Frank Downey - Dance of a lifetime

Then Sophia saw movement coming up the street. "Uh Oh."

"Uh oh, what?"

"Remember how you were talking about my friends, and how I said they’d just have to get used to it? Well, here comes the first test. That’s Jessie walking up the street."

"Your best friend, Jessie?"

"The same."

"You wanna get up and sit next to me, so she doesn’t see us all cozy like this?"

"Not on your life."

"Wow. Did somebody give you a chutzpah infusion today?" They both laughed, as Jessie walked up the stairs to the porch, a very quizzical look on her face.

"Yo, Soph," she said.

"Hiya, Jessie. Jess, this is Warren."

"So this is the famous Prep Boy, eh? Right. So whatthe fuckis going on here??"

Warren and Sophia both laughed. "OK, Jess," Sophia said, "I fucked up that introduction. Jess, this is my boyfriendWarren."

"BOYFRIEND????"

"That’s right."

"When did thishappen?"

Warren laughed, as Sophia replied, "Oh, about five or so minutes ago!"

Jessie moved to the chair across from the bench where Warren and Sophia were. She looked completely dumbfounded. Then she looked at Warren and said, "You mean to tell me that the Preppie actually had the balls to ask you out?"

Sophia laughed out loud, as Warren looked embarrassed. "Actually, I asked him out."

"Where did youget the balls to ask himout?"

"Dunno. I just did."

Jessie was completely amazed. Then, she got a wry little smile on her face, and said to Warren, "Very nice. Can’t even ask the girl out yourself, haveta wait until shedoes it. Typical Preppie."

"I am never going to live thatone down, I can see it now."

"Got that right." She looked back at Sophia. "So, the Party Woman Extraordinaire is going out with the Ultimate Preppie, have I got this right?"

"Right."

Jessica snorted. "You know, this is gonna go over realwell with the gang at the next beer and bong bash."

"I don’t care, Jess."

"No, I don’t suppose that you do. Probably a good thing. You’ve spent too much time worrying about what other people think, Soph, I’ve told you that before. Not caring what anyone else thinks is a big step."

"I know."

Jessica thought for a minute. Then she looked at Warren with a practiced eye. "He’s not bad-looking, is he? For a preppy, I mean."

"I feel like a piece of meat," Warren mock-complained.

"You just learn your place, honey, and we’ll get along just fine," Jess spat out. Sophia cracked up laughing.

"Course, I can’t see his assin that position, so I can’t give him a number grade, but he seems to look presentable and all."

"Is she always like this?" Warren asked.

Sophia giggled. "Oh, this is mild, man-of-mine. You haven’t gotten even a hint of Full Metal Jessica just yet."

Jessica snorted, "Damn straight. Hey, I’m trying to be open and welcoming, here."

Warren laughed at that. "And the effort has not gone unappreciated. Unnoticed until you mentioned it, maybe, but not unappreciated."

Jessie looked at Sophia, in amazement. "Prep Boy actually gives as good as he gets?"

"Frequently."

"Wow. The mind boggles. You’ll have to excuse me, but I haveseen my entire worldview turned upside down in an instant, here."

Sophia said, "Your worldview? Imagine the flips minehas taken in the past couple of months! Actually, Jess, you’re taking this quite well. I expected a whole ‘Are you crazy, what the hell do you think you’re doing???’ rant by now."

Jessie looked serious. "And, a month ago you might have gotten one. Sophia, you love him?"

"Yes"

"Preppy, you love her?"

"Completely."

"Good. Considering what’s gone on in Sophia’s life recently, I only have one rant to make." She stood up. "Preppy, listen to me and listen good. You had better make damnsure you are very fucking good to my one and only best friend. Do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, ma’am."

"Good. You hurt her like those other assholes and I will rip your balls off and feed them to my hamster."

Jess softened, and sat back down. "But you’re not the type to hurt his girlfriend, are you? No, not at all, I’d wager," she said almost to herself. Then she recovered herself: "Besides, look at the two of you, cuddling up all cozy-like. It’s enough to make a body sick." They all laughed.

"Jess," Sophia said, "thanks for making this easy. I really appreciate it."

Jessie snorted, "What? Me stand in the course of true love? Heaven forbid."

Warren chuckled. "Honey, I have to get going. I have a pile of studying, plus I’m hungry."

"Can you call me later?"

"Sure." They got up, and shared a good-bye kiss, as Jessica made mock-gagging noises. They just looked at her and grinned, and Warren headed off down the street.

From behind him, he heard Jessica yell, so he could hear. "Alright, Sophia, I give the ass an eight!"

Sophia sat at her kitchen table, doling out the happy meals to Eric and Tara, her younger brother and sister. Eric was 8, Tara 6, and they really were cute kids. She had to baby-sit tonight after work, because her mother had gotten an extra shift at the hotel where she worked the front desk. Luckily, she had company-Warren had come home with her. He had gone with her to McDonalds to get some food, and was now making googoo eyes at Tara while he ate his Big Mac. Sophia smiled to herself, as Warren engaged Eric on the finer points of the Boston Bruins’ power play. Then he made more funny faces at Tara. Tara was utterly charmed, Eric thought Warren was "neat", and Sophia couldn’t stop smiling. She’d never had another boyfriend who even acknowledged Eric and Tara’s existence. What a guy, she thought for about the millionth time in the two weeks that they had been going out.

"You’re really good with little kids."

"I like ‘em. Always have. And Eric and Tara are cool."

"You’ve got these at home, didn’t you say?"

"Yeah, but a little bit older. Ryan is eleven, and Kristin is nine."

"Well, you’ve got Eric and Tara eating out of the palm of your hand."

Warren laughed. "It’s practice."

"Practice?"

"I told you I want to be a doctor, right? Well, what I want to be is a pediatrician."

"Judging from my siblings here, you’ve certainly got the bedside manner thing down already."

"It was easy with them. They’re good kids."

"I gotta get ‘em ready for bed. Wanna help?"

"Actually, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna crack these books. I did tell you if I came over with you, you’d have to put up with me studying for a bit."

"Right. OK, come on guys, let’s get those PJ’s on!"

Sophia got her brother and sister ready for bed, and Tara insisted on coming down to "kiss Warren goodnight." Eric settled for a high five. Sophia shooed them up to bed, then came back down to find Warren with his nose buried in a book.

"Watcha readin’?"

"Hamlet."

"Isn’t that Shakespeare?"

"Uh-huh. I wasn’t lying when I told you I read him for fun, but this is an assignment. I’ve read it before, but it’s been a while, so I’m refreshing my memory. I got my biology done so I figured I’d delve into Hamlet for a while."

"Why do you do this?"

"Do what?"

"Study so hard."

"So I can get good grades, which will allow me to get into a good college, which if I continue to get good grades will allow me to get into medical school."

"Got it all figured out, eh?"

"Well, I am only fourteen. Things could change. But you still need the grades to get into college, that part doesn’tchange."