My parents had driven Bo and me to Marty’s on a Saturday, even though I’d assured them we could walk. It was only a quarter mile down the road from our house, after all. And Daddy was always talking about how expensive gas was. But Mama insisted, saying the sidewalks were too slick—even though they’d all been shoveled well since the last snow a few days ago—and that she’d just “feel better” if someone drove us.
Which also meant she’d be picking us up in an hour.
As Bo and I sat down in a booth with our fries and Cokes, Christy’s words from a month earlier were whirling around in my brain. Had my parents really always been this overprotective? Had I just not noticed or cared much until Bo came along?
I was thinking so hard about this that I didn’t even notice the sound of a truck pulling up outside or the bells jingling over the front door. Bo must’ve, though, because she hollered Colt’s name real loud and jumped out of the booth, running across the tiny restaurant to him.
“Thought I might find y’all here,” he said, giving her a hug.
Then the two of them headed back to the booth where I was sitting, frozen in midmotion as I reached for a fry.
I hadn’t really thought about what it might be like seeing him again after what had happened on New Year’s. Somehow, I guess I’d just assumed I wouldn’t. Which, thinking about it now, was silly. He lived only a couple hours away, and of course he’d come back to see his mama and Bo sometimes. Still, I wasn’t quite prepared.
Also, I hadn’t told Bo about us sleeping together. I’d wanted to. Almost did on a few occasions. But every time I started to open my mouth, I chickened out. I didn’t want Bo thinking I was some dramatic, needy girl who made a big deal about having sex. Not when she had so much experience and seemed to act like it was no big deal. I worried that if I told her about Colt, I’d also start telling her about how confused I felt. About how I’d always planned to lose my virginity to somebody I might have a future with. But, at the same time, I was happy I’d done it with Colt. And I did like him, but he was so far away and I had no idea what he thought of me and …
She’d probably think I was crazy. Or immature.
So I hadn’t told her.
Which meant she had no idea why I was suddenly so quiet when they sat down.
“You all right, Agnes?” Bo asked. “Something wrong with the fries?”
“No,” I said. “I’m fine.”
Bo stared at me for a second, like she wasn’t sure if she ought to believe me, but then she turned to Colt. “So what’re you doing here?”
“Visiting Mama for the weekend. And came to pick up the last of my stuff.”
“How’s work?”
“It’s all right. I get a lotta shit, since I’m the new guy. And the youngest. But it’s money.”
They talked like this for a while, Bo drilling him with questions about his new apartment and what it was like living outside of Mursey. And I just sat there, hoping I didn’t look as awkward as I felt. And, for the first time, wishing Mama’s overbearing side would kick in and convince her to come pick us up early.
Not that I wasn’t happy to see Colt again—I was. I just had no clue what to say to him.
I was gonna have to come up with something, though, because a few minutes later the bell over the door jingled and a woman went up to the counter to order. None of us paid attention at first, but we all heard the gossip she told the cashier.
“That Dickinson woman is outside her trailer without a coat,” she was saying in a voice that sounded a lot like an elderly Christy might. “Looks like she’s trying to fix that lawn mower again even though there’s no grass to be mowed.”
“Shit,” Bo muttered.
“Wow,” the cashier said. “Meth, you think?”
“Oh, obviously, honey,” the Elderly Christy said. “That family, I tell you what.”
“Gimme your keys,” Bo said. But she just snatched them off the table before Colt could say a thing. “I’ll be back.”
And then she was gone.
And it was just me and Colt and a whole lot of silence.
“I … I hope she’s all right,” I said, finally, when the quiet was getting to me. “Bo’s mama, I mean.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Well, I’m more worried about Bo. I’m glad she seems to stay at your place more than at her own these days.”
I just nodded.
And this time, after a few minutes of nobody talking, Colt was the one to break.
“Listen, I’m sorry I ain’t called or—”
“I didn’t expect you to,” I said.
“You didn’t?” He sounded surprised.
I shook my head. “No. I mean, when we … On New Year’s, I knew you were leaving. I knew there wasn’t gonna be a future for us.”
“And you’re all right with that?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Well, I mean … I don’t feel bad about what happened, if that’s what you’re asking.” Then, after a pause, “Do you … feel bad about it?”
“No,” he said, real quick. “No, no. Not at all. That night was … It was great, Agnes. I just wish I’d been able to take you out on a date after … or before. I reckon you’re supposed to do that before, but—”
“Colt, I really never expected you to—”
“But I wanted to,” he said. “If I was sticking around longer, I would’ve.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I like you, Agnes.”