Jill sat on the park bench, hidden in the shadows. A chill ran through her as she wrapped the sheer lace shawl tighter around her bare shoulders. This was not how she imagined her first prom date.
My dad is so mean! Every girl in my class is going to the freshmen prom. They’re being picked up at their door with their parents snapping pictures and waving goodbye, and I’m sitting here in Madison Park freezing to death waiting for a drive-by pick up - all because of Dad’s stupid “you can’t date until you’re 16” rule. This is so unfair! He’s so old fashioned.
Jill had been surprised when Mike to ask her to the prom. She didn’t know him well, but they had been talking for several weeks and he seemed like a really nice guy. She hoped tonight would be the start of something special.
She saw his pickup round the corner and stop under the street light. Jill dashed across the lawn and jumped in the passenger’s side, hoping no one was around to see her.
“Hey, you look great,” said Mike.
“Thanks. Sorry about the weird arrangements,” she said.
“No sweat, I got a jerk for an old man, too,” Mike said as he pulled away from the curb.
Jill wasn’t sure she liked him referring to her Dad as a jerk. He was a pretty nice guy most of the time, just real strict. Having a pastor for a Dad could really be a drag sometimes.
Mike shoved a plastic container across the seat at her.
“Here, my Mom got you a flower.”
“Uh, thanks,” Jill said as she opened the box and slipped the corsage on her wrist.
Well, that’s romantic, she thought. Something told her this was not going to be the fairy tale prom she had always dreamed of.
They pulled into the parking lot of the school and Mike turned off the truck, but he didn’t move to get out, instead he reached under the seat and pulled out a bottle of liquor.
“Let’s have a little grape punch before we go in,” he said, opening the bottle and passing it to her.
“I don’t drink, Mike. Can we just go in?”
Mike took a long drink on the bottle, capped it and stashed it back under the seat.
“What’s your hurry? Let’s get to know each other a little better first,” he said, sliding over close to her.
“Mike, I want to go in,” Jill said, reaching for the door handle.
Mike grabbed her wrist, crushing the corsage and put his other arm around her tight.
“Look, I didn’t’ put out all this money for nothing. How about you give me a little kiss?”
Jill wiggled free of his grip and before she even had time to think about what she was doing, she doubled up her right fist and let him have it right in the mouth.
“There’s your kiss, you jerk!” she said.
She left him sitting in the truck holding his mouth, blood running through his fingers and marched into the school, but instead of turning left toward the music and lights of the gym, she turned right toward the pay phone in the hall.
“Daddy, can you come and get me at the school? I’ll explain when you get here…and Daddy…I’ll wait until I’m sixteen to date…gladly!”
(Copyright © 2009 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)
My dad is so mean! Every girl in my class is going to the freshmen prom. They’re being picked up at their door with their parents snapping pictures and waving goodbye, and I’m sitting here in Madison Park freezing to death waiting for a drive-by pick up - all because of Dad’s stupid “you can’t date until you’re 16” rule. This is so unfair! He’s so old fashioned.
Jill had been surprised when Mike to ask her to the prom. She didn’t know him well, but they had been talking for several weeks and he seemed like a really nice guy. She hoped tonight would be the start of something special.
She saw his pickup round the corner and stop under the street light. Jill dashed across the lawn and jumped in the passenger’s side, hoping no one was around to see her.
“Hey, you look great,” said Mike.
“Thanks. Sorry about the weird arrangements,” she said.
“No sweat, I got a jerk for an old man, too,” Mike said as he pulled away from the curb.
Jill wasn’t sure she liked him referring to her Dad as a jerk. He was a pretty nice guy most of the time, just real strict. Having a pastor for a Dad could really be a drag sometimes.
Mike shoved a plastic container across the seat at her.
“Here, my Mom got you a flower.”
“Uh, thanks,” Jill said as she opened the box and slipped the corsage on her wrist.
Well, that’s romantic, she thought. Something told her this was not going to be the fairy tale prom she had always dreamed of.
They pulled into the parking lot of the school and Mike turned off the truck, but he didn’t move to get out, instead he reached under the seat and pulled out a bottle of liquor.
“Let’s have a little grape punch before we go in,” he said, opening the bottle and passing it to her.
“I don’t drink, Mike. Can we just go in?”
Mike took a long drink on the bottle, capped it and stashed it back under the seat.
“What’s your hurry? Let’s get to know each other a little better first,” he said, sliding over close to her.
“Mike, I want to go in,” Jill said, reaching for the door handle.
Mike grabbed her wrist, crushing the corsage and put his other arm around her tight.
“Look, I didn’t’ put out all this money for nothing. How about you give me a little kiss?”
Jill wiggled free of his grip and before she even had time to think about what she was doing, she doubled up her right fist and let him have it right in the mouth.
“There’s your kiss, you jerk!” she said.
She left him sitting in the truck holding his mouth, blood running through his fingers and marched into the school, but instead of turning left toward the music and lights of the gym, she turned right toward the pay phone in the hall.
“Daddy, can you come and get me at the school? I’ll explain when you get here…and Daddy…I’ll wait until I’m sixteen to date…gladly!”
(Copyright © 2009 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)
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