Kevin's first date story was not as dramatic or funny as his father's, but he was sure he could twist it into an entertaining tale for his future children.
Dad, given half an opening, liked to tell the tale of the first date he ever had. Dad had shown up at the girl's house, all nervous and such. The father had let him in, told him his daughter would be down in a bit, then invited teen Dad down into the basement. There, he had shown him a gun case. The man had looked at the case, then at Dad.
"I hope we have an understanding here."
From other stories his Dad told, the threat had not done much to temper his teen activities.
Kevin, on the other hand, spent the first hour of his first date trapped in a car with the girl's family. There was no escape from the innocent, and not so, questions from Nitya's father and mother. So, too, did he suffer teasing from Nitya's younger sister and her friend on the long drive to Darien Lake. Sibling teasing, which he and his friends had never experienced, could be cruel, annoying. It was tempered a bit by the fact the sister was, indeed, as cute as Nitya, and so was her girlfriend. Kevin assumed she was a friend who was a girl, and the two sixth graders were not on a date like they were, but he wasn't going to rule it out. One never knew with this younger generation.
Sitting next to Nitya for the whole ride had been stressful as well. Despite her calling and re-inviting him on this trip, he wasn't sure where he stood. The bucket seats of the van meant he wasn't sitting right next to her. There was no physical contact. For all he knew, that would be the rule for the entire date.
****
The moment he exited the van in the parking lot, Nitya took his left hand. It was soft, warm, small. Nothing like Vicky's, or Bobby's. Her mother looked over, gaze traveling down to where the two teens were joined. Her pretty face turned away, a hint of a smile showing. That had to be a good sign.
"Oooo, are you two in looove?"
OK. That was it. Now that they were out of the car, Kevin felt more at ease. He turned to the two pre-teens.
"When you get out of elementary school, you'll understand."
"Hey!"
Nitya did not look back at her sister, but he felt her squeeze his hand. The day was getting better.
****
"OK, kids. Your Mom and I trust you, her more than me. Go off, meet us back here at the fountain at... well, noon, and we'll see about lunch. Kevin, assume I can see you with my daughter at all times."
"Yes Sir!"
"Dad!"
With a grin, before Nitya's indignant protest could lead to delays, Kevin dragged her off. Her slender body offered almost no resistance, legs struggling to keep up as he moved them around a few larger groups of park goers. Vicky's body was solid, strong. Able to hold its own, at least for a few moments, before his larger male mass won out. There was no comparison.
Nor should there be. Kevin slowed to a walk, letting her catch up. Nitya was beautiful the way she was. That she was not Vicky was not a flaw. It was... a welcome feature.
"Where are you dragging me?" Her voice was annoyed, but teasingly so. His steps slowed even more, allowing her to pull slightly ahead.
"I'm not dragging you, you're dragging me. Where are we going?"
Nitya's eyes twinkled, hand yanking his.
"The Viper!"
****
Nitya was a screamer.
It only took the first drop to discover that. Even as he gave a yell of glee as the car began to barrel down the metal track, Nitya let go a yowl the likes of which he had never heard. Her hands were white as they gripped the restraining bar, eyes wide with fear. It continued all the way through the double loop that marked the midpoint, lessening a bit at the final twisted track. Only at the final strait away did she quiet. Kevin looked at her, worry and amusement battling on his face. Worry won out.
"You OK?"
She looked at him, the car slowly entering into the end building.
"Let's go again!"
****
"It wasn't always three of us. I mean, up until third grade Sally and Sean lived next to Bobby, before they moved. Nathan lived across from me starting in 1st, but moved in 6th grade. That's when we really got tight. The gang was now a trio, and the thought of losing anyone else horrified us. Know what I mean?"
Nitya nodded, sipping her pop. Behind her, he could see and hear another train whip by on the distant Mind Eraser. The Viper rolled on behind him. They'd gone on it three more times, before taking a break by playing a round of miniature golf under the coaster. Now they sat outside the Campfire Grill, waiting. Their friends were somewhere in the park now.
"This is my third school," Nitya said. "Mom and Dad SAY this job will last, that we're here to stay, but they said that last time, too."
"That's gotta be rough."
"Yeah. But, Cindy moved away as well, so if I had stayed I'd be out a best friend anyway, although I'd still have my other friends." She paused. "The friends here are good, though!"
"Yeah," he laughed, "Jeanie's not bad. You fell in with a good crowd."
"And I'm falling in with a better one." Her hand reached over. It was cold and wet from her drink, yet made his hand burn. Kevin knew the grin on his face had to look ridiculous, but there was little he could do.
"Well, if you fall too far, we'll try and catch you. Or, at least I will. I don't trust that Bobby or Vicky. They're mean."
She was about to reply when his head turned, an 8th sense kicking in. The still thin crowd parted in front of Raccoon Rally. There, heading towards them, were his friends. And her friends. Bobby and Vicky were surrounded by Jeanie's coven, almost like a protective shell. Even from this distance, he could see Vicky was amused, while Bobby... well, wasn't. Their gaze found his at the same time, path altering slightly.
He felt a squeeze on his hand.
"Time to share you, I guess."
"I'm sorry." He looked at her. Those dark eyes looked back.
"I'm going to try, Kevin. Really. Even if... well, at least we'll be friends."
"Friend is a much more serious thing than Girlfriend, to be honest."
****
Kevin could not help but grin. Bobby's eyes were wide in mock terror as the group approached.
"I'm surrounded by girls! Help!"
"Aww..." Vicky reached over, hand patting Bobby's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll protect you from the evil females!"
"Well, you've been doing a bad job so far!" His eyes turned to Kevin, pleading. Laughing, Kevin rose, as did Nitya. Walking up to them, he motioned with his hands to the grinning and giggling teen girls.
"Shoo! Shoo! You've had your fun, now let us have ours!"
"And what kind of fun would THAT be?" Jeanie smirked at him.
"None of your business!"
****
They walked the park.
What had been nice, before, now felt... right. Bobby was at his side, where he should be. Nitya walked to his left. Vicky, the choice uncommented on, walked on the other side of Bobby. This, too, felt right. Nitya was not coming between the two friends. To all they passed, it looked like two couples enjoying a summer day.
"The girls said they'd keep me a secret," Bobby said, softly. "For as long as we needed. I... I don't want to come out. Not now."
"Neither of us need that," Kevin agreed. Feeling it was the right thing to do, his hand took Bobby's for a moment, squeezed, then released it. Bobby smiled.
"Someday, though. And, I'm kind of glad they know."
"They're good friends," Nitya agreed. "We should all hang out."
"Maybe," Vicky said, voice uncertain. "I'm not willing to share these two TOO much. That one still has a crush on you, Bobby."
"She does? God. I don't need that."
"Crushes are a pain," Kevin agreed. "No good ever comes from them."
"I agree," Nitya nodded. Her hand squeezed his.
****
After a lunch that made the teens extremely glad there were two parents there to pay for it, the four found themselves changing positions as they walked back and forth between the Ride of Steel and Predator roller coasters. Nitya flanked Kevin on his right, Bobby and Vicky over on the other side of her. Kevin walked between the two girls, Bobby alternating between the left and right ends. A couple times they even broke into pairs, Kevin holding Vicky's hand as Bobby got to feel Nitya's smaller one.
None of it felt wrong.
****
The Ferris wheel came to a stop at the top, the four looking out at the view. It supposedly had been the largest in the country, bought from some world's fair, when the park had gotten it years ago. Kevin could easily believe that. The whole world spread out around them, like some model train set inhabited by ants. His eye, though, was drawn to what lay beyond the colorful oasis. Darien Lake was still surrounded by farms, forest, out here in the middle of nowhere. The noise and excitement of the park was fun, a welcome change of pace, but the quiet of the woods was still home. He heard Bobby sigh.
"We'll have to take you to our spots," the blonde boy said, looking across to the slim girl. "In the woods."
"You'll like it," Vicky said. "The stream, the trees..."
"It sounds wonderful."
"You're wonderful," Bobby said, a slight blush on his cheek. Vicky looked at him in shock, then began singing.
"Bobby and Nitya, sitting in a tree!"
"It's not a tree," Kevin corrected. Vicky growled at him.
"Well, what would rhyme with 'Ferris wheel'?"
"It's not like 'tree' and 'k.i.s.s.i.n.g' rhyme to begin with, so that's not an excuse!"
"Yes, it damned well is!"
"You're full of excuses!"
"And you're full of it!"
Bobby just shook his head.
"I hate lovers quarrels."
****
The two groups stood at the entrance to the park. Nitya and Jeanie's parents introduced themselves, while the teens said their goodbyes.
"Tomorrow, then," Vicky said, giving Nitya a quick hug. "We'll meet you at the park at nine, then go to the woods."
"Can't wait!"
"Wear jeans, though, kay?"
"Sure!"
Vicky watched as Kevin and Nitya rejoined her family, began the long trek to their car. It was going to work. The day had shown her that. Nitya would not divide them. She...
With a shock, Vicky realized she wanted to know what the girl's lips tasted like.
****
Nitya walked Kevin to his front door, a reversal of normal first date procedure if ever there was one. The van sat in the driveway, idling, her family probably watching every move with amusement. Kevin didn't care. He might not be in love, yet, but he had to be well on the way there.
"Tomorrow," he said, taking her hand. Her smile echoed every emotion he was feeling.
"Tomorrow."
Tomorrow. Tomorrow... and the tomorrow after. A thousand tomorrows.
Time enough to see where this friendship would lead.
The End (for now)
Edited by SciFi Nut
This story is eligible for the 2013 Clitorides Awards