Short Story Saturday

David sat in his room, thinking about his approach to what he wanted to do.
His mother, Evangeline, had been difficult to live with, ever since that fateful day the crazy woman had kidnapped him. He could still taste the sugary grape kool-aide on his tongue. Since that day, 13 years ago, he had gone nowhere by himself. Up until he'd turned 15, she'd even waited for him outside the doors of public restrooms.
"Its not like she won't always know where I am at" he fumed, to himself. The micro-chip that had been inserted into his thigh when he was a newborn was good until he turned 18, that's how long the contract was for his parents had signed with Acme Lo-Jack for kids. His father, tired of his wife's paranoia, had left years ago. David didn't blame him, Evangeline's main focus was her son, and how to over protect him. She even had gone so far as to quit her job as the executive secretary of Steve Jobs, to take secretarial work at each school he attended. He still saw his Dad occasionally. He was happily re-married, and living in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Absently rubbing his thigh, David shook his head, thinking more about the situation he was in. It was May of his senior year in highschool, and he had asked Carley Jackson to the prom. To his shock, she'd said yes. David didn't date much because his mother insisted on following him on every date he'd gone on. He drove his car, she followed in hers. She didn't even wait outside, she came into the restaurants, or movie theaters. "Why shouldn't I eat, or see a movie?" she asked him, annoyed when he asked her not to do that.
Prom was different, though, and he'd had a crush on Carley since their sophomore year in highschool. He wanted to be able to spend the money he'd saved taking her to a NICE restaurant for dinner, and then on to the dance. Without his mother constantly looking over his shoulder. "Now if I can just think of a way to convince her" he thought to himself, turning up his Ipod, because his favorite band, Disturbed had come on.
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Evangeline set the table carefully for dinner. David had gone right to his room when they'd gotten home from school, backpack in tow, and the excuse of needing to study for a test. She knew the real truth, though. Working at the same school he attended was beneficial to her, in many ways. One of them was that teenaged kids could never keep a secret. By noon, she'd known that David had asked Carley to the prom, and that Carley had accepted.
Sighing, she considered her options. She could sign up to be a chaperone of the dance. David had not gone to any of the other school dances, because he knew that she would have signed up. This was the Prom, though, and his Senior year. She understood that he wanted some independence, yet, she was afraid to give it to him. She still remembered those hours when she didn't know where he was. It had been her worst nightmare.
She could follow him to the dance, and wait outside. But the venue of the dance had 3 exits, and he could get in and out without her noticing. She didn't want that to happen, either. She knew what most kids had planned for the prom. Go, and have their pictures taken, dance a few dances, then skip out, and go to a hotel where they could drink, and have sex. Well, her son would not be doing that. He was not 18 yet, and the tracking device in his leg was hers until he did turn 18. She was too young to be a grandmother, and planned on keeping him on the straight and narrow.
That led her to her next option. Let him go to the prom with Carley, and she would go to the Acme center, and watch from there. The Center was 45 minutes away, though, and if he took off in the other direction, she'd have a hard time getting back in time. "I wish we would have had the option of a portable GPS system" she thought for the millionth time.
Truth be told, she wasn't that worried about kidnapping, anymore. Young teenage boys were rarely taken, she knew. She was more worried about what trouble he could get into if she wasn't there to prevent it. Plus, old habits died hard. She found herself having panic attacks not knowing where he was at, especially when he was visiting his father in Scottsdale. Only phone calls to the Acme Center to check his where-abouts could make her feel better. It was a crutch, she knew, but she could not help herself.
She put on a pot of tea as she mulled over what to do about the situation. Soon, David stumbled out of his room, Ipod stuck in his ears. He shuffled around in the kitchen, obviously wanting to say something to her, but, yet, holding back. When her tea was brewed, she poured herself a cup, and, seeing her do that, David knew it was time to sit at the table for dinner. Taking his customary place, he waited, patiently as she dished out the Tuna Casserole she had made. Once he had his plate, they ate in silence. Only when dinner was done could he bring up the conversation. He still didn't know what he was going to say to her.
All too soon, dinner was over. Clearing his throat, David looked her in the eye.
"Mother" he said, voice cracking. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Excuse me, Mother?"
"Yes David" she answered, her heart already starting to speed up at the thought of losing her son.
"Carley has agreed to go to the prom with me. And, well. Seeing as how it is my senior year, and, umm, I am almost eighteen, I was thinking that I would take her, ALONE."
Blushing, he looked at the green shag carpet in their dining room. He really hoped that his mother would, for once, just agree to something without too much of a hassle.
"Alone?" she parroted back at him. "I don't know, David."
"You are going to have to let me go sometime" he thought, rebelliously. Trying to remain calm, he shoved his hands under the table so she would not see them shaking. His hands always shook when he was angry.
"It is just for a few hours, Mother" he answered. "Everyone is going to be there, lots of teachers as the chaperones."
"I know who is chaperoning" she snapped.
"Yes, sorry" he answered.
Thinking, she decided that she would let him go, and spend the evening over at the Acme Center. "If I let him go now, he will like me better, and not ask for awhile to do anything else" she thought. "Besides, I can still track him. And maybe, while I am there, I can finally convince them to extend my contract. (She'd been trying to convince them to do that for years.)
"Fine, you can go" she said, cringing at the sudden happiness that sprung up in his eyes.
"But you must be home by 2 am, or I am going to come after you" she stated, unneccesarily.
"Thank you mother" he replied, and ran towards his room, happy. Sighing, she got up and did the dishes.
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Carley waited impatiently for David to come pick her up. "He better not be late, and he better have a wrist corsage" she thought, wandering in front of the mirror to look at her dress, again. It had taken her a long time to pick the right dress, she had tried on countless gowns. What she was wearing was a classic black and white with plenty of lace. She'd gone with black and white so that David could wear a white tuxedo. She had always wanted her prom date to be in a white tux. She'd gotten him a white rose boutonierre, and expected him to have gotten her the matching corsage. (he had). Impatiently, she blew her bangs up, then, rushed back to the mirror to make sure she had not disturbed her up-do.
A few miles away, David was pacing. His Mother was taking her sweet time giving him the money for dinner. She insisted on keeping all the money he made hidden in her own mattress. He had told Carley he would be there by 7:30, and it was 7:40 already. Finally, his Mom came out with the cash.
"Thanks" he said, rushing out the door.
"Drive carefully!" she shouted after him, then gathered her own purse. Making sure he was gone, she headed to the Acme Center. By the time she got there, and got established in her own little cubicle, she was glad to see the little blip on the radar indicating that David was at the restaurant, Kane's, where he said he would be. Taking out her knitting, she kept an eye on the dot. About 2 hours later, it began to move, in the direction of the highschool. Smiling, she began to hum. Then, suddenly, the power in the entire building went out, and she was stuck, in the dark. She shrieked, tossing her knitting, she rushed to the door, only to discover that they were electronic. She could not get out...
David, dancing with Carley checked his watch and smiled. At his waste, his cellphone buzzed. Glancing down at the screen he read the message. "All Clear". Grinning, he spun her around, laughing into her green eyes.
"Ready to go, beautiful?" he asked, winking
"Absolutely" she answered. Together, they went out into the night, and towards the nearest Motel Six...