ALASKA
Friday. Usually, I'm excited for Fridays because they signal the start of the weekend. However, now that I'm in Toronto, I have nothing to look forward to on the weekends except for the occasional wander around the city -- alone.
I have some friends at my new school, but I'm not super close to most of them except for Carly. Carly was the first person I met at my new high school and we hit it off immediately. She was the one who introduced me to my other friends. I've hung out with them a few times, but I mostly keep to myself.
Outside of school, my life is even more boring. My mother's new husband Tom is the reason we moved to Toronto. He works in the city as a high-end investment banker and business owner, so you can imagine how much money he makes. I never knew how well off Tom was until we moved into his house located just beyond downtown. It's ridiculously huge and flashy. And now that I've gotten to know Tom, he's the same way: flashy and slightly arrogant about his status.
My mom loves it, though. She eats it all up. The expensive clothes, the trips, the house, the cars. She absolutely loves it. I like it to, but I don't get caught up in the all materialistic things Tom has. Instead, I judge him based off his character which as of now, scores him solid C-.
"Hey, are you doing anything tonight?" Carly asks, jogging over to me in the parking lot. School has just ended, meaning I can finally go home and do absolutely nothing. However, I do have one obligation.
"My mom and Tom are making me go out to dinner with them," I tell her with a frown.
"That sucks. Are you sure you can't get out of it? Karina is having a party at her house and I really want you to come," she says sadly. As much as I'd actually like to go to the party, I know I won't be able to get out of dinner.
"Yeah, they're sticklers for these kinds of things," I say, continuing toward my car.
"Alright. Well, if you get out of dinner early, you should drop by! She lives on Maple street. You'll know which house," she says, stopping next to her car.
"Sounds good. See you later," I say, climbing into my black Jeep, courtesy of Tom. Carly smiles and waves before shutting her door and driving off. I do the same, driving the route to Tom's house I've grown accustomed to.
After parking my car in the driveway, I enter the house through the side door. The house was quiet other than the quiet hum of warm air circulating through vents, heating the house. I make my way to the kitchen where I grab a water from the fridge. I twist the bottle open and take a sip, looking around the oversized room. No one needs this much counter space.
Speaking of counters, my eyes land on a pink slip of paper resting on the far end of the marble. I walk over and begin to scan over the words.
Alaska-
I went to get my nails done and do a bit of shopping. I should be back around 6 and Tom should be home from work around then as well. Remember, family dinner at 7! Please dress nicely.
xo- Mom
I roll my eyes at the note. I don't know why she even bothers to leave these anymore. I assume every time she's gone, she's either shopping, getting a spa treatment, or pampering herself in some other way.
I toss the note in the garbage and jog up the staircase, down the hall, and into my room. I must say, it is gorgeous. I hate that it's exactly how I pictured my dream room.
I kick off my shoes and dump my backpack on the floor by the door. I have two hours to kill until I have to get ready for dinner and see as though napping is the best way to kill time, I flop onto my bed, pull a blanket over my body, and shut my eyes.
Roughly two hours later, the sound of rain pounding on my windows wakes me, much to my dismay. I debate whether I should roll back over and sleep for thirty more minutes, but I know that I wouldn't have time to get ready if I did.
I throw the blanket off of me quickly and stand up so there is no chance I will fall back asleep. I shuffle over to my closet and scan the racks for something to wear. My mom said to "dress nicely" in her note which translates to "we are going somewhere fancy, so you better not dress like a bum." All I want to do is change into sweatpants, eat, then go back to bed, but no. I have to get all dressed up and have awkward conversation with my mom and Tom over under portioned, expensive meals.
Sighing, I grab a plain gray t-shirt dress and black bomber jacket off one of the racks and slip them on. Because it's cold as shit here in Canada, I slide on black boots that come over the knee. I don't bother touching the makeup I put on for school this morning, seeing as though the only people I'll be interacting with are my mom, Tom, and our waiter. However, I do pull my long, blonde hair into a high ponytail to eliminate the possibility of it getting frizzy from the weather.
"Alaska!!" my mom hollers up the stairs. I grab my phone and walk out of my room.
"Coming!" I yell back, quickly making my way down the stairs, arriving in front of my mother and Tom who were waiting for me by the front door.
"You ready to go?" my mom asks me with a small smile. I nod and follow the pair out the door and into Tom's shiny black Mercedes. Tom takes his place in the driver's seat, starting the car then pulling out onto the road. He and my mother talk about random things like what my mom bought and what Tom did at work. I zone out, staring through the window and getting lost in my own thoughts.
A few more minutes of staring occur until the sound of car doors opening pulls me from my thoughts. I exit the car as well, following Tom and my mother through the entrance of a fancy restaurant and across the room to our table. I take a seat across from the two of them and begin searching the menu for something to eat. I didn't even realize I was hungry until I smelled food in the restaurant.
Our waiter comes over to take our drink orders: a whiskey for Tom, margarita for my mother, and a water for me. Maybe I'll be the one driving us home tonight. The three of us continue to scan the menu even though there are only a few options. The waiter returns with our drinks then writes down our orders for food. I decided on the steak and side salad, not in the mood to branch out and try something new.
After placing our orders, we make small talk about our days and plans we have coming up. Tom tells us that he has to go to Melbourne for business and offers for us to go with him.
"Oh, we'd love to! Right, Alaska?" my mother exclaims. I suppress a groan and look back to Tom.
"How long would we be gone?" I ask him.
"Well, we would leave on Monday night and return next Sunday sometime in the afternoon," he explains. My eyes light up at the thought of being away from my mother and Tom for an entire week. That would be amazing!
"I would love to, but I really don't want to miss that much school considering it's my senior year," I say politely. Tom and my mother grin, probably hoping I'd say that.
"That's quite alright. Are you comfortable staying home by yourself while we're away?" Tom asks. I have to force myself not to laugh. I'm 17, almost 18. I definitely don't need a babysitter.
"Yes, I'll be fine," I say with a smile.
"Great! I guess we'll have to get packing when we get home," my mom says to Tom, giving him a kiss while giggling. I look away, not interested in seeing them make out. Our waiter brings out our food, setting the various plates down on the table. I dig in immediately, savoring every bite.
Once we've all finished our meals, and the waiter has gone to finish up the bill. Tom and my mother turn their attention to me with excited looks on their faces.
"What?" I ask, wondering why they were acting weird all of a sudden. Tom clears his throat before speaking.
"As you said earlier, you're a senior in high school now. Your mother and I know how hard you've been working in school to get good grades. Plus, coming to a new school in a new country is never easy. So, we decided to get you a little something to commend you on your hard work," Tom says, handing me some folded papers. I furrow my brows in confusion and unfold the pieces of paper revealing two tickets to the Maple Leafs-Penguins game tomorrow night at the ACC.
My eyes light up and a huge smile breaks out on my face.
"Thank you so much, guys!!" I exclaim, giving both Tom and my mother hugs across the table. I can't believe I'm going to the game! I guess I'll be calling Carly later...
"You're very welcome. But we're not done," Tom says, pulling two badges out of his suit pocket and handing them over to me.
"In an effort to convert you to into a Leafs fan, you'll be meeting the guys after the game," Tom says with a big smile. I gawk at him in disbelief. I would much rather meet the Penguins, my favorite team, but I guess at least Carly will enjoy meeting the Leafs.
"How did you get these?" I ask Tom. Meet and greet passes aren't usually for sale when it comes to hockey teams, so I'm confused how Tom managed to snag these.
"I know the manager Lou Lamoriello and the head coach Mike Babcock. I explained the situation and they were more than happy to support my endeavors in making you a Leafs fan. I smile and nod, not surprised he's friends with the two.
I thank Tom again for the tickets and passes before I go to my room when we get home. He just smiles, knowing that he's made my day. Once I'm upstairs, I change into comfy clothes and wash my face then hop onto my bed.
I grab my phone and begin texting Carly about the tickets.
Me: GUESS WHAT I GOT FOR US
Carly: WHAT
Me: Tickets to the Leafs game tomorrow night!!!
Carly: OMG YAY
Me: And it gets better...
Carly: How the hell could that get any better??
Me: Maybe if I told you that I have passes to meet the Leafs after the game!!
Carly: GET OUT
Carly: YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS
Carly: TELL ME YOU'RE NOT SERIOUS
Me: Then I'd be lying :)
Carly: THIS IS AMAZING! I CAN'T WAIT!
Me: Me neither!!!
Carly: You better not ruin it with your Penguin loving self!
Me: No promises :)
Carly: Ugh fine. What's the plan?
Me: How about you come over to my house around 5, so we have time to get ready, eat, then head over to the ACC
Carly: Perf! I'll see you then!
Me: Cya!
I shut off my phone and roll over in bed with a smile. Only a couple hours until I get to see the Pens play! Just wish it was at PPG and that my dad was there with me. Back home, we used to go to games whenever we could. We would be the loudest ones there, constantly commenting on every call, play, and goal.
I make a mental note to text my dad as soon as I wake up about how I was going to the game then I drift off to sleep.