Before she went to sleep and again as soon as we rose and were off to school, Haylee reminded me that she wanted our double date to happen this coming weekend. It had to, because Jimmy’s parents were going to be away overnight, and he would have the house to himself.
“Mother wouldn’t let us go there if she knew that,” I told her.
“So? I’m not telling her, and you’re not, either.”
“She might check or find out later.”
“We’ll tell her we didn’t know.”
“I don’t lie as well as you do, Haylee, especially to Mother.”
“Well, improve,” she said with a laugh.
I was still undecided about how to get Matt to ask me on a date. I was afraid that if I was the one to suggest it, he might think less of me. As it turned out, neither of us had to be courageous about it. Haylee and Jimmy approached us while we were talking in the hallway before going to lunch.
“Hey, you two,” Jimmy began. I could see from the expression on Haylee’s face that she had put him up to whatever he was going to say. I held my breath. “My parents are visiting my aunt Friday night. I was thinking of having a little party with just the four of us, maybe. Can you come?” he asked, mainly addressing Matt.
Matt quickly looked at me. I didn’t say anything. He had to be the one to speak, I thought.
“I can,” he said. “Kaylee?”
“She can,” Haylee answered for me, “if I can, and I can.”
“We haven’t asked Mother yet,” I reminded her.
“So we will . . . together,” she emphasized.
“Great. We’ll order in some pizzas,” Jimmy said. “Nothing formal,” he told Matt, and walked off laughing with Haylee.
“He’s not my favorite guy,” Matt said. “Are you sure about this?”
“If you are,” I replied, and he smiled.
“Okay. We’ll do it for the cause.”
“What cause?” I asked.
“Us,” he said, smiling.
I didn’t know whether what I was feeling was what Mother had described as arousal, but it did feel good.
Now I was more nervous than ever about asking Mother to let us go to Jimmy’s house. I decided Haylee could take the lead. She was, after all, better than I was at deception.
“It’s a party with all our friends,” Haylee began. “We’re going to help make the cheese dips and stuff,” she added, which was a nice touch. Mother had taught us how to make different things in the kitchen almost as soon as we could reach the counter. When we were ten, we would help her prepare dinner. She made sure that we alternated responsibilities like making salads, peeling potatoes, or stirring soups and cake batters.
“Jimmy Jackson,” Mother said, thinking. “His father is an accountant?”
“Yes, Mother,” I said, because she was looking to me for that answer.
“Doesn’t his mother work in the public library?”
“And she makes Jimmy read all the time,” Haylee offered. “Can we go?”
“May we go,” Mother corrected. She had such a suspicious look on her face that I felt certain she would be calling the Jacksons, but suddenly, she relaxed. “I don’t want to hear about any drinking,” she said.
“Oh, Jimmy’s parents are very strict about that, right, Kaylee?”
“Yes,” I said. I wasn’t sure if they were or not, so it didn’t seem like a big lie to tell.