I did have a lot of fun that night. The six of us went to the bowling alley in Angels Camp, where we spent a couple of hours,

hurling bowling balls down the alley, and laughing, in between snacking on popcorn and nachos.

I hadn't been around Valerie very much at all, so that was a new experience. She was a pretty girl, who was sort of quiet. She

seemed to really like Ford. At least that's the impression that I got. Still, there was something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Something

that bothered me. She wasn't rude or anything like that. Again, it was something that I felt, more than what I knew.

Ford hasn't ever been the sort to bring a lot of girls around the family. He's always been sort of shy, and although he seemed

less shy now, after a year away at college, more self-assured, well, I was still felt protective of him. It's funny, being the only girl

in the family, and the youngest, too, because people always seem to assume that it's only my brothers who are protective of me.

In truth, I'm equally protective of them as well, although I don't have as much say-so over their lives as they do over mine.

I think I'm most protective of Ford and Guthrie. Probably because they're the closest in age to me.

Anyway, I did have fun. I had moments where I would remember Guthrie's face in the kitchen, glaring at me, or the evening before, when

he stared at me as I talked about Kenny. I wished that Guthrie and Kristin were with us, too. That would have been fun, I thought.

After bowling, we went to a pizzeria place that I'd never been to before. There was alcohol being served, but lots of kids and teenagers

were there, so it wasn't like a bar, or anything.

I thought maybe Evan would drink a beer, but he didn't. He had Dr. Pepper, which had three refills on, served in a giant-sized

cup. It was hard, but I used my self-control, and drank water instead of soda. I made up for it by eating more than my share of

pizza, though. I was aware of Steven, sitting right next to me in the crowded booth, and had to smile, thinking that it hadn't even

crossed my mind to act demure, and as though I had no appetite, like girls sometimes felt around boys. I didn't have to worry about

things like that around Steven.

"What's so funny?" Steven asked me, and I only smiled at him, shaking my head.

It was while we were finishing up our meal, that I saw Eddie come in, and immediately I felt all my senses come to the surface.

He was with a girl, a very pretty girl, with jet-black hair, and tight jeans.

"There's Eddie," Ford said, lifting his hand in a wave.

As Eddie approached our table, the girl on his heels, I wiped the grease from the pizza off of my fingers with a napkin.

"Hey, it's a nest of McFaddens," Eddie joked.

Ford and Evan exchanged greetings with Eddie, and he said hello to Nancy. Ford introduced Valerie to him, and after that,

Eddie looked at me.

"Hey, Harlie," he said, in an easy way.

"Hi, Eddie," I said.

He smiled at me, and for a moment I felt all flustered. "Buffy, this is Ford, Evan, Nancy, and Harlie. And Valerie. And everybody, this is

Buffy," he introduced.

More hellos.

In my mind, I was making rude comments. 'Buffy?' What sort of a name is that? Only television characters were named Buffy.

I wished I could quit noticing just how handsome Eddie looked. He was wearing a shirt that seemed to match his eyes exactly. I wiped

my hands on my jeans.

With a start, I realized that I hadn't introduced Steven at all. "This is Steven," I managed. "Steven, this is Eddie."

"How you doin'?" Eddie asked, with an easiness that I envied, shaking hands with Steven.

"I think I've seen you in town," Steven said.

"Pull some chairs up," Ford said. "Eat with us."

Noooo, I thought inside my mind. For a moment, I feared that I'd said it out loud. But, apparently not, because Eddie and

his raven-haired date pulled up chairs and joined us.

The girl said nothing. Nada. Although she laughed a couple of times. She had a hold on Eddie's arm, which seemed so tight that

I was surprised he was able to even raise his arm to eat at all.

I hated her. I didn't know her. But I hated her. Or, if not hated, then I strongly detested her. Well, alright. I was just

plain jealous of her. Sitting next to him, and having the go-ahead to touch his arm like that.

I was quiet mostly, listening to my brothers and Steven talk to Eddie, with occasional comments from Nancy. Valerie, and Buffy

and I were mostly silent, though.

When the pizza was gone, and it was already dark outside, we all began to get up, and scoot the chairs back in.

I was standing beside the door, near Valerie, while Evan and Ford were paying for everything. Steven had gone to wash his

hands, and Nancy was talking to one of the waitresses that she knew.

Eddie came over to stand near me, and he gave me that smile of his, the one that got to me every single time.

"How have you been?" he asked me, quietly.

"Alright," I said. "How about you?"

"Busy. Taking my welding classes."

I nodded, remembering that he'd told me last year how he wanted to go to welding school.

"Do you like it?" I asked.

"So far I really like it."

I glanced around, wondering where his date had gotten to. Eddie was looking at me in a way that I found somewhat

discomforting. I mean, I liked it that he was looking at me. I just couldn't get used to how intensely he affected me.

"You look good, Harlie," he said.

"Thanks," I said, feeling my face warm. Then, like an idiot, I said, "You look good, too."

He grinned. "Thanks."

He put a quarter in one of the gumball machines behind us. When the plastic bubble came out, he popped it open,

and took out a ring, that had a tiny bear on the top.

"How about that?" he asked me, holding it up.

"Cute," I said.

Then, so suddenly that I didn't see it coming, he reached out and took my hand, and put the ring on the pinky finger of my

right hand, since it was so small there was no way it was going to fit any other finger. Before I could react in any way, we

were rejoined by Ford and Evan, and Nancy, and then Steven. Any privacy we had was gone.

Eddie grinned at me again, just as Buffy came from the direction of the bathroom, her lipstick obviously reapplied.

We all walked out to the parking lot together, and everybody said a general goodbye.

I was mostly quiet on the way home. So much so, that at one time Steven asked me in a soft voice if I was alright.

"Yes," I told him, fingering the tiny ring. We dropped Nancy off at her house. She gave Evan a quick kiss, and he waited until she was inside,

and then he began the drive to our house. Once there, the three of us got out of Evan's truck, and he said, to me, "Don't be long out here." To Steven he said,

"See ya, Steve."

"See you, Evan," Steven said.

We watched Evan go into the house, and then I turned to look at Steven.

"I'm glad you came along tonight," I said.

"Thanks for asking me. I had fun."

He asked me what I'd been smiling about at the pizza place, and I was honest, and told him it was because

I wasn't worried about being a dainty eater, or having him think I was eating too much.

"That's cool," he said.

"Want to sit awhile?" I asked him, gesturing to the porch swing.

"Sure."

So we sat in the swing, pointing out stars to each other. After a time, he surprised me by asking, "So what's up with the

guy? Eddie?"

I looked at him, unable to make out his entire profile in the darkness.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Come on, Harlie," he said, and it sounded as though he was amused.

I was suddenly panic-stricken. Had it been that obvious how I felt about Eddie? What if everybody had

noticed?

"Could you tell?" I asked, embarrassed, and dreading his answer.

"That he likes you? Sure, I could tell."

For a moment, I was startled. "Huh?"

"What?" he asked, confused.

"What makes you say that? That he likes me? I thought you meant that I was being too obvious about how I feel."

"Oh. No, I don't think you were obvious, or anything like that." He hesitated. "Is that the guy that you like?"

Now I was really confused. "What?"

"Well, I mean, I knew there was somebody that you were interested in. I just didn't know who it was."

"How did you know that?" I asked. "I never said anything."

"No. I guess it's just something I sort of knew. So, is he the one?"

"Yeah," I admitted.

"Well, he likes you, so how come you're not going out with him?"

"What makes you think he likes me?" I asked, curiously.

"I don't know. It's how he looks at you, I guess."

For a moment, I wanted Steven to be correct. I wanted it more than anything. But then I tried to temper down my

excitement. I mean, I knew that Eddie liked me. He was nice to me, and he sometimes flirted a little. But I hadn't thought

about him feeling more than that. Not after what had happened last year, with Evan and how I'd acted at that party, and all of that.

I figured that he had most likely lost interest in me, and was in agreement with my brothers that I was too young for him.

"So, how come you're not dating him?" Steven asked again.

"Evan and Ford thought he was too old for me to go out with," I said. "So they warned him off. We had a really big argument

about it. Then I acted stupid in front of Eddie, and he said something about them being right. So..."

"Oh, man," Steven said, in sympathy.

"Yeah," I said, and after that we were both quiet for awhile.

I could hear somebody moving around inside, coming from the living room, the sound of voices and footsteps.

"I better get in," I said.

"Sure. I need to get home, too," he said. "Call me if you can hang out tomorrow or over the weekend."

I said I would, and then I went inside, closing the door, as the lights of his truck started down the driveway.

The voices that I'd heard had been Evan and Guthrie, and the sound of the television. Guthrie was sprawled on the

couch, watching an old western.

Evan had a glass of milk in his hand, coming from the kitchen.

"Don't forget your shot and stuff," he reminded me.

"I won't."

"Okay. Night," Evan said, heading towards the stairs. "Hey," he remembered, "Better leave the porch light on for

Ford."

"Okay," I said, reaching over to switch on the light. "Goodnight, Ev."

"Night."

I headed to the kitchen, where I poured a glass of milk for myself, and then took care of my diabetes shot. I turned off the

kitchen light and went back towards the living room. I could have gone up the back steps to my bedroom, but I was seriously

considering talking to Guthrie. Or trying to. I knew that I'd be able to sleep a whole lot better if I was able to talk to

him. After a moment's thought, I turned and went back to the kitchen, pouring a second glass of milk.

So I went into the living room, carrying both glasses. I went over to the end of the couch, and when I'd stood there for

a couple of seconds, Guthrie flicked a glance over to me.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," I returned.

I leaned over a little to hand him the glass of milk that I'd poured for him.

"Here," I said simply.

Guthrie half-sat up, taking the glass from me. "Thanks."

"Uh huh," I said, as he took a long drink and then set the glass on the coffee table, laying back down and turning his

attention to the movie.

"What movie is this?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"High Plains Drifter," Guthrie answered.

"Mmm," I said, and stood there for a couple of minutes, watching.

"How was your night?" Guthrie asked, his gaze still on the television screen.

"Good," I said. "Fun."

"That's good."

"Yeah."

Quiet again.

"We went bowling," I offered. "And then we went to get pizza."

"Mmm," Guthrie said.

After another moment, I asked, "What did you do?"

"Nothin'. Just hung out here."

"Oh." I gestured to the end of the couch, where Guthrie's feet were resting. "Okay if I watch with you for

awhile?"

In answer, Guthrie moved his feet, so that there was room for me to sit down.

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