Yes & No

Back In Town

The feel of my soft, cool pillow against my face is so soothing that I fall asleep in minutes. Waking up an hour later, I hear the wind blowing against the side of my house, making the shingles whistle and the tree outside my bedroom window shake lightly. Immediately, I remembered that my dad would be home by five.

My alarm clock read: 4:28 pm. Only thirty-two minutes to spend by myself. Getting out of my bed quickly, I ran downstairs to the kitchen and warmed up some milk. Grabbing my polka-dot mug from the cabinet above the stove, I placed it to the side. After a minute of waiting for the milk to simmer, I turned off the stove and poured the warm milk into my mug.

Jumping onto a stool, I sat down at the marble kitchen countertop. Silently, I drank my mug of milk. After finishing my milk, I headed into the living room, and stretched across the cream, leather, L-shaped couch, and stared up at the ceiling. It wasn't long before I heard the front door unlock and my father walk in.

"Hey dad." I greeted him from the living room.

"Hey Emma. How was your day?" My dad asked in an effort to make conversation with me.

"Good. Yours?" I answered plainly.

"Great. Actually, it was better than great. I asked my coworker, Lila, out on a date- she said yes, was treated out to lunch, and had the chance to welcome a couple of people to my group. Remember Mich Jones, the boy who lived next door?" My dad asked as he poured himself a cup of cold coffee. When I heard him mention Mich's name, I jolted up from the couch and walked quickly into the kitchen.

"Yeah..."

"Well, I'm his new boss." My dad said.

Taken over by excitement and curiosity, I leaned back against the kitchen countertop, crossed my arms across my chest, and asked, "When did he arrive back in town?"

"Don't know. Don't care."

"Did he mention anything about me?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"Yes, he did. He told me to tell you, 'I'll be in nervana all afternoon.' Whatever that means... Hey, where are you going?" He asked. That was the last thing I heard him say to me before I left the house.

Running to the house next door, I ran around to the backyard and knocked on the back door three times. Then, I waited a second and knocked one more time. After standing outside for about five seconds, I heard someone scramble from inside the house to unlock the door.

"Missed me?" Mich asked, opening the door all the way. The grin that flashed across his face widened into a smile, exposing his perfect white, straight teeth. His looks had matured completely: his once acne-covered face was smooth, his arms and torso were muscular, and his hair was short and spiky but long enough for the strands to bends at the tips. He looked so grown-up that I felt shocked by the dramatic change in his appearance.

 Instead of answering him, I pulled him in for a hug. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was happy. So happy that I didn't realize how tightly I was hugging him until he gasped, "Need air."

"Sorry. I don't know what came over me-" I unwrapped my arms from around him and took a step back.

"It's okay. I'm fine, really I am." He tried to reassure me as he shrugged off the pain by stretching his arms side-to-side.

"So, when are you going to invite me in?" I asked, smiling sincerely.

"Right this way, my lady." Mich feigned in a nearly perfect British accent as he backed a few steps.  As soon I took a step inside the house my mind flooded with memories filled with laughter and tears. Instead of succumbing to the urge to shed joyful tears, I gulped and said, "I cannot grasp the fact that it's been four years since I saw you last... And look at you. You're all muscle." I said raising a hand towards his arms.

"I know. So much has changed in the past four years." Mich replied to me as he shut and locked the door, then turning around to lean back against it. As we stood in silence for a second, I noticed something on his ear. When I finally realized what it was, I asked, "Why do you have an earring?"

"Oh, long story short, my college dorm roommate, Nick, thought it'd be funny to pierce my ear while I was sleeping. When I woke up and discovered a hole in my earlobe, I beat the hell out of him."

"Why do you still have it?"

"I've grown used to having it. It doesn't bother me anymore, to tell you the truth," He explained as he walked to the other side of the room and got himself a can of soda from a refrigerator, "Soda?"

"No thanks. I'm good." I sat down on the cream couch that was layered with blankets. I observed Mich as he walked over to sit next to me. His eyes were the only thing about him that didn't change. The color of his eyes are a mix between pale blue and misty grey. I wish I had Mich's eyes. I thought but was interrupted by the sound of Mich's voice.

"So how's everything going for you?" He asked me as he sat back on the couch, placing his right foot onto the black oval coffee table in front of us, which, he then folded his left leg over his right.

"Okay, I guess... still haven't met the 'one'."

"Still?" I nodded, frowning.

"But-"

"What?" He scooted closer to me and stared at me with wide eyes.

"I did bump into a new guy at school. I heard he transferred from Midwood High. All I can say is that he seems sincere but his appearance was a little too much."

"When you say 'a little too much', what do you mean?"

"Everything he was wearing was brand named."

"Oh my god. He must be gay." Mich concluded. I couldn't help but laugh.

"I think he presents himself to others as someone they can relate too. On the inside, he's hiding his true self to prevent from being judged to quickly. He's different and he's afraid to admit it."

"He's different..." Mich repeated, starring at me with a smile.

"What?"

"It's just that I've never heard you use that word to describe someone before. Before I forget to ask, what's this kid's name?" Mich asked with his arms folded across his chest.

"Darrel Cole."

"Emma and Darrel sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-"He jumped up from the couch and started singing. Hearing me jump off the couch and run towards him, he turned around to face me, surprising me by grabbing my hips, and lifting me over his right shoulder like a farmer would do with a sack full of grain.

"Put... me... down!" I managed to demand bit through bit while laughing uncontrollably.

"Not until you embrace reality, Em!"

Like a dumb-dumb, I replied, "Huh?" Mich bursted out laughing and replied, "This guy could be your knight in shining armor: he could be your first boyfriend. All you have to do is open up to him and let him slowly develop some feelings for you. But answer this question for me. Do you have any feelings for him?" For a few seconds, I thought about how I should answer him. Just because I admitted that he was different didn't necessarily mean that I like him. I feel that I am defending someone I barely know, which everyone else would declare as caring and/or feeling something for him.

"Yes, I do."