Misfit Theater Company 2

1. Our TV Debut

If there's one thing every sixteen-almost-seventeen-year-old never wants to see on a gigantic screen in the middle of town, it's their own face. Yet, here we are—in Riverside's center square along with everyone who cares enough to come out on the last Friday night before school starts again to watch the Misfit Theater Company in our first episode of A Call from Midnight.

Riverside's square is literally right beside the river, on mine and Thatcher's side of the town, with a fountain that cycles the sort of stinky river water, and there's a little consignment shop wall next to it for the mayor's people to project our ad-free copy of this episode from Grant O'Reilly. People are starting to walk into the area and set up their fold out chairs for the event. I've never seen a lot of the people before, but many of them that I recognize from school. It's a gorgeous evening, clear-skied and not too humid for an August night. The sky over the river blends between pinks and purples, like a delicious mixed berry sherbet as the time creeps closer to 9:00pm, when they'll start projecting our episode.

Mom's leading me through the crowd towards where the mayor has set up some chairs specially for the four of us misfits near the fountain, which I'm not super thrilled about--again, it's sort of stinky, like maybe the water it's pulling from the river has too many fish in it--but I'm still honored that the town cares this much about our television debut. I'm pretty sure nothing like this was ever done for Grant O'Reilly, but maybe this is the town's way of making up for that?

"There are your friends," Mom says as she takes my hand and pulls me through the maze of chairs and people. She's learned to trust me way more than she used to, but she's still the same protective mama bear at heart. Plus she just watched a documentary about child abductions, so I've just come to accept that she will keep me close in public now. Baby steps.

Once we're closer to the fountain, I can finally see past all the people up chatting before the screening, and I call out, "Patti! Moth!"

They are sitting in their guest of honor seats already, but they turn when they hear my voice and greet me in their own special ways. Patti, wide-eyed and beaming, waves excitedly at me. Moth sort of half-smiles and does some weird peace sign salute at me.

"Where is Thatcher?" Mom asks.

I should know this, he's my boyfriend after all, but I'm not sure. I thought Mom and I were running late to get here, so now I'm a little worried. When I texted him, he said he would meet me here. So where is he?

I shrug. "I'm not sure," I answer.

Patti and Moth stand up when we get closer, both giving me hugs as soon as I'm within arms reach, even though we just saw each other two days ago when we all hung out at Moth's pool.

"Where's Thatcher?" Patti asks after letting go.

"My mom and I were just wondering that. I'm not sure. Let me text him," I say, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

I begin to type—with the help of autocorrect—a message to Thatcher asking him where he is and if he needs me to come and get him, since his dad is still, well, his dad, and when I hit send, I hear his Starship Troopers notification sound—"Bugs! Bugs! We've got bugs!"—go off behind me.

"I'm here, I'm here," he says, panting as he sneaks through the last few people separating us.

It doesn't matter how many times I see him, the sight of Thatcher always makes my heart feel like it's glowing. Especially when he smiles, and his dark brown eyes light up. I take a deep breath to calm my heart.

He takes his phone out and checks it, quickly reading my message. "Nope, I made it on my own, and with just two minutes to spare. Sorry, my dad didn't get home until just now and I couldn't leave my brothers alone at the house. They are officially in the let's set everything on fire and see what happens phase of their adolescence."