The Key to my HeART

10 First Date

H A R P E R

My legs were weak as I walked downstairs. What had just happened? Nothing. But what was about to happen? I had lost myself in the moment with Max. He'd looked at me with a spark of something I had never seen in him. I was being ridiculous. I had a date waiting for me on the front porch.

"Are you ready?" My mom asked, surveying my outfit to make sure I wasn't too scandalous. I doubted I had anything in my wardrobe that would be considered scandalous or even raise eyebrows.

"It's just a boring high school game and a bonfire, Mom." I lightly pushed her away, not wanting her to make a big fuss out of this.

She pinched my cheeks. "My little baby is growing up."

"Mo-om! Chance will see you through the window!"

She hugged me, but it was more of a headlock as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I pushed her away. Luckily Chance hadn't completely made it to the front door when I got there. He hadn't seen my embarrassing mother squeezing my cheeks. Again.

I opened the door with a big smile. It only felt partially forced after the episode upstairs. I would have fun with Chance.

"You look great!" He said. "Ready?" He held out an arm for me like a dapper gentleman.

"Don't go yet!" My mom hurried up the hallway with her phone in hand. I could see she already had the camera ready.

"Oh no. Mom don't."

"I want pictures!"

"Good evening, Mrs. Wilson." Chance shook my mom's hand by way of greeting.

Since he was so close to Tyler, he'd met my parents a few times at parties at the Greens' house. When I told my mom Chance asked me on a date, she was so happy. She liked him and was thrilled my first date was "with such a nice boy." This now meant subjugating him to her motherly attentions. I wondered what she would think if she knew about Max and I's moment upstairs.

"You both look so cute."

"Mom, stop."

Chance was a good sport. He let my mom take our pictures. He even obliged when she made us do a Charlie's Angels pose. I'm sure my face in all of them was sour. I just wanted to get away from the house. Max could hear and possibly see what happened outside. I didn't want him to.

After ten minutes of humiliation on the lawn, I decided it was enough. "We have to go. The band does an opening number before kickoff. I want to see Lexi perform."

"Ok, ok." She gave me a hug. Thankfully she didn't whisper any awkward parental advice in my ear. "I know the game won't be over until about ten, but I want you to call when you get to Jessica's house. Be home by one, no later. I'll have your dad posted as sentry to make sure, understand?"

"Fine," I said. "I will be good, I promise."

We said our good-byes and by the time we got into Chance's car, I was exhausted.

"I am so sorry about her. She's just excited."

Chance started the car and pulled out of our driveway. "She was fine. My mom would have done the same thing. I think it's their right as parents or something."

We rolled down the block. I looked back at the house, wondering if Max watched us leave from the second-story windows.

~*~*~

I watched football with my dad all season. I enjoyed it, though I wasn't any sort of expert on it. I knew a bad play when I saw it and sometimes I sat in on my dad's fantasy football drafts and games for fun. Watching our high school team play was a whole different experience than sitting on the couch with my dad eating nachos.