Collecting Smiles, Page 2

  Chapter Two

  The guys gave us a ride to church the next day. Already we were starting to act like a group. As the week went by, it seemed much of my free time was spent at apartment D41 or at least out on the basketball courts with its occupants.

  Nathan was the fiercest competitor; he hated to lose to a girl but I wasn't really very good at basketball so he didn't have to worry much. Playing against John and Mark was kind of pointless; they only had to hold the ball over their head and I couldn't reach. Andy wasn't that bad of an opponent: like me, he wasn't very good, but he had fun playing. He and I lost miserably in a game of two on two with Nathan and John.

  Friday, I made several batches of double chocolate chip cookies. They were my brother, George’s favorite. He’d just gotten off his mission last February and was attending ASU this year because it was close to home and to Lindsey.

  I’d been hoping that we would be attending BYU with me this year, but Lindsey had swept him off his feet as soon as he’d gotten home. I was lucky to spend any time with him this last summer. It just worked out that Lindsey was gone for a family trip at the end of July so George and I had gone camping. That’s when he told me he was going to be asking Lindsey to marry him. I was still waiting to hear back how it went.

  I planned to share the cookies with my new friends. My cooking skills were nearly nonexistent but I knew guys enough to know that food was always a good idea and this was something I could make. It was kind of a way to say thank you for making me feel like I had my brothers around me again. I preferred my life crowded with people and smiles.

  John answered the door again and greeted me with an awkward gulp, despite the fact that he knew me well now.

  “I brought cookies,” I said, holding the plate up.

  This brought Nathan to life on the sofa. His head popped up at the invitation but he quickly turned back to the game. In a perfect impression of my younger brother, Matt, he got up, backed toward the plate, and snagged a few cookies all while keeping his eyes on the television screen. Ah, just like home, I sighed contentedly.

  The first door in the hallway opened and Andy came through it talking over his shoulder as he went. When he saw me, he smiled a bright, happy to see you, kind of smile. I counted it. These guys were always smiling. It was wonderful to have such happy friends.

  “Megan, I didn't know you were here. What grand adventure do you have planned tonight?”

  “No adventure, just cookies,” I said waving a hand at the half empty plate. Next time, I would have to bring more or limit Nathan to two.

  He reached for one eagerly and took a big bite. “These are awesome! Shame about the adventure, though. Mark and I were just trying to decide what to do tonight.”

  I thought about that for a moment. “What, no dates? You two really have to stop waiting for the girls to come to you.”

  Andy blushed slightly at that, then said impishly, “But it works, look here you are, with food again.”

  Trying to ignore how true that was, I suggested, “The courts were full when I came over but maybe we could play some board games?”

  “Yeah, that sounds good. I have Sorry?”

  “Excellent. We should make some popcorn or something. Do you have any?”

  “That would be a good thing to have, but no. Sorry.”

  “No problem. I will go and make some and see if anyone else wants to join us, okay?”

  “We may need more than one game if we get too many people. Got any?”

  “I have a couple: Pictionary, Skip Bo, and Trivial Pursuit.”

  “Wow. You came to school prepared.”

  “Recreation major, remember. Besides, I like games. I'll be back soon.” Then I left to get the girls and more snacks because the cookies were all gone.

  The next morning I lay in bed for a long time trying to get up and moving. After games, we’d decided to attend a late night movie and I was feeling it. My phone rang and Jackie groaned. “Sorry,” I whispered, getting out of bed. I grabbed my phone and answered it so the ring tone would stop. “Just a minute,” I whispered. When I was out in the hall, with the door closed behind me, I said, “Hi, Mom. What's up?”

  “Did you just wake up, Megan, it's ten in the morning.” It was amazing how she could scold just as good over the phone as she could in person.

  “Yeah, I had a late night,” I yawned.

  “Well wake up and get a calendar.” Startled by the request, I reached for my backpack sitting in the corner of the dining room and found my ratty old planner in the front pocket.

  “Okay Mom, I'm ready.”

  “Good, how does next Tuesday look in the afternoon say around three?”

  “Fine.” I said puzzled. Then I remembered my last conversation with my mom. I thought quickly, “Hey Mom, I was thinking, I should probably just stay with Dr. Swenson. He knows my case and everything so could you make me an appointment for Thanksgiving time?”

  “That would work except for the fact that your brother is getting married that weekend. Besides, I already have an appointment for you with a doctor there.”

  “George is getting married. He didn't tell me that he had proposed already. When? Thanksgiving? Wow, that is fast.” I was so excited I didn't even care about the appointment.

  “Yes, they haven't left me much time to plan things. At least her family is doing most of the reception. We will need to fly you home so that you will be here for the whole thing. Lindsey wants you to be a bridesmaid.”

  “Okay, just tell me what you need me to do and I will be there. And could you hit George for me for not giving me the details like he promised.”

  “He probably wouldn't even notice. He is on his own planet at the moment. Now, Megan I am serious about this appointment. You told me you are free so I expect you to go. Dr. Swenson is sending copies of all your records, so you have no excuse. I have emailed you all the information. I expect to hear from you Tuesday night to tell me how it went.”

  She was going to be difficult about this, apparently. “Okay, Mom. Tell George and Lindsey congrats for me.”

  “Love you, Megan.”

  “I love you too, Mom.”

  I hung up the phone feeling worrying now about the appointment. I hated feeling burdened by this. How frustrating that my plan for skipping it this year didn’t work. I grabbed some cereal and tried to focus on my day. There just wasn't enough homework to keep me busy. Besides, I needed something to lighten my mood. Today would be a good day for a bike ride.

  I stopped by D41 on my way out just to remind them about the concert. This time when I entered, I met Nathan’s twin sister.

  “Hi, I’m Emily,” she said as she practically bounced across the room to me. Emily was a couple of inches taller than Nathan was but had similar features making their relationship obvious. She was spunky and sweet with beautiful dark eyes that almost twinkled.

  “I’m Megan; it’s really nice to meet you Emily.” She dragged me to the sofa and plopped me down to join the group watching some rerun of a game. She treated me like an old friend.

  “I just came to remind you guys about Melissa’s concert tonight, if you can make it.”

  “You should stay here with us, Megan. After the game, we are all heading out for some ice cream. Come with us.” She glanced between John and me as if sizing up the competition. Then she smiled at me but it was too territorial for me to count.

  “Thanks but I really had my heart set on a ride. It sounds like you guys have plans though, so I will go.” I jumped up before she could object, it wasn’t really necessary; she wasn’t going to be sad about my leaving her alone with John. I couldn’t help finding the whole thing funny as I got on my bike. Emily was definitely in flirt mode and I couldn’t help thinking about the discomfort that was going to cause John and Nathan.

  I rode along through town staying focused and aware of the Saturday traffic. Once I passed the freeway, things were less crowded. It felt good to get out and bike somewhere flat. I pedaled as fast
as I could, enjoying the breeze it created. I really didn't want to think about my upcoming appointment so I focused on the movie we’d seen last night. It was nice that I had made some good friends but I still missed Spencer. He and I had done everything together since we met in eighth grade. Playing ball and games with the guys was fine but Spencer was who I really needed right now. Knowing how hard these yearly appointments were for me, he always planned something fun to do afterwards. I didn’t have anyone here to talk to and I could feel some panic rising.

  I arrived at the park that sat beside Utah Lake. It was very quiet today; I was surprised because it was beautiful. I laid down on my stomach, giving my backside a rest. I could feel the warm sun on the back of my neck, thanks to the braid I’d hastily done this morning. It was an unusual sensation for me; my thick, curly hair was always in the way. I tried not to be too frustrated that I didn't have the soft manageable hair like my sister’s. It could be a lot worse, as I knew first hand. There had been a time when any hair would have been nice, though I had a cool collection of hats.

  Laying there, I listened to the ducks splashing at the edge of the lake. When I woke up the sun was no longer overhead but setting. I drowsily looked at my watch. Great, there was only a half an hour until the concert; why did I fall asleep? If I was going to get there on time, I was going to need a ride. I picked up my phone and called Mark because he was the only one with a truck for my bike.

  “Hey Megan?” said a soft tenor voice.

  “Hi Mark. I hate to ask, but I need a ride.”

  “Sure, when and where?”

  “Well actually… I'm at Utah Lake. I fell asleep and Melissa's concert starts in about 30 minutes.”

  “Are you there at the park?”

  “Yes.”

  “I'm on my way,” he hung up.

  I stretched then groaned, I had been sleeping for about three hours and that pleasant sun had burned my neck and the back of my legs. Well, I'd had worse. I stood and dusted off the grass that was stuck to my shirt and shorts. Unfortunately, dusting off didn’t take care of the wrinkles. At least, I was wearing something without stains; still it was a little casual for the concert. I checked my watch again, changing wasn’t going to happen.

  My phone rang and I checked to make sure it wasn't my mom. I didn't really want to talk to her now. “Hello?”

  “Hey, it's just me. I’m almost there.”

  “Oh, Hi Mark. Thank you so much for doing this. I hope I'm not interrupting any plans?”

  “No, I was just waiting at home for a call from my sister but I can wait for that anywhere.”

  “Good, then do you want to go to Melissa's concert with me? It's her first and she's a little nervous.”

  “I'm not really dressed for it.”

  “If you are wearing something other than a t-shirt and shorts you will be better dressed than me.” I was glad that the concert wasn't being held in one of the big auditoriums because they probably wouldn't even let me in. “We can just sneak in back and slip out before anyone notices us.”

  “You’re on,” he said with enthusiasm.

  “I'm going to hang up now I have something to take care of.”

  “Okay, see you soon. Be watching for me.”

  I was relieved to find the bathrooms open. I splashed some cool water from the sink on my neck hoping to calm the sting. My legs didn't hurt unless I bent my knee too far. They would probably ache all through the concert but that's what I get for falling asleep in the sun even on a pleasant day. I heard a horn honk, he was closer than I'd thought. I slowly walked out of the restroom trying not to feel my legs.

  Waving so that Mark could see me, I walked over to where my bike was laying on the grass. When Mark saw where I was headed he hopped out of the truck and jogged over to it. We got there about the same time. “I've got it,” he said, picking up my bike.

  “Thanks,” I said smiling back at him, secretly glad that I wouldn't have to bend down to get it.

  He carefully lifted it into the back of his truck and opened the passenger door for me. I gingerly climbed in extending my legs out again as soon as I could. He laughed and gave me an odd look, “My truck doesn't bite.” He closed my door and walked around to his door.

  “I just have a little sunburn.” I explained as he backed up.

  “How bad?”

  “It's nothing, I've had worse. The concert is in the HFAC.” I looked at my watch. “It starts in 15 minutes.”

  “We'll make it even with a stop.”

  “A stop?” but I didn't get an answer to my question right then, because Mark's phone rang.

  “Hi Rebecca.” There was a pause. “Hey, sorry but I can't talk now. I will call you tomorrow after church, okay? Love you too. Bye.”

  “That's nice.” I said reflexively. “My brothers never call and they never say I love you.”

  He smirked, “I guess I'm just an awesome brother then.” I collected another smile.

  “I guess so!”

  He laughed but I was serious. In the time that I had known him, Mark was forever on the phone with his brothers or sisters; helping them with homework or just catching up.

  We pulled into a pharmacy parking lot. “Wait here, I will be really fast.” Three minutes later, he was back with a small bag in his hand. “Put this on it will help.”

  I looked into the bag he handed me. “Aloe Vera Gel?”

  “It's really good for sunburns.”

  “I know. I've just never seen it in a bottle before. We have a big plant of it growing in the backyard.”

  “Good then you know it is a bit sticky at first. Still it beats the pain.”

  I opened the bottle and sniffed the very faint odor. It was the same stuff. Mark took the bottle from my hand and squeezed a small amount into his palm. “Hold your hair out of the way,” he ordered. I leaned closer holding my braid up. The cool gel on my neck was heavenly, I sighed. “This is pretty red, I hope you don't blister.”

  “Thank you.” I continued to hold my braid up waiting for the gel to dry. Mark rubbed his hands together as if he was washing them.

  “No problem. It's good for dry skin too.” he held his hands up as if to prove it. “You can get your legs while we drive. We should get going.”

  “What do you do that makes your hands so dry?” I hadn't seen rough dry skin like that since my hands last winter when I had tried skiing without the proper gear.

  “I wash them a lot.” He looked at me a moment then went on, “I'm a nurse's assistant at a nursing home here in town.” He looked at me again expecting some kind of reaction.

  “Wow, do you like it?”

  He smiled, “Yes I do. And it’s good training. I'm going to be a nurse.”

  “Really?” I didn't really think of men as nurses but I guess they existed, why not?

  “Aren't you going to laugh, Andy does?”

  “Why, people laugh at me for majoring in recreation but it suits me. If nursing suits you, who cares. I bet you are really good at your job.”

  “Thanks,” his smile got even bigger and he beat his hands on the steering wheel once and straightened up. “We should park as close as we can. It's getting late and your legs aren't up for walking far.”

  Miraculously, we managed to get a place not too far from the building and we walked as quickly as my pain would allow to the recital hall in the basement. Sneaking in just after the opening prayer, we found two seats at the back. Melissa was beautiful and her silver flute shined against her black satin dress. She and the other performers were really good. I looked over at Mark during one song to find that he had his eyes closed. Had he fallen asleep? I certainly couldn't blame him for that. Maybe late night movies were not a good idea for this crowd. I watched a smile spread across his lips and his fingers moved in time with the music tapping on his leg. He was awake, he was just enjoying.

  I really wanted to give Melissa a hug after the performance but she was swept away by a crowd as soon as the closing prayer was over. I would see her
at home and congratulate her there. Mark and I left quietly.

  “Andy's really going to be sorry that he had to work tonight.” Mark said as we drove toward home.

  “Yeah, Melissa was great. Does he really likes music?”

  “Yes, but I think he would have just liked hanging out with you.”

  “Oh, yeah. Because I have been such a fun person to be around with my sunburn and everything,”

  “I enjoyed it.”

  I laughed, “Well you are just easy to please, then. It must come from being such a perfect brother. Where does Andy work?”

  “He's a waiter, in a little restaurant downtown. He works most Saturday nights.” We pulled into our parking lot.

  “Thank you so much for the ride and the aloe. It was fun to have someone to hang out with at the concert. I'll see you tomorrow for church?”

  “Yep. Megan, wait!” he hollered after me as I walked off toward my apartment. “Did you forget something?” I looked at him trying to remember what I was forgetting. “Your bike?”

  “Oops, I'm doing really well today,” I said feeling a little embarrassed.

  “You do seem kind of distracted. Something up?”

  “Truthfully, yes… but it’s kind of private,” I admitted. Mark was really a sweetheart but he didn’t need to worry about my problems.

  Mark carried my bike over to the bike rack and I locked it up. “Let me know if you change your mind,” he said supportively. “And make sure you drink lots of water, with that burn you could get dehydrated.”

  “You're just awesome, Mark. Thanks.” I walked into the quiet apartment and went to take a shower. Maybe if I kept the water cool enough it wouldn't hurt too badly. When I was done I applied the aloe again, it felt so much better already. I was sticky and stiff when the front door opened and I heard a large group of people entering. Maybe some of the crowd had followed them home. Listening more closely. I was sure that I heard male voices in the mix. I’d better congratulate her later since I was already dressed for bed.

  I laid on my bed and read my scriptures for a while, then I checked my email. There it was, the email from my mom. My appointment was with a Dr. Warrenbach at 3 pm on Tuesday. The map to the oncology clinic showed that it was close enough that I could ride my bike. There was no need to ask anyone for a ride so no one would have to know about it. What a relief, now my mom and I would be the only ones stressing over this.

  After about an hour, I heard the sounds of several people leaving. Melissa's voice got louder. “YEAH! IT'S OVER! I stuck my head out and didn't see anyone so I tiptoed down the hall. Kristen, Melissa, and Jackie were chatting.

  “Your performance was wonderful, Melissa,” I said as I walked into view.

  “Megan, where were you?” Kristen asked, exasperation clear on her face.

  “Long story. I made it to the concert but I was just a little under dressed so we left right after. It really was good. You were so beautiful.”

  “Thanks. You know Kristen, Jackie... I was just thinking that I was in the mood for a long story and that ‘we’ intrigues me.”

  I scrunched my face not really wanting to share my story and Jackie giggled. With a sigh I said, “Okay, scoot over. Is there any of that ice cream left?”

  “Freezer.” Kristen said pointing.

  “Don't get up, start talking and I'll get it.” Jackie said jumping up with her usual enthusiasm.

  “Really it isn't a very interesting story.” They all looked at me expectantly anyway so I began. “I rode my bike out to Utah Lake today. I had plenty of time and the weather was so nice. I guess last night caught up with me and I fell asleep. I didn’t wake up until 6:30. Knowing that I couldn't make it in time, I called Mark and he came to get me. He was really nice about it and was happy to stay for your concert too. He'll probably mention it tomorrow,” I said looking at Melissa. “Anyway he brought me home, oh and he bought me some aloe for my sunburn. That’s really all there is.”

  Three sets of eyes were staring at me as if they could wring something more out of my story. Jackie's seemed to be smiling as if she knew something. “Sunburn?” Kristen asked.

  “I guess I left that part out. Well, I fell asleep in the sun, you know, it happens. I burned the back of my neck and the back of my legs. The aloe is helping though.”

  “That was really nice of Mark,” Jackie smirked. I remembered then that I had suspected something between them. I was completely confused when she asked, “Are you guys going out again?”

  “What? We weren't on a date. He just came to my rescue.”

  “Sure.” Three voices echoed back at me and I added three to my smile total bringing the final tally of the week to 51.