The Only One

Check-In

When we stepped outside the doors of Lark Creek School, my dad's small dark car was visible in plain sight. I grasped Jess's wrist and pulled him toward the vehicle.

"Hey kids! How was school?" Dad asked, gesturing for both Jess and myself to get in the backseat.

"Good!" I smiled, fastening my seatbelt, Jess did the same.

"Jess, did Les tell you what we're having for dinner tonight?" he asked.

Jess shook his head and looked at me as if he was waiting for an explanation.

"He didn't tell me" I mouthed, Jess gave me a confused look and turned to face forward once again.

Dad drove us back to my house so we could freshen up and get ready for dinner. I still wondered what we were having and why he assumed I would've known beforehand.

Jess and I walked into my room, closing the door behind us. I sat on my bed and let Jess use the bathroom in my bedroom to wash up.

"Do you know anything about what we're having?" Jess asked, assuming I was withholding information.

"Not a clue, I swear."

When we got downstairs, Mom wasn't anywhere in sight. Usually by then she was at the stove cooking like there was no tomorrow.

"Where's Mom?" I asked.

"Your mother went out to meet with her sister, Joan."

"You're cooking dinner?" I spat, coming off ruder than I had intended to.

"No, I know how much you hate my cooking" he laughed, he clearly hadn't taken my comment to heart.

"What are we doing then?" Jess finally spoke, I glanced at him and smiled.

"Were going someplace special for dinner. I am going to meet your mother and Joan" my dad stammered.

"Alright, I'm fed up with this game. Tell us what's going on already" I spat, this time he did not take it well.

"Watch your tone, young lady or you won't be eating at all tonight!"

Jess's face grew pale with shock, not expecting a conversation such as that between me and my father.

I rolled my eyes and glued my mouth shut, vowing not to say another word. He wasn't really going to deprive me of dinner, but I can promise it wasn't going to be a good one, I knew that.

"Your mother thought it would be a nice idea if you and Jess spent some time together, y'know just the two of you" he began before interrupted.

"But we spend time alone together all the time. We're always spending time outside together after school" I said.

"I know but we've got something special planned for the upcoming month" he smiled.

"Month?" Both Jess and I gasped in sync, jaws hanging down.

"Your mother and I thought it would be nice to travel up to Arlington and spend some time with our family we left behind when we moved here" he started, Jess and I listened with amused expressions on our faces.

"Wait, what about Jess? What does this have to do with him?" I asked.

"Jess is welcome to come with us to Arlington. I know how upset you'd be if you didn't get to see him for a month's worth of time. Especially considering I know you have a little--"

"Dad! Shuuuusssh!" I whined. My face turned bright red.

"My parents would never let me go to Arlington and miss school for a whole month" Jess regretfully informed.