Page 5 of Kickoff

“Sure.”

After we inhaled the pizza and desserts, I flipped on a switch, and dozens of garden lights illuminated the backyard.

“Wow, Mason, it’s beautiful,” Melinda said, her hands cupping her heart. “Like it’s a fairy garden.”

I high-fived myself in my head. She was pleased with the setup, and it filled me with joy. I had missed her smile when she lost the basketball match earlier, and I was happy I had done something that brought it back.

I peeled my shirt off, and Melinda removed her dress, both of us standing in nothing but our swimsuits.

Dad joined us. “Ready?”

“Yes,” we said at the same time.

While he put the movie on, Melinda and I climbed on the float, sitting next to each other. Dad sat on one of the loungers with a newspaper, far enough to give us some privacy and not eavesdrop on our conversation, but close enough to keep an eye on us just in case we decided to get into the pool. For the next hour, we glided on the water, engrossed in the action on the screen, paddling with our hands to keep the float facing forward. Every few minutes, I glanced at Melinda, mesmerized by her smile and the way her hair swept her shoulders every time she laughed. Having a girlfriend wasn’t too bad so far. Sure, she didn’t crack jokes like Chase always did, and I didn’t wrestle with her like I would do with Craig, but I still loved her company. It was different from hanging with the boys, but a good different.

The movie was almost over when I took a big breath and enveloped her hand with mine. My heart drummed in my chest so fast I believed it would escape.

Melinda turned slowly. “Mason? What are you doing?”

I shrugged, trying to look unaffected. So far, she hadn’t removed her hand from mine. “We’re on a date...”

She watched me with a funny expression like she had drunk sour milk.

“What?” I asked. “I won the game earlier, and you said I could choose anything if I won. So, I invited you on a date.”

She studied me with her turquoise eyes. “A date? You never said anything about a date before.”

“Huh, well… I thought it was obvious.”

She stared at me, not saying anything.

My insides felt as if thousands of ants were marching in my stomach. I thought girls liked to go on dates. Was I wrong all this time? Before I chickened out, I spoke the words on the tip of my tongue. I spoke fast because I had never said something like that to a girl up until now. “I think we should date for real. You love playing ball, and we’re friends now… It makes sense. Don’t you agree?”

She blinked a few times. “But we are too young to date. I’m only twelve.”

“My friend Lee, who used to live in your house, had a girlfriend last year. They dated for eleven days, and they were almost twelve. We are older. And…I think you are pretty. For a girl.”

She said nothing for the longest time. “You want us to date?”

I bobbed my head fast. “Yeah.”

“Okay. I will only date you on one condition.”

My heart started to bang again in my chest. I was ready to agree to anything she asked of me. Almost. “What?”

“Let’s race to the other end of the pool. If you win, I will be your girlfriend. If I win, we’re never dating.”

My mouth popped open. “Never? Like never ever ever?”

She nodded and held out her hand. “Yes.”

“Huh…can we still be friends?” I had no idea what dating would change between us, but it sounded more serious. More grownup. After all, in a few days, we’d be in seventh grade. “If I lose, I mean.” I wasn’t scared to lose. I was good at holding my breath under water and always won when I made bets with Craig.

“Maybe. But I prefer to have girls as friends than boys. Boys always get into trouble. I have a big brother, remember? He plays hockey, and he dates girls. Lots of girls. Mom always says there’s no rush and he should take his time to find a nice girl instead of looking desperate. Anyway, he’s cocky and doesn’t like to follow rules. Dad has a lot of talks with him in private about his behavior. I overheard them talking many times.”

I shook her hand. “I won’t get into trouble. I swear.”

She studied my face for a moment like she was trying to decide if I was speaking the truth and nodded without saying anything.