City Girl

It's Complicated

City Girl

Chapter 6

Day 27: It's Complicated

He asked me out! I was so ecstatic I couldn't sleep that night, and I could hardly focus in class the next day. No plans had been made, so technically he didn't ask me anywhere. What he actually said was. "I'd like to spend more time with you...you know...on a date." Still...

Skandar Keynes asked me out! I was almost too excited to breathe; then I recalled how vital breathing actually was and I forced myself to do it again. Fortunately, it was Friday, and everyone usually went straight home on Friday's. So I had all weekend to compose myself.

There was a dark cloud looming over my excitement, though: my Dad. How was I ever going to get him to consent to me dating? He made it clear when he moved me here that boy's "wouldn't be tolerated," as he said. And last night's stern silence was fairly easy to decipher as well.

How could I keep the desire of not wanting to disappoint my dad from interfering with my desire to spend time with Skandar? And it's not that I wanted to spend time with Skandar because he was Skandar Keynes. Over the last few weeks I'd actually gotten to know Skandar as a person and I wanted to know more about him, the person, because what I'd seen so far was intriguing.

I didn't think my dad would ever go for it though. And since I secretly really did want to do nothing but please my dad, I somehow convinced myself that maybe a date with Skandar wasn't worth the risk after all. I was going to have to find a way to put off that date with Skandar until my dad could approve.

At least, that was the plan...Until I walked into the boy's school Monday afternoon and found Skandar standing there and waiting for me. When he looked my way and smiled, my resolve melted and I became nothing more than the giddy school-girl I was.

"Hey," he said.

"Hay's for horses," I replied.

"Smart aspie," he fired back. "I was thinking that I would walk with you to the library today, if you want that is."

"Yeah." My heart fluttered. "Just let me let my dad know I'm here."

"Sure, I'll just wait here for you."

Skandar leaned against the welcome desk while I walked the short distance to my dad's office. I tapped lightly on the door and when no response came I pressed my ear against it. I could hear him talking, but there was no one talking back to him. That's when I knew he was on the phone. I opened the door just enough to poke my head through.

"Library," I mouthed once I had his attention.

He nodded his head and I pulled back out; closing the door softly behind me. I turned back to Skandar and we set off towards the library together.

We'd been walking and talking...and laughing and flirting for a while before things took an unexpected turn.

"So, for our date," Skandar began and I swear, my heart skipped a beat. "I was thinking, since you've admitted to being an avid movie fan, that we could catch one of the latest films and share our thoughts on it afterwards."

"That sounds perfect." And it really did. "It's just..." I sighed and Skandar interpreted the sigh himself.

"If you still want to go out, that is. If you've changed your mind I....I understand."

"No!" I said quickly. "It's not like that at all. I do want to go out with you, really. I really do. It's just..."

"It's just what?" he asked, stopping suddenly and turning to face me.

"It's just my dad. I don't think he'd let me, and I don't think I could keep something like this from him again."

Skandar looked confused. "What is it with your dad exactly? You say he's on this anti-boy campaign, and yet he lets you come to the library everyday with me."

"That's because he doesn't know I go with you or that your friends are there too. As far as he knows, I'm going there alone."

"What about the social? He seemed alright with that."

"Maybe in public he did, but for the rest of the night he hardly said two words. I mean, he's no gabby-abby, but I usually can get something from him."

"Why is he so against you and boys at the moment?"

"It's...complicated." I know it wasn't fair to Skandar, and a part of me really did want to tell him. But most of me was too frightened to relive the truth.

"Complicated?" I could tell he didn't like that answer in the least. "Well, maybe we should just wait until it's un-complicated."

He turned and walked away leaving me devastated. What just happened? And what was this feeling? He was just a boy, and it's not like we were anything...yet. We were just talking. So why did it feel like my world was shattering?

I turned and numbly made my way back towards my dad's office. I couldn't bring myself to go in however. So, I made myself as comfortable as I could on one of the benches in the entrance hall. I got through most of my homework, though, I don't know how. That night, when Kayla called, I was curled up on my bed in comfy rags with the lights off. Kayla knew instantly that something was terribly wrong, and when I told her, it was Sobfest 2000 all over again. (Incidentally, Sobfest 2000 didn't occur in the year 2000, but Sobfest 2007 doesn't have the same ring to it.)