{"id":3597,"date":"2013-12-30T14:06:57","date_gmt":"2013-12-30T20:06:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/?page_id=3597"},"modified":"2026-02-23T01:02:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T06:02:24","slug":"mina02","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/extras\/vignettes-outtakes\/confessions\/mina02\/","title":{"rendered":"Slumming"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

SPRING 1987<\/p>\n

Mina: 17
\nBethlehem, Pennsylvania<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

MINA\u2019S FATHER CAUGHT her glancing at him<\/em> all through sacrament meeting, but, thankfully, all he could do, since he sat on the stand, was scowl at her. She\u2019d hear about it when she got home, though.<\/p>\n

She wondered if Greg, sitting on her right and holding her hand, had noticed. When she looked at him, he simply smiled that devastating smile. She gave him a weak smile in return and lowered her eyes.<\/p>\n

She had a hard time looking him in the eye, which was not normal for her.<\/p>\n

Once again, Mina wondered what was wrong with her. Half the girls in the stake wouldn\u2019t speak to her, and the other half said hurtful things about having a daddy who\u2019d give her anything she wanted, including a handsome, promising fianc\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Which was mostly true, but she didn\u2019t want<\/em> Greg. She wanted\u2014<\/p>\n

Oh, boy.<\/p>\n

She had a full-on crush on Mitch Hollander, and she\u2019d never even talked to him.<\/p>\n

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on what mood she was in when she thought about it, Elder Hollander hadn\u2019t so much as glanced her way all summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re looking a little peaked, love,\u201d Greg purred in her ear, and she shivered. She knew how it must seem to him, her shivering like that. But it wasn\u2019t the good kind of shiver, the kind of shiver she got from looking at not-quite-Elder Hollander.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t feel very well,\u201d she whispered. That wasn\u2019t true at the moment, but, unlike her father, Greg left her alone when she said that.<\/p>\n

True to form, he patted her hand and went back to listening to the talks.<\/p>\n

\u201cHI.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mina, standing in the hallway down range of the gym, started and turned to stare up at the boy she\u2019d been fantasizing about for the last two months. He was talking to her!<\/em> \u201cHi,\u201d she squeaked, trying to calm her pulse, moisten her mouth, and think of something not stupid to say all at the same time.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re Mina Monroe, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm \u2026 yes \u2026 ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Mitch Hollander. Would you like to dance?\u201d<\/p>\n

Would she ever! \u201cI can\u2019t\u2014 I don\u2019t know how to dance.\u201d Like you do.<\/em><\/p>\n

He smiled at her and she caught her breath. She\u2019d never seen him smile like that before, and it transformed his whole face, that wide smile that dug curved lines into his cheeks. \u201cThat\u2019s okay. I can teach you or \u2026 not. Doesn\u2019t matter to me. Do you want to dance or not?\u201d<\/p>\n

Truthfully, she didn\u2019t. She\u2019d had three soccer games that week and she was tired, but for Elder Hollander\u2014Mitch<\/em> \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t talk, but it was impossible, with the music playing, pounding fast, club music really. She tried to keep up, but it was all she could do to bounce up and down in time.<\/p>\n

\u201cMina,\u201d he half-yelled halfway through the song. She looked up at him to see concern written all over his face. \u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm \u2026 \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon,\u201d he murmured, taking her elbow, then carefully guiding her down the hall to the back of the building, weaving through the mass of bodies lining the walls, some of whom were bouncing up and down in time to the music while they talked.<\/p>\n

It was hot and muggy in August in Allentown, but she didn\u2019t really notice when he led her outside, across the lawn to a dark and secluded spot, and said, \u201cSit down. I\u2019ll be right back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mina didn\u2019t like this one bit. She was alone in the dark\u2014okay, well, there were several couples out here, but they were \u2026 busy<\/em>. She tried not to stare.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere,\u201d he said, scaring her half to death.<\/p>\n

She looked up and took the plastic cup of water he\u2019d gotten her. He dropped beside her while she drank, and she had to admit that she felt much better. Whether that was because she was being taken care of or because it was Elder Hollander\u2014Mitch<\/em>\u2014doing it, she didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d she whispered when she finished, then stared at the empty cup in her hands to keep from looking at him and betraying everything she\u2019d thought about him since she\u2019d first seen him six months ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sick?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

That got her attention and she looked at him. \u201cNo. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged. \u201cSometimes you don\u2019t look so great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mina felt the sting of tears as she looked at him, aghast that he would say such a rude thing. But \u2026 it was no more than what Coach Leonard had said to her father, and he was still taking her out of the game at the end of the third quarter no matter how much her father yelled at him.<\/p>\n

Mitch blinked. \u201cUm \u2026 I\u2019m sorry?\u201d he said uneasily. \u201cI guess that was kinda rude, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it was,\u201d she said crisply as she stood, her tears drying with her outrage.<\/p>\n

He shot to his feet and lightly clasped her fingertips in his to keep her from going back into the building. \u201cHey, I\u2019m sorry. Really.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did you talk to me?\u201d she snapped. \u201cDid my father say something to you and you\u2019re only talking to me to get back at him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe did say something to me,\u201d Mitch said.<\/p>\n

Mina\u2019s mouth dropped open. \u201cHe did?\u201d<\/p>\n

His face shuttered. \u201cYes. But that\u2019s not why I\u2019m talking to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

She crossed her arms over her chest. \u201cThen why are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just\u2014\u201d He sighed. \u201cYou always look so sad and alone,\u201d he finally said, no emotion in his voice. \u201cYou hardly ever dance. I was just trying to be nice. It won\u2019t happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mina turned to walk across the lawn back to the building. He walked with her, but was silent. When they reached the building, he opened and held the door for her. With a gentlemanly sweep of his arm, ushered her in, then disappeared.<\/p>\n

You always look so sad and alone.<\/em><\/p>\n

The phrase kept looping in her mind as she walked, her head bowed, back to the cacophony in the cultural hall, a mix of loud dance music and hundreds of people trying to talk over it. She had to dodge people in the halls and people gathered at the entrance to the gym, but \u2026 why did it bother her so much?<\/p>\n

It was true, what he\u2019d said.<\/p>\n

She never danced because she didn\u2019t know how\u2014<\/p>\n

No. Her mouth pursed. She wouldn\u2019t lie to herself.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t dance because it felt funny being almost engaged to Greg, and Greg never coming to the dances, and dancing with other boys, even though both her father and Greg felt that was all right as long as she didn\u2019t dance with any one boy too much.<\/p>\n

The Spanish music started, which it always did around this time of night, if Mitch Hollander had shown up. She stared at the dance floor, at him, at some of the other guys, the girls \u2026 Some time in the last few weeks, several people had learned how to dance like Mitch and Inez had danced\u2014or at least, they made a decent attempt at it.<\/p>\n

He danced with several of the girls, and it was clear to Mina that while he danced down to their level, he had taught each one of them, was teaching even as they danced now.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, she was mad and sad and frustrated and regretful all at the same time. She squared her shoulders and barged through the rings of people watching Mitch and his students dance to Latin music. She stomped across the dance floor and grabbed his arm. He stopped, gaped at her, but didn\u2019t protest when she pulled him away from his partner, off the dance floor, out the gym door, and outside, far enough away from the door to speak privately.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m practically engaged,\u201d she announced softly. \u201cBut it\u2019s not like \u2026 that. I mean, I don\u2019t\u2014 My almost-fianc\u00e9, he\u2019s\u2014\u201d Oh, no<\/em>. This was going so badly. \u201cI like you<\/em>,\u201d she blurted.<\/p>\n

His mouth dropped open.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to know why you asked me to dance. The real<\/em> reason. Because I saw you making out with Inez when you first got home.\u201d<\/p>\n

He took a deep breath and looked off into the distance, let his breath out in a long whoosh, and ran his fingers back through his shaggy curly blond hair that looked awful cute right then.<\/p>\n

\u201cMina, um \u2026 \u201d He opened and closed his mouth. Opened it again. \u201cI think the more important question is why you\u2019re telling me you like me if you\u2019re engaged.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet,\u201d she hastened to assure him, not liking that he\u2019d turned the tables on her. She didn\u2019t feel<\/em> engaged. \u201cI\u2019m not engaged yet. It\u2019s \u2026 something my father wants.\u201d That sounded ridiculous.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you telling me your father arranged for you to marry somebody?\u201d he asked, dumbfounded.<\/p>\n

Oh. That did sound bad. \u201cWell,\u201d she said in a very small voice. \u201cYeah. I guess. Kind of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2019re just going to go along with it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t know what else to do!\u201d she cried and stomped her foot. \u201cI would be stupid not to marry him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho, exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGreg Sitkaris.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mitch stiffened, stared at her stonily. \u201cIs this a setup your father and Greg cooked up to embarrass me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?!\u201d she squeaked, about to cry, seeing an obstacle she hadn\u2019t thought about. \u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, I don\u2019t know what your game is, but I thought you were a cute, sad, lonely looking girl who needed a friend and a hug, and maybe a kiss or two. But I don\u2019t really want to get mixed up in your dad and fianc\u00e9\u2019s plans.\u201d She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand. \u201cI\u2019ll admit I wouldn\u2019t have noticed you if your dad hadn\u2019t warned me off pretty hard, but if I didn\u2019t think I might like to get to know you, I wouldn\u2019t have talked to you just to make your dad mad. I don\u2019t care what he thinks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, what? You only noticed me because of my dad?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d he drawled caustically. \u201cSo you can see how I\u2019d be a little suspicious that you\u2019re saying you\u2019re engaged but not really but you like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can I prove to you it\u2019s not?\u201d<\/p>\n

He blinked. \u201cUh \u2026 \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you like me?\u201d Mina insisted.<\/p>\n

He hesitated. \u201cWell, so far so good, I guess,\u201d he said slowly. \u201cI\u2019d like to find out better, but \u2026 I\u2019m still not sure you aren\u2019t playing me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen let me prove it to you,\u201d she said, almost desperate now.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, so either you\u2019re setting me up or you want me to rescue you from this thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rescue \u2026 It wasn\u2019t a bad idea, but that wasn\u2019t the<\/em> idea. The<\/em> idea was that Mina liked Mitch.<\/p>\n

And he would never believe it.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever mind,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo out with me,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s how you can prove it. Tell your dad I\u2019m taking you out. I\u2019ll pick you up, take you home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everything her father had ever said about that kid<\/em> Mitch Hollander ran through Mina\u2019s head and her heart stopped. \u201cUm \u2026 I\u2014\u201d There was a price<\/em> to pay to have Mitch Hollander\u2019s attention, and she had never thought about how high that price might be. \u201cOh, I don\u2019t think so. My dad would \u2026 \u201d<\/p>\n

His lip curled. \u201cI see. I\u2019m just a low-class steeler bad boy and you wanted to go slumming in secret for a while before your rich boyfriend decides to marry you. What, was I the one thing daddy won\u2019t give you and you\u2019re throwing a fit?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mina thought her chest had been kicked in, but she was well trained and she did not<\/em> cry.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d she said, lifting her chin. \u201cI\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stared at her for what seemed forever, still suspicious. \u201cAll right,\u201d he echoed slowly, \u201cI\u2019ll pick you up next Friday at seven. Dinner and a movie. I can\u2019t afford much more. I\u2019m saving to go to college.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n

His mouth tightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not what you think,\u201d she said in a rush. \u201cI have a soccer game. I can\u2019t miss it. I\u2019m starting forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

That<\/em> got his attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you come see me play?\u201d she asked, breathless. Greg had never gone to one of her games.<\/p>\n

\u201cUm, okay,\u201d he said. \u201cSure. I\u2019d like that. Maybe \u2026 after?\u201d<\/p>\n

This is where it got tricky. Mina bit her lip. \u201cNot after. I\u2019m always \u2026 I\u2019m tired after. I have to sleep. I don\u2019t\u2014 My coach won\u2019t let me play the fourth quarter ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked at her and tilted his head. \u201cThere is something wrong with you, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t think so. Just \u2026 I don\u2019t have as much stamina as everybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you\u2019re a starter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. I rack up the goals and then let everybody else carry it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He flashed her that wonderful grin then. \u201cIs that right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s rad. Okay, what about Saturday night? Dinner and a movie?\u201d<\/p>\n

Greg was supposed to be out of town again.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d she whispered, the problem having resurfaced.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne condition.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d She didn\u2019t really want to know.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t lie about where you\u2019re going or who you\u2019re going with. No girlfriends or mom or sisters running interference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mina gulped. \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n

★<\/p>\n

\nMina Part 1<\/a>
\nMina Part 2<\/span>
\nMina Part 3<\/a>
\nMina Part 4<\/a>
\nMina Part 5<\/a>
\nMina Part 6<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
20260222<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SPRING 1987 Mina: 17 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania MINA\u2019S FATHER CAUGHT her glancing at him all through sacrament meeting, but, thankfully, all he could do, since he sat on the stand, was scowl at her. She\u2019d hear about it when she got home, though. She wondered if Greg, sitting on her right and holding her hand, had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1599,"menu_order":4312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3597","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3597"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3597"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3597\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23577,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3597\/revisions\/23577"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}