Meet Me at Taylor Park (11 page)

“I think so too.”

She rose and hovered above him. She could see the anxiety in his eyes. She allowed her body to plummet, her mouth landing on his. He received her kiss and kissed her back.

They did not talk again for a while.

*

A couple months later, in, June, Katie’s mother was sitting at the kitchen table when Katie got home from school. Katie entered the kitchen and stood beside her mother, putting a hand on her arm.

Her mother looked up, her eyes on alert. “Oh, you startled me, honey.”

“Is everything OK?”

Her mother picked up a piece of mail and handed it to her daughter. Katie inspected it. The letter was addressed to her and the letterhead was from Prattico’s, a New York designer that she recognized right away.

Her eyes widened and her heart began to go haywire. She grabbed the letter from her mother’s hands.

“Is it?”

Catherine Simpson shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Katie tore the letter open.
 

Dear Katie Simpson, after receipt of your application and sample of work, we are pleased to offer you an internship with Prattico’s in New York City this fall. Please find enclosed information on the company.

Katie put a hand to her mouth. She felt like crying. She looked at her mother, who beamed.

Katie trembled and her mother hugged her.

“I’m so happy for you, baby,” her mother said. “Now don’t you worry about leaving me here. You know this was always my home. I’m going to retire in a few years and spend all my time gardening.”

They hugged for a while. Kate could hear the ticking of the clock in the kitchen.

Then, her mother said, “Now, I have some other news too. Your father’s not well in New York.”

Katie looked at her mom. “What happened?”

“The doctors don’t know. And to be honest, I’m not interested.” Catherine pursed her lips.

Katie held up her acceptance letter. “Dad’s sick?”

Catherine nodded.

Katie’s grip on the acceptance letter strengthened, crumpling it. “Mom, how could you hate him so much? He’s my father.”

Catherine crossed her arms. “He’s also a cheating scumbag. We fell out of love. As far as I’m concerned, he got what he deserved.”

Katie stuffed the letter in her pocket. As far as she was concerned, the internship was secondary to her father.

*

A few days later, Katie was waiting for Brandon at Taylor Park. It was late afternoon, nearing sunset. She looked around the park. The trees were bursting with green leaves, like a head full of hair. The grass was lush. The playground was occupied by a couple of toddlers.

Overhead, the sky was streaked with bold strips of eggplant purple and apricot orange. Katie breathed in the fresh air. It smelled like fresh grass and blossoms. Even though it was June, it felt like late spring.

A familiar voice called out to her, “Katie!”

She turned her head and saw Brandon strolling toward her. She hurried toward him, as fast as her legs would carry her. She sprang into his arms, and he held her, laughing.

She kissed him, and he kissed her back. He pulled back and asked, “Whoa. What’s all this about? I’ve never seen you this excited before.”

She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket and waved it in Brandon’s face. “I’ve been offered an internship at Prattico’s in New York. I know it’s not the one I wanted, but it’s with this up and coming designer. I think I can go far with him.”

Brandon forced a smile on his face, and muttered, “That’s great.” He stared at the ground.

Katie did not know what to say. “This is a rare opportunity for me. You of all people should know how badly I want this. I’ve waited years for this.”

Brandon kept staring at the ground. “I’m really happy for you.”

“You don’t look very happy.”

“I want to be,” he said softly, still staring at the ground. Then, he looked up. His eyes were wild. “I don’t want you to go.”

“You knew that I had to go in the fall.”

She took him by the hand, which was cold. “That’s what I told you right from the start.”

“But graduation seemed so far away then. I thought if we got involved, then maybe you’d fall for me, and everything would be different.”

She looked at him blankly, and then said, “I do love you. You know that. But I can’t give up my dream for you.”

He stared her in the face, his eyes pleading with her. “But then you changed your mind.

We talked about it that day on the trampoline.”

“I didn’t give a definite answer,” she said. “I’m sorry if you felt I was leading you on. I want to get out of here. I want to experience life in the big city. I want to learn. I want to grow.”

She looked torn. “But I don’t want to leave you.” She sighed. “I don’t know what to do.”

“I don’t want you to go.” He stroked her cheeks with his fingers. “This last year has been the happiest of my life.”

“You know this is my dream. I’ll never get another chance again.”

“I know,” he said, and then he sighed. “I know it sounds selfish.” He made no justification for his selfishness. “The Fall seemed so far away. Now it’s in just another few months.”

Just then, he knelt down and Katie’s eyes widened.

On his knees, he pulled out a ring box and opened it. “I know it’s not much, but I want you to have it.”

Brandon took out the heart-shaped ring and slid it onto Katie’s ring finger. “I’ve not doing this to get you to stay. I’m doing this because I want to be with you.”

Katie felt her heart beat wallop. She looked at him. His eyes were sincere. His expression was somber. And his shaggy hair was being whipped by the wind.

She inspected the ring. It read
To Katie, my love. Be my princess. I’ll be your prince.

Brandon.

She felt tears flood her eyes, and struggled to hold them back.

“How would I know that this isn’t just to get me to stay?”

Brandon stepped back and crossed his arms. “Did last winter mean nothing to you? You were my first.”

“You were my first too. And it meant everything to me.” Katie swallowed, but the lump in her throat was there for the long haul.

He uncrossed his arms and grabbed her hands. “I’ll come with you to New York.”

There was a silence for a while, broken by the movements of the cars on the highway below.

When Katie finally spoke, her voice was strained. “My mom said it might be a good idea not to be tied down.”

“Tied down? Is that what you see being with me is?” Brandon looked insulted.

Katie said nothing.

Brandon sighed. “Why can’t we try the long-distance thing? I can come see you sometime.”

Katie still said nothing.

Brandon’s face was contorted now. “That’s not the real reason, is it?” He looked like a stranger to her, not the Brandon that Katie loved.

Brandon’s voice changed to spiteful. “You just want to be single to help your career.”

What does he mean? She thought. Does he think I have to sleep around to get ahead? She was taken aback by his accusation. “What are you accusing me of?”

“I’m not accusing you of anything.”

“Say it,” she dared. “Call me a slut.” She held out her arms, goading him on.

“Fine, you’re a filthy slut!” he spat out. He put a hand to his mouth immediately, but it was too late. The damage had been done.

She started to cry. “I’m not going to sleep around to get ahead,” she said in between sobs.

He tried to move in to hug her, but she pushed him away. He stared at her in shock.

Then, he regained his composure. “I didn’t mean it.”

They stood there on the hill, just staring at each other. The sweet spring breeze blew all around them, but they were too worked up to enjoy it.

Katie looked down, concentrating intensely on the lush grass.

Brandon threw up his hands. “Then what’s the point of staying together now? Why don’t we just break up now? What’s the point of this?”

Katie wiped her tears and looked at him. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, tell him that she would stay, to make it all better. But, she could not do it. Because she knew that no matter what she said, it would not be better.

Brandon sighed. “Let’s calm down and talk about this.” He took her by the hand. “Marry me and stay here. It’s a scary world out there.” He pointed all around him. “You’ll need support.

And love. You’ll need love.” His tone was soft and comforting.

It was all Katie could do to resist the temptation. “I’m too young to be married. I’m only

18.”

“If you let me go now, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life.” Brandon’s face was a cherry red. His eyes were intense.

Katie bit her lip until she tasted blood. “Do you love me?”

Brandon’s eyes narrowed as he lifted both eyebrows. “What kind of stupid question is that?” he asked, putting both arms in the air.

Katie put her hands on her hips.

Brandon dropped his arms. “Of course, I do. You know that.”

“Then, come with me to New York.”

Brandon exhaled. “I can’t,” he said quietly. “I just can’t.”

Another awkward silence ensued. A car honked on the highway below the hill.

Brandon shrugged. “Then I guess that’s it.”

“That’s it?” Katie tried to figure out Brandon’s tone. She sensed resignation.

“That’s it,” he affirmed, his tone certain.

He turned around, his back facing her. Katie saw that his shoulders were sagging.

Katie reached out a hand. “It’s not just that. My father lives and works in New York. He’s sick. I have to go take care of him. I probably should have mentioned that first.” In all the excitement, she had completely forgotten about her father.

He turned back around, and Katie saw his conflicted face.

“I’m sorry about your dad,” he said. Katie could barely hear him.

She watched him turn around, and take a couple steps.
 

Then, he turned back around and, throwing both arms up in the air, asked, “What happened to taking care of each other?” His voice resonated in the quiet of the evening, like the last note of a power ballad.

The wind attacked his hair, whipping it in all directions.

Katie did not know what to say. She just stared at the way the last rays of the sun fell on his face. The maroon rays blended into his dark clothing, making him look like a ghost, slowly fading away.

When he did not receive an answer, he turned back around and trudged out of the park.

Katie watched as he became a tiny speck in the distance, and then disappeared into nothingness.

Katie stood there in the cold. A chilly breeze swept past and she shivered. She regretted not telling him about her father first. He must have thought that she was abandoning him for the job, and not for family.

She looked around. The park was nearly empty. The couple of kids on the slides were minding their own business, sliding gleefully without a care in the world.

She looked up. The skies were grey. It looked and smelled like rain.

She put her head in her hands and felt something scrape her cheek. She inspected her hands and realized that the ring Brandon had given her was still on her ring finger.
 

The inscription read
To Katie, my love. Be my princess. I’ll be your prince. Brandon.

*

The next day was the last day of school. Katie stayed after the bell to clear out her locker.

As she removed her binders, she heard footsteps on the linoleum hall, so she turned around. A boy and a girl were walking past. The boy had shaggy brown hair and a lanky frame.

It was Brandon and he was holding hands with a blonde girl in a skimpy outfit – a pink tank top and shorts that revealed bare thighs. Katie stared after them, but they did not look back.

She looked at the way Brandon’s hand was clasped around the blonde’s.

Then, Katie saw Brandon lean in and kiss the blonde on the lips. The blonde then kissed him back.

Immediately, Katie buried her head back into her locker, and closed her eyes. She finished clearing out its contents, stuffing them into her backpack.

She got up, approached the exit and but then turned around. She wanted to inspect her high school one last time. The lockers lining the hallway were cleared. The classrooms were empty. The lights were dimming.

Then, she felt someone staring at her. She peered into the distance. Brandon was all the way at the other end of the hallway, peering around the corner, just gawking at her. The girl was nowhere in sight. He looked sad, like he was mourning someone’s death.

They locked eyes, and for just a split second, she felt awkward and embarrassed. Her cheeks were growing a bubblegum pink.

Her eyes darted to the ground. Then, she turned around, her back to him, but made no move to push the door open. The summer sun streamed in through the window of the door, almost blinding her. She closed her eyes, and stood there for a little while, basking in the gentle warmth, feeling it call to her. At the same time, she could still feel Brandon’s eyes on her back.