Handle With Clare

Chapter 6: What Makes You Tick?

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Mom smiled at me as I put on some makeup on that Saturday night for the date with Peter. She had this look on her face that I couldn't quite read. "What?"

Peter was going to pick me up in 30 minutes and to tell you the truth, I was excited. I had been thinking about tonight all-day long. It was my first date, and I was excited to see how it would play out. I had seen enough love stories on TV and in books; I wondered if it would be anything like that. Or was it something else entirely?

At first, when I told my parents about the date, they were not on board. They thought it would not be good for my health to go out late at night. They thought I would be safer if I stayed at home and didn't go on a date at all. I don't know how I convinced them to let me go, but somehow they let me go. Dad was still not happy about the idea, but I think mom was excited for me.

There was excitement in her eyes as she leaned on the door frame, looking at me. "You look so nice. I don't think I have seen you put this much effort into your appearance in a long time."

I looked at myself in the mirror. My makeup looked flawless, if I would say so myself, and the clothes that I stole from Farrah's closet were loose, but looked fashionable. I put a lot of effort into my appearance tonight because I knew that this was probably the only time I would go on a date. I knew that after tonight, Peter would probably realize that I wasn't worth his time.

"I thought I should look nice on my first date," I said to her as I played with my hair. I tried to put it up but little bits kept on falling out of the updo. I frowned. It was too short to do anything. Out of frustration, I dropped my hands and let my hair fall around my face. I guess I was going to leave my hair the way it was. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and left the bathroom to go downstairs.

In the living room by the front door, I waited with my parents until I heard a car pull up into the driveway. As I heard the car stop, I swallowed my fear as I looked at them, waiting to tell them my concerns before Peter came in. If I told them right now, they wouldn't have time to argue back about it. "Please don't tell him anything about my health," I begged him.

They frowned at me in disapproval. Just like I thought they would. "What if something happens while you're gone? He needs to know," dad spoke up.

"Then I'll tell him at that moment. Please, I'm begging you," I said, as the doorbell rang. I got up from my seat on the couch and opened the front door to see Peter on the other side. His dark hair brushed to the side, and he smelt like fresh soap and cologne.

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"Hi. Are you ready?" I asked to him, eager to leave, so he didn't have to talk to my parents. I didn't want them to spill my secret.

"Yes, of course," he smiled widely as he put his hands into his skinny jean pockets.

"You two have fun," mom said from behind me.

"Peter, just have her home before 10," dad said in a strict voice, trying to intimidate him, like he did with all of Farrah's love interests. But I wasn't sure if it was working.

Peter nodded at him. "Yes, sir," he said before the door was closed behind me. He walked over to the passenger side of his car and opened the door for me, but not before staring at me one more time, taking me in.

I felt my cheeks blush and for a second he made me feel like something more then a sickly girl. "Thank you," I said politely and took a seat inside of his car that looked recently cleaned. I took a deep breath, filling my nose with the smell of his car that smelt like him, waiting to remember every moment of this night forever.