The Perfect Couple

44

"where were you?" He asked.

"At Kim's, for heaven's sake! Where do you think I was?" For some reason I felt huffy with him. But then he sounded pretty huffy, too. Couldn't we even get along anymore?

When he spoke again he sounded more like himself. "Do you want to look for cans tomorrow?" He asked. "The weather looks like it'll be good and if will look it will find enough so we can turn them in."

"I could show you the money," I said. This was the answer to my cash flow problem. Although we might not have as many times as we usually turned in we get at least a few dollars and luckily, Marcus said his dad would be happy to drive us to the salvage yard.

"What time do you want to go?" I said.
"How about nine?"
"Okay."

I thought he might say something more like talk over the dance. Or maybe something else. But he didn't.

"See you," he said and hung up.

The next morning I ran out to meet him.

It was the first time I seen him since discovering my love and for a minute I was afraid to look at him. What if he saw my secret in my eyes?

I needn't have worried. "What do you say we try Lookout Point?" He asked, I'll businesslike. "That's a best chance for some quick, easy pickings."

"Sure, let's try it," I said. While we biked up the grade I told him why I was so desperate for money. "My outfit for the dance left me broke and I guess you've heard that Christmas is coming."

He slanted me a smile. "I've heard rumours to that effect." He paused so he could put all his energy into pedaling up the hill. "It was worth it, though your outfit, I mean," he said, catching his breath. "I'll never forget how you looked coming down the stairs at your house that night like a princess right out of a storybook."

"And you were Prince Charming."

"Aw, shucks," he said.

We laughed, but we were a little bit awkward with each other. Something had ended for us last night, but we still weren't back to the easy way things had been between us before.

There'd been so much bad weather lately that not what many people had parked at the Point since the last time we'd been there. I picked up the few cans that were out in the open and Marcus beat the bushes without out finding many more.

"Well, I guess that's it," he said after awhile.

"Will we have enough to turn in?"

"Yeah, with those we have in the garage we'll be okay. Dad said he'll drive us to the salvage yard after work tomorrow."

That was good. It would give me a few days to go shopping once I got the money.

Besides, I liked going to the yard. It was good to see the cans and the stacks of paper and other stuff that were being recycled.

Marcus and I sat on the bank. I drank my cola while Marcus drank a small carton of orange juice. Coach Barnes had gotten him interested in watching his diet. While we quenched our thirst we talked about Christmas. Marcus had a big family that would be coming from all over.

"And you and your folks will come over for Christmas Eve, won't you?" He asked.

"We always do." I added that Christmas night we'd have a usual open house.

It was nice to think about all the good times that were coming, but I had something else on my mind and finally I couldn't hold it back any longer.

"If you really don't want to go on pretending we're going together when school starts again it's alright, Marcus," I said. "We can say we had a fight over the holidays."

He tipped his head, studying my face. "Is that what you want?"

"No, why should I want it?" My puffy mood had come back without warning. "I'm through with Alan, but it wouldn't hurt me to go on pretending for a while that were in love. I thought you might have a reason for wanting to be free, though."

From his scowl Marcus's bad mood had come back, too. "What are you saying, Black? I don't like it when you beat around the bush like this. Usually you're pretty straightforward," he conceded.

"Well, thanks for that, anyway!" I snapped. I crushed my cola can and put it in the plastic bag along with the ones I'd collected. Then I swung aboard my bike, but Marcus stopped me before I could starts down the hill. This was kind of like déjà vu.

"The last time you pulled pistons you wanted me to pretend we were in love so you could attract Alan Rogers," he said, his eyes blazing. "What is it this time? Are you picking a fight because you don't want to be friends with me anymore?"

"I'm not picking a fight you are!" I declared. "And it's probably because you're mad that I want to go on pretending we're still sweethearts awhile longer. If you're so crazy about Joanne why don't you just say so?"

"Joanne?"

"Yes! You know the girl you dance with Saturday night while I was dancing with Alan . . . the girl you held a lot closer than you needed to and talked to and smiled at like you've been born for each other. That's the Joanne I'm talking about!"

For a minute he looks madder than ever, then suddenly he grinned. "You're cute when you're in a jealous rage," he said. "I am not j," I didn't finish the word because it struck me like a lightning bolt that that was what I was. I grinned back at him and he hauled me off my bike. I let the bike fall gently to the ground as Marcus put his arms around me. We were about to kiss when a car drove up and parked on the Point.

I smiled sheepishly at Marcus.

"Never mind," he said, smoothing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "We'll have plenty of time together from now on."

Biking home, I couldn't wait to tell my folks that Marcus and I were in love. Then I realized it wouldn't been news to them at all.

For the last two months they'd thought I was in love with him and I'd never told them they were wrong.

Kim had guessed it, too, even though I'd told her it was Alan I cared for. I had a hunch Marcus had known the truth for a long time, too he just thought I didn't know it, but luckily he was willing to wait. I wondered if I was the only one who'd really been fooled.

THE END xxx