Chronicle 2
“The Lake”
August 1980
Wasatch Mountains, Utah Province, Republic of Cascadia
“Did you hear that?”
Thomas Rydell stopped dead in his tracks, holding his arm
out to stop Chloe Summers behind him.
“Hear what?” said Chloe.
“That.”
Thomas tilted his head, listening intently to the forest
around him. Chloe did the same, though all she could hear was the rustling of
the trees, the occasional chirp of a bird and Thomas' increasingly loud
breathing.
“I don't hear anything,” said Chloe.
“Exactly,” said Thomas.
Chloe gave him a look.
“What?”
“It's gone quiet,” said Thomas ominously. “That's what
happens when there's a predator around.”
“Tommy,” said Chloe with a sigh, “we've been walking around
these mountains for three hours looking for something that probably doesn't
exist.”
“It exists,” said Thomas assuredly.
“According to Billy Jensen.”
“Billy saw it.”
“Billy also said he saw a UFO over Spanish Fork.”
“He might have.”
“He said Elvis was flying it.”
Thomas shrugged.
“Maybe he was.”
Chloe rolled her eyes and continued walking, forcing Thomas
to hurry after her.
For the better part of the summer, stories had circulated
around Provo about some strange creature living somewhere in the Wasatch
Mountains. Descriptions varied depending on who told the story. Some said it
was a giant wolf, others said it resembled a bear walking on two legs and one
particularly imaginative student at Thomas' school insisted it was some kind of
surviving prehistoric ape.
Thomas didn't know what it was.
That was precisely why he wanted to find it.
Chloe was less convinced, but when Thomas proposed they
spend one of their final days before school hiking through the mountains
looking for the creature, she reluctantly agreed.
She had regretted that decision about an hour into the hike.
“Can we at least stop soon?” said Chloe. “My feet hurt.”
“We're explorers,” said Thomas. “Explorers don't complain
about their feet.”
“Yes they do.”
“Name one.”
“All of them.”
Thomas chuckled.
Then the roar came.
It was loud enough to stop both of them in their tracks.
Chloe immediately grabbed Thomas' arm.
“What was that?”
Thomas' eyes widened.
“I don't know.”
Another roar echoed through the trees.
“Tommy,” whispered Chloe.
Thomas motioned for her to stay quiet before slowly moving
forward. Chloe followed closely behind him, gripping the back of his shirt.
They crept through the trees, Thomas carefully moving
branches out of his way as he searched for whatever had made the noise.
Another growl came, this one much closer.
Thomas stopped.
Chloe bumped into him.
“Why'd you stop?”
“Shh.”
Something moved behind a group of bushes.
Thomas' heart raced.
This was it.
After weeks of stories, jokes and arguments, Thomas Rydell
was about to become the first person in Provo to prove the creature actually
existed.
He pushed aside the branches.
A large black bear stared back at him.
Thomas stared at the bear.
The bear stared at Thomas.
Thomas slowly put the branch back.
“Bear,” he whispered.
“What?”
“Bear.”
Chloe's eyes widened.
The two slowly backed away before turning around and moving
as quickly as they could without running.
They didn't stop until they were far enough away that
neither could hear the bear anymore.
Thomas bent over, catching his breath.
“Well,” he said, “mystery solved.”
Chloe looked at him incredulously.
“No! That was a bear!”
“Maybe everyone's been seeing the bear.”
“Billy said the creature was nine feet tall and had red
eyes!”
“It was dark.”
“He said he saw it at noon!”
Thomas thought for a moment.
“Cloudy?”
Chloe shoved him.
“You dragged me all the way up here looking for a bear!”
Thomas laughed.
“You came voluntarily.”
“Because you wouldn't shut up about it!”
“Still voluntary.”
Chloe went to shove him again before Thomas darted away,
laughing as Chloe chased him through the trees.
“Get back here!”
“You have to catch me first!”
“I hate you!”
“No you don't!”
Unfortunately for Thomas, he was too busy looking back at
Chloe to notice the sudden decline in front of him.
He stumbled down it before finally regaining his balance.
“Tommy!”
“I'm fine!”
Thomas looked ahead.
Then he stopped.
“Whoa.”
Chloe finally caught up to him.
“What?”
Thomas pointed.
Beyond the trees was a small lake, nestled between the
surrounding mountains. The water was remarkably still, reflecting the blue sky
above it, with no cabins, boats or other hikers anywhere in sight.
For several moments, neither of them said anything.
“That's beautiful,” said Chloe.
“Yeah.”
Thomas walked towards the shore.
Chloe followed, finding a large rock near the water and
sitting down.
“My feet are going to hate me tomorrow,” she said.
Thomas crouched beside the lake and dipped his hand into the
water.
He smiled.
“It's nice.”
“Good.”
Thomas stood.
“I'm going in.”
Chloe looked up.
“What?”
Thomas took off his shirt.
“I'm going swimming.”
“Tommy, we didn't bring bathing suits.”
“I know.”
He took off his shoes.
Chloe's eyes widened.
“Thomas.”
His socks came next.
“Thomas Rydell.”
Thomas started undoing his pants.
“Last chance.”
“For what?”
“To join me.”
“I'm not getting naked in the middle of the mountains!”
Thomas dropped his pants.
Chloe immediately covered her eyes.
“Tommy!”
“What?”
“Put some clothes on!”
“No.”
Thomas tossed the last of his clothes onto the ground before
running towards the lake.
“Tommy!”
Thomas jumped.
The splash sent water several feet into the air.
A few seconds later, Thomas resurfaced, wiping the water
from his face.
“Oh, this is perfect!”
Chloe slowly lowered her hands, making sure Thomas was
safely submerged up to his shoulders before looking at him.
“You're insane.”
“Come in!”
“No!”
“Why not?”
“Because it's cold.”
“It's not cold.”
“The wind is cold.”
“There barely is any wind.”
“There could be.”
Thomas laughed.
“Come on, Chloe!”
“No!”
“Why?”
“Someone could come!”
Thomas looked around theatrically.
“Who?”
“I don't know. Someone!”
“We haven't seen another person since we got up here.”
“That doesn't mean someone won't come.”
“Then we'll tell them we're swimming.”
“Naked!”
“They'll figure that part out.”
Chloe folded her arms.
“No.”
Thomas floated onto his back.
“You don't know what you're missing.”
“I'll survive.”
Thomas began lazily paddling around.
Chloe watched him for a moment.
“There could also be something in there.”
Thomas stopped.
“Something?”
“Yes.”
“Like what?”
“I don't know.”
“The creature?”
“Maybe.”
Thomas grinned.
“So now you believe in it?”
“No.”
“You just said it could be in here.”
“I said maybe.”
“You can't have a maybe without believing there's a
possibility.”
Chloe glared at him.
“There could be something in there.”
“Like what?”
“A mosasaur.”
Thomas stared at her.
“In a mountain lake?”
“You don't know.”
“Chloe, how would a mosasaur even get up here?”
“Maybe it swam.”
“From where?”
Chloe hesitated.
“The ocean.”
Thomas looked around at the mountains.
“We're in Utah.”
“I know where we are.”
“Then you see the problem.”
“Maybe somebody put one here.”
“Who is hauling mosasaurs into the Wasatch Mountains?”
“I don't know. Mosasaur people.”
Thomas started laughing.
“I'm serious!”
“No, you're not.”
Thomas shook his head.
“You're just scared to come in.”
“I am not scared.”
“Then come in.”
“No.”
“Because you're scared.”
“I'm not!”
“Chloe Summers is afraid of water!”
“I am not afraid of water!”
“She's afraid of the terrifying Utah mosasaur!”
“Shut up!”
“You are AFRAID!”
“Fine. I'm not…but I'm still not getting in.”
Thomas laughed again before suddenly stopping.
His expression changed.
Chloe noticed.
“What?”
Thomas looked down into the water.
“What is that?”
Chloe sat forward.
“What is what?”
Thomas didn't answer.
“Tommy?”
He slowly began backing towards the shore.
“There's something under me.”
Chloe got to her feet.
“Stop it.”
“I'm serious.”
“Tommy.”
Thomas suddenly jerked sideways.
His eyes widened.
“Whoa!”
Chloe froze.
“Tommy?”
Thomas was pulled beneath the surface.
Chloe screamed.
“THOMAS!”
The water thrashed violently.
Thomas resurfaced, gasping desperately for air.
“Chloe!”
“What is it?”
“Something's got my leg!”
“Oh by Jove!”
Thomas screamed as he was pulled beneath the water again.
“THOMAS!”
Chloe ran towards the lake before stopping at the shoreline.
Thomas emerged again, violently thrashing his arms.
“HELP ME!”
Chloe screamed.
“What do I do?”
“HELP!”
Thomas disappeared beneath the water.
Chloe didn't think anymore.
She kicked off her shoes and ran into the lake fully
clothed.
“THOMAS!”
She pushed through the water as quickly as she could.
“Tommy!”
Nothing.
“THOMAS!”
Chloe was beginning to cry.
Then something grabbed her ankle.
She screamed so loudly that several birds flew out of the
nearby trees.
Thomas exploded out of the water beside her, laughing
hysterically.
Chloe stared at him.
Thomas couldn't stop laughing.
“You should have seen your face!”
Chloe continued staring.
Thomas' laughter gradually died.
“Chloe?”
She punched him in the shoulder.
“Ow!”
“You a**hole!”
She punched him again.
“OW!”
“I THOUGHT YOU WERE DYING!”
“I was doing Jaws!”
“I KNOW WHAT YOU WERE DOING!”
Thomas backed away as Chloe continued splashing and swinging
at him.
“I'm sorry!”
“You are not!”
“I am!”
“You're laughing!”
“I'm sorry and it was funny!”
Chloe splashed him directly in the face.
Thomas sputtered.
“Okay! Okay! I deserved that!”
“You deserve worse!”
Thomas wiped his eyes.
“Probably.”
Chloe stood in the water, breathing heavily, her clothes
completely soaked.
She looked down at herself.
Then at Thomas.
Then back towards the shore.
“My clothes are ruined.”
“They'll dry.”
Chloe glared at him.
Thomas gave her an innocent smile.
“Don't.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You were going to.”
“I wasn't.”
“You were going to tell me I might as well go swimming now.”
Thomas fought desperately against his smile.
“No.”
“Yes you were.”
“No.”
Chloe stared at him for several seconds.
Then she sighed.
“Oh, screw it.”
She pulled her wet shirt over her head and threw it towards
the shore.
Thomas' eyebrows rose.
“Really?”
“Turn around.”
Thomas immediately turned.
Chloe removed the rest of her soaked clothes and tossed them
onto the shore before swimming out towards him.
“All right,” she said. “You win.”
Thomas turned around.
“No mosasaur?”
“If there is one, I'm feeding you to it.”
“Fair enough.”
Chloe swam closer.
Thomas smiled at her.
Despite herself, Chloe smiled back.
A week from now they'd be back at school. There would be
classes, homework, football practice, parents, teachers and all the other
things that seemed so enormously important when you were young.
For now, there were just the two of them, alone in a lake in
the Wasatch Mountains.
…and, somewhere out there, possibly a monster.
Though Chloe was increasingly certain she was swimming with
it.
Chloe was still angry with him.
Not angry enough to get out of the lake, apparently, but
angry enough that every time Thomas smiled at her she splashed water in his
face.
“Stop doing that!”
“Stop smiling.”
“I can't control my face.”
“You controlled it pretty well when you were pretending to
be eaten.”
Thomas wiped the water from his eyes.
“That was acting.”
“That was being an a**hole.”
“It was good acting.”
Chloe splashed him again.
Thomas turned away, laughing, and swam farther out into the
lake. Chloe followed him, though not before looking suspiciously beneath the
water.
Thomas noticed.
“You're looking for it.”
“No.”
“The mosasaur.”
“Shut up.”
“There aren't any mosasaurs in here.”
“You don't know that.”
“We're in a lake in the Wasatch Mountains.”
“They have lakes.”
“They don't have this lake.”
“You don't know.”
“How would it even get here?”
Chloe thought about it.
“Someone could have brought it.”
Thomas stared at her.
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“Who brings a mosasaur to Utah?”
“Mosasaur people.”
Thomas laughed.
“What's a mosasaur person?”
“Someone who brings mosasaurs to Utah.”
“That doesn't answer the question.”
“It answers it perfectly.”
Thomas shook his head.
Chloe smiled triumphantly and continued swimming.
For a while, neither of them said much. They explored the
lake instead, swimming back and forth and occasionally racing one another.
Thomas won the first race. Chloe accused him of cheating. Chloe won the second
race. Thomas accused her of cheating.
Eventually, they stopped racing altogether.
Chloe floated in the water, looking towards the mountains
surrounding them.
Thomas watched her.
“You're shaking.”
Chloe looked down at herself.
She was.
“I am not.”
“You are.”
“I'm fine.”
Thomas swam closer.
“Chloe.”
“It's just the water.”
“That's called being cold.”
“I'm not cold.”
“You're shivering.”
“I'm sensationing.”
Thomas frowned.
“You're what?”
“Sensationing.”
“That's not a word.”
“It is now.”
Another shiver ran through her.
Thomas moved closer and wrapped his arms around her.
Chloe stiffened.
Thomas almost immediately loosened his grip.
“Better?”
Chloe wasn't sure.
The water wasn't dangerously cold. She knew that. She didn't
even feel particularly cold. Her body just seemed determined to shiver anyway.
…but Thomas was warm.
After a moment, Chloe put her arms around him.
Thomas tightened his embrace.
They floated there together.
Chloe rested her head against him and closed her eyes.
The shivering gradually stopped.
“There,” said Thomas. “Told you.”
“Don't ruin it.”
Thomas wisely stopped talking.
For several minutes, they simply held each other.
It felt different somehow.
They had hugged before. Hundreds of times, probably. Thomas
couldn't remember the first time. Chloe had been part of his life for so long
that some of his earliest memories had her somewhere in them.
This didn't feel like those hugs.
Chloe opened her eyes.
“Do you remember when we met?”
Thomas smiled.
“Yeah.”
“You do?”
“Of course I do.”
“How old were we?”
“Six.”
Chloe smiled.
“You were so scared.”
“I wasn't scared.”
“You were crying.”
“I was six!”
“You were still crying.”
Thomas groaned.
He remembered that part too.
He had been the new kid. He didn't know anybody. A few older
boys had decided that made him interesting enough to torment, and Thomas hadn't
yet learned how to talk his way out of trouble.
Then Chloe Summers appeared.
“You yelled at them,” said Thomas.
“They were being mean to you.”
“You threatened to tell Mrs. Barrow.”
“I did tell Mrs. Barrow.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“They deserved it.”
Thomas smiled.
“You were my first friend.”
Chloe looked at him.
“Really?”
“You know you were.”
“I like hearing you say it.”
Thomas rolled his eyes.
“You were my first friend.”
“…and?”
“…and what?”
Chloe waited.
Thomas sighed.
“…and you're my best friend.”
“Thank you.”
“Happy?”
“Yes.”
Chloe rested her head against him again.
Thomas looked across the lake.
“You know how many times I had to defend you?”
Chloe raised her head.
“Defend me?”
“To the guys.”
“Why?”
“Because you were a girl.”
Chloe frowned.
“So?”
“Exactly!”
Thomas had spent years explaining Chloe Summers to other
boys.
Chloe could climb trees.
Chloe could throw a football.
Chloe could go exploring.
Chloe wasn't going to cry if she got muddy.
Chloe could do guy things.
Therefore, according to Thomas, Chloe wasn't like the other
girls.
It had taken Thomas several years to notice that Chloe also
owned dolls, liked pretty dresses, spent hours talking with her girl friends
and once refused to play football because she had just painted her fingernails.
Chloe had never seemed to understand why everybody else
thought there was a contradiction.
“I hated when you said that,” said Chloe.
“What?”
“‘Chloe's not like the other girls.’”
“I was defending you!”
“You made me sound like I wasn't a girl.”
“You know what I meant.”
“Yes. You meant I was allowed to play with you because I was
good at boy stuff.”
Thomas thought about that.
“I guess.”
“I liked playing with the girls too.”
“I know.”
“…and you played with us.”
“I did not.”
“You played house.”
“One time.”
“You were the father.”
“You needed a father!”
Chloe laughed.
Thomas glared at her.
“…and you had tea with us.”
“There wasn't actually tea.”
“You held your little cup like this.”
Chloe delicately raised an imaginary teacup.
Thomas pushed her hand back into the water.
“Shut up.”
“You even stuck your little finger out.”
“I was being polite.”
Chloe laughed harder.
Eventually, nobody seemed to care anymore. Thomas went
wherever Chloe went. Chloe went wherever Thomas went. Their friends overlapped
until there wasn't much point trying to separate them into boys and girls.
Chloe suddenly grinned.
Thomas recognized that grin.
“What?”
“Uncle Robert's wedding.”
Thomas immediately looked away.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“You remember.”
“I don't.”
“You remember perfectly.”
“I've never met your Uncle Robert.”
“Tommy.”
“I don't even know what a wedding is.”
“You were nine.”
“I was suffering from some kind of childhood neurological
condition.”
Chloe laughed.
“You proposed to me.”
“I did not.”
“You got down on one knee.”
“I tripped.”
“You took my hand.”
“I needed help getting up.”
“…and you asked me to marry you.”
Thomas groaned.
There were some memories a person deserved to be allowed to
destroy.
This was one of them.
Chloe's uncle had gotten married when Thomas and Chloe were
nine. Thomas had been invited along with Chloe's family, making him her “date”
in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Somewhere during the reception, after watching the bride and
groom dance and listening to adults talk endlessly about how romantic
everything was, nine-year-old Thomas had apparently decided he understood
marriage.
He had gotten down on one knee in front of Chloe.
Then he had asked her to marry him.
“You said yes,” Thomas reminded her.
“Of course I did.”
“So you're just as stupid as I was.”
“I thought it was romantic.”
“We were nine.”
“It was romantic.”
“We couldn't get married.”
“I knew that.”
“I didn't.”
Chloe laughed.
Thomas smiled despite himself.
Then Chloe became quiet.
“We're getting older.”
Thomas looked at her.
“I noticed.”
“No, I mean…”
Chloe struggled to find the words.
“We're not nine anymore.”
“No.”
“…and someday…”
She stopped.
Thomas waited.
“Someday we actually could.”
Thomas understood.
“Oh.”
Neither said anything for a moment.
They were old enough now to understand that marriage was
more than dressing nicely, having a party and dancing while everybody watched.
They didn't understand all of it.
Probably not even most of it.
…but they understood that people chose somebody. They built
a life together. They lived together. They became a family.
Chloe looked at Thomas.
“Do you think we'll get married?”
“Now?”
Chloe laughed.
“No.”
“Good.”
“Why good?”
“Because my clothes are over there.”
Chloe smiled.
“Eventually.”
Thomas thought about it.
“I don't know.”
Chloe's smile faded slightly.
Thomas noticed.
“I mean, we're young.”
“I know.”
“…and I don't want to get married for a long time.”
“Neither do I.”
Thomas nodded.
Chloe hesitated.
“That wasn't really what I was asking.”
Thomas looked at her.
“What were you asking?”
“If someday you wanted to get married…” Chloe paused. “Would
you want it to be me?”
Thomas didn't answer immediately.
Not because he wanted to say no.
Because nobody had ever asked him that before.
He looked at Chloe Summers.
His first friend.
His best friend.
The girl who had protected him when they were six.
The girl he'd apparently proposed to when they were nine.
The girl who had followed him into the mountains looking for
a monster that probably wasn't there.
“Yeah,” said Thomas.
Chloe searched his face.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Thomas smiled.
“What about you?”
Chloe didn't answer immediately either.
Thomas suddenly understood why she had given him time.
Finally, Chloe nodded.
“Yeah.”
Thomas smiled.
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
Neither of them knew what they had just agreed to.
Perhaps nothing.
Perhaps everything.
Chloe was still holding him.
She became conscious of that again.
Thomas was looking at her differently now.
Or maybe he wasn't.
Maybe she was looking at him differently.
Chloe's eyes drifted down.
Thomas' lips.
She looked back into his eyes.
Thomas had noticed.
Now his eyes moved down as well.
Chloe felt something strange flutter through her.
She couldn't have explained what she wanted.
She only knew she wanted to be closer to him, even though
there wasn't much closer left to get.
Thomas opened his mouth.
“Chloe-”
She kissed him.
Thomas froze.
Chloe immediately pulled away.
For one horrible second, neither moved.
Thomas stared at her.
Chloe's face burned.
“I'm sorry.”
Thomas blinked.
“What?”
“I shouldn't have-”
“No.”
Chloe stopped.
“No?”
“No, I mean…” Thomas swallowed. “Don't be sorry.”
“Oh.”
Thomas stared at her again.
Chloe stared back.
“Was that okay?” she asked.
Thomas nodded.
“Yeah.”
Another silence.
Thomas looked embarrassed.
“Can you do it again?”
Chloe laughed.
“What?”
“I wasn't ready.”
“You have to be ready?”
“I don't know. I've never done it before.”
“Neither have I.”
“You seemed like you knew what you were doing.”
“I didn't.”
“Oh.”
Chloe smiled.
Thomas smiled back.
This time they both moved.
Their second kiss lasted longer than the first.
It wasn't graceful. Thomas turned his head the wrong way.
Chloe nearly laughed into his mouth. They separated, adjusted and tried again.
The awkwardness didn't make it worse.
It made it theirs.
…and as the afternoon continued, the lake ceased to be the
place where Thomas Rydell failed to find a monster.
It became something else entirely.
Years later, both of them would remember that afternoon as
one of the moments when childhood finally began giving way to whatever came
next. They had gone into the mountains as two teenagers who had known each
other almost as long as they could remember.
They came back knowing their relationship had changed.
Neither of them yet understood how much.
Thomas and Chloe lay beside each other near the edge of the
lake.
Neither of them had said much for several minutes.
Their hands had somehow found one another. Thomas couldn't
remember who had reached first. Their fingers were intertwined now, resting
between them as they stared into the enormous blue sky.
Chloe smiled.
Thomas smiled too.
Then Chloe stopped smiling.
Thomas did the same.
A few seconds later, Chloe started smiling again.
Thomas looked over.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You're being weird.”
“So are you.”
“I am not.”
“You haven't said anything.”
“Neither have you.”
“Because I don't know what to say.”
Thomas considered that.
“Me neither.”
They returned their attention to the sky.
Thomas felt wonderful.
He also felt terrified.
Somehow, both feelings fit together perfectly.
Everything that had happened that afternoon seemed obvious
when it was happening. He hadn't needed to think about it. He had wanted to be
close to Chloe. Chloe had wanted to be close to him.
Now his brain was catching up.
Chloe squeezed his hand.
“Tommy?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you scared?”
Thomas immediately answered.
“No.”
Chloe turned her head towards him.
Thomas lasted perhaps three seconds.
“Yeah.”
“Me too.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Thomas looked relieved.
“Good.”
Chloe frowned.
“Good?”
“Not good good. Just good that I'm not the only one.”
“Oh.”
Another silence.
Chloe stared upwards.
“Everything feels different.”
Thomas knew exactly what she meant.
The mountains looked the same.
The lake looked the same.
The sky looked the same.
Chloe looked like Chloe.
Yet somehow they'd crossed an invisible line.
“This morning we were just us,” said Chloe.
“We're still us.”
“I know.”
“…but different.”
“Yeah.”
Thomas squeezed her hand.
Chloe squeezed back.
“Does this mean you're my boyfriend now?”
Thomas turned towards her.
“I thought I already was.”
Chloe laughed.
“No, you weren't.”
“I took you places.”
“You've been taking me places since we were six.”
“I took you to your uncle's wedding.”
“My parents took you.”
“I proposed to you.”
“You just spent twenty minutes denying that happened.”
Thomas frowned.
“That was before I realized it helped my argument.”
Chloe laughed.
Thomas smiled.
“So what were we?”
“I don't know.”
“Best friends.”
“Yeah.”
Thomas thought about it.
“…and now we're boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Chloe suddenly looked nervous.
“I guess.”
Thomas heard something in her voice.
“Do you want to be?”
Chloe looked at him.
“Yes.”
The answer came so quickly that Thomas smiled.
“Okay.”
“What about you?”
“Yes.”
“You didn't even think about it.”
“Neither did you.”
“I already thought about it.”
“When?”
“Just now.”
“That doesn't count.”
“It absolutely counts.”
Thomas laughed.
Chloe rolled onto her side so she could see him properly.
“I'm serious.”
“So am I.”
“You really want me to be your girlfriend?”
“Yes.”
“Not because you think we have to?”
Thomas frowned.
“Why would we have to?”
“Because everything's different now.”
Thomas understood.
For all the excitement of the afternoon, there was something
frightening underneath it. They had spent years knowing exactly what they were
to each other.
Best friends.
That was easy.
They knew the rules.
Now they had wandered into something neither of them
understood.
Thomas turned onto his side.
“No,” he said. “I want you to be my girlfriend because I
want you to be my girlfriend.”
Chloe watched him.
“You're sure?”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Then I'm sure.”
Chloe smiled.
“So that's it?”
“I guess.”
“Thomas Rydell and Chloe Summers.”
“Boyfriend and girlfriend.”
“Boyfriend and girlfriend,” Chloe repeated.
Thomas grinned.
“There. Official.”
“According to who?”
“Us.”
“That's not very official.”
“Do you want paperwork?”
Chloe laughed.
“No.”
“I can make paperwork.”
“Please don't.”
“I'll get it notarized.”
“Tommy.”
“We'll need witnesses.”
Chloe shoved him gently.
Thomas laughed.
Then the laughter faded.
Chloe looked back towards the sky.
“There really isn't any going back, is there?”
Thomas didn't answer immediately.
He knew what she meant.
They couldn't suddenly become six again.
They couldn't unknow what it felt like to look at each other
differently.
Tomorrow, Chloe would still be Chloe.
Thomas would still be Thomas.
They would still argue. They would still tease each other.
They would still have the same friends and families and school waiting for
them.
…but something had changed.
“No,” said Thomas. “I don't think there is.”
Chloe moved slightly closer.
“That's scary.”
“Yeah.”
“What happens now?”
Thomas thought about it.
“I don't know.”
“What are boyfriends supposed to do?”
“I don't know.”
“What are girlfriends supposed to do?”
“I don't know.”
“You're very helpful.”
“I've never had one before!”
“I've never been one before!”
They both laughed.
Then Thomas said, “We'll figure it out.”
Chloe looked at him.
“How?”
Thomas shrugged.
“The same way we figure everything else out.”
“That usually involves us doing something stupid.”
“Yeah.”
“…and getting in trouble.”
“Sometimes.”
“…and nearly getting eaten by bears.”
“That happened once.”
“It happened today.”
“It didn't eat us.”
“That doesn't make it better.”
“It makes it considerably better.”
Chloe smiled.
Thomas looked back towards the mountains.
There was an enormous world waiting for them beyond those
mountains.
College eventually.
Jobs.
Marriage, maybe.
Families.
Things neither of them had even thought about yet.
Thomas didn't understand any of it.
Neither did Chloe.
They were old enough to realize that they were growing up
and young enough to have absolutely no idea what growing up actually meant.
That frightened Chloe.
It frightened Thomas too.
“Tommy?”
“Yeah?”
“I don't know what I'm doing.”
Thomas looked at her.
“Neither do I.”
“What if we mess it up?”
“We probably will.”
Chloe stared at him.
“That was supposed to make me feel better?”
Thomas smiled.
“We'll figure that out too.”
Chloe considered it.
Then she smiled.
“Together?”
Thomas squeezed her hand.
“Together.”
Chloe moved closer until her head rested against his
shoulder.
There were things waiting for them that neither could
understand yet. Questions they didn't know enough to ask. Mistakes they didn't
know they were capable of making.
The new world ahead of them was enormous.
It was confusing.
It was frightening.
…and Thomas Rydell and Chloe Summers agreed on one thing
without needing to say it.
If they had to explore it, there was nobody else either of
them would rather have beside them.
Thomas and Chloe stayed beside the lake for a long time.
Neither knew exactly how long.
Time had stopped being particularly important.
They talked. Sometimes about serious things, sometimes about
nothing at all. Sometimes neither of them spoke. Chloe rested against Thomas,
Thomas held her hand and every so often one of them would start laughing about
something that had happened earlier.
Eventually, Thomas noticed something.
“Chloe?”
“Hmm?”
“It's getting dark.”
Chloe opened her eyes.
The blue sky above them had begun turning orange and purple.
The mountains were already casting long shadows across the lake.
“Oh.”
Thomas sat up.
“We should probably go.”
“Probably.”
Neither moved.
Thomas looked at the lake.
Chloe looked at Thomas.
Thomas looked at Chloe.
“No,” said Chloe.
“I didn't say anything.”
“You were going to.”
“I wasn't.”
“You want to go back in.”
Thomas grinned.
Chloe sighed.
“We have to go home.”
“I know.”
“Our parents don't know where we are.”
“They know we're hiking.”
“They probably thought we'd be back before dark.”
“Probably.”
Chloe looked at the water.
Thomas waited.
“Ten minutes,” she said.
Thomas was immediately on his feet.
“Ten minutes.”
“Exactly ten minutes.”
“Absolutely.”
“…and then we're leaving.”
“Yes.”
Chloe stood.
“I'm serious.”
“So am I.”
They jumped back into the lake.
Ten minutes became twenty.
Twenty became thirty.
At some point Chloe reminded Thomas that they were supposed
to leave.
Thomas agreed.
Then they raced to the other side of the lake.
At forty-five minutes, Thomas suggested that since they'd
already stayed this long, another five minutes couldn't possibly matter.
At fifty minutes, Chloe agreed.
An hour later, they finally climbed out.
The mountains were dark now.
Chloe stared upwards.
“Tommy.”
“I know.”
“No. I don't think you understand.”
“I understand.”
“We're going to die.”
“We're not going to die.”
“My parents are going to kill me.”
“Mine too.”
“Then we're going to die.”
Thomas grabbed his clothes.
“Okay. We just get dressed and go.”
Chloe hurried towards hers.
They were still damp, and putting clothes back onto wet skin
proved considerably more difficult than either had anticipated.
Thomas struggled with one pant leg.
“Come on.”
“Stop rushing me!” said Chloe.
“I'm not rushing you!”
“You're saying ‘come on’!”
“I was talking to my pants!”
Chloe pulled her shirt over her head.
“You're yelling at your pants?”
“They're not cooperating!”
Thomas hopped on one foot, trying to force the other through
his pants.
Chloe started laughing.
“This isn't funny!”
“You look ridiculous!”
Thomas finally got his foot through.
“There.”
A noise came from somewhere uphill.
Both stopped.
Thomas looked at Chloe.
Chloe looked at Thomas.
Footsteps.
Someone was coming down the trail.
“Oh, crap,” whispered Thomas.
“What?”
“Someone's coming.”
“I can hear that!”
The footsteps grew louder.
Chloe grabbed the rest of her clothes.
“Tommy!”
“I'm going!”
Thomas pulled his shirt over his head.
Chloe struggled with one shoe.
The footsteps were getting closer.
A light appeared through the trees.
“Who's down there?”
Thomas froze.
Chloe froze.
The light moved closer.
Thomas whispered, “Maybe we can hide.”
“Where?”
Thomas looked around.
There wasn't anywhere.
“Good point.”
A man emerged from the trees carrying a flashlight.
His uniform answered the question before either Thomas or
Chloe could think of an explanation.
Park ranger.
The ranger stopped.
He looked at Thomas.
Then Chloe.
Then at the clothes they were still hastily putting on.
He seemed to make a deliberate decision not to ask.
“What are you two doing out here?”
“Hiking,” said Thomas.
The ranger looked towards the lake.
“At night?”
“We lost track of time.”
“I can see that.”
Chloe finished putting on her shoe.
“Sorry.”
The ranger sighed.
“You kids know the park is closed?”
Thomas and Chloe looked at each other.
“No,” said Thomas.
“You didn't see the signs?”
Thomas thought back.
There had been several signs.
He hadn't read any of them.
“I saw signs.”
The ranger stared at him.
Thomas realized that hadn't helped.
“I didn't read them.”
“I gathered that.”
Chloe nudged Thomas.
The ranger looked at his watch.
“All right. I'm going to give you an hour.”
Thomas blinked.
“An hour?”
“To get yourselves out of the park. If I find you here after
that, I'm going to have to cite you.”
“We'll leave,” said Chloe immediately.
“Right now,” added Thomas.
“Good.”
The ranger turned around.
Thomas picked up his things.
He took several steps.
Then stopped.
His legs hurt.
Not a little.
A lot.
Chloe walked beside him and almost immediately slowed.
Thomas looked at her.
“You okay?”
“My legs hurt.”
“Mine too.”
They had spent most of the day hiking through the mountains,
running from a bear, swimming, climbing out of the lake, getting back into the
lake and swimming for another hour.
Now that the excitement was gone, their bodies had
apparently decided to submit complaints.
The ranger was already heading back up the trail.
Thomas looked at the hill.
Then at Chloe.
Then at the hill again.
“Oh, no.”
Chloe understood.
“How far is the entrance?”
Thomas didn't answer.
“Tommy.”
“I don't know.”
“We've been walking for hours!”
“We weren't walking directly from the entrance!”
“That doesn't make it better!”
The ranger continued uphill.
Thomas made a decision.
“Sir?”
The ranger stopped.
Thomas and Chloe hurried after him.
Or tried to.
Their hurry quickly deteriorated into a tired shuffle.
“Sir!”
The ranger turned.
“What?”
Thomas caught up, breathing heavily.
“Could we maybe get a ride?”
The ranger stared at him.
Thomas smiled hopefully.
“No.”
Thomas' smile disappeared.
“Please?”
“You two got yourselves all the way out here.”
“Yes.”
“So you can get yourselves back.”
Thomas looked at Chloe.
Chloe looked exhausted.
“Please,” she said. “We've been hiking all day.”
“…and swimming,” Thomas added.
Chloe glared at him.
The ranger looked between them.
“You have parents?”
“Yes,” they answered together.
“Do they know you're here?”
There was a pause.
“They know we're hiking,” said Thomas.
The ranger stared at him.
“They don't know you're here.”
“They know we're in the mountains.”
“Which mountains?”
Thomas didn't answer.
The ranger sighed.
“You have a way home?”
Thomas and Chloe looked at each other.
They hadn't thought that far ahead either.
“My parents can get us,” said Chloe.
“How are you calling them?”
Another silence.
Thomas patted his pockets as though a telephone might
somehow have appeared in one.
The ranger shook his head.
“All right.”
Thomas brightened.
“All right?”
“My truck's up the trail. I'll take you to the entrance.”
Chloe smiled.
“Thank you!”
“There's a phone in the office. You can call your parents
from there.”
Thomas' smile weakened.
“Our parents?”
“Yes.”
“Is there another option?”
“Walking home.”
Thomas immediately reconsidered.
“The phone sounds good.”
The ranger turned and continued up the trail.
Thomas and Chloe followed.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Chloe leaned towards Thomas.
“My dad is going to kill me.”
Thomas nodded.
“My dad is going to kill me too.”
“We're going to be grounded forever.”
“Probably.”
Chloe looked at him.
“Worth it?”
Thomas looked back down towards the lake.
He thought about the monster hunt.
The bear.
The swimming.
Chloe's ridiculous mosasaur.
Their conversation.
Their first kiss.
Everything that had changed between them in the space of a
single afternoon.
He smiled.
“Yeah.”
Chloe smiled too.
“Yeah.”
Ahead of them, the ranger stopped.
“You two coming?”
“Yes, sir!” Thomas called.
They hurried after him.
Or, at least, they tried.
Their legs had other ideas.
Chloe Summers had drawn Thomas Rydell's face seven times.
She didn't know why.
She had started with his eyes.
That had turned into his nose.
Then his mouth.
Then his hair.
Then, since she'd already drawn most of his face anyway,
Chloe decided she might as well finish it.
She looked at the drawing.
It wasn't bad.
It didn't look exactly like Thomas, but it looked enough
like Thomas that Chloe knew it was Thomas.
She smiled.
Then she drew a little heart beside his head.
Chloe stopped.
She stared at the heart.
Why had she done that?
She erased it.
Then she looked at the drawing again.
Something was missing.
Chloe redrew the heart.
That looked better.
She added another.
…and another.
Chloe stared at the page.
“Oh, gosh.”
She flipped to another page.
This time she wouldn't draw Thomas.
She drew Thomas.
This Thomas was smiling.
Chloe drew a heart beside him.
Then another.
She turned the page.
Thomas again.
She didn't understand what was wrong with her.
It had been several days since the lake.
Several extremely long days.
Both Thomas and Chloe had been grounded for getting home so
late. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't have been much of a punishment.
School started soon anyway. They had been separated for longer stretches
before.
It wasn't as though they needed to see each other every day.
Except apparently now they did.
Everything had been strange since the lake.
Chloe thought about Thomas when she woke up.
She thought about Thomas while she ate breakfast.
She thought about Thomas when she watched television.
She thought about Thomas while she was supposed to be doing
practically anything else.
…and now, apparently, she drew Thomas.
Chloe rested her chin in her hand and stared at her latest
drawing.
She drew another heart.
Tap.
Chloe looked up.
Nothing.
She returned to the drawing.
Tap.
Chloe looked towards the window.
Tap.
Something tiny bounced off the glass.
Chloe's eyes widened.
She jumped from her chair, shoved the notebook under her bed
and hurried towards the window.
Tap.
The rock struck exactly the same place.
Chloe opened the window.
“Tommy!”
Thomas Rydell stood below.
He grinned.
“Hi.”
“What are you doing?”
“Visiting.”
“We're grounded!”
“I know.”
“You're going to get me in trouble!”
“I know.”
“Stop throwing rocks at my window!”
Thomas looked at the window.
There was already a small mark where his rocks kept
striking.
“I'm getting really good at it.”
“You're damaging the glass!”
“I hit the same spot every time.”
“That's why you're damaging it!”
Thomas grinned.
Chloe tried very hard not to grin back.
She failed.
“What do you want?”
“To see you.”
That eliminated Chloe's smile.
Not because she was unhappy.
Quite the opposite.
Thomas looked suddenly embarrassed.
“I missed you.”
Chloe stared at him.
Her heart did something unpleasantly wonderful inside her
chest.
“I missed you too.”
Thomas smiled.
Chloe looked towards her bedroom door.
Then back at Thomas.
“Stay there.”
“Okay.”
Chloe closed the window.
Thomas waited.
Then he realized something.
“Wait.”
A few moments later, the front door opened.
Chloe ran outside.
Thomas smiled.
“You actually came down.”
“You told me to.”
“No, you told me to stay.”
“Oh.”
Thomas and Chloe stood looking at each other.
For people who had spent most of their lives together,
neither seemed to know what to do now.
Before the lake, Chloe probably would have shoved him.
Thomas probably would have made some stupid joke.
Instead they stared at each other.
Then Chloe hugged him.
Thomas immediately hugged her back. They briefly kissed.
“I really missed you,” Chloe whispered.
“Me too.”
“This is stupid.”
“I know.”
“We've gone longer without seeing each other.”
“I know.”
“It was only a few days.”
“I know.”
“Stop saying you know.”
“Okay.”
Chloe held him tighter.
Thomas smiled.
Then the front door opened.
“Chloe?”
They separated immediately.
Scott Summers stood in the doorway.
His eyes moved from his daughter to Thomas.
Then back to his daughter.
“What are you doing?”
Chloe froze.
Thomas froze.
Scott stepped outside.
“Thomas.”
“Hello, Mr. Summers.”
“Aren't you grounded?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Isn't Chloe grounded?”
Thomas considered pretending he didn't know.
“Yes, sir.”
Scott folded his arms.
“So what are you doing here?”
Thomas had prepared for this.
He had spent most of the walk over preparing for it.
He had a speech.
It was a good speech.
Possibly the best speech Thomas Rydell had ever constructed.
He was going to explain that something had changed between
him and Chloe. He was going to explain how much Chloe meant to him. He was
going to explain that he understood why they'd been punished, but there were
some things more important than punishment.
Thomas opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Chloe stepped forward.
“Dad, I-”
She had a speech too.
Her speech disappeared even faster than Thomas'.
Scott looked between them.
“What?”
Chloe's eyes suddenly filled with tears.
Scott's expression changed.
“Chloe?”
“I missed him!”
Thomas looked at Chloe.
That was all it took.
His eyes started watering too.
Scott stared at them.
“Oh, for Jove's sake.”
Chloe wiped her eyes.
“We're sorry!”
“I just wanted to see her,” said Thomas.
His voice cracked halfway through.
That made Chloe cry harder.
Thomas started crying harder because Chloe was crying
harder.
Scott looked completely unprepared for this.
The door opened again.
Lily Summers came outside.
“What's going on?”
Scott pointed towards them.
“I don't know.”
Lily looked at Chloe.
Then Thomas.
Then at the way they were still holding each other's hands.
Her expression changed.
“Oh.”
Scott looked at his wife.
“What?”
Lily continued watching them.
“Nothing.”
“Why did you say it like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you know something.”
Lily ignored him.
She walked towards Chloe.
“Honey, what's wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you crying?”
“I don't know!”
Lily looked at Thomas.
Thomas wiped his face.
“I don't know either.”
Scott sighed.
“You two haven't seen each other for four days.”
“I know,” said Chloe.
“You've gone weeks without seeing each other before.”
“I know!”
“So what's different?”
Thomas and Chloe looked at each other.
That was the question.
Neither knew how to answer it.
Everything was different.
They just didn't know how to explain why.
Thomas squeezed Chloe's hand.
Chloe squeezed back.
Lily noticed.
Scott noticed too.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“What happened in those mountains?”
Thomas' eyes widened.
Chloe's eyes widened.
“Nothing!” they said together.
Scott stared at them.
Lily stared at them.
Thomas realized that had been the worst possible answer.
“I mean, things happened,” he said.
Chloe turned towards him in horror.
“Not things things!”
Thomas panicked.
“I didn't say things things!”
“You made it sound like things things!”
“I said things!”
“What things?” asked Scott.
Thomas and Chloe went silent.
Lily covered her mouth.
Scott looked at her.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You're doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“That thing where you know something.”
Lily took a breath.
“Why don't we all go inside?”
Scott looked at Thomas.
“He's grounded.”
“I know.”
“He's not supposed to be here.”
“I know.”
“…and neither of them will tell us what happened.”
“I noticed.”
Thomas swallowed.
“We wanted to.”
Scott looked at him.
“What?”
Thomas wiped his eyes.
“We wanted to tell you.”
Chloe nodded.
“We had speeches.”
“You had speeches?” asked Lily.
“They were really good,” said Thomas.
Chloe looked at him.
“Mine was better.”
“You didn't hear mine.”
“You didn't hear mine.”
Scott rubbed his forehead.
Lily smiled despite herself.
“All right.”
Scott looked at her.
“All right what?”
“We're not doing this on the lawn.”
She motioned towards the house.
“Everybody inside.”
Thomas hesitated.
“Am I allowed?”
“For the moment.”
Thomas followed Chloe towards the house.
Scott stopped him.
“Thomas.”
Thomas turned.
Scott pointed towards the upstairs window.
“Were you throwing rocks at my daughter's window?”
Thomas looked at the small mark in the glass.
“No.”
Chloe stared at him.
Thomas sighed.
“Yes, sir.”
“Don't.”
“Yes, sir.”
They went inside.
Several minutes later, Thomas and Chloe sat beside each
other at the Summers' kitchen table.
They were still holding hands.
Neither had consciously decided to continue doing it.
Lily noticed.
Scott definitely noticed.
Thomas stared at the table.
Chloe stared at the table.
Their magnificent speeches had not returned.
Scott stood near the counter while Lily used the telephone.
“Hello? Hi. It's Lily.”
Thomas looked at Chloe.
Chloe looked at Thomas.
“Thomas is here.”
A pause.
“No, he's fine.”
Another pause.
“No. Nothing like that.”
Thomas wondered what Thomas' mother thought that
meant.
Lily glanced towards the teenagers.
“I think you and your husband should come over.”
Thomas' eyes widened.
Chloe whispered, “Your parents?”
Thomas whispered back, “We're dead.”
Scott heard him.
“You're not dead.”
Thomas looked at him.
“Yet.”
“Thomas.”
“Sorry.”
Lily continued speaking.
“No, I don't think anybody's in trouble. I just think we
should all talk.”
Thomas relaxed slightly.
Then Lily added:
“There's something going on with these two.”
Thomas stopped relaxing.
Chloe squeezed his hand.
Lily hung up.
“They're coming.”
Thomas nodded.
Nobody spoke.
The clock on the kitchen wall suddenly seemed extremely
loud.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Thomas leaned towards Chloe.
“What was your speech?”
Chloe whispered back, “I'm not telling you.”
“Why?”
“Because I cried.”
“So did I.”
“You cried because I cried.”
“That still counts.”
Scott cleared his throat.
Both teenagers immediately sat upright.
Lily sat across from them.
She looked at Chloe.
Then Thomas.
Then their joined hands.
She smiled gently.
Whatever had happened in those mountains, Lily Summers knew
one thing already.
These weren't quite the same two children who had left for
them.
The doorbell rang.
Thomas stopped breathing.
Chloe squeezed his hand beneath the kitchen table.
“You're hurting me,” Thomas whispered.
“Sorry.”
She loosened her grip.
Thomas immediately grabbed her hand again.
Lily Summers went to answer the door.
A moment later, Jason and Kathy Rydell entered the kitchen.
Kathy looked first at her son.
Then Chloe.
Then their hands.
Then Scott and Lily.
Jason did essentially the same thing.
“Hi,” said Thomas.
“Hi,” said Kathy.
Jason pulled out a chair.
Kathy sat beside him.
Lily returned to her seat.
Scott remained standing for a moment before apparently
deciding that made him look too much like an interrogator. He sat as well.
There were now six people in the kitchen.
Four parents.
Two teenagers.
Everybody wanted to talk.
Nobody did.
Thomas stared at the table.
Chloe stared at the table.
The clock continued ticking.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Thomas had spent the last several minutes preparing himself
for what was coming.
He knew how these things worked.
Billy Jensen had once complimented the ribbon in the hair of
the cashier at Charlie's. According to Billy, his parents had reamed him for
hours afterward.
Thomas wasn't entirely sure Billy had told that story
accurately.
Billy rarely told anything accurately.
Still.
Ophelia Moore hadn't been seen outside her house for almost
two weeks after she'd patted one of the boys on the back during a pickup
basketball game.
…and Roger Bayliss-
Thomas didn't even want to think about Roger Bayliss.
Chloe apparently did.
She leaned towards him.
“Roger Bayliss,” she whispered.
Thomas' eyes widened.
“Don't.”
“We're going to be Roger Bayliss.”
“Stop.”
Kathy looked sharply at them.
“You are not Roger Bayliss.”
Thomas stared at her.
“You know about Roger?”
“Everybody knows about Roger.”
Jason frowned. “I don't.”
Kathy looked at him.
“Yes, you do.”
“I don't think I do.”
Kathy leaned over and whispered something into his ear.
Jason's eyebrows rose.
“Oh. That Roger.”
Thomas sank lower in his chair.
“See?”
Jason regained his composure.
The silence returned.
The adults weren't having a much easier time.
Lily had several things she wanted to say and couldn't
decide which should come first.
Scott had considerably more things he wanted to say and was
increasingly realizing that several of them probably shouldn't be said at all.
Kathy wanted to make certain Thomas understood the
seriousness of whatever had happened without making him think he had done
something shameful simply by growing up.
Jason mostly wanted to know what had actually happened.
None of them wanted to overreact.
That was easier said than done when four parents were
simultaneously trying to decide what constituted an overreaction.
Finally, Jason leaned forward.
“All right.”
Thomas straightened.
Chloe tightened her grip again.
Jason looked at both of them.
“I have one question.”
Thomas swallowed.
“Okay.”
Jason paused.
“Did either of you do anything the other didn't want?”
“No,” said Chloe immediately.
“No,” said Thomas at exactly the same time.
Jason nodded.
“I'm serious.”
“So are we,” said Thomas.
Chloe nodded emphatically.
“Nobody forced anybody to do anything.”
“Nobody pressured anybody?” asked Kathy.
“No.”
“No,” Chloe repeated. “Nothing like that.”
Thomas looked at Chloe.
“She didn't make me do anything.”
“…and Tommy didn't make me do anything.”
Scott watched them carefully.
“You're both certain?”
“Yes,” they said together.
The answer was so immediate that some of the tension left
the room.
Thomas took a breath.
“…and nobody got hurt.”
Chloe looked at him.
Thomas looked back.
Chloe raised an eyebrow.
“Well…”
Every parent immediately became alert again.
Thomas turned towards her.
“What?”
“You hit me in the head.”
“That was an accident!”
“You still did it.”
“You hit me in the head!”
“That was also an accident.”
“What happened?” asked Scott.
Thomas' face reddened.
Chloe's did too.
“We're not very coordinated,” Chloe said.
Thomas nodded.
“We figured that out.”
“We hit our noses together.”
“Twice.”
“The second time was your fault.”
“How was it my fault?”
“You moved.”
“You moved too!”
“I was supposed to move!”
“So was I!”
Lily suddenly laughed.
She tried to stop herself.
That only made it worse.
Scott's stern expression cracked into a smile.
Kathy looked down, smiling as well.
Even Jason's mouth twitched.
Thomas frowned.
“It's not funny.”
“You two are all right?” Jason asked.
“Yes.”
“Nothing actually serious?”
“No,” said Chloe. “We're fine.”
Jason nodded.
“Then it's a little funny.”
Thomas slumped in his chair.
Chloe smiled.
The atmosphere in the kitchen had changed.
Not completely.
There was still an enormous conversation sitting in the
middle of the table that nobody quite knew how to approach.
…but it no longer felt like a trial.
Chloe looked at the adults.
“There's something else.”
Lily waited.
Chloe looked at Thomas.
Thomas nodded.
“We love each other,” Chloe said.
Nobody spoke.
Thomas immediately jumped in.
“We really do.”
Kathy looked at her son.
Thomas struggled to explain something he barely understood
himself.
“I don't know what that means.”
Chloe nodded.
“Neither do I.”
“We know we're young,” Thomas continued, “and we know
everybody's going to say we're young.”
“You are young,” said Scott.
“I know! That's what I mean.”
Chloe squeezed Thomas' hand.
“We don't know what we're doing,” she said.
“Obviously,” said Thomas.
Chloe elbowed him.
“…but I know how I feel,” she continued, “and I can't
pretend I don't feel it just because I don't understand it.”
Thomas nodded.
“I love her.”
Chloe looked at him.
“I love him.”
There was no hesitation in either of them.
Jason looked at Kathy.
Kathy looked at Lily.
Lily looked at Scott.
Scott looked around the table.
There seemed to be an entire conversation taking place among
the four adults without any of them speaking.
Thomas hated it.
“What?” he finally asked.
Nobody answered.
“What?”
Kathy looked at him.
“We're thinking.”
“That looks bad.”
“It isn't necessarily bad.”
“That means it's bad.”
“Tommy,” said Jason.
Thomas shut up.
Another glance passed among the parents.
Finally, Lily spoke.
“You want to be together?”
“Yes,” said Chloe.
Thomas nodded.
“Definitely.”
“As boyfriend and girlfriend?”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
Scott leaned back in his chair.
“All right.”
Thomas stared at him.
“All right what?”
“All right.”
Chloe looked at her mother.
Lily smiled.
“We're not going to tell you that you can't.”
Thomas looked towards his parents.
Kathy nodded.
Jason did too.
Thomas didn't seem to believe them.
“So…”
“So you're boyfriend and girlfriend,” said Jason.
“…and you're okay with that?”
“Yes.”
“No conditions?” asked Chloe.
Scott raised an eyebrow.
“What kind of conditions were you expecting?”
Chloe shrugged.
“I don't know.”
“You're still expected to behave yourselves,” said Lily.
“That hasn't changed.”
“…and you're still children living in our houses,” added
Kathy. “That hasn't changed either.”
Thomas frowned.
“That sounds like conditions.”
“Those were already conditions,” said Jason.
“Oh.”
Lily looked at the young couple.
“There is one thing you should understand.”
Chloe's expression became serious.
“Not everybody is going to react the way we are.”
Thomas nodded slowly.
“There are places where people won't appreciate seeing the
two of you being affectionate with each other. There are people who will have
very strong ideas about what you should and shouldn't be doing.”
“That isn't a rule we're making for you,” Scott added. “It's
something you need to understand about where you live.”
Thomas looked at Chloe.
Chloe looked at Thomas.
Then something seemed to release inside both of them.
They weren't being separated.
Nobody was telling them the lake had been some terrible
mistake.
Nobody was telling them they had to stop feeling whatever
they were feeling.
Chloe threw her arms around Thomas.
Thomas hugged her.
Then Chloe kissed him.
Thomas kissed her back.
They separated almost immediately.
“Sorry,” said Chloe.
“Sorry,” said Thomas.
Lily frowned.
“For what?”
Chloe looked around the table.
“For doing that.”
“You kissed your boyfriend,” said Kathy.
Thomas smiled.
Chloe looked at him.
Then kissed him again.
This time Thomas was considerably more prepared.
A few seconds passed.
Scott cleared his throat.
Neither noticed.
Scott cleared his throat louder.
Thomas and Chloe separated.
“Okay,” said Scott. “There are limits.”
Both teenagers turned bright red.
Lily laughed.
“Some things can stay private.”
“Right,” said Chloe.
“Definitely,” said Thomas.
They moved their chairs slightly farther apart.
Their hands remained firmly joined beneath the table.
Jason looked at his son.
“So…are we finished?”
Thomas glanced around.
“I think so.”
Chloe nodded.
“I think so.”
“Good.”
Thomas smiled.
That had gone considerably better than expected.
Then Jason added, “You're still grounded.”
Thomas' smile vanished.
Chloe's did too.
“What?”
“You're still grounded,” Scott repeated.
“…but you said-”
“I said you can be boyfriend and girlfriend.”
Chloe stared at her father.
“We're boyfriend and girlfriend who aren't allowed to see
each other?”
“Until school starts.”
“That's forever!”
“It's a few days.”
Thomas looked desperately at his mother.
“Mom?”
“You disappeared into the mountains, came home hours late
and had a park ranger call us to come get you.”
“We lost track of time.”
“Yes,” said Kathy. “That's why you're grounded.”
Thomas turned to his father.
“Dad?”
Jason shook his head.
Thomas groaned.
Chloe dropped her forehead onto the table.
“This is torture.”
Scott laughed.
“You'll survive.”
“You don't know that.”
“Yes, I do.”
Scott looked towards Lily.
“I've spent months away from your mother.”
Lily smiled.
“…and somehow,” Scott continued, “we survived.”
“That was different,” Chloe muttered.
“How?”
Chloe lifted her head.
“You were adults.”
Scott considered this.
“That generally makes being apart easier, not harder.”
Thomas sighed dramatically.
“So we just don't see each other?”
“Until school starts,” said Kathy.
Thomas looked at Chloe.
Chloe looked at Thomas.
Several days suddenly seemed much longer than they had
before.
Thomas squeezed her hand.
“Okay.”
Chloe sighed.
“Okay.”
Jason stood.
“Come on, Romeo.”
Thomas looked at him.
“Don't call me that.”
Jason smiled.
“Let's go.”
Thomas reluctantly released Chloe's hand.
He made it three steps before turning around.
Chloe was still watching him.
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Thomas took another two steps.
He turned around again.
“Good night.”
“Good night.”
“Thomas,” said Jason.
“I'm going.”
Thomas followed his parents towards the door.
Chloe remained in the kitchen.
Just before he disappeared from sight, Thomas looked back
one last time.
Chloe smiled.
Thomas smiled.
A few days.
They could survive a few days.
Probably.
On the drive home, Thomas sat in the back seat and watched
Provo pass outside the window.
Nobody had told him to sit in the back.
He had simply decided that sitting beside either of his
parents would be a bad idea.
Kathy was in the passenger seat. Jason drove.
Neither had said much since leaving the Summers house.
Thomas had plenty going on inside his head anyway.
He loved Chloe.
That was the easiest part.
He loved Chloe Summers.
Thomas still wasn't entirely sure what love was
supposed to feel like, but whatever he felt for Chloe seemed too enormous to
call anything else.
Then there was the guilt.
He had disobeyed his parents.
They had grounded him, and instead of accepting his
punishment, Thomas had climbed out of the house and walked all the way over to
Chloe's.
That was wrong.
Even Thomas couldn't construct an argument around that one.
Then there was everything else.
School.
Chloe.
Being Chloe's boyfriend.
Whatever came next.
Whatever happened when people found out.
Thomas looked at his parents.
They had been suspiciously quiet.
The lecture was coming.
Thomas knew it.
They had restrained themselves at the Summers house because
they didn't want to embarrass him in front of Chloe and her parents.
Now they had him alone.
Thomas braced himself.
Billy Jensen treatment, if he was lucky.
Ophelia Moore treatment if things went badly.
Robert Bayliss treatment-
Thomas shuddered.
Kathy looked back.
“Are you cold?”
“No.”
“Then why did you just shake like that?”
Thomas stared out the window.
“No reason.”
Jason glanced at him through the rear-view mirror.
“You thinking about Robert Bayliss?”
Thomas slowly looked at his father.
“How did you know?”
Jason smiled.
“I was young once.”
Thomas sank slightly lower into his seat.
There it was.
The beginning of the lecture.
Jason stopped at an intersection.
“You know, your mother and I weren't supposed to see each
other either.”
Thomas frowned.
“What?”
“When we started dating.”
Thomas looked at Kathy.
She nodded.
“For about six months.”
Thomas sat forward.
“Why?”
“Because our parents didn't approve,” said Jason.
“Of you?”
“Of us dating.”
“Why?”
Kathy shrugged.
“We were young.”
Thomas stared at her.
“That's it?”
“Mostly.”
“That's stupid.”
“Yes,” said Kathy.
Thomas hadn't expected that answer.
Jason laughed.
“People weren't as tolerant about young couples then.”
“So what did you do?”
Jason and Kathy exchanged a look.
Thomas recognized that look immediately.
“What?”
“Nothing,” said Kathy.
“You did something.”
“We behaved ourselves.”
Jason laughed.
Kathy turned towards him.
“Don't.”
“What?”
“You know exactly what you're doing.”
Thomas leaned forward between the seats.
“What did you do?”
Jason smiled.
“We snuck out.”
Thomas stared at him.
Kathy sighed.
“Constantly.”
“You?”
“Yes, me.”
“…and Dad?”
“Especially your father.”
Jason looked offended.
“You were the one climbing out windows.”
“Because my parents watched the door!”
Thomas couldn't believe what he was hearing.
“You snuck out of your houses?”
“Yes,” said Jason.
“To see each other?”
“Yes.”
“While you were grounded?”
Kathy turned around.
“Do not take the wrong lesson from this story.”
Thomas smiled.
“You snuck out while you were grounded.”
“We're aware of what we did.”
“You grounded me for doing exactly what you did!”
“Yes.”
“That doesn't make sense!”
“It makes considerably more sense when you're the parent,”
said Jason.
Thomas sat back.
“Hypocrites.”
“Probably,” said Kathy.
Thomas wasn't prepared for that answer either.
Jason smiled.
“Your mother and I used to meet all over town.”
“We were very good at it,” Kathy said.
“Until we weren't.”
“Your father was terrible at getting home quietly.”
“I was not.”
“You knocked over your mother's flowerpot.”
“It was dark.”
“You broke it.”
“I glued it.”
“You glued it badly.”
Thomas grinned.
“What was the best one?”
Kathy smiled.
She already knew.
Jason did too.
“The tavern,” they said together.
“What tavern?”
“The old tavern,” said Jason.
“That doesn't help.”
“It isn't there anymore.”
“Of course it isn't.”
Jason looked at Thomas through the mirror.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.”
“It means we're old,” said Kathy.
“I didn't say that.”
“You were thinking it.”
Jason continued.
“We snuck into this tavern one night. There was a jukebox.”
Thomas immediately laughed.
Jason frowned.
“What?”
“A jukebox?”
“Yes.”
“You danced to a jukebox?”
“What else would we dance to?”
Thomas laughed harder.
“Oh by Jove!”
Kathy turned around.
“What?”
“You're old.”
“We are not old.”
“You snuck into a tavern and danced to a jukebox.”
“Yes.”
“That's the oldest thing I've ever heard.”
Jason shook his head.
“We didn't have all the things you have now.”
“What did you do for fun?”
“We danced.”
“Besides dancing.”
“We listened to music.”
“On the jukebox?”
“Sometimes.”
Thomas grinned.
“Did you have arcades?”
“No.”
“Pinball?”
“Banned,” said Kathy.
Thomas stared at them.
“Pinball was banned?”
“When we were your age.”
Thomas sat back in horror.
“How did you survive?”
Jason laughed.
“Somehow we managed.”
“Did you have electricity?”
“Watch it.”
“Cars?”
“Thomas.”
“Fire?”
Kathy reached into the back and swatted at his knee.
Thomas laughed.
Jason shook his head.
“One day you're going to have children.”
“No.”
Thomas said it with complete certainty.
Kathy laughed.
“You might.”
“No.”
“…and they're going to make fun of you for being old.”
“I won't be old.”
“Everybody gets old,” said Jason.
“I won't act old.”
Jason and Kathy exchanged another look.
“What?”
“Nothing,” said Jason.
“Stop doing that!”
“Doing what?”
“That parent look!”
Kathy laughed.
Thomas settled back into his seat.
Something occurred to him.
“How come you've never told me any of this?”
Jason's smile faded slightly.
“Because I didn't want you getting ideas.”
Thomas stared at him.
“You waited until after I snuck out?”
“Exactly.”
“That seems late.”
“It was very effective until tonight.”
Kathy turned towards Thomas.
“…and there's another difference.”
“What?”
“Nobody is preventing you from seeing Chloe.”
Thomas looked at her.
“You are right now.”
“Because you're grounded.”
“That's preventing me.”
“For four more days because you stayed out hours later than
you were supposed to. We're not telling you that you can't see her because
she's your girlfriend.”
“Oh.”
Kathy smiled.
“When your grounding is finished, you can see Chloe.”
“As much as I want?”
“Within reason.”
Thomas frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“It means within reason.”
“I hate when adults say that.”
“You'll understand when you're old,” said Jason.
“I'm never getting old.”
“Right.”
The car continued through Provo.
Thomas felt strangely lighter.
The lecture hadn't happened.
At least not the lecture he had expected.
Kathy turned around again.
“There is something we want you to understand.”
Thomas braced himself slightly.
“If you ever need to ask us something, you can.”
Thomas nodded.
“Okay.”
“I mean anything.”
Thomas looked at her.
“Anything?”
“Anything.”
Jason nodded.
“Relationships can be difficult.”
“You mean Chloe?”
“I mean relationships. Chloe included.”
Kathy looked out the windshield.
“There were things I wish I could've asked my parents when I
was your age.”
Jason nodded.
“Me too.”
“…but we couldn't,” said Kathy. “Or we thought we couldn't.”
Thomas watched them.
“We don't want that for you,” Jason continued. “If you're
confused about something, worried about something, you made a mistake,
something happened between you and Chloe- come to us.”
Thomas became slightly red.
“Okay.”
“No questions asked,” said Kathy.
Thomas frowned.
“How can I ask you something if you don't ask questions?”
Kathy laughed.
“You know what I mean.”
“I actually don't.”
“It means we're not going to punish you simply for coming to
us.”
“Oh.”
Thomas thought about that.
His parents had once been his age.
That shouldn't have been a revelation.
Obviously they had.
…but Thomas had never really imagined it before.
Jason Rydell had once snuck out of his house.
Kathy Rydell had climbed through windows.
They had been grounded.
They had fallen in love.
They had apparently lived in a horrifying prehistoric age
when pinball machines were illegal.
Thomas smiled.
“Thanks.”
Kathy reached back and squeezed his knee.
“You're welcome.”
Thomas stared out the window.
Several seconds passed.
Then he leaned forward.
“I have a question.”
Jason smiled.
“There you go.”
Kathy turned around.
“What is it?”
“Can I see Chloe tomorrow?”
“No,” said Kathy.
Thomas stared at her.
“You said anything!”
“You can ask anything.”
“You said no questions asked!”
“That isn't what that means.”
Thomas groaned and collapsed against the seat.
“Four days!”
Jason laughed.
“Four days.”
“That's so long.”
“It probably will feel long,” said Kathy.
Thomas looked at her suspiciously.
“You're agreeing with me?”
“Yes.”
“So can I see her?”
“No.”
Thomas groaned again.
“Rules are rules,” said Jason.
Thomas folded his arms.
“This is cruel.”
“You'll survive.”
“Everybody keeps saying that.”
“Because you will.”
Thomas looked miserably out the window.
Jason glanced at him through the mirror.
“Besides, you've got something else you should be doing.”
“What?”
“Football.”
Thomas looked back at him.
“What about it?”
“When was the last time you practiced properly?”
Thomas didn't answer.
Jason nodded.
“That's what I thought.”
“I've been busy.”
“Looking for monsters?”
Thomas smiled slightly.
“Among other things.”
“Well, quarterback isn't going to happen because you want it
to.”
Thomas looked down.
He knew his father was right.
“If you want to make the high school team, you need to work
on your arm. Your footwork too.”
“My footwork is fine.”
“Your footwork is sloppy.”
“It is not.”
Jason looked at Kathy.
“It's sloppy.”
“Don't bring Mom into this!”
Kathy laughed.
Jason turned onto their street.
“You've got four days without Chloe distracting you. Use
them.”
Thomas frowned.
“Chloe doesn't distract me.”
Jason and Kathy both laughed.
“What?”
Neither answered.
“Why are you laughing?”
Kathy looked back at him.
“Nothing.”
“She doesn't!”
“Of course not,” said Jason.
Thomas crossed his arms.
His parents were impossible.
Still, he smiled.
Four days.
Four impossibly long days.
Then school.
Then Chloe.
…and somewhere in between, Thomas Rydell apparently had a
high school football team to make.