Forgotten memories

An Honest Mistake

Where am I?

I sit up and pull the blanket to my chest. Whose blanket is this?

I take in my surroundings.

I'm in a van? Who is this strange guy next to me?

I strain my neck to peek out the window and realize that I'm in the middle of no where, and in a van. Don't rapists drive vans? Wondering if I've been violated, I concentrate on my body to make sure that there is not any sign of wrongdoing.

Fear creeps through my veins and I scream loudly, "WHERE AM I?"

The stranger startles awake.

"Huh?" He croaks, starring at me as if I'm crazy. He blinks his eyes a couple of times before he starts to look about the van.

"What is going-" He sits up and looks out the van. "Oh no! This is baaaaad. It's light out! What time is it?" He asks under his breath. He is furiously trying to untangle himself from his half of the blanket I'm holding, so I let it go. He succeeds, and pushes a button to open the sliding door, and throws himself into the driver's. In moments, the van roars to life.

"We gotta go" he says, adjusting the review mirror. "Are you riding back there?" He asks.

I consider that it might be easier to jump from the passenger seat if need be, so I move to the front. I keep my hand firmly wrapped around the door handle as mystery boy backs away from a barbed wire fence and toward a dirt road.

"Rose, are you okay?"At least he knows my name. And he looks to be my age. It's possible that I managed to willingly get myself into this situation, and then forgot to write myself a note.

"Rose?" He asks, his voice sounds fearful. This slightly calms me, which is good, because I think I can feel a panic attack coming on.

"I'm fine," I answer, before looking back out the window.

"I'm so sorry," he starts. "Your mom must be really strict, huh? I hope I didn't get you into too much trouble,"

Were silent the rest of the drive. My shoulders relax as we turn off the highway toward my house. This stranger is at least driving me home. My terror has subsided. I must know this person: I just need to get home and ask my mom who he is or look in my notes to figure it out.

And then, new terror hits me when I consider that sleeping in the middle of nowhere in a van with a strange boy isn't something my mother would be too thrilled with. Nor coming home at 7:13 in the morning. As the boy rounds the street corner to my house, I can almost see it breathing motherly rage.

Were barely into the driveway before my mother flings open the front door and rushing to the van. The car hasn't stopped yet before she tugs at the door handle.

"Both of you in the house, now!" My mom barks and us. He turns off the engine and unbuckled his seat belt.

"I'm so sorry Rose," he says once again, and I feel bad for him this time. I mimic his movements and follow him and my mom inside. My mom storms through the entryway to the living room, stopping in the center.

"Sit! both of you," she orders when we hover on the fringe. I take a seat at the edge of the chocolate leather couch, and the boy sits in the middle. He leaves a decent amount of space between us but doesn't whimp out by sitting at the opposite end. He has guts.

"First of all, let me state the obvious," my mom begins with measured restraint. "You're both grounded, I've been on the phone all night with your parents Luke,"

Luke? Nice name.

Mom continues, "It's unfortunate that I had to meet a new member of our community under circumstances like this. But I think that you'll find your fathers current state even more unfortunate," she looks at the boy named Luke. "He was out looking for the two of you all night. He is not happy,"

Luke groans next to me, and hangs his head.

The questioning continues. "I'll call them on your way home so they know that you're safe. But first, will one of you please tell me where you were all night? I was worried sick. I tried to call and text you a million times,"

I take out my cellphone, turning it on I find twelve texts and thirty-seven missed calls from my mom. Great. I'm a goner.

"I turned it off," I mutter looking down. As I replace the phone back into my pocket, mom folds her hands over chest and the room grows silent. I look at Luke. He raises his eyebrows expectantly, as if he thinks in going to explain everything. As if I can even explain the situation. He has no idea.

I am mute at this moment.

"Seriously?" He whispers harshly before turning to my mom. "We were past Old Fox Road, just north of town," he says, "My moms minivan has a DVD player and we had pizza and looked at the stars. It's no big deal...until we fell asleep I guess. I'm sorry Mrs. Altman,"

"What?" He says at me when he glances my way and sees my mouth opened stare. I can't believe I missed what might have been the best date ever.

I turn to my mom, mouth still slightly ajar. I see in her eye the realization. She now understands that I don't remember the evening. Keeping up with the facade for Luke's benefit, she asks. "Is that true Rosetta?"

Her look tells me too agree.

"Yes," I breathe, finding myself desperate to get Luke alone and have him retell every minute of last night.

"Okay then, because I trust my daughter, and you seem to come from a nice family, Luke, I choose to believe that this was an honest mistake, and we'll leave it at that. But, I don't like the fact that you two were so far out of town alone. I can't say though that I didn't explore the outskirts of town myself when I was your age,"

My mom smiles, and Luke's expression is now confused. He obviously doesn't understand why she's turned so compassionate. She puts back on her tough mom hat again, and adds, in a harsher tone. "You're both still grounded though. Luke, you'd better get home; your parents are worried,"

With that, she leaves the room and heads to the kitchen. I walk him to the door. Before he leaves, he turns around and eyes me skeptically.

"What happened back there?" He asks.

"I'm so sorry, I just froze. I've never done anything like this before," at least that I'm aware of.

"Me either. My parents are gonna kill me,"

"I'm really sorry," I add, looking down. I can't believe that I got this handsome boy into trouble.
He grabs my hand and smiles down at me, and my heart sputters.

"I'll be fine. But was it worth it?"

"Yes," I say looking up at him. Standing here holding this gorgeous beings hand for even a few minutes is worth every bit of whatever happened. "Do you think so?" I ask in return.

"Definitely, and the bright side is that now I know that your real name is Rosetta," he says, brushing a strand of hair from my face. He bends down and lightly kisses my cheek, then whispers in my ear. "See you soon, prom queen,"