Sierra stood up and began to pace with her hand on her forehead. “I don’t get it. I was trying to stand up for you.”
“I don’t need you to stand up for me,” Amy said coolly. “It’s over.”
“What’s over?”
“My nonexistent relationship with Drake. He’s all yours. Don’t be shy. Go for it. Leave me out of your next conversation with him, and I guarantee he’ll ask you out.”
“How can you stop liking him so quickly?”
“A relationship takes two people,” Amy said. “It was always one-sided with Drake and me. I just hoped it would change. It didn’t.”
“I don’t know if I could go out with him, knowing that you liked him.”
“Sure you could,” Amy said. “In fact, I think you should.”
Sierra let out a deep breath and slumped against the wall. “I don’t get it. You really think I should go out with Drake?”
Amy sighed. “This whole dating thing is new to you, Sierra. Let me tell you, when a guy like Drake asks you out, you’d better say yes.”
“Amy, your friendship means more to me than a date with Drake or any other guy.”
“Sierra, hello! Wake up, girl! We’re in high school. You’re supposed to go out with guys when they ask you, not turn them down because it might hurt some other girl’s feelings. Nice gesture, but I’d never expect any friend to give up a potential romance for me.”
“But I mean it,” Sierra protested.
“I know. That’s what makes you so sweet. That’s why everyone, including Drake, likes you. And that’s what makes it impossible for me to stay mad at you very long.”
“So you’re not mad anymore?”
Amy paused before saying calmly, “I’m fine with this. Really. I think you should go out with him. I’m sure he’ll ask you again.”
Sierra wished she could see Amy’s face so she would know without a doubt that Amy was being honest.
That evening Sierra still felt uneasy about Amy’s blessing and decided she would join Wes on a walk to Mount Tabor Park with Brutus. Maybe it was time to take Wes up on his offer to play big brother. He’d probably enjoy the opportunity to pour out his wisdom for her.
They put the leash on Brutus and were rounding the side of the house when Drake walked up the front steps.
“Hey, Drake,” Wes called out. “Over here.”
Sierra felt her heart pounding.
“How’s it going?” Wes asked.
“Pretty good. You guys heading out for a walk?”
Wes glanced at Sierra and then said, “Sierra was looking for some company. You want to fill in for me, Drake?”
“Sure.” Drake looked as if he had just stepped out of the shower with his thick, dark hair slicked back. The blue T-shirt and jeans were a contrast to the bright white Bundle of Joy uniform he had worn that morning.
Wes handed the leash to Sierra and said, “Make sure you have the big lug back by midnight.”
“Which one?” Sierra muttered.
“I heard that,” Drake said. “Which way are we going?”
He reached over and roughed up Brutus’s furry mane.
“Left, if you want to go to the park.”
“Fine with me.”
Brutus let out an impatient woof and took off. Sierra pulled on the leash. “The other way, Brutus. Go left.”
“He actually knows his right from his left?” Drake asked.
“No, but we’re working on it.”
They walked a block and a half in awkward silence before Drake said, “Can I tell you my side about Amy?”
“Sure.”
“I don’t know what Amy has told you, but this is how I see it. A bunch of us went to the Blazers game. Maybe you remember—we were planning it during lunch one day at school. Amy sort of asked for a ride, and when I agreed, it was as if we were going out. I saw it as giving a friend a ride. I don’t know what she considered it to be.”
Amy had been so excited. Sierra recalled teasing her about how she had manipulated Drake into asking her out. Amy had also set up the dinner plans to encourage Drake’s interest.
Apparently, Drake had never felt the same about Amy. Amy had been the instigator all along.
“I can understand your trying to defend Amy,” Drake said. “But I’m not sure it was fair for you to make me out to be the bad guy.”
“Maybe I jumped to conclusions,” Sierra admitted.
“Jumped?” Drake echoed. “How about catapulted?”
Sierra laughed. “Okay, so I catapulted. All I know is that it hurt Amy’s feelings when she answered the phone, and you were calling for me, not her.”
“Whoa, wait a minute,” Drake said. “I didn’t know Amy was at your house this morning, and I sure didn’t know she was the one on the phone. Are you telling me I don’t have the right to ask a girl out if I know someone else is interested in me?”
Sierra saw his point. Still, Amy was her friend. Her good friend, which was something she didn’t have an abundance of at the moment.
Drake continued. “What if I don’t want to go out with her? Aren’t I free to make my own decisions? Or do I have to sit at home, just so I won’t potentially hurt her feelings?”
They came to a busy cross street, and Brutus lurched forward, galloping off the curb.
“Wait, there’s a car coming!” Sierra yelled. She jerked on the leash and suddenly felt Drake’s warm hand on top of hers.
“Here, I’ll take him,” Drake offered. He grabbed the leash and spoke firmly to Brutus. “Come on, boy. Hold up a minute.”
If Sierra’s heart had been racing before, it was sprinting now. She saw Drake in a new light. He was right. It wasn’t fair for her to judge him only on Amy’s view of what her relationship with Drake should be. Drake had a say in things, too.
“Look, I want to be straight with you, Sierra. I don’t date a lot. I made a point last year to hang out with a lot of different people and not to go out with just one person.”
Sierra knew that was true. Drake was friends with everyone and had even been called a flirt because he didn’t go out with the same girl twice.
“I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Would you like to go out with me?”
“You mean to the movies on Friday?”
“Yes, but I mean more than that,” Drake said. “I mean date. You know, be together this summer. I’d really like to spend time with you and get to know you better.”
Sierra noticed that Drake’s forehead was beginning to perspire. His voice sounded calm and confident, but she knew he must be feeling as nervous as she was.
Well…he was right about Amy. And he is an incredible guy, Sierra thought.
“Okay,” she said.
Boy, did that sound lame! Sierra chided herself. Couldn’t you get a little more enthusiastic here? Drake just asked you out!
Then, before Sierra could stop herself, she blurted out, “Why me?”
“WHY YOU?” Drake laughed.
“What I mean is, you can have any girl you want. Why in the world do you want to go out with me?”
Drake scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t know. Do I have to have a reason? Isn’t it enough that I like you and want to spend time with you?”
Sierra edged a little closer to Drake as they entered the park and turned up a tree-lined path. “I guess so. I’m flattered, that’s all. I love this park, don’t you? All the trees make it feel so secluded. Like a secret hiding place.”
“It’s nice,” Drake agreed.
The trail wound upward, and they stopped talking and starting huffing with each rapid step. Drake’s long stride proved to be a challenge for Sierra to keep up with. They didn’t talk again until they reached the top of the hill where a spectacular view of the city hung low in the west, lacing the long row of scalloped clouds with a satin ribbon of peach.
“It’s beautiful,” Sierra murmured.
Drake casually slipped his arm around her shoulder, holding Brutus’s leash tightly with his
right hand. “Beautiful,” Drake repeated.
This is so wonderful! Sierra thought. I love feeling his arm around me. I wonder if he’s going to kiss me. Wait, what am I thinking? Why would he kiss me? We hardly know each other.
It was the first time Sierra had been overwhelmed with such strong feelings about a guy. Everything was coming at her so fast. She both liked the emotional rush and felt threatened by it. It was liked the feeling she had on the Tilt-O-Wheel ride at the county fair when she was a kid. She loved the sensation of the gravity taking over, but felt anxious at the same time because she was no longer in control.
Something stronger than she was at work. With the rush of emotion came the fear of doing something she would later regret. On the Tilt-O-Wheel, she’d feared throwing up in public when she got off the ride. But with Drake, she didn’t know exactly what it was she feared. Some kind of warning system was going off in her head, though.
“We’d better head back,” Sierra heard herself say. “This guy’s going to need a drink of water.”
“I saw a fountain back there,” Drake said. “Can he drink from there?”
“Sure.”
They turned to go. Drake kept his arm around her shoulders. He seemed to think the gesture was completely normal. She hoped he couldn’t feel her blood pumping at top speed through her shoulders, making her feel warmer than usual in her shorts and T-shirt on this mild summer’s evening.
Drake led Brutus to the fountain and dropped his arm from Sierra’s shoulders while he let the dog lap up the cool water. She immediately missed the warmth and security Drake’s arm had given her.
When Brutus had had enough, he led Sierra and Drake to a bench beside a blooming rose garden, where he lay down.
“Looks like Brutus wants a rest before going home,” Drake said. “Not a bad idea.”
He sat down on the bench, and Sierra sat next to him. Not too close, not too far away.
The summer sky was still lit by the pastels that streamed across the evening clouds. It would be light for at least another half hour. The park was alive with people biking along the trails, playing on the swings, and finishing up their barbecue picnics. Sierra felt content.
“I’m glad we straightened things out,” Sierra said. She felt like telling Drake that Amy had given Sierra her blessing to date him. But then she thought if she brought Amy’s name up, she might say things the wrong way, and Amy would get mad at her all over again.
“Yeah, well, I knew you’d see the light,” he teased. Drake had a way of jutting out his chin when he was after something he wanted. Sierra had noticed that before when he had begged cookies from her at school. Right now his chin was sticking out, firm and determined.
This guy knows what he wants and goes after it. I still can’t believe I’m the one he wants to be with! I love the way he’s strong and so good-looking, and yet he’s not too proud to drive a diaper delivery truck around town. This guy is perfect for me.
“It’s going to be a great summer,” Drake murmured, slipping his arm around her shoulders again.
Sierra slid just a tiny bit closer. “That’s what my mom keeps promising me. But the way things were going this morning, I wasn’t so sure I’d make it through the day, let alone the whole summer!”
“Oh, I think you’ll make it,” Drake said, smiling.
With energetic bursts, Sierra’s mind flashed images of what the summer was going to be like. Drake hiking with her on the backpacking trip. Drake taking her out to dinner. Drake buying her popcorn at the movies. Drake sitting with his arm around her on the porch swing. Drake giving her her very first kiss.
IT WAS NEARLY ONE O’CLOCK in the morning, and Sierra tossed and turned in her bed. She couldn’t sleep. The whole evening with Drake had fueled her emotions. In the stillness of her room, she relit each feeling and let it burn itself out.
They had walked home from the park hand in hand. Her parents were sitting in the porch swing when they arrived. After putting Brutus in the backyard, Sierra and Drake had sat on the porch talking with her mom and dad. Then Drake scored extra points by asking Sierra’s dad if it would be okay with him if Drake took Sierra to the movies Friday night.
Mr. Jensen said yes, and Mrs. Jensen wore a subtle, pleased smile. When Drake left, they all waved good-bye from the front porch.
No kiss. But then Sierra didn’t want him to kiss her just like that the first night. The whole summer stretched before them.
She had gone to bed right after that and had stared at the ceiling and kicked at the sheets for more than three hours now. Her mind refused to shift into a lower gear.
Part of her nervous energy was directed toward Amy. What would she say to Amy tomorrow? Would it really be okay with her if Sierra started going out with Drake? What would it be like for Amy and Drake both to be at the backpackers’ meeting? Should she warn Amy ahead of time so it wouldn’t be awkward for her to see Drake there?
And would Randy still feel comfortable coming around now that Drake was going to be a permanent part of her summer schedule? A smile curled Sierra’s lips in the dark, silent bedroom as she thought of the contrast between Randy and Drake. Drake’s hands weren’t rough like Randy’s, and they didn’t smell like cut grass. Tawni would certainly be surprised when she found out she and Drake were a couple. Sierra glanced over at the vacant bed. If only Tawni were here now, then Sierra would have someone to wake up and listen to all of Sierra’s plans for the summer.
Sierra never would have dreamed this day would have turned out the way it did. It had moved from Amy’s crying in the kitchen that morning to Sierra’s watching the sunset with Drake. Sierra smiled. This was a day to remember.
Feeling content with that thought, Sierra finally fell asleep.
The next morning, Sierra dressed extra carefully because she felt so special. She pulled back her hair in a loose ponytail and picked out her newest—and subsequently favorite—pair of dangly earrings. Her usual summer wardrobe of shorts and a T-shirt seemed blah today. She rooted through the back of her closet, searching for something that would make her look as lighthearted as she felt. The she saw it—the long gauze dress that Tawni called her “granny gown.”
Sierra slipped it over her head and smiled at the thought that Tawni wasn’t here to make any of her rude comments about the way Sierra dressed. She was a free spirit and had insisted to Tawni for years that her clothes expressed her art of living. Her sister would smirk and say, “They’re an expression all right.”
She placed a silver dove necklace on a long black ribbon around her neck, finishing off the outfit. Sierra looked in the oval mirror above her antique dresser and smiled approvingly. Drake’s interest in her had given her much confidence. It felt good to be admired, to be wanted. Sierra couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this way. It was terrific.
And no one could change her sunny outlook at work. She wore a permanent smile as she served cinnamon rolls and filled yogurt cones. And she was still grinning that evening as she helped her mother do the dishes before rushing off to the youth group meeting at church.
Since Sierra’s family had moved to Portland, they had visited a number of churches. They attended one across the bridge in Washington for a while because Tawni was interested in their college group. But the church they ended up at was only a few miles from their house and also happened to be the church in which Randy grew up. His parents and Sierra’s were in the same home Bible study group. Amy started going with Sierra since her family didn’t have a church they attended regularly. Sierra wasn’t sure of Drake’s church background.
Sierra arrived early and glanced around the parking lot, looking for Drake’s car. It wasn’t there yet. Neither was Amy’s Volvo. Randy’s truck was in one of the first parking spots; he usually came early. Sierra wondered if Drake had come with him. She entered the youth room and scanned the group, looking for Drake.
Randy spotted her and waved from the corner. For several weeks he had been trying to organize a band, and it
looked as if they finally had everything in place.
Tre, a guy from school, stood in the center of the group, tuning up his guitar. Randy adjusted one of the speakers, and a few minutes later the room was filled with live music.
They sounded great, but Sierra was distracted. She nervously watched the door for Drake or Amy. As she waited, she practiced what she was going to say to Amy. But Amy never showed up.
Drake came in a few minutes late and stuck close to Sierra. She was proud to be with him, being keenly aware of the looks some of the other girls were giving her and the way they watched Drake.
“Do you want to sit down?” Drake asked Sierra after she had introduced him to all her friends.
They settled down near the front just as Shane, the youth leader, called everyone to find a seat. Of medium height and muscular, Shane had a commanding voice and boundless energy.
“Hey, you guys! We’re glad you’re here,” Shane boomed to the crowd. “Let’s get going.”
For the first twenty minutes, they sang, accompanied by Randy’s band. The room seemed much fuller than it had in weeks past. The band helped to boost attendance, Sierra was sure, and it added to the liveliness of the songs.
“Short-term pleasure, long-term pain,” Shane said as everyone sat down after the last song. “That’s our topic tonight. Short-term pleasure, long-term pain. I want you to form small groups and discuss what that means to you.”
Sierra turned to Drake, and he said, “It means what it says. Some things you do are enjoyable for the moment, but they produce painful results.”
“Like eating chocolate,” said Jana, the girl on the other side of Drake, who had welcomed herself into their little group. “Chocolate makes me happy while I’m eating it, but it doesn’t do my body any good in the long run.” Jana wore her blond hair cut short above her ears. She had a wide smile and a button nose. She was thick around the middle and shorter than Sierra.
“Any examples?” Shane asked after a few minutes, looking around the room. “How about this group here?” He motioned toward Sierra.