***
Everyone saw the wet couple coming through the trees and onto the park lawn. They just kept walking, passing astonished picnickers. Skye kept her head down, and when they reached her aunt, they quickly explained and walked out the park gates to go home to change.
All Todd had to say to anyone was one word, “Marabelle,” and they would nod with understanding. That’s what happened at the Keaton table, too.
Cassie was sitting at the end of the table with Chris, as they watched the wet couple walk by. Chris could not help himself, as he burst into laughter; in fact, he was doubled over with laughter, as were most of the other guys in the park.
But there was one who wasn’t laughing. Michael was furious. It was all he could do to keep himself from going after Todd and tearing into him. He would have never let anything happen to Skye. Todd Kane was a jerk. He’d thought he was a nice guy, but now . . . this was war!
Cassie looked at the poor, soaking wet girl and let out a sigh. Whoa, I’m glad that’s not me. She saw how the guy had his arm around her, in a protective way, and she thought she heard them laugh, as they headed through the gate.
Sara came over to the Keaton’s table and related the story to them. Chris tried his best to keep a straight face, but it was all he could do to keep from losing it completely.
“That Marabelle Fludge,” Marion spat out her name as if it were poison. “The whole Fludge family is crazy, if you ask me. Chris, I want you to keep Cassie away from her.”
“Don’t worry, Cassie isn’t a threat to Marabelle, after all, Marabelle’s never shown any interest in me.”
Sara apologized again for the scene Skye and Todd had made, and went back to her table, as Marion joined Justin at the opposite end of the table from Chris and Cassie.
“Okay,” whispered Cassie, “who is this Marabelle Fludge?”
“Only the most dangerous girl in Parkerville,” laughed Chris. “She’s crazy as a loon, and she’s been chasing after Todd from the moment she could walk. She lives over on Honeysuckle, just down the street from Todd. And now that I think about it, she’s just across the street from Mrs. Davis . . . and Skye.” Chris let out a loud yelp and doubled over laughing again.
“Chris, tell me what’s going on,” pleaded Cassie as she started laughing herself. “Come on, clue me in.”
Chris came up for air and began to relate the story of Marabelle. Each outlandish story brought peals of laughter from Cassie. She leaned closer to hear each story and held onto his arm to keep her balance, after each round of laughter. After a few stories, Cassie had both of her arms around his and her head on his shoulder.
Marion was watching, and began to wonder why Cassie seemed so comfortable with Chris all of a sudden. “I don’t know if I like this,” Marion said to Justin as he finished the last of his ear of corn.
“What are you talking about . . . the food is great!”
“Justin, get your head out of that plate and look at your son.”
Justin looked over and watched as Chris and Cassie laughed and whispered to each other.
“What’s the problem, they look like they’re having a great time to me.”
Marion glared at him and raised an eyebrow. “Something happened in the woods, Justin, mark my words. A mother knows these things.”
The Rumor Mill
Geri came over to the table with a couple of her friends, looking for dessert.
“Mom, you didn’t take that carrot cake over to the community table, did you? There won’t be any of it left for us.”
This was the opportunity Marion was waiting for, to find out if anything happened during Chris and Cassie's walk in the woods.
“No, sweetheart, I sent the cherry pie and some of the candied yams over there. I know how much you love my carrot cake and I’ve been keeping it safe in that basket over by the paper plates. Why don’t you help me get it out to serve to your friends?”
“Okay,” said Geri a little leery, “but why do you need my help?”
“Well, I haven’t spent much time with you this afternoon and I just wanted to see how things were going. Are you having fun with your friends?”
“Yeah, we’ve been playing most of the games, but I haven’t won anything. Kevin and Brian keep taking all the prizes. Amy and I can’t seem to get it together. How about you and Dad? Have you even left the picnic table yet?”
“No, we old folks are waiting for the band to start up. We might even embarrass you by dancing a little.” Marion said, starting to pull Geri toward the utility table.
“Now, I know you and your friends hear all the gossip and . . .”
“You know, don’t you?” Geri interrupted with a whisper. “I can’t believe everyone knows. Who told you?”
“Oh,” stalled Marion, trying to think of something to say. “You know how people talk, especially in Parkerville.”
“Well, the way I heard it, Chris and Cassie were really making out over on the bench. You know the one behind those big bushes. The kids at school call it the make out bench.” Geri gave a little giggle. “Well, anyway, they were hugging and kissing each other, and things were getting out of hand, when Ruth Ann came over and stopped them. You know Ruth Ann, she’s that farm girl Chris kissed over at Burgers, and just about ruined her reputation.”
Marion was speechless as she listened to Geri’s story, trying not to glance over at the twosome. “Go on,” she finally choked.
“Well,” Geri continued, having trouble controlling her enthusiasm, “Well, the R&R twins were going to beat up Chris, because he was cussing so much in front of the girls, but he got away and ran back here to save his life. Don’t you remember how red his face was he was when he first got back? You’ve got to remember him complaining about those farm boys. Everyone within a couple of miles must have heard him. Anyway, he just left poor Cassie out there to find her own way back.” Geri finally paused, “So . . . what are you and Daddy going to do to him?”
Marion smiled and took a deep breath. “Now, Geri, you know we don’t jump to conclusions. We always hear both sides of every story.” She continued to smile as she handed Geri the cake. “Here, take the cake over to your table and share it with your friends. Chris and I need to have a little talk.”
Marion steadied herself on the edge of the table, as she began walking toward Chris and Cassie. Chris looked up and saw her coming, and he didn’t like the look in his mother’s eyes.
“Oh, no,” was all he could gasp.
By the time Cassie realized what was happening, Marion was already taking a seat next to Chris, glaring into his eyes.
“What is this I hear about you and Cassie groping and kissing each other in the woods?”
“What?” the couple said in unison. “What groping?” Chris took over. “There was never any groping! Mom, where did you hear that?”
“Let’s just say it’s all over the park by now,” Marion said, trying to keep her voice down.
“Believe me, Mom, it was just a little kiss, nothing else; just a little kiss. It wasn’t anything!” Chris said, shrugging his shoulders and looking back at Cassie.
Cassie tried to smile, but a pang of fear ran through her, as she looked down at the ground. Oh, no! I wonder if anyone saw Joshua kissing me. I have to stay cool, since I don’t remember seeing anyone around.
“Okay, but what about this Ruth Ann person, whose reputation you supposedly ruined. And all the cursing . . . and getting beaten up by two farm boys named R&R?” Marion knew what she was saying wasn’t really logical, but she was too mad to think clearly.
“Mom, listen to what you’re saying. None of this makes any sense. No one beat me up and I certainly never ruined anyone’s reputation . . . especially Ruth Ann’s.”
“Man, you two are so . . . busted!” Kevin’s voice rang out, followed by peals of laughter from the kids’ table.
“Mom, you don’t believe those little teenage wannabes, do you? Th
ey weren’t anywhere near us. They must have heard this from someone else.” Chris paused for a moment to think. “Oh yeah, I’ll just bet I know who started this. It had to be that stupid jerk of a farmer, Joshua Edwards! Chris jumped up, wanting to go find Joshua, but his father stopped him by putting his hand on his shoulder.
“Hold on, son, you need to explain exactly what’s going on, before you go running off looking for someone else to blame. Your mother and I need to hear the truth about this girl, Ruth Ann, and why you think the Edwards’ boy has something to do with this.
Chris sat back down and related the events of the past three days. He confessed to driving down to Marshall City and seeing Ruth Ann with Cassie’s bag, and Joshua threatening him in the burger bar.
“I realize I made a mistake, when I apologized to Ruth Ann. I shouldn’t have fooled around and kissed her on the hand . . . but that is all I did! I swear . . . that’s all I did!"
Cassie had been very quiet during the interrogation. She had her own fears to worry about. I have to find a way to keep Chris far away from Joshua, but it’s not going to be easy.
“So, what do you have to say about all of this?” Marion said, to a distracted Cassie.
Cassie looked up, a little shaken. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just thinking I should have stayed with Chris, when Ruth Ann said he kissed her at the burger bar. I kidded around and ran off. I feel terrible now.” She looked up at Chris and then over to Marion and Justin. “Yes, Chris is telling the truth, you know. We shared a little friendly kiss, but nothing else happened.” Then Cassie tried another strategy, “I would never make out with someone I hardly know. I can’t believe you would even listen to that kind of rumor. Those children over there are just having fun with this.”
After a few moments of silence, Marion spoke again. “Okay, we’ll let this go for now, but we will be discussing this again once we get home.” Her blood pressure was starting to go back to normal. “The band is starting up now and there will be a dance afterward for you kids. But, if there is any more trouble . . . we will leave immediately!”
A Penny for Your Thoughts
Todd and Skye arrived back at the park and were walking through the park gates, as many smiles and more than a few stares met them.
They walked over to the Kane table and sat down. The group there had already eaten, but Sara hurried to make Skye a plate. Sara leaned down and whispered in Skye’s ear, “Do you need a barrette or rubber band for your hair, dear?”
Skye turned and whispered back to her aunt, “No, I think I’ll just wear it down. It’s still kind of damp.”
Skye wanted to feel good, maybe meet some kids she’d be going to school with. She didn’t want these feelings she felt for Todd. She wanted to take it slow.
Sara put a plate of food down in front of Skye, as she pushed her food around, ate a little potato salad and half a hamburger . . . anything to keep her stomach from growling. What a silly thing for a girl to worry about. Why was it so hard for her to eat in front of a boy? She finally had a piece of her aunt’s apple pie, mainly because she didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but also because Todd was so busy with his own plate; he really wasn’t watching her, nor did he seem to care. That boy had a healthy appetite!
Skye was just finishing her hamburger when Todd looked over at her. She had just a drop of ketchup on the corner of her mouth. He reached over, scooped it up with his finger then licked his finger. Skye looked surprised, as Todd smiled and returned to his own plate.
Sara didn't miss that action and she wasn't very happy. "Can I get you kids anything else?" Sara asked as she plopped a huge jar of ketchup down in front of Todd, raising one eyebrow.
Totally embarrassed, Todd muttered a ‘no’ and pushed his plate away.
"If you're finished, Skye, let's go sit under a tree and listen to the band play.”
Skye and Todd started to head for the band area, and a vacant tree, when Sara motioned for them to take a couple of folding lawn chairs.
Skye loved it that her aunt was so practical. It would have been cozier to sit on the ground under a lovely old chestnut tree; but let’s face it, there would be ants climbing up and down . . . not to mention all the other little bugs in the world, with their habitat in and around that tree.
They took their chairs and found an empty tree, and settled underneath it. Todd got his chair as close to Skye’s as possible, reaching across for her hand.
She reached down to re-fasten the buckle on her sandal, and when she did, a cascade of shimmering hair fell like a waterfall all around her ankle. She laughed and Todd helped by getting down on one knee and fastened it for her. It was all done very quickly, but none of this was lost on anyone who was still sitting around the picnic area. Sara gasped for one quick moment, when she saw Todd down on one knee. Todd’s mom dropped a bowl of apples, and snickering could be heard throughout the park.
“Todd, uh, I think that’s just fine. It’s tight enough, and I think at this moment, we’re the center of attention. You’d better get up before my aunt comes running over with a baseball bat.”
He immediately got back on his chair, a little red faced.
“Jerk!” someone said, while walking toward the benches. Todd recognized the voice, but chose to ignore it.
The high school band was playing and they were trying their best to play the theme from A Summer Place. It was strained and slow in reality, but soft and soothing to the older generation. They were leaning back in their chairs and listening to their children and grandchildren playing in the band. They only heard perfection.
Skye leaned back in her chair. She felt relaxed and sated.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Todd’s voice whispered, for her ears only.
“I was just thinking, last year on Labor Day, my brother-in-law got the old broken down barbecue going and grilled some cheeseburgers. I helped my sister with pies and potato salad, while neighbors came by and brought cakes and cookies. My nieces were laughing and chasing each other, my sister was swinging her youngest on the swing set, and my brother-in-law was seriously burning some delicious burgers.
Mac and his parents were there. It was fun, but this is better. So, did you get your penny’s worth?” Skye looked at Todd and smiled.
“Yeah, I guess I did.” Todd was aching to put his arm around her, but decided to back off for now. “So what’s Labor Day? It certainly doesn’t sound like fun. I think our Family Day is much better. Look, let’s take another walk, preferably far away from the creek. Come on, let’s go.”
The snack bar was running, so they walked over and got a couple of drinks and found an empty bench nearby.
Todd discovered a lot about Skye and the same was true for her. They talked about their favorite TV shows. Skye’s was the new show Gidget, while Todd was into westerns and spy shows. They both loved The Ed Sullivan Show, and they liked The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. Skye also enjoyed listening to Simon and Garfunkel. She knew all their songs by heart and used to sing them in her brother-in-law’s barn, while cleaning out the stables. In fact, when she was feeling low, Simon and Garfunkel could always meet her mood with their songs.
Skye smiled the sweetest smile, melting Todd's heart. He leaned toward her and gently kissed her. Skye’s eyes sparkled as she put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him back. Soon they embraced and gave in to the passion that had been brewing since they first met.
Another couple approached, and laughed at the two on the bench, who were completely lost to the outside world.
“Whoa,” Todd gulped, after they released each other. “Think I'll take our cups over to the trash can.”
“Okay,” Skye said.
As he walked toward the trash receptacle, Michael was pitching some trash himself.
“Hang tight, pal,” Todd said, as Michael glared back.
“Jerk.” Michael hissed as he walked away.
The Friendship Begins
Cassie watched as Marion and Justin carried their lawn chairs over to the huge gazebo, where the band was playing. The gazebo was large enough to hold the entire band, so when they were finished and the record player came out; there was plenty of room to dance on the hardwood floor. Many of the older generation enjoyed dancing on the grass, swinging their younger children around to the music. It really didn’t matter what the band played, they were having a great time.
Chris and Cassie stayed where they were at the picnic table. Both were deep in thought, although their thoughts ran down different paths.
Chris slammed his fist on the table. “I can’t believe that guy! Doesn’t he care about your feelings? Where does he get off spreading those kinds of lies?”
“Chris, calm down, you don’t really know it was Joshua who said those things. It seems to me it must have been Ruth Ann, since she’s the one who’s so mad at you and besides, Joshua wasn’t even there, was he?” Cassie put her hand on Chris’ fist and tried to smooth things over. “Those kids over there must have heard about what happened and just blew everything out of proportion. Besides,” Cassie paused, pretending to pout, “You said the kiss was nothing. It didn’t mean anything to you.”
“Oh, yeah . . . and you said it was just a friendly kiss. What’s with that? I thought it was more than that!” Chris was grinning again, and Cassie was beginning to breathe a little easier.
“And it’s really nice to know that I’m not a threat to this Marabelle person. That one really hurt, even though I don’t even know who she is.” Cassie began to punch Chris in the arm.
“Okay, okay, give me some slack. I was just trying to say, Marabelle wouldn’t be worried about you, since she’s not interested in me. You know what I’m trying to say.”
“Yeah, I know.” Cassie was laughing now. “Let’s surprise your mom and clean up this mess. I think both of your parents could use a nice surprise when they get back.”
It helped to have something to do, as they laughed and kidded with each other as they picked up the trash, putting the food away in the coolers. Cassie hoped that the feeling of dread she felt in the pit of her stomach would go away. How could she have let everything get so out of control?
Everything will be just fine. I’m sure Joshua won’t do anything to embarrass me. Although the words made sense in her head, she knew she was still in deep trouble.
The band stopped playing and the younger set decided it was time to listen to their music . . . and dance. They brought up their records and hooked the record player to the speakers. The dancers sat down and waited on the benches, surrounding the interior of the gazebo. All of a sudden, Wooly Bully, by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, blasted from the speakers. The older generation graciously left the bandstand area and the younger generation took over.
Boys and girls were drawn to the music from all over the park. They stepped on the hardwood floor and allowed themselves to become engulfed by the music.
Skye found herself increasingly aware of her body moving to the beat. Todd watched her and finally asked, “Hey, want to give it a try? I mean, I’m not the greatest dancer in the world, but I can move a little.”
She jumped up, grabbed Todd’s hand and said, “Let’s go!”
They joined the kids on the crowded dance floor and began to dance. Todd could see this girl had fantastic rhythm. Her arms, her feet, and especially her gyrating hips, moved perfectly to the music. Some of the kids stepped aside to watch her, while Todd just tried to keep up. When Skye danced, she sometimes became oblivious to people around her.
Todd noticed Chris stepping on the dance floor with a pretty blond he didn’t recognize.
Chris and Cassie started dancing, and the unique thing about her dancing, was it was very close to the way Skye was dancing. These two newcomers were showing the Parkerville kids something new and exciting. As they were dancing, Skye looked over at Cassie and smiled. In return, Cassie gave Skye a smile and a thumbs-up. Chris and Todd simply tried to follow along.
The next song was Chapel of Love, by the Dixie Cups. This song had a calypso beat. A lot of the kids knew how to do the cha-cha, but not exactly like Cassie and Skye. Chris tried to follow Cassie’s steps, as did Todd with Skye; however, Cassie and Skye slowly moved toward each other. Before they knew it, they were dancing perfectly together, matching each other’s step for step. It was uncanny. While most of the girls were singing along with the chorus, Cassie and Skye sang their own version. “We’re not going to the chapel and we’re not gonna get married.”