-S-
“Your last name is Hale, right?” Bailey asked Sara.
“Yes, it is.”
Bailey signed the check and gave it to Sara. Since Jake broke his leg, they could not go travel anymore and they decided to divide the money amongst themselves. Sara looked at Jake and Jennifer, and they looked just normal.
“I wish there were two festivals a year,” Shawn said. Sara remembered how tired he was of the festival on the last day.
“Yeah, we made quite a bit of money!” Michelle said with a satisfied smile.
“I think it was a really good idea that we took family photos,” Sara said to Jennifer.
“Yeah, it was, and it didn’t cost us anything,” Jennifer said drinking her soda. Jennifer was wearing a black shirt with lace and Sara thought she looked good in it.
“I like your t-shirt,” She told Jennifer. Michelle told her the same thing.
“I don’t like bowling,” Shawn said. He did not like the idea of going bowling. Sara looked to Jake, but he seemed like he did not really care much.
“Really? What else do you like other than video games?” Michelle replied.
“You liked the Mario party!” Shawn said.
“I did, but today we will do something more active rather than just moving your fingers,” Michelle told him and Shawn made an “it’s alright” gesture.
“I invited someone. Is it ok…?” Sara asked people.
“Who?” Jennifer asked.
“It’s Jack.”
“I think it’s fine.” Bailey said.
“Wait a minute. Are you dating him?” Jake said it with an uncomfortable face.
“No. We are just friends,” Sara said and Michelle said right after her. “He keeps trying to date her, so this is better than just being alone with him.”
“I can kick him out, if you want,” Jake said.
“Yeah, he is good at punching noses.” Bailey said and giggled. Jake seemed upset about what Bailey just said.
“Why don’t you invite your date, too? Maybe he can bring some of his charming friends,” Michelle said to Jennifer.
“We kind of broke up.” When Jennifer said this, Sara saw one side of Jake’s mouth turn up. Soon, Jack walked into the restaurant. He smiled at everyone and said, “Sup, fellas?” It was kind of awkward.
Bowling was not as fun as they expected. Jake could not play, so he was eating snacks the whole time. Shawn was not good at bowling and Jack was doing all right. Jack acted very differently by his performance. He was really excited when he striked, but he was really disappointed when he did not hit many pins. Sara was laughing looking at him without notice. Bailey looked at Sara, and asked.
“What do you think of him?”
“Oh, no. I thought he was so funny. He is acting like a little kid.”
Jack came back and sat down next Sara.
“Did you do anything fun recently?” Jack asked Sara.
“Yeah I’ve been reading a lot of books lately. How about you?”
“I worked a little bit and hung out with my buddies.”
“Sara, it’s your turn,” Michelle said.
Sara left three pins at her first turn and hit one more after that. Sara saw Jack and Shawn starting to talk while they were looking at Shawn’s phone. She wondered if they were talking about video games. She sat next to Jennifer.
“You don’t like bowling?” Sara asked.
“No, I like it, but I am just tired.”
“I’m sorry about your guy.”
“It’s alright. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. By the way, I am sorry about vanishing the other day.”
“It’s ok. I understand.” Sara was wondering what happened but she didn’t ask.
“So how do you like him?” Jennifer asked Sara, nodding at Jack.
“He is…nice.”
“Hmmmm let’s see.” Jennifer put out a deck of cards and shuffled.
“Draw one card.” Sara drew one card and it was a card with a man upside down. It said “The Hanging Man” on the front of the card.
“Okay draw another.” This time Sara drew a card with five swords on the front.
“Ok, and one more.” Then Sara drew a card with 10 cups on the front.
“Wow okay,” Jennifer gathered the cards together. “The first card represents your past and it’s the hanging man. It means foolish and someone who is jumping to conclusions. Obviously Jack was the foolish guy jumping to conclusions in your past. The second one is about your present and the five swords means that something terrible is happening right now. I definitely think this date counts. The last one represents your future. The ten cups mean something amazing is going to happen. Maybe Jack will turn out better than you expected?”
“Wow.” A lot of the stuff Jennifer said was spot on, but she wasn’t so sure her happy future included Jack.
“Never done this before?”
“No. It was my first time.”
“I do believe in Tarot card reading, but I do not trust it 100% because people always change and make new decisions. They can make decisions one by one. Who knows what could happen in the future?”
Jack and Shawn were still watching the cellphone.
“What are they watching?” Jennifer asked.
“I’m not sure. Probably a video game?” Sara said and Jennifer shook her head slowly and she held the Hanging Man card and tapped it with her finger. Sara laughed.
“Who’s turn is it? I think it’s yours Shawn,” Michelle told Shawn.
“Are you guys playing a game or something?” Bailey asked.
Shawn seemed excited and told people. “Jack plays League of Legends, too.”
“Yeah, it’s a great game. Maybe we all should play some time. I think we can all appreciate it,” Jack said beaming.
“League of what?” Michelle looked dumb founded and Sara and Jennifer started laughing. Jack stared at Sara and Jennifer with a lost look in his eyes.
On the way to the parking lot after bowling, Bailey asked Sara. “Are we going to dance again?”
“I want to go, but…” Sara could not finish her sentence because it might sound weird that it was hard for her to go because so many guys were hitting on her.
“Wow, you dance? At a club? Which one?” Jack asked Sara from the side.
“No, not a club. It’s social dancing.”
“Oh, I like social dancing,” Jack said.
“Really? That’s cool. Are you a good dancer?” Bailey asked and Jack answered shortly “Yes.” Since Jack seemed so confident, Sara wondered how good he was.
“Hey, guys, maybe we can all go to the dance next Friday.”
“Oh, come on! Seriously? A dance?” Jake groaned.
“You can come and watch,” Bailey said to Jake and he tried to hit her with his crutch. Bailey ran away.
“I can’t go because I will be working that night,” Michelle said.
“You can come next time,” Sara told Michelle.
“I don’t know how to dance,” Jennifer said.
“It’s ok. I will teach you,” Sara told her.
Jack and Shawn were talking about games on their own. She guessed Shawn might not come to dance.
“I don’t like Jack because I don’t like guys who play video games. Well. Shawn is a good kid though.” Michelle said.
“Well. Brian used to play until he got married.” Sara was cleaning dishes and Michelle was drinking juice on the table. Bright light from the sunset was coming into the kitchen.
“Yeah, but your brother is different. He is not one of the geeks.”
Sara told Michelle about Tarot Reading that Jennifer did and they were laughing. While they were talking, they heard the doorbell. They looked at each other.
“Who is it?” Michelle said.
“Maybe a neighbor?”
“Or Jehovah’s Witnesses? Or one of the Mormon people?” Sara laughed and Michelle went to door. Soon, Michelle was coming back to the kitchen saying, “Sara, it’s for you.”
Sara was surprised and asked. “Who is it? Jack?”
“No. It’s not him. Have you told anyone where you live?”
“No. I haven’t.” Sara tried to jog her memory.
“Anyway he is cute. Go, go.”
Sara wiped her hands and walked to the door. Who could that be? It was very bright outside and the light was directly coming through her door. She saw a guy that she had never seen before. She squinted her eyes because of the light, and the guy covered the light with his hand for her. She smiled because of his kindness.
“Hi, I am Sara.”
“Hi, I am Joe. I live next door at Robert’s house.”
“Robert? You mean Mr. Mitchell?”
“Yes, right.”
Sara recognized her plates. “Are those my plates?”
“Yes.” Joe gave her the plates and said. “I am Mr. Mitchell’s nephew. Anyways, he went on a trip, so I am staying there while he’s gone, and he t-told me to buy you dinner.”
Sara was surprised.
“Dinner? Why?”
“Oh, he said, you gave him brownies and burgers and he really appreciated that.”
“That’s fine. You don’t have to do that,” Sara smiled.
“But he gave me money, already, so, it’s my responsibility to buy you dinner. He will check on me.”
“Oh, well. You don’t have to…”
“He will call me and ask. I won’t know what to tell him.”
Sara thought it would not be polite to refuse.
“Ok. I will go.”
“That’s good. You just saved my life.”
Sara laughed.
“Is tomorrow good for you?” Joe asked.
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
“Ok. I will pick you up at 5.”
“Sounds good. You said you are Joe, right? Nice to meet you.”
Sara gave him a hand shake. She smiled at him. He seemed like a kind person. When Joe turned back, she saw the tag on his back. I guess he forgot to take it out. She thought it was funny.
“Who was he?”
“He is a nephew of Mr. Mitchell.”
“Oh, really? The sad old man?”
“Yes…”
“Dang, what did he say? Isn’t he cute?”
“He said he has to buy me dinner because Mr. Mitchell asked him, and yeah he was.”
Sara turned the sink water on.
“What did you say? You said yes, right?”
“I did. Do you want to come with us?”
“No, of course not. Not just because I have to work, but I want you to meet someone good, as opposed to the video game maniac.”
“Well. It’s not a date.”
“It can be!” Michelle said excitedly.
That night Sara finished The Great Gatsby. She wrote in her diary, and pondered about what she and Michelle had talked about the other day. She read the diary on that day. What do I really want in my life? "Hm...." She closed her eyes and tried to think about it, but nothing came to her mind.