Rob and Mickey

I saw her when she walked in from the parking lot and nothing had changed. My heart still did flip flops and my blood started racing. I was surprised to see her alone and then I thought he had probably dropped her off close to the group and then went to park the car. I knew she would be there and I knew how I would react to seeing her and that is the main reason that it took my twin brother Rich so long to talk me into coming. For some reason that I didn't understand he attached great importance to me being in attendance.

I watched as she walked over and joined us at our table. She looked at me and gave me a 1000 watt smile and I just nodded to acknowledge her. She immediately started talking with Bev and Nancy. Beverly Abbeg, now Rich's wife, Nancy Wilde and Michelle had been thick as thieves all the way from the third grade through high school graduation. College split them apart because Bev was going to attend the local community college and Nancy had a scholarship to EU. Michelle had opted to attend State and I found out later that she chose State because that is where Stan North was going. Stan North! A bigger asshole never lived and I spent years killing him in my imagination. I honestly believe that I would have done it in real life if I could have been sure of getting away with it. Stan had been the quarterback on our team and was going to State on an athletic scholarship and every one expected that he would end up in the pros. He was that good.

As I watched Mickey exchange cheek kisses and hugs with Bev and Nancy my thoughts wandered back to a much happier time. It was in the ninth grade that it started. I had been classmates with Mickey, Bev and Nancy since the sixth grade and I guess you could say that we were friends. We didn't hang together or anything like that, but we saw each other every school day and we got along.

I was your typical kid. Played vacant lot baseball and football with my friends, rode our bikes all over town and got in trouble doing stupid shit on Halloween and did just about everything that you did as a kid. It was gradual -- it didn't happen over night -- but I became aware of girls. You know what I mean. I stopped seeing them as classmates and began to get interested in them. The one I got the most interested in was Michelle Coachman. I don't even know why. Does anyone really know why you fall for a certain girl at that age? All I know is that Mickey was the first one I looked for when I got to school in the morning. I found reasons to be around her.

I finally got brave and asked her if she would like to go to the movies with me on Saturday and I was surprised when she said yes. It was a double feature and I can't even remember the two films that were playing. The entire time I kept glancing over at Mickey. I do remember that around the middle of the second film I discovered that we were holding hands and I don't even know how that happened. It just did.

After the movie we stopped at The Soda Shoppe for cherry Cokes and we held hands as I walked her home. Unfortunately I didn't get brave until the last day of school and when I got her home and asked her to go out with me again the following Saturday she said that she wished that she could, but she was leaving the next day to spend the summer at her grandparent's farm. She promised me that she would call me as soon as she got back and then we could have that movie date. I didn't realize at the time that a teenaged girls promises were about as valid as a TV weatherman's five day forecast.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I stayed busy that summer playing pick up baseball with my buddies, going camping and mowing lawns for spending money. Two weeks before school was supposed to start me, Richard and a couple of my friends went to the Rialto to catch the afternoon double feature and when we got in line to buy our tickets I saw Mickey, Bev and Nancy at the head of the line. When we got inside and were waiting in line at the refreshment stand for popcorn I asked Mickey when she had gotten back and she told me that she had been home for almost a month. She'd forgotten all about her promise to call. It upset me a little because I had walked away from that first date thinking that we had something going, but I wasn't going to say anything in front of Rich, Sam, Dave, Bev and Nancy.

The seven of us sat together and after the movie we all walked over the Soda Shoppe for cherry Cokes. We talked about what we had done over the summer and then we split up and went home. The next day I called Mickey and reminded her that she said she would go out with me again when she came back to town. I did not mention her promise. I asked her to the movies the next Saturday and she said yes.

Saturday I walked over to her house to get her and as we walked toward downtown her hand took hold of mine and we held hands all through the double feature. We held hands as I walked her home and then she surprised me and kissed me on the cheek when I got her to her door. I asked her if she would like to go roller skating with me at Skate City the next day and she said that she would love to.

By the time school started we had dated five times and I was starting to consider Mickey 'my girl.' A week after school started I found out that even though I was thinking of Mickey as 'my girl' she was a long way from thinking of me as 'her guy.' I asked her what she would like to do on Saturday and she told me that she thought Tommy was taking her to the amusement park.

"Tommy?"

"Yes. Tommy Reed asked me to go out with him on Saturday."

"Oh. Have fun" I said as I turned and walked away from her.

Walking home from school Rich asked me why I was so quiet and I told him why.

"You didn't know that she's been dating other guys?"

"No. I thought that I was the only one."

"Maybe on the weekends, but she's gone out during the week with a half a dozen different guys. Last night when Mark and I were at the arcade she was there with Phil Ackers."

"I didn't know. I guess I'm just dumb."

"No Rob; just blind. There are other girls you can date. You don't have to stick with her."

I thought about it and I realized that Rich was right. The next day at school I asked Carol Wright if she would like to go skating with me on Friday night and she said yes. We had a good time and I asked her if she would go to the movies with me on Saturday and she said yes.

We were standing in line for popcorn when Mickey came in with Norm Snyder. She saw me standing there with Carol and I saw a strange look come over her face. I ignored her and when we had our popcorn and sodas Carol and I went in and sat down in the middle of the theatre. I got up to use the bathroom about halfway through the second feature and I saw that Mickey was sitting two rows directly behind us and I saw her eyes follow me as I walked up the aisle. "Weird" I thought. Why would she watch me?

I walked Carol home and she told me that she'd had a good time and when I asked her if she would like to go to the arcade with me after school on Tuesday she said that she would love to.

++++++++++++++++++++

Monday at school third period was gym and the way it worked was that boys and girls alternated weeks. One week the boys had the gym and the girls had the swimming pool and then the next week it reversed. Monday it was the boy's week for the gym, but when we got there the girls were there too. Mr. Hoffman, our gym teacher, announced that the school was sponsoring a dance in two weeks and the boys and girls were going to spend the week together learning to dance. He told us to choose a partner for the week and I looked for Carol and when I saw her I started heading her way, but before I got there Mickey stepped in front of me and took my arm.

"This is just going to be so much fun Rob. I just know that we will be good together."

It caught me by surprise and I stopped and was just about to tell her that I wanted Carol to be my partner and when I looked toward Carol she gave me a nasty look and turned away and I saw Jerry Dobbs walk up and take her arm. Mickey said:

"What's the matter Rob? You don't seem pleased."

I wasn't all that experienced with girls, but even I knew that the look I'd gotten from Carol probably meant that we were toast and since I had always been hung up on Mickey I said:

"Of course I'm pleased. I'm just a bit surprised is all."

"Why would you be surprised?"

"The last two times I asked you out you weren't interested so I thought..."

"Just you hush Rob Dalton; it doesn't matter what you thought. Come on now, let's get in line."

She was right and we were good together and I think that is the first gym class that I ever enjoyed even though I did get several not so nice looks from Carol.

I caught up with Carol at the end of sixth period so I could confirm our date the next night and she said:

"Just go away and leave me alone."

"Why? What did I do?"

"You know what you did."

"No I don't."

"You chose that bitch Michelle to be your dance partner instead of me. How could you do something like that if you wanted to go out with me?"

I usually thought of myself as a straight up kind of guy, truthful and like that, but even I knew that there were times you had to fudge a little so I said:

"I was on my way to ask you to be my partner when Mickey stepped in front of me and asked me to be her partner. I started to tell her no when I saw you go off with Jerry. I suppose I could have come after you and told Jerry to get lost, but it probably would have created a scene and then you would have been pissed at me."

"That's what you say now, but I saw the way the two of you were when you were dancing. As far as you were concerned there wasn't anyone else in the room but the two of you. Just go away Rob" and she turned and walked off.

I was standing there watching her walk down the hall away from me when a voice from behind me said:

"My goodness Rob; what did you say to her. She looks pissed."

I turned and saw Mickey standing there. Without thinking I said, "She broke a date with me because I danced with you instead of her."

"Oh? Is that all? Well you don't need her anyway sweetie because you have me."

"I have you?"

"Of course you do silly. You've always known that."

"I have? Then why have you been going out with all those other guys instead of me?"

"Because they asked me and you didn't."

"You aren't making sense Mickey. I don't "have you" as you put it if you go out with other guys. If I "had you" I wouldn't even have to ask you for a date; all I would have to do is ask you what you wanted to do or where you wanted to go."

"True, but that's your fault not mine."

"What is my fault?"

"That you have to ask me for a date instead of just asking what I want to do."

"I don't get it. How is it my fault?"

"Just because I've always considered myself yours it doesn't mean anything. You have never asked me to be yours and until you do I'm not going to sit at home and stare at the walls if some guy wants me to go out with him. In fact I was hurt when you didn't make a big fuss over my going out with Tommy. All you did was tell me to have fun and then walk away."

"What about all the guys you dated during the week?"

"They asked me, you didn't."

I was having trouble buying what she was saying because to me it didn't make any sense. If she was mine -- if I'd always had her -- wouldn't she have said:

"Tommy asked me to go out Saturday" and given me the chance to say "I'd rather you didn't and would go out with me instead."

I was still struggling with the concept in my head when Mickey asked, "When was your date with Carol and what were you going to do?"

"We were supposed to go to the arcade tomorrow."

"Okay. What time are we going?"

It took me a second to realize that she had just told me we were going out the next day and then I said:

"Five o'clock."

"Okay, I'll see you at five. You might spend some time between now and then thinking on what you need to do if you don't like me dating other guys" and then she walked away.

Walking home with my brother Rich after school I told him about the thing with Carol and Michelle and told him that I just didn't understand girls. He laughed and said:

"Who does? I've tried to get Beverly Abbeg to go out with me a half a dozen times and she always says no, but every time she sees me and I'm with another girl she gives me dirty looks. Chicks are weird man, but I'll tell you this. It sounds like Mickey is telling you that you need to ask her to go steady."

"You think?"

"I'd bet on it."

Mickey and I had a great time at the arcade and when I walked her to her door after stopping for milkshakes at The Soda Shoppe I asked her if she would be my steady girlfriend she said:

"It's about time you got around to it. Of course I will" and then she took my head in her hands and kissed me. I put my arms around her and kissed her back. I don't know how long we might have stood there kissing if the porch light hadn't come on and made us pull apart. That was the start of Mickey and me keeping steady company. Rich finally got Bev to say yes and Mickey and I double dated with Bev and Rich a half a dozen times.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

I went out for football and turned out to be a pretty good tight end. Practice and games cut into my dating time with Mickey, but she didn't seem to mind. I made junior varsity and Mickey and I started hanging out with my team mates and their girlfriends.

Everything ran smooth until the Christmas break. Mickey and her parents went back to the grand parent's farm for Christmas. Before she left Mickey said:

"Now you be sure to stay away from other girls while I'm gone. Don't let me be hearing that you took some dolly to a Christmas party. You're mine and I'm not sharing."

It was a two week visit and during the second week she called Bev and it just happened that Rich was with her. Due to a freak of atmospherics or something Rich was able to hear part of Mickey's side of the conversation. He didn't let on to Bev that he could hear so she didn't hold the phone closer to her ear or even tell Mickey that Rich was in the room.

"How's it going?" Bev asked.

"Great! I've met the cutest boy and I've seen him almost every night since I've been here. He's a great kisser. He could give Rob lessons."

"Sounds like you might not want to come back home."

"Never fear girlfriend; I'm coming back. This place is Dullsville. There isn't anything to do here except ice skate and go on sleigh rides. How are things back there? You keeping an eye on Rob for me?"

"I am, but why do you care? Sounds like you have found a replacement."

"I have to admit he is yummy, but he isn't a keeper. All he wants to do when he gets out of high school is help run the family farm. Can you see me getting up to milk the cows at five in the morning?"

"Now that's something that I'd like to see."

"Oh no, not this girl."

"Not much new here. Nancy is seriously thinking of going steady with Billy Holbrook. They have been going to parties together."

There was more, but nothing that concerned me. When Bev hung up Rich didn't let on that he'd heard anything and that night he told me about the call.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I'm pissed, but it is more because she made me promise to stay away from other girls than because she is seeing some guy."

In the end I did nothing other than remember that Mickey couldn't really be trusted.

Mickey came back the day after Christmas and she called me. We went to the movies that night and had a steamy make out session during which she kept telling me how much she missed me. We still had a week before school started up again and we were able to attend a couple of holiday parties together. They all ended with heavy make out sessions. We doubled with Bev and Rich to go to a New Year's Eve party and a couple of times I saw Bev looking at me with a look that I read as "You poor boob."

++++++++++++++++++++++

The next five and a half months flew by and then it was summer vacation and Mickey was off to spend part of it at her grand parent's and, I suspected, with her cute boy who was such a great kisser. Again she told me to behave while she was gone, but this time I knew the game plan.

Mickey had been gone two days when I ran across Bev at the mall. We went to the food court and I bought us Cokes and we sat down. She and Rich had broken up a month early because she wanted to date other guys besides Rich. She said he would be her main squeeze, but Rich wasn't interested in that kind of a relationship. Bev asked me about Rich and I told her that he was dating Shelly Spears and that seemed to upset her a little. Then I flat out asked her:

"Are you keeping an eye on me again for Mickey?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Sure you do Bev. I know all about the guy she was seeing over Christmas and that she had you keeping an eye on me to see if I did the same thing. All I'm asking is has she got you doing it again?"

Bev looked away from me and said, "Yes."

"You have any idea of what she is going to do if I do date other girls while she's gone?"

"She said she would drop you in a heartbeat if you cheated on her."

"Let me see if I've got this straight. She is cheating on me, but she will kick me to the curb if I do the same?"

Bev looked at me and shrugged.

"How would you like to play a trick on her?"

"What do you mean?"

"How about you go out with me and don't tell her?"

"I couldn't do that. Mick is my friend."

"Okay; I just thought it would be fun. Take care Bev. See you around."

I got up and went to J.C. Penny's for the tennis shoes I'd come to the mall to buy.

When I got home I sat down and made a list of girls that I knew who were not in relationships and I planned on calling them. The next day I called the first three on the list and was politely turned down by all three. That afternoon my mom sent me down to Rexall Drugs to pick up a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and Bev was there.

"Can we talk?" she asked me.

"Sure."

"Meet me at The Soda Shoppe when you leave here, okay?"

"I'll be there."

Over cherry Cokes Bev said, "Were you serious about what you said the other day?

"Of course I was."

"You wouldn't tell Mickey?"

"Why would I do that? I'm just trying to stay even with her. I don't have a doubt in the world that she isn't seeing that guy she met up with the last time she went to Cartersville or maybe some other guy. You are my watcher. Would you tell?"

"Of course not."

"Okay. How about the movies tonight?"

"Okay."

"I'll pick you up at six."

When I got home I told Rich what I was doing and asked him if he had a problem with it.

"This way I can stick it to Mickey and if I'm lucky I can get Bev to keep me up to date on what Mickey tells her."

"I don't mind. It won't bother me at all, but have you given any thought to what will happen if Mickey finds out?"

"Frankly I don't much care. If she finds out what's she going to do? Accuse me of being a cheat? I'll laugh and throw it right back at her and if she doesn't find out I'll have a steady date while she's gone."

"Good luck."

Bev and I had fun on our first date and she kissed me on our second. On the third we had a hot steamy make out session and they got hotter and hotter over the next weeks. After our seventh or eighth date I asked Bev why she changed her mind and started to date me. She hesitated for a couple of seconds and then she said:

"You promise that you won't tell anyone? Cross your heart?"

Who would I tell?"

"I don't want you telling Richard."

"What does Rich have to do with it?"

"Just promise me."

"I promise."

"I got curious."

"About what?"

"You and Rich are twins and you look and act alike and I wondered if you guys were the same in everything."