Ben held up his hand. “Wait.” She turned and looked at him. Ben beckoned her with a crooked finger and she stepped back up onto the porch. He said, “Sure, let’s go to prom together. But I’m not going to any after party or any hotel or—”
“You don’t have to fuck me, okay?” Her eyes were hard and sad at the same time. “I know you’re not interested, okay? Especially after . . .” She averted her glance. “You know.”
“Yeah, that was kind of unfortunate.”
She faced him. “I’ll pay for the limo, your tux rental, and the corsage. Just show up, okay?”
“Don’t waste money on a limo. I’ll drive. And I’ll pay for my own tux rental and I’ll pay for the corsage. I was gonna do that anyway, so it’s fine. What kind of corsage do you want? Pin-on or wrist?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t bought my dress.” Her voice softened. “Any color you like?”
“Color? You mean you’re not wearing black?”
“I’m not going Goth, okay.” She rolled her eyes. “I don’t want my kids looking at my prom picture and saying, ‘God, Mom, what were you thinking?’ I’ve already said that enough times to myself.”
“You and me both.” He smiled at her and she smiled back. “There’s nothing wrong with a signature look.”
“If you don’t care, I will probably wear black . . . but not Goth black. There you have it. Are you really going down to Albuquerque, Vicks, or are you trying to get rid of me?”
“No, I’m really going back to Albuquerque. High school is over for me and I’ve got a major topology test—” He heard muffled footsteps and turned around.
Ro had come outside. “If this was going to take a while, the least you could have done was let me know.”
“I’m going.” Lisa waved. “Bye.”
“Bye.” Ben turned to Ro. “Sorry.” He walked back into the house and to his room.
She followed. “What was that all about?”
“She asked me to prom.”
“Lisa did?”
“Yep.”
“What’d you say?”
“I said okay.”
Ro glared at him. “Aren’t you taking me?”
“JD’s taking you.”
“I thought both of you were taking me.”
“That’s what I told her at first . . . that I was taking you and JD was taking you as well. And then I realized how stupid that sounded, so I said I’d take her.”
“Thank you very much.” She was angry.
“Ro, c’mon. Do you really need two dates? JD’s your boyfriend.”
“That wasn’t my choice.”
“Well, it wasn’t my choice either.”
“Well then, who the hell’s choice was it if it wasn’t yours?”
“No, no, no.” He turned to her. “Don’t lay that on me. You made the choice.”
“I told you I was drunk. I didn’t even want to do it.”
“But you did it anyway.”
“What do you want from me, Ben? I said I was sorry about a million times. Obviously, everything I did for you . . .” She took up a pile of paper and threw it at him. “All this shit . . . all my sleepless nights illegally poking into computers, wiggling my ass for disgusting businessmen, working myself to the bone just wasn’t enough to atone for my sin! I don’t know who’s stupider. You or me.”
She picked up her purse. Ben caught her by the arm. “Why are we fighting about this? It’s ancient history.”
“You’re an asshole, that’s why we’re fighting.”
“I’m an asshole? I’m an asshole?”
“Yes, you’re an asshole. You promised to take me to prom and now you’re taking Lisa.” She turned on him. “She fucked him too, you know.”
“I know, Ro, I was there.” But Lisa wasn’t his girlfriend at the time. He didn’t point that out. Ro was already too worked up. He let go of her arm. “What are you getting so upset about anyway? In a couple of months, you’ll be gone for good and I’ll just be a small footnote in your life.”
There were tears in her eyes. “Well, then excuse me for thinking that maybe as my first love and my first lover, you saw me as something more than a footnote.”
“No, no, no. You got it wrong. I said that I’d be the footnote in your life.”
“But what you really mean is I’m the footnote in your life.”
“No, I meant what I said. That I’m the footnote in your life.” He covered his face with his hands. “Can we stop fighting, please?”
“Why are you taking Lisa Holloway to prom? Everyone will just snicker behind your back.”
“As long as it’s behind my back, what do I care?”
She hit him. “She’s a slut.”
“She’s not a slut. She’s just . . . friendly.”
“I can’t believe you’re going with her.”
“I’m going with her because she asked me. And because I felt I owed her one from a long time ago. And because you have a real boyfriend and a legitimate date without me. And to tell you the truth, I’m tired of being second in line behind that idiot. I don’t enjoy being his straight man and I don’t enjoy sitting with you guys and I’m really not going to enjoy sharing you with him at prom. I’d rather go with Lisa, as . . . friendly as she is . . . because I’d rather have a whole date with someone I like than half a date with someone I love. I don’t want to hang out with your crowd, I don’t want to stand in the shadows while you dance with him, and I don’t want to be someone I’m not! What I want to do is find the monster that killed my sister so he doesn’t do it again. And if it’s Kevin Barnes, I’m going to find him and rip him to shreds. And if it is him, you’ve helped me out like nobody else. I love you dearly. You know that. Can we please just stop fighting!”
She looked at him. “I love you too.”
Ben smiled. “You know we broke up at the perfect time: before our love could turn into contempt. How good is that?” She didn’t answer. He tried out a weak smile. “I’d still love to dance with you.”
She remained silent.
“Please, let’s get along. It’s like two months before you leave River Remez for good.” He looked at her and then looked down. “Ro, if it isn’t Kevin Barnes, I need your help. You know all the codes and the abbreviations and everything. And if it is Kevin Barnes, you’re my eyes and ears at the Jackson. I know that’s being selfish, but I can’t do this without you, Dorothy.”
He had expected her to take his head off. Instead she said, “Even if I hated you—which I do sometimes—I would continue to help you, Vicks. I realize we’re dealing with a greater issue than stupid teenage love.”
“I knew there was a reason I loved you so much.”
“Don’t sweet-talk me. I am so . . . pissed at you.” She hit his chest. “You threw me over.”
“Do you really want me to call Lisa up and tell her I changed my mind?”
“Yes.”
“Well . . . I’m not going to do it.” She hit him again. “I’d still love to dance with you.” No response. “Please?”
She folded her arms across her chest. “I want a prom picture with both you and JD, one on either arm.”
“Fine.”
“Two pictures with both of you. Then I want one alone with you and one alone with JD.”
“Whatever you want.”
“And I want two corsages, Vicks, one from you and one from JD.”
“Done.”
“And the one you get me better be bigger and more expensive than Lisa’s.”
“You are ruthless.”
“Yes or no.”
“Yes.”
“Go with Lisa.” Ro waved him away. “I give you my permission.”