"Ahh. He's smitten because you saved him and asked you out to thank you. How cute."

I felt a sudden bristle at her nonchalant words.

"It's a little more than that."

"What do you mean?"

I sighed and relented. There was no point.

"Nothing."

"So, how old is he?"

"Nineteen. He's a soph.o.m.ore at U of T."

"Really? Football?"

"Not sure. But he's studying to be an architect."

"Oooh. A money maker. Sweet." She sighed dreamily. "I bet he drives a Lexus."

"Don't know. But it's a convertible."

"Definite Lexus. Is he hot?"

"He's perfect," I answered quickly, my mouth answered without my permission.

I blushed and she laughed.

"Aha! Wow. You really like him, huh? So, what time is Caleb coming to pick you up?"

My heart clenched each time she said his name. I tried to focus on her face and remain calm. My fingers were starting to twitch.

"Five thirty."

"What?" she exclaimed loudly and grabbed my arm. "That's only two hours. We gotta get you ready!"

"What? Why? What's wrong with what I have on?"

"Nothing. But this is a college guy, babe." She pulled me as she walked backwards. "They expect a certain kind of girl. And no offense, but your age isn't exactly going for you right now. Unless he's a pedophile. Do you think-"

"Beck! Eew! Stop!"

"Anyway, he's been at college for a year already, seeing all those mature girls with their expensive cars and flat ironed fake blonde hair. It's a lot to compete with."

"I'm not gonna worry about that."

I wanted to contradict her. Tell her I was his soul mate. That he would like me even if I wore a sack. I knew this must be true because I could picture Caleb in one and I still wanted him. I giggled to myself at the picture but then I remembered what he wore today. His yellow shirt and how much I liked looking at it on him. I suddenly wanted to look my best. Not just ok. Not just presentable. I wanted him to look at me and think I was pretty.

That brought me back to this morning in my bathroom when he thought I looked gorgeous in blue, how he loved my freckles. And how even after all that I still felt young and inadequate.

I wanted him to want me because he wants me. Not because he's imprinted with me and can't help himself. So I smiled at Beck and told her to have her way with me.

"Really!" she squealed and she shut my bedroom door. "You never let me play doll with you!"

"I know. Now's your chance. Don't go overboard," I warned.

"Ok. What are we going for here? Where's he taking you?"

"A barbeque joint in his home town."

"Boo. That gives me nothing to work with." She pressed a finger to her lips as she thought. "What do you want?"

"I just want him to look at me and think there's no one else he'd rather be with."

She smiled.

"So. s.e.x vixen?"

I gasped.

"Rebecca!"

"Kidding! Kidding. I have the perfect thing in mind. Don't worry about a thing, Mags. We'll have him drooling, in a very tame and respectable way, of course."

I rolled my eyes but smiled at how much I missed her. I took a deep breath and let her work.

An hour and forty seven minutes later I stood in front of the oval floor mirror in my room. My very me room that I completely redid when my mom left. She had it all coordinated with different squares of color. I always hated it. So when she left I took everything down and now it's just a room. The walls are white; the bed is white and green with a dark brown poster frame. Not a very girly room but I loved it, because it was all me.

So, I stood looking at what Beck had done. I didn't look like a different person. I didn't look vamped up with a crazy outfit or makeup. I wasn't glamazonned in a preppy, peppy outfit that wasn't me. I was just me.

She'd made me shower while she looked through my closet and decided nothing would do. So, she took a dark green knee length dress out that had thin brown stripes down the length of it. She cut the sleeves off to make it a tank dress and pulled a wide brown ribbon off a pillow on my bed to push my hair back with like a headband. She was always so crafty, always coming up with crazy things to do. It's like her brain never turned off.

She pulled her long gold chain necklace off, with an open heart at the end that hung half way to my navel and put it around my neck.

"Perfect. Now shoes. Aha."

She handed me my strappy gold flat sandals and I pulled them on before she dragged me back to the bathroom. My hair has a natural curl at the ends, always has, but she wanted them to curl her way. So she curled and did my makeup and then painted my nails a barely there pale pink. She ended the ensemble with small gold studs in my ears and smiled at my reflection with approval.

And that's where we are. And I'd never been this nervous in my life. What if he thought I was overdoing it, trying too hard? I pushed that thought away. That had to be some side effect of the withdrawals from him because I'd never acted like this before. I wrung my hands and smoothed my dress over and over.

"Why are you so nervous? You're going to sweat through your dress if you don't calm down."

"I'm ok."

"What's wrong with you? I don't remember you being this way before. Even with Chad. It's just a date," she reasoned.

Yeah right.

I shook my head to clear it and thanked her for helping me right as the door bell sounded. It took all my strength to stay put and not bound down the stairs for him. The ache in my stomach and back had returned already but not as bad as before and I wondered if he was feeling it too.

"Wow. College boy is four minutes early. He must be trying to impress," she joked. "Sorry. I meant to be out of here before he came."

"It's ok." I thought real hard before my next statement and decided it was ok. "I want you to meet him."

"Really? It's not weird I'm meeting some guy you barely know on your first date?"

"No." I chuckled as I pushed my bangs over to cover the wound on my forehead. "I'm sure he'll be fine with it."

I rushed to answer the door, at a ladylike pace, but dad beat me to it. Caleb was trying to make small talk with the man known as my father, standing in the same outfit as yesterday just another color, thankfully, but still his boxers nonetheless.

Caleb was wearing something different than earlier; a b.u.t.ton up blue and green shirt and brown boots with his jeans. He looked up at me coming down the stairs to greet them and his face lit up and he couldn't stop himself anymore than I could. It was like a dam broke.

He reached for me just as I raced to the bottom step and embraced me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, lifting my feet from the floor. I breathed him in and everything else fell away. He was just as happy to see me as I was him, as strange as it all was. And once again, the second he touched me the ache of being away and silly girl worry over what he'd think melted away.

I somehow found my sanity and pulled back. He smiled shyly and put some s.p.a.ce between us. He looked me over, making my cheeks beg for permission to scarlet but I forbid them to, standing my ground.

"You look gorgeous, in case you didn't know."

"Thanks. You too."

"Wow," I heard Beck mutter behind me.

I turned and beckoned her down the stairs.

"This is my best friend, Rebecca. Beck, this is Caleb."

"Hi," he said easily and reached for her hand.

For a split second I imagined the whole imprinting process again but with her and Caleb instead. She already seemed half in love from her glazy stare.

"Hey, there." She grabbed his hand and removed it quickly. "Do you have any single brothers?"

He laughed.

"Beck!" I chastised.

"I'm just saying," she rationalized. "Alright. Have fun. I'm out. Text me if you need me." She leaned to whisper in my ear. "Do you remember the code for a 911 emergency date exit?"

She pulled back to look at me seriously.

"Uh, 911?"

"Good girl." She smiled at me and then at Caleb. "Have fun you two!" She waved over her shoulder.

I turned back to Caleb who stood amused and patiently waiting. I completely forgot my father standing there by the door. I looked at him and saw how he was looking at me, as if he was actually seeing me. Like he was looking at me for the first time in ten months, which was true. I didn't know if that was a good thing, or bad.

"Where are you taking her?"

"To a place called, Mugly's. It's a barbeque place my family loves to go to," Caleb answered.

"Hmm. Well, I expect her back before midnight." He turned to me and scowled. "I know you think because you graduated you're all grown up but you still live with me, so my rules."

"Dad. I didn't say anything. Midnight is fine. It's only five thirty. We're just going to dinner," I said at a complete loss for his outburst and his sudden concern for my whereabouts.

"Well, good." He seemed off put, like he expected a fight. "You have your cell?"

"Yes." I grabbed it off the hall table and put it in my bag. "All set."

"Ok. Call me if you need anything." All I could do was stare at him like he was speaking Chinese. So he sighed harshly. "What?"

"No offense, dad. But since when do you care if I have my cell or not? Since when do you care what time I come home?" I asked softly.

"Since you started bringing a boy home that's too old for you."

"He's only two years older than me, dad. And I'll be eighteen soon."

I glanced back at Caleb and he smiled, letting me know he'd wait.

"Well," dad mumbled. That seemed to bl.u.s.ter his resolve. "Still, with Chad it was safe. I knew he was leaving for college. I knew there would be no chance of you getting all silly over him because he'd keep you at arms length. Everyone always knew he was leaving, everyone but you. But this boy, he is not safe." He looked over at Caleb. "She is still a minor and I'm not thrilled about you taking her out."

"I understand, sir. I promise you I'm not up to any trouble," Caleb answered respectfully.

"Dad, if I'm old enough to work almost full time and go to school in clothes that I paid for all by myself, I think old enough to go on a date and know to be careful and come home at a reasonable hour."

His face went pale and he nodded sadly.

"I guess you're right. We'll talk later."

He walked off into the kitchen and I saw the light turn out as he made his way through the house. I was astounded. What just happened?

I looked at Caleb and felt the need to explain. I'd told him earlier that my dad was docile and uncaring but now he was all about my every move.