I sat there, sniffling, but my pain had left me. All of the hurt in my dad's words had gone. Only one thing was left. The memories of my mother that I heard my dad talk about sometimes. The happy memories, like the one where they went to Moorea, French Polynesia for their honeymoon and the time they went on a cruise to Alaska. It was happiness where the sorrow of the death of my mother used to be. Of course, I still missed her, but I could live. It didn't hurt unbearably anymore whenever someone said something. I felt...free.
Adam still continued to sit next to me. He was like a big brother. He listened, and healed all of my wounds that I exposed to him.
Well, maybe not all of my wounds.
After wiping my eyes thoroughly, I smiled shyly, and said: "Um...do you want to come inside? I can make some lemonade, or cut up an orange."
Adam smiled too and said: "Sure."
He followed me inside the house. My dad didn't want me to leave the house, so technically I was obeying the rules, right? Well, I suppose Adam will have to leave before he gets home because I know my dad would love to come home and find me with some random guy.
We arrived in the kitchen, and I went to the fridge to get some of the lemonade I made two days ago. I got two cups from the cupboard and starting pouring lemonade into them. Adam sat down in a chair at the table.
I brought the cups over and Adam took one. We sat there in silence for a moment, just sipping our drinks.
"How about we play 'Never Have I'?" I suggested.
"How do you play it?"
"You would say 'Never have I...' and then say something else. If you've done that, you drink some lemonade. For example," I said. "Never have I performed in concert. You would drink to that. See?"
"I see. Let's play."
"You go first."
"Never have I," He started. "gone to the Wisconsin Dells."
We both drank lemonade. Wisconsin and Iowa were the only states I'd been too. My father and I didn't get out much, but I really wanted to.
"Never have I liked the color blue." I said. We both drank to that.
This went on and on. Some of his statements made me laugh so hard I got tears in my eyes. We had a lot more in common than I thought. Then we got to one that I didn't answer.
"Never have I sang in public," He said. He drank to it. I got up.
"I'm getting more lemonade." I mumbled.
"Have you sang in public, Hadley?" Adam asked, getting up to help me.
"No. I don't sing. I can't sing." I said, pouring more lemonade into my cup and into his.
His eyes wandered to the refrigerator. "I think this says otherwise." He said, gently pulling out my choir singing assessment from the fifth grade. I had scored fifty out of fifty points on it.
"Ok, well, I don't sing." I said, offering him his full glass.
"Why?"
"It's something I don't like to talk about." I blurted. I looked at the clock on the stove. It said 4: 48. My dad would be home soon.
"My dad is actually coming home soon." I began, crestfallen.
"Oh, I see." He said, heading towards the door. I followed him. He pulled on his shoes and smiled at me.
"Today was great. It was fun hanging out with you." He said.
You see, to anyone else these words would be something that you might hear everyday. But these could have been a few of the most wonderful words anyone has ever spoken to me. They were coming from him.
"It was fun hanging out with you." I said, smiling back. 'Fun' was a massive understatement.
We stood there awkwardly, staring at each other.
"Um...what are you doing tomorrow?" I said, trying to break the silence. I was thinking that he was going to say, "No way am I hanging out with you again!" But he smiled again.
"Absolutely nothing," He said. "What do you have in mind?"
I didn't have anything in mind; I just wanted this wonderful fantasy to go on.
"If it's alright with your dad, maybe you could come over to my place. It's not too far from here. I could come and pick you up." He offered.
"That would be great. I'll totally ask him." I said, beaming inside.
"Well, I'll see you later." We both said at the exact same time. We both ended up laughing. Then, Adam gave me one last smile that stopped and started my heart, and left. I started leeping and dancing around my living room like a crazed idiot in happiness. I was going to see him again tomorrow!
After about five minutes of my deranged dancing, I heard Dad pull up in the driveway. I threw myself in a chair (which almost fell over), pulled a blanket over me, and turned on the TV. My dad came in through the front, taking off his hat and tossing it on the couch. He sat down there, rubbing his face in exhaustion.
"How're you doing, kiddo?" He asked, tiredness creeping into his voice. He definitely wasn't making any dinner tonight.
"Good," I said, pretending to be interested in the bad reality show that was on TV. My dad groaned as he got up from the couch and went into the kitchen. He came back with two cans of beer.
He downed the first one in a matter of seconds. How can he possibly do that without being intoxicated already?
"Um...Dad?" I asked, after he was finished with his third beer.
"Yes, Hadley?" His words were slurring again.
"Can I go to a friend's house tomorrow? I can walk. You won't have to drive me anywhere." I said, slowly.
After a moment, he said: "Well, I suppose."
I cheered very loudly inside. "Thank you!"
I hurried upstairs, and headed for my room. I flopped down on the bed and shrieked in happiness. It seemed my life had taken a turn for the better.
And I was going to see Adam again tomorrow!
