Smile Innocently Lie Easily

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Jeremy was pacing around his room nervously as Rachel and his mom sat on the bed trying to help him find something to wear.

“What is wrong with that you have on?” Rachel asked slowly, hoping to understand what she deemed what wasn’t possible to understand.

“He wore that to school honey.” His mother explained with more patience than he had at the moment. “That shirt I suggested was good.”

“Mom I don’t want to look like a ten year old going to church.” He ran his hands over his hair for what felt like the hundredth time that hour.

“You don’t look ten; you’re too tall to be ten.” Rachel teased. “Wear a tight t-shirt, show off the goods.” This made his mother laugh and the fact they were joking bothered him, he needed their help not jokes. Rachel looked at him and started to see his fear. “Ok we’ll be serious now.” she hopped off the bed and moved to his closet. “I was serious; you can wear something that will make her drool.”

“I don’t make girls drool.” He moved to the bed and sat with his mom.

“Don’t make me hit you.” Rachel said with a groan. “What I pick you wear or….you’ll regret it.” he knew to take that threat seriously.  A moment later she handed him a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. “You are forbidden from wearing another shirt over it, no button shirts.” She pushed him off the bed and sat down in her previous spot.

His mom kept laughing. “Go get ready before you’re late.” She said to her son as he glared at Rachel from the floor where he fell. Jeremy got up and left to the bathroom to get ready, it didn’t seem like his mother and Rachel wanted to clear out.

He was shaking and didn’t know if he could handle this. What if he tripped and fell on his face, what if he said something stupid? He couldn’t stand Lisa up, he respected her too much for that. He had to go even if he was scared out of his mind.

He pulled on the jeans then the t-shirt Rachel picked, it was a t-shirt he normally wore under another one, it was tight around his arms and knowing Rachel that was probably the point. He valued her friendship but sometimes she was just too pushy.

A loud knock on the bathroom door made him jump. “Come on before you’re late! Stop fusing like a girl and get out here!” Rachel yelled from behind the door.

Definitely too pushy.

He combed his hair again, letting it stand up in different odd angles and hoped this night wasn’t a complete disaster. He opened the bathroom door and Rachel was still there.

She took one look at him and sighed. “It’ll be ok. You have to perk up before Lisa notices how scared you are. You look miserable right now.”

“What is she doesn’t like me?” Jeremy felt like a fool.

“Then she’s a fucking idiot.” Her big green eyes were serious. “You’re gonna go and have a great time and if you don’t and she hurts you in anyway I will fucking chop her to little pieces.”

“Is that your way of saying you love me too?”

Her cheeks turned a little pink, she wasn’t all that comfortable with emotions and admittance of feelings. “Damn right. You don’t want me to go to jail for murder so go, pick her up, smile, go out and have a good time.” She said as she pulled him out the bathroom then pushed him all the way to the living room.

“She’s right honey.” His mom said with a smile. “Well without so much vulgar language.” She added with a laugh.

“You know you love it Mrs. H.” Rachel smiled at his mother then turned back to him. “Go pick her up and when you get back we want some juicy details.”

Jeremy plastered a smile on his face, said goodbye to his mom and Rachel then left his home. He wanted to get to know Lisa and have a good experience but at the same time he couldn’t want for it to be over.

“I’m nervous.” Mrs. Hansen said with the emotion all over her face.

“He’ll be fine.” Rachel said when in all reality she was nervous too. She didn’t want her best friend to get his heart broken and if the date went bad that’s exactly what would happen. “We should bake to get your mind off of it.”

Mrs. Hansen laughed. “That was a bit transparent.”

Rachel shrugged ad followed the older woman into the kitchen. “What can I say? While dinner was good I can still fit more in here.” She patted her stomach.

Mrs. Hansen pulled out some cookie dough left over from earlier. “Have you talked to your mother about staying here?”

Rachel’s shoulders fell; she became instantly became depressed at the thought of her mom and her home life. “I left a note saying I wouldn’t be home tonight. I thought about going home after school and getting a few things.”

“Have you ever tried telling her what you feel about how her indifference bothers you?”

“It’s a lost cause I’d rather not talk about. I don’t know what Jeremy told you but it wasn’t that bad. I was just lonely at home alone.” she felt the need to protect her mother from judgment. “How do you think the date will go?”

“For my son’s sake I hope its perfect even though I know nothing about this girl.”

“She’s the goody two shoes type and I think she’s a little stuck up but he doesn’t agree. She’s pretty in that generic way I guess and pretty smart.” If Rachel had to guess she’d say Jeremy was attracted to Lisa more for her mind than anything else.

“What about you? Any boys you’re interested in?”

Rachel laughed and nearly choked on the piece of cookie dough she managed to steal. “Yeah right, have you seen me? I’m the resident freak outside of the goth kids at school. No sane boy would come in ten feet of me.” she loved Mrs. Hansen for being the sweetheart she was but Rachel and dating were a lost cause, it just couldn’t be done.