Dancing Around // peter parker

5

After school, I came straight home and ate dinner before getting ready for the party. I put on my favorite red dress with a white collar attached to it, and my favorite heels, and had my camera around my neck. I called my mom twice to tell her I would be out. The first time was when I had barely gotten home and the second time was when I was about to leave. I was greeted by her voicemail both times and decided to leave a message.

She didn't check her voicemail too often, though, so last minute I decided to leave a note on the fridge. It read, 'Out with friends at a party. Won't be out late.' I stared at it for a bit, going back and forth with myself, wondering if I should add something equivalent to a 'Love you'. I ended up putting 'Luv u', but even that made me feel exposed.

I went to Cindy's place first. I was greeted by her mom at the door. She told me to replace my shoes with a pair of slippers before rushing me to the kitchen. She offered me tea and a seat across from her at their family dinner table. Cindy's place was twice the size of Parker's apartment and made mine look like a walk-in shoe closet. Did everyone have bigger homes than me?

"So, how do you know Cindy?" her mom asked. She seemed friendly and nice, yet distant. She was right in front of me, but I felt like if I extended my arm out to her, I wouldn't be able to make contact.

"We're on the soccer team together."

"How's that?"

"The soccer team?"

"Yes."

"It's okay."

"You know, I always found it so strange that a school that is supposed to focus on STEM programs has outside activities like sports," she said.

"Yeah, I guess it is a bit weird." I took a sip of my tea. The cup had a pretty floral print around it.

"So, what do you want to be when you grow up?" she asked.

I looked down at my tea, trying to figure out what to say, before looking at her with a kind smile. I hated that question. It was like a knock on my brain, reminding me that eventually, I would have to decide. "I don't know yet."

Cindy's mom gave me a warm smile. "Maybe you'll be a soccer player."

Instantly, I relaxed and giggled. "Maybe I will."

Once Cindy came out of her room ready with jeans and a cute shirt, she hurried me out of her apartment and down the stairs of the building, saying she was afraid of running into her father. "Your mom's nice," I told her once we were out of the building and making our way toward Sally's.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess. She keeps a lot to herself though. We only ever talk about me."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"I never said it was bad for me, but I worry about her, you know? I don't want to be her diary or anything... I just wished she would open up to me. Just a little. I mean, I don't really even know who she is because she never lets me know anything about her." She looked at me. "How's your mom?"

"She...works a lot." I coughed, trying to move away from the subject. Fearing she was going to ask more about my mom, I quickly changed the subject, looking at my camera hanging from my neck. "I brought my camera. Back in my hometown, I would take pictures of people during parties. It got me in so much trouble," I laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, just that I would take pictures of things people might not want to be documented. It worked out in my favor though. People would pay me to get rid of photos, so it worked sort of as an income."