Why had Adam never told me this?
“Hmm. Okay.” I shrugged. What else could I say?
My mind was going a thousand thoughts a second. Why would my best friend leave out the fact that he had someone save him from a life of sin, returning him back to his faith at a time when he needed it most?
I tried to think of something witty to say to change the subject but found inspiration somewhat lacking.
“Alright… so, this one then?” I asked.
I was more than ready to get out of the mall. I hated department stores. My reason for this was a good one, I think. It wasn’t the fact that there are lots of people in a mall. It had more to do with the shopping experience itself. I had the money; that wasn’t the problem. It was the searching, finding, trying on, looking in the mirror, and realizing that you had picked out a pair of jeans two sizes too small or two sizes too big. It was the effort required to find that perfect outfit, which was far more than seemed justifiable to me when you considered what it was all for.
“Yeah, that’s the one,” Nadine said, managing to smile as I retreated into the changing cubicle. “You know, you’re probably right,” she called to me as I shut the cubicle door.
“Right about what?” I asked as I tried to reach the zipper and failed.
How the heck had I got the damned thing up?
“That he’s probably just scared,” she sniffed.
“Just give him time. He’ll come around,” I said, hoping that in some way I was correct.
I purchased the dress, a pair of new heels, and a strapless bra the same shade as my outfit. I thought I was now set, but apparently, I was wrong. Nadine dragged me down the walkway to a beauty salon to reserve a tandem appointment for some pampering on the day of prom. From seven in the morning till five in the evening I was going to be waxed, plucked, scrubbed, poked, prodded, and turned into a runway model. I had to admit, despite my reservations, the excitement was beginning to infect me.
I wondered if I could contract the plague between now and the wondrous day. If I was dead or dying, surely they couldn’t make me go?
****
Later that afternoon I was sitting on Adam’s bed, reading, when he came in covered in oil. He gave me a nod and motioned for me to put the book down. I dog-eared my page and tossed the book onto the nightstand.
“You will be glad to know your car will survive another three thousand miles without needing oil.” He smiled at me and took a bow.
I applauded enthusiastically. “Awesome!”
Part of our agreement had been that if I went shopping with Nadine, he would change the oil in my car. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to spend time with his girlfriend. I just really didn’t like shopping, as mentioned before. Even my mother had to bribe me to get me out of the house to purchase new clothes. I was one of those see-it-online-order-it-and-pray-it-fits types of girls. If it doesn’t, I just toss it in the back of my closet, always sure I can find something to turn it into later.
Being around Adam made me feel carefree and alive. It gave me a chance to breathe and helped me to heal after everything that had happened over the last few months. He made awful truths seem relatively unimportant. If I ever felt like the world was coming down on me, all I had to do was call him, and I would feel instantly calmer. He was my rock through all the emotional shit I had been through, and I loved him to death.
“Alright, I’m going to go wash my hands. When I come back, I’m going to kick your ass in Halo!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands together before turning and leaving the room.
“You can try and beat me, but you know I always win,” I called after him, observing the amused shake of his head.
“Has anyone ever told you that you are a sore winner?”
Five minutes later he was back in front of me, his wet hands stuffed in his pockets. He gave me a carefree smile and plopped down next to me on the bed.
“Did you find your dress?” he asked, poking me on the arm.
I swatted at his hand and grinned. “Yes, it’s hot pink with lime green trim,” I joked.
“I don’t know if you can pass off hot pink,” he teased. “Can’t wait to see it though.” His eyes softened, and there was that look again like something was on his mind.
He had been looking at me like that a lot lately. I was becoming concerned about what was going on in his head. He obviously needed to talk to me about something. But perhaps he didn’t think it important enough to bother me with, at least not yet. I sought to change the subject.
“So, Nadine said something interesting today,” I told him as I grabbed a pillow and rolled over on my back.
He positioned himself, so his head was on my stomach, allowing me to play with his hair. This had somehow become the norm over the last few months. We would spend hours like this, just talking away and not really caring if the world passed us by.
“Nadine always says interesting things,” he responded dryly. “Problem is, they are often interesting only to her.”
“No, I can honestly say this was interesting.” I started petting his head.
“Oh, then do tell.”
“She told me about a girl you used to date.” I felt him tense. “She said she wasn’t your first girlfriend.”
He went rigid. A nervous giggle escaped his lips.
“Do what?” he protested. “I… I haven’t a clue what she’s talking about.”
“Tell me!” I exclaimed. “I tell you everything.”
“Yes, but I don’t ask you about that part of your life. I just assume you and Aaron do stuff. That doesn’t
