Part 5 (1/2)
”Not bad, not bad. Now move over and see how it's done.” Isaac playful nudged me with his hip. His ball ended up doing almost exactly what mine had done but actually went in.
”Oh, now it's on,” I said as I headed over to my ball to tap it in.
Isaac jotted down the score while we walked over to the next hole. Behind us I could hear girls giggling and peered back to see that Brooke and her friends were behind us. When she caught me looking she narrowed her eyes. Ignoring her, I turned back around.
”Still think you're gonna beat me?” Isaac asked, his eyes dancing in the moonlight.
”Are you kidding? That last hole was just a warm up. You aint seen nothing yet.”
The rest of the evening we bantered and teased but in the end Isaac ended up beating me by ten strokes. I finally admitted to him that I'd only played miniature golf a couple of times in my life and the last time had been several years earlier.
”Really? The way you were trash talking I thought you played all the time.”
”Nah. I was just teasing you.”
He smiled, putting his hand on my arm. My skin broke out in gooseb.u.mps.
”Well, then you're a natural.”
Feeling bold I said, ”You'll just have to take me more often so I can get better.”
His hand still on my arm he said, ”I'm gonna hold you to that.”
Just then a group of students descended on us. It looked like the rest of the youth group had finished as well. After everyone decided to go inside for some pizza, Isaac and I followed them in. I was a little disappointed as we sat down amidst the group. The time alone with Isaac was so enjoyable that I hated to have to share him now. When he left the table to order, an attractive girl with dark hair and a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks scooted into the booth next to me.
”Hi. I don't think we've met before. I'm Stephanie.” She stuck out a hand and her smile was genuine, unlike Brooke's.
”I'm Mackenzie, but you can just call me Kenzie for short.”
”Nice to meet you, Kenzie. Are you new here?”
”Sort of. I'm just staying with my grandma for the summer. Isaac lives next door. He invited me tonight.”
”Oh, that's great. Well, I'm glad you came.”
”One pepperoni pizza coming up,” Isaac said when he returned. I was disappointed when he slid into the booth across from me. Even though Stephanie seemed nice it irritated me that she took Isaac's seat.
By the end of the evening I was stuffed from the pizza, tired from the golf and happier than I'd ever been before. I'd had so much fun with Isaac and his friends. The only downfall of the night was meeting Brooke but after that one encounter she'd pretty much left me alone.
”So, was it really that bad?” Isaac asked when he walked me up to my front door to say good-bye.
”It was wonderful.”
”Good. I'm glad you came. My friends all really liked you.”
”I liked them also.” Most of them.
”I had a lot of fun with you.”
My pulse raced. ”Me too.”
”See you tomorrow morning?”
”What's tomorrow morning?”
”Church.”
”Oh, I don't know.”
”C'mon. It'll be fun.”
I never thought I'd hear the words church and fun in the same sentence.
”You said it wasn't so bad.”
”Yeah, miniature golfing and pizza wasn't so bad, but going to church is completely different.”
”Maybe not. Maybe you'll find that church isn't so bad either.” He nudged me. ”C'mon, just try it out. For me.”
My lips tugged upward in a grin. ”Fine. For you.”
”See, I told you. That wasn't so bad, was it?” Isaac asked me in the lobby after service.
I shook my head. I had never been to church before but it looked a lot like I imagined with its stained gla.s.s windows and wooden pews. The music was pretty cool and the preaching was okay. I did find myself getting a little bored at parts, but sitting next to Isaac sure made it worth it. Frankly, the pastor could've spoken all day.
”Hungry?” Isaac asked.
”A little.”
”Wanna grab a bite to eat?”
I nodded. ”Let me just find Grandma and let her know.”
There were only about a hundred people who attended the church, and my grandma seemed to know them all. She stood in a cl.u.s.ter of women who were chatting and laughing like schoolgirls. They stopped abruptly when they saw me.
”Oh, this must be your granddaughter,” one of them shrieked.
”She's gorgeous,” said another.
My cheeks warmed and I smoothed down the skirt of my dress.
”This is Mackenzie,” Grandma said placing her hand on the small of my back and gently guiding me into the circle. They all crowded around me. I had a flashback of being in preschool and playing London Bridges. Floral perfume and hairspray swirled around me.
I was met with a chorus of ”Nice to meet you,” and ”we've heard so much about you.”
I smiled politely and then faced Grandma. ”Isaac and I are going to lunch.”