“I have an idea,” Cy said.  “Some of the waitresses here owe me favors, and I might be able to talk one of them into providing a distraction.  I think I know just the girl… and she is VERY distracting, if you catch my drift.”

Cy started walking away, waving across the restaurant.  He approached a very attractive blonde waitress as she left one of her tables.  She laughed for a second and then smiled, walking toward the kitchen.  Then he walked over to another waitress and spoke to her for a moment.  She rewarded Cy with a smile and looked around the restaurant at a few tables.  The he walked back toward Amy and Jack. 

“I think I have it covered.  You owe me though, Jack.” 

“What do you want us to do?” Jack asked.

“Ok, here’s the plan.  Tracy, the blonde girl, is going to go outside for a smoke.  She doesn’t really smoke; she just walks around with a cigarette every time she has a break… it’s really funny… she…” he trailed off, starting down a tangential path.

“Cy, stay on topic,” Jack interrupted, a smile breaking through despite the seriousness of their situation.

“Sorry.  I told you, she’s distracting… Anyway, she is going to walk out with a cigarette, see him, and ask him for a light.  She thinks she can get him to walk away long enough for you to get in the car and drive away.  Oh… here she comes.”

“Hi, I’m Tracy.  You must be Jack.  Any friend of Cy’s…” 

“Hi, Tracy.  Yes, I’m Jack.  This is Amy… my girlfriend,” He said with a grin breaking out.

Amy gave him a little squeeze on the arm as he started talking, then mentioned, “There is a guy out there in a black BMW parked next to us.  We’re pretty sure he’s looking for a fight.  Can you distract him?”

“Cy is always saying that I’m really distracting… I can try,” the blonde waitress said with a big smile. 

Jack couldn’t help but notice why she might be distracting.  She was something to look at.  With long, wavy blonde hair, she had the kind of build that Sports Illustrated featured on their covers.  And her uniform, while conservative, didn’t hide that.  Long legs peeked out from her short skirt and the open neck revealed enough cleavage that just about any guy would be distracted. 

“Ok, we’ll come out in a minute then,” Amy said as she gave Jack a withering glance when she noticed him giving Tracy an appraising look.  “Thank you.  We’ll owe you one.”

Tracy smiled and turned away to walk out the front door. 

After a minute or two, Cy leaned out the door, then stepped back in and told them the coast was clear.  Amy and Jack hurried to the car.  Amy fussed at Jack as he was going to open her door.

“There isn’t time for that.  I appreciate you being a gentleman and all, but we need to get out of here,” Amy said in a loud whisper.

They hopped in the Porsche and pulled away.  Amy was looking back to see if they were being followed.  Tracy had been true to her word and gotten Paul out of his car and over by the corner of the building.  He probably hadn’t even been able to see them walk out and get in their car… but he certainly heard the growl of the 911’s engine as they fired it up and left the parking spot. 

***

It was only ten o’clock.  Amy’s curfew wasn’t until eleven.  But with all the excitement, she was wondering if they should head straight back to her house.  She was also worried, though, that Paul might catch up to Jack when he was on his way home after dropping her off.  But she had an idea. 

“Can I meet your parents?”

“Huh?  Sure…  I mean why?  Do you really want to?”

“Yeah… I know your sister, but not very well.  But I’ve never met your parents.  It’ll be fun.”

“Ok, I guess…  I should probably take your dad his car, though.”

“We can do that later…  Let’s just go to your house.”

***

Jack pulled the Porsche up in front of his parent’s home, a fairly large ‘mid-century modern’, on a double lot off Mallory Street, between the Phoebus and Buckroe Beach areas of Hampton.  It didn’t have the commanding water view that Amy’s house had, but they could see Mill Pond through the neighbor’s yard, and beyond that, Dog Beach on Fort Monroe and the Chesapeake Bay. 

He hurried around the car to open the door for Amy.  She thought it was both sweet and a little silly that he insisted on opening her door all the time.  But if it made him happy, she wasn’t going to argue the point. 

They approached the front door and Jack opened it and ushered Amy inside.  As they stepped in, there was a large “sunken” living room off the front entry.  That opened into an eat-in kitchen and she could see straight through to the backyard through the wall of sliding doors. 

Jack’s parents were on the couch watching TV.  Sharon looked up when they heard the door. 

“How was the date?” Jack’s dad asked, not actually noticing who came through the door.

“I think it went pretty well, Mr. Dixon,” Amy replied. 

Jack’s mom snickered a little, poked her husband in the ribs and started up from the couch.

“You must be Amy.  I’m so pleased to meet finally you.  Jack has told us so much… I mean SO much about you,” Sharon said, much to the dismay of Jack, looking at her from behind Amy.

Jack’s father joined them at the steps down into the living room area, “Yes, for years we have heard about you.”

Jack was trying to shrink down to nothing, but Amy turned to him with a happy smile.  She then turned her attention back to Jack’s parents. 

“I guess you all know each other now, but, Amy, this is my mom and dad, Ed and Sharon Dixon.”

Sharon closed the last few feet between her and Amy to give her a hug. 

The four of them sat around the living room and talked about things going on, the recently completed school year, local events and future plans.  But as the hour advanced, Amy knew that she needed to get home.  She decided that she could call her dad to pick her up and that would keep Jonathan from having to drive home by himself. 

“May I use your phone for a minute?” Amy asked Mrs. Dixon.

“Absolutely, Sweetheart, make yourself at home, there’s one in the kitchen,” she replied.

Amy excused herself to the kitchen to use the phone.  She called her father to explain about Paul showing up at the restaurant.  He told her that he could drive over the Dixon’s station wagon… Jack had left the key in case it was in the way.  She knew he would be there in about 15 minutes. 

As Amy emerged from the kitchen, she told them, “I called my dad.  He is going to drop by with the station wagon, and he can run me home.  It’s getting late and I didn’t want to worry about Jonathan having to drive home.” 

“Wait, son, what were you driving?” Ed asked his son.

“Oh, Amy’s dad offered me his 911… just for the evening.”

Both of Jack’s parents looked quite surprised at the revelation.  Jack’s father asked him about how the Porsche was to drive, while Amy and Mrs. Dixon excused themselves to the kitchen to chat about other things for a few minutes. 

Before long, Bill Prince arrived with the Vista Cruiser to swap cars.  He was greeted warmly, and introductions were made all around as Amy and Mrs. Dixon came to the front of the house from the kitchen. 

Bill, Ed and Sharon walked to the kitchen for a moment to give Amy and Jack time to say goodbye.  She gave him a light kiss on the cheek and asked him to call her first thing in the morning. 

“Do you have my number?” Amy asked.

“Is it the same as in fourth grade?  555-4792?”

“Did you seriously remember that from Mrs. Garrison’s class?  That was forever ago.”

“I still have the piece of paper you wrote it on.” 

She lightly put her arms around his neck, and he leaned in for a little bit longer kiss.  They knew they only had a minute, but it was still a cap on the night that neither of them would ever forget. 

Just as they pulled apart, while still holding each other’s hands and talking quietly, the adults appeared from the kitchen, loudly, possibly to alert the kids to their presence. 

Mr. Prince and Amy walked out to the Porsche to head home.  Jack tried to retire to his bedroom to savor the last bit of the night, but instead he spent the next thirty minutes having to tell his parents about the date… leaving out all of the business involving Paul and the possibility that someone might have it out for him. 

***

Bill and Amy were making their way home when Bill thought he noticed the same set of headlights following him through several turns.  Deciding to check, he made a couple of random turns, and ended up on the same road they had been on but headed the other way.  The same car was still behind him. 

“Does that look like Paul’s car, Honey?”

“Yeah, Dad.  Pretty sure it is a black BMW like the one he usually drives.”

“Don’t worry, Dear.  He’s following us, but it’ll be fine.”

They continued the rest of the way home, with the BMW still following.  As they arrived home, Bill pushed the garage door opener, pulled quickly into the garage and hit the button to close it again.  Just before it finished closing, the door reversed, and light started to flash. 

“Get in the house, Amy.  Call the police, too.  But you and your mom need to stay inside until the police get here.  Hear me?  No matter what.  I’ll be fine.”

“Yes, Daddy,” Amy said, tears starting to fall down her cheeks for a second time. 

Amy ran in the door and locked it behind her.  She called out to her mom to call the police. 

“Is that you, Jack?” Paul said before the door opened all the way. 

“No…  you can call me Mr. Prince, Paul.  And I think you should leave.  Now.”

“I’d like to talk with Amy first, if you don’t mind, Bill” Paul said, arrogantly. 

“No, Paul.  As I said, you need to leave now.  The police are on their way and you don’t want to be here when they get here.”

“No… Bill…  I’m pretty sure I should have a word with Amy first.  I’d like you to get out of my way.”

“First, you need to call me Mr. Prince.  Second, it’s almost midnight.  I’m NOT bringing my daughter out here to ‘have a word’ with a rude shithead trespassing in my garage.  You can leave, you can stand there until the police arrive, or I can toss you out on your ass.  It’s your choice, but I would guess that you are down to about two minutes before the police arrive and take away a couple of your options.”

Paul started advancing through the garage.  Bill was thinking to himself that he really needed to clean up more.  There were tools scattered all over workbenches around the garage… breaker bars, ratchet handles, big adjustable wrenches.  Those all made good weapons.  And he didn’t want to have any of them used against him. 

“Wow,” Paul said with a tone of fake admiration.  “Does the Snap-On truck visit you at the house?  You have some really nice tools.”

Paul picked up a half inch drive ratchet handle.  He started weighing it in his hand… with an implied threat that it would be useful to hit someone with.  Bill thought there was still a breaker bar and cheater pipe on the bench behind him, and he was backing that way.  He leaned back, feeling around behind him on the bench until he found the tools he was looking for.

“You really don’t want to do this, Paul.  You need to put down the wrench and walk away.  I think you are down to about a minute before the police arrive.”  Crap, where were they… he was going to give someone a piece of his mind about response time tomorrow morning.  “There is still time.  You can still walk away.  Do you think this is going to win Amy’s heart back or something?”

“Do you think this is about ‘winning her heart back’, Bill?  I don’t.  I think this is about her disrespecting me and carrying on behind my back.  How long has she been cheating on me with that little punk, huh?  Is she putting out for him?  Or are you just trying not to notice?  Of course, I guess it doesn’t really matter.  I think I’m going to have to teach both of them a lesson.  If there is anything that makes me madder than a cheater, I don’t know what it might be.  You know, my mom cheated on my dad.  Maybe that’s why it bothers me so much.”

“Paul, the ice you are on is getting thinner.  Insulting my daughter and me isn’t helping you get anything you want.”

“Sure, it is, because I have been wronged and I want retribution.  First, I’m going to take some on you, and then I’m going to take some on that little bitch and her toy.  What do you think of that?”

Bill saw past Paul to the blue and red flashing lights outside.  They should be in the door any moment.  He really didn’t want to fight this kid.  Aside from the fact that Paul was pretty large, six-two and two hundred and twenty-five pounds of sixteen-year-old varsity football linebacker, he didn’t want it on his conscience if he did permanent damage to this child.  Bill only fought one way… for survival.  All the way.  He wasn’t afraid, he just didn’t want to lose control of himself. 

He didn’t know if Paul could see reflections of the flashing lights coming through the door yet, but a moment later the door to the house opened and a police officer, followed by Amy and Chrissy, stepped into the garage.  Paul turned to leave but ran straight into the other responding officer.  He still had the ratchet handle in his hand.

In no time he was on the floor, hands cuffed behind his back, and being read his rights.  He hadn’t even dropped the ratchet handle when he was put on the floor.

“Later.  They could walk in any minute,” she replied quietly.

“Uhh… ok.”

Jack scrambled up a couple of eggs as his mother walked in and announced that they needed to be ready for church in 20 minutes.  He finished his eggs and hurried up to get dressed. 

***

Jack sat in church and mused… his parents picked the wrong day to wake up on time.  Reverend Green was preaching.  He was going to take forever.  If the Women’s Auxiliary knew he was blessing the meal at a potluck, they didn’t even get out all the food until he was done.  It could be twenty minutes, and nobody wanted tepid casseroles.  Sermons could add an extra hour to church. 

“Dad, does he not know that there is a NASCAR race today?  It’s almost one o’clock and he doesn’t even seem to be slowing down.”

“shh,” from behind.

“The Winston Cup race is at Riverside; can’t we sneak out?”

“shh,” from behind. 

They sat in church for another half an hour.  Rev. Green was on his game.  He might have been on the north side of ninety, but when he got convicted by the Spirit, the man could go forever. 

***

As soon as they got home, Nicole grabbed Jack’s arm and dragged him to the driveway.  She told their mom that she wanted to ask him about her car stereo.  As soon as they hopped in the car, he asked what was going on.

“Paul Murphy is pissed.  That cretin thinks he owns Amy Prince and you asking her out makes him think you need to learn ‘respect for him and his property’.  That’s what he told one of my friends last night.  He literally called Amy ‘property’.  My friend thinks he is going to try to find you and get into a fight with you.”

“Yippee.”

“You need to have a plan.”

“Ok.  Anything else?”

“Oh yeah…  You know that Amy has had a crush on you since elementary school, right?”

“What?  Seriously?”

“She followed you around like a little lost dog.  Heck, I could tell when I was at recess and I was like ten.  I never got the story, but from the first day she was in school here, she was smitten with you.”

“Wow.  I NEVER knew that.  Why didn’t you tell me?”

“But there is something else.  This is a big deal for her.  She has been under the impression for years that you flat out didn’t like her, like at all.  It really hurt her feelings for a long time.  That’s probably why she gave a dirtball like Paul Murphy a chance.  And now that you are going to go on a date, you need to impress her.  Do you know where you are going?”

“We’re going to Darryl’s 1895.”

“You better hit dad up for some cash.  And what are you wearing?”

“I was going to wear a nice pair of cords and one of my Izod shirts, but I got the impression from Mrs. Prince that I might want to wear a suit.”

“Well, yeah… wear a suit,” Jack’s older sister said with a little grin.  “Anyway, take flowers for her.  Be a gentleman.  Open doors, all that crap.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?”

“You may be an annoying little brother, but your MY annoying little brother, and, honestly, you aren’t that annoying,” she said with a smile.  “I kind of like having you around.  And Amy’s a really nice girl.  I don’t want to see Dad flip out because you beat the tar out of Paul Murphy in a parking lot.”

Nicole ushered Jack back inside.  Their dad looked at them with a raised eyebrow. 

“He showed me how to set the balance and fader right on my stereo.  By the way, he has a big date tonight, so he might need to borrow some funds, Daddy.”

Jack almost laughed out loud when Nicole did that.  They both knew that when she broke out the “Daddy” line, she usually got what she asked for. 

“Big date, Sport?”

“Yeah.  Amy… from school.”

“Cheerleader that you’ve had a crush on since forever, that Amy?”

“Yeah.  We’re going to dinner.  I guess I could use a little money.”

“Here’s fifty bucks.  You should be able to get some flowers, too.  Good luck.  And tell her dad I said hi.  You guys oughta get along.  He’s a car guy, too.”

With that, Jack’s dad walked out of the living room and into the kitchen.  He usually wasn’t overly generous with his money, but between Nicole exploiting his weakness and Jack having a date with his dream girl, his Dad couldn’t help but give him a little boost.  Ed Dixon wasn’t stingy… he just didn’t hand out the big bucks too often. 

***

“Ed,” Bill said into his phone, “it’s Bill.  How ya doing, Guy?”

“Good, Bill.  Glad to hear our kids are finally having that date,” Ed replied. 

“Yeah, about that.  Do you know Paul Murphy?”

“Yeah, I think so.  Goes to school with the kids, Sean Murphy’s youngest son, that one?”

“The one and only.  Anyway, he was here last night when Jack asked Amy out.  And he was not happy.  Nothing happened, but I don’t trust that punk.  Keep an eye peeled.  He might try something.”

“I appreciate the heads up, Bill.  I’ll let you know if he shows up.”

“Roger that, Brother.  I’ll do the same,” Bill responded. 

They hadn’t just served together a little.  They interacted with each other on an almost daily basis.  They had been Special Forces Operators together, and now trained others in different aspects of covert operations. 

***

Date time had almost arrived.  Jack jumped in the Vista Cruiser with his mom and ran to the grocery store quickly for a bouquet of flowers.  He needed an experienced opinion and his mom was the most experienced person he could think of. 

She told him that a single lavender rose would be perfect.  Of course, Jack wanted to get a dozen dozen, for the compromise, he only got one dozen. 

He dropped his mom by the house and hurried over to Amy’s.  He was running a little early, so he parked at the marina around the corner to wait.  He didn’t want to appear too eager.  While he waited, he saw Paul Murphy drive by several times.  Paul probably didn’t know what car Jack would be in, so he didn’t know to look for the green, fake wood paneled Olds Vista Cruiser sitting nearby. 

At about three minutes to seven, Jack pulled in the driveway of Amy’s house.  He was hoping that he could get inside before Paul could see him.  Aside from knowing when the date was, he would be able to figure out where Jack lived if his mom’s car was on the street.  He was really hoping he was just being paranoid. 

Mr. Prince came out and greeted him in the driveway.  Luckily, they made it inside without Jack seeing any cars do a slow roll by. 

Walking into the foyer, Chrissy reached out and gave him a hug.  He wasn’t expecting that and felt a little awkward.  Here he was standing in the entry foyer, waiting on the girl he had dreamed about for almost six years… holding a dozen lavender roses, and wearing a suit… and a tie.  He hoped he didn’t look as uncomfortable as he felt. 

Right on time, like an angel descending from heaven, Amy came down the stairs.  She was wearing a simple yellow sundress with white polka dots, Jack thought it might actually be her mother’s dress, but she looked amazing.

“You look incredible,” Jack squeaked.  “I got you some flowers.”  Did Amy blush? 

This was going better than he ever dreamed.  He handed her the flowers and she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. 

“Thank you, Jonathan.  Mom, can you put these in water, please?”

Chrissy took the flowers and walked toward the kitchen to take care of them.  Jack couldn’t take his eyes off Amy.  Meanwhile, Mr. Prince just stood by. 

After a moment, Chrissy called from the kitchen for her daughter.  She said she needed a hand for a moment.  Mr. Prince took advantage of the moment to talk with Jack. 

“I promised you the 911 for the date, did you need some money for dinner?”

“You don’t have to do that.  I mean, it’s a really cool car and all, but we should be ok in the wagon.  And I should have enough money for dinner.”

“Jack, it’s my pleasure.  Here’s the keys, and here’s a couple bucks for dinner.”

The swapped keys and Mr. Prince tucked a $100 bill into Jack’s suit coat pocket just as Amy emerged from the kitchen.  She gave both her dad and Jack a quizzical look. 

“Are you ready to go?” Jack asked.

Amy slid her arm into Jack’s like she had the night before.  As she was getting ready to turn him toward the front door, her father announced that he wanted them to take his Porsche.  Amy’s eyebrow raised.  She looked toward her mother, who had just walked out of the kitchen, and her mom smiled and gave her a thumbs up.  Her hand tightened up a little on Jack’s arm, but she proceeded to walk toward the garage. 

***

“Chrissy, it’s Sharon,” Jack’s mom said when Amy’s mom picked up the phone, “isn’t it exciting.? They are finally going out.”

“About time.  I just wish we could have found a way to shove them together years ago,” Chrissy said. 

“I know… I guess we just have to accept it how it worked out.  At least it was their idea and not the result of us.”

“Yeah,” Chrissy said, laughing.  “Jack was so funny when he was here last night.  He’s such a sweet kid.  But Sharon,” Chrissy said, getting serious, “I do have one concern… Paul Murphy.  You know him, right?”

“I only vaguely know him.  I sort of know the family.  Did he make a threat?”

“Not really, but he was pretty ticked off that Jack and Amy were talking.”

“You be careful over there.  I’ll keep an eye out on this end.” 

***

Darryl’s 1895 was a theme restaurant across from Coliseum Mall.  It was decorated with artifacts and décor that would have been common in the late-1800s.  Most of the décor was related to fashion and popular trends of the day.  There were even some themed areas, like a streetcar booth and a booth in a carriage, as well as a wall that looked like the exterior of a street-side café.  The food was standard “American Fare” with much the same menu as one would find at any of a number of chain casual dining establishments, but for Amy it was the décor that was a draw. 

Conversation was pleasant, but Amy seemed a little more muted than normal.  Jack, meanwhile, was still in a bit of shock that he was even here.  He didn’t know if he should… or even could… “play it cool,” but that was what he was currently trying to do.  She had to know that he had a crush on her and had for years.  It was too obvious for her not to know. 

As they finished their desert, sharing a brownie a la mode, Amy asked, “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did my dad bribe you to take me out?”

Jack almost choked.  This was not something he’d expected.  But it made sense.  He was driving her father’s beloved Porsche, and did she see her father tuck money into his suit jacket? 

Just as Jack was thinking it, Amy leaned in and reached into his pocket… and pulled out the $100 bill her father had tucked in there. 

“What’s this?”

Jack could see tears starting to well up in her eyes.

“It’s not what you think.”

“Right… it never is,” Amy said.  A lone tear ran down her cheek.  “Go ahead…”

“Your dad wanted me to have enough money.  I told him I did, but he still tucked that in my pocket.”

“And the car?”

“I don’t know why he did that.”

“You aren’t very convincing, Jack,” she all but spat back at him.

It wasn’t lost on him that she didn’t call him Jonathan.  He knew that he was losing.  He decided to tell her everything… from the moment her dad invited him to the garage until he saw Paul cruising around her neighborhood before he picked her up.  Amy cried a little.  She laughed a little… but Jack could see that she at least believed him. 

“I was ready to do ANYTHING for you to go out with me.  I came to the party last night and my mission… the only thing I wanted to do… was to ask you on a date.  I was pretty sure that you were going to say no, but I couldn’t go through another summer without even trying.  I’ve had a crush on you since the moment you walked into Mrs. Garrison’s class in fourth grade.”

She stiffened up a little and he could see her eyes narrow.  “No, you haven’t.  You hardly talked to me after the first couple of weeks I was in your class.  Even last week at school, I said hi to you and you barely responded.”

“You were always with Paul…  I thought you hated me,” Jack said, eyes downcast.

“Because you ignored me…  I thought I did something that made you mad at me.”

They talked for almost an hour.  Jack’s heart was broken at the thought that Amy really liked him the whole time but thought that he didn’t share the same feelings.  She told him how she always saw him with his friends, and then as they got into Junior High School, he always seemed to have a different girl on his arm.  She told him that she tried to flirt with him or to attract his attention, but he never seemed to respond. He told her how it never seemed he could talk to her without Paul being two feet away, and that when she said hi in the hall or somewhere, that he was too tongue tied to respond… and how many times he’d kicked himself for not being able to say anything back. 

As they finished a second desert, Key Lime Pie, things seemed to be back on the same track they were on the previous day.  Jack reached across the table and held Amy’s hand.  She smiled and he could almost feel the warmth radiate from her.  He wanted this moment to go on forever. 

But he had to take her home sometime… 

It all changed when they stepped out to the parking lot.  Paul’s car was parked next to the Porsche.  And Paul was sitting in the car… waiting.  Amy froze.  She turned to Jack, real fear in her eyes.  Her hand, which was resting on his elbow, tightened on his arm. 

“Jonathan, what are we going to do?  I’m afraid of him and I don’t want him to hurt you.”

“I don’t want a scene here.  Let’s go back inside and think for a minute.”

They turned and walked back in the restaurant.  They were both wondering who they could call or what they might be able to do. 

“Jack!” came a voice from just beyond the hostess station. 

“Cy?  I didn’t know you worked here.  What’s up?”

Cy, short for Cyril, had been friends with Jack, and Terry and Bobby, for a couple of years.  He was a card-carrying member of the Nerd Herd, another one of the Theater Tech crowd.  He was friendly and affable, but also kind of gangly and came across as sort of a creep.  He was harmless but looked like someone that most of the girls in school would avoid like a plague.  And they did.

“Yeah, I’ve been here for a few months.  Living the life, busing the tables, you know?”  He paused.  “I thought that was you when I saw you walk out.  Did you forget something?”  Giving Amy an appraising look, “And are you going to introduce me to your lovely date?”

“Amy, this is Cy.”

“Hi Amy.  I’m pleased to finally meet you.”  Turning to Jack again, “You guys look a little spooked, is everything ok?” 

“Yeah, man, it’s…”

“No,” Amy said, cutting Jack off.  “It isn’t.  There is a guy out in the parking lot that I kind of know, that is parked next to us and I don’t think he is going to let us drive away without a fight.” 

Jack was hoping to get out of this without involving anyone.  He knew that he didn’t have a plan, but that didn’t mean he wanted to ask for help.  That was like asking for directions… maybe worse.  Guys didn’t do that. 

Cy kind of read between the lines.  It wasn’t rocket science.  Probably the jealous ex-boyfriend, Paul.  Then it hit him…

“Paul Murphy?”

Amy’s eyes widened, “How’d you know?”

“My name is Jonathan, but everyone calls me Jack,” he replied.

“Then I’ll call you Jonathan,” Amy said.

“Why not call me Jack?”

“I’m not everyone; I’ll call you Jonathan,” she said with a smile.  

“Ok,” Jack replied, a little perplexed.

And that’s what she did.  When lunch rolled around, Jack sat down with his regular friends, but then noticed Amy was alone.  He moved over to join her.  Her smile beamed at him.  At recess, they sat on the teeter-totter and talked while rocking up and down.  Just before the end of the day, Amy leaned over and gave Jack a slip of paper with her phone number.  He quickly scribbled down his number and gave it to her. 

“Just in case you miss an assignment or need to catch up or something,” he said quickly.

He didn’t know what it was about Amy, but he knew that she was different from his other friends.  When she smiled, it made him smile.  A week ago, girls had cooties… but with Amy he might be willing to risk it, he thought. 

***

Over the next couple of weeks, they spent a lot of time together.  But Jack never worked up the courage to call her.  He thought about it, though.  And his nemesis, Paul Murphy started developing an interest in the new girl, too. 

Paul had been a bully as long as Jack had known him.  He wasn’t beating kids up for their lunch money, but that probably wasn’t out of the question for him.  If he wanted a certain seat in the cafeteria at lunch, he took it.  If he wanted a swing or teeter-totter on the playground at recess, he took it.

He told Jack that Amy was going to be his friend.  Jack could walk away or get pounded.  Over the next few days, Paul started butting into conversations.  He let Jack know, in no uncertain terms, that if he said anything to Amy about it, Paul was going to beat him to a pulp.  Jack tried to resist.  He kept talking to Amy, hoping she would see Paul for what he really was… but it seemed like she had a blind spot when it came to Paul’s bullying.  Of course, she hadn’t been around him since kindergarten, either.  Most of the kids didn’t want to say anything, fearing that they would draw the attention of Paul.  He had some sort of charm, though.  He was popular and well-spoken.  Most people didn’t see him as the threat Jack saw him as.  So, Amy just kind of fell into Paul’s orbit and was eventually cut off from everyone else in the class.  Jack’s feelings were hurt.  He felt personally rejected.

“Some kid that has known her from the day we moved here, Jack.  You might not remember, but I brought her to school on her first day, in fourth grade.  I watched her walk into a classroom of strangers that morning.  The teacher introduced her to the class, and she sat at the only empty desk… which was next to yours.  And you introduced yourself.  Later, the teacher told me that you came over to sit with her at lunch when she was by herself.  You sat with her at recess when everyone else was with their other friends.”

“I guess…”

“Jack, she was excited to go to school the next day, and the day after that because of you.  She was devastated when we left Florida, but you made it better.  I owe you one, Son.”

“Thank you, Mr. Prince.  I don’t know what to say.”

“Go ask her out… that would be a good start,” as Mr. Prince gave Jack a wink and a smile.

“Yes, Sir.”

***

Jack walked back into the house with purpose.  Amy’s father telling him that particular story was probably more motivational than either could have imagined.  He had worked his courage up to an eleven.  When he saw Terry in the Family Room, he asked him where Amy was.

“I think she’s out by the pool… at least she was a minute ago.”

Jack purposefully marched across the room and out the door. 

As soon as he saw her, his knees started to quake.  Her curly blonde hair shimmered in the moonlight.  She wasn’t standing with Paul, but he was only an arm’s reach away.  They weren’t going out again, were they?  Was Jack going to have to get in a fight for asking Amy out?  Even if he and Amy weren’t together, Paul thought of her as property… he had acted like he’d owned her for years.  Almost all the way back to that first day she was at his school.  Jack knew he could take Paul down if he had to, but he didn’t want to be “that guy” and cause a ruckus at someone’s party.

As Jack paused there in the doorway, Mrs. Prince strode out from the kitchen door and directly toward Paul.

“Paul, can you help me with something?” she asked.

“In a minute,” he replied. 

Jack turned to Mrs. Prince, “I can help you.  What do you need?” he said as he intercepted her.

“Jonathan, hi.  What you can help me with is to get my daughter away from that jerk,” She whispered. 

Wow…  Jack didn’t know what to think. 

“Call me Jack.  Everyone does,” Jack said as he smiled.

Mrs. Prince continued walking over to Paul and lightly took his elbow.  Jack heard her mention something about a box on a shelf she couldn’t reach.  He heard Paul ask her where her husband was… and why he couldn’t get it.  But she was undeterred.  She was finally able to manage getting him away from the area Amy was in. 

Courage was way down from that eleven a moment ago… maybe a seven.  He could still do this.  He looked over at Amy.  ‘How could he be intimidated by a girl that only stood a couple of inches over five feet?  Heck, she couldn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds dripping wet.  Because I’m not fighting her, I’m asking her out’, he thought to himself.  ‘This is WAY scarier.’

He closed the distance… just a couple feet away. 

Courage down to five… tops. 

“Hi Amy”

“Hey Jonathan.  What’s up?  Are you ok?  You look a little… pale.”

“I’m good… I think.  Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“I’d like that.”

“Like in private… or something?”

“I guess,” as she kind of scrunched up her forehead, wondering what was going on.  He looked like he was about to pass out.  She was thinking she might need to find him a seat. “Should we go into the kitchen?”

“NO…  I mean, no… maybe we can just walk out across the yard…” he said, his voice cracking on the first word.

As she turned to walk out into the yard, she slid her arm into his.  He didn’t even know if he could talk now.  When had she actually touched him last, Jack thought?  He suddenly remembered her punching him in the arm in sixth grade… was that it? 

“Are you ok, Jonathan?  You are acting kind of weird.”

She was the only person that ever called him Jonathan.  Well, her and his grandmother, but that was it. 

“I’m ok… I… “

“Want to sit on the bench?”

“Ahh, sure.”

“So, what’s on your mind?”  She looked at him intently.

“Will you marry me?”

“Jonathan…  I… I… I…” she said, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Wait…  I meant will you go out with me… like on a date?” he quickly added as his eyes drifted toward the ground.  Jack wanted to crawl into a hole and die.  He was mortified.  He had just asked her to marry him and even in the pale light at the back of the yard, he could see that all the color drained out of her face.  His too.  He was positive that if he tried to stand up right now, he would pass out. 

“Oh…  You scared me for a minute there.  I mean you are nice and everything, but…”

Here it comes, Jack thought.  She is going to shoot me down.  At least I can go to my grave knowing I gave it a shot. 

“I was just thinking it might be nice to have dinner or something, maybe Darryl’s…” he blurted out before she could finish. 

You’re about as smooth as sandpaper, Jack thought to himself.  Breathe.  Breathe again. 

“I was just going to say that it might be a little sudden to get married,” she said as she giggled.

As she finished saying it, she looked over his shoulder and greeted Sherry. 

“Oh, hey Sherry, what’s up?” Amy said.

“Just getting a little fresh air… saw you guys over here and thought I’d say hi…  Unless you wanted me to go,” the pitch of her voice dropped a little and the last words dragged out.  It dawned on her that Jack might have been trying to talk to Amy in private.  “I should go.”

Jack was silent… 

“No, you can hang out with us if you want,” Amy said. 

There was an awkward conversation for the next few minutes… at least Jack felt awkward.  Sherry and Amy were talking about all sorts of stuff… mostly clothes or make-up or something, maybe.  Jack was zoned out.  He spent the whole time just hoping Sherry would get up and walk away so that Amy could let him down easy…

“What do you think, Jonathan?”

“Huh?”

“You weren’t even listening, were you?” Sherry said.

“What?  No… sure.  I was listening.”

“What were we talking about, then?”  Amy might have said it, but both girls were thinking it.

“Umm.  Ok, I was just thinking about something.”

Sherry smirked.  “I bet you were.”  Then gave Amy some secret, knowing look and a giggle. 

Jack was sure he was going to die right there.  If he thought he could get up and make it across the yard, he would have run away.  But he was sure he would drop dead from embarrassment before he got to the house.  He had to take the shot, though.

“I’m going to go get a drink,” he mumbled… thinking he would try for the kitchen.  When he turned and looked, he saw Paul standing right by the doors into the Family Room.  That meant the kitchen was clear.  He had to get to get out of there. 

Jack got up and started walking across the yard, thinking that walk had become much longer while he was sitting there.  With Amy’s arm in his, it had only taken a moment to cross yard, but now, after rejection, it felt like he’d been walking for an hour… and he wasn’t any closer to the kitchen. 

He couldn’t catch what they were saying, but he could hear Sherry and Amy talking and laughing behind him.  He didn’t even want to know what their conversation was about.  They were probably joking about him thinking that Amy would even entertain the idea of going out with him. 

Finally reaching the kitchen, he walked in the door.  ‘Too bad there wasn’t any booze… I could drown my troubles’.  He hadn’t actually ever had a drink, but it seemed like what they always did in the movies. 

“Can I get you a drink, Jonathan… Jack?”

“Make it a double, Mrs. Prince.” 

“Four fingers of punch, coming up,” she replied with a smile.  “What happened?  She didn’t say no, did she?” 

“I don’t know…  I couldn’t sit there anymore.  She was gonna…”

Jack didn’t know why he was saying all of this to Amy’s mom.  He hadn’t really seen her except in passing at a few school events since Amy moved to Hampton.  It wasn’t like she had ever actually talked to him much before or anything. 

“Does Amy call you Jack?”

“No… I don’t think she ever has,” he replied, thinking.

“Well… Jack…  she never calls you Jack when she talks about you at home, either.  Always Jonathan.  It’s kind of funny.  She calls everyone else by their nicknames.  All but you.”

“Oh.”

Jack was thinking through what Chrissy had just said when Sherry walked in.  Before he could ask what Amy said about him at home, Sherry was sitting on the stool next to him at the breakfast counter. 

“Amy was wondering if you could bring her a punch when you go back out there.”

“Sure… I guess.”

Jack had just been thinking how much he was not looking forward to walking back across the yard… like walking to his own execution.  Chrissy put a drink for Amy down in front of him and wished him luck. 

He barely remembered to grab his own drink as he stood up to go face his fate. 

Once more into the breach. 

Jack looked up as he walked across the yard and saw that Amy was still sitting on the bench.  She was looking toward the Family room part of the back patio.  When he followed her gaze, it went straight to… Paul.  He looked back down at his feet as he kept walking. 

“I thought you were never coming back,“ Amy said… a little too cheerfully.  “I was getting thirsty out here.”

“Oh.  Sorry.”

“That’s ok.  You’re here now,“ she said as Jack handed Amy her drink.  “So, where were we?  Oh yeah, you asked me to marry you.”

Jack felt himself flush and couldn’t help but notice her grin when she said that.  It felt like she twisted the knife he stabbed himself with.  He didn’t see actual malice in her eyes, but that’s all he could think.  His eyes lowered… and his head followed.  He was defeated.  Defeat. 

Then she kissed him on the cheek. 

“I’d love to.  When should we go?  I’m not busy tomorrow?”

He looked up.  “Huh?”

“I said we can go tomorrow.  To dinner.  I think you said Darryl’s?”

“I…  I …  I heard you,” he said softly.  “Sure.  Tomorrow?  How about seven?”

“I’m looking forward to it.  I’ll talk to you later, ok?”

“Ok…  Great.” He said as she bounded up to walk away.  She gave him a quick hug before she headed back toward the house.

When he looked back at the house, the first thing he saw was Paul… looking straight at him.  He turned his head slightly and saw that Amy was walking toward the kitchen.  He looked back and saw Paul was still staring at him.  Then he noticed Mr. Prince was talking to Paul.  And so was Terry. 

What the heck is going on, he asked himself. 

As he got up to walk back toward the house, Terry started walking toward him. 

“Hey, Jack, let’s go grab some punch in the kitchen.”

“Sure…  What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you in the kitchen,” Terry said as he steered Jack away from everyone else. 

Mrs. Prince handed Terry a couple of glasses of punch.  Terry handed one to Jack.

“I think Paul wants to kill you,” Terry said… too casually.

“Crap.” 

“No, it’s ok.  I think Mr. Prince wants to kill Paul.  My money is on Mr. Prince.”

“What the heck happened?”

“Well…  I saw you over there talking to Amy when Sherry went over there.  I was going to try to come back and drag Sherry away… I figured you were asking Amy out and thought Sherry really wasn’t going to help you on that front.  Then I saw Paul looking like he was going to make his way over there.  Being pretty sure that would be even less helpful, I tried to intercept him.  I started asking him things about my Camaro…  You know, he doesn’t know anything about cars.  He was…” Terry rambled.

“Terry, focus, Man,” Jack said as he tried to draw Terry back to what was going on with Paul.

“Sorry.  Anyway, I kept trying to turn him away from you guys.  Next thing I know, Mr. Prince is standing next to me and talking to Paul, too.  I turned around and you were walking across the yard.  I think he herded Paul toward the Family room.  I was going to come to the kitchen and talk with you but saw Sherry coming across the yard.  What happened in here with Mrs. Prince?”

“I don’t really know.  I know we talked, but I really don’t remember what she said.  And then Sherry came in and told me to take a drink to Amy.”

“Man, that was when it started to get dicey, Jack.  Mr. Prince was trying to get Paul in the house as soon as he saw you come out.  I think he was asking him about stereos or something.  I don’t know.  But I thought he was going to push him inside.  Paul kept staring at you, then you got up… and here we are.”

“Jonathan…  Jack…  I don’t know if I can get used to thinking of you as Jack, sorry,” Chrissy said as she walked over to the two teens.

“That’s Ok, Mrs. Prince.  You can call me whatever you want,” Jack said with a smile.  “And I really appreciate you talking with me earlier.”

“Jonathan?  Who is Jonathan?” Terry asked.

“That’s me.  It’s my actual name.  But the only person that ever called me that was my grandmother… and Amy.”

“So, where did ‘Jack’ come from, if you don’t mind me asking?” Chrissy said. 

“No, that’s ok.  My dad always said that ‘Jack’ was a nickname for John, like John Kennedy.  My family always called me Jack… except for my grandmother, my mom’s mom.  She always calls me Jonathan, not Jack, not Jon.  Always Jonathan.  I don’t know why, though.  Everybody else has just always called me Jack,” he babbled

“Then why does Amy call you Jonathan?” Chrissy asked. 

Jack sat there for a minute thinking. 

“Because I’m not ‘everybody else,’” Amy said as she came down the back stairs into the kitchen.  She paused, “You really don’t remember?”

“I guess not.” 

Chrissy piped up, “I think I know why…”

“Mom, you REALLY need to stop talking now…” Amy pleaded, “Please?”

“Maybe you’re right.  I’ll save that story for another time.”

Jack and Terry just looked at each other, wondering what that was all about. 

“Hey, man, I think we need to get rolling.  It’s getting late.  I’ll go get Bobby and Sherry and we can make like a tree.” 

“Jack, why don’t you stay here with me until they are ready.  Amy has duties to attend to as a good hostess, as her guests leave, and you and I can get to know each other a little more.”

“Mom?!” Amy said with direct stare and mortified look on her face.

“Don’t worry, honey.  We won’t talk about anything important.” Chrissy said as she made a motion to zip her lips at her daughter and then winked at Jack as Amy and Terry were walking out of the kitchen.

“Amy talks about me at home?”

“I can’t say,” Chrissy said with a huge smile.  “But I will tell you that your friend there thinks a lot of you.”

They made a little small talk.  About the only real thing that Chrissy said was asking Jack if he had a suit.  And she strongly hinted that he should consider wearing it for the date tomorrow, the date he had been dreaming about ever since he knew what a date was. 

Terry, Bobby and Sherry came into the kitchen a few moments later.  They thanked Chrissy for the hospitality and walked out through the garage.  As they climbed into the car, Sherry was the first to call shotgun. 

Thirty minutes later, Jack was unlocking his front door.  He still wasn’t sure what all had happened.  He knew he had a date, that was the important part, but he really didn’t know everything that happened around it.  And the ride home was a blur. 

***

Opening the door, he was surprised to find his sister standing there. 

“What’s up, Nicole?”

“Hot date tomorrow, Bro?”

“How…”

“Everybody is talking about it.  What happened?  I heard Paul Murphy was absolutely raging.  What did you do?  I thought I was going to have to render first aid when you came home.  That’s why I told Mom I would wait up for you.  Did you want to borrow my car?” she blurted, barely taking a breath.

“Ok.  So… yes, I have a date with Amy tomorrow night.  I don’t know everything that happened.  You might talk to Terry, but he said Paul was mad… I don’t know.  But I’d love to take your car.  Mr. Prince said I could take his 911, but I would still rather show up in your car than mom’s or dad’s. “

“Well… I’m not talking to Terry, he kind of creeps me out.  Not as much as your friend Bobby, but still.  And I asked if you WANTED to borrow it, I didn’t say you actually could,” she said with a laugh.  “You still aren’t THAT interesting.  Anyway, I’ll talk with you in the morning.  There are some things I heard that you probably ought to know.”

“Thanks, Sis.  I’ll see you in the morning.  And for your information, I coulda’ handled Paul Murphy if it came to that.”

***

After the last of the guests left, Amy plopped down on the sofa next to her mom.  He dad blew them both a kiss and headed up the stairs. 

“So?” Chrissy started, “are you gonna tell me what happened?”

“Mom, it was so sweet,” she started, “he started the ask me out and instead he asked if I would marry him.”

“No!  Get out.  Really?”

“Yes.  I felt so bad for him.  I could see him trying to pull the words back in as soon as he said it.  He was so embarrassed.  But I wanted to grab him and hug him.  Then Sherry Cross came over and Jonathan came to the kitchen.  What did you say to him?”

“He looked pretty rough when he walked in, Honey.  I couldn’t understand, because just looking at him I would have thought you told him you wouldn’t go out with him.  I tried to cheer him up a little.  Then we talked about his name.”

The two talked for a little while and Amy let her mom know how excited she was to finally get to have a real date with the boy she’d always liked.  When they were done, she all but floated up the stairs to her room, thinking of her big date.

“I’m going to talk with Jonathan Dixon tonight.  I made sure he knew he was invited to the party, and I am going to sit and talk with him.  I don’t know what happened, but I need to find out why we haven’t been friends like we were when I first moved here.”

“Good deal.  Need me or your dad to do anything?” Chrissy asked.

“Yes… nothing.  Don’t do a thing,” she said with a smile.  After breakfast she got up and headed back to her bedroom.

“She sure is chipper this morning,” Bill said to his wife.

“I hope she stays that way.  She’s been morose since she and Paul broke it off.  And I know that Jonathan Dixon has been on her mind a lot.  I hope they can talk tonight.”

“I guess my job will be to run interference and make sure they have some time to chat.  Murphy isn’t invited, is he?”

“I don’t think so,” Chrissy replied.

***

The school year had just finished up the previous afternoon.  And all day, Jack had been playing with the new camera he’d gotten for his birthday.  He had been hoping for a car.  His older sister, Nicole, had gotten a car last year for her sixteenth birthday, a brand-new Mazda RX-7, and it was sweet.  His grades were better, and he almost had earned his Eagle rank in Scouts.  He had his eye on a Camaro Z-28 at the Chevy dealer… he’d even dropped a few hints, but instead he got a Nikon F3HP.  It was top of the line, but hard to drive on a date. 

It was just about dinner time.  Too bad Nicole wasn’t cooking.  Mom made her “famous” meatloaf… I don’t know why it was famous, certainly nobody outside of our house had ever heard of it, was his normal retort.  It wasn’t exactly amazing.  Heck, it wasn’t even consistent.  Jack thought she just rolled up random stuff in the meat and let it fly.  And when he would invariably say “Oh no, not Meatloaf again.”  He never got a laugh.  Maybe the family didn’t appreciate Rocky Horror humor, but then again, he wasn’t old enough to have seen the movie.  He did try to sneak in with his friends, Bobby and Terry, once, though. 

“Hey Jack,” Nicole said from across the table, “is tonight the night you finally ask her out?”

“Thanks for blowin’ my cover, Sis,” Jack said back a little too harshly.

“Little Brother,” she replied in her ‘I know more than you could know’ voice, “you need to just take your best shot.  The worst that could happen is that she says ‘no’, and then you aren’t any worse off than you are now.  Besides, you’re going to her party, right?”

“Is whoever you are thinking of asking out a nice girl?” Jack’s mom said.

“Yes, Mom, she is a very nice girl… definitely on the Mom Approved list,” Nicole said, flashing a smile at Jack. 

After dinner he went out with his friends to Amy Prince’s party celebrating the end of the school year.  There were rumors that there wouldn’t be any parents and that there might be a little alcohol there.  Jack had had a crush on Amy since fourth grade, although if she had any inkling about it, she hadn’t let on for the last few years.  Every time he saw her in the hallway his heart sped up a little bit… or a lot if her boyfriend, Paul Murphy, wasn’t around.  While she generally said hi to him, aside from that it seemed like she didn’t even know he existed, at least since fourth grade.  And he could barely manage a response most of the time.  

Eight o’clock rolled around and Terry pulled up in his car to pick Jack up.  They were going to swing by Bobby’s to get him on the way to the party.  He still wasn’t sure how his friends managed to get an invite.  Bobby and Terry were serious geeks, and a different social stratum than Amy.  Jack liked them, they were great guys, but their “circle of friends” was pretty limited.  Not only were they geeks, but they were “theater geeks…” and the worst kind of theater geeks… they were “sound and lighting nerds.” 

As they pulled up in front of Bobby’s, he came streaming out the front door… 

“Shotgun!” 

“Seriously?  I’m already sitting here,” replied Jack. 

“I’m not going to be able to get in without you getting out, so I’m calling shotgun,” was Bobby’s retort. 

“Fine, but I call front seat for the ride home.”

“Not if I pick up a girl,” Terry piped in.  “You losers are on your own then.”

Bobby and Jack both started to laugh.

“What?”

Bobby said, “You haven’t even talked to a girl outside of class that isn’t related to you, man.  What makes you think you are going to get all Don Johnson smooth tonight?” 

“Could happen, and hey… I talk to Sherry Cross.” 

“I better line up my ride home then,” Jack replied, rolling his eyes dramatically. 

They all piled back in, Jack in the back, and headed to Amy’s house.  The invitation said the party would start at eight, and it was almost half past… things ought to be rolling by now, they thought. 

“Jack,” Terry asked, “what gives with Amy?”

“What do you mean?” he replied.

“What I mean is that you are usually a confident guy.  You’ve had a dozen pretty girlfriends since Junior High and seem able to walk up and talk any girl you want… except Amy.  You get near her and you turn into a mess.  You don’t seem to be able to think around her.”

“I don’t know, Man.  I used to talk to her.  We used to be friends.  Then she got mad at me, and since then it has just gotten worse.  I think part of it is that I’m scared to say the wrong thing to her or something.  I don’t know…”

“Maybe you oughta just forget about her and pick a different girl,” Bobby added.

“I can’t.  I’ve tried.  Even though she might crush me, I have to give it my best shot or I won’t be able to let it go.  And what about you and Sherry Cross?” Jack said, turning to Terry.

“Don’t go there.  Look, she isn’t interested in a guy like me.  A guy like you?  Sure.  But not me.  I’m so far below her league that Bobby’s pathetic attempts to hit on her don’t even bother me,” Terry said, a bit sad.

“Don’t be draggin’ me into your pity party.  I think Sherry likes me.  She just might not know it quite yet,” Bobby said confidently.

***

As Terry’s brown, six-cylinder, LT trim Camaro rolled to a stop on Bay Avenue in front of Amy’s, they took in the house for a moment.  It was obvious that Amy’s parents were fairly well-off.  The two-story brick colonial had a circular driveway and they could see the 4-car garage on the side… with a Porsche 928 and a Mercedes Benz peeking out from a pair of the stalls.  This was the first time any of them had been here and they were all impressed, if not a little intimidated.  Aside from the large garage, the house could have just as easily been in Colonial Williamsburg.  Beyond the house they could see Hampton Roads, where the James River, Elizabeth River and Nansemond River met the Chesapeake Bay.  

Dreams of a parentless party were soon dashed when Amy’s father opened the door and beckoned them in.  Upon entering the house, they were greeted by Amy’s mother.  It was obvious that Amy came by her beauty naturally.  Her mother was a petite woman with shortish blonde hair, just like her daughter.  In fact, it looked like they could share clothes.  Amy’s mom was a perfect contrast to her father, who was rather tall, with just a hint of grey hair around the temples, but otherwise short black hair, clean shaven, and with an easy manner that probably served him well socially and professionally. 

The inside of the house would have been just as comfortable in Colonial Williamsburg as the outside.  The curved entry stair with beautiful oak woodwork, and art reminiscent of the late nineteenth century dominated the entry foyer.  There was a closed room to the right that Jack assumed was Mr. Prince’s home office and an open entry to a formal dining room to the right.  Straight ahead was the short hallway to the back part of the house and the family room. 

As parties went, this one looked pretty tame at the moment.  Amy was just coming down the stairs from getting ready.  There were a couple of other people from school in the family room, and that was about it.  Including the three newest attendees, there were only half a dozen people there, and Amy’s parents, of course. 

Amy ushered them into the family room with the other guests.  Jack couldn’t help but notice that she was a little more reserved in greeting Terry and Bobby than she was in greeting him.  He got a hug, which he was reluctant to let end.  Terry cleared his throat and broke the momentary spell Jack was under, and he released Amy to continue her hostess duties. 

“Apparently you rank a couple levels higher than us, man.  No hugs for the riff-raff,” Terry whispered to Jack with a grin. 

“No doubt,” Bobby chimed in. 

But both Terry’s and Bobby’s attention was soon turned to Sherry, who had apparently been among the first to arrive.  She was one of the few girls from school that was regularly social with the “nerd herd,” although she was social with almost everyone else, too.  She had one of those personalities that just made people like her.  She always wore a smile, remembered everyone’s name, and seemed to know whatever was important to them. 

She had been across the room talking with a couple of boys Jack didn’t know.  She quickly excused herself and made a beeline toward Jack, Bobby and Terry.  She casually greeted all three of them, giving each a quick hug.    

***

As the night wore on, the party picked up.  By ten o’clock, there were probably forty high schoolers milling around in the family room or out by the pool in the backyard.  Jack had managed to even make a little conversation with Amy, but after a moment she always excused herself to go mingle with the other guests.  Meanwhile, it always seemed that when Jack looked at the couch, Terry and Bobby were sitting there talking to each other… while trying to inconspicuously sneak glances at the girls from the cheerleading squad, who were there.  They would never venture a chance at talking to any of them, though.  Or any of the other girls at the party, or anywhere else, except Sherry. 

More than anything Jack wanted to ask Amy on a date, and he had sworn to himself that tonight was the night he would build up the courage to do it… although he was hoping that there would be a little something extra in the punch to help him.  That wasn’t going to be the case. 

Terry tapped Jack on the shoulder.  Jack jumped.  How the heck could a guy the size of Terry sneak up on someone.  He was six-two and two-seventy-five.  And he was about as light on his feet as a sledgehammer.  But there he was. 

“Are you gonna ask her out? “

“Uhhh,” Jack was caught off-guard.  He’d told Terry he was going to do it, but he hadn’t gotten any closer to realizing that goal. 

“Man, seriously?  You’ve wanted to ask her out since what, sixth grade?  What is stopping you? She isn’t going to ask you, and it isn’t like I’m some sort of magical wingman that can do your bidding.  She barely acknowledges my existence.”

“It’s been since fourth grade.  And I don’t know what to say.  I don’t even know if I’ll be able to get words out if I walk over there to ask her.  I mean, we used to be friends, but we haven’t said ten words to each other in years.  Honestly, I think she got mad at me about something and I don’t know if she ever moved past it.”

Amy waved at Jack… and he realized he was staring at her while he talked. 

Sherry casually asked Jack if he wanted to ask her out… “Just to practice the lines,” she said. 

Where did SHE come from?  Jack would have sworn that she was standing by the pool table a second ago talking to those guys from that other school again.  She wasn’t big like Terry… heck, she was like five foot five and probably had to carry schoolbooks in order to hit one-thirty on a scale… but still, was Jack losing it?  Everyone seemed to be able to just sneak up on him. 

“Thanks Sherry.  I appreciate it.  You’re a good friend.  But I think I’ll be ok.” 

“Whatever it takes, Jack.  You need to ask her out.  You’ve wanted to for as long as I’ve known you, and she and Paul broke up.  The time is right,” she said.

Jack finally got up the courage to try to think about asking Amy on a date.  He was still pretty nervous and didn’t know if he could go through with it, but he started across the room. 

Boom… right in front of him was Amy’s dad. 

What the heck, Jack thought.  Does he know I’m going to ask his daughter out and he already knows he doesn’t like me and is derailing me?  And how can absolutely everyone sneak up on me like this?

“Amy tells me you are a car guy.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“I’ve got a couple in the garage that you might like.  Want to take a look?  You can bring out your buddies if you want.”

“Sure.  Terry, Bobby, want to see some cars?”

Terry was all over it.  He wanted to get a closer look at the Porsche 928.  “Be right there,” he quickly replied. 

Bobby just kind of grunted.  He was busy trying to get Sherry interested in him.  A fruitless quest that he had been on since elementary school.  But Jack took that as a no, since he didn’t move to get up. 

Jack stepped into the garage behind Mr. Prince, Terry all but on his heels.  What they thought was a four-car garage was actually a LOT bigger.  There were four doors across the front, but it was easily two cars deep.  Maybe more.  There were also a couple of lifts with cars parked above others. 

Aside from the 928, there were a couple of other Porsches.  Jack recognized the 911 Targa right away, but it took him a moment to figure out the silver one. 

“I know that isn’t a 356 Speedster,” Terry said.

“550 Spyder” Jack pitched in almost out of nowhere.  He had seen one in a magazine… it was like the James Dean “death car”.  He was killed in one driving it to a race in 1955.  

“Very good.  I ran across this one a few years ago.  It didn’t have the right motor in it, and it was a mess.  But a guy that works for me happened across the original engine in the classifieds in Hemmings Motor News and I was able to get it.  I got real lucky finding it the way I did.  I could never afford it otherwise.”

“That car looks amazing, Mr. Prince.”

“Thank you, Jonathan.”

“Yes, sir.  Please, call me Jack.  Everyone else does… even my parents.”

Bill laughed a little at Jack calling him ‘sir.’  Despite having spent twenty years in the Army, he was still more comfortable with people using his first name. 

“I love the AMG 280 over there,” Jack mentioned, not even close to being comfortable enough to call Mr. Prince by his first name. 

“That one isn’t even mine.  That is Chrissy’s.  Amy wanted me to get it for her mother’s birthday, and who am I to say no, right?”

“Is that a Model A in the corner, Mr. Prince?  The one under the cover.”

“Good eye, Jon… Jack.  I got that car when I was in eleventh grade.  That is the car I wooed Chrissy in.  Without that car, I don’t even know if she would have gone out with me,” Bill laughed. 

Seeing all the amazing hardware in the garage, three Porsches, an AMG-Mercedes, a Pantera, a lowered fifties Ford truck, and a couple of muscle cars… Jack was starting to doubt he would ever be able to get Amy to go out with him.  Mr. Prince had a Hot Rod to catch her mother’s eye.  He was pretty sure that neither the Vista Cruiser nor the Corolla were going to catch Amy’s. 

“These are some rad cars,” Terry chimed in. “I’ll be back in a minute… I’ve got to run in and find the restroom.”

“Between here and the kitchen, on the left.” 

“Thanks, Mr. Prince.”

As soon as Terry cleared the threshold into the house and closed the door behind him, Mr. Prince turned to Jack, “Are you thinking of asking my little girl out on a date, Jack?”  He wore a serious expression as he posed the question to the teenager.

Panic welled up in Jack… he started stammering.  He was positive that her father was about to shoot him down before he even got off the ground. 

“N.. I.. umm.”

***

”Hi Princess,” Bill Prince, Amy’s father said as she walked into the kitchen, “sleep well?”

“Weird dream,” she replied as she pulled a couple of toaster waffles from the freezer.

“You look kind of stressed, want to talk about it?” Chrissy Prince, Amy’s mother asked. 

“It’s nothing.  Just a dream.”

“Need a ride to school, kiddo?” her father asked.

“Sure, Daddy, thanks.”

***

“I don’t give a shit what you do, Amy,” Paul Murphy said with a smug look on his face.  “We’re done.  I’ve been good to you, and you treated me like garbage.  I’m tired of it.  I can do better,” he finished before he turned a walked away. 

Amy saw him walk over to Candace Clinton and whisper something in her ear before he headed to class.  Candace looked over at her and sneered before turning and heading to her class.  As Amy stood in the middle of the lockers, with the first period bell about to ring, a single tear rolled down her cheek.  Perhaps not as much because of hurt from Paul as for the loss of time.  She’d invested so much in their relationship.  This wasn’t the first time they’d broken up, but this time felt different to her. 

She turned and saw Jonathan Dixon’s back as he walked away from his locker.  The dream came back to her in a rush.  What was it about him?  He hadn’t said five words to her since fourth grade.  And seeing him now almost made her heart hurt.

***

Jack had heard the rumors.  Paul Murphy was going to dump Amy Prince.  What kind of moron dumped Amy Prince? he thought to himself.  Beautiful, smart and as sweet as someone could be… except to him.  Could Murphy really be that stupid?  Well, fine, if Murphy was that stupid, that could leave an opening for him.  Of course, that little issue of her not having anything to do with him might be a problem.

As he was getting his Biology book from his locker, out of the corner of his eye he saw Amy at her locker.  Wow, she always looked so beautiful.  It was everything he could do not to turn and stare at her.  When he took the chance to steal a glance, Murphy was walking up to her.  His back was to him, so he looked a moment longer. 

“I wonder what he is so animated about?” Jack thought to himself as Paul waved his arms around talking to her. Did it happen?  Did he just dump her right here by her locker?

He looked back into his locker as Paul turned and walked past him.  Then he glanced back up at Amy.  He could see the tear on her cheek, but she didn’t even seem to notice he was there.  Jack grabbed a couple of books and headed to first period.  How could she be heartbroken over that guy?  Any guy but him.

When lunch came, Jack made his way through the line.  Carrying his lunch tray, he saw Terry Gates sitting at a table by himself.  As he was setting the tray down, someone bumped into his back. 

“If you even TALK to her, Dixon, I’ll kill you,” Paul Murphy said quietly from behind him.  “You hear me?”

“What are you talking about? You dumped her,” Jack said as he turned. 

“She still belongs to me, asshole.  Just don’t you forget it.”

Murphy walked away and Jack, after shaking his head, sat down and looked across the table at Terry. 

“What was that?” Terry asked.

“That butt-wipe dumped Amy Prince this morning, and he just told me that if I talked to her, he’d kill me… because he ‘owns’ her.  What an ass,” Jack said, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah… he’s an ass, alright.  But he also could pound you into the ground like a tent stake.”

“Maybe… maybe not.”

Terry smiled, “Dream on Jack.  He’s twice your size,” changing the subject, “hey, wanna go to Capri tonight?  I was talking with Bobby and Sherry.”

“Sure.  Sounds fun.  Seven?”

“It’s a plan, Man.”

***

Her school day was a blur.  She knew she’d been there.  As she sat at the desk in her room, she had notes from her classes, but none of it seemed real.  Nothing seemed real after Paul dumping her.  She was just numb and alone.  She couldn’t even go to cheerleading practice.  Miss Foster, the Cheer Coach, hadn’t bothered to question her.  Maybe she’d heard about the break-up and felt sorry for her.  But now it was Friday afternoon and she needed something to do… something to take her mind off Paul. 

She got on the phone and started calling some friends.  Everyone seemed to have something going on.  As the evening approached, it looked more and more like she was going to spend it staring at the TV… or sitting in her room reading. 

Around quarter to seven her mom came into the house.  She’d had a volunteer training for something.  Amy forgot what it was, her mom was involved in so many things. 

“Hey Amy, did you make dinner, by any chance?” Chrissy asked her daughter as she plopped down on the couch next to her.

“Sorry, no, Mom.  I didn’t even think about it.”

“No worries.  Hey. Your dad is stuck at the office, want to go grab something… or do you have a date?”

“Paul dumped me, Mom,” Amy replied, saddened but not tearful.

“Let’s go get a pizza.  We can talk about it.”

***

As Amy and her mom walked into Capri Pizza, she saw Jonathan Dixon sitting in a booth with Sherry Cross.  They were across from Terry Gates and Bobby Smith.  Sherry waved, but Jonathan didn’t even seem to notice she was there.  She and her mother slipped into a booth a few spots away. 

“So, Amy, what happened?”

“He dumped me… not a lot to tell.  I was at my locker before first period, and he told me I didn’t treat him right.  He said he was through and walked away.”

“I know that you might not think so, but it’s going to be ok, Amy.  I never thought he was the guy for you.”

“I know you haven’t … Daddy, either.  Thanks for not rubbing my nose in it.  But no other guy has even seemed interested in me.  I don’t think ever.  Even before, when Paul and I were on the outs, nobody acted like they might be interested.”

“You’ll find the right guy.  I know you will.  Got anyone in mind?” Chrissy said hopefully.

“I wish.  I literally can’t think of a single boy that so much as looks my way.”

“What about the Dixon boy?  You guys used to be so close when we first moved here.”

“Jonathan?  He hasn’t said two words to me since like fifth grade.  I really don’t think that’s gonna change.  Besides, he’s sitting a couple of booths behind me with Sherry Cross.”

“Oh,” she said, pausing, “maybe they’re just friends.”

“She’s smarter than that, Mom.  But you know what’s weird?  I dreamed about him last night?”

“Jonathan Dixon?”

“Yeah.  It was weird.  He dived in front of me and Paul shot him.  I think he died, but then he just disappeared.”

Chrissy Prince’s eyebrow rose at the idea, “Any idea why?”

“No… and I mean, Paul wouldn’t just shoot someone.  And why would Jonathan, who I barely know anymore, jump in front of me?  And then Paul told him he deserved it.”

“I don’t know what it means, but I’ve never been one to put a lot of stock in dreams.  Maybe it means that Paul Murphy isn’t who you think he is.  Maybe…  Heck, I don’t know.”

“What about you and Dad?  Did you have any problems like Paul and me?”

“Like what?  Breaking up?”

“Yeah, I guess?” Amy asked.

“Not specifically.  I mean, before we started going out, I had a huge crush on him, but he was a couple years older, and I wasn’t on his radar, so to speak.  So, I had my work cut out for me just to get him to see that I was in the room… and there were only a few girls in the whole school.”

“What did you do?”

“Gosh, it seems so long ago.  I barely remember.  I do know that I made sure we were at a lot of the same social events, which in northern Michigan meant bonfires in the summer.  He finally took notice of me and took me to his Senior Prom.  By then I knew we were going to get married.  He just needed to realize it, though,” she answered with a wistful smile.

“I wish I could have it that easy.”

“It might seem like it was, but it wasn’t.  I spent years worrying that he would forget about me.  He was all over the world, and I was just a little girl in northern Michigan.  And then I had to worry that he wouldn’t make it home.”

Chrissy and her daughter spent the evening talking and eating.  Amy learned a lot more about her parents.  Everything had always seemed so easy for them, but now she knew that it wasn’t.

***

“Hey Jack, look who just walked in,” Sherry said to him.

“Amy?  Who is she with?” he replied, trying to see if he could look without being obvious.

“I think that might be her mom… or she has a sister nobody knew about,” Sherry replied.

“Since she and Paul Murphy broke up, are you gonna ask her out?” Bobby asked, “If you don’t, I might.”

“You probably have a better chance.  I’m pretty sure she hates me… but then you’ll have to deal with Murphy.  I wouldn’t be shocked if he takes a swing at anyone that dares to talk to her,” Jack replied.  “He threatened me today at lunch… said she was his property.”

“That seems like a good reason not to ask her, then,” Terry added, shaking his head.

“I’m not afraid of him.  He’s a blowhard, but I think he’d fold if someone actually stood up to him,” Jack replied.

“Testing that theory isn’t exactly high on my list.  I don’t think ‘getting my ass kicked’ was on my to-do list for this school year,” Terry replied, flatly.