MicNic’s was turning out to be a far better summer gig than working at the pool. And I was able to volunteer with the Boys & Girls club once a week with their adaptive program for special needs kids. I loved the work, planning activities with the kids and celebrating their accomplishments. The more I learned about this path, the more I was sure it was the direction I wanted to take in college. I liked the idea of pushing limits and telling society to shove it just because something wasn’t easy, and the kids in these programs proved that to me every single time I was with them.
Reed let me go on and on about my first volunteer day. I felt a little bad, dominating our conversation, but he was genuinely interested. One of the counselors at the club had given me some information about the special education program at ASU and offered to give me a letter of recommendation for my application.
Things seemed to be falling into place, only ASU was the one school that wasn’t in the mix as far as Reed was concerned. I hadn’t talked to him about it yet, but I had pulled the applications for Stanford and UofA from our guidance office and was going to fill them out just to see. I knew that those were his top choices and I couldn’t deny I had fantasies of going away to college with him.
It had been a particularly busy day at MicNic’s when my phone buzzed with a text as I ended my shift, unlaced my skates and pulled my uniform shirt off and stuffed the apron in my little locker in the back of the restaurant.
Knock Knock.
That was all Reed said. I scrunched my brows a little trying to figure out his puzzle, finally guessing with:
Who’s there?
I waited for a few minutes for him to write something back, but he didn’t immediately. I grabbed my purse, slung it over my shoulder and got my keys ready to head out the front to my car. I was walking backwards, waving to a few of the girls working the late shift when I backed into a hard body, a familiar body. My pulse raced instantly.
“Me,” I heard Reed’s voice whisper in my ear. I turned immediately and kissed him, keeping my eyes open to take him in and make sure he was really here.
“Always clever, aren’t you, Reed Johnson,” I smirked, poking him in the stomach a little.
He laughed a little and wrapped my fingers in his. “Yes, terribly clever,” he said, leading me out to the parking lot. “Hey, I’ll follow you home. Think you can get ready in a hurry? I’d like to take you to my mom’s big benefit party tonight. I saved you a step and already got the OK from your mom.”
He just looked at me smiling, anticipating. Truth is I would have been happy to walk through a sewer just to spend time with Reed, but my anxiety was doing a summersault at the thought of having to spend my evening at one of Millie’s charity events. I would go, of course, but I would hyperventilate more than a few times before, during and after.
“Uh, spend the night dressed up with you? Count me in,” I smiled, big and bright. Sell it, Nolan. Sell it!
“Good, just wear something simple and comfortable,” Reed said, my mind immediately taking inventory of the few dresses in my closet that would work for this. I was pretty sure I was going to have to get creative.
When we got to my house, I plopped Reed on the couch next to my dad so they could catch up while I showered and sorted through every possible dress in the house. Desperate, I called my mom.
“Mom, it’s me,” I was panicky, and realized I needed to get a little perspective. “Nothing’s wrong… I just, don’t know what to wear.”
I rolled my eyes at myself. My mom just chuckled on the other end at how girly her little Tom Boy had become. “Why don’t you wear my black dress? I know it will fit you. You can borrow my strappy heals, too,” she seemed so hopeful.
“Uh, you think I can walk in those?” I wasn’t so sure. Again, she just laughed it off.
“You’ll be fine. Be careful, and make sure you have your key. We’ll be long in bed by the time you get home,” she said.
“OK, thanks mom. Love you,” I stilled as I heard my mom take in a deep breath. She would always worry.
“Love you, too, honey.”
I hung up and went right to the simple black dress that was wrapped in plastic in her closet. It was a classic fit, small spaghetti straps and a tight curvy cut, ending right above my knees. I pulled it on with black tights and my mom’s strappy heals and took a few practice strides around her bedroom. I felt a little ridiculous, but when I caught my profile while passing my mom’s full-length mirror, I did a little bit of a double take.
I seemed older, and with the shoes, I was close to Reed’s height. Picking my hair up, I decided I liked the way it looked with my shoulders bare, so I headed to my mom’s bathroom sink and pinned my hair up in a twist, letting a few pieces fall like Sarah always does. With a small bit of makeup so I didn’t have to worry about it all night, I packed a tiny purse with my key, phone and money and headed out to the living room where Reed was debating a replay on ESPN with my dad. They both stopped, mid argument, when I stood in front of them.