The Arcade

After finally getting help locating his locker (it was between Holly’s locker and Bobby’s locker – which he thought an odd coincidence), he managed to just squeak into Homeroom as the bell rung. He muddled his way through that, and every other class he had that day, trying to recall faces and names – of teachers and students alike.

The first day back to high school in over twenty-five years was something of a shock in many ways. Simply remembering names and faces was merely the beginning. He was also faced with the challenge of trying to remember subjects he hadn’t studied in as many years: Biology (he recalled why he hated the class in the first place: Frogs.); Math – which he never enjoyed; Shop class (he nearly set himself and his friend Dusty on fire trying to figure out one end of a cutting torch from the other); And a few others.

The one class he really enjoyed was his computer class. It seemed he had a knack for writing code and programs, and others in the class always came to him for help when they encountered a problem. It made him wonder now why he never majored in a computer-related field in college.

The day finally ended, and he met up with Bobby and Theo at their lockers (Bobby and Theo, he remembered, shared a locker) to discuss their after-school plans.

“So – are we headed to the Asylum, or what?” Asked Theo. “I’ve got five bucks itching to be dropped into a change machine.”

Bobby gave him a light push “You’ve always got five bucks burning a hole in your pocket. I’m broke today. I forgot to hit up my mom this morning before I left the house. Besides, I gotta help my dad tonight at his shop for a couple of hours.”

The shop Bobby was referring to was his father’s motorcycle shop, where he built custom bikes and did repair work. His dad was a motorcycle enthusiast, and at one time was a “motorcycle club” (read: biker gang) member – before Bobby was born, of course. After Bobby came along, things settled down quite a bit for the Carlisle family – the elder Carlisle in particular. He felt that a rowdy lifestyle wasn’t a healthy atmosphere in which to raise his only child. So he left the “club,” and opened a motorcycle shop with a small loan from one of his relatives. In the fifteen years since, the little shop has thrived, and made a comfortable and respectable living for Bobby’s family.

“Well, since you’re tied up this evening,” Theo then turned to Cosmo “ what about you, Cosmo? You up for some Tempest and a ‘Tastee-Freez’?”

Cosmo thought for a moment before answering “Well…Holly wanted to talk to me after school today about some things.”

“ ‘Things’ ?” Bobby and Theo chimed together, looking at one another with surprise.

“What ‘things’ could possibly be more important than hangin’ with your buds?” asked Bobby.

“Yeah,” demanded Theo. “what’s the deal, Coz?”

Cosmo had expected the inquisition, and he wasn’t fazed. “It’s like this – I asked her out to the movies, and she wanted to talk about the details.”

His friends gaped at him, and it was Theo who spoke up first: “Wait – you asked Holly Miller out? As in the Holly Miller? As in ‘There is no way that I, Cosmo J. Phillips, am ever asking Holly Miller out because she’ll just laugh’ Holly Miller?? THAT Holly Miller?”

Cosmo looked at Theo. Bobby looked at Theo.

Cosmo asked “Are you trying to see how many times you can say ‘Holly Miller’ in a single sentence?”

Theo shrugged and smiled. “I just wanted to establish which Holly Miller you were referring to. Really? Holly Miller? Reddish hair, bright gree-”

“Shut up!” Cosmo and Bobby cut him off simultaneously.

“Okay, okay.” Theo chuckled “So when ya gonna meet Miss ‘Too Hot For Cosmo’ Miller?”

Cosmo gave him an eyebrow, then replied “Well, she asked me to meet her out here, so I guess she’ll be here any minute – so you two jokers need to jet.”

Bobby looked up towards the entrance to the school and saw Holly coming out. “Well, here she comes, dude. Me and ‘Chuckles’ here will leave you to your plotting. By the way – very smooth, compadre…veerry smooth.” On this last Bobby winked at Cosmo, grabbed Theo by the arm, and headed for the bike racks.

Standing by the flagpole, Cosmo saw Holly walking toward him rather briskly. She was hugging her books to her chest and smiling very brightly at him. He again found that, were a freight train passing next to him, he wouldn’t hear it over the sound of his heart thudding against his sternum. Why had he never felt this before?

Holly bounded up to him still smiling broadly. “Hi Cosmo! I’m glad to see you waited. When I saw your friends out here, I thought you might forget about me and run off to the arcade with them.” She said with a wink.

“Wha – huh?” Cosmo fumbled. “Forget about you? Are you kidding? Naw, we were just talkin’ about what Bobby and Theo had planned for the day.” He started to absently wonder why it seemed so warm out today. Wasn’t it only supposed to get into the low seventies?

“Well that’s a relief – I would hate to be stood up before we even had our first “official” date!” Holly giggled.

Cosmo thought to himself that the weatherman must have been mistaken. It had to be in the high eighties, at least.

“So,” Holly continued “when did you want to pick me up Friday night – or would you rather we meet at the mall?”

Cosmo thought about this for a moment. “Well, I hadn’t really thought that far ahead, I guess. Since I don’t have a car, my dad would have to drive us there and back. If that bothers you at all, we could meet up there – I’d understand, you know.”

“Bother me? Cosmo – you’re such a doofus! Of course it doesn’t bother me! I wouldn’t care if we took the bus to the mall – as long as you’re with me.”

Cosmo just blinked.

“If your dad doesn’t mind driving, that’s great. Either way, I’m fine with…” Holly stopped and looked at him. “Why are your ears turning red?”

After an awkward few moments of trying to explain that there was – in fact – nothing wrong with his ears (which Holly didn’t quite buy), Cosmo finally managed to come to a time (7:30 in the evening) and a mode of transportation (dad). Holly was tickled with both, and promised that she’d have a wonderful time – while Cosmo was still wondering about the weatherman’s credentials, and his sudden inability to take a deep breath.

About the time he began to wonder what passing out might feel like, his dad pulled up in the car – much to Cosmo’s relief. Passing out would have to wait for another time.

After Cosmo and Holly said their good-byes, Cosmo fell into the front seat of the car and shut the door. Taking several deep gulps of air, he tried to slow his heart-rate down to a reasonable idle of about one-fifty, which he figured to be about half of what it had been while talking to Holly.

His father peered at him with concern. “You okay, Slick? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

Cosmo turned toward him and replied “ Worse – I just made a date with Holly Miller.”

His dad’s eyebrows shot up into his scalp and a look of wonder broke over his face. “A date? A DATE?! That is fantastic! I was wondering when you’d finally work up the nerve to ask that girl out! So – what did she say?”

Cosmo turned the AC in the car to “MAX,” licked his lips, and tried to swallow several times. In a small voice, Cosmo answered “She said ‘yes’…” His father chuckled quietly at his son’s nervousness. Cosmo swallowed again and continued “…and that I was a ‘doofus’ for thinking she would ever say ‘no’. We had just settled the ‘when and where’ when you pulled up. By the way, can you drive us to the mall Friday night? We’re going to see ‘Empire’.”

Joe Phillips let out a good-natured chuckle as he pulled away from the curb, equal parts happy that his son was testing his wings, and amused at his Holly-induced panic. Joe thought to himself that this was going to be fun to watch unfold.