Splinters: Part One

Part One | 17

When it came down to me, I cleared my throat and set my hands in my lap, folded. Thankfully, the girls had left the table because they'd finished. I purposely ate slow so I could ask in private.

"Well, um," I began, avoiding eye contact. "There's... this dance at Constance... I was wondering if I could ask Collie and go to it."

"Collie? Girlfriend Collie?" Greg asked, raising his eyebrows. I assumed Melissa had filled him in.

I nodded. "Y-yeah."

Melissa, I could see, was trying not to smile which made me feel better a ton!

"I think that'd be fun for you," she said. "When and what time?"

I drew in a breath. "Friday. At five."

Greg sighed. "How do you plan on coming home?"

I felt my face heat. "I, uh-"

"We'll pick you up," Melissa nodded, giving Greg a pointed glare.

"I can have Collie drop me off."

Melissa frowned. "She has her license?"

I nodded. "Yeah. She got it in the beginning of the year."

"I don't know how I feel about that."

"Why?"

Melissa glanced at her husband. "Brayden, it's not that I- we don't trust you, but-"

"Me and Collie don't do anything," I said. "If that's what you're thinking."

She pressed her lips together. After a moment of contemplation, she sighed. "That's fine, just be home as soon as it ends. When does it end again?"

"Nine."

"Nine, alright. There's nothing wrong with that I guess."

I smiled, ate my last bite of food and got up. "Thank you guys."

I set my plate in the sink and left the kitchen to go take a shower and head to bed, but before that, I went on the roof.

For the first time in a long time, I worried about nothing. Sure, thinking about Collie's answer to my invitation was a little nerve-wracking, but Collie's not going to say no. In the three months I've known her, I can see this stuff matters to her a whole lot.

I told my grandma all about it. I wondered if she'd be happy if I were with Collie, or, like everyone else, would rather me be with somebody different. I had a feeling she'd be okay with it, as long as I was happy. That's how she was.

Afterwards, I told her goodnight and I went to bed.

...

"Up, Brayden," I heard Melissa's voice say lightly as she opened the door.

I sat there for a moment before sitting up and rubbing my eyes. The morning routine went as usual. Ate, dressed in my uniform, brushed teeth, hair and all that, but what was kind of different this entire week was the fact that Ursanne was up and she was getting ready, too.

She just passed the bathroom when I noticed her.

"Ursa?"

She stepped back. "Yeah?"

"Are you coming to school?"

She nodded. "Yeah?"

"Oh."

I wasn't mad that she was coming back, but is it wrong of me to feel a little disappointed? For the past three days, I was left to spend time with Collie without anyone nagging me about it. I guess it was nice while it lasted. Ursanne still has no idea about the sophie dance and when she sees the posters in the halls of Constance, there's no doubt she's going to be annoyed and I'll have to listen to her whine about how the dances here suck or something.