Page 22 of Something Like Summer
“But he was happy enoughto go along with it!” Mr. Cross countered, refusing to take hiseyes off of Ben. “I bet you think you’re real smart, pulling thewool over my eyes, don’t you?”
“No,” Ben answered again,beginning to feel agitated. He handed Allison her wallet and stood.“I have to go home.”
“Yeah, you go home! Youwon’t ever be coming back here again, you hear me?”
“Fine, whatever.” Bigloss. It wasn’t like they ever spent any time here with Mr. Crossbeing home so often.
“You won’t be seeingAllison again either.”
Ben stopped in his tracks.“What?”
“Your friendship with mydaughter is over. You’re never allowed to see her again. Or call,or anything else!”
“Dad!” Allisonprotested.
“Shut up,Alli!”
“You shut up!” Ben yelled,surprising even himself. “You can’t tell me who I’m friends with.You can’t tell me anything!”
Mr. Cross’s shock onlylasted a second before blind fury took control. Two long stridesbrought him close enough to grab Ben by the back of the neck. Mr.Cross shoved him toward the door, releasing Ben as he stumbledforward. “Get out!” he screamed. “Get out of my house!”
The second Ben opened thedoor, he felt himself shoved from behind. He hit the screen door,which buckled open. Sprinting to the driveway, he hopped into Tim’scar, his shaking hand stabbing at the ignition until the key slidinside. Once the engine sprang to life, he put it into drive andescaped down the street. He looked in the rearview mirror to seeMr. Cross standing in the yard, huffing and puffing like a bull.Allison stood behind him, a look of complete shock on herface.
* * * * *
There was, thankfully, verylittle that Mr. Cross could do to prevent them from seeing eachother during the weekdays, short of sending Allison to a differentschool in another district. This possibility wasn’t so far-fetched.The idea would have seemed laughable a few short years ago, but Mr.Cross’s grip on reality was slipping at an exponentialrate.
Seeing each other afterschool was too risky so soon after the fallout, but they still hadthe benefit of lunch break and choir. Mrs. Hammond enthusiasticallyinsisted they leave class to practice, either in the auditorium, orif it was being used as it was today, then outside.
The two friends werecurrently enjoying a sunny bench secluded by two large oak trees.Ben’s head rested in Allison’s lap as she played absentmindedlywith his hair and he gazed at the lazy clouds above.
“I asked Dad if I could goout with Ronnie this weekend.”
“What did hesay?”
“No, but that I could nextweekend when I’m ungrounded.”
“That sucks,” Ben sighed.“I mean, I’m happy for you, but it seems unfair that I’m always onhis shit list.”
“Who knows what his dealis? You know what’s funny? I’m probably going to have to say I’mout on a date with Ronnie the next time I want to do something withyou.”
“Then when you get bustedI can show up and say ‘sir’ every other word and your dad will loveme.”
“Shut up!” Allisonlaughed.
“You know,” Ben said,leaning up on his elbows and shooting a disdainful glare toward theschool, “we’re going to have to start working on a song soon. It’sonly a matter of time before Mrs. Hammond asks us for apreview.”
“For the talent show?”Allison chewed her lip thoughtfully. “I’d totally forgotten aboutthat. So what are we going to do?”
They spent the rest of theperiod discussing which song to perform. Last year they had beenset to sing “Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Queen, but they hadpracticed it so much that they had grown tired of it.
“Ronnie has a band, youknow,” Allison said coyly.
“I think you may havementioned that a few million times.” Ben paused to read between thelines. “Wait, you want us to sing with them orsomething?”
“Maybe. They aren’tperfect, but they have this one song with amazing lyrics. It’sabout a girl, and she’s watching this guy from far away that she’stotally enamored with. He doesn’t know she exists, but the girlknows everything about him, sees more than everyone else. It’s likeshe knows more about him than he does.”
“And I’m thegirl.”
