The raven haired girl

First date, part 1

Olivia stood outside Bens house on pins and needles. She'd finally worked up the courage to ask Gran to drive her over, but now standing outside his home, she was beginning to reconsider.

There were trimmed shrubs and colorful flowerbeds along the front of the house. She could see lacy curtains framing the windows. Her home had brown scrub grass and blinds. What did she have in common with this boy? He was so normal and she was not.

Olivia shook her head. She was stressing over nothing. All they were going to do was watch movies and goof off.

There was nothing to get worked up over. They were just a girl and a guy who were going to hang out. This wasn't a date. Olivia had never been on a date, but she was sure she would know if she was going on one and this wasn't a date. It couldn't be. They weren't even going out. They were staying in. No, definitely not a date. Definitely not. Her palms were sweating because it was warm. That's all.

When she was about to step onto the stoop, the front door swung open with a bang. She stepped back surprised. A guy with a passing resemblance to Ben stood in the doorway. He had large shoulders and a thick build like a wrestler. His hair was cut short and spiky in the classic jock fashion. His big eyebrows were drawn together due to the scowl on his face.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"I'm Olivia. Ben invited me over," she stammered. This had to be Kai, the older brother.

"Oh, I've heard about you," he said, taking a long look at her. Olivia’s back stiffened under his sneering gaze.

"Have you?" Her jaw tightened.

"Yeah, you're the town freak. You like to dig up dead people because you can't find any living ones to hang out with." Her eyes narrowed. She wanted to say something nasty back that would make him blink, but she didn't want to get into a fight on Ben’s doorstep. It didn't seem like something a good guest would do.

Ben appeared behind Kai. He gave her a cheerful smile. "Olivia, great you're here."

Kai glanced back at his brother with a smirk. "So, little brother's going to hang out with the weirdo. Maybe neck on the sofa? I'd wear some garlic if I were you." Olivia wondered if Mr. and Mrs. Brown would be very upset if she kicked their eldest between the legs.

Even if she did some permanent dam-age, Ben could still supply them with grandchildren.

"With dating tips like that, Kai, no wonder you're going to the dance alone."

"I'm not coming home alone," Kai said and jerked his coat down. They watched him peel out of the driveway in a black SUV.

"Sweet boy. Wherever did your parents go wrong with you?"

Ben laughed and waved her inside.

When she stepped into the house, she was in the living room. She stopped just inside to take it all in. His home was a nice, middle-American ranch house.

The walls and furniture were in whites and beiges. All of the color in the room came from the framed photographs that lined the walls and the mantle. She

took a look at the ones closest to her:

Kai and Ben fishing; Kai, Ben, and their folks on a picnic; Ben in a mini-league baseball uniform; Kai in a Superman costume. She absorbed the normality. It looked like they'd had a good life.

"Don't worry about Kai. He won't be home for hours if he does come home."

"So where are your parents?"

"They left for the weekend on a business trip."

"They're not here?"

"Nope, and I didn't get a chance to rent any movies, but we can watch something off the shelf. Pick one out while I make some popcorn."

"Okay." She'd been nervous about meeting his parents. She generally didn't do well with them, except Charlotte’s parents, but Charlotte’s parents were different. They'd raised Charlotte. Other parents assumed Olivia was a bad influ-ence. It had totally killed her babysitting career.

So silver lining, the parents weren't there to disapprove of her, but their absence meant she was alone with Ben. She was alone with a boy. Olivia wanted to bite her nails. This was starting to look like a date.

She chose Thelma and Louise from his family's collection. She'd never seen it. She was betting it was his mom's, but he hadn't groaned and begged for a different movie when she'd told him her choice. That had earned him a few points.

They sat at either end of the sofa with a bowl of popcorn between them.

She got as well situated as possible, but comfortable was impossible. Was this a date? They were a boy and a girl in his house with no parental supervision.

He'd asked her over. They liked each other. He was cute. Was she on her first date? What was she supposed to do?

She curled into a ball and concentrated on the movie to keep from panicking.