“Hey Diana!” I yelled right before she shut our locker. “Is Samantha picking you up?” Samantha is Diana’s older sister who graduated the spring before our freshman year. Diana is my best friend. It was the first day of our freshman year of high school.
“Yeah. Why? Do you need a ride?” Diana asked.
“Yes! I would really rather not ride the bus. Especially since I would have to ride it for a majority of the high school rounds, to the middle school, and to the elementary school before I would be able to get off.” My grandmother was a teacher at the elementary school, and my ride to and from that school. Unless I found some other poor person to give me a ride, usually Samantha, I had to suffer with the bus. Anyway, like I said, usually, I had to ride the bus unless Samantha picked Diana up and if I could convince her to give me a ride. Samantha and I were not always on the best terms. She had begun to warm up to me when I took her to an ‘N Sync concert in Houston and gave her a really good ticket. But, once she found out that my friends and myself had backstage passes and that Justin and I are “an item”... forget it. Things are usually not even civil between us.
“It’s not a problem. Just meet us out there by her car,” Diana answered. “I have to run to the band room and pick up my flute.”
“Okay, see you later.” I slammed the locker shut and left the school, in the process opening up a letter that my friend Tina had given me seventh hour. As I walked down the sidewalk to the parking lot, I couldn’t help noticing a red Mercedes following close behind me. I picked up my pace slightly, the car doing the same. Soon, it had pulled up directly beside me.
I walked faster, wanting to look at the driver of the car, but at the same time, I knew it wasn’t a good idea. I stopped, needing to cross the roadway. The car stopped beside me. Against my better judgment, I looked at the driver. He had on a backwards hat and a pair of sunglasses.
“Hey cutie... need a ride?”
“Thanks, but I don’t take rides from strangers,” I said, grimacing slightly.
The man behind the wheel laughed as he pulled his sunglasses off. I stared at him, finding a set of bright blue eyes revealed when the sunglasses were removed. “What about now?”
“Justin! You sneak!” I threw my backpack on the ground and leaned in the window, hugging him. Justin attempted to pull me in the car through the window. I playfully slapped at him. “Give me ten minutes. I need to cancel my other ride.” I leaned back out of the car when some movement in the backseat caught my attention. I leaned over so I could see, and my gaze landed on Kelly and Lance. I gave them a small wave when they caught me looking at them. The two of them were sitting right next to each other, holding hands. Lance’s free hand was resting on Kelly’s thigh.
“And who is this other ride?” Justin asked, feigning jealously.
“Diana’s sister Samantha,” I answered. Justin knowingly nodded his head and I saw Kelly gently elbow Lance when Diana’s name was mentioned. His face turned a slight shade of pink. I was beyond happy that they were here, but there was on slight problem. Kelly and Diana were just beginning to be friends, and Diana had a major thing for Lance. So, when we went to the concert, Kelly suggested to not even mention her and let Diana have fun since she didn’t know about Kelly and Lance. Needless to say, Diana did get her share of flirting in... with a taken man that is. We were able to hide the truth for a while longer, but I didn’t know how well it would work with them being here. Let’s just say that Kelly would most likely end up bleeding in a gutter when Diana found out about them.
“You go tell her and I’ll pick you up here in ten minutes,” Justin replied. I nodded, dumping my backpack in the car. “Lots of homework?”
I wearily nodded as Justin started pulling away from the curb. As the car turned onto the main road, I ran back to the school to the bandroom where I know I would find Diana. And there, I did.
“Hey Diana.” She stopped talking to our friend Brian when I walked up. “Um... something came up. I don’t need a ride now.”
“Oh... got a hot date?” Diana jokingly asked. I just gave her a look as if to say, ‘Not here... you’ll find out later.’ I then glanced at Brian to make my point. I would have just told her that Justin had shown up, but Brian had liked me for years, and I didn’t want to say it in front of him. “Okay,” Diana slowly agreed. “Talk to you later.”
I left the school and waited on the sidewalk for Justin to arrive. I spent the few moments talking to my friend Christine. Christine was a year younger than me and a sweetheart. Soon, though, Justin showed up to pick me up. “Bye Christine,” I called. She gave me a small wave. As I pulled the passenger door open, Diana and Brian came outside.
“Hey Alex! Nice car!” Brian called out. I just gave them a wave and jumped in the car next to Justin.
As Justin leaned over for a kiss, I noticed the backseat was empty. “Where’s Kelly and Lance?”
“I dropped them off at the old fashioned soda fountain that you told me about,” Justin answered.
“Alone at last!” I exclaimed, leaning my head against the seat.
Justin reached into the back, producing a small gray and white stuffed wolf. He handed it to me. “This is for you,” He said.
I slowly opened the little tag and read ‘Timber... To Alex... From Justin... All My Love’ in Justin’s messy handwriting. “It is so cute!” I exclaimed. I buried my nose in it’s long fur.
“I take it I picked the right thing?”
I nodded, deeply inhaling, smelling the little wolf. “He even smells like you!”
“I hope that’s a good thing,” Justin said with a smile as he parked in front of the Soda Fountain and Pharmacy.
“Don’t worry, it is.” I looked up. “You want to pick them up already?”
“Not necessarily, but what else can we do?”
“Well...” I glanced around. “You could meet my grandpa. You know, to get it over with.”
“Alex, I don’t know...” Justin hesitantly said.
“Your going to have to eventually...”
“I know,” he said with a sigh. “Where to?”
I pointed across the street to the car repair shop that my grandpa owned. “Justin, it’s okay,” I said as we approached the door of the business.
“He’s not going to kill me, is he?”
“No.” I paused. “That is, if you say and do the right things...” Justin’s eyes got wide. “I’m just kidding,” I said with a light laugh, squeezing his hand encouragingly. Justin lifted his free hand and politely knocked on the door. “It’s a business dear... you just walk on in.” Justin shrugged, letting go of my hand.
I pushed the door open to find my grandpa sitting behind the small front desk. He quickly looked up as the two of us came into the room. “Alex!”
“Hey grandpa.” He gave me hug after coming around the desk to us.
“How was your first day of high school?”
“Well... books, teachers, bells, schedules... it was just lovely.” It was then that I remembered Justin behind me. “Oh yeah... grandpa, I have someone for you to meet.” I stepped aside so that Justin could be better seen. “Grandpa, this is Justin.”
“Well, hello Justin,” Grandpa extended his hand. Justin looked worriedly at his hand before slowly extending his own. Grandpa shook his hand warmly. “And Alex, how do we know Justin?” Grandpa turned to me. I glanced up at Justin and spied the silver hoop in his ear. My eyes got wide and I began to scratch my earlobe, hoping Justin would get the point. I wouldn’t have minded much, but my grandpa hated it when guys wore earrings. I remember one time before I met Justin that I was watching the video “I Want You Back.” Grandpa walked in during a close up of Justin. He took one look and called him a fag. I tried defending Justin, but grandpa just said that any guy who wears an earring, no matter which ear, is a fag. Then, he turned and left the room.
“You know that one group... ‘N Sync? The one that you and Kelly’s dad like to make fun of?” Grandpa’s face held a confused look. I tugged on my ear a little. Justin just stared at me as if I had lost my mind Grandpa still looked confused. “All right...” I thought. “I let you listen to the cd and you said ‘Sailing’ had good harmonies?” He still looked confused. “Grandpa! How can you not remember?” He shrugged. “Okay, one of the members does really weird stuff to his hair?” I tugged on my ear once more as grandpa nodded, finally remembering. Justin got the message then, and he lifted his hand to take the earring out. Unfortunately, he hadn’t had the opportunity to do it when grandpa turned to him again. So, Justin acted like his ear was bothering him and held one hand over it.
“Well, Justin, it is nice to meet you,” Grandpa said.
“Grandpa...” I whined in a sweet voice. He turned back to me, giving Justin the opportunity to take the earring out and shove it in his pocket. “Do you think that Kelly, Justin, and Lance can stay at the house so all the guys don’t have to stay in a hotel?”
Grandpa got ready to agree but stopped. “Okay... I know who Kelly is... and now, I know Justin... but who’s this Lance and ‘all the guys’?”
“Lance is one of the rest and the rest of the guys is the rest of ‘N Sync,” I told grandpa. “The entire group came down to cheer me up after my first day of high school. And, since Kelly and I have only been together in person one time, she came with them.”
Grandpa slowly nodded. “And why are Justin and Lance so special that they get to stay at my house?”
“Well,” I slowly began. “Lance and Kelly are kinda... um... a couple.”
“And so are Alex and I,” Justin said, jumping into the conversation for the first time.
Grandpa’s eyes narrowed. “Justin, in that case... Alex, is my only granddaughter. I love her with all my heart. I want you to know, I can have a temper. You hurt her and I hurt you. I’d rather not have to dig out my guns. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir,” Justin said quickly.
“I better not find out that you’ve been anything less than a gentleman to her, you hear?”
“Yes sir,” Justin repeated.
“And I have to say, that’s all he’s ever been,” I said with a smile, helping, at least, I hoped, to build grandpa’s trust in Justin.
Grandpa peered over Justin’s shoulder out the window to where the Mercedes with Florida plates was parked in front of the building. “Is that your car Justin?”
“Yes sir,” Justin said again. I almost laughed. I don’t think he would be doing much talking around my grandfather now.
“Would you care to let me take a look at it?”
“Yes sir,” Justin said, pulling his keys from his pocket so that he could open the door. Which in turn would allow him to open the hood. Grandpa followed Justin out the door and to the car, but I ran across the street to the soda fountain, hoping to find Kelly and Lance.
Once inside, it wasn’t difficult to find the two. They were sitting at the counter sharing a large chocolate shake. I was very surprised to see Kelly eating that. She was always so preoccupied with her weight and counting calories. I walked over and hopped up on the stool next to Kelly. She turned to me.
“Uh-oh... trouble in lover’s paradise?” She asked with a smile.
“No. Why, did I look upset?”
“Actually, yeah,” Lance answered.
I shook my head. “I’m just so tired,” I lay my head down on the counter and yawned.
“Aww.. it’ll get easier. Trust me on this one,” Kelly said with a smile. I just shrugged, not so sure.
“As long as Kyle, Mr. I’m a senior and better than you stops making me carry his books it will,” I replied.
“Around Christmas, the senior attitude will end... but, watch out at the beginning of May,” Kelly warned me.
“Oh yeah, more to look forward to,” I sarcastically answered.
“So, what did you do with Justin?” Lance asked.
I raised my hand and pointed outside to where Justin and grandpa were walking across the street together. “They were looking at Justin’s car.” The chimes above the entrance clicked together as Justin and grandpa came inside the small store. They sat down on the other side of me and continued to talk about Justin’s car. I leaned over to Kelly and whispered in her ear, “Ahh... the miracle of cars... really brings out the best in everyone...”
