Note: Sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter up! I wrote it then
it got deleted. Don't worry, the following chapters and parts are coming
soon quickly
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John glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 5:30, and he'd said he would pick up Ebony at 6. His attention turned to the mirror in front of him. He studied himself quickly, making sure his hair was combed properly and that his suit wasn't crinkled. He rolled his head around a little to loosen the muscles in his neck. "Ok, time to go, you can do this," he said to himself, as he turned and headed out of his room. He trotted down the hall, and when he reached the staircase, he slowed to a walk.
Gamma was standing in the entryway with a beaming smile on her face. "Oh Johnny, you just look dashing!" she exclaimed. John's cheeks reddened a little as he made his way down the steps.
"John," his grandfather said as he made his entrance. "You look like a true gentleman, my boy!"
"He reminds me of you, Jonathan," Gamma said. "When you were young and sane." She laughed and her husband chuckled along with her.
Jonathan turned to his grandson. "I'm sure you'll have a fabulous time at the dance. I was quite a dancer myself, you know."
John smiled at his grandparents, glad to see them both in such a good mood. He, on the other hand, was a little apprehensive about the dance. But he put on his best smile and said, "I'm sure you were, Gramps."
Jonathan Carter snapped his fingers, getting a gleam in his eye. He turned to his wife. "Care to give an exposition dance?" he asked Gamma.
Gamma chuckled, and held out her hand to her husband. "Of course," she said.
The two of them began to glide about slowly in the hallway, with Jonathan humming an old tune.
John couldn't help but laugh a little at his grandparents. This caused them to stop. "That's no way to treat your elders," Gamma softly scolded her grandson. Then she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You be good."
"I will, Gamma," John said, opening the door.
"Oh! Don't forget your coat!" Gamma said, handing it to him. John put it on, then made his way to the car that was waiting in the driveway for him. As soon as John got in, Alger headed in the direction of Ebony's house.
It took about 20 minutes to reach Ebony's neighborhood. It wasn't a shabby neighborhood, but it was also by no means ritzy. Ebony's house turned out to be a simple 2-story brick house with a neatly landscaped yard in front. John got out of the back of the car, and headed up to Ebony's door. He had a bouquet of flowers held tightly in his sweaty palm, and he suddenly felt very awkward. This feeling was intensified when Ebony's mother came to the door.
"Hi, Mrs. Morris?" John asked.
"Oh, you must be John Carter!" Mrs. Morris exclaimed with delight. She looked over the young man, and smiled. "Come on in, Ebony is just about ready."
John followed Mrs. Morris into the house and waited in the entry way. Mrs. Morris darted off somewhere, leaving John alone, fidgeting from foot to foot. The walls were suddenly seeming very close, and he had an extreme urge to dart out the front door, when he heard footsteps coming down the steps. He looked up to see Ebony descending the staircase.
Ebony was wearing a pale blue dress which fit her perfectly and looked very classy. Her glasses were absent, and her hair was styled up in small curls around her head. She looked stunning. When she saw John, she grinned, which made him grin, too.
"I brought you some flowers," he said, not having a clue what she was thinking.
Ebony looked at the bouquet, then he handed it to her. "Oh, they're beautiful! That was so thoughtful of you!" She quickly ran to the kitchen and found a vase for them, then set them on a table.
At that moment, Ebony's mother came back into the room with a camera. "Ok, you two, stand next to each other."
"Mom!" Ebony shouted. "Please."
Mrs. Morris responded with, "Ebony this is a very special occasion and I WILL have a picture of it!" She laughed good-naturedly, and brought the camera up. "Smile!"
John and Ebony posed for a few photos, then Mrs. Morris put the camera away. It was then that Ebony's father entered the room. He was a very tall man with wide shoulders and large hands. His face was stolid as he looked John over. "You take very good care of my daughter, mister," he said in a rumbling voice.
John gulped, and his heart started beating rapidly. "I... I'll.... yes sir," he managed.
Mr. Morris stared at him for a few more seconds, then his face broke into a big smile. He laughed, and his wife smacked him in the arm.
"Daddy!" Ebony said. "Be nice to John, I hardly know him!"
"I'm just kidding, son. I'm sure you're a wonderful boy. Ebony wouldn't be going to this dance with you were you not," Mr. Morris said.
John blinked a few times and cleared his throat. He managed to clear his throat and say, "Thank you, sir."
"You two get out of here, you're going to be late!" Mrs. Morris said, shooing them both out the door. John lead the way down the driveway to the car, and opened the door for Ebony. Once inside, Alger began driving them toward the dance.
"I'm so sorry about that," Ebony said, looking embarrassed. "My parents are so weird."
"Oh, no, it's no problem at all," John insisted. "They seem nice."
"Yeah, they just, care to much sometimes."
John looked sadly at the floor. "Well, it's better than not caring at all," he said, thinking of his parents whom he hadn't seen in six months. "I live with my grandparents, though, and they're great," he added.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Ebony asked.
John thought about his answer before replying, "Just an older sister, but she's in college in Europe." He didn't feel like mentioning Bobby. He wanted this to be a fun evening, and that was certainly not a good way to go about it. "What about you?"
"Nope, just me and my parents," Ebony said. "And my cat."
"That's cool," John said.
"Yeah, do you have any pets?"
"Well, I have a horse."
"A horse? That's awesome! I love horses. What's your horses' name."
John hesitated before answering. "Her name's Marigold," he said sheepishly.
Ebony smiled. "That's a wonderful name. I'd love to see her sometime! Do you ride her much?"
"Well," John said. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Ebony said with a laugh.
"Well, not really much just for fun. But I do, you know, to show her," John said quietly.
"To show her?"
"Yeah, like in horse shows." He felt like such a nerd.
But Ebony just smiled more, and looked ecstatic. "That's so wonderful! I'm going to have to see that sometime!"
John smiled, feeling a little less nervous about the evening. Ebony wasn't making a big deal about how rich he was, like most people he knew did. And she didn't seem to think he was a nerd either, which was a major plus.
Alger pulled up to the high school, where the dance was being held, and stopped the car. John got out first, then helped Ebony out. Alger rolled down the window. "Just give me a ring when you need a ride," he said.
"I will, thanks Alger," John said, waving as the car drove off. He then turned to Ebony, and offered her his arm. "Shall we?"
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John glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 5:30, and he'd said he would pick up Ebony at 6. His attention turned to the mirror in front of him. He studied himself quickly, making sure his hair was combed properly and that his suit wasn't crinkled. He rolled his head around a little to loosen the muscles in his neck. "Ok, time to go, you can do this," he said to himself, as he turned and headed out of his room. He trotted down the hall, and when he reached the staircase, he slowed to a walk.
Gamma was standing in the entryway with a beaming smile on her face. "Oh Johnny, you just look dashing!" she exclaimed. John's cheeks reddened a little as he made his way down the steps.
"John," his grandfather said as he made his entrance. "You look like a true gentleman, my boy!"
"He reminds me of you, Jonathan," Gamma said. "When you were young and sane." She laughed and her husband chuckled along with her.
Jonathan turned to his grandson. "I'm sure you'll have a fabulous time at the dance. I was quite a dancer myself, you know."
John smiled at his grandparents, glad to see them both in such a good mood. He, on the other hand, was a little apprehensive about the dance. But he put on his best smile and said, "I'm sure you were, Gramps."
Jonathan Carter snapped his fingers, getting a gleam in his eye. He turned to his wife. "Care to give an exposition dance?" he asked Gamma.
Gamma chuckled, and held out her hand to her husband. "Of course," she said.
The two of them began to glide about slowly in the hallway, with Jonathan humming an old tune.
John couldn't help but laugh a little at his grandparents. This caused them to stop. "That's no way to treat your elders," Gamma softly scolded her grandson. Then she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You be good."
"I will, Gamma," John said, opening the door.
"Oh! Don't forget your coat!" Gamma said, handing it to him. John put it on, then made his way to the car that was waiting in the driveway for him. As soon as John got in, Alger headed in the direction of Ebony's house.
It took about 20 minutes to reach Ebony's neighborhood. It wasn't a shabby neighborhood, but it was also by no means ritzy. Ebony's house turned out to be a simple 2-story brick house with a neatly landscaped yard in front. John got out of the back of the car, and headed up to Ebony's door. He had a bouquet of flowers held tightly in his sweaty palm, and he suddenly felt very awkward. This feeling was intensified when Ebony's mother came to the door.
"Hi, Mrs. Morris?" John asked.
"Oh, you must be John Carter!" Mrs. Morris exclaimed with delight. She looked over the young man, and smiled. "Come on in, Ebony is just about ready."
John followed Mrs. Morris into the house and waited in the entry way. Mrs. Morris darted off somewhere, leaving John alone, fidgeting from foot to foot. The walls were suddenly seeming very close, and he had an extreme urge to dart out the front door, when he heard footsteps coming down the steps. He looked up to see Ebony descending the staircase.
Ebony was wearing a pale blue dress which fit her perfectly and looked very classy. Her glasses were absent, and her hair was styled up in small curls around her head. She looked stunning. When she saw John, she grinned, which made him grin, too.
"I brought you some flowers," he said, not having a clue what she was thinking.
Ebony looked at the bouquet, then he handed it to her. "Oh, they're beautiful! That was so thoughtful of you!" She quickly ran to the kitchen and found a vase for them, then set them on a table.
At that moment, Ebony's mother came back into the room with a camera. "Ok, you two, stand next to each other."
"Mom!" Ebony shouted. "Please."
Mrs. Morris responded with, "Ebony this is a very special occasion and I WILL have a picture of it!" She laughed good-naturedly, and brought the camera up. "Smile!"
John and Ebony posed for a few photos, then Mrs. Morris put the camera away. It was then that Ebony's father entered the room. He was a very tall man with wide shoulders and large hands. His face was stolid as he looked John over. "You take very good care of my daughter, mister," he said in a rumbling voice.
John gulped, and his heart started beating rapidly. "I... I'll.... yes sir," he managed.
Mr. Morris stared at him for a few more seconds, then his face broke into a big smile. He laughed, and his wife smacked him in the arm.
"Daddy!" Ebony said. "Be nice to John, I hardly know him!"
"I'm just kidding, son. I'm sure you're a wonderful boy. Ebony wouldn't be going to this dance with you were you not," Mr. Morris said.
John blinked a few times and cleared his throat. He managed to clear his throat and say, "Thank you, sir."
"You two get out of here, you're going to be late!" Mrs. Morris said, shooing them both out the door. John lead the way down the driveway to the car, and opened the door for Ebony. Once inside, Alger began driving them toward the dance.
"I'm so sorry about that," Ebony said, looking embarrassed. "My parents are so weird."
"Oh, no, it's no problem at all," John insisted. "They seem nice."
"Yeah, they just, care to much sometimes."
John looked sadly at the floor. "Well, it's better than not caring at all," he said, thinking of his parents whom he hadn't seen in six months. "I live with my grandparents, though, and they're great," he added.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Ebony asked.
John thought about his answer before replying, "Just an older sister, but she's in college in Europe." He didn't feel like mentioning Bobby. He wanted this to be a fun evening, and that was certainly not a good way to go about it. "What about you?"
"Nope, just me and my parents," Ebony said. "And my cat."
"That's cool," John said.
"Yeah, do you have any pets?"
"Well, I have a horse."
"A horse? That's awesome! I love horses. What's your horses' name."
John hesitated before answering. "Her name's Marigold," he said sheepishly.
Ebony smiled. "That's a wonderful name. I'd love to see her sometime! Do you ride her much?"
"Well," John said. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Ebony said with a laugh.
"Well, not really much just for fun. But I do, you know, to show her," John said quietly.
"To show her?"
"Yeah, like in horse shows." He felt like such a nerd.
But Ebony just smiled more, and looked ecstatic. "That's so wonderful! I'm going to have to see that sometime!"
John smiled, feeling a little less nervous about the evening. Ebony wasn't making a big deal about how rich he was, like most people he knew did. And she didn't seem to think he was a nerd either, which was a major plus.
Alger pulled up to the high school, where the dance was being held, and stopped the car. John got out first, then helped Ebony out. Alger rolled down the window. "Just give me a ring when you need a ride," he said.
"I will, thanks Alger," John said, waving as the car drove off. He then turned to Ebony, and offered her his arm. "Shall we?"