That Saturday night I took Erica to the movies. I dressed in my best jeans and a trendy, but second-hand, jacket, which had taken what little savings I had. What did it matter? I reasoned. I would soon have as much money as I could spend.
I went to the garage to get my bike and noticed that one of Dad’s tools was missing. A chisel, judging by the empty black outline left on the pegboard. That was a little strange, as he always put everything back. I knew he wasn’t using it, because he was out at his Shortland Street audition.
The Shortland Street audition! I had forgotten all about it in my excitement. There seemed to be so many good things happening at the moment, and if Dad won the audition then that would just cap it all off!
I cycled to Erica’s place, and we caught the bus into the city. I didn’t really like the idea of catching the bus, it wasn’t very romantic, but we didn’t have much choice.
Dad always said that real people travelled by bus. That you never met anyone interesting sitting alone in a car. On a bus, he said, you plugged directly into the pumping heart of humanity.
But I think he just said that because we couldn’t afford a car.
I’d never been on a date with a girl and I wasn’t sure what to do. I mean, did it involve kissing and stuff? In the end, we went to the big Sky City Multiplex and sat in comfortable leather chairs. About halfway through the movie Erica’s hand slipped quietly into mine, and we just stayed like that while Jennifer Love Hewitt got really upset about something I couldn’t understand and Will Smith took his shirt off a lot.
Afterwards, Erica gave me a quick peck on the cheek, like the darting glance of a bird, before the bus came, and that, really, was that.
My first date.