Sunday evening, the first thing Mitzi did when she walked into the trailer was ask very loudly, “Did you and Trevor smooch?”

Aunt Jessie said, “That is none of your business.”

Mitzi cocked an eyebrow and put her hand on her hip, “Well, that Lisa girl made it everybody’s business the way she was kissing that boy.”

Behind Mitzi, Max let out a girly giggle. He clamped his hand over his mouth to stifle the next one from getting out. From the recliner, Grandma Toady looked at Lolly. There was a question in her eyes. Inwardly, Lolly groaned. Mitzi’s big mouth was something she could always count on.

Aunt Jessie abruptly changed the subject. “Mitzi, do you have your shells for show and tell tomorrow?”

“Yes. I do. How many times are you gonna ask me that?” Mitzi’s eyes shot back to Lolly. So this was her revenge for not getting to play Putt Putt with Lolly and Trevor.

Lolly was not going to let the little imp win. She said, “Trevor said he’d like you to go with us the next time we do something.”

All revenge left her eyes. In a small voice she asked, “Really?”

“Yes. Really.”

Mitzi hurled herself into Lolly’s arms and gave her a big hug. In Lolly’s ear she whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Of course after Aunt Jessie left, Grandma Toady cornered Lolly in the kitchen and asked, “What was Mitzi talking about?”

Lolly sighed. “Lisa and Jake were all over each other.”

Grandma Toady frowned. “That’s a shame. You won’t be joining them again.”

As if she didn’t already know that. Lolly said, “I’m not sure there is a them any more. They got into an argument last night.”

“As well they should have. Kids just move too fast these days.” There was sadness in Grandma Toady’s eyes, but she didn’t express what she was thinking.

After supper, Mitzi declared, “Opera! Tonight!” Fluff immediately fled.

Max groaned. Opera nights were dreaded nights. He asked, “Can I go to Kevin’s? Just call me when its over.”

Grandma Toady nodded. On her face was a grim smile. Mitzi, for reason’s unknown to anyone, loved Opera. Hence the name of her stuffed bear, Puccini. On Opera nights, dress attire was required. In a way it was kinda fun and in another it wasn’t. Lolly put on the teal green dress from Goodwill she had gotten from Munch. Grandma Toady wore her satin robe with fake pearls. Mitzi dimmed all the lights in the house and had Lolly set up a lamp on the stereo. The kitchen bench had been hauled in to be Mitzi’s stage. In front of it, propped on a stool, Puccini had a chopstick taped to his paw. He was the Maestro. The opera tonight was Mitzi’s favorite, Turandot. Grandma Toady placed the stereo needle down on the revolving album. There was a slight scratching noise and then the music began. At the top of her lungs Mitzi sang, Nessun Dorma, those were the only two word she actually knew. The rest was a bunch of gibberish. Still, Mitzi kept time with the music. Her little body bobbed and swayed. Grandma Toady was smiling. In that instant, Lolly realized how rich they were. How very fortunate they were. Not many people had grandma’s who would listen to a four and a half year old caterwaul like this. Grandma Toady believed in giving people time, she said her time was the best gift she had to offer.

When the album had played through the first side, Mitzi curtseyed. Grandma Toady and Lolly gave the performance a standing ovation. Mitzi beamed. She said, “Thank you for coming this evening.” She nodded at Puccini and said, “Now a round of applause for our Maestro Puccini.” Grandma Toady and Lolly clapped for the little grubby bear.

The phone rang. Mitzi hopped off the bench and was to the phone in a flash. Lolly jumped up and ran. She didn’t get there in time. Mitzi said, “Hello?”

There was silence, then Mitzi said, “Yeah, she lives here? Who is this?”

Another moment of silence and then Mitzi said, “Its Lisa, the girl who smooches boys in public. She wants to talk to you.” She thrust the phone receiver at Lolly.

Lolly took it. Mitzi sat down at the kitchen table.

From the living room Grandma Toady called, “Puccini says the tape is cutting off the circulation in his paw.” Mitzi did not move.

Lolly said, “Hey, can I call you right back. We have a situation.”

“Sure.”

Lolly hung up the phone, told Grandma Toady to keep Mitzi off the line and went into Grandma Toady’s room and locked the door. She called Lisa back. Lisa picked up on the first ring. She didn’t even say hello, she immediately asked, “Should I give Jake a second chance?”

What a question? The question, she had dreaded all day. She said, “Have you talked to him?”

“No but Munch has.”

Had Munch become Dear Abby or something? Why in the world was he getting involved in this? Lolly asked, “Do you want to talk to him?”

“I’m afraid. When I was Viv’s friend I think I got a reputation by association. Maybe Jake heard about that and you saw how stupid I was being. I swear I have never come onto a guy like that.” There was no way Lolly could know if this was true or not. Lisa continued, “I wasn’t thinking clearly. No guy has ever turned me on like Jake does. I just really liked it until I didn’t.”

Too much information. Lolly really didn’t want to have this conversation. She said, “I don’t know Jake well enough to have an opinion.” She really didn’t know Lisa well enough to have an opinion.

There was silence. The silence hung between them. Finally Lisa asked, “Do you think Jake is a bad person?”

Seriously? “No.” He was a teenage boy, which in Aunt Jessie’s opinion teenage boys were prone to stupidity, not evil.

“He has called so many times today. My dad is getting annoyed. I can’t believe Jake actually had the guts to ask Daddy if he could talk to me seven times.” It seemed like over kill to Lolly. There was another silence that Lolly didn’t attempt to fill. Lisa finally said, “I guess, I could talk to him tomorrow, but not tonight. I’m just not up to it. Thanks for listening.”

“You’re welcome.”

“See you tomorrow, bye.”

“Bye.” Lolly hung up the phone.

*

Ten minutes before 9:00 p.m. the phone range. Lolly was at the kitchen table doing her Geometry homework. She picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“It’s me.” It was Trevor. “Sorry to call so late. Jake and I were over at Munch’s for my final fitting. I look like a pimp, I’m sorry but I do. My dad would freak if he saw me.”

In Lolly’s head the words, “if he saw me,” echoed in her head. She asked, “So, your folks aren’t coming?”

“No. They wouldn’t understand.” Not for the first time Lolly wondered if his parents would understand about her, or if they even knew about her. There was an awkward pause and he said, “But, Amber is coming.” Well, that was something. Why were his parents so distant? He abruptly changed the subject, “Munch called Lisa, but she wouldn’t talk to Jake.”

“How’d he take that?”

“He almost cried, but Munch talked him down.” Munch again. She had never known him to take any interest in the love lives of anyone, not even his own. He was so focused on his art.

Trevor said, “Munch has some record collection.”

“Yeah, he does.”

“I especially like Etta James song, At Last.” Then, to Lolly’s surprise he began to sing, “At last/My love has come along/My lonely days are over...” She had never heard him sing before. His voice had this soft vibrato sound. Had he just told her or implied that he loved her or was he just singing the song? He sang the song all the way through. He paused and said, “Its a really cool song. I thought, maybe it could be our song.”

They would have a song, and it would be by Etta James? Lolly was hoping their song would be by John Denver, but then Trevor didn’t seem like the John Denver type. She managed to say “Uh, yeah, sure that would be great. Your voice is so good. Why aren’t you in choir?”

“Don’t have the time. But I like to sing,” his voice dropped to a whisper, “especially to you.”

Wow. Excitement and fear did their usual dance in Lolly’s head. She had no idea what to say next.

Grandma Toady came into the kitchen and said, “It’s time you got off the phone. Tell Trevor goodnight.”

Lolly said, “Sorry, I gotta go.”

“See you tomorrow.”

“See ya, bye.”