Alice Bliss - Laura Harrington [30]
“You should’ve seen it in here an hour ago. All morning! A madhouse! We’re out of every kind of bread except white and English muffins. No more eggs Benedict, no more Canadian bacon.”
“You got the lumberjack special?” Henry asks, looking anywhere but at Sally.
“Bacon or sausage?”
“Bacon.”
“How do you want your eggs?”
“Over easy.”
“Pancakes or French toast?”
“Get the French toast,” Alice says.
“French toast, please.”
“Is this a date?” Sally wants to know.
“What?” Alice asks.
“Your Gram’s all worried this could be a date or something and you’re too young.”
“It’s not a date,” they both say simultaneously, and perhaps too loudly.
“Alice helps me with math all the time. I just wanted to do something nice for her.”
“Awwww. . . . The usual for you, Alice?”
“I want my dad’s usual.”
“Corned beef hash comin’ up.”
There’s an awkward pause as Sally shouts their order into the kitchen. Alice glances up into the long mirror over the counter and catches a glimpse of Ellie snuggled up close to Angie. Angie is stroking Ellie’s hair, lost in thought.
“You can’t do anything around here without everybody trying to . . .”
“I think it’s really nice, Henry.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, that’s good.”
“But let’s not get weird, okay?”
“No, no, no. Of course.”
“Like you’re acting nervous and stuff. And you should quit it.”
“Okay.”
He looks at her. He looks away.
“Listen . . .” and he trails off, uncertain how to proceed.
“What?”
“You know how there’s the dance coming up in May?”
“Henry!”
“What?”
“Okay. Wait a minute. Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions. Is there somebody you want to ask?”
“Duh, Alice.”
“Julie? Julie Watson?”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Her sidekick, Abby?”
“You, Alice. I want to ask you.”
“Henry!”
“What’s so wrong with that?”
“We’re like almost related.”
“We are not!”
“Okay, but—”
“I even asked my mom to teach me how to dance.”
“You want to dance with me?”
“Yes.”
“I think the dances your mom knows how to dance may not be relevant in this case.”
“Well, there’s all the stuff about how to hold your partner for a slow dance, and not looking at your feet, and apologizing if you step on her feet, and offering to get punch.”
“Manners.”
“Dance manners. Yeah.”
Alice puts more sugar in her coffee.
“You are full of surprises, Henry.”
“Somebody else already asked you.”
“No, they didn’t.”
“Are you saying no?”
“No, I’m not saying no, I’m just saying . . .”
Their food arrives.
“If it’s no, tell me quick. I can’t stand long drawn out no’s.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes. It’ll be fun.”
“Really.”
“Yeah!”
“You honestly think so.”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Have you ever had one minute of fun in that gym before?”
“No, but—”
“Maybe if it was just you and me, Henry, it might be fun. But our classmates will be there. Remember them?”
“I don’t care about them.”
“Do we have to get dressed up?”
“Yes! That’s part of the fun.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? Is that yes?”
“Yes.”
“And we’ll get dressed up and everything.”
“And we’ll send my dad a picture.”
“My mom even said she’d drive us.”
“Let’s walk like we always do.”
“Really?”
“Don’t you think that would be kind of cool at night?”
“Will your mom let you?”
“Probably. Can I have a bite of your French toast?”
“Sure.”
“Gram makes the best French toast in the world.”
He passes her the plate.
“We could get Uncle Eddie to pick us up. In one of his retro cars.”
“That would be awesome. Maybe a convertible. Maybe he’d wear a chauffeur’s hat and be the first car idling at the door when everybody comes out.”
“Yeah. Maybe he would.”
Henry, relieved, tucks into his food. Gram comes out and sits down in the booth with Angie and Ellie. Sally joins them. Alice is looking at everything. Henry with egg yolk on his upper lip, Gram tired and asking Ellie to rub her shoulders, Sally looking a little haggard, like she’s got a headache, maybe left over from Friday night, maybe from more trouble with one of her boys, Angie stretched out with her head resting against the back of the booth, Ellie kneeling behind