Chapter 9

    At the park everyone was munching on the picnic lunch that they each brought.
They were taking a lunch break after a long day of volleyball, basketball, and roller
blading around the park.
 "This has been the best picnic I have ever been on." Renee commented as she
stretched out on a blanket beside Randy.
  "I agree with you, Renee, this has been the perfect day.  We've had plenty of
sunshine, there's not a cloud in sight, and we're amongst friends.  Yes, life is good,"  Dani
replied while stretching out on the blanket she had been eating her lunch on.
  "It´s been a great day," Chris observed as he looked at Dani. Then he changed the
subject. " Hey how about some more basketball?"
  "No thanks," said everybody in the group but Matt.
  "I'll play some one on one with you and everybody else can play volleyball or
something," suggested Matt.
  "Okay.  Anybody up for some volleyball?" asked Dani.
  "Sure let's go," said Randy. " My partner and I will wipe the floor with you."
  "And then you wake up," Dani smiled as she and the others left to play.
     Chris and Matt started to play their game. "How come you are not playing
volleyball with Dani?" asked Chris as he took a shot.
  "Because I love basketball and I want to talk to you."
  "About what?" asked Chris innocently.
  "About tea with the Queen of England," said Matt sarcastically," you know what
I want to talk to you about."
  "Do I?" asked Chris.
   Matt ignored him and went straight to his question. " How do you feel about
Dani?"
  "I like Dani a lot.  She's very special to me," said Chris as he stole the ball.
  "That's it!" exclaimed Matt not even realizing that he no longer had possession of
the ball.
  "What were you expecting some elaborate profession of an unpacifiable love?"
  "No, I was expecting for you to at least to say you care about her."
  "I do.  It's just that I'm not in love with her...yet," answered Chris. " But I do have
a feeling that I could easily do so."
  "Trust me you could," Matt muttered under his breath.
  "So you do have other feelings for her," said Chris accusingly.
  "And what if I do?"
  "Then I´d say give it up because she told me, when I asked her, that she only
liked you as a friend," Chris answered.
  "You are lying," Matt replied.
  "Then why is she my date today instead of yours?  Why did she invite you to
come? Because she wanted you to know that she is happy with me and so you could see it
for yourself." said Chris.
   He was hoping Matt believed him and would not ask Dani.  He wanted Dani all
to himself, and he saw Matt as a threat.  He under embellished the truth when he said he
liked Dani, he cared very deeply for her.  He was not in love yet, but he  was well on his
way.
   After Matt heard what Chris had to say, he started to walk away.  He picked up
his roller blades, blanket, and cooler and left.  He was hurt, he believed Chris and he
would not let Chris see how upset he was at what he heard.
   Dani and the others came up as Matt pulled out of the park parking lot.  They
saw Chris sitting on a bench waiting for them. " Matt said he didn't feel well and that he
needed to go home," said Chris.
  "Is he okay?" asked Dani with concern.
  "He´s fine. He wants us to take Allison home for him and go about  the day as
planned," informed Chris.
  "Are you sure?" asked Dani.
  "Yes I´m sure."
  "That is so like Matt to think of others before himself," said Allison. " That was
so nice of him.
  "Yeah good ol' Matt," said Chris. "Anyone for some roller blading?"
  "Sure," said everybody in unison.  Then everybody but Randy and Renee rushed
off to put on their roller blades.
  "Something´s not kosher," Randy replied looking at Chris as he put his skates on.
  "I agree," said Renee with concern.
  About two hours later, Matt hung up the phone and laid back on his bed to think.
He had just called Dani's house.  He thought once she realized he had left the park, she
would call him as soon as possible to find out what happened, but Dani was not even
home.  She was probably off with the others at the mall or with Chris.  She did not care
that he had been hurt. She probably did not even know.  Matt felt empty.  He wished he
had never moved to Riverton.  He almost wished he had never met Dani, but he realized
he could not ever feel that way.  He was glad he had at least one moment with her, when
they kissed.  Matt sat thinking about Dani what she looked like, her voice, her laugh, her
kiss.  Matt was wondering if things were going to work out.

*      *      *

  "I'm sorry, Dani, but Matt´s still sleeping," said Mrs. Richardson.
  "Thanks, Mrs. Richardson," Dani replied. " I'll call back later."
  "Okay, bye."
  "Bye," said Danielle.  Then she hung up the phone.
  "All right, Matt.  What's going on between you two?  You two use to be so
close," asked Matt's mom.
  "Mom, it's complicated.  I don't want to talk about it now."
  "Then the next time Danielle calls this house, I am telling her that you are awake
and able to talk to her," threatened Mrs. Richardson.
  "Okay! I'll tell you.  A couple of months ago, Dani called me to pick up her from
her date, she needed a ride. I picked her up and took her some place where we could talk."
  "That´s it?" she asked unimpressed.
 Matt sighed. "It´s not the kind of thing you want to discuss with your Mom."
  "Oh come on, Matt, I am a happening kind of person," his mother replied as she
sat down on his bed. "I can get down with my bad self with the best of them."
 Matt raised an eyebrow. "Get down with your bad self? Noone says that anymore,
Mom."
 "Okay, so I admit I don´t know everything about being a teenager these days," she
began. "But I do know a lot about girls. I used to be one you know. So my opinion might
be worth a little something."
 Matt shook his head. "Why not? It´s not like I have a lot to lose at this point. I´ve
already lost her," he thought as his mother waited for him to speak. "While... talking, we
kind of got caught up in a moment and we kissed."
 "Really, I didn't know you were such a romantic, Matt."
  "Mom," said Matt annoyed.
  "Sorry. Well is there more to this story?"
  "The next day I told her that the kiss didn´t mean anything and from there
everything went down hill.  I thought I could live with just the memory, but when I found
out that she did not share my feelings, today, I guess I tried to hide."
  "Oh, Matt, honey, I imagine you are a lot of pain right now," said Mrs.
Richardson.
 "I guess that means it doesn´t bother you that I like her," Matt observed.
 "Well, your father and I knew it was just a matter of time," Mrs. Richardson
answered. "You two have been close from the get go. Your father and I would rather you
stay within your race, but only because we don´t want you to have to face the prejudice
being in an interracial relationship brings about."
 "I know the risks," Matt commented.
 "I know you do, Dear," she replied. "I was just telling you where your father and I
stood on the subject." She picked up a picture of Dani and Matt off of his night stand. "So
exactly how do you feel about her?"
 Matt looked at the picture of his bestfriend then he turned away. "It doesn´t
matter," he answered as he sat down on his bed.
 Mrs. Richardson looked at her son´s face and sighed. "It´s every mother´s
nightmare to be replaced as the number one woman in her son´s life, but at the sametime
she welcomes it," she said as she put the picture back on the night stand. "Matt, you are
my first born, I carried you inside of me for eight and a half months. I´d guess I could say
I know you pretty well and... you´re in love with her."
 Matt started to speak.
 "Hear me out," she commanded. "Dani´s a nice girl and she makes you happy
which makes her okay in my book. So listen to my words with love..."
 Matt held his breath, he wasn´t sure what was going to come out next.
 "...get off your butt and tell her how you feel," she finished.
 Matt exhaled and looked at his mother in relief. He had been preparing for the
bomb to drop on him.
  "I know I have to tell her, but I don't know if I can take telling her I'm in love
with her and then an hour later see her holding hands with Chris," said Matt.
  "Well then you'll never know.  You two could´ve been something special," Mrs.
Richardson said softly.  Then she left the room so Matt could think.
  After Matt's mom left the room, Matt thought about their conversation. She had
surprised him, and  what she said had made sense.  He would never know for sure if he
ever had a chance if he did not tell her.  He had to tell her, even if she did not feel the
same, he would at least feel better because he would have gotten it of his chest.

© 1998 Devon Masterson. All Rights Reserved.