After becoming an orphan, Lauren was taken in by the famous Nelson family. When Ricky Nelson wasn't on stage breaking hearts, he was at home to annoy Lauren. After they get a little older, things get heated. Elvis Presley eventually has Lauren all s...
Our car pulled into the driveway of the large, colonial styled house on 1822 Camino Palmero. Walking up the large, lush yard, I made my way to the front door. There, I stood while I waited for Mr. Nelson to catch up with me and open it with his key.
Stepping into the foyer, I let out a sigh of relief. It was hard to get used to living in a house like this. Before my parents died two years ago, I would've never imagined being in a situation like this. However, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson found it in the kindness of their hearts to take me in. I could've be more grateful.
It may seem like I was a delinquent because I listened to Elvis, but trust me, I wasn't. I made sure that I made a good impression by doing well in school and staying far away from boys. The only boys who were in my live existed in photographs.
Of course, I lived under the same roof with two of the most sought out boys in the country. Ozzie and Harriet's sons, Ricky and David were becoming pretty popular from their television show.
I was never invited on the show after several attempts of the family trying to get me on it. The network felt like having a "girl like me" on the program would be "contradictory to the show's values" that it was trying to project.
When asked by Ozzie and Harriet exactly what that meant, their awkward reply was the fact that I happened to be around the same age as David and Ricky. It just wouldn't be 'appropriate' depicting teenagers practically rooming together on television. You understand... they said.
We surely did.
Walking through the foyer and into the kitchen, Mrs. Nelson was cooking. Well, with the help of domestic workers of course. She was surprised to see I popped in.
"Down at that record store again, weren't you?" Mrs. Nelson put her hands on her hips with a grin.
"Where else?" Mr. Nelson walked in behind me, taking off his fedora hat. He walked to the island in the kitchen and whistled down at the food. "And what is that?"
"Something that you'll be having after we say grace together at the table as a family." Mrs. Nelson swatted his hand away with a grin. Ozzie rose his eyebrows at me then hopped over to the dining room.
I joined him at the table and we both sat down, waiting to be served. A boy that was a year younger than I with long legs and skinny arms came hustling into the room. His facial structure was bony and thin, he hadn't gained his confident smile. His blue eyes landed on me, then a boyish 16-year-old grin pulled along his face.
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"I heard you got in trouble." Ricky teased me as he walked over to where I sat.
"I did not!" I protested furiously. "Mr. Nelson just picked me up from the record store."
"You can call me dad." Mr. Nelson interjected calmly while Ricky tried to formulate another come back.
"I'm sure you were out with a boy. Who knows why you find yourself out those late nights without anyone knowing where you are." Ricky's weak and adolescent voice choked out.
"Mr. Nelson and Mrs. Nelson said I'm allowed to talk walks when I have a lot on my mind, Ricky." I squinted at him.
"Well, Ozzie already suspects you're up to something more!" Ricky laughed at me. I gasped then looked to Mr. Nelson.
"You better refer to me as Father, young man!" Mr. Nelson raised his voice at Ricky. Then, he looked to me. "Ricky can make stories seem more colorful than they are, we just worry about you, that's all Lauren. We trust you no matter what."
"Thank you." I smiled at Mr. Nelson, but that smile turned into a frown once Ricky pulled up a chair next to me and sat down.
"You don't trust me!" Ricky shouted at his father. "I'm never out with ladies."
"They don't think you're out with girls Ricky, they're afraid you're doing something incompetent." I rolled my eyes at him and Mr. Nelson laughed.
"I don't know why Lauren is able to come in here and do whatever she wants. The rules never seem to apply to her!" Ricky complained, his skinny face looking toward me.
"Ricky, Lauren doesn't need as many rules because she's older and she doesn't break any to begin with." Mr. Nelson shrugged. "You need guidelines just to prevent burning the whole house down."
"Those eggs were just crisp." Ricky lifted a finger in my face. "And besides, Ozzie—"
"That's father to you." Mr. Nelson corrected Ricky once again.
Ricky huffed then slumped in his seat. He was always a nervous boy, often quiet when we went out places. He never liked being in front of the camera, but the family business willed him to do it.
"Aiyo!" David walked in. Suddenly, my whole body tensed. He was 20 years old at that time and away at college. I wasn't expecting for him to be home.
"David! What brings you here?" I asked awkwardly. Ricky shot me a glare, so I stomped on his foot under the table.
"Ouch!" Ricky shouted.
"Rick, will you stop goofing around?" David asked as he walked into the room. He sat directly across from me. I had such a crush on David, but he obviously hadn't felt the same about me. He was busy with older girls, not being bothered by a little 17 year old.
After dinner, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror thinking about David. I wondered what he had been doing at college and the people he was seeing. Was he enjoying his fraternity? I questioned why I was so shy to directly ask these questions.
I sat right across from him all dinner and yet I didn't ask not one question about his college experience. Why was I so afraid to make a fool out of myself?
