I walked into Laylis's house, wondering. How would she look? Did I dress right? Too flashy? Too Lounge? I only had one person to confirm these questions with before I went to Laylis's... "Dad. What did you wear for your first date with mom?" I'm starting to think I put just a bit too much trust in my dad. But it's about time I started not blaming him for the outcome, I asked.
"Well," he said thinking. "I don't recall. Look, it's not about how you look, it's about what you say." "Dad. I don't think that's completely true." "Yes, it's not. Sorry son, it's been awhile." I went back upstairs to see my choices. And, well, I liked jeans. 'Cus that's all I had.
I thought. What looks, happy, nice, inviting. What looks romantic? I can only think of what mom would have said. She would know what I should have worn, said, all those things. But, I know she's giving me her blessing, so, time to wing it. With only jeans, The shirt was key.
I checked each section of my closet. It was in four parts, as you can guess for the seasons. My mom started it, I continued it. I looked. There was a blue, light blue, navy blue, black, grey, silver, brown, red, dark red, dark green, and white shirt for my one colored shirts.
For my striped shirts, I had black and blue, grey and black, navy blue and blue, light blue and white, white and grey, and green and red. For my last type of shirts I only had three plaid shirts: Black, grey and white. Blue, white, and grey. And Black, blue, and white.
I chose the black, blue and white one. I chose black jeans. After this, I need to go shopping for some clothes. My style has no flavor. I did my hair, the same as always. I always wore contacts. Never glasses. I think they make me stand out too much, plus, I don't like going to doctors. Including eye doctors.
As I reached the door my dad told me to wait. "Here, son." He said readjusting my collar. "I'll be fine, dad." "Ok, go get 'em! Tiger!" "Uhh, dad. Please don't say that. It's just weird." "What? I think it's fine. Anyways, see you later." "See you later too." And now I'm at Laylis's.
She was in a green dress. Had a different hairstyle. And weren't wearing her glasses. Did I under dress? "Hi, Laylis." I said, in the softest tone. Just to get her attention.
"Hi, Jason." I said trying not to look nervous again.
"Ready to go?" I asked. She looked ready. I was expecting a pat down to tell the truth. Not by the dad, but by the mom. She was... Something.
"Yeah, I'm ready." I replied. I noticed that Jason kept shooting nervous glances at my mom who was standing in the kitchen doorway staring at him. "Uh... bye mom?"
"Have fun, honey. Watch yourself, Mr.Smyther."
"I will, ma'am." I said, trying to sound trustworthy.
When we finally left and closed the door, we started walking down the street, heading towards the diner. When I was imagining this date, I thought there would be a little more... talking, maybe? Most of the walk was silent and awkward until he finally said something after the diner came into view.
"McAllister's Pizza! The best diner I know." I say, trying to start some conversation.
"Yeah, I love it. Their pizza is really good. The owner makes it all himself so it takes a bit longer than most places. It's worth the wait though."
"Yeah," I reply. "I didn't know you owned any dresses, you look... Beautiful in them."
Okay, yeah. I admit that I was waiting for a compliment. Usually I don't like them and sometimes they even irritate me but this time... I tried to look pretty. I was hoping for some sort of recognition.
"Thanks, and yeah, I don't really own dresses. It was my sister's dress. She gave it to me before she passed away. She actually told me to wear it on my first date. Said it would bring out my eyes."
"Well, your sister was right." I said. "It does bring out your eyes."
We walk into McAllister's pizza at that moment and take a seat at a booth in the back.
"What are you ordering?" I ask. "I think I'll have some pepperoni pizza."
"Same thing I always get. Cheese pizza with mozzarella sticks."
After we order and wait for our food I figure it's time to get things out. I mean, I wanted this date to be fun and nice so I might as well get into the other things in the beginning.
"Hey, so I wanted to get this out now. The reason I never told you about my sisters is because it was still festering on the inside. I bottled it up and didn't want to let it come out. I was trying to be strong. For myself and for my family. It turned out all I was doing was hurting myself because my family had already found ways to cope."
"Laylis-"
"Before you either ask or tell me it's okay, they died of carbon monoxide poisoning. They went to a friend's house for the weekend and there was a leak. No one survived. This was when I was in seventh grade. I was heart broken and caved into myself for a week straight. After that, I held it in and didn't talk about it to anyone. Not even family. Me and my three sisters were closer than I've ever been with anyone. They knew me better than I knew myself. Especially Kori. When I told you and your dad, I almost broke down and I hadn't even gotten into details. I hope you can forgive me and understand. I just couldn't tell you yet."
She looked kind of sad, so I held her hand across the table. "Laylis, I'm happy you told me, and I'm sorry for the way I acted then." I say. "I also found some relief from my own past recently. I say, from this day on, we remember them, but not let them stop us from doing what we want to, because they wouldn't have wanted it that way."
"Cheers, to a new outlook on life." I said, holding up my glass of water.
"You know, you're right. I completely agree. 'Some birds are not meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure.' Cheers."
We clink our glasses of water in cheers and he looks at me funny.
"That was Stephen King, by the way. My dad and I are huge fans and we know way too many of his quotes. He quoted that from King at the funeral and it touched me. It applied to all three of my sisters but to Kori the most when he said, 'Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild.' Kori was so much that. Beautiful, strong willed and wild. Maybe they all, including your mom and all those we love who are taken from us early, were just too bright for this world. It wasn't ready for their beauty. That's what I like to think. They're somewhere better now. They have to be."
"Yes," I say as I smile. "You're completely right." A few minutes later, they bring us our food. "You know what's best about Pizza?" I ask.
The waiter comes back to refill our napkin dispenser and smiles when he sees my dress.
"Are you two out on a date?" he asks me.
"Ha, yeah we are. Our first date."
"Oh, even more special. Make sure to make it count. The night will be over before you know." He smiles at us again and walks away.
"What would that be?" I ask Jason, in response to his earlier question.
"No matter how you make pizza, there's bound to always be cheese. The silver lining." I said as I took a bite. "So, what do you do in your spare time?"
"Ha, you act as if you don't know. I'm with you most of it but besides that I play with my brother or I read books from my shelf in my room. Also, completely agree on the cheese thing. Can't get enough of it. Want to know something funny though?"
"Just asking. What is it?"
"When I was a little younger I used to have to special order my pizza because I wanted nothing but sauce on it. My special sauce pizza. No cheese, no anything else."
"The true question, Laylis. Is was that pizza, or were you weird." I joked.
"Hmm... You could just be onto something, Jason." I said laughing. "Anyway, what do you do on your spare time, to return the question."
"I just sit in my specially designated Corner and think... I need some hobbies." I answer, also laughing.
After a while of laughing and talking about whatever came to mind, I remembered the other thing I was supposed to bring up. I spaced out for a moment when remembering and didn't hear the last thing he said. I didn't even ask. Somehow, without me even preparing what I wanted to say, the words rushed out.
"Jason, I don't love you."
So blatant and out there. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. Before I could add on he responded.
As she was saying it, I had already predicted it. Even I wasn't fool enough to not know the difference between true love, friendship, and love of companionship. "I know, sorry if that came out wrong. I don't mean to rush the process. I just felt like telling you how I felt. We both have our heads in the same place."
"So... you don't love me then?"
"Well... Not that I don't. I just think we should take things a step at a time, like you were probably thinking." I sputtered quickly.
"That's exactly what I was thinking. I didn't want to rush anything.... I'm glad we're partially on the same page."
Whew! That was a close one. Good thing I knew about those kind of things When we were friends. Learnt to rethink what she says. Good skill. "Great, me too." I say, taking the last bite of my pizza.
"Yeah, so... Now that that's settled, I had something I was wondering about. Where exactly did you learn to kiss? You never told me if you had a past girlfriend."
I was happy to switch the conversation and mess with him a bit. I knew he wouldn't like talking about it. Even if he didn't have a previous girlfriend, he always got awkward when it came to more personal questions. I'm not mean. Just... observant, curious and a little devious. Just a little.
"Uhh. Well, you're the first I've ever kissed. Never had a girlfriend, or kissed someone." What's up with all these rather uncomfortable questions lately?
"Interesting. Sorry if it feels like I'm putting you on the hot seat. Just trying to know you better." I said with a slight shyish smile. I was pretty good at my faces so he took the bait. Dismissed it as curiosity when really I was just trying to keep the spotlight off me.
"Ok, then." I say, thinking. If I did ask her something, what? I was content. For now. So I let it slip, an opportunity wasted. Is it me or does that sound like a shame?
I was surprised he hadn't asked me the same question. I mean, yeah my acting was good but was I that good? Maybe I had gotten passed him...
"So, finished?" I asked.
I had gotten passed him! Haha! I didn't have to tell the story of Aspen. Perfect. This went more smooth than I could have imagined.
"Yeah, I'm done. Those slices of pizza are huge."
We both get up from our tables, I pay, because, I'm a gentleman. And hence, walk her home. The walk home was the same as the walk there, mostly silent till when her house came into view. I was fine with how the date went so far. Why does it feel like I survived that date at the expense of my luck? When she was walking up to her door, I followed. "So I guess that concludes our first date?" I asked.
"Yeah, I guess so. Pretty successful I would say."
She reached for her keys on her wallet.
"Oh, just perfect. I left my keys in the house."
She rings the doorbell. And waits. I've watched enough Tv to know that this is a major moment. Just need to wait for the signal. The signal? It's obvious, when girls start looking at your lips instead of your eyes. Going back and forth. I don't know if it's just me, or from watching too much of twilight; Bella can't keep her eyes focused on a specific features of Edward's face for a minute.
"Ah! What such a beautiful night?" I state, trying to catch her attention.
"Yeah," I reply looking into the sky. "The stars are really bright tonight."
We stand there in silence for a bit. Maybe not now. I guess I'll have to wait. I don't have that much courage. Her mom comes and answers the door, I say my Goodnight, and in return the mom stares me down... Now I don't know who I fear. Well, the date was successful, like Laylis said. I'm just waiting to see what happens next.
Jason walked home and I went in the house to find that they were all three already up waiting for me to bombard me with questions. I simply informed them that everything went fine and was completely rated G. What were they expecting? Sometimes I wonder how far their trust reaches...
I go upstairs and flop down on my bed to think about my night. It was fun. I was looking forward to another one. It went much smoother than I assumed it would in the beginning.
I decided to take a shower even though it was late. A hot shower just sounded nice. After getting out and going into Kori's room to tell her about my night, I couldn't sleep. I felt like doing something crazy all of the sudden. It was like Kori herself planted the idea in my head.
I go all out in black jeans, a black tanktop and a black sweatshirt. I make sure to grab my phone and my keys this time before creeping down the steps and out the door. I start silently sprinting down the street knowing that after taking a shower and having a sort of one way conversation with Kori, it was passed curfew. I turn the corner and make it to Jason's house and my heart is beating like crazy. I couldn't believe I was doing this.
After walking around the house, I determine which window is his and try to slide it open. It actually slides up pretty easily. Unlocked I think to myself. How safe. I was thankful that he lived in a one story or it would have been much harder to pull this off. I was sort of happy the window was unlocked though. It would have ruined the surprise If I had to call him.
Once in the window and standing in his room, I look over to his bed and find him with his earphones in and eyes closed, nodding to the beat. Slowly, I creep over and kneel beside him. All at once, I pull both earphones out, making his eyes shoot open in surprise, kiss him like we were both fading out of existence and then say, "Goodnight, Jason. Also, keep your window locked from now on." Before silently running across the room and diving through the window, closing it quickly once I was out.
I sprinted back home smiling and laughing the whole way. Oh, Kori. Look what you've done to me. I thought to her. I was glad I had just gotten out of the shower because the water droplets from my hair would have left evidence that I was there on his pillow. Then he would know he hadn't just imagined it.
Once home, I get dressed in pajamas and lay down. I get a text from Jason but decide not to open it. Not until the morning. I had a pretty good idea of what it would say.
Laying in my bed made the sleep come easily. And then suddenly, the night was gone.