Cherry (chapter 6)

make sure you read the first 5 chapters if you haven’t already or you will be lost!

Chapter 6

The next morning, I got up and had an unusual craving for a bagel (of all things). So I got up and made a quick trip to the local ‘mom-and-pop’ convenience store which had a fresh baked goods section. While standing in the short line to pay for my bagel, I looked at the headlines in the town paper and had to read it a few times to believe what I was seeing. The big story was about the mayor meeting with the Governor to discuss getting State funds to fix the intersection! I snatched the paper off the rack and started reading; completely forgetting why I was standing in line or even THAT I was standing in a line. My eyes scanned across the print in a flash and I was barely aware of someone repeating, ‘next in line, please?’ Finally, the guy behind me snapped me out of it by saying, “Hey, buddy: that’s you.” I looked up to see the cashier waiting for me to step up and I apologized while handing her the money for my bagel and still looking at the lead story in the paper. She asked if I was buying the paper, too, and I found myself once again asking for forgiveness, “Oh! Yeah! I’m sorry—this story—never mind: I’m just surprised, that’s all.”

The cashier seemed less than interested so I didn’t bother to explain why it had me in such a state. She clearly just wanted me to hand her some money and move it along. I complied with her unspoken wishes, dumped the change in the tip jar (more so as an apology as opposed to great service), and finished reading the article before I got in my car to leave. The story didn’t mention me by name, but it did say that a plan to change the intersection had been presented at the town hall meeting by a local firefighter and that the mayor liked the plan and needed funding to implement it immediately. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement. Something that was my idea and I worked on was now getting attention from the Governor! I felt successful already. Even if the plan was shot down, I knew I did my part (although I wouldn’t let it go that easy). Already I was formulating a plan to start getting signatures of voters that wanted the change to be made—just in case the funds were not approved.

It wasn’t until I was juggling my keys to open my door that I remembered that I also bought a bagel. I sat at my table while absentmindedly eating my bagel and reading the story several times as though it wasn’t real or maybe there would be more information the next time I read it. I finished eating my bagel and my head was so far away that I couldn’t even say if it had tasted good.

I called Cherry to tell her the morning news (literally) and she congratulated me.

“David, that is amazing! And you made that happen; I’m so proud of you!”
I gushed a little and said, “Well, believe it or not, you helped. You are like my muse: you helped me focus and to think clearly.”
Cherry said, “Muse, my rear end—you did it and you know it! Mona Lisa was a muse, but without Di Vinci’s talent as an artist, no one would know her name today. Getting the Governor to look at your idea only happened because you were smart enough to find a good solution to a bad problem. It’s as simple as that.”
I said, “I’m sorry: you mentioned your incredible rear end and I didn’t hear anything after that. All I can see or think about now is your butt.”
“You’re a pig,” Cherry said matter-of-fact with a hint of amusement.
I chuckled and said, “Yeah, but I’m your pig.”
“You are coming to the game tonight, right?” Cherry asked, changing the subject.
I replied, “Of course!”
Cherry said, “Good. Olivia is having a small party at her place after the game and Mom says I can go. I’ll tell you more about it later, but I have to go for now—school…”

I looked at the clock and realized she was about to be late so I let her go after we told each other ‘I Love you’. It wasn’t until I was off the phone that I began to digest what she said and a few problems came immediately to mind. The biggest problem seemed to be that if Olivia was having something at her place, how was I going to be able to be there with her parents there? With their conservative ways, I was sure they would not approve of me being there. And, provided that they didn’t mind my presence there (unlikely), how could we be certain they wouldn’t say anything to Cherry’s Mom?

Clearly, it was pointless to worry about it all day, so I let it go and waited to hear from Cherry after school. She texted me during her last class of the day and told me to meet her in the parking lot when school was out. I looked at the clock and saw that I had 15-20 minutes before I had to go, but I left early anyway.

When I pulled into the parking lot, there was a short line of cars; parents waiting to pick up their kids. I took position at the rear of the line and waited like everyone else. Soon enough, Cherry came out and jumped in the car with me and planted a big kiss on my lips. She was wearing a fruity lip gloss that made her kiss all the sweeter.

Breaking the kiss she said with a happy grin, “Drive.”
“Where are we going?” I asked.
Cherry said, “We are supposed to have coffee together! Did you forget?”
I said, “Oh, right. And no, I didn’t forget!”

While driving to a local coffee shop, Cherry began filling me in on the plans for the night. In a nutshell, the plan was to make an appearance until Olivia had several people at her party (at least so she wouldn’t have to be alone) and we would take off and do our own thing. Cherry’s Mom wasn’t expecting her home until later the next day and Olivia would cover for her in case she called there.

I said, “That’s a pretty good plan, but there could be a problem with it.”
Cherry asked, “What’s the problem?”
I explained, “Olivia’s parents: they will know we aren’t there and will probably say something—as conservative as they are.”
Cherry looked at me funny and said, “Yeah, they are conservative, but they won’t be there. They are out of town for the weekend.”
“Well, that’s convenient,” I remarked.
Cherry agreed, “Yes it is.”

She seemed to reflect on the point I made and was milling something over in her head. We pulled up to the coffee shop and went in to order our beverages before taking a seat to wait for them to be served to us. Cherry was unusually quiet as she continued thinking. I began thinking again about that guilty feeling from the night before and decided I had to tell her.

I said, “So there is something I need to tell you, but I’m worried you might get upset.”
Cherry asked a little concerned, “What is it?”
“It’s a bit of a confession; It isn’t something I meant to have happen; it just happened.”
Cherry waited for me to continue, saying, “Ok…”
I explained, “I wanted to surprise you last night and I came to see you. But before I could knock on your window, I saw that Olivia was there. I really didn’t know she was there beforehand, honestly.”
She said, “Yeah; I know.”
“You know?” I asked.
She said, “I knew you were out there.”
Surprised, I asked, “You could see me?!”
Cherry said, “No, last night I didn’t know you were there. I just figured it out now.”
Even more surprised I asked, “How?”
She explained, “You said that Olivia’s parents were conservative. I never told you that. There’s only one way you would know that…”
I said, “I’m really sorry. Are you mad?”
Cherry said, “No, don’t be sorry; I’m not mad. It’s actually kind of funny. So, did you leave as soon as you saw her there or did you watch us?” Her tone was teasing and she sounded sure she already knew the answer.
“I’m a little embarrassed to say that I couldn’t leave; I had to stay.”
Cherry laughed and asked, “Remember that reward for your attention to detail that I owe you?”
“Yeah?”
She said, “Well, consider that debt paid!”
I joked, “Hey! That’s not fair: you didn’t know you were rewarding me! That doesn’t count!”
She asked, “Were you surprised?”
“Yes…”
“Did you enjoy it?” she asked further.
“Yes…” I admitted.
She said, “Debt paid!”
I gave a well defeated sigh and said, “You’re right: that is fair. In fact, that was so hot, I think I might owe you now…”
Cherry laughed and agreed, “You’re darn right you do!”
“Me and my big mouth…” I said. “Can you do me one favor though: don’t tell Olivia?”
She said, “Knowing her, she’d probably think it was funny, too. But I won’t tell her.”
“Why on Earth would SHE find it funny?” I asked.
She explained, “For one, she isn’t at all shy about her body. And, because you came over to spend time with me and had to sit outside and watch her spend time with me instead. She loves irony like that.”
I nodded and said, “Yeah, when you put it that way, it is pretty funny…”

Our coffee was served to us and we barely took notice, content in just the conversation and spending time together. We were excited about having the night to ourselves again and began trying to figure out what do. Cherry said that she was feeling adventurous and wanted to do something that had an element of ‘danger’ to it. But it was up to me to come up with the idea; that was how I had to ‘repay her’ for watching her and Olivia last night.

I was still brainstorming on an idea when it was time to go so she could start getting ready for the game. Fortunately, her cheerleading uniform was in her locker at school. She went inside to change and meet with the other girls while I sat in the car thinking about the night’s plans.

A few ideas were coming to mind, but nothing seemed ‘just right’. She wanted something adventurous and with an element of danger, but I also wanted to make sure it was relatively safe (meaning we wouldn’t get caught/arrested), too. I was deep in thought when I noticed the parking lot was starting to fill with cars and people were lining up at the gate.

I got out of the car and, as I suspected, Cherry was coming over to get me. She escorted me through the gate as she did the week before and the ticket guy didn’t even look at us this time. I took the same spot as I had the week before so I could watch Cherry during the game and continued brainstorming as they went through mostly the same routine of welcoming the football team on the field.

Moments after the kickoff, a familiar voice came from my right.

“I see you are back again. Did you ever get that coffee,” he asked.
I turned to look and was not surprised to see my ‘buddy’. “Oh, hey. ‘Jim’, right?” I said.
Jim nodded and asked, “Was it Dan?”
“David,” I corrected.
He said, “Oh, right. So, how about it: did she meet you for coffee or what?”
I said, “Yeah, we sure did.”
Not accepting minimal answers he asked, “And—how’d it go?”
I said, “It was great. We are going out again after the game.”
“You’re fucking lying!?” he asked in disbelief.
I said simply and matter-of-fact, “I’m not.”
Jim said, “Shit: I got to hand it to you—you have skills!”
I just shrugged my shoulder like it was nothing.

We continued making small talk; mostly he was making the conversation—I was just answering him. He got around to asking me what I do for work and I told him that I was a firefighter from the next town over.

Jim said, “Oh, that’s pretty cool. Did you hear about that accident a few weeks ago with the lady and her kid that got hit by a big rig?”
I clammed up a bit but answered, “Yeah. I heard about it.”
He said, “Yeah, man; that was pretty fucked up. But I hear they have a plan to fix that intersection now. Did you hear about that?”
I replied, “Yeah. I heard that, too.” Not wanting to continue the subject, I asked, “So, what do you do?”
Jim said, “I’m a security guard.”
I looked at him and said, “Yeah, I can see you as a security guard.”
Jim said, “I’m not a mall cop, though: I work at the trucking distribution center a few miles from here. It’s a pretty cool job. I usually work the midnight shift so, there isn’t really a lot going on—I just do my own thing and no one messes with me. Trucks come in and, because the place is pretty much locked down, sometimes the drivers just park it and leave until morning. Or they opt to sleep in the back of the cab. Either way, it means a peaceful night for me.”
I said, “That sounds like a pretty cushy job. You are working after the game, then?”
He said, “No, not tonight. Another guy is covering for me. But he’s a bit of a slacker. He is always asleep at the desk. This school’s marching band could practice in there tonight and I’d bet he wouldn’t notice.”
I shook my head and said, “Yeah, some people are like that: no pride in their work. What can you do?”

Jim continued talking but I was only half listening: a light had turned on in my head. I could take Cherry there and we could do some sneaking around or something. The more I thought about it, the better my plan became. Before long, I had a great idea that promised to bring every element Cherry requested and I found I couldn’t wait for the game to end.

The game was a much tougher battle for the home team that week and I groaned with feelings of torture as it went into overtime. Eventually the game ended with Cherry’s school squeaking out a win and we were soon free to go.

On the way to Olivia’s house, I told Cherry she would need to go home and grab a change of clothes and put them in her overnight bag (without her Mom’s knowledge, of course). And the darker the clothes, the better. She asked if we were going to a heavy metal concert to which I scoffed and only replied with ‘you’ll see’. We pulled up to Olivia’s place and Cherry ran down the road to her home to get the requested apparel while I waited there for her. Olivia invited me in; her tone much more accepting of me now.

Olivia said, “I want to apologize to you.”
I asked, “Apologize? For what?”
She said, “I’ve been a real bitch towards you. You didn’t deserve that. I’m sorry.”
I said, “Don’t give it another thought, honestly. Believe it or not, I get how you felt.”
She said, “Cherry said she told you about us—her and me—especially about me—you know. Are you really ok with me being…” her words trailed off as though she couldn’t finish saying it.
I asked, “You mean a lesbian?”
“SHHHH!” Olivia looked around reflexively, clearly nervous.
I said, “What? We are the only ones here right now, right?”
She said, “Yeah, but…”
I asked, “What’s the problem, then?”
Olivia said, “This is just new to me. Not being a—you know—but for anyone besides Cherry to know that I am.”
I said, “Olivia, you do know that it’s ‘ok’ to be a lesbian, right? That is a part of who you are, so why hide that from the world?”
“You obviously don’t know my parents,” she replied.
“I think I know their type: ultra conservative, right?” I stated more than asked.
Olivia rolled her eyes and huffed, “You just don’t know…”
I said, “I can only imagine how difficult it is for you to hide such an important part of your identity for fear of their reaction. It must be painful. But Olivia, their feelings on the subject are THEIR problem; not yours.”
She said, “Yeah, but you don’t know how painful it is going to be for them if they find out. And what they will put me through with the bible verses and pastor speeches and endless lectures…”
I said, “You are concerned about their pain? What about your pain? Who’s concerned about that? And I’m sure they will react exactly how you think they will. But that’s likely to just be their initial response. Eventually they will get used to the idea and get over it, but only if you ‘stick to your guns’ and never concede to them.”
Olivia thought for a moment and asked, “What if they don’t get used to it? What if they reject me?”
I said, “You are their daughter; they love you, I’m sure. But, even if that does happen, you’ll be happier without them and honest about yourself than with them and lying to the world. You understand? Besides: I’m sure you aren’t planning on living at home forever…”
Olivia nodded slightly while reflecting quietly before saying, “I guess so.”
“I want you to do something for me, Olivia,” I said.
She asked simply, “What?”
“I want you to say the words out-loud—just between you and me—say, ‘I’m a lesbian!’”, I challenged.
She was embarrassed and said, “Oh, come-on…”
I said, “You come-on! This is a part of you: own it! Say it with me: I’M A LESBIAN!”
Olivia hung her head and muttered, “I’m a lesbian.” Her words almost fell flat on the floor.
“Seriously? That’s the best the captain of the cheerleading squad can do? I’m five feet from you and I barely heard you. Pick your head up! Be proud of it and say it like you mean it!”
Olivia picked her head up and said with a defeated sigh, “I’m a lesbian!”
I wasn’t letting her go that easy. I said, “HM. No pride; no spirit; no smile: bullshit—I don’t believe you!”
Olivia yelled, “I’M A LESBIAN!”
I said, “That’s better, but I still don’t see you smiling. Say: ‘I’m attracted to girls because I’m a lesbian!’ DO IT!”
Fighting a smile, Olivia said, “I AM a lesbian! I’m attracted to girls and I’m a LESBIAN!”
I made up an impromptu cheer and said, “It’s o-k—to be gay—girls are hot—guys are not!”

Olivia’s face brightened as I’d never seen before on her as she became more confident while repeating various lesbian cheers that we each were making up. She danced as what must have been years of self oppression slowly melted away; replaced with finally being happy about her feelings. Olivia hadn’t just been ‘in the closet’: she was at the bottom of a pit at the back of the closet in the basement. But that seemed to be changing now. Before long, I couldn’t tell if she was laughing or crying; I decided it was both.

Olivia jumped up at me, hugging my neck and said, “Thank you David! You have no idea how you have made me feel!”
I said, “It was my pleasure, Olivia.”
Cherry said, “What did I just walk in on?”

Startled at the sudden third person in the room, Olivia and I separated like we were both diseased and faced Cherry.

I said, “It’s not what it looks like!”
Olivia agreed saying, “We didn’t—I wouldn’t do that to you! We just…”
Cherry cut her off and said, “I think it’s exactly what it looked like,” and she paused to get a reading on our faces.

Olivia and I just looked at her in stunned silence, neither of us able to speak.

Cherry said, “It looks to me like a couple of lesbians are in here making up gay cheerleading routines.”
It took a few seconds for her words to soak in, but when they did I sighed in relief, “You saw us—cheering?”
Cherry said, “I heard you from the driveway screaming that you are a lesbian.