“…Eyeballs…” Book II: 23. Loyalties
Hey! You Got Eyeballs In There?
By Kate Chamberlin
As Grace grows up, some of her stories are happy, some trying, some enlightening, and a few themes are sad, but, they’re all the warp and woof of what goes into the tapestry of life we call Family. The daily living skills and techniques demonstrated by the fictional characters in these stories are valid, tried and true.
Book II: The Teenagers
#10. Bad News
#11. Grace’s Day One
#12 Knight With Shining Flatware
#13. The Locker Fiasco
#14. Lost In Thought
#15. The Musician
#16. Day Two And Beyond
#17. First Date
#18. The Zipper Creep
#19. Making Up
#20. Mall Cruising
#21. And More Questions
#22. Homecoming Dance
#23. Loyalties
“Hi,” Heather said in her little girl’s voice. “Are we having a good time? Kenny told me you were here.”
Grace didn’t know what to say. She felt her face flush.
“Heather, where’s your date?” Edie asked.
“Oh, he’s here somewhere. He’s mad at me for talking to Kenny,” she crooned, taking his hand.
Edie was about to say something else, but a big football player came up and re-claimed Heather. She quickly dropped Ken’s hand as she flounced away with her date.
“She sure is hot for you,” Joe teased. “I think Grace will have to put a leash on you just to keep you safely out of Heather’s clutches.”
“There will be no need for that,” Ken said, taking Grace’s hand. “I know where I want to be and with whom.”
Grace’s face flushed even more. Did she really hear what she thought she heard?
They danced the slow ones. They danced the fast ones. They danced the night away, until, the principal announced that the bonfire lighting ceremony at the beach would start in15-minutes. The four friends returned to Stang and drove to the beach.
The girls took off their shoes and left them in the car. The beach sand felt warm between their toes and the bonfire’s heat flushed their faces. The sound of the gentle lapping of the lake mixed with the chatter of the other students, alums, teachers, and some parents, made the late night festive.
“Oh,” Edie said. “Smell those roasting marshmallows.”
“Ham-m-m,” Grace said, wiggling her nose. “I think some of them are burned, fried crispy.”
Laughing, they picked up some sodas and went for a walk along the shore. The small waves lapping at their bare feet felt cool and soothing. Ken held her hand and leaned close to her ear.
“Grace, do you know how to swim? he asked, nudging her a little deeper into the surf.
“Yes,” she said nudging him back. “But I don’t want to go in tonight!” He relented and guided her back to the warmer sand.
Joe and Edie had spread out a blanket and were quietly talking and sipping their sodas. Ken and Grace joined them. The bonfire died down and people were wandering back to their cars, heading for home.
“Hey, this has been great,” Edie said, “But it looks like it’s time to hit the road. Joe and I will be going to the school’s Memorial Service tomorrow. You two going, too?”
“We haven’t talked about it, yet,” Grace said. “Can we let you know later?”
“Sure,” Joe said. “Now, let’s boogie on out of here.”
Later, with Crackers on her leash, Grace and Ken slowly walked hand in hand along Grace’s street.
“Well,” Ken said softly, “would you like to go to the Memorial Service tomorrow?”
“Okay,” Grace said, not at all sure what would be expected of her. She was used to going to service in her regular church, but didn’t know how Crackers would do in a new church.
“I have something for you,” Ken said. He let go of her hand and put something small and warm in her palm. “Do you know what this is?”
Grace looped Crackers’ leash over her arm and held the item in both hands. She felt a warm, heavy circle with a lump in the middle. She had a good idea that it was a ring, but why?
“Grace, that’s my senior class ring,” he said. “Will you go steady with me?”
She was surprised and in her confusion, she said, “It’s too big. It won’t fit on my finger.” She was mortified to hear her own voice and the stupid thing she’d just said.
“Well, if you say yes,” he said with a smile in his voice. “I have a solution to that problem.” She felt a chain going through the ring she held in her palm.
Grace hoped the moonlight showed him the big grin she had on her face.
“Yes,” she happily accepted his ring, as she thought: This was another one of her Mother’s opportunities.
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