By Lenore Butcher
2015 Winner: Young Adult
TORY
The night before she saw the Burning Man for the first time, Tory went on her fourth date with the baddest boy from Karn Avenue and she saw her first ghost. Thinking back on it much later, after sheโd gone through everything else, she couldnโt sort out if the two were related or not.
The date was at a local restaurant, a little place calling itself a โbistroโ that used to be a dance bar. Before it was a dance bar, it had been an upscale restaurant and before that it had been a heritage landmark, the former dwelling of one of the townโs upper muckity mucks.
It was definitely not the kind of place youโd expect to see the local drug dealer and her biker boyfriend. Tory loved shaking up the straights, going places she knew they didnโt want her.
The bad boyโs name was Kiel and he had a motorcycle, long hair and an earring. Theyโd met at a party way out in the sticks, somewhere around Drumbo on some dudeโs farm. Their host had gotten really piked on meth and ended up face down in horse shit, calling it pudding. His neighbours had called the cops, everyone else had taken off into the bush and sheโd gotten a ride back to town with Kiel.
So now she was sitting with Kiel, watching him toy with his long shaggy dark hair as he read the menu, glorying in the surreptitious side glances she was getting from the restaurantโs other inhabitants.
โWhat looks good?โ he asked her. โI donโt think we can get served alcohol here, do you?โ
She shook her head. โDoubt it.โ The snotty little waitress whoโd flung their menus at them before retreating to her safe zone behind the dessert bar knew Tory from high school. They had math together and sheโd know Tory wasnโt twenty, no matter what her fake ID said. Tory couldnโt think of the snotty girlโs name. It was a V nameโฆ Violetโฆ Viola… Vaginaโฆ Virginโฆ She watched as the girl fumbled her phone out of her pants pocket and began furiously texting, no doubt apprising her besties about her encounter with the punks at the bistro.
โDoesnโt matter,โ she added, โI have beer back at my place if you want to come over after the movie,โ she offered.
He gasped in mock dismay. โOn a school night? Oh, Tory Matthews, you naughty girl!โ
She giggled, shaking her head at him. Kiel was the coolest boyfriend ever. He was older and he had that motorcycle. A Harley, a real one, not some stupid piece of shit jacked up crotch rocket like most of the boys she knew rode.
She looked down at her menu, then up again, and that was when she saw the ghost.
The ghost was sitting on the steps leading up to the little fireside lounge that dominated the left hand side of the room. Tory was reasonably sure it was a ghost the moment she saw it, or rather her. It was a young woman, maybe a year or two older than Tory and definitely a ghost. The first clue was the womanโs dress, it wasnโt from this year or even this century. There was also a vagueness to her, her outline was almost blurry, like if Tory hadnโt seen her at just the right angle she wouldnโt have been visible at all.
One of the restaurant patrons stepped down and through the ghost and that clinched it for Tory. She was seeing an actual ghost. Only Tory and nobody else could see her, apparently, since nobody else seemed to be reacting to her appearance.
The woman just sat quietly for a few more minutes, as long as Tory was staring at her, and then she just seemed to fade away.
Tory shook her head, realized Kiel had said something and she looked at him.
โDid you say something?โ
โWere you daydreaming? Thinking about my hot body again?โ
She giggled, reached up to play with a lank of her long dark brown hair. โDonโt flatter yourself,โ she said archly, โI was just hoping you wouldnโt order anything with cheese tonight. You know how gassy it makes you.โ
โAnd for that, Iโm going to have this ultimate cheeseburger.โ He pointed it out on the menu. โAnd those cheesy fries, and maybe some cheesecake for dessert.โ
โWould you like a cheese milk shake with that?โ she added with a teasing grin.
โThey donโt have anything like that,โ he answered her, โAlthough just think of how awesome a cheese milkshake would beโฆโ
โUm. Not,โ was her answer.
โAnd what will you have?โ he asked her in a mincing little voice. โA salad and a glass of water and one single dry breadstick?โ
โIโm thinking steak, baked potato with sour cream and bacon actually.โ
โThatโs my girl.โ He folded his menu up and set it aside with hers.
Their waitress looked over at them and then returned to texting, her fingers flying over the keys of her iPhone. Kiel cleared his throat, softly once, then more ostentatiously when she didnโt move towards them. She looked down, pretending to not have noticed.
โOh forโฆโ Kiel snapped his fingers. โHey, Lulu Lemonheadโฆ. We need service here please and thank you.โ
With a sullen eye roll she shuffled reluctantly across the room to take their order. Tory was still stuck on her name. It wasnโt a V, but there was a V in itโฆ Yvetteโฆ Yvonneโฆ Ivankaโฆ No, none of them were right either. It was starting to drive Tory a little crazy trying to figure it out.
โYeah?โ the waitress asked, her pad and pen still in the pocket of her apron.
โYouโre probably going to want to write this down,โ Kiel prompted. โSo, you know, itโll be right.โ
A silent battle of wills ensued where she stood stolidly staring at him and Kiel looked back up at her, his dark eyes unfathomable, his expression implacable.
Another eye roll accompanied her finally pulling out her pad and pen.
โWhat wouldja like?โ she said, her hip canting to the side as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
โWell I will have your delicious cheese burger supreme, and I would like cheese on my fries. My charming dining companion will have the steak and baked potato with sour cream and bacon.โ
She scrawled it all down. โAnd to drink?โ
โI suppose beer is out of the question?โ His proposal was met with stony silence. โOh well then, I guess a milk shake for me andโฆ what do you want to drink, Tory?โ
โUmmm I guess a ginger aleโฆโ She was coming down off a bit of an oxy buzz and she didnโt want heavy caffeine to interfere with her mellow. Even the ginger ale might be too much for her to stomach because of the sweetness but she just didnโt like diet drinks. Putting chemicals like aspartame into your body was just too much for it. It wasnโt natural.
Their waitress trudged her way into the kitchen to put their order in.
โDo you think we should eat it when it comes?โ Tory asked him. โShe might get the chef to put something in itโฆโ
โWell then we can call it our very own version of Russian Roulette,โ he grinned. โHey, do you want to hear a joke?โ
โSureโฆโ
โWhy did Sally fall off the swing?โ
โWhy?โ
โShe didnโt have any arms.โ
Tory didnโt laugh at it and neither did he. Kiel was looking at her with the patient expression of someone who knew sheโd eventually get it. She didnโt, and she waited for him to explain it.
Instead he followed up with, โKnock knock.โ
On more familiar territory, she immediately responded with, โWhoโs there?โ
He grinned broadly. โNot Sally!โ
It made her let out a surprised laugh that was more a snort and that made him laugh harder, so the two of them disturbed the restaurant with their mingled snorts and laughs.
The waitress appeared, dropped their drinks in front of them. Ginger ale sloshed out of Toryโs glass but there was no apology and no offer of extra napkins to sop up the mess. She stormed away from their table without any word to either of them.
โHow long do you think our food is going to be?โ Tory asked him.
โI think awhile. This place is known for itsโ freshness,โ he answered.
โTo say nothing of the vivacious staff,โ she commented, โSo very helpful.โ
โYes,โ he agreed. โI was utterly charmed. I think a special tip will be in order for our server.โ
โI would just make sure your change is right,โ she advised him. โI know her from math class.โ Tory was in remedial math, a basic course designed for those who werenโt destined for future higher education. She had a part time job in a machine shop that she was hoping to parlay into an apprenticeship when she finished grade twelve.
โDuly noted,โ he nodded. โWe do have some time before the movie, so I think weโre okay on that score, if thatโs what youโre worried about. Being late for the movie, I mean.โ
โNo, not that.โ She looked over at the steps. The ghost was back, still just sitting there and Tory took a closer look at her.
She wasnโt very old, perhaps a year or two older than Tory and she wore a dress that cinched in at her waist with very long voluminous skirts. She held a shawl wrapped around her upper body and she was leaning against the railing of the steps, her eyes half closed, obviously not seeing the world around her. Tory wondered what the ghost saw from her side, and why she was still here.
โThis place has quite a history,โ Kiel remarked. โDo you know what it was before?โ
โDance bar for dumb rich kids,โ Tory shrugged. โMy mom used to make a lot of money here on Saturday nights sellingโฆโ She didnโt elaborate. Kiel knew about her family and he didnโt judge either her or her mother for what theyโd done to get by, to keep the lights on and food in their bellies. It was just the two of them. Tory never met her dad. He was long gone before Tory was even born and it had been just Tory and her mom ever since. So if Renee Matthews had made money selling a bit of dope, a bit of methโฆ or her own body just to feed herself and her child, Kiel wasnโt about to condemn her for it.
โNo I meant before that,โ he said.
She thought. โIt used to be some kind of fancy restaurant,โ she said, โBut that would have been way before you moved here. Didnโt you say you only moved here like two years ago?โ
โThree, actually,โ he corrected her, โAnd yes youโre right, the restaurant was way before my time, but Iโm kind of a history buff about places. I like to read up on where Iโm living, know what kind of people were there before me. And long before this was anything commercial, it was the home of a very rich man who did very nasty things to his servants. Itโs rumoured that those servants have cursed this place and no business here will ever succeed. Itโs supposedly the most haunted place in Oxford County. I heard the fact that itโs so haunted is even on the deed to this place.โ
โWell if this place goes under, it wonโt be because of the ghosts, itโll be the snotty waitresses that take it out,โ Tory ventured, wondering why heโd brought her here and why heโd started talking about ghosts โ just at the same moment when sheโd seen one.
โThat too,โ he said. โBut you have to admit, itโs actually a really nice restaurant.โ
โOh it is,โ she agreed, โMaybe we can come some other nightโฆ when the staff are feeling more congenialโฆโ
She didnโt think that would ever happen. She was used to it. Neither she nor Kiel were what youโd call an โad for the Gapโ. They both wore blue jeans and Kiel had his leather chaps over his, as well as a black leather vest over his plain white t-shirt. She was wearing a plain black t-shirt, but she knew her facial piercing and multiple ear piercings were quite often causes for alarm with typical folk.
โAhh, here we are,โ Kiel greeted the reappearance of their waitress. She held a plate in each hand and set each one down in turn with a thump.
Tory was glad to see both their meals appeared to be as theyโd been ordered and neither had been โaddedโ to in any way that was obvious.
The waitress didnโt check to see if they needed anything else, and fled to her safe spot on the other side of the dining room before either of them could ask for anything. With mutual shrugs, they both dove into their meals.
โHow is it?โ he asked her when he came up for air after devouring half of his cheeseburger.
โItโs great,โ she answered him, โAnd yours?โ
โReally good. Weโll have to come back another time. Maybe you could put on your prettiest pinafore and I could wear my top hat and ascot,โ he joked.
โFuckโem,โ she concluded bluntly, โThey have to take us as we are.โ
โLove your spirit,โ he grinned, โYes, fuckโem all. But not our waitress. I donโt dig corpses, baby.โ
Kiel made her giggle so much she almost felt as though ginger ale would come out of her nose. She didnโt want that, so she reined it in.
The second she took her last bite of steak the waitress was back to their table. Mavis, she remembered. The waitress was Mavis. Stupid name for a stupid girl. Why didnโt the restaurant make them wear name tags? It would have been easier for Tory than struggling all meal to try to remember the name of a girl she didnโt even like.
โYou want your bill?โ Mavis said. It was the most words sheโd said to them all night long.
โI think weโd like to hear about your desserts actually,โ Kiel said, folding his hands on the table and looking up at her. He was being overly polite and well-mannered, but Tory could tell from the dancing light in his eyes he was having one over on poor stupid Mavis.
โWeโre out,โ she mumbled.
โOf all of them?โ he asked in astonishment. He pointed to the dessert display case, which was apparently Mavisโ favourite hiding spot. Three cakes were all prominently displayed under a sign that read โTonightโs special dessertsโ.
โEven those?โ he asked incredulously.
โYeah.โ She tore off the bill and threw it down. โPay on your way out.โ
Before he could say anything else, she was gone down the hall toward the kitchen. Tory heard her calling out to someone named โJudyโ and telling her to โcash out my table, Iโm going for a smokeโ.
Kiel looked down at the bill, shook his head and groaned.
โShe made a mistake, didnโt she?โ Tory asked.
He nodded. โYeah.โ
She tried to avoid sounding overly smug. โTold ya.โ
A new waitress came out of the back room, smoothing down her black apron. Her smile and her step faltered only slightly when she saw Tory and Kiel, but by the time she got to their table, she had her professional face on. This other waitress was markedly older than Mavis. Since she was an adult, she obviously didnโt know Toryโs reputation from school.
โCan I help you?โ she asked. โI believe itโs Mavisโ break time. Were you ready to pay?โ
โWe had originally wanted dessert,โ Kiel answered her, โBut now itโs getting late, so the Countess and I have to get going. We have reservations for the opera you know.โ
The woman stared at him, obviously not sure how to take his sense of humour. Tory stepped in.
โItโs fine, we have to get going anyhow, but I think thereโs a problem with our bill if you could just checkโฆโ She handed it to the waitress who seemed to be mentally adding it up, then she frowned.
โIโm sorry. You are correct, the bill is added wrongโฆ Iโll take ten percent off. Would that be satisfactory?โ
Kiel nodded reluctantly. โI supposeโฆโ
They paid exactly what was on the bill after the total was adjusted in their favour.
โIf I was a different kind of dude, Iโd give her a big tip to teach her a life lesson about not taking things at face value and being able to see whatโs underneath,โ Kiel commented to Tory as they left the restaurant. โBut tonight I donโt feel like that kind of dude. In fact, is it a bit wrong that I overheard Judy saying that chickโs pay is going to be short to make up for making the mistake with her bill and Iโm kind of happy about it? Do you think that makes me a bad person?โ
โNah, I donโt think so,โ she answered him, taking her helmet from his hand as he held it out to her. โSheโs a cow. She deserves it.โ
โAgreed.โ He strapped on his helmet. They might sell some pills now and then, and Tory might be guilty of underage drinking, but they werenโt going to get caught breaking helmet laws!
He climbed onto his motorcycle and she swung up behind him, snuggling in close, her chest pressing against his back, her arms wrapping around his waist. She loved this part of their date nights โ rocketing through town on the back of his bike, the wind in her face, his hard body pressing against hers. It was intoxicating, almost better than anything she ever got from beer or oxy.
They roared through town on the bike, the heavy motor yowling like an angry tiger, letting people know they were on the move.
He pulled off on a side street before they got to the theatre. He cut the engine back to an idle, his heels coming down to rest on the pavement, straddling and balancing the bike with his long legs. He half turned to face her, his hand coming up to push his helmet visor up so he could speak to her.
โHey, you wanna blow off the movie and head to your place instead?โ he asked. โDid you really want to see the movie?โ
She shook her head. โNot really. It sounded kind of lame. I only wanted to go because you wanted to go.โ
โWell maybe I donโt wanna go now,โ he hedged. โMaybe I wanna go home and be with you.โ
Shit like that made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like what they had was the real thing – the kind of thing girls like her didnโt usually find in towns like Woodstock.
She decided to play it coy. โThat would be cool too,โ she said, โYou know, whatever you want. Renee wonโt be home for hours.โ Tory hadnโt called her mother โMomโ since she was eight years old.
He turned more towards her, so his gaze met hers squarely, honestly.
โI want to be alone with you,โ he said directly.
She grinned. โThen letโs go,โ she said.
About this story
This was my second year at the Muskoka Novel Marathon and my only win — so far! This was an odd one – I’d spent the better part of the year planning and researching one novel, as I usually do for the Marathon, only to have this one suddenly come to me the week before the marathon.