Note: Made some minor changes because of all the typos.
Chapter Five: Ride of Her Life
Lucas and friends had long gone left the booth in the restaurant. Their money had run out quite quickly, and so were their attention span in the love-bird's intellectual conversation on art. Their ran-sacking party had ended in the parking lot, were all of them were swigging beer and laughing at each other's crazy antics.
Even though everyone else wasn't paying attention to Katie, Lucas was. He had seen everything. She had kissed that rich boy. The enemy.
"Check out the car," Lucas shouted, jumping from the pavement to Freddy's Beetle. "Let's jump it." Zack enthusiastically joined. Billy was there alongside them, bounding happily. All three of them began pushing on the hood of the car, bouncing it up and down and moving around the parking lot.
Bang.
The side of the crashed into the truck beside it. "Oh look," Lucas said with fake concern. "He's got a dent. Now the car's lopsided. Whatever shall we do?"
"We could dent the other side," Zack suggested excitedly, pressing harder on the hood of the car.
"Oh yeah!" Billy agreed, giving the hood a hard push.
By now, a crowd had gathered around Lucas, Zack and Billy. The other Hamburger Heaven customers were cheering them on with the kind of vigor that could only be achieved when deeply inebriated and bored.
"Is that?"Freddy shouted, "My car!" He raced out of the restaurant, leaving a shocked Katie standing there on her own. Quickly, she hurried off after him.
"Fred, be careful," she started. But her voice was drowned out by the noise in the parking lot.
"Get off of my car!" Freddy demanded.
Lucas plopped himself down on the hood of the car, hard. He folded his arms across his chest. "I don't think so."
"I said get off," Freddy insisted again.
"Sorry, I don't talk money. Do you, Zack?"
"How much of this money are you talking about?" Zack replied before laughing while shaking his head, as he leaped up onto the hood of the car beside Buzz.
Freddy shook his head and pulled the keys from his pocket. He opened the door and hopped in.
"Fred, are you crazy?" Katie asked.
At first, Freddy looked at her oddly. Then he slammed the door shut. "Sorry Katie, I hate to eat and run, but I think it's time for me to go." He winked in her direction. "Next time I pick the restaurant, okay?"
Before Katie had any chance to answer, Freddy revved up the engine.
"He wouldn't dare," Lucas laughed, staying put atop the car.
But Lucas underestimated Freddy's anger. Freddy popped the Beetle into drive, then quickly hit the brake. Lucas and Zack flew off the hood and landed in the parking lot. Before they could get up and chase him, Freddy had whipped the Beetle around. He sped off out of the parking lot, leaving Katie standing alone in the night.
Summer leaned on the counter by the cash register at Vintage Records and stared at Katie through tired eyes. It was Sunday morning, and Summer and Zack had been up all night. Sure, some of it had been fun, but most of the night they'd been arguing about Katie.
"The boys are really angry at you Katie," Summer informed her. "What were you thinking?"
"I never figured he'd show," Katie told her. "I assumed he would be too scared." Her mind raced back to the parking lot the night before. "Maybe he should have been."
"Oh come on. They were just having a little fun," Summer defended her boyfriend. "Besides, the dents were small."
"He's still got to pay to fix them," Katie reminded her. "I don't know what they were thinking."
"Why are you defending that—rich kid for?" Summer began.
"His name is Fred," Katie reminded her.
"Oh right. F-r-e-d," Summer's voice took on a different tone as she said the name. "Anyway, what are you worried about him for? Did you see what he did to Zack? And Lucas too. They could have been seriously injured."
Katie didn't say anything. She knew what Summer meant. It wasn't level-headed the way Fred had gone after Lucas and Zack. Without prior notice, Katie disappeared into the backroom or one would call the storeroom, leaving Summer there by the counter.
As she was inside, the door to the shop opened, and the jingling bells signaled Lucas and Billy's arrival.
"Where is she?" Lucas demanded.
"In the back," Summer replied quietly. "It wasn't her fault last night. She never thought the guy would show up."
"She didn't seem too anxious to see him go," Lucas shot back. "Someone needs to remind her to live in reality."
"And you're that person?" Summer asked.
"Who would be better?" Billy questioned her. "You? You and Marta probably thought that jerk was hot or something."
"Oh right," Summer scoffed. "Rich boys get me off. It's all I think about when I'm making out with Zack."
"Bet Zack would love to hear that one," Billy chuckled.
"Katie's got no interest in those rich kids," Summer reassured him. "She knows where her roots are."
"I'm pretty sure where I'm going to," Katie interrupted as she walked out of the storeroom. "And that's out of here."
Summer blushed. "I'm sorry Katie. I was—trying to—"
"I know," Katie assured her. "But you don't need to fight all my battles with Lucas or anyone else. I can do it all on my own."
Billy tried to change the awkward situation. "Are you coming to Band Practice today?"
"As soon as I get off work here," Katie said. "Probably around five."
Lucas looked at her skeptically. "What, no plans with your rich lover boy?" he asked sarcastically. "Isn't he flying you off to Europe on his yacht?"
Katie rolled her eyes. "A yacht, is a freaking boat, you moron." She laughed Lucas blushed a deep red. "Anyway, I don't think I'll see him anymore. He doesn't have my phone number or my address. And I'm pretty sure all of you scared him away from Hamburger Heaven for good."
"That was the plan," Lucas told her pointedly.
"It worked wonders," Katie replied, avoiding Lucas's triumphant grin. "You guys better get out of here. I've got work to do. I'll meet you at Band Practice, I promise."
As the Wild Bunch left the store, Katie busied herself rearranging the T-shirts on the rack. The girls who'd been in earlier left them all over the floor as they tried on different varieties. She was crouched down on the floor picking up a pile of clothing when the bells above the door jingled again.
"Can I help—ow!" Katie stood up to greet the custimer, then winced in pain as she banged her head on the metal rack above. A string of curses left her mouth.
"Are you okay?" Freddy asked, rushing over to help her up.
Katie rubbed the top of her head. An egg-shaped lump was forming. But she was pretty sure that wasn't the reason for her sudden lightheadedness or the pounding in her chest.
Those were all because of him.
"Fred," she said. "What are you doing here?"
Fred. He frowned slightly. "I came to see you," he told her.
"But how?"
"I heard someone mention that you worked here," he replied. "Remember? You told me something about Vintage Records, and I was absolutely enthralled by your shop." He looked around at the many T-shirts and posters and CDs.
Katie blushed excitedly. He'd really been paying attention that evening. He hasn't missed a thing. Then again, neither had she. If she recalled, she'd been staring at him pretty heavily.
Freddy seemed to like the fact that she was blushing, because his warm grin grew even wider. "I'm here to apologize for the other night, and my immediate departure. And throw in my end of the deal."
"Excuse me?"
"You said you'd go to dinner with me again. And you promised to let me pick the restaurant."
Katie drew in a deep breath. She wasn't so sure that was a good idea. The restaurants he was used to were much more elegant that what she was used to. They probably cost a fortune. And besides, she'd heard stories about boys like him. After they took a girl out and spend a ton of cash on her, they usually expected something return.
"Maybe we could compromise. Go to a movie or something."
Freddy shook his head. "No way. This is my turn. Don't worry. All those rumors about my friends and me are greatly exaggerated."
Katie blushed redder. It was like he could read her mind.
"Do your parents get mad if you go out on a school night?" Freddy asked her. "I was thinking we could go to Chez Français on Wednesday."
Would my parent get mad? Katie sighed. Her father would not notice—much less care. Her mother might be slightly worried, but would be too timid of a confrontation to actually say anything. "They're fine," she told him finally.
"Good, then it's a date!" Freddy exclaimed in a burst of relief that let Katie know he'd been nervous about asking her.
"Why don't you give me your address?" Freddy asked her. "I'll pick you up."
Katie fingered the bracelet on her wrist nervously. She didn't want him picking her up at her house. Not that she as ashamed of where she lived—exactly. Maybe a little. But she was more worried that he'd expect to meet her parents.
"Look, I have to work Wednesday after school anyway," Katie told him quickly. "Why don't you just pick me up here?"
"Okay," he agreed. "What time do you get off?"
"Six thirty."
"Well, I guess I should be going," Freddy said, suddenly seemed uncomfortable under her gaze. He looked out the window for a moment.
Katie nodded. "Don't worry, the coast's clear. They left a little while ago."
"I wasn't worried about—"
"Sure you weren't," Katie told him. "And I don't blame you. Lucas and Zack can be real—I'm sorry about your car. Again."
"I rode my bike here."
"The one you earned the cash for being a waiter?"
Freddy nodded. "Take a look."
Katie followed him to the shop door and looked out into the parking lot. Sure enough, a sleek motorcycle with a helmet slung over its steering was parked there.
"Would you believe I've never been on a motorcycle?" Katie hinted.
Freddy looked at her surprised. "A girl like you?" He smiled enticingly at her. "Would you like a ride now?"
She nearly bounded along the pavement excitedly. "Yes."