Authors: Sarah Schofield
I awoke to birds' chirping and ran to my window to confirm that the sun, indeed, was shining. I planned my afternoon. Lunch outside would be an added bonus.
My morning routine was the same as usual. Casey was extra bubbly because of our success in Eugene. She couldn't stop talking about prom. I held my excitement in. I didn't want to over dramatize the fact that Lucas had asked me, even though I was secretly bursting inside.
By lunch, I was tired of talking prom and relieved when Casey went to sit with Sasha. I bought my predictable peach and since I couldn't sit in my spot under the tree because the grass was wet, I walked the halls listening to music. I ended up at the metal bleachers, amazed that no one had claimed them. The metal was warm and dry. I climbed to the top and lay down, closing my eyes and eating my peach while catching some rays.
I pictured myself on the beach with my friends in California; any minute now one of the guys would throw a volleyball at us girls, pretending it wasn't on purpose. Then we'd have an all out girls vs. boys volleyball game. I caught myself laughing, which quickly brought me back to where I actually was—the bleachers at my new school in Myrtle Creek. I couldn't wait for summer. Mom had promised me a two week trip to Kelly's, and then Kelly and Shelby would be coming here for two weeks.
I glanced at my phone. I had ten minutes before my next class. I figured I'd better head back to find Casey. I caught myself looking for Lucas' truck when I walked past the parking lot. There it was—in its normal spot. Would he be in study hall or getting extra practice today?
Casey was leaning against my locker when I got there.
"Hey, Casey."
"Hey, how was your lunch?"
"Oh, same as every other day; the sunshine was a nice touch."
The rest of the afternoon was ditto with all the others. Casey talked my ears off and Sasha glared at me. My life here was becoming monotonous. Study hall would be a delightful change. When I got to the library, however, Lucas wasn't sitting at his table.
Actually, maybe study hall would be better without him. I could at least get my homework done. I finished with twenty-five minutes to spare. Since I didn’t have anything to do, I stared into space while listening to music. I hadn't glimpsed Lucas all day. Usually I saw him at lunch. I looked at his empty chair. The door opened and my heart fluttered when he strolled in. I didn't want him to know I'd noticed him, so I casually turned to stare at the bookshelf in front of me. He definitely saw me, because he bypassed his table completely and walked straight to mine. I looked at the clock and then at him. "Wow, ten minutes to go. Why did you even bother coming to class?" I turned my music off.
He smiled. "Oh, I don't know. I figured I could get a few minutes of homework in."
"Where are your books?" I stared at his empty hands.
He snapped his fingers a little overdramatically. "I knew I forgot something."
I shook my head.
"What? No homework for you today?" he smiled and looked at my closed books.
"Those of us who actually show up on time get our work done before the end of class," I smirked.
"I'll have to remember that tomorrow."
"Oh,
you're going to grace me with your presence tomorrow?"
"I did today, didn't I?"
"Barely."
"So, how was the rest of your weekend?" he asked.
"It was fantastic." I sarcastically rolled my eyes. "How was yours?"
He grinned. "Well, it started out on a high note. So I actually had a good weekend."
I knew he was referring to prom. "Just friends, remember that." I didn't know what else to say. I didn't want to give him any false hopes.
"You don't have to remind me every time we talk. It's prom, not a marriage proposal." He frowned and walked away.
His remark had taken me completely off guard and I realized that I'd hit a nerve. The bell rang before I had a chance to say anything else. By the time I left the library, he was gone.
When I got to the parking lot, he was at his truck talking to friends. It was the first time he hadn't tried to make eye contact. I knew he was upset with me. As much as I wanted to go to prom with him, this was exactly why I hadn't wanted to say yes.
Frustrated, I climbed into my car. I needed to run. If anything was going to relieve my stress, it would be an intense run.
Gramps and Mom were sitting on the porch when I drove up.
"Hi, honey," Mom smiled.
"Hi," I said suspiciously; something was up. I didn't know what until I stepped onto the porch. Gramps was sitting in his chair wearing white Velcro sneakers.
"Hey Munchkin, are you going for a run today?" he asked.
"Yeah, I just have to change." I knew what was coming. I prayed he wouldn't ask. "Did you need help with something first, Gramps?"
"Well, it's such a nice day; I thought I'd see if you wanted to take a brisk walk with me. I don't think my hips can handle a run."
I forced a convincing smile, but my head was screaming, '"NO!" I'd been waiting to go to my secret haven for days. Gramps looked so excited, though, that breaking his heart wasn't an option. My meadow would have to wait one more day. "Of course you can come with me. It'll be nice to have company. Give me a minute to get ready." Mom, rocking in the swing next to Gramps, gave me a grateful smile.
Gramps and I headed down the main road on our "brisk walk," as he'd put it. I would call it more of a stroll. He breathed a few deep breaths and let out a peaceful sigh. I could tell he was really enjoying the fresh air. I actually didn't mind the walk; it felt like everything stood still—literally.
"Sophie, you should get your bike out and go for a ride when we get back."
I chuckled, "Gramps, its Eliana."
His cheeks got rosy and he shook his head, looking a little confused. "Oh, sorry Munchkin. You look so much like your mother."
"That's all right; everybody tells me that."
"Well, do you know how to ride a bike yet?"
I had to restrain my laughter. I didn't want to make him feel worse when I answered. "I've known how to ride a bike since I was four and a half."
"Oh, I never see you riding," he replied.
"Hmm, I guess it's because I'm always driving these days. Besides, I don't have a bike anymore."
"I think Sophie's old one is still in the barn. I'll try to find it for you."
"Gramps, you don't have to do that."
"Nonsense, I'll look for it when we get home. I remember teaching your mom how to ride on this very road. She was so nervous about me letting go. She doesn't know it, but I was just as nervous."
I watched him stare down the road. I knew he was looking into the past and seeing a little girl riding wobbly on her bike. His whole face creased with wrinkles when he grinned. I saw a light in his familiar green eyes.
"She used to ride her bike to the Davis farm to see your dad every afternoon, like you do with your running. You are so much like your mom, it's really amazing." He wrapped his fragile arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head. "I'm glad she finally came home and brought you with her."
I noticed our stroll gradually slowing. I figured Gramps was getting tired. "Hey Gramps, are you ready to head back? I think I put on the wrong shoes, my feet are starting to hurt." I put the blame on me so he wouldn't feel bad.
"Well, if you're getting tired, we should head back; besides, I want to find that bike."
"Sounds like a great idea." We turned around and I locked my arm with his. "This was really nice Gramps, we should do it again."
He smiled and patted the top of my hand.
We'd almost reached our driveway when a dark blue F-150 drove down the road. When Lucas passed, Gramps smiled and gave a nod of acknowledgement. I looked up and waved, wondering if he was still upset about our conversation in study hall. Lucas smiled and gave a nod back, never making eye contact with me. That answered my question. He was still upset.
We arrived back at the house and Gramps went straight for the barn. I followed him. I was curious to see what else was in there. I also didn't want him hurting himself digging for the old bike. I helped him force open the heavy barn doors; it was like unlocking a time capsule. Antique items filled the bottom level. There were old fashioned washboards, antique furniture, a worn out picnic table, tons of fishing poles and tackle boxes, and numerous items so rusted I could barely figure out what they were. I was so glad I'd had my tetanus shot when we started rummaging through the piles.
"There it is." Gramps pointed to the back of the barn.
I looked over and saw a rusted dull blue bike covered with thick dust leaning against a wooden panel at the back of the barn. "Wow, that's an old bike. I didn't expect it to be so vintage."
"Well, it was your grandmother's before she gave it to your mom."
"Oh." I walked over to the bike and pushed it into the light. It had wide handlebars with an old straw basket disintegrated to practically nothing. The leather seat was torn and faded but you could tell it used to be white and blue. The body was in good condition, but all the chrome parts were rusted.
"You wouldn't know it now, but this beauty used to be a dazzling blue," Gramps patted the seat.
I heard a noise and turned to see Mom coming through the barn's entrance. "What are you two doing in here?" She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the bike. "My bike!" She rushed over and rubbed some of the dirt off the side to expose the word Schwinn.
"This is a nice bike, we should restore it," I suggested.
"Honey, this bike is so old and rusted; it would take too much work. If you want a bike, I'll take you to the sporting goods store tomorrow."
"Mom, I was thinking Gramps and I could do it as a project together. I don't mind restoring it for you."
Mom stood silent for a moment. I could tell she was contemplating my offer. "I'll tell you what, if you restore it, you can have it. If you decide this little project is too much of a hassle, I'll take you to get a new one."
"Deal! Gramps, if you want, we can start working on it tomorrow. I'll do some research tonight on how to restore a bike."
"Sounds like a great plan to me," he grinned.
That night I researched and printed out tons of how-to steps, as well as a list of items we would need to remove the rust. I also found some websites selling vintage parts for bikes. I figured I could go after school to Ace Hardware and pick up a few items.
I didn't want to admit it, but subconsciously I was trying to find anything to do that would keep my mind off Lucas and school. The fact that I was going to restore something with Gramps was an added bonus. I enjoyed spending time with him because I liked listening to his stories about my mom when she was a kid.
School the next day was the same as every other day. Once again, Lucas was absent during study hall. I took that as a bad sign since he'd said he would be there. I started getting a gut feeling that he was having second thoughts about taking me to prom. Thinking about the bike kept me from thinking about him too much.
I made a quick stop at the hardware store to pick up the items we'd need to clean the rust. Gramps was already sitting on the porch in a pair of coveralls when I pulled into the driveway.
"Gramps, you look like you're going to fix a car, not a bike," I chuckled.
He smiled and handed me a pair of coveralls. "Put these on; that way it'll be easier to clean up for dinner."
"You got it." The coveralls were so big I could fit two or three of me in them.
When I came back outside, Gramps had already spread a tarp on the side lawn. He said it would give us plenty of workspace with sunlight. Mom and my grandmother sat on the porch swing watching us take the bicycle apart. I kept a list of which part went where as we stripped it. Mom snapped pictures of us working. She'd said she wanted to document the project from start to finish. Gramps and I simultaneously wiped our foreheads when we had everything apart, causing us to crack up. We both had dirt smudges on our faces and Mom kept taking more embarrassing pictures.
It was almost six before we decided to call it a night. I'd planned to continue the next afternoon, but my grandmother said Gramps would have to take the day off because he had a late doctor's appointment. I decided I'd take advantage of the free afternoon. Was my haven missing me as much as I was missing it?
I was so preoccupied the next day with everything outside of school that my classes became a blur. Of course, Casey continued to babble about prom. I really didn't want to talk about it since I wasn't sure I would be going now, but I put on a cheery face for her sake. Surprise, surprise, Lucas wasn't in study hall. I had no problem getting my homework done.
After school, I stopped by the sporting goods store to special order the parts we needed. They said my items would be in by the next Friday. Gramps and I could finish restoring the bike within two weeks.
As soon as I got home, I changed and took off running. I was in seventh heaven when I entered my meadow. I didn't beat around the bush; I went straight into tumbling. I felt boundless. The exhilarating rush from my flips made me want to go faster. I started at one end of the field and didn't stop tumbling until I reached the other end. I wanted to make the best of my time because I wasn't sure when I'd get a chance to come back. I messed around with my iPod deciding on the right dance song. I selected an upbeat eighties track that I knew would get my heart racing. When the music started, I took off like a bullet. I felt so carefree. I danced to a few more tracks before heading back to my grandparents' house.