Once Upon a Time

March 1, 2007

Hey,

Today was a weird day…Yes, the fundraiser was very successful—but that’s not the weird part…You already know that we were selling root beer floats for Relay for Life. Today was my day to work the booth after school. Well, I was chatting with my bff about Josh—business was lagging—when this really cute senior walked up and pulled out his wallet. He flashed us a smile and said he’d like two root beer floats. Amber and I exchanged glances and—well, here let me write it out in conversation style:
         Cute guy ambled to the counter and smiled at me and Amber, “Hey, ladies, two root beer floats please.”
         Amber giggled and we looked at each other.
         “Sure,” I said. As Amber scoops out the vanilla ice cream, I asked him, “Are you that thirsty?”
         He frowned. “What do you mean?”
         “Are you so thirsty that you need two root beer floats?”
         His face relaxed into an alluring smile and replied, “Oh, the second one is for my girlfriend.”
         I peered around the commons. There was no one else in here. I asked him, “Is she invisible?”
         He laughed and said, “Naw, she’s sitting outside, waiting for her ride.”
         “You’re not driving her?” Amber asked, handing me a cup with vanilla ice cream in it.
         He shook his head. “My six months aren’t up yet, but in just another two weeks I’ll be able to take her anywhere.”
         I smiled at him, filling the cup up to the brim with root beer. I placed it on the counter and took the second cup from Amber.
         “So,” Amber asked, “What’s your name?”
         Cute senior boy threw his green eyes to me and said, “Indy.”
         “What’s it stand for?” I asked him.
         He casually handed me a five dollar bill. “Indiana.”
         I frowned. His name seemed so familiar.
         “That’s a pretty unique name,” Amber said conversationally.
         He nodded once. “Yeah.”
         “Is it a family name?” I asked, giving him his change.
         He shook his head. “I’m the only one.”
         I chuckled and said, “Well, thanks for buying root beer floats and supporting the Relay for Life team.”
         He picked up the cups and said, “Oh, that’s what this was for? I thought I was helping you pay for a future college education…”
         I grin and Amber rolled her eyes. “I wish,” she said.
         Indy nodded. “Money would be a nice thing to have…” He turned away but changed his mind and turned back around. “What are your names?”
         I motioned to Amber, “This is my best friend, Amber Hawkins, and I’m Micky Brooks.”
         His eyes scrunched and he asked, almost incredulously, “Micky?”
         I nodded. “It’s short for Michelle.”
         He nodded his head, too, “I know.”
         I blinked in surprise. I glanced at Amber, She shrugged at me. I looked back at Indy. He drew in a deep breath and said, “I’ll see you around, ladies.”
         He flashed another charming smile and walked away.
         Amber leaned on the counter and said, “Well, that was kinda weird…He’s cute though…”
         I nodded. “Yeah it was and yeah he was. I wonder why we’ve never seen him around.”
         “Micky,” Amber said, rolling her eyes, “We’re only freshmen…”


That wasn’t super weird, but it was weird enough. I mean, no one has ever already known what my name stood for. And he didn’t make fun of it either. Most people do, calling my Mickey Mouse…Ugh, that really bothers me…Anyway, the weirdest part was later, after Amber and I closed up the booth:
          Amber said goodbye and began her walk home. I trudged out to the concrete steps and waited for Aunt Linda to come pick me up. I sat down on the steps and huffed. You know how I hate waiting.
          “Micky…isn’t it?”
         I turned to see Indy leaning against the brick wall. I stood up and walked over to him, “Yeah.”
          He nodded. “That’s…that’s my sister’s name.”
         “Really?” I asked, “It’s a very…uncommon nickname for a girl.”
         He nodded. “Our parents like uncommon names.”
          I grinned. “An interesting coincidence.”
         “You're like her, too.” Indy said. “You look like my sister. I haven’t seen her in eleven years though, so she could have changed.”
          I frowned. “How come you haven’t seen her in ten years?”
          “I ran away.”
          “When you were seven?”
          He grinned. “Eight actually. And she was four. We have the same birthday.”
          “Wow. That’s unusual. When’s your birthday?”
          He shrugged. “It’s in February—you’re not gonna ask why I ran away?”
          I smiled. “I figured you were lying.”
          He shook his head. “Nope.”
          “You really did run away then?”
          “Yup.”
          “Why?”
          His eyes got a far-away look in them and asked me, “When is your ride coming?”
          I shrugged. “I have no idea when my aunt is coming. I wish I had a cell phone.”
          He frowned. “You don’t live with your parents?”
          I shook my head. “They died in a car crash.”
          “Did your aunt and uncle tell you that?” He gave me a sideway glance and smiled.
          I gave him a shy smile. “Yeah.”
          He reached into his pocket and handed me a blackberry. “Call your aunt. Make sure she’s coming.”
          “Thanks.” I said, dialing her number.
          She picked up on the third ring. “Hello?”
          “Hey, Aunt Linda,” I watched Indy stiffen, “When do you think you’ll be here?”
          She gasped. “Oh! That’s right! I have to…Damn….Sorry, Micky, I can’t pick you up today. Call Steward…He should be home.”
          I sighed. “All right.”
          “Sorry, love.”
          I chuckled. “Yeah, me, too.”
          “Bye, honey.”
          “Bye.”
          I hung up and said, “She isn’t coming.”
          Indy nodded. “Need a ride?”
          I frowned. “Your six months aren’t up yet.”
          He gave me a secretive smile. “I can drive around family members.”
          I shook my head. “We’re not related.”
          Indy coughed. “I wouldn’t be so sure. Come on, Micky, let’s go.”
          I sighed. “Fine, but if we get pulled over, I’m telling him that you kidnapped me.”
          Indy chuckled. “Fair enough.”
          I bent over to pick up my backpack. As I stood up, I noticed Indy watching me. “You will take me home, right?”
          He smiled. “Yeah.”
          I narrowed my eyes with suspicion but followed him to a red Mazda. I threw my backpack in the back seat and joined Indy up front.
          “So,” Indy began, igniting the engine, “How old are you?”
          I squirmed, uncomfortable in his car. “Fifteen.”
          His eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Really?”
          I nodded. “Yeah, I just turned fifteen yesterday.”
          He glanced at me, his green eyes wide and curious. “I turned nineteen yesterday.”
          My jaw dropped. “We have the same birthday?”
          “Well, actually, my birthday is February twenty-ninth, Leap day.”
          I drew in a quick breath. “Me, too…”
          Indy smiled to himself. “So, you say you’re parents are dead?”
          I nodded. “Yeah, and I live with my aunt and uncle.”
          “Your dad’s sister?”
          I bit my lower lip. It was just a lucky guess. “Yeah.”
          Indy brought his Mazda to a stop, glaring at the red light.
          “How come you got your license so late?”
          He smiled. “I couldn’t pay for my Driver’s Ed course yet.”
          “Oh.” I said. “You’re parents couldn’t pay for it?”
          He gave a bark of laughter. “Micky, I live alone. I support myself.”
          “Really?”
          He nodded. “My mom is dead and my dad is in jail.”
          “I’m so sorry.”
          He turned his green eyes to my blue ones and said, “Don’t be.”
          I felt something nag at my brain, a memory trying to surface. I pushed it away.
          “So, how do you get to your house?”


I told him how to get here and the conversation died. He kept glancing at me, almost in wonder. It was odd. But his blond hair and green eyes won’t get out of my head. They nag me, tug at my memories. I’ve never seen him before but I feel like I know him.

Ugh, dinner time, I’ll talk later.

----

I’m stuffed! Aunt Linda makes the best macaroni and cheese ever! I’ve thanked her like ten million times. At dinner, I told them about Indy. Well…not everything. I mean, he’s a senior. They could get the wrong idea. I don’t know. IT was just another strange detail to add to the list.
          “Steward, you didn’t give Micky a ride home?”
          Uncle Steward shook his head. “Nope, some young man brought her home.”
          “Oh,” Aunt Linda said, turning her curious eyes to me, “Who is he?”
          “Uh…his name is Indy. He’s a senior.”
          Aunt Linda and Uncle Steward exchanged glances.
          “You didn’t invite him to stay for dinner?” Aunt Linda asked.
          I shook my head. “He seemed in a hurry.” I didn’t tell her that he seemed kinda…familiar. Not quite creepy because it felt like I knew him…


They dropped the subject, but they kept giving each other looks—like they knew something that I didn’t. Something very weird is going on. And it has to do with that cute senior, Indy. I just wish I could figure out why he is so familiar!

Sigh, well, I have to do my homework now—before Aunt Linda freaks out. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.