City Girl

Ice Cream Social

City Girl

Chapter 5

Ice Cream Social

It wasn't Skandar in my house; it was Marlee. My defenses went up instantly. My arms crossed over my chest, and I stood as tall as I could, giving the impression that I was looking down on her. I was two inches taller than her after all. Marlee spoke first.

"Hello."

I didn't say anything.

"Can we go somewhere and talk?"

"Here's good."

"Fine, I just didn't think you'd want to talk about Skandar with your dad so nearby."

She was right. I really didn't want to risk my dad over hearing me talk about a boy. And yet I really didn't want Marlee to see my room. I may have been a bit more of a Narnia fan than I had led Skandar to believe. Yes Lewis had other works, and I had them all in my collection, but what he is most known for are the Narnia books. So it stands to reason that a fan of C.S. Lewis would also be a fan of Narnia. One of the perks of moving here was that my dad let me decorate my room however I wanted. Posted on the walls were various quotes from the books and memorabilia from the movie premiers; my dad had bought me tickets to both primers knowing that I was a fan.

In the end, however, fear of my dad over hearing our conversation beat out my fear of showing Marlee just how much of a Narnian fan I was.

"We're going to my room, Dad," I hollered down the hall towards the kitchen. My dad pocked his head around the corner, revealing his skewed apron tie around his neck.

"That's fine, but supper will be ready in ten minutes."

"We won't be that long."

I led the way up to my room and resumed my defensive stance once inside. Marlee's eyes roamed around, silently judging.

"You heard my dad; dinner's almost ready so make it quick."

"You went to the premier?" Marlee pointed to my signed pictures.

"It was a birthday gift from my dad. And if you recall correctly, the premier was in June, a whole three months before I started attending school at CLS."

"You don't have Skandar's autograph."

"How observant." I wouldn't say anymore on the subject. I wouldn't tell Marlee just how disappointed I had been when Skandar skipped over my picture to sign. I really didn't think Marlee was privy to such intimate knowledge.

"Right, well, I simply came to ask if you were going to the ice cream social tomorrow night."

I was in no way prepared for that and my defenses dropped.

"What?" I asked.

"The friends of CLS are hosting a joint ice cream social with the boy's school at seven tomorrow night."

"Yeah, I've heard of it."

"Will you be going?"

"I don't... Look, I don't have any interest in being your Carrie."

"My what?"

"Carrie. As in the late seventies horror film based on the novel by Stephen King."

"What's it about?"

"A girl gets publically humiliated by the popular kids at school, so she uses her telekinetic abilities to trap them in the school gym to take her revenge"