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A Date For The Dance
Laurits decides to invite a girl from school to the dance on Friday night. It doesn’t have to mean anything does it?
Laurits was nervous as he walked out of SPAR. He had just bought a white chocolate cream candy bar, four orange sodas and two bags of potato chips to take home with him. Turid and Magne were home waiting for him so he had to hurry home. Most of the time a trip to SPAR was an adventure, the long walk from the house usually cleared his mind, he could sneak a cigarette or two before he went into the store. He reasoned going into store itself was exciting, not so much this time because he had money to pay for things, usually the excitement came when he had to sneak things into his pockets when he had no money. There were times when Magne saw him doing this, he would always step in and pay for his stuff even if it meant putting something back that he wanted. Great, trying to shoplift with an honest guy but that’s how Magne is like it or not and he didn’t. However, Laurits did manage a smile when he thought about his honest, principled brother. Going to the store with Oscar and Rasmus was much more fun even with money, they usually bought beer and wine, snacks too, other needs could be bought on the street, things like weed or pills. Tonight, the sharp-eyed old lady Wenche wasn’t there, she always looked at him like he was going to steal the entire store right out from under her.
Laurits enjoyed the cool March air that surrounded him in the dark. The lights were on and one could almost mistake Edda for a large city instead of the tiny town that it was. He walked over to the board walk that looked out over the lake. He was thinking about the dance next Friday night. Everyone kept talking about the dance. He wanted to go, but he needed a date. Most of the times before at other schools, Laurits had always attended the dance with a date, usually just for show. He was popular, girls didn’t mind being seen with him, unlike Magne who attracted girls about as weird as he was. Magne had even wanted to go to the dance, he liked a girl named Gry, but she was hopelessly smitten with a rich boy from school named Fjor Jutul. That was actually a better match he thought. Despite Gry being boring as hell and putting on “good girl” airs, she was probably better off with Fjor. Laurits decided to himself that two boring people such as Magne and Gry would be devastating to the whole school social scene. One night when Gry came over to discuss the school Social Anthropology assignment with Magne, Laurits watched Magne and Gry discuss their project, they were so boring, it was like sitting around watching paint dry.
Laurits had a plan, he knew who he would invite to the dance. Magne had wanted to invite Gry as his date, but he knew that she would probably turn him down. He had decided not to go the dance but their mother Turid had still wanted him to go anyway. She said that he needed to get out more and have a social life. Yeah, wishful thinking thought Laurits as he put his cigarette out as he walked to a row of houses not far from the board walk. Laurits knew that Magne probably wasn’t going to go to the dance. He smiled as he walked, he had such a mischievous spirit about himself tonight. Magne may not have a date for the dance, but he sure as hell would have one. He had never given this girl much thought really, his focus had been on Fjor, but the chemistry wasn’t there. Oh well move on. Laurits wasn’t looking for love or a relationship for that matter, he just needed a date, someone like him, someone different than “cookie cutter” girls like Gry and not a “glamour girl” like Saxa. There was only room for one diva in Laurits’s show and that was him, so Saxa Jutul was out! Laurits needed someone that could be loud and in your face like he was sometimes and someone that knew when to be quiet and subdued. He was looking for a date that was very much like him.
Laurits had first noticed her when they had their biology project in Flagstaff’s class. He was placed with her because they were the only two people left that did not have a partner. He was dreading this assignment, but he was pleasantly surprised, they talked and found that they had many things in common, she liked long walks, grilled chicken sandwiches, Bob Dylan, orange soda and an occasional cigarette. She had lost her mom, he had lost his dad. The two of them had even sent texts back and forth to one another in secret. It was nothing serious, he didn’t want it to be, she didn’t either. He knew what people said about her, hell they said some of the same things about him. So what! He didn’t care what people thought, let them talk, he didn’t care. His mind was made up, he was going to ask her to the dance, yeah, Magne would probably be mad and think that he did what he did out of spite, but not this time. Laurits just wanted to invite someone to the dance who didn’t have any expectation of a relationship, but just wanted to have a good time on a Friday night.
Laurits walked up to the doorstep of her home, he was nervous when he knocked on the door. He greeted her father and asked was she home.
“Hello Laurits, yes, she is here, come on in and take a seat, she is putting the dishes away, let me go and get her.” Laurits sat down and looked around their house.
“Hello Laurits, dad said that you wanted to see me.”
“Yes, hello Isolde, I had stopped by tonight because I had wanted to ask you something.” Laurits looked intently into Isolde’s bright blue eyes and at her sky-blue hair that surrounded her face, she was a very pretty girl, sweet and sincere, no wonder she was Magne’s friend. He had a tendency to attract people like her around him too.
“Okay Laurits, go ahead.”
“I had came by to invite you to the dance Friday night, would you be my date, maybe, maybe not?” asked Laurits as he tilted his head. Isolde thought about what Laurits had just asked.
“I will be your date for Friday night, you know that this is not a—”
“I know Isolde, it is not a boyfriend/girlfriend thing. I am not looking for that either. I just want to go to the dance and have a good time.” Isolde nodded.
“Laurits why don’t you have some dessert with us, we are having lemon meringue pie, it’s not homemade, it is store bought, but it is still good.”
“No, I have to get home, Magne and mom are waiting on me.” Laurits turned to leave, Isolde walked him to the door.
“Thank-you for asking me to the dance on Friday night.”
“Thank-you for accepting my invitation, I would have been a little disappointed walking over here in the cold just to be told no.”
Laurits opened the door to leave, he reached in the bag and gave Isolde the white chocolate candy bar and a small bottle of orange soda, she smiled. He bid her good night. She smiled. He closed the door to her home behind him.
Laurits couldn’t wait to see everyone’s face on Friday night, especially Magne’s as he walked in with his date.