Salvaged: A Love Story

  Anne’s short blonde hair was slightly spiky, yet neat, and her classically beautiful facial features matched the way she dressed. I don’t know if you could call her style preppy as much as it was classic. My guess was that she bought most of her clothes at Ann Taylor, and I assumed her purse always matched her shoes. Her appearance certainly matched her personality. Friendly, energetic, and well mannered.

  The girl standing to Anne’s right was the total opposite of her in terms of dress and the way she carried herself, but she possessed a certain beauty all her own. Her complexion was fair with light red freckles, and with one look the phrase that came to mind was “free spirit.” I knew instantly that we would be friends. Her hair was short and spiky, and even from afar I could see red, brown, and blonde tufts all over her head. She dressed like she shopped at Goodwill not out of necessity but because she wanted to. She reminded me of a very young version of Shirley MacLaine’s character in Steel Magnolias. Unconventional but beautiful.

  The girl on Anne’s left looked like a simple t-shirt and jeans type, and I honestly would have killed for her complexion. Her black hair was cut into a bob that hit her shoulders, and whereas the other two girls seemed more outgoing, she acted more reserved.

  I made it through the crowd to join them, and Anne started the introductions. The free spirit’s name was Tammy, and the other girl was Tess.

  After visiting for a few minutes, all the girls’ eyes left my face and looked at something behind me. They were in awe.

  “Hi, Riley,” Anne greeted.

  As he walked up behind me, I felt his hand rest on the small of my back. “Hey, Anne,” he replied.

  “Do you know Tammy and Tess?” I asked.

  “Yes, I do. Hey, girls, how are you?”

  “Pretty good, can’t complain.” Tammy didn’t act interested in the fact that Riley joined us.

  “Good.” Tess’s voice was soft.

  Riley’s attention turned to me, and as he talked, he reached up with his free hand and brushed some hair away from my eye. I wasn’t certain, but I thought I heard Tess sigh.

  “A group of us are gonna take a road trip to El Reno for lunch. You girls wanna go?”

  I looked back at the girls and noticed that Anne’s and Tess’s mouths were hanging open. Part of me desperately wanted to reach over, place my hand on their chins, and shut their mouths. Tammy, on the other hand, was still unfazed. “Sounds like fun. Why don’t you girls go ask your parents if you can go?” I suggested.

  Within seconds they all took off in separate directions to find their parents. Riley Bennett just asked them to lunch, and they weren’t going to waste any time.

  Riley and I stood with our shoulders almost touching and slightly turned toward each other. As I smiled up at him, I realized his hand was still protectively resting on my back.

  “You do realize you just made their year?”

  He lowered his gaze and pulled on his ear. “No, I didn’t.”

  “Riley,” I whispered, “I’d be willing to bet that every girl standing here has a crush on you.”

  He tilted his head. “Except one?” Looking up at me out of the corners of his eyes, he gave a sly grin. “Do you have a crush on me, Charlie?” His voice sounded strangely hopeful.

  “No. I know you too well.”

  He laughed. “Is that so?”

  His eyes still smiled on me as the girls made their way back to us. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I was fairly certain that I hadn’t seen him look at me like that before.

  He finally turned to the girls. “Ready?”

  “Yes!” Anne and Tess squealed.

  Tammy rubbed her hands together. “Let’s do this thing.”

  Leaving his hand on my back, he led me out of the sanctuary, through the foyer, out the door, and toward his car. The girls followed behind us like little chicks.

  He opened the passenger side door, and after the girls slid into the backseat, he stuck his head into the car and told them to buckle up. Once the front seat was back in position, I went to get in, but he gently grabbed my arm. “I’m gonna go talk to the guys for just a minute. I’ll be right back, okay?”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “Good grief, Riley, I’ll be all right. I’m a big girl. Besides, the sun’s still out, so I shouldn’t turn psycho for several more hours.”

  He gave me a small smirk, placed his hands on either side of me onto the car, and leaned forward until our faces were mere inches apart. Our eyes locked. “I’m actually looking forward to sundown,” he whispered.

  My heart raced as he held my gaze. It was as if dragonflies were fluttering around inside my chest—it was a sensation I’d never felt before. I tried to think of something to say, but before something came to mind he pulled away, gave me a wink, and motioned for me to get into the car. When I was safely inside, he closed the door and ran toward his friends. I watched him in the side mirror as he gracefully sprinted toward the boys who were making fun of him as he approached. Riley slapped one of them on the head.

  “What in the world was that?” I asked myself out loud. “And why did I like it?”

  Anne began jumping in her seat. “OMG.”

  The backseat erupted in squeals of delight.

  “He’s hot; there’s no doubt about it,” Tammy said dryly.

  Tess fanned herself with her hands. “And so romantic. Did you see how his hand rested on her back? Oh my gracious.”

  “Oh my gosh,” Anne gushed. “You never told me that you and Riley were together.”

  “We aren’t together.”

  “And milk doesn’t come from cows.” Tammy sneered.

  “Honestly! He’s just being protective. He’s not interested in me or anything.”

  Tammy glared at me cynically. “You don’t try to protect things you don’t care about. But, allow me to add, Riley Bennett can protect me anytime.”

  Tess sighed. “Tell me about it.”

  We were all silent until Anne spoke again. “Oh my gosh!”

  The car filled with squeals and laughter until Riley opened his car door. At once we sat stone-faced and quiet.

  “Let’s go,” he said over his shoulder while he started the car. “Everyone buckled up?”

  “Yes, Dad,” Tammy chided.

  He looked over at me and winked. “We wouldn’t wanna upset Officer Attie over here.”

  I heard Tess sigh again. I wished she’d be a little less obvious.

  Riley glanced into the rearview mirror. “Tess?”

  She looked shocked. “Me?”

  “Chase is in the car with the guys.”

  “Oh yeah, Chase. I forgot about him.”

  “Who’s Chase?” I asked.

  “I don’t remember.” She sat in a daze for a moment before a fit of giggling erupted.

  I definitely liked these girls.

  Tammy leaned forward and, in a dry tone that I assumed was normal for her, started talking to Riley. For a split second I fought the image of Melody leaning forward in the car just before the accident. I shook my head and tried to focus on the girls and Riley.

  “You’re one hunk of a boy, Riley,” Tammy said flatly.

  “Gimme a break!” He tried to act cross but actually laughed.

  Tammy shrugged her shoulders and sat back. “I’m just sayin’.”

  I turned to face the girls in the backseat. “Okay, Tess. So who is this Chase person?”

  “He’s my boyfriend.”

  I laughed at the way she spoke. As words left her mouth, they seemed to float on air. Every word sounded like a dream.

  “They’ve been together since sophomore year.” Anne took over the rest of the explanation. “They’re the cutest couple you’ve ever seen.” br />
  Tammy raised her eyebrows at me. “Until now.”

  I gave her a quick glare and then looked over at Riley to make sure he wasn’t paying attention. He wasn’t. His face was expressionless, and his hands were tightly gripping the steering wheel. The sight reminded me of the conversation we’d had earlier in the day.

  “Do I need to wipe your brow, Riley?”

  He grinned. “Maybe in a minute. I’ll keep you updated.”

  I looked back toward Anne, who was still talking. As my gaze fell on all the girls, I pictured The Three Stooges. Like the famous trio, the girls were very different, but when you put them together, you got a slapstick comedy routine. I was sure that Anne’s always-excited personality; Tammy’s mellow, dry wit; and Tess’s life in a dreamlike state were going to make my life a lot more fun.

  We talked easily with each other until finally pulling into the parking lot.

  “We’re here,” Riley announced. “Johnnie’s.”

  I couldn’t be certain, but I thought Riley might be salivating already.

  “We have Johnnie’s in town, Riley,” Anne spat.

  “Not this Johnnie’s we don’t. They have nothing to do with each other. This place has been here forever.”

  My door opened, and a very mild-mannered, brown-headed boy smiled down at me. He grabbed my hand to help me out of the car and then continued to remove the remaining girls from the backseat. As Tess got out, he gave her a small kiss.

  I smiled. “You must be Chase.”

  “Yes.”

  “Anne has told me all about you.”

  Anne broke in. “Shut up, Attie. Chase, your girlfriend couldn’t tell your story fast enough, so I did it for her.”

  “Big shocker,” Tammy chided as she cut between all of us and made her way inside. “I’m getting me a burger.”

  Riley grabbed my hand in his and led me inside as Anne gave me a curious glare.

  While the boys slid tables together and we got comfortable, Riley made the introductions. “Matt and Curt, this is Attie. Attie, this is the guys.”

  The African-American boy with shoulder length dreadlocks and shockingly blue eyes shook my hand. “Nice to meet you, Attie, I’m Curt. You ready for Coney time?”

  “Coney time?”

  Matt, a redheaded boy with freckles, shook my hand next. “Oh yeah. It’s heaven on earth. You’ll be sorry you’ve been missing out your whole life.”

  My curiosity was rising. “Okay, Riley, what exactly is a Coney?”

  He took the seat directly across from me. “It’s an amazing hotdog with coleslaw on it.”

  “Coleslaw on a hotdog? Oh, I don’t know, just thinking about it makes my stomach churn.”

  Tammy threw her feet up on the empty seat next to me. “I’m in,” she announced. As I gave her a quick pat on the foot, I noticed that her socks were striped. She was one of a kind.

  Riley stood and reached out, offering Tammy his open hand. “That’s my girl, Tammy. High five.”

  “You know me, I’m up for anything,” she answered as she slapped Riley’s hand.

  “Now we just gotta get Attie to give it a try.” Sticking out his bottom lip, he batted his eyes at me. “Come on, Charlie, give it a try. Please.”

  “That look is totally unbecoming,” Tammy scolded before turning her attention to me. “Just eat the dang dog, Attie. It’s not gonna kill ya.”

  “Fine! Bring it on,” I conceded. “What about you, Anne? Are you going to do it?”

  She waved her hands in front of her. “Don’t look at me. I’m not touching that stuff.”

  “This used to be a little hole in the wall. All they had was a counter with some stools. The line would stretch out forever to get a seat, but people would wait as long as it took. The original building burned down, and they rebuilt it then moved to a new spot and then back here. Just recently they added to the joint by taking over the spot left vacant by the Dollar Store.” Curt filled us in on the history of the restaurant as Riley ordered everyone a “Fried,” “Coney,” and a Dr Pepper.

  “Don’t forget the fries,” I reminded.

  “No!” Riley and Curt yelled simultaneously.

  “You don’t waste precious stomach space on fries,” Matt added in disgust.

  “He’s right, Charlie.” Riley said. “You’ve gotta save room cause you’ll want more Coneys.”

  “Charlie? Is he calling you Charlie?” Tammy asked, hiding an accusation inside of a question.

  “It’s a long story.”

  She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. “I’m sure it is.”

  “Tammy—”

  She cut me off by shaking her head at me and throwing her hands in the air. “I’m just sayin’.”

  Riley was oblivious to Tammy’s curiosity as he shared stories of taking family road trips to El Reno for a Coney every chance they got.

  I took a big sip of my soda. “They don’t really have Dr Pepper in New York.”

  “What?” Anne was shocked. “Whaddya mean they don’t have Dr Pepper?”

  “It’s very hard to find. I guess it’s a southern thing, kind of like biscuits and gravy.”

  “They don’t have biscuits and gravy either?” Chase asked. “Man, that’s rough.”

  “Well, mark my words, by this time next year you’ll be twenty pounds heavier,” Tammy added. “Oklahoma is like the fat food capitol of the world.”

  “Do you mean fast food?” I asked.

  “No, I mean fat food. We like food that makes you fat. You’ll definitely pack on the pounds.”

  I laughed, and Dr Pepper spit out of my mouth. “Thanks a lot, Tammy.”

  Riley tossed me a napkin.

  “Thanks, Riley.”

  “Just watching out for you,” he said proudly.

  Out of the corner of my eye I could see the amused look on Tammy’s face. Her imagination was probably running wild. I’d definitely need to clear things up the first chance I got.

  As the waitress set the food onto the table in front of me, I looked down onto my plate and saw a cheeseburger with fried onions spilling out from under the bun and a bright red hot dog with brown chili and bright yellow-colored slaw on top. Glancing over at Riley, I noticed he was already halfway done with his Coney.

  “Do I pick it up or use a fork?”

  He wiped chili from his chin. “Either one.”

  “This is amazing,” Tess said in a dreamlike state. I looked down the table as her voice became stern. “Chase, go get me another one.”

  I scrunched my face and gulped as I grabbed my fork, cut off a piece of the hot dog, and prepared to bring it to my mouth.

  “Make sure you get plenty of chili and slaw on each bite,” Riley suggested.

  “You’ve got chili on your face,” I said as I threw him a handful of napkins.

  “Oops, thanks. Come on, Charlie, you’ll love it. I promise.”

  “Oh, all right already.” I scooped the colorful mess up and shoved it in my mouth. Within moments I realized it was by far one of the best foods I’d ever tasted.

  Everyone sat waiting for my reaction, so I nodded my head wildly while chewing.

  Riley grinned. “Good, isn’t it?”

  I took a sip of my Dr Pepper. “That’s freakin’ awesome!”

  Standing up, Riley pointed a finger in my direction. “I told you! I knew you’d love it!”

  I glanced down the table just as Chase prepared to take another bite. “I need another one.”

  “I’m on it.” He jumped up and ran back up to the counter.

  “Make that two,” Tammy added. “That thing rocks.”

  “Three,” Riley yelled with his mouth full and chili still
dangling from his chin.

  “Four,” Matt added.

  “Make that five,” Curt announced.

  “Six.” I glanced toward the voice and found Anne looking ever so guilty. “What? I don’t want to be left out.”

  As we ate, the boys began talking football. “Well, I heard Berman say that they wouldn’t have any kind of defense this year,” Curt announced.

  “He drives me crazy,” I muttered to myself.

  “Who?” Riley asked.

  “Chris Berman.”

  Matt looked at me with a shocked expression on his face. “You know who we’re talking about when we say Chris Berman?”

  “Of course.”

  Curt leaned toward me. “Why does he drive you crazy?”

  “He’s a long talker.”

  “A what?” the quartet of boys asked.

  “A long talker.” I took a deep breath and began my dramatization. “You know, instead of stopping to take a breath every once in a while he just keeps on talking and talking and talking just like this until he’s about out of air, but he just keeps on talking and talking and talking, and his voice starts to shake and he doesn’t have an ounce of air left and it sounds annoying just like this and drives me crazy.” I quickly took in a deep breath just as my lungs felt like they were about to explode. “He just needs take a breath every once in a while and cut it out with the run-on sentences.”

  “Oh my gosh!” Chase shouted. “Come to think of it, he is a long talker.”

  “You guys watch for it next time,” I suggested. “You’ll never be able to watch him the same way again. From now on, every time he talks you’ll be thinking, Take a breath. Take a breath. Berman, take a breath. That’s what I do. I can’t even stand to listen to him anymore. Watch him and then report back to me; I swear you’ll hear it.

  “I don’t like Jim Rome either. I find him totally arrogant. He acts like he knows everything, but he looks like he’s never played a sport a day in his life because he wouldn’t want to mess up his hair. And the ‘Sports Reporters,’ don’t even get me started on those losers. That one weasel-ey looking guy hates OU. He never has anything nice to say about us, and I think he has some vendetta against Bob Stoops. You know for a fact he’s never played a sport. He was probably in the band—played the piccolo or something.”