with my friends. It's no fun if their siblings always behave."
"Spend enough time around here, and you'll be glad that you're an only child," Laurie said, smacking Danny's hand, which was suspiciously close to her dessert.
There was a loud boom outside, and all seven at the table turned to look out the window. Outside, rain poured down out of the sky that had been cloudy all day. Lightning flashed in the black clouds.
"Great," Cabe muttered. "I'm gonna get soaked again walking home in that."
"Keith can drive you home," Shirley said. "Or you can call your parents and tell them that you're staying here until the storm blows over."
Keith made a sour face at the thought of driving in the pouring rain.
"I think I'll call to tell my parents that I'm staying here, if you don't mind," Cabe said. "I don't want to make Keith drive in this mess."
"That's fine," Laurie said, and pointed to the telephone. "Phone is right there."
Cabe explained her predicament to her parents. Tara made it clear to Cabe that if the rain hadn't stopped by eight, she was coming to collect Cabe, because Tara still didn't trust Keith that much.
"Well?" Keith asked, after Cabe had hung up.
"I can stay until my mother comes for me or until the rain lets up, whichever comes first."
"I'm going to go practice with my guitar for a bit, out in the garage," Keith replied. "Since you can stay, would you like to join me?"
Before Cabe could answer, Shirley replied to Keith. "Keith, why don't you go get your guitar and bring it in here? I don't think Cabe's parents would be too happy if Cabe was out in the garage with no one else but a boy that she's only known for a day."
Keith pouted. "But Mom... I'm not going to do anything, honest!"
"No, Keith. Bring the guitar in here if you must play for Cabe. You do want her parents to let her come again, don't you?"
"I suppose you're right." Keith sighed and pulled his lower lip back in as he left the living room for the garage. Danny got up from the board game that he had been playing with Chris and Tracy and followed Keith.
Shirley turned to Cabe. "Tell us a little more about yourself. Keith didn't say a whole lot, except that your family just moved here."
"My family is from Pennsylvania. Most of what I considered my "family" is still there--my grandparents, my aunt and uncles--everyone lived in the same town. My father is a lawyer for a big company that's based in Oakland, though, and they transferred him out here to headquarters, so we had to move," Cabe said. "I was a little angry--it was the beginning of my senior year in high school and I had been accepted to Penn State. I have to keep my Pennsylvania residency though, to go there in the fall. I've been writing letters to my grandmother, asking if I can live with her for the rest of the year."
Shirley frowned. "Don't you like San Pueblo, that you want to go home so bad?"
"I hate it here, but it's really got nothing to do with San Pueblo specifically. I'd hate it no matter where we moved. I was raised in the woods, and all my friends are back in Pennsylvania. Here, it's all a desert, and the only people who have been anything close to friendly to me were Keith and Mary Callahan."
Keith interrupted Cabe's rant by returning from the garage carrying his amp and guitar. Cabe watched, thrilled, as he plugged it in and powered up.
"Go ahead and show off," Shirley said, with an indulgent smile. It's obvious, Shirley thought, that Cabe is totally smitten with Keith. And he's got it just as bad for her. Keith is just strutting his charms like a peacock rather than trying to hide it like she does!
Keith looked Cabe in the eye and sang the song that he'd chosen, after pondering the whole afternoon over what he wanted to sing for Cabe.
Keith tossed his mane back as he set down his guitar. "Thank you," he said softly, as he took a seat on the couch, next to Cabe, but not too close.
Cabe shyly cuddled up next to Keith, who smiled and put his arm around her. Shirley put on the TV and they spent a comfortable half-hour watching. Afterward, though, Cabe didn't even remember what it was that they had been watching--she had been entirely absorbed in the feel of Keith's warm arm.
The rain began to slow, and Cabe became sad. When it stopped, she would have to leave the warm camraderie of the Partridge house and return home.
Laurie looked out the window and pronounced the words that Cabe had been dreading. "It looks like the rain stopped, Cabe, and your clothes should be dry by now."
Cabe followed Laurie back up to her bedroom, where Cabe's now-dry clothes were draped across the back of Laurie's chair. Cabe changed, and then returned to the living room to say goodbye to Keith.
Keith, however, had other ideas. "I'll walk you home." He walked beside her, holding Cabe's hand yet again. He felt strange, as though his heart was trying to escape from his ribs, whenever Cabe smiled up at him.
To break the suddenly-uncomfortable silence, Keith spoke the first thing that came to mind. "I'll see you in algebra tomorrow, then." After he said it,Keith could have kicked himself--he sounded totally inane. Not the kind of smooth romantic talk that he had wanted to hear coming out of his mouth.
Cabe nodded, giving him another heart-melting smile. "Will you sit with me at lunch again?"
Thank the heavens, she didn't think that what I said was totally lame, Keith thought. "Sure, unless you want to sit with some other friends."
Cabe frowned, and Keith's heart sank. Remember, you twit? said the irritating little voice in his subconscious. She said that you and Mary were her only friends so far in San Pueblo.
"No," Cabe said, at length, "With you. Mary can keep her football players and sit with them too. I want you, Keith Partridge."
Keith rewarded her with a dimpled grin, and Cabe felt her heart thump in her chest. I never thought I'd ever have a chance with a boy like Keith, Cabe thought. Those looks--he could grace the cover of any teen magazine that I've ever seen, and his voice, his groovy songs... All he's got to do is smile at me, with those cute dimples, and I turn to water. He's like a living dream.
"Thank you," Keith said the only thing he could think of, and mentally winced again. Somehow, all the smooth talk that he usually tried to lavish on his dates wasn't coming tonight.
All she has to do is look up at me out of those blue eyes, Keith thought, and my verbal skills go down the drain. Not to mention the disconcerting talent that she's got for turning my intestines into Jell-O when she touches me. I've never experienced this with any other girl I've dated.
As the two of them walked down Sycamore Lane, Cabe noticed a movement behind a curtain in the Callahan house. "Mary's watching us," she told Keith.
Keith turned to Cabe, his dark eyes dancing with mischief. "How about a goodnight kiss? For Mary's viewing pleasure, of course."
"Sounds good to me," Cabe managed to stammer out, as Keith held out his arms. The moonlight caught in Keith's hair and highlighted his delicate face. Suddenly, Cabe felt ready to swoon, just from Keith's presence and the unwitting charm that he was exuding.
Keith put a hand under Cabe's chin and brought her lips up to his. His warm, full lips brushed softly against Cabe's mouth, but his lips stayed closed. The way his heart was pounding--if he really kissed Cabe, Keith knew that he'd just melt, so he kept up the pretense of faking it.
"Put your arms around me," Keith whispered against Cabe's lips. "Make it look real."
Cabe slid her arms around Keith's lithe body and continued rubbing her lips against his. Abruptly, Keith's silky hair brushed against Cabe's face as he turned and broke the kiss.
"Come on, we've got to return you to your parents," Keith said, his voice breathy with restrained emotion. He steered Cabe up the walk of her house.
"See you tomorrow, Keith," Cabe said, reluctantly releasing his hand as she reached the front door of her house. Keith turned and walked back down the street, and Cabe watched as he disappeared into the darkness.
When Cabe turned back and entered her house, both of her parents were waiting inside, hands on hips, with disapproving frowns on their faces.
"What do you call that business in front of the Callahan house?" Tara asked, her voice stern.
Cabe's heart sank as she realized that her prank on Mary might just mean that she would never be allowed to go out with Keith Partridge ever again.