An Exchange

Chapter Thirty Three - Double Date and a Party

Ryan

I awoke with a start. I had that dream again and cold sweat coated my body. As I fought to suppress the sensation of Penny's hair on my face and the image of her walking away from me, I heard Mom speaking softly through the wall.

A week had passed since she walked out, and she'd only seen Kendra and me privately without Dad, and never had she come to the house. But they were talking quietly in their room, although I couldn't make out what they were saying. It didn't matter, as long as she was back.

Dad had been a mess without her. He wouldn't talk to us when he came home, but went straight to his room and stayed there until he left for work the next day.

I sat up in my bed, relieved to hear her voice and allowing its soothing sound to take away the fear the dream brought on. Seeing the time, I swung my legs out and headed for the shower. Being Saturday, I had no obligations. I wanted to go see Penny, but then I remembered that she was doing a Temple trip and wouldn't be free until at least noon. Spencer I could drag out of bed. We hadn't done as much together recently than what we usually did, so I decided on that. Spencer during the day, and I'd drop in and see Penny in the evening. A perfect Saturday. I lay back on my bed and grabbed my cell, smiling as Mom laughed softly.

*

Penny

"This Friday?" I gaped at Zoe.

"Yes. My birthday is Wednesday, so he wants to take me out right away." She thumbed through her scriptures, avoiding eye contact. "If we just get it over and done with then I won't have to worry anymore."

"Don't you want to have a party or something?" I asked quietly as I received a warning stare from our Sunday School teacher.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not the party type. My parents are taking us out on Wednesday to celebrate. That's all I want."

"Girls!" the Sunday School teacher snapped at us. "Do you have something to add?"

I sat up. "Yes, why does everyone always skip the Songs of Solomon?"

"Because there isn't much doctrine in them."

"But they are amusing." I flicked open to them and read, "Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies—'"

"Thank you, Sister Lawrence," the teacher said.

Giles cleared his throat beside me and began reading from the next chapter. "'His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.'"

The whole class laughed. The teacher struggled to keep composed. "Yes, the Songs of Solomon can be very funny. Now let’s stay focused."

I gave Giles a quick knuckle bump and we both smiled as we returned our focus to the lesson.

*

Out on the field playing football, I struggled to build up the nerve to tell Ryan about Zoe's date. I wanted to try keep it casual so he wouldn't freak out, so with a deep breath, I said to him, "It's Zoe's birthday today."

"Oh yeah? Tell her happy birthday for me," he responded distractedly as he watched the play. He ran forward for the tag then came back to my side.

He bent over and I shuffled a little closer to him, bending over as well. "She has to go on a date with this guy on Friday because she told him she didn't want to go out with a twenty-one year old until she was at least eighteen."