Chapter 5
Keely re-emerged from her room, only ten minutes later, wearing jeans and a t-shirt that said VINTAGE. Phil was surprised at the rapid change, but Mandy didn't look as amused.
"Keely? What are you wearing?"
Keely looked down at her outfit. "Clothes. Why, do you want me to wear a sack?"
"But we're going to that fancy place in town," Mandy said, trying to find out why her daughter was dressed even more casual than she had been when she left the house that afternoon.
"So, why can't I wear this?" Keely asked, gesturing her outfit.
Mandy wrinkled her nose. "Well, it's not exactly suitable, is it?"
"Mom, it's Phil. And your 'friend'," Keely said, emphasising friend, telling her Mom that she knew that friend wasn't the right choice of words.
"Well, I was thinking more along the lines of you wearing that dress I bought you for your school dance next week," Mandy suggested, trying to ignore the previous comment made by her daughter.
Keely raised her eyebrows. "So, when you bought me that dress for the dance, you were actually buying it for this dinner with you and this guy I don't know?"
"No. It just occurred to me that maybe…" Mandy began, but stopped at the fierce look on her daughter's face.
"Fine," Keely cried, and began to storm up the stairs. "Phil, get up here!"
Phil looked at Mrs. Teslow apologetically, but she shook her head, and then motioned for him to follow Keely. He was he best friend. Maybe he could talk her out of this bad mood.
"Keels?" he knocked on her bedroom door, and was surprised when she said he could come in. She was getting changed, yet she was allowing her best guy-mate to sit with her.
When he walked in though, he saw Keely sitting on her bed, still wearing the clothes she had entered the hall in.
"Keely, are you okay?" Phil asked, sitting next to her. "I mean, sure, I can understand that you're not thrilled with the fact that your Mom has invited another guy to your dinner, but maybe he's just an old friend. Like me and you."
"But we're not just old friends are we?" Keely muttered.
Phil looked confused. "What?"
"Nothing. Look, I have a bad feeling about all of this. She keeps working late. She's forever e-mailing people on the computer. Gets phone calls that she doesn't like me listening in on. She's like a teenager. Like…well…me and you. I'm with you all the time. Always IM-ing you. And if Mom eavesdropped on my conversations with you, I'd be furious with her. Can't you see? She's like a teenager in love," Keely sighed.
Phil's mind raced. She had just compared her mother to teenagers in love. Using them as an example. What the hell was that about?
"I…I…I mean," Keely stammered, realising what she had said, and then she just looked at her fingers.
Phil looked at her. "Keely. Chill out. It'll all be okay. And hey, if this guy is her new boyfriend, what's so bad about that?"
"Nothing I guess…" Keely began, still wondering when he would ask her about what she had implied.
"Exactly. Your dad has been gone for…"
"Seven years," Keely told him.
Phil nodded. "Seven years. Surely she's waited long enough for him to come back?"
Keely nodded. "I guess so. It's just…what if?"
"If he comes back, then your Mom'll have to make the decision. Not you," Phil reassured her.
Keely sighed, and then nodded. "Thanks Phil. What the heck did I do to get a friend like you?"
"Nothing. It's what my dad didn't do that got us stuck here," Phil smiled. "I'll leave while you get ready…"
Keely shook her head. "It's okay. I'm only shoving on an old dress over the top."
"Old?" Phil asked. Hadn't Mrs. Teslow told her to put on a new one?
"Yeah. I bought that dress for the school dance. I'm not wearing that before the school dance. That'd mean I'd have to buy a new one for the dance," Keely explained, opening her closet.
Phil looked confused. "Can't you wear it on both nights?"
"Yeah, right," Keely laughed. "You crack me up Phil."
She pulled out a blue dress, and pulled it over her head. She grabbed a bag, and then turned to Phil and smiled.
"Ready?" she asked.
Phil nodded. "Ready."
---
"Keely, this is Graham," Mandy introduced her daughter to the man standing outside of the restaurant. "Graham, my daughter."
"Nice to meet you," Graham said, holding out a hand for Keely to shake.
Keely looked wary, but one glance at Phil made her extend her hand and shake his. "You too."
They got seated, and tossed small talk around while they ordered. Phil noticed that Keely was unusually quiet.
"So, Keely, has anyone asked you to the dance yet?" Mandy asked, trying to involve Keely in the conversations.
Keely looked up at her Mom. "It's a Girls-ask-Guys dance Mom. Unless a girl was going to ask me."
"Well do you know who you're going to ask yet?" Mandy said, pretty sure she knew who her daughter would end up going with.
Keely snuck a glance at Phil, but turned away quickly when their eyes locked.
"I used to love school dances," Graham smiled. "Me and my friends used to fly solo."
Keely rolled her eyes. Was it any wonder he never got asked? But, in an attempt to be a nice person, she forced a smile.
"So, Keely. Who do you want to ask?" Graham carried on.
She so wanted to snap something rude back at him, but resisted. Instead she shrugged, but she could feel her cheeks burning. She knew Phil was looking at her.
"Oh, leave her. She doesn't want to answer," Mandy laughed. It was so painfully obvious, she thought that Graham probably guessed it anyway.
"So, this is your best friend?" Graham asked, but Keely wasn't sure whether this question was directed at her or Phil.
"Yeah," Phil answered.
Keely nodded. "We've been best friends for three years. Since Phil crash-landed in Pickford."
"That was a metaphor," Phil said hurriedly.
Keely wrinkled her nose, and turned to look at Phil.
"What?" Phil asked, as Keely rolled her eyes.
Graham laughed, and Mandy laughed with him. As Phil watched them, he could tell that they were a couple. It was too obvious. Keely knew as well. But her Mom looked happy.
"Look, before you ask me any more pointless questions, to try to stop me from asking you any, I'm going to speak. I can tell you guys have been going out. Mom, you keep the phone next to you at all times. Won't let me answer it. And you're always on the computer, on your e-mail account. And you tell me you're working late, but you're all dressed up. I don't have a clue why I didn't see it before, but I didn't and so I'm sitting here, meeting this guy for the first time. To tell you the truth, I wasn't that thrilled when Mom told me that she was meeting a guy here, but I can see that you make her happy. So, I'm gonna say, you might not be the coolest person in the world, but you obviously make my Mom happy, so I guess you're not that bad," Keely announced.
"Well thank you Keely," Graham smiled.
Keely sighed, and she felt Phil grab her hand. Her body tingled, and she looked at her best friend and smiled.
"Well done Keels," Phil muttered, and laced their fingers together. Friends could do that, right? He was telling her he was proud of her. It can't have been easy.
Keely looked at him and smiled gratefully.
"Thank you Keely," Mandy smiled, but then sighed. "But there was something else we wanted to tell you. We have been going out these past few months, but…"
"But what Mom?" Keely asked, confused.
"Well, last night, Graham asked me a very important question. A question that will change our lives," Mandy explained.
Keely wrinkled her nose.
"He asked me to marry him," Mandy smiled. "And I said yes."
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