I pulled up at the house five minutes later. As I cut the engine, I sighed, feeling a shiver run up my spine at the site of Dad's truck. But I went inside anyway, and walked to the dimly lit kitchen. Everything looked the same, except that a chair was pulled out here or there would be a few dishes in the sink. When Mom still lived here, she kept everything nice and tidy. Everything had to look like a museum.
Nothing looked good in the fridge, so I decided to go and clean up all the mountains of dust in my room. But before I even got to the foyer, dad walked in through the door. "Alex? I thought you were coming home next week."
"Yeah, well, I thought I'd surprise Archie, come early," he nodded at that, but he was still weary. "Alex, I…."
"Dad don't, okay? It's fine. I'm over it," I said it with a scowl and crossed arms, and before he had the chance to reply, I turned, and headed up to my room. Once I was safe in the confines of my room, I sat on my bed with a shaky exhale, and twiddled with the string sticking out of the blanket.
As I finished cleaning another book shelf with a rag, my phone buzzed from across the room. I huffed, seeing I was on one foot, trying with all my might to reach behind a stack of boxes to clean the book shelf. But once I wiggled out of the mess I got myself in, I walked to my desk, and picked up my phone to find that Betty was calling. So I quickly turned down my music, answered it, and put it on speaker.
"Hey, Betty, what's up?" I put it back down on the bed, walked to the pile of books on the floor, and started sorting them.
"Hey, I was wondering if you were going to the dance tonight." I was right in the middle of sliding a C.S. Lewis book on the shelf when I realized that was tonight.
"Kern, you know what? I, uh…I kind of forgot that was tonight. I was planning on just staying in."
"Oh, okay, um…what will you be doing?"
"Just cleaning my room; the thing is a huge ball of dust bunnies and cob webs. Why are you asking?"
"Oh, I was just wondering. I thought maybe it would be fun to take a day off, and buy some dresses for tonight together. But given you're staying in, I guess not?" she asked, her fun, joyful voice fading by the minute, and I sighed. Then I got up, and put the phone back to normal, and sat on the bed.
"You know what? I think I will come with you."
"Really? I don't want to be intruding."
"Oh, no, you aren't. And besides, you're right. I do need to take a day off. When did you want to go dress shopping?"
"I can be ready in ten minutes if you are."
"Yeah, that'd be awesome. I'll meet you outside in ten," I said, with a cheerful tone, and I could tell she was smiling by the way she said, "Ok, bye, Alex."
"Bye," then I ended my end of the call, and changed into something more presentable. I had to wear something that would be easy to take on and off quickly, so I just wore a pair of shorts, and a black t-shirt with my camouflage jacket and sneakers. It's my favorite t-shirt. It says: 'I believe whatever doesn't kill you, simply makes you stranger', with a picture of Heath Ledger's Joker behind it.
I walked outside dodging Dad in the kitchen, and then walked out to the sidewalk. Betty walked outside a moment later with a scowl on her face, but it disappeared the moment she saw me, and was replaced with a smile.
"Are you ready to go?" she asked, her ponytail bobbing. I nodded, and we were on our way. We had been at the dress shop for two and a half hours before I finally found something I liked.
"Are you sure? I mean, do you think it'll look hokey?" I had asked. She replied, and said, "No! Of course not, this dress was meant for you. Here, go try it on."
She handed me the dress. And with a huff, I walked behind the curtain, and started to undress. As I picked up the dress, I stopped myself. It felt silky and smooth under my fingers, and bright blue stared me back in the face as a smile pushed its way onto my lips. It was a knee-high cornflower blue dress with a side strap going from the middle of the chest over the left shoulder. It held a three inch, same color, belt separating the flowing skirt from the formfitting top.
"Hey, have you tried it on yet?" Betty hollered from the leather chair four feet away, and I rolled my eyes.
"One second," I hollered back, slipped my legs in, and pulled it up. Once I zipped up the zipper, I breathed, trying to relax, and asked, "Ready?"
"Yeah, come on out!" The moment I pulled back the curtain, she gasped, and got up, rushing to me.
"Oh, Alex, this looks beautiful on you. Oh, and the color totally makes a stunning contrast to your red hair." I chuckled, fidgeting with the skirt. I've never been one to like short skirts, or even wear skirts at all, so I kept pulling it down past my knees.
"I love it too, but…its seventy dollars, Betty."
"Oh, money's no object. And besides…it's worth it."
"Thank you, Betty, for everything, for making me feel welcome when not even my own brother has." She made an 'ah' look as she scrunched her face in an over-characteristically big smile, and said, "You're welcome. What are friends for if not to make the other feel loved?"
I chuckled, and went in to change back into my clothes, and then we made our way to the cash register. Betty had chosen a pink, knee-high, sleeveless dress with half-circle shaped cut-outs on her sides, just above her hips, and they stopped just below her bra-line. It was beautiful, to say the least.
The total bill, including our shoes, came to over two hundred dollars. But after she told me what happened with her and her mom, and she said she was using her mom's credit card, I felt less worried.
When I got back home, I walked in, and saw Dad helping Arch tie his tie in the living room. I all but rolled my eyes at that, and went up stairs to get changed. I decided to put my hair in a half up-do, crowned fishtail braid with soft curls flowing down, just above my shoulders. I have never been one to like long hair, it was always a hassle to deal with in the summer, and it could never fit under a hat in the winter. So my hair has always been just above my shoulders. My eyes held a soft rendition of smoky eyes, and my lips wore a light coating of sun-kissed pink lip gloss.
I didn't bother putting on my black pumps until I got to the bottom of the stairs. And when I did, Archie was talking to Betty on the porch, the door wide open. "…Well, that'd be great. Hey, Alex—oh, you look beautiful," Betty commented, and I blushed.
"Thank you, B." Archie turned at that, and then whistled.
"I don' think I've ever seen you in a dress before, Al. It looks nice."
"You sound surprised."
"No, no, no uh, I was just; uh–I-I-I-I was just—"
"Be cool red chili; I was just teasing." He seemed to relax at that, and I chuckled. But I instantly became almost rigid at the sound of Dad's voice.
"Well, have a good time, everyone."
"Thanks, Dad," Archie said, as he and Betty left to go to the school. I turned to leave, but he held me behind with, "Wait right there." He walked in front of me, and looked at me with narrowed eyes. "Who are you going with?"
"Myself," I said, and he nodded, asking, "How are you getting there?"
"My motorcycle," I said simply. He asked, "In that?"
"Yes, in this. Do you prefer I walk?"
"No, I just…I want you to be safe."
"And I will be…if I go now and don't get pummeled by Betty because I was late," he sighed, defeated, and nodded. He squeezed my shoulder as I went, and then I hopped down the stairs, and to my bike. He stayed on the porch, watching me as I kicked up the kickstand, and rolled out to the road. Then it roared to life. He looked scared with me in possession of such a thing, but he just nodded, and I was off.
I pulled up to a parking spot in the parking lot of Riverdale High School, winning several stares as I got off, and made my way inside. But I didn't care; all I cared about was getting inside without breaking a leg. Literally. I haven't worn heels in a few years, and even then, they were just two inch wedges. These, my friend, were six inch black pumps with black diamonds on the toe.
I walked into the gym, and saw it was transformed into a blue wonderland. Blue and gold—the school's colors—pillars of balloons lined the wall, with blue tablecloths on the tables, and blue and gold Solo cups by the punch bowls. The room was jam packed with teens—some dancing, some sitting: all talking, joking, and laughing. I spotted Betty by a table talking to Kevin, and I walked that way.
"…His name may be Moose, but I consider a certain appendage of his as 'horse-like'," Kevin said, as he told Betty about his encounter with Moose in the men's bathroom. I nearly choked on the punch I had picked up on the way and I instantly turned to try and make a break for it. But to my surprise, and joy, Kevin heard me, and asked, "Will you dance with me?"
"Why me? The last time I checked, my name wasn't Moose."
"That's why I want to dance with you." I gave him a slight tilt of my head, and narrowed eyes, but I sighed, and then grabbed his hand.
"Come on, Casanova," I turned, holding his hand behind my back, and I led us to the dance floor.
"I'm going to assume you know how to dance, and say, grab my hand," I said, with a chuckle, and Kevin nervously took my hand, and we started dancing. We were about five minutes into the song when Kevin spun me around twice.
When I came back to his side, I glanced over his shoulder and saw Archie talking to Miss Grundy. Then, she got up and walked away, leaving Archie there by himself.
"A penny for your thoughts?" Kevin asked, in my ear. I snapped back to him, and asked, "Sorry, what?"
"What were you thinking about?"
"Oh, um…I was just thinking about archery. I can't wait until Tuesday."
"Wait, you got on the team?"
"Yeah, I rocked try-outs," I said, with a chuckle. Kevin yelled over the music, "That's awesome!" I nodded my enthusiasm, and then Cheryl's voice came through the speakers.
"Good evening, friends. Are we all having a good time?" Everyone clapped, and a few hooted and hollered, but I just nodded to myself. "As honorary chairperson, and de facto queen of tonight's semiformal, it is my great pleasure to introduce this evening's main entertainment. To know them, is to be obsessed with them. Though they usually only perform their own material, tonight, they're making an exception and debuting a cover of the song my parents claim they were listening to the night when Jason and I were conceived. This one's for you JJ. I give you Josie and the Pussycats."
As the song started playing, Kevin and I started dancing slower, slowly turning as Josie sang the song. Then as we turned around, seeing everyone, I saw Betty and Archie dancing not five feet away. Tapping Kev's shoulder, he glanced that way, and got the biggest grin on his face.
"Ask him, go ask him, Betty," Kevin and I were mouthing to her as our couples shifted to connect eyes. She all but rolled her eyes, and tried to get back to dancing.
"Why won't she just ask him?" Kevin asked, annoyed.
"Because her whole life she's loved him. And he has had no idea. And now, if she asks him, it puts the ball in his court, and she is scared to death over what he might say," I whispered into his ear, and he just kept staring at them as Betty started to talk to him. As she explained, I could see the look of confusion on his face grow. I winced, knowing it wasn't going well, and then he pulled away, asking a question.
She had a look of annoyance and utter disappointment plastered in every crevice on her face. The song ended, and then everyone cheered. I started feeling light-headed, and it felt like my chest cavity was imploding. My throat was caving in, and I felt like I couldn't breath as I looked around the room. There were people everywhere, and even more people were still entering.
"Will you excuse me, Kev? I need some air," I patted his shoulder before I left, catching a few glances here or there as I went. The more I walked away from the gym, the more and more relaxed I got. When I opened the front doors, I felt the cold engulf me with a slight shiver.
As I wrapped my jacket around my shoulders, the door opened again, and I looked up to see Archie walking toward me. "What are you doing out here? It's freezing," he asked, as he stopped to stand next to me, and I sighed.
"I get claustrophobic sometimes in big groups of people. I just needed some space." He nodded at that, and opened his mouth to say something more, but the door opened again. This time it revealed one of Cheryl's 'friends', Ginger Lopez.
"Ginger, if you're going to tell me off like you did in the fifth grade, then—"
"No, Alex. I am here to formally invite you to Cheryl's after party at Thornhill, both of you. It'll be starting right after the dance, so, you better finish up." She gave one of her signature smirks, making sure I knew who was at the top of the totem pole.
"Thank you, Ginger. We'll be in there in a minute," Archie told her, and she nodded. Then she disappeared back behind the heavy wood door. He turned back to me, sighing, and then asked, "I've been meaning to ask you, how did archery try-outs go?"
"Oh uh, great. I was accepted onto the team."
"Well, that's good," he said, with a grin. "Want to go back in?"
"No, I think I'll just go to Pop's and wait for the after party to start."
"Are you sure you don't want to come back inside?"
"Yeah, have a nice time, Arch," I tried to just get him to leave me alone without being mean, but it was hard. After a moment, he slightly nodded, turned around, and went inside. I stayed there for a few more minutes, trying to calm down. After I got my breathing under control, I walked to the parking lot.
As I approached my bike, my feet started to ache. So I took off my shoes, and then tiptoed the rest of the way to my bike where I put on my sneakers I had in my backpack. It was pitch black outside, except for the one street light two blocks away.
But I didn't mind. I started the engine, and it roared to life, making my bones vibrate as I drove off.
As I rounded a corner, I saw the start of the neon lights of Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe up ahead. But something in me made me keep going. The light disappeared and I was once again enveloped in darkness. But as I reappeared out of the small forestry area, and into the Southside, I could see more and more lights, lighting up the road.
The road was flying past me as I drove by, seeing the buildings, and shops that I haven't seen in two years; I felt alive. I felt relaxed, and for the first time in a long time, I felt at home. Not at my actual home, or at school, or at the library, or with my friends, but on the Southside. And I was happy about it. But as I passed Southside High, I felt my phone buzz in the pouch on my ankle. I sighed, but I pulled over, and fished for the pouch. Once I found it, I grabbed my phone, and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Alex? Where are you? I thought you said you'd be at Thornhill by now," Archie asked, worriedly, into the phone, and I sighed. "Yeah, I, I know, Arch. I actually don't feel very good. I think I'm just gonna head home."
"Oh, are you okay? Do you need anything?"
"No, no, I, I'm fine. Enjoy the party. I'll see you after."
"Alright, well, I hope you feel better."
"Thanks, bye, Arch." He said his goodbyes, and then I hung up the phone with a sigh. As I put the phone back in my ankle pouch, I heard a man's voice behind me.
"Having some trouble, miss?" his voice was deep, and raspy. But yet, it seemed young, and supple at the same time. "No, I was just headed home, actually, Mr.…?" I took a good look at his face then, and I nearly let my mouth drop open. "Fogarty? What are you doing here?" I chuckled joyously, and walked over to him. He instantly hugged me. "I was just about to ask you the same thing, Double-A." We pulled away a moment later, and I glanced to his shoulder, where he had a dark tattoo on the top part of his arm.
I looked up at him; he was smiling. "You got in. I thought you'd never do it." I playfully punched his shoulder, and he laughed.
"Well, I did say I'd follow in your footsteps. When did you get back?" he asked, still happy to see me. "Oh uh, two days ago, I think," he nodded, smiling. I glanced up over his shoulder, and saw a couple of familiar faces—Popper, and Femi. Then my ankle started buzzing again. "Oh, uh, one second, it's my dad." Fangs nodded, seeming to read off that I was annoyed. "What's up?"
"Hey, where are you? Archie called, he said you didn't feel well. What happened?"
"Oh, I just got claustrophobic again; I didn't want to go to Thornhill after all."
"Okay, but I repeat, where are you?"
"Taking a drive, trying to calm down. I'll be back before midnight. Bye," and on that happy note, I ended the call, and then turned back to them. "Well, since I don't want to be made a liar, I should probably start heading home." I jutted my thumb over my shoulder, and headed to my bike. "But I will talk to you later, right, Foggy?" I pointed to him as I backed up, and he nodded.
"Okay, well, see you around, Alexandra." He smirked down at me, and then they all turned and walked away, leaving me in stunned silence. But once I found my voice again, I got on my bike, and drove home.
When I walked into the house, Dad instantly walked to me from the kitchen and said, "Well, I'm glad you got back safely."
"Surprise, I can actually do something without your help. What a shocker," I said, as I walked to the stairs. He huffed, saying, "You know? The only reason why I did what I did was to make sure you didn't get hurt."
"Dad, you did the one thing that could hurt me." I held up a finger to emphasize that fact, and then went upstairs. I sat at my desk, Mickey-faced pajama-covered knees to my chest as I studied. It was nearly two a.m. when my phone lit up with a call from Kevin, and I answered it out of curiosity.
"Hello?"
"Alex, thank the almighty heavens. We found Jason's body."
"Wait, what? What are you talking about? W-where are you?" I sat up, instantly worried.
"Moose and I were at Sweetwater River and we, we found Jason's body washed up on the bank."
"Okay well, did you, I mean, did you call the police?" I asked, as I started changing my clothes.
"Of course! My dad's on his way."
"Ok, I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Ok, and Alex?"
"Yeah?"
"Jason didn't drown. He was shot. There's a bullet hole in his forehead." I stopped changing, and went rigid. Who would shoot Jason Blossom in the head on July fourth?
"Alright, just stay calm, I'm on my way." I ended the call, put on my shoes, and raced downstairs. "Dad?" I called, sprinting into the kitchen to find he just got off the phone. "I heard, let's go."
We arrived just after sun up. People stood at the river's edge, watching as the police drug Jason Blossom's body out of Sweetwater River and up the bank. I watched in saddened disbelief as they rolled the white cloth, covered body past the yellow police tape and to the morgue. As they did, Archie pulled me in tighter to his embrace, and I grimaced as the ambulance drove away.
