Dawn and the Older Boy

  Then I let my mind play a little game. Maybe there was a really farfetched reason for Travis’s behavior. Maybe he was just pretending to like this girl. But why? I was stumped. Unless … maybe Travis wanted to join the swim team, too, and he figured one way to do it would be to date the captain. But wait a minute. Travis was a great athlete (he said so himself), so why would he need extra pull? Nothing made sense. There was no explanation for the way Travis was acting.

  I said so later that evening to Mary Anne, when we were upstairs working hard in my room. (Sometimes we do our homework together.) That night, Mary Anne was solving math problems, and I was trying to figure out Travis.

  “You know, it just doesn’t make sense,” I blurted out.

  “What doesn’t?” Mary Anne barely looked up from her book.

  “What Kristy said about Travis and that lifeguard!” My voice was so loud it startled her.

  “Oh, that.” She pushed her papers aside and stared at me.

  “Well, what did you think about it?” I said impatiently.

  Mary Anne shrugged. “I guess I didn’t think much about it either way. Did it bother you?”

  Did it bother me! “Yes,” I said with clenched teeth. “It bothered me a lot.”

  Mary Anne sighed. “Then I wish she hadn’t brought it up.”

  “No, I’m glad she did. Maybe this way I can figure out what’s going on. I don’t know why he’s taking out someone else. And I’m not sure why he’s paying attention to me.” I started pacing restlessly back and forth in front of the dresser.

  “Dawn, it’s not the end of the world. I wish you weren’t so unhappy about it.” Sometimes Mary Anne gets really upset over other people’s problems, but she’s usually a good person to talk to.

  “But I thought Travis cared about me!”

  Mary Anne hesitated. “I’m sure he does. But he can take out anyone he wants to. It’s not like the two of you are going steady. Anyway, she’s probably a lot closer to him in age.”

  “But why is he paying so much attention to me? I thought he really liked me.”

  “I guess he likes her, too. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”

  I was all set to argue, and then I stopped myself. What Mary Anne was saying made sense, even though it killed me to admit it. Travis and I didn’t have a formal relationship the way Mary Anne and Logan have. In a way, I envy Mary Anne, because she always knows where she stands with Logan. And he knows where he stands with her. But Travis is the type of boy who keeps you guessing. He’s full of surprises (the lifeguard was a big one!), and I’d have to figure out a way to handle it.

  Later that night, as I turned out my light, the idea came to me in a flash. The best way to find out how Travis felt about this girl was to see the two of them together. And that was exactly what I was going to do.

  * * *

  I got my chance a few days later. It was a sunny Thursday afternoon, and my teacher decided to let our class out ten minutes early. I raced across the school yard, a plan already forming in my mind. If I hurried, I could just get to SHS before the dismissal bell rang.

  The SHS kids were barreling down the broad stone steps of the school as I came tearing around the corner. My heart sank. How would I ever find Travis in this huge mob? I was just trying to decide where to stand to get the best view, when I had an incredible stroke of luck. I spotted Travis pausing in the doorway to put on his sunglasses. He looked terrific in faded jeans and a white T-shirt, and my heart did a little flip-flop. I was dying to run up to him and tell him how glad I was to see him.

  But he wasn’t alone. He turned around and linked arms with a great-looking girl. Her long red hair tumbled down her back, and she had high cheekbones, just like a model. She was dressed in a white cotton flight suit, exactly the kind of trendy outfit that Claudia or Stacey would wear. I hated her on sight, and then I stopped and reminded myself that it wasn’t her fault she was gorgeous. And it wasn’t her fault that Travis liked her.

  Travis and the girl headed for the sidewalk, and I held my breath, hoping that Travis didn’t have his car. Another stroke of luck. They walked right past the school parking lot, still arm in arm. They were probably going downtown (another shopping trip?) and if I was very careful, I’d be able to follow them. I waited behind a tree until they were a good half block ahead of me.

  I had to know what Travis was up to.

  A few minutes later, I decided I wasn’t cut out to be a spy. Do you know how hard it is to follow someone? (I know what you’re probably thinking. How can I say that when it looks so easy on television?)

  But I had two disasters almost immediately. First, I stepped into a huge puddle, ruining my new shoes, and then I was nearly run over by a garbage truck. I was so busy watching Travis that I didn’t even notice the light had changed, and I stepped right out into the intersection. Dumb!

  I took a deep breath and told myself to calm down. I would never find out the truth about Travis if I were flattened by a truck. The trick was to stay cool.

  I made sure Travis and the girl stayed at least half a block ahead of me. With any luck, I’d be able to blend into the crowd once we got downtown. The tricky part was a long stretch of a street with a narrow sidewalk and very few trees. I knew that if Travis turned around for any reason, he would spot me.

  I was being extra cautious when a car horn blasted right behind me. I nearly jumped out of my skin! To my horror, Travis heard it, too. He glanced over his shoulder, and I barely had time to dart behind a bush. Had he seen me? I had no idea, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I crouched behind the bush, feeling a little silly, but afraid to get up. I counted silently to ten and then took up the chase once more.

  A few minutes later we reached downtown Stoneybrook. Travis and the girl stopped first at Burger Bite, and I watched them head for a back booth. Would he order for her? I wondered. I took a seat near the front door and peeked out from underneath a giant menu. If I scrunched around in my seat, I could see the two of them in the mirror.

  They were laughing and talking, and when the girl picked up the menu, Travis closed his hand over hers. He winked at her before he gave their order to the waitress. My heart sank. The smiles, the tender looks … it was all so familiar. Travis was staring at her as if she were the only girl in the room. He had looked at me in exactly the same way!

  I gulped down a lemonade and quietly left the restaurant. My heart was pounding in my chest as I sat on a bench across the street from the Burger Bite. I decided to wait for them to come out and then follow them to their next stop. Why was I doing this? I can’t even explain it. I just had to know what they were going to do next, even though I knew it was going to hurt me.

  About half an hour later, they came out arm in arm and headed for the Merry-Go-Round. Hamburgers and pierced earrings. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Travis was taking her to exactly the same places he had taken me. I wondered for one crazy moment if Travis would even buy her the same earrings he had bought for me. (Not that it would matter at this point.)

  They didn’t buy anything, but they wandered up and down the aisles, looking at the jewelry. They kept their heads close together, laughing and talking. Even though I couldn’t hear what they were saying, I could see that they were having a terrific time together. Why couldn’t I have been the one with Travis? My chest felt so tight, I thought it would explode, but I forced myself to keep watching them. I should have known that things could only get worse.

  It was late afternoon when they finally finished their window shopping and headed away from town. I tagged along after them, feeling tired and discouraged. (And very jealous.) There were so many thoughts crowding in my head at once that it was impossible to think clearly. Why was Travis so interested in this girl? Yes, I know she was great-looking, but it had to be more than that. Travis had told me over and over how beautiful my eyes were, and he had even picked out combs for me to wear in my hair. So that must mean that he thought I was pretty good-looking, didn’t it? What did she h
ave that I didn’t have?

  I was trying to sort everything out when Travis and the girl suddenly entered a small park. I barely had time to duck into a bus shelter when the two of them sat down on a bench just a few feet away. Now what?

  I didn’t have to wait long. I watched in horror as Travis leaned over and kissed her! I know I gasped out loud, but both of them were too busy to notice. My hand flew up to my mouth, and I felt hot tears stinging my eyelids. How could this be happening?

  I don’t know how long they would have stayed in the park, but suddenly a group of little kids sat down next to them. I saw Travis frown and then laughingly pull the redhead to her feet. She laid her head against his shoulder, just for a moment, and then the two of them moved off again, arm in arm. I felt like staying right in the bus shelter and crying my eyes out, but I knew I had to keep going.

  Half a block later, they stopped at the movie theater and looked at the marquee. The way they were nodding and talking, it was obvious that they were making plans to go to a movie together. That night? That weekend? I had no way of knowing, but it didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that she would be with Travis, and I wouldn’t. Their fingers were laced tightly together, and I saw the look in Travis’s eyes when he smiled at her. He should be smiling that way at me.

  I had seen enough. It was nearly dusk, and I hurried home, thinking, thinking, thinking. Did Travis like this girl because she was his own age? Was I really “too young” for him, just like Richard had said? Was Travis annoyed with me because I hadn’t taken his advice and had that third hole pierced in my ear? Surely he wouldn’t get so mad over a little thing like that? No matter how hard I tried to explain things, my mind kept coming back to one point: Travis didn’t care about me at all. How could I have been so mistaken about him?

  I was still very upset over Travis when we had our next BSC meeting. I had made up my mind not to say anything to my friends, but somehow everything came pouring out.

  We were waiting around for phone calls when Kristy mentioned that Sam and Travis were on the track team together. “I don’t know how Travis does it,” Kristy said admiringly. “He’s playing three different sports this season, and he’s even talking about trying out for the school play.”

  “He should,” Stacey piped up. “Can you imagine how great he’d look onstage? He’s gorgeous! He has the dreamiest eyes I’ve ever seen.”

  Stacey (who happens to be a little boy-crazy) was all set to launch into a long description of Travis’s smile, when I cut her off.

  “Please, can we change the subject?” I pleaded. I jumped up and grabbed my jacket. “If we’re just going to sit around and talk about boys, I’m going home. I’ve got better things to do.”

  Kristy looked shocked, and Stacey gave me a long look. “Dawn, what’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” I snapped. I turned around so my friends couldn’t see the tears that were threatening to spill down my cheeks. “I’ve just heard enough about Travis, that’s all. In fact, I’ve heard more than enough!” I stumbled blindly toward the door to Claudia’s room, but Mary Anne stopped me.

  “Wait, Dawn,” she said softly. “You might as well tell everyone what’s going on.”

  “I don’t want to get into it,” I said stiffly.

  Mary Anne took my hand and pulled me gently onto Claud’s bed. “That’s what friends are for, you know. We’re all here for each other.”

  I hesitated. Everyone was looking at me, and they all seemed worried. Maybe it was better to get things out into the open.

  “I saw Travis with someone else,” I said slowly. “Probably the captain of the swim team. That’s why I’m so upset.”

  Stacey looked puzzled. “Why would that bother you? Unless —” She clapped her hand over her mouth. “Are you going out with him? Oh, wow! When did all this happen?”

  I shrugged. “We’re not really going out together, but I know he cares about me. I mean, I thought he cared about me.” I told them about the surprise visit at the house, and the necklace and hair combs. (Also the trip to Burger Bite and the Merry-Go-Round.) I left out the part about Mom and Richard being so angry with me.

  “That rat,” Stacey said angrily after I told them about Travis kissing the girl in the park. “Why did he lead you on like that?”

  “He didn’t really lead her on,” Kristy said. “Don’t forget, he never really asked her out. At least, not on a real date.”

  “Oh, Kristy,” Claudia said. “You’re being much too practical. If somebody visits you at your house and brings you presents, it’s like a date. And if they take you shopping after school, that’s like a date, too.”

  “It is?” Jessi asked. She and Mallory had been following the whole conversation without saying a word.

  Claudia unwrapped a Hershey’s Kiss and popped it into her mouth. “Well, sort of. At least I think it is.”

  “I think so, too,” Stacey said. “Travis gave Dawn the idea that he liked her, so he’s definitely a creep.”

  I sighed. I was glad that my friends were all taking my side, but I didn’t feel much better. My chest ached every time I thought about Travis.

  “Don’t worry, Dawn,” Claudia said. “You’ll meet someone a million times nicer than Travis. Someone who appreciates you.”

  I sniffled a little. How could there be anybody nicer than Travis?

  “In fact,” Mary Anne said, “I think I know just the person.”

  “You do?” Kristy asked. “Tell us about him.”

  Mary Anne grinned. “Well, he’s fourteen, and he’s fantastic-looking. Plus he’s got a great sense of humor, and he’s supposed to be really nice.”

  “Supposed to be?” Kristy raised her eyebrows. “Don’t you know for sure?”

  “I’m sure,” Mary Anne said. “It’s just that I haven’t met him yet.”

  “Who is he?” Jessi asked. “Does he go to SMS?”

  “No, he’s from out of town.” She paused. “He’s Logan’s cousin. His name is Lewis and he’s coming here for a visit soon.” She bent down so we were on eye level. “And guess what? He doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

  Mary Anne looked quite pleased with herself. I didn’t want to sound ungrateful, but I had no desire to meet Lewis. I didn’t care how nice he was or how handsome or funny. I wanted Travis. Why couldn’t everyone understand that?

  “Isn’t it wonderful?” Mary Anne went on, all smiles.

  I blew my nose and tried to look interested. There was no point in hurting Mary Anne’s feelings, and I could always make up some excuse for not seeing Lewis when he got here.

  “Wonderful,” I said. “Just wonderful.”

  “Please, Mary Anne,” Mathew and Myriah chanted together. “We want to do the play for a big audience today. It’s really ready.”

  “I thought we’d play checkers,” Mary Anne said, “and then we’d make brownies together.”

  “Brownies! We can have brownies anytime,” said Myriah. “This is important stuff. This is a play!”

  “Please!” Gabbie squealed. “No brownies! No checkers! Don’t you want everyone to see Little Dog Lost?”

  “Well, sure,” Mary Anne replied. “Of course I do.” Mary Anne knew the play from reading Kristy’s and Jessi’s baby-sitting notes. They had seen the play “in rehearsal” and Mary Anne guessed that the kids had been working on it a lot since then.

  She glanced at James, who was looking very pleased with himself. “Are you ready to do this?”

  He nodded. “As ready as we’ll ever be. Everybody knows their lines, and if Chewy stays under control, we’ll be fine.”

  Chewy! Mary Anne’s heart sank. She had forgotten that Chewy was the star of the play. “Where is Chewy?” Mary Anne asked.

  “He’s all ready!” Gabbie informed her. “He’s waiting in the garage.” She looked at James. “We call that offstage.”

  “I see.” Mary Anne watched as Gabbie opened the garage door and Chewy came barreling across the yard. He acted like a dog who had
been cooped up for five years. He immediately began running in circles.

  “He’s excited,” Myriah explained.

  “I can see that.” Mary Anne gently pushed Chewy off the lawn chair he’d jumped on. “Are you sure he’ll calm down enough for the play?”

  “I know he will,” Myriah said, petting him. “I’ll put him back in the garage.”

  Mary Anne doubted that Chewy would calm down, but she didn’t want to discourage Myriah. “Okay,” she said finally, “where do we start?”

  “We need to set up chairs for the audience, and then we need to start ringing doorbells.” James was suddenly very businesslike as he dragged some folding chairs over to the patio. “This is the stage,” he said, motioning to the backyard, “and this is where the audience sits.”

  “That looks fine, but what did you mean about ringing doorbells?”

  “To tell people about the play,” said Mathew impatiently.

  “We really should have sent out invitations,” Myriah said, “but we’ve been so busy rehearsing, we didn’t get around to it.” She looked a little worried. “It’s not too late to ask people to come, is it?”

  “I guess not.” Mary Anne glanced at her watch. It was after three-thirty. “But we better get started right away. How about if I call Mallory Pike and see if she can bring some of her brothers and sisters?”

  “Oh, good!” Myriah clapped her hands together. “And ask Jessi to bring Becca and Squirt.”

  “The more the better,” James said. “The grown-ups can sit on the folding chairs, and the little kids can sit on blankets.”

  “Are we inviting grown-ups?” asked Mary Anne.

  “Of course! Otherwise it won’t seem like a real play,” James replied.

  “Hmm, I guess you’re right.” Where could Mary Anne find some real live parents at a moment’s notice? she wondered. She thought of Mrs. Pike. As far as she knew, Mal’s mom was the only one of our clients who might be at home.