APPEARANCES     by Jon C. Gilbert

    It was during a baseball game that Clyde asked Jason about taking Janice Newsome to the stock car races at the county fair.
    "Janice? You've got to be kidding! Did you line me up with her?" Jason's heart began to beat with the adrenaline rush of a trapped animal. He looked around to see if anyone else in the dugout was listening.
    Clyde grinned. "Ah, come on! The woman needs a night out, you know? She won't win any beauty contests, probably wouldn't even place. Who knows? You might have fun! Besides, she's Sally's best friend. The four of us could go together."
    "That's it, isn't it?" Jason asked. Sally won't go out with you if you don't find a date for Janice, right?" Clyde didn't answer. "Right?" Jason repeated, grabbing Clyde's shoulder and forcing him to look at him.
    "Something like that," Clyde mumbled. "But we'll still have a good time! Tell you what--I'll buy the tickets. What do you say? Deal?"
    "Oh, all right, I'll go." Jason didn't like being railroaded into anything, but he did feel sorry for Janice. At times he had made fun of her behind her back. This was his chance to make up for it.
    Clyde was beaming. "It's a short walk, about six blocks from Janice's house. She's expecting you around 6:30 Friday night. We'll meet you at the gate."
    As Friday arrived Jason became nonchalant, equating it with cleaning the garage or studying. It was just something that had to be done.
    He surprised himself by whistling as he began the walk from his house to Janice's. Dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved shirt, he felt comfortable. His beat-up tennis shoes seemed molded to his feet.
There was a bounce in his step as he approached her grey stucco house, sprang up the steps and rang the bell. The front door opened. The sight of Janice sent him into shock.
    "Hi, Jason!" she smiled. "Right on time! We better get going. Walking might take me awhile in these shoes."
    "Yeah, fine," said Jason, still reeling from Janice's appearance. Didn't she know how to dress? I can't do this! I can't be seen with her! I'll be laughed at for weeks! She was dressed in a pink prom dress. All that was missing was the corsage, and he almost felt guilty for not bringing one. Nervously, he looked down at the porch, only to encounter two pink shoes with spiked heels. 'Why?' he asked himself. Probably because she didn't get out much and wanted to look her best. A joke! That was it! Something Clyde and Sally had set up with Janice to shake him up. She'll probably start laughing and invite him in to meet her parents while she goes upstairs to change. He waited for the laugh. It never came.
    "It's a great evening for a walk, don't you think?" She grabbed his arm and almost lifted him down the steps. She was big for her age.
    Jason figured this must be what hell is like; being seen with the best dressed girl, dressed for the wrong occasion. Cars honked, and his friends waved as they drove past. He wanted to melt into the sidewalk.
    Janice beamed. "You've got lots of friends, Jason! It must be nice to be so popular." Envy was in her voice.
    He wanted to tell her they were honking because of her, but he didn't have the heart. "Popularity is a fading thing," he said. "Sometimes you have it, sometimes you don't. It's really not all that important."
    "That's what my father keeps telling me," said Janice. "He says people have to accept you for what you are. You shouldn't try to be what you think they want you to be. True friends will like you despite your faults. Do you think he's right?" She pulled Jason a little closer, as if she might miss his answer if he mumbled it too softly.
    "Yeah, I guess," he murmured.
    The sidewalk ended and gave way to the gravel drive that led to the fairgrounds. The smell of cotton candy drifted in the air, and they were soon surrounded by all the sounds and sights of a running carnival. The ground was dusty from the thousands of people that had passed over it during the week. Jason looked down and noticed that Janice's shoes were no longer pink.
    "You're shoes are getting dirty," he said, as he voiced his first recognition of her attire.
    "That's okay," she said, flashing him a huge smile. "I'm enjoying myself. I don't even care if my dress gets ruined." She glanced at the line of people waiting for the bumper cars.
    "Jason! Janice! Over here!" Clyde's voice cut through the din of shouts and laughter coming from the carousel and ferris wheel.
    Jason turned and saw Sally aiming a cork gun at some moving targets at a booth beside the race track as Clyde approached.
    "Right on time!" Clyde gave Jason a wink. "You look great, Janice!"
    Jason couldn't believe Clyde's attitude. This mess was all his fault.
    Clyde paid for the tickets and the foursome climbed into the bleachers. The races would soon begin. Sally looked at Janice and they both laughed. Jason didn't know what was so funny.
    Two hours later the races ended. The dust raised from the speeding stock cars and the dirt and grime of the bleachers had not been kind to Janice's dress.
    Clyde and Sally went their way, while Jason walked Janice home. If it hadn't been for the dress, Jason would have enjoyed himself. Janice had a personality that shined. He liked her, but--"I'm sorry about your dress. Maybe your mom can have it cleaned, make it look as good as new." They climbed the steps to her front porch.
    Janice turned at the door, and took his hand. "The dress isn't important. Listen. I know it was the wrong thing to wear. I wore it to see how you would react. If I embarrassed you, or made you sorry you took me out, I apologize. I had to see if Dad was right. I wanted to know if you were someone who could accept me as I am. Sometimes I do crazy things just for the fun of it. I'm not the best looking girl around, but I'm not stupid. I took a chance with you, hoping you'd take a chance with me." Her blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight.
    Jason felt numb. "You knew the dress wasn't appropriate?"
    "That's right."
    "You didn't care what other people thought?"
    "Nope."
    Jason's mind was reeling. Maybe Janice and her dad were right. Too many people cared about what other people thought. Perhaps it was time to be an individual.
    "Janice, I--"
    "What, Jason?"
    "I want to see you again. How about a movie tomorrow night?"
    Janice leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. "I'd love that! Call me!" she said as she disappeared inside the house.
    Jason started walking home, a bounce in his step. He surprised himself by whistling.
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