The Space Between Us(14)

“So, about the Spring Fling,” Asher said, breaking the silence of the unusually quiet walk we were sharing.

“What about it?” I tried so hard to sound normal, but all I could hear was my heartbeat pulsing in my ears.

“Well, I was thinking, maybe we could all go in a group. I mean, I know your dad won't let you go with a date, but maybe he'd let you go with a big group of people.”

“I guess there's no harm in asking.”

“Do you want to go to the dance? You know,” he said quickly, “with a group of people?”

“Sure,” I said just as quickly.

“Cool. So, I won't go with anyone in particular, and neither will you. We'll go together, you know, with everyone else. But we'll all be there together, as a group.”

“That sounds good,” I said, trying not to smile. Even though the conversation was making me nervous, his excited rambling was making me laugh. I couldn't really remember a time when Asher was nervous. Before I could stop to think about the words that came out of my mouth, I asked, “Why didn't you just say you'd go with Samantha?” In the darkness I saw the corners of his mouth creep up into a smile, but his voice came out cool and controlled.

“She isn't who I want to go with.” I looked away before he could catch me watching him or see my smile. This was good. We would go to the dance, but not together. Not with anyone else, mind you, but not as a date. I took a deep breath. This was ok.



That night when I returned from Asher's basketball game, my dad sat at the kitchen table reading a book, waiting for me.

“Hi, Charlie Bear. How was Asher's game?”

“Good,” I said as I took off his jacket, frowning that I had forgotten to give it back to him.

“They win?”

“Yeah. Asher scored some awesome three-pointers too. He's so good.”

“If he works hard, he might be able to play college ball. He's got a lot of potential,” Dad said, still looking at me. I gave him a small smile.

“So, Papa Bear,” I said sweetly. He knew something was coming by my term of endearment. I grew out of calling him Papa Bear when I was about seven, even though his nickname for me would never die. I was ok with that. I liked that my dad still called me Charlie Bear. “Asher, Reeve and I were talking, and we all want to go to the Spring Fling together with a group of people. Do you think it would be ok if I went?”

“What is the Spring Fling?”

“It's a dance at school. It's semi-formal, so I would probably need to get a dress.”

“A dance, huh?”

“Yeah, but none of us are taking dates. We're just all going to go as a group, like, a big group of friends.” I'm not even sure I believed what I was saying, so I was sure my dad was going to see straight through me and bring up what was really going on. I wiped my sweaty palms on the back pockets of my jeans. I tried to remain cool; I really wanted to go to this dance. I could admit that to myself even if I wouldn't admit it to Asher or Reeve. But if my dad knew why I wanted to go so badly, there was a chance he wouldn't let me. His no dating rule was still in play.

“Who all is going in this 'big group of friends',” he said, using his fingers to make air quotes. I smiled at him a little.

“Well, it would be Reeve, Asher and me. Then probably some guys from the basketball team, and Lizzy. You know, just a group of kids, going to a dance,” I said nonchalantly. I tried to get him to smile. I was trying to hide the fact that I wanted to go to this dance more than anything in the world. My dad looked at me for a few moments, unblinking. Then I heard him take a deep breath in and saw him shift in his seat.

“Ok, Charlie. I'll let you go to the dance.” As excitement flowed through me, I closed the distance between us and threw my arms around his neck in a tight hug.

“Thank you, Daddy!”

“Don't thank me yet. I have some restrictions.” I pulled away from him and frowned a little.

“Ok... what are they?”

“I have to have dress approval, I will drive you and Reeve to and from the dance, and you will have to come home right after. No after parties of any kind.” I would not reveal to him that I was so thankful he was going to let me go at all that these stipulations were completely fine with me.

“Ok,” I said with mocked sullenness. Suddenly I thought about dress shopping with my father. Nothing sounded more mortifying. I winced as I asked my next question. “Do you think it would be ok if I went dress shopping with Reeve and her mother?” I saw him mulling the question around in his mind.

“I think that would be ok, so long as you understand that if I don't approve of the dress we will just take it back and buy something potatoe-sackey.” I giggled at his joke, but he didn't look like he was joking.

“One more question,” I said with the sweetest smile I could muster.

“Yes?”

“Do you think, since I won't be going to any parties afterward, that I could invite Reeve to spend the night here?”

“Of course, that's fine.”

“Thank you, Daddy!” I flung my arms around his neck again, giving him a tight squeeze.

“Anything for you, Charlie Bear.”





Chapter Five