Echo

22. Price Of Dreams

For the rest of the week, I read. I never got that message. I guess this date wasn't meant to be either.

Eriska makes me put the books down for the weekend, and we go to a party.

Scotch is there. Everyone is drunk. Same story.

I have a drink and wait for Eriska to dance. Then I take off. It's no fun pretending to drink and watching drunk people break stuff. Nobody can even talk right. They don't make any sense.

I call for a car and get in.

"Where can I take you?"

"Home. I guess." I type my address on his computer and someone knocks on the window. I open the door and Scotch sits down.

"You're not leaving because of me, are you?"

"No. I can't even talk to anybody. They're drunk and falling over or can't talk. Not much for me to do. They make me wish I had brought a school book to study."

He laughs and puts in a different address.

"What's that?"

"I'm taking you on that date. Even if I have to steal you to do it."

"Is it poor?"

He laughs. "What is a poor date?"

"I don't know. You're the one who started it. The girls think it's a picnic or stargazing or something that doesn't cost any money. Is that a poor date?"

He shakes his head. "I'm sorry. That was stupid. It made me nervous being the only one at your house without any money. I have enough to take you out. But not enough to take you around the world or to a different world. Those are rich dates. I can't compete with those."

"So rich dates are extravagant and poor dates are everything else?"

"In my head that was how it came out. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. Hell, I would be happy to go anywhere with you." He pays the bill and helps me out.

"A movie?"

"Is that ok?"

"It's perfect. Can I have popcorn?"

He smiles. "You can have anything you want."

"Don't say that. I am high maintenance and rich, Scotch."

"Yea, I saw on the news you spent over 500k of Malax's money, and now you're getting married."

I crack up laughing. Once I'm finally able to stop, "Me and Eriska were going shopping. We had $13,000 in cash. He didn't want us carrying it around, so he gave us his credit card. We spent 84k. I'm not getting married. I don't know where that came from. That's new."

"Well, $500,000 is a lot of money. But then again, so is $84,000."

"Did you see me in that dress?"

"You were sexy as hell."

"I know." I stick my tongue out. "It's one of the dresses I bought. I want to look more grown up."

"It definitely worked."

"Thank you."

"You don't read the articles?"

"I can't. I would go crazy trying to defend myself from the rumors. I let them go. If something is going to affect my life or affect my future, I will comment on it. But other than that, I can't focus on rumors."

"So the rumors saying you're marrying Malax don't affect your future?"

"I'll be dating someone else in the rumors next week. We'll probably have a terrible breakup between now and then." He laughs. "The only way I would say anything about it is if his reputation was going to be hurt or if my funding was going to be pulled. If Kagona believes I'm marrying Phade, they will pull funding. I would have to stop the rumor then."

"I understand that."

"Or when the rumors start about our breakup. A lot of times, the woman will be the victim of some kind of abuse. I would say something at that point. Make a comment about him being a nice guy, and he never laid a hand on me. Something like that. I would not try to say we weren't dating though."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm not defending myself from stupid rumors. I will not start the argument. I will wink and stick out my tongue. Tell people it's not their business who I date. They can think what they want about that."

"So, who are you dating?"

"I'm currently on a date with you."

He puts his arm around me. "I like that you're on a date with me."

"Me too."

We get popcorn and drinks for the movie. I laugh a lot. About halfway through, Eriska sits on the other side of him.

"How in the hell?"

She looks up from her phone. "We share our locations on our phones."

"I forgot about that."

She nods. "Malax is cheating on you in the rumors. You're probably going to break up now."

I shake my head. "We didn't even last a week."

"Bet he's regretting that 700k we spent."

Scotch laughs. "How is he cheating on her?"

"He took another girl to the movies. There are pictures." She shows us. It's Malax coming out of the mall with a girl.

I try not to laugh. "He should have used a suppra."

She nods. "Would have saved a lot of drama. I don't think he's used to all the fame and press. Sure they always watched him but nothing like what they watch you."

Scotch puts his arm around me. "They are watching him more now because of you. There has never been a rumor about who he dated or who he has working for him."

She smiles. "The press has never swarmed his building. They've done it twice in the last 3 weeks now. He's not used to it at all, and now he's texting me."

"What's he want?"

"To know where we are. I told him we're on a date with Scotch and to leave us alone."

I laugh and lay my head on Scotch's shoulder.

He kisses it and tightens his arm around me.

At the end of the movie, she looks at me. "So, how was your first date?"

"Amazing. I wish I was me though. Then I could taste real movie theater popcorn. But at least I got to have some."

Scotch's eyebrows shoot up.

She nods. "It's the experience that counts."

An hour later, we get home. Eriska goes in and Scotch kisses me a lot. "Will you go out with me tomorrow? I'll plan a nice date for us."

"Yes. I would like that. Wait here 1 minute."

"Ok."

I run in and plop on a chair. Then I open my eyes in the suppra room. I yank the s**t off me on my way to the porch. He smiles when he sees me. I throw my arms around him and kiss him. "Thank you."

"Thank you for letting me take you out tonight and not jumping out of the car."

I giggle. "I wouldn't have jumped out of the car."

"I'll be here tomorrow at 5."

"How should I dress?"

"Shorts and a t-shirt. We'll get something to eat and have some fun."

"I can't wait."

He winks and kisses me. "I'll be here at 5, baby."

"Ok." I jump up and down.

He laughs and gets in the car.

I run to my room and jump up and down.

Eriska shakes her head. "Go plug in the suppra, so the battery doesn't die."

He shows up a little early the next day and I jump around some more.

Then he pulls out some sandwiches from somewhere. "I got some fast food. Then we're going out. Eat first."

"We can eat by the pool."

"That works. You can be you for dinner, this way."

I turn into myself and go to the pool. He's got stuff set up on a table.

"What is this?"

"Burgers and fries. It's fast food."

I take a bite of the burger and my eyes about pop out. "Momma needs to learn how to make fast food."

I eat until I'm stuffed. The burger is huge though. I can only get half of it in. The fries are good too, but the burger is amazing. I eat another bite and complain about eating too much.

"You've never had fast food?"

"No. I don't even know what this is."

"It's a fry. It's strips of deep-fried potatoes."

"I've had burgers before. But usually they're chicken or something else."

"Fast food is more fatty than anything your mom would make."

I shake my head fast.

He laughs. "A burger occasionally won't make you gain weight. Go change back and we'll leave. I got tickets for something."

"What?"

"It's a surprise."

I am back in record time and jumping up and down. I can't stop. I'm so excited. He gets another car to drive us, and we go to a big place with searchlights grabbing everyone's attention. You can see them from far away.

He opens the door for me, and we make our way in. We have floor seats in some kind of theater. I can't figure this out.

Laser lights start shooting everywhere, and the place gets smokey. I sit as close as I can and try not to sit on his lap.

He puts his arm around me and smiles.

Then something loud happens. I jump right on him.

He pulls me against his chest. "You're alright. Don't be scared."

Someone starts singing and it's good. I watch them sing and dance on the stage, then I move over to my own seat. I don't know any of the songs. But other people do. They sing along. The music is fast and fun. I love it. I love everything about this. It's like a big party.

After it's over, I point out so much stuff to him and tell him about it on the car ride home.

"Wow. That got you worked up."

"I've never seen anything like that. It was amazing."

"It was a concert."

I shake my head. "Concerts are boring and only instruments."

"Different type of concert."

"I like yours better."

He laughs and helps me out of the car. I drag him in and find momma and daddy in the sitting room. "I WENT ON A DATE TO A CONCERT. IT WASN'T ONE OF YOUR CONCERTS. IT WAS AMAZING. I WANT TO DO THAT MORE. AND THERE WAS LIGHTS AND SOUNDS. IT EVEN HAD SMOKE. AND THEN..."

Daddy puts his hand up. "I don't understand anything you are saying."

Momma nods. "Going to be a minute before she sleeps."

Scotch laughs. "We went to the Price of Dreams concert. She liked it."

"Thank you for speaking in real words. I would never have got that." Daddy goes back to his paper. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, sweetheart."

"I DID, I DID, I DID. I WANT TO DO IT..."

He puts his hand up. "Go tell Scotch about it somewhere else."

I drag him out.

"NOT IN YOUR BEDROOM."

I drag him to another sitting room.

He gives me a hug. "Turn into you, so I can see you and get a kiss before I go."

I shake my head. "But no."

"I can't stay, baby. It's already 1 in the morning. I'll take you out again."

"Ok." I open my eyes in the suppra lab and run back to him. "I'm me now."

"So pretty." He wraps his arms around me. "I'm glad you had fun."

"Did you have fun?"

"I did. I like that band. I've wanted to see them for a while. I knew they were playing, so I grabbed a couple of tickets. I was hoping you would go with me. I like spending time with you."

"I like spending time with you too. You're so fun."

"So are you, baby." He gives me a couple more kisses before he leaves.

I go to bed so happy.