The Broken Date

£11£: Part 1

Jack’s POV:

“I---I’m sorry. I must have the wrong house,” I said. I started to back away and tripped over the Sunday newspaper.

I caught myself in the gutter downspout, and pulled myself up. “Sorry.” I felt like a complete idiot. (So you felt normal?)

I looked up at the house, trying to figure out my mistake, and realized it was the right house after all.

The young man at the door stared at me, looking a little startled. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, but he was already going bald. He was very sunburned, and his forehead was a lobster red. Despite the heat, he was wearing a dark sports jacket and a tie.

“Are you Jack?” he asked.

“Yes. How did you---”

“I’m Eric Goodwyn.” He reached out a sunburned hand to shake mine. “I work with Mark’s dad.”

I had to let go of the downspout to reach his hand. I’d never felt so awkward, so horribly uncomfortable and embarrassed in all my life. (Lies!) “I’m Jack,” I said. “Oh. you already knew that.”

He pushed open the screen door for me to come in. I reluctantly stepped forward, being careful not to trip over the rubber welcome mat.

The living room was dark and cool. I couldn’t see anything at all for a few seconds. It took my eyes a long time to adjust from the bright sunlight.

“I---I was looking for Mark,” I said. My voice caught. I sounded so nervous.

But what could I do? I was nervous.

Where was Mark? Where was his mom? Why was this man here all alone?

“Do you want to sit down?” Eric gestured to the couch. He stood stiffly behind an armchair. He seemed awkward and uncomfortable too.

“Thanks,” I dropped my swim bag on the ground and sat down on the couch.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news,” Eric said, his upper lip twitching. He scratched at his sunburned bald head.

Oh, no, I thought. Mark has been arrested. The police have arrested him for the murder of the jeweler. Of course. That’s where everyone was!

I couldn’t say anything. I stared up at Eric, feeling cold and shivery, and waited for him to tell me what I already knew.

“Marks dad was in a bad auto accident upstate,” Eric said, gripping the back of the armchair.

“What?” I cried in surprise.

I realized immediately that it was an inappropriate reaction. “Oh, how horrible!” I added quickly.

“Mark and his mom got the call early this morning, at about nine-thirty, I guess,” Eric said, drumming his red fingers on the back of the chair.

“I’m so sorry,” I said quietly, looking past Eric to the hallway.

“I was here when they got the call. I’d come over to pick up some papers. They rushed upstate immediately,” Eric continued. “They left in a terrible hurry, as you can imagine. I stayed to get the cat and close up the house for them.”

“I see.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Are you ok?” He asked suddenly. “Can I get you a drink of water or something.”

“No. I mean yes. I’ll get it.” I jumped up and started for the kitchen. “Is Mark’s dad---is he---?”

“We don’t know,” Eric said, following me. He shrugged. “The person who called from the hospital said he was in critical condition. That doesn’t sound good.”

“No. I guess not,” I said quietly.

If Mark had rushed upstate at nine-thirty, he couldn’t have been spying on me from the balcony at the Y, I thought.

I pulled a glass down from the cabinet and went to the refrigerator for the water pitcher. “Want some?” I asked Eric. “You look awfully hot.”

“No. No thanks,” He said. He loosened his tie.

And if Mark was upstate, it couldn’t have been him who chased me to the bus stop, I thought.

So who was it?

I drank too fast, nearly choked, spilling water on my sweatshirt. Eric pretended not to notice.

I put the empty glass down on the counter.”I’ll---uh---guess I’d better be going,” I said.

I suddenly wanted to get out of there, get away from Mark’s house, from all of the familiar things in it.

I had to think, to figure out what was happening to me, what i should do next.

“I’ll---uh---I’ll call later. Do you think they’ll be back?” I asked.

Eric scratched his red forehead. It seemed to be a habit he had. Maybe he was checking to see if any hair had grown back. “Hard to say,” He told me. “But you can try.”

“Well, thanks. I mean, not for the bad news. For telling me.” I started back toward the living room to get my bag.

“Oh,wait!” He came running after me. “I almost forgot. I guess I’m a little scattered. Here. Mark left this for you.”

He handed me a small white envelope.

“Thanks,” I said. My heart began to pound. I took the envelope. I felt my chest tighten. It was hard to breath.

What was in the envelope? A confession? An admission of his guilt? An admission that he had seen me in the jewelry store?

Was it an apology? An apology for betraying their future? For ruining their lives forever? Or was it another threat, like the gauges?

“You can stay and read it,” Eric offered. “I’m just going to turn off the lights upstairs and then lock up.”

“No. No, that’s ok. It was nice meeting you. I mean, I’m sorry we had to meet this way. Oh, you know what I mean.”

Gripping the small envelope tightly in my hand, I took my swim bag and hurried out the front door. The screen door slammed behind me. I stepped off the front stoop into the white glare of the mid-afternoon sun, and ran blindly down the gravel driveway.

Word count: 994. Ughhhhhhhh I almost didn't make it XD