One Shot -- Part 7: Company At Ace's House -screen_writer-

Honesty is the best policy, that’s how the saying goes, and it makes great sense. I usually am an honest person, and I should have come right out and told Ace from the beginning about my… ‘mother’. If you’re not an honest person your lies can catch up to you.

After Ace and I left the Road Stop Café, we really didn’t have much of a plan. He was new in town and had no idea of what was going on. There was no way I was going to take him to the pond, most of the kids I went to school with were there, and I didn’t want Ace to hear the lies they had to say about me. And the ball game was probably ending, so we decided to rent a movie, and watch it at his house.

We picked up a nice romantic movie at Quick Pick Video, and headed for Ace’s house. I knew his house well; it was the oldest and largest house in town… actually it was my dream home. Of course I’ve never been out of this tiny town long enough to see any other homes that I liked. Anyhow, when we walked in Ace’s parents were having drinks with a few of the town’s gossip hounds. Ms. McCollum was one of these people. Ms. Farley, and Ms. Maggie May were with her. They were Ms. McCollum’s sidekicks. My heart did a flip when I saw this. Ace brought me over to his parents, and introduced me; Ms. McCollum gave me her usual dirty look, I just smiled praying that she wouldn’t open her big mouth about me in front of Ace’s parents. As customary, I made the best impression I could on his family. And as I followed Ace up the stairs to his room, I just knew whatever Ms. McCollum had been talking about would cease, and the conversation would now focus on me.

Wouldn’t you know it, ten minutes into the movie Ace’s mother knocks on his door, and asks to have a word with Ace in private. ‘Here we go’, I thought to myself. Ace left with his mother, leaving me all alone in his room. I knew exactly what they were going to talk about… ME!

Now there’s one thing about these old homes… their strong, and sturdy, but the vents are like loud speakers. It’s definitely a terrible place to have a private discussion. So when Ace’s mother, and Ace walked downstairs, and into the kitchen to have ‘a little talk’, I heard every word.

“Now Ace I know your nineteen, and you’re your own man, but… Ms. McCollum and her friends just told me a few things about that girl, Bethany, you just brought here that I don’t like.” Ace’s mother said. She continued, “I heard that her mother is a drug addict, and no one even knows who her father is. The lady’s also said that they’ve heard that she’s not much better then her mother. Ace… I don’t want you getting caught up with a drug addict or anything like that. You don’t need somebody like that.”

Sitting there in Ace’s room hearing this nonsense, I felt ashamed. And the funny thing was, I didn’t know why I was ashamed… I mean I’m not a drug addict, I don’t do anything wrong… I guess I was just ashamed of myself. Tears started to trickle out of my eyes; I got up, and left Ace’s room not waiting around to hear what he was going to say back to his mother. I stumbled down the steps, and out the door. ‘It sure was nice while it lasted’, I thought to myself as I walked down his porch steps, and through his yard.

Then, just as I had walked out of his yard through the gate, Ace came running out of his house yelling for me to stop. At first I kept walking. Crying on a first date can never be good. Yet, Ace was persistent, and caught up to me. To tell you the truth, I wanted him to catch me. He turned me around, and noticed my tears in the starlight. He wiped them off my cheeks. That brought out a smile on my face.

“Do you want to talk?” He asked. I shook my head up and down. “Come on”, he said, “We’ll go for a drive.”

To Be Continued…

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