TROUVAILLE ... l.danes (REWRITE)

chapter thirty-nine; the past

HE DOESN'T HESITATE FOR A MOMENT

nineteen-seventy-six

THIS IS boring.

Lucas swings his legs back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. It's summer, and the wooden building is too warm. Sweat drips down the back of his neck. His knees are all scraped from trying to slide on the grass earlier, and while Dr St James has put some cream on them, they are still an angry red color. A bruise is forming on his shin from when Shelley kicked him under the table at dinner. His shoelaces are untied. He has stopped listening to Miss Patty drone on and on and on about dancing. Always about dancing. His Star Trek t-shirt is getting all sweaty because this room is too hot and he wants to be back outside, in the hazy summer sun despite it being eight o'clock, where he can spend the rest of the night playing with Shelley until they are forced inside for baths and bed.

Lucas checks the time on his Garfield watch and winces. It's almost nine. They probably won't be able to play outside after this town meeting. He hates town meetings. His dad hates town meetings. But, his mom loved them. She'd go every week with a basket of baked goods to hand out, she'd make sure to stay for almost an hour afterwards just to make sure she got to speak to everyone, and sometimes if she had an announcement to make, she'd prepare her outfit the day before just to be sure it was perfect. Liz loves town meetings too. She always wears her second best dress – her best dress is for church, even though they haven't been since the funeral – and makes their dad shine her shoes before they go.

Lucas picks at one of the scabs starting to heal from last week. A little bit of blood springs to the surface as the skin makes way beneath his nail and it stings as he pushes his thumb into it. Cool.

Chair legs scrape against the dance floor. "Excuse me!" His head shoots up at the voice and he notices Shelley rushing to the front of the dance studio. She's wearing Lucas' favorite black t-shirt. Some people coo at the sight of her grassy knees poking through the tears in her dungarees. Others can't help but smile at her blonde hair pulled up into two bunches. Even Miss Patty looks amused by the interruption to whatever she was trying to promote.

"I have an important announcement."

When Shelley smiles, her entire face radiates sunshine and everybody in the room melts at the sight. She waves for Lucas to join her on the raised stage and he doesn't hesitate for even a moment to be by her side. His hand finds hers as soon as he's close enough and she squeezes until his fingers turn shockingly white. He forgets about the sudden pain as soon as she smiles at him.

"Lukey and I are getting married."

More cooing. Babette pulls out a tissue to wipe beneath her eyes. His dad hides a smile behind his hand and Shelley's parents are openly grinning. There's a little bit of laughter hidden in the crowd. But, they are serious. They have never been so serious.

"Tomorrow," he adds.

Shelley nods. "Yes. Tomorrow. We're getting married in the square. Liz is going to say all the thingies. You can all come."

"What time?" asks Andrew, sitting in the front row beside his dad, who had an announcement today about the new opening times of the bookstore.

Shelley and Lucas share a look. He can't read the shine in her eyes, but he's not so bothered. She smiles brightly, and turns back to the crowd. "After lunch. So we aren't hungry!" More laughter follows but soon agreements spring up around the room. Most of the kids say they will be there and, because of their kids' involvement, any adult that is available is forced into coming too.

Lucas stands triumphant on the stage. Shelley leans closer to press a kiss to his cheek and he is the luckiest boy in the world. He is marrying his best friend. Now, they will spend their whole lives doing what they already do. Playing outside in the sun, chasing birds off of the gazebo so that they can sit there and swap sandwiches, swimming in the lake to cool off and getting into yet another water fight. Playing inside when it's raining, starting with Jenga and then trying Twister even though it never works with only two people, and finally deciding just to watch whatever movies they've got on VHS. They'll drink hot cocoa at sleepovers and kick each other under the dinner table. He'll braid her hair and she'll watch Star Trek with him.

And they can do all of this for the rest of their lives.

Lucas doesn't let go of Shelley's hand until they are forced apart to go home. He walks backwards so he can watch her walk home, forcing his dad to keep a hold of him so he doesn't bump into anything. When she reaches her front gate, she spins around and waves wildly and shouts "I can't wait to get married tomorrow!" and when he falls asleep that night, he is still thinking about her smile.

He's getting married tomorrow.