“I’ll get it out of you Danielle Anne Lassiter. You just wait and see.” Meredith picked up her palette again.
Dani just nodded and looked out the window again.
Meredith shook her head confused by the jealousy she’d felt at Dani liking some guy. Dani liking some guy seemed like a betrayal somehow. She took another deep breath and reminded herself that she had a job to do. The portrait wasn’t going to paint itself. They settled back into their usual silence.
Meredith leaned back to take in the day’s work. She still had a lot more to do, but at this point anyone who looked at the portrait would definitely know who the subject was. She cleaned off her brush and made some mental notes for their next session the following Friday. She made another mental note to thank Mrs. Levine for letting them steal time from their regular art class. She didn’t know when they would have found time to do the portrait otherwise.
Meredith had fully intended to give Dani the portrait once Mrs. Levine photographed it for her portfolio, but Meredith had become attached to it in a way she had never been attached to any other. She wanted to keep those blue eyes, that smiling expression, for herself.
Dani broke the silence. “Now it’s my turn to ask what you were smiling about.”
“Oh, uh...nothing, really.” Meredith didn’t realize she had been smiling. “I was just mentally thanking Mrs. Levine for letting us use her workroom. She’s pretty cool.”
“Yeah, she is.”
Meredith put the paint palette back in its plastic box. She stood up to restore order to the workroom and found Dani watching her intently. Meredith marveled at her expression, how Dani could on one hand appear to smile, but on the other hand look so completely serious.
As the silence grew between them, Meredith began to feel uneasy to the point of being uncomfortable so in order to change the mood she teased her friend again. “So, who are you thinking about? Hmm?”
The hint of Dani’s smile waned. She said, “Don’t you know?”
Meredith, confused, searched her brain for who or what it was she was supposed to know. “I don’t. You’ll have to tell me.”
Dani withdrew and Meredith felt a sudden void in the small room. As an artist she was keenly aware of the energy surrounding people, and the abruptness in which Dani retreated felt almost like a physical blow. The tiny workroom suddenly didn’t have enough oxygen. She said, “I think we’d better quit for today.”
“Sure.” There was resignation in Dani’s voice.
THE HARD BLEACHERS dug into Meredith’s legs as she tried to get comfortable on the cold wood. She pulled her winter coat tighter. The third week in March was no time to be sitting outside watching a sporting event and yet there they were at Dani’s first lacrosse game. Meredith had done some research about the game on the internet, but what she read did little to shed light on the fast-paced game on the field below. She tried to follow the action, but basically took her cue from the rest of the fans, of which there were many, and from her father, who had been able to switch his shift at work to be there that afternoon. He seemed to know an awful lot more about lacrosse than he ever let on. He was the one, after all, who had once said that lacrosse wasn’t a sport.
Meredith still hadn’t figured out what had happened to cause that brief uncomfortable moment in Mrs. Levine’s workroom two weeks before, but Meredith was relieved that she and Dani hadn’t strayed from their comfortable routine. They still met each other at their lockers every morning and told each other all the things they had forgotten to tell each other during their phone call the night before. Meredith even got a little lonely during the school day because she had to wait until sixth period to see her friend. She liked having someone to walk with in the hallways and she particularly enjoyed sitting next to her friend in two classes. Meredith was positive that Mr. Dalton had caught them passing a note once, but had overlooked their indiscretion. She had never had a friend pass notes to her. Oh, she used to get notes passed to her, but they were never the kind she wanted to read.
Meredith cheered and clapped and stomped her feet along with the other fans when Dani scored her second goal. The Whickett High School Wolves now led by a score of 3-2. Meredith watched proudly as Dani celebrated her goal by sprinting back to midfield holding her lacrosse stick high in the air.
Mikey and her father seemed equally proud as they continued to clap. Her father finally sat down when the game began again at midfield. “Dani’s quite an athlete. That Syracuse coach would be crazy not to take her.”
“Yeah, I know. She’s so quick.”
“And, speaking of Syracuse...” He reached inside his coat and pulled out a thick envelope. “This came in the mail for you today.” He held out the envelope so she could see the Syracuse University return address.
Meredith’s jaw dropped open and her eyes got wide. She reached for the envelope carefully as if it might disintegrate. “Dad! Why didn’t you tell me?” She ran her fingers over the return address and flipped it over.
“I was waiting for just the right moment.” He smiled at her, his eyes bright with pride.
She reached a finger under the flap. “It’s thick. That’s a good sign, right?”
“There’s only one way to find out, daughter. Open it.”
She took a deep breath and exhaled forcefully. She teased open the flap and pulled out the thick set of papers inside. She scanned the first paragraph of the letter and caught the words, “pleased to accept.” She stopped reading and threw her arms around her father. “I got in! I got in!” A few people looked their direction, but Meredith didn’t care. She had just gotten accepted to Syracuse University. “I can’t believe I got in.”
“Of course you did. You’ve got the Bedford genes working for you. Congratulations, honey.” Her father beamed at her and opened his arms for a hug.
Mikey naturally wanted a hug from Meredith, too, and she obliged, but her thoughts quickly turned to Dani. “Do you think Dani got in? We might room together. Oh, my God. I hope she got in. She probably doesn’t know yet.”
“Ask her after the game.”
“I will.”
“Too bad your mother couldn’t be here for this.”
“Let’s call her.”
“Already done. I told her I’d call if it wasn’t an acceptance letter. She said she’d see you tonight after her shift.”
“I can’t believe you both knew before I did, but who cares. I got in.”
Her father smiled. “Of course you did. Now, since we’re on our own for supper, where do you want your old man to take you? We should celebrate.”
“Really? Okay, uh, how about Fiesta Loca? You know, near the old house we’re researching for our project?”
Her father’s eyes followed the action on the field. “Sure. How about it, Mikey? Are you up for some Mexican?”
“Mekin! Yeah, Dad.”
“Excellent. Ooh—” A Whickett player received a hard push from a player on the opposing team. “You can’t check in girls’ lacrosse, can you?”
“Dad, you’re asking me? I have no clue. Ask Dani.”
“Yeah, what was I thinking?” He rolled his eyes. “Let’s see if Dani wants to go out to supper with us, okay?”
“Okay. That’d be cool.” Asking Dani to have supper with her family suddenly made her nervous. “I’ll ask her after the game.” If Dani got into Syracuse, too, they could eat together every night. Meredith swallowed hard around the lump forming in her throat.
The horn blew for halftime. The Whickett players ran to their team bench and sat down. Dani told Meredith that the Whickett High School coach, Ms. Pratt, had only been coaching for two years, but was very cool. Cool like Mrs. Levine. Meredith watched the young coach push her long brown hair out of her eyes and then address the team. She referred to her clipboard as she talked to them.
Meredith stood up and stretched. “Hey, Mikey Pikey? Do you want to walk around the track?”
“Okay, Mewey, c’mon.” He reached for her hand.
“Dad, I’m going to take him for a lap around the track to tire him out a little.”
“Good idea. I’ll go see what they have at the concession stand.”
Meredith and Mikey walked down the steps of the sizable bleachers. Meredith opened the gate to the track that surrounded the football-turned-lacrosse field and smiled when Dani looked up from her team’s halftime huddle. Meredith chanced a small wave and Dani nodded ever so slightly back. Dani had announced at the March senior class meeting that very afternoon that there were only fifty-nine school days left of high school. Fifty-nine. Although Meredith yearned for freedom, she felt a bit of nostalgia for the routine she and Dani shared, but if Dani got into Syracuse, they would have a different routine, one that would be even better.
Meredith held onto Mikey’s hand tightly. At the three-quarter mark on their trip around the track, a lacrosse ball shot in front of them narrowly missing Mikey. Mikey, unfazed about almost getting hurt by the small hard ball, struggled out of her grasp and ran for it.
Sarah, Dani’s supposed best friend, stood with one hand on her hip waiting for Mikey to get the ball. Without saying a word, Sarah snatched the ball rudely out of his hand and stalked back onto the field.
Meredith, surprised at Sarah’s rudeness, called after her, “He was just trying to help, Sarah.” “Yeah, whatever,” Sarah said without turning back. Sarah spoke with such venom that it made Meredith wonder if maybe the ball had been thrown at them on purpose.
Meredith stewed as she and Mikey made their way back to their starting point behind the Whickett team bench. Meredith spotted Dani on the field with a water bottle in her hand. Mikey must have spotted her, too, because he yelled, “Gooooo, Dani,” and ran up to her. He hugged her with all his might.
“Hey, dude. What’s up? Are you having fun?”
“Fun.”
“Excellent.” Dani looked up from the twelve-year-old wrapped around her middle. “Hi, Merry.”
“Hi.” Meredith took a deep breath. She didn’t want Dani to know that Sarah had made her angry. She forced a smile and said, “You’re awesome. I had no idea.”
“Well...thanks.” Dani seemed embarrassed by Meredith’s praise.
“You’ve created a monster with my father. He’s having a blast. He’s teaching me everything he knows about lacrosse.”
“That’s cool. The rules aren’t that complicated, really. I’d better get ready for the second half. Coach might pitch a fit if she thinks I’m goofing off.”
Meredith was dying to ask Dani about Syracuse, but decided she should wait until the game was over. Dani might not know yet. Or worse. Maybe she hadn’t gotten in. She reached for Mikey’s hand to extract him from Dani’s waist. “C’mon, Mikey. Let’s go find Dad.”
“No.” Mikey squeezed Dani even tighter.
Dani had a slightly panicked look in her eyes.
“Mikey,” Meredith tried again, “Dani has to go play. We have to go back in the stands. I think Dad bought some snacks. You want some snacks?”
“No! Stay Dani.”
Meredith shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, embarrassed. “He can be so stubborn when he gets something in his head. Why don’t you try?”
“Okay.” To Mikey Dani said, “Hey, dude? Do you want to sit on the team bench? You and Merry can watch from there.”
Meredith whispered, “Are you sure? Won’t your coach get mad?”
As if silently called to end the controversy Coach Pratt strolled over to the girls. She said, “Uh, Dani? Have you put on some weight? Around the middle?” She pointed to Mikey who had buried his face in Dani’s midriff.
Dani laughed and said, “Coach, he’s having a little separation anxiety, I think. Do you think Mikey and Meredith can sit on the end of the bench?”
The coach considered the request for a moment and asked, “Are we sure he won’t run onto the field?”
Meredith nodded. “He won’t. He’s scared of the fast pace.”
“Okay,” Coach Pratt nodded, “but maybe we can do better than that. How about we make Mikey an assistant manager. He can run after stray balls and fill up water bottles with Christopher. Hey, Christopher?”
Christopher walked over carrying a crate of recently-filled water bottles. He didn’t appear to be the athletic type. His shaggy hair fell into his eyes and his large belly indicated more of a videogame lifestyle. According to Dani, though, Christopher was an excellent team manager and made sure the players and coach had everything they needed.
The coach nodded toward Mikey and said, “I’ve got an assistant manager for you.”
Christopher put the crate on the bench. “Cool! I could use the help. What’s your name, big guy?”
Mikey still held on strong to Dani, but he turned his head toward Christopher and said, “Mikey. Mikey Bikey.”
Christopher laughed.
Dani patted Mikey on the head and said, “So do you want to help Christopher?”
Mikey finally released his stranglehold. “Hep Krifer,” he said and looked up at Christopher.
Christopher raised his eyebrows in question.
Dani laughed. “He said ‘Help Christopher.’ So, yeah, he’s ready to help.”
Meredith beamed. Dani was getting pretty good at translating “Mikey-speak.”
Christopher laughed again and tousled Mikey’s hair. “Okay, big guy, let’s put these warm up jackets back on the bench. See how they’re on the ground? Messy.”
“Messy.” Mikey followed Christopher and helped him pick up the jackets.
Meredith smiled and said, “Thanks, Coach. This is all he’s going to talk about for weeks. I’m sure.”
“No problem. Dani can get you a schedule of our home games. We’ll expect him at every home game, okay?”
“Every game? Wow. Wait ‘til he hears that. I’ll sit on the end of the bench, just to make sure he’s okay.”
“Great.” The coach turned from Meredith as the two-minute warning sounded.
Dani flashed Meredith a thumbs-up and jogged over to her teammates.
Meredith looked for her father in the stands and pantomimed that she and Mikey were going to watch the second half of the game from the team bench. He nodded his understanding and sat down in the bleachers by himself.
The second half started and Meredith found herself more engrossed in the game than she ever thought she would be. A couple of times the fast moving athletes frightened her when they came close, but it was thrilling just the same. She was fast becoming a girls’ lacrosse fan and wished she had brought her camera. Next game she’d get some action pictures of Dani Lassiter, #5, Whickett High superstar.