Caught Between Two Friends: Rose

Grandma's in bed reading a newspaper with her ankles crossed comfortably. She uses the lamp beside her for light.

Her dresser is cluttered with old photos of her and my grandpa, Henry, and memorabilia boxes.

He passed away when I was four. She hasn't been okay since then. They were married young, having kids at the ripe age of nineteen and twenty. My mom and aunt had us young as well, making them grandparents earlier than expected.

My best and worst memory with him was when he'd take Ang and I to the public pool. He taught us how to swim, and would shamelessly beat us in races.

He'd throw his head back, watching as we paddled to the finish line. Angie gets her laugh from him.

A woman I'd never met before grabbed me, warning Ang and I to never talk to strangers. She tried to help us find our parents. Grandpa snatched us away. He told her off, saying that we were his granddaughters.

"Are you with this white man?" she asked in disbelief, causing a scene.

That was the first time that I noticed I didn't look like him. I was embarrassed. He stormed off with us to the car.

"Don't listen to people like that, they don't know what they're talking about!"

The ride was silent minus his heavy breathing and the honking of our horn to many cars. I was three.

~

"Grandma."

She lifts her brown eyes above the morning paper, then pats a spot on the bed for me.

The nauseating scent of peppermints and ink makes my head hurt already. I'll make this quick.

"Can you take me to Penny's? She needs help with a summer assignment." I'm a bad liar, but she wouldn't drive me if I told her that I was helping Penny pick out an outfit.

"You two can't do the snapbook?" She flips a page.

I get a whiff and talk faster. "No grandma, we can't."

"Alright, but I have to stop by Target first."

~

After a long store run, I help bag the groceries and load up the car.

"Matt wanted to come over for dinner tonight, is that okay?" I ask before she drops me off.

"Tell him to come on. I'm making my lemon cake tonight."

She drives away.

"How about this one?" Penny asks, throwing me a red bodycon dress.

"Too tight. Save it for the third date." I toss it back to her.

She rummages through her closet and holds a plum sheath dress against her body.

I shake my head. "Too grownupy."

She goes back on her hunt.

"I can't believe he's taking you to that new restaurant. I heard reservations were impossible." I kick off my shoes and jump in her bed.

She squeals. "I know!"

I've never seen her this excited for a date. Then again, we're older now so her options aren't limited to the skating rink.

"His dad owns the place, so we have a special table waiting." She examines a t-shirt dress, then shakes her head before I can comment.

I sink into her fluffy pillows.

When she shows an elegantly beaded silver tent dress, I give a thumbs up. She's absolutely stunning when she finishes getting ready. I run through the check list.

"Shaved your legs? Jewelry? Extra cash? Breath mints?"

She nods.

"Lipstick check?"

She bares her teeth in the mirror, running a finger over her pearly whites. She spins around and fluffs her voluminous curls.

"How do I look?"

"Like a dream," I say. "Always."

"Like your mamma." Her mother gushes in the doorway.

"Thanks, Mom."

"Well, turn around. Let me see."

Penny spins, and strikes a glamorous pose.

"It's a shame your father had to work today, he really wanted to approve your dress." She snorts, rubbing her huge belly.

"I make sure he's at work on all my dates."

"Smart girl." She winks.

"Penny, you've only had three dates including this one."

"Hater," they say together.

AJ shows up right on time, holding a bouquet of flowers. He's sharply dressed, smelling of mint and spicy cologne. When asked about himself, he says that he's from up north originally. He moved to Florida a few years back. His accent seems to be from New York. He's Afro-Latino, and speaks something in Spanish for Penny. He knows how to make a girl swoon, that's for sure.

They leave when her mom is done interrogating. When it's just us two, she eyes me.

"You need a ride home, don't you?"

"Yes, please."

~

I head downstairs to check on grandma, finding her with Matt. He just arrived. She's chuckling and icing up the lemon cake.

I ruffle his hair. "Grandma, you know I'm allergic to dogs."

He turns around in the barstool. "I didn't know gators had allergies." He barks at my feet.

I raise a hand, ready to strike, but then she interrupts our bickering.

"That'll make the food taste bad. I need peace if you want a good meal."

"The fuss stops here." He pats my shoulder for good measure.

"We'll be back in time for dinner," I say.

She waves her hands dismissively, pulling out spices and sugar from the pantry.

"So, what's up?" I ask when we're in my backyard. He really wanted to talk today.

We sit under the tree we used to climb as kids. It's quiet until I speak again.

"How are you?"

"Penny's on a date. That's okay," he says, reasoning with himself. He turns onto his back, lays a hand on his chest. Focused on the clouds, he mumbles. "I know Penny. I know she'll order something messy to show him that she's not as prissy as people think. She'll get a raspberry tea if they have it, and take a dessert to go."

"Wow, that was spot on."

"Thanks."

I prop on an elbow and lean closer. His arctic eyes follow.

"What? Don't tell me you're in love with me?"

I laugh so hard spit flies.

"Whew! For a second you had me." His laughs fade and his smile slowly drops. "You think that's how she'll feel if I tell her?"

"I don't know, but I think now isn't the time. She really likes him."

He doesn't bother hiding the hurt behind his eyes.

"You're a great guy. One of the good ones. With or without her, you'll be okay."

He ponders on a thought. "I can't talk to her. We tell each other everything, but I can't listen to her go on about some other guy."

"I get that."

The sun falls through a gap in the oak tree. He tells me that he could make her happier.

"You both deserve happiness. If it's with each other or not, I don't know."

He sighs and pats a spot on the grass. I lay beside him. There's a pink sunset.

We bring up old times, and discuss this upcoming school year. He tells me the colleges that he's applied to, and I tell him that we could apply to the same ones since I don't have to stay local anymore. We promise each other that we'll try, and then head back inside for dinner. As we sit around the warm table laughing at grandma's old stories, I get the feeling that he's finally stopped thinking about Penny's five star dinner date.