Quite an Undertaking - Devon's Story (17 page)

“Okay, Dad. See you later.” I snatched my coat out of the closet, threw it on, and headed out the door.

I’d be home well before midnight if I could help it. I waved at Gail and hopped in the backseat behind her. “When did it get so cold? Why are we doing this?”

Gail turned around to face me. “You know as well as I do, dork, that it’s an excuse to get out of the house.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Travis backed the car out of the driveway and headed in the opposite direction of the firehouse where the tree lighting

ceremony was held.

I said, “Hey, where are we going?”

Travis laughed and Gail said, “Did you forget? We have to pick up Mike.”

How could I forget?
“Oh, yeah. I guess I don’t know where he lives.”

“Now you will,” Gail said smugly.

Gail chatted away in the front seat about the latest gossip going around school involving one of the cheerleaders and her boyfriend. The shop teacher, it seemed, caught them smoking pot in the girl’s car. I was completely uninterested, but threw in a couple of well-placed “um-hmm’s” and “oh, really’s,” so she’d think I was listening.

We pulled up the long driveway to an old farmhouse. I couldn’t tell in the dark, but I didn’t think Mike’s family worked a farm. Lots of people in the North Country lived in old farmhouses, but didn’t have farms.

Mike bounded out his front door wearing a red plaid hunter’s jacket and a matching red cap, the kind with the ear flaps. Even if I was straight, there would be no frickin’ way I’d go out with Mike if he was a hunter. I think my grandmother would have been more upset with me going out with a hunter than with a girl.

“Hey, Devon. How are ya?” A blast of cold air preceded Mike as he climbed in the backseat.

“Looks like you’re going hunting.” Nothing like getting that right out in the open.

“Oh, I’m not a hunter.” He leaned in closer to me and whispered, “I just like the look.”

“Hey,” Gail barked from the front seat. “What are you two doing back there?”

Oh, please. “Keep a lid on it Marsters.” I nudged her shoulder from the back seat.

“Well,” she said with fake indignation, “be that way, Raines.”

“Cat fight,” Travis hollered.

“Whoo hoo,” Mike joined in.

Gail meowed which made the two guys howl louder.

“Hey,” I yelled. “Get yourselves together. We’ve got a tree to light.”

Mike laughed. “Who’s got the lighter?”

“I’ve got some matches,” Gail said.

“No, no. I’ve got it,” Travis said. “We stop at Stewart’s, fill up a gas can, pour it all over the tree, and then Gail can throw her matches on it.”

“Yeah,” Mike said. “This’ll be the best tree lighting ceremony ever.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “You are all c-r-a-z-y. Certifiable, I think.” I had to admit Mike fit right in with us dorks. I was sorry I had to be cold to him all night.

Gail pointed at the crowd gathering in front of the firehouse. “Look how many people are here already. We’re never going to find a parking spot.”

A church choir began singing from the platform. I checked my watch. “Hey, we still have twenty minutes. Plenty of time.”

“Cool,” Travis said. “I’m going to go around the block and see if we can park at the Big M.”

Travis found an open spot in a dark corner near the receiving platform of the supermarket. We parked and then walked back around the block toward the firehouse. Our breath vaporized in the crisp night air. The tree lighting ceremony was kind of dumb, but here we were with everybody else who lived in Grasse River. As we fought through the throng of people, I had to laugh because once again I was relegated to second-class status. Travis and Gail held hands as they carved a path through the people while Mike and I tagged along behind. I hoped that Mike wasn’t trying to figure out a way to hold my hand. I kept my hands jammed deep into my coat pockets, just in case.

We found a not-too-crowded spot by the nativity scene. We stood around for barely a minute when Mike blurted, “Hey, do you girls want hot chocolate? I think they have some at the firehouse.”

“Sure,” I said. “Thanks.”

Mike smiled. I got the feeling that he thought he had just scored a point with me. Well, he had kind of, but in a friendship way. I’m sure that wasn’t the kind of point he wanted it to be, though.

“Cool, we’ll be right back.” He tapped Travis on the arm, and the two guys took off toward the firehouse.

I stepped in next to Gail. “Why is it so cold?”

“Because it’s December, dork. Travis keeps me warm, though.”

I groaned. “Gail…” I stopped because I wasn’t sure how to tell her that I wasn’t interested in Mike that way.

“What? You sound so serious all of a sudden.”

“I just…It’s Mike. I know you’re pushing for me to go out with him.”

“Me?” She put a hand to her chest as if to deny her involvement in any such thing.

“Yeah, you, dorkhead. I just don’t like him like that.”

“Oh, c’mon, Dev.” She looked at me as if I had two heads. “What’s not to like? He’s cute, he’s smart, and he’s into the newspaper as much as you are. He’s a runner, too, just like you. It’s perfect.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I do like him, but just as a friend.”

Gail sighed and nodded toward the guys heading toward us, holding two styrofoam cups of hot chocolate each. “Don’t make such a fast decision. Why don’t you wait until we spend time alone with the guys at Bruster after the tree lighting?”

“Oh, no you don’t. I’m not going to Bruster with him.” I didn’t finish my thought out loud, but stared at her wide-eyed and screamed in my head,
‘You and Travis are going to make out in the front seat making Mike and I uncomfortable, but then he might get bold and try something. So, no frickin’ way am I going on a double date, or whatever you call it, with you and Travis.’
I didn’t say any of it out loud, but I did think it—loudly.

“Oh, c’mon, Dev. What do you have to lose? He’s a great guy.”

I knew she wasn’t going to let up, and the guys were almost on us.

“Hey, just drop it. Okay? Can we talk? Tomorrow?” I had to tell her about me, and I had to do it soon because I couldn’t take the pressure anymore.

“Oh, but, me and Travis are—”

“Can’t you guys be apart for two minutes? God!” Maybe it was the pressure of the guys approaching, but I couldn’t help my mini explosion. I felt bad instantly, but it was already out there, and I couldn’t take it back.

She looked at me for a long time, long enough for Mike and Travis to reach us. Mike handed me my hot chocolate, and Travis handed Gail hers.

I thanked Mike and took a sip. I wished the hot chocolate was actually hot because my outburst at Gail had turned an already cold evening colder.

“Hey, honey,” Gail grabbed her boyfriend’s arm. “I hope you’re not disappointed, but me and Devon want to go to the mall tomorrow to do some Christmas shopping. Can we go to the movies another time?” Gail must have had her sixth sense radar going and understood that I needed my best friend. She gave him her best boo-boo face.

I could tell that he couldn’t resist her. She had him wrapped around her little finger. “Sure,” he said. “No problem. I wear a size large and prefer my jewelry gold.”

“Ha, ha,” Gail said with exaggerated mirth. “Don’t worry, honey, I’ve already got something special planned for you.”

I looked at Mike and grimaced. He rolled his eyes in agreement.

The Grasse River fire chief got everyone’s attention when the microphone squealed so loudly we had to cover our ears. As the chief began introducing the various Grasse River dignitaries on stage, I noticed Mike shuffle toward me until our arms touched. I wasn’t sure how to move away without making him uncomfortable, but, hey, I was already uncomfortable, so I broke contact and moved closer to Gail. I think he took the hint because he didn’t try to move closer again.

After what seemed like two hours of speeches, I looked at my watch. The actual lighting of the tree was long overdue. I shook my head. I wanted to get this stupid Christmas tree lit and go home.

“What?” Mike asked so quickly that he must have been watching my every move. Kind of the way I did with Rebecca. It was not a good feeling.

“Oh, uh, I was just thinking that these things take so long.”

“Yeah,” he said and held my gaze.

I looked away quickly. There will be no eye gazing, young man. I hoped he heard my loud thoughts.

The chief started the countdown to the tree lighting, and Gail smiled at me. She must have witnessed my awkward exchange with Mike. I smiled back and was glad she and I were still okay. At least I hoped we were still okay. I wondered what she’d do when I came out to her at the mall the next day.

MY MOM PULLED the car up to the main entrance of the Maplewoods Mall. “What time should I pick you girls up?”

I took off my seatbelt and looked at Gail as if consulting her mentally. “Uh, well, it’s eleven now, so maybe three?”

Gail nodded.

“Okay, you girls have a good time and be safe.”

“Okay, Mom. Thanks.” I got out of the car and met Gail on the sidewalk.

After the tree lighting ceremony, Gail had been smooth getting Travis to drop Mike off first and then me. I’m sure Mike was confused about the shortened evening, but Gail just acted as if that was all we had planned to do. I had less than four hours to figure out a way to come out to her. I called Missy earlier that morning for a consultation, but she advised me against telling Gail. I thought about it all morning, but decided to go against my big sister’s advice. Missy said I might lose my best friend, but I prayed that Missy was wrong, for once.

“Hey,” Gail said, “let’s hit the toy store. I want to get Travis a Corvette. He wants a real one, but a toy one’ll have to do this time.”

“Sure.” I unzipped my coat and stuffed my gloves in one pocket and my scarf in the other. I felt like an Eskimo.

We reached the toy store, and Gail headed off to the toy car section. I wandered around and found myself in front of a shelf filled with stuffed animals. The display made me think of the black and white panda bear I had thrown in the trash at school. I sifted through the miniature stuffed animals, and a devious plan sprang to mind. Rebecca told me to forget about her, but I was too far gone for that. I picked out a penguin, a dalmatian, a whale, a cow, a zebra, another panda bear, and a skunk— although I’m not so sure the skunk was a good idea. If I had the nerve I’d begin implementation of my newly developed, highly devious plan on Monday.

“You’ve got a boatload.” Gail watched me dump the stuffed animals on the checkout counter. She had a bag in her hand, so she must have found the little Corvette she’d been searching for.

“Yeah, I got lucky.” I didn’t elaborate, but was ready to lie if she asked. I was going to say that they were for Missy because she had a black and white comforter or something.

We left the toy store and started walking toward the Sears. Every store in the mall was jammed with Christmas stuff and each one blasted a different holiday song. The cacophony of sounds added to the thundering mental clock ticking down on freaking out my best friend.

A group of French-speaking Canadians walked by us. Gail nudged me in the arm. “Half of Canada is here, eh?”

“Shut up, eh?” I giggled. Ah, this was the Gail I knew. I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard after all.

We passed by the jewelry cart where I bought my new earrings with Rebecca three weeks before. An overwhelming sense of nostalgia overtook me.

The sales woman must have sensed me staring her direction because she looked up from her customer and smiled. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.” My heart started pounding. Did the sales woman know? How could she?

“Who was that?” Gail asked as we walked on.

“Oh, I don’t know. I bought earrings there a few weeks ago. Maybe she remembered me.”

“Weird.”

“Yeah,” I agreed.

Gail wanted to look at the next cart, and my heart almost stopped. Glass snow globes filled one side of the cart. They were the same kind of snow globes that my grandmother collected. I picked up the closest one and shook it. The snow drifted around two tiny deer and pine trees. My grandmother would have loved this one. She loved the Adirondack Mountains. I felt my chest tighten, and my heart grow heavy. I shook the snow globe again mesmerized by the falling plastic flakes. Tears were in my eyes before I could stop them, and the falling snow became a blizzard in my blurred vision. I squeezed my eyes shut hoping I wouldn’t break down sobbing in the mall. Despite my best efforts, a stream of tears started falling down my cheeks. I felt a protective arm go around my shoulders which startled me into opening my eyes.

“You okay?” Gail asked.

I started to nod, but the look of compassion in her eyes sent me over the brink. I shook my head and buried my face in her shoulder. I cried. I couldn’t help it, and I didn’t care if anyone saw me.

When I caught my breath, Gail said, “C’mon. Let’s go over here.”

She took the snow globe, put it back on the cart, and shuffled me to a blessedly empty bench. I used the sleeve of my jacket to wipe at my tears.

“Sorry.” I attempted a laugh.

“It’s okay, Dev. What happened?”

I took a deep breath and held it. When I was sure I wouldn’t start crying again, I exhaled. “Grandma collected those.” Tears welled up in my eyes again as I pointed to the cart.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. This must be so hard for you. Christmas and all.” She patted my hand in consolation.

“Yeah.”

“Hey, you know what?” Gail’s voice was perky.

“What?”

“You know what always makes me feel better?”

“What?”

“Ice cream.”

I laughed and let myself be led to the busy food court. Instead of ice cream, we decided on lunch. After we got our food, we claimed a table from a couple of senior citizens who were just getting up. I took the paper off my turkey wrap and took a bite. I hadn’t had breakfast, so I was hungry, especially since I’d gone for a run that morning in the frigid temperature after calling Missy. I had been trying to clear my head, but the bitter cold made my lungs burn so much that I only went out about a half mile.