The Perfect Couple

7

Saturday we had a monstrous breakfast, as usual. Over her second cup of coffee, mum as usual asked me what my plans were for the day.

"Marcus and I are going to collect cans till noon, then Kim and I are going to the mall." Daddy beamed but me. "That Marcus is a fine boy," he said.

"A very fine boy," mom agreed.

Oh, no! They'd talked it over and decided Marcus was the boy I'd had in mind when I said I'd soon be going to parties and dances.

Not that I could blame them. He was practically the only boy I knew. Still, it seemed to me they should know better. How romantic did they think it would be for Marcus and me to date, after practical growing up in the same nest? As a little kid he'd spent almost as much time at my house as his own and vice versa.

But if Marcus agreed to my plan, I would be dating him at first, so I decided to let it go. "I suppose you and dad are going to play golf and have lunch at the club," I said.

"If your father has the courage to take me on again after last Saturday," mom replied.

She teased dad with her eyes, which were are darker than mine. It was comforting to see them my still flirting after so many years together.

After breakfast, we all chipped in to clear the breakfast dishes and straighten the kitchen. As as soon as we'd finished, I bounded up to my room and got in to my oldest jeans and sneakers and a grey sweatshirt I hadn't one for ages because I was supposed to have put it in the rag bag. If mom was going off to the golf course with dad, though, maybe I could get away with wearing it one more time.

As soon as I pulled it over my head, I saw or rather felt that it didn't fit right anymore. I pulled and tugged, but it was too tight across the chest. When I looked in the mirror on the closet door I saw that I'd done some more developing. It had started some time ago, but just lately, I'd really become curvy.

I felt kind of excited, although when I'd stripped off the sweatshirt and tossed it in the cast off bag mom hopefully kept in my closet, it was a little bit like ditching an old friend.

I put on one of the loose cotton shirts I'd inherited from Maz when she'd gone away to college, then I finger-combed hair and ran down to the garage. Two minutes later I braked my bike in front of Marcus's ranch-style house. He was already on his ten-speed and scowling, which he didn't do often.

"Where have you been?" He growled. "You're ten minutes late. You don't think we'll be the only ones out looking for cans today, do you? You know the easy ones get snatched up first."

What was I supposed to do tell him I've had to change shirts at the last minute because of certain changes that had taken place in my body?

"If you're in such a hurry, let's go," I said. Then I thought I'd better not snap at him no matter how grouchy he acted. I had a pretty big favour to ask of him, although I hadn't thought it was so big until Kim pointed out that it was something most boys wouldn't do.

Before we could pedal off, Marcus's 12-year old sister Megan came out on the front porch. She would probably be cute in a couple of years might even act like a civilised person but right now she was a knobby-kneed brat would a mouthful of hardware and the manners of a Wolverine.

"When are you going to be back?" She yelled at Marcus, hands on on her skinny hips. "Oh, sometime before dark, I imagine,"Marcus sees her as he sometimes teased me.

"You'd better not be so smart!" Megan warned. "I don't care if you ever come back, but mama wants to know."

"Tell her I'll be back by noon and anytime you want to go to charm school, I'll spring for the tuition. Maybe they'll teach you to say hello to people." Marcus tried to scowl at her, what he didn't do a very convincing job of it.

Still, the bratz suddenly turned angel. "Hi, Kelly," she chirped, her braces glittering in the sun. "Hi, Megan!"

Has Marcus and I started off, I remarked, "nice kid." The way he teased Megan, I know he was already back to his usual good mood, so everything was going to be okay.

"Sometimes she is," he agreed with a big brother grin.

At the corner I asked what he thought of trying Lookout Point. "We haven't been there for a while and we might get lucky. Kim and I are going to the mall this afternoon and I kind of like to get home early." "Sure, let's try the point."