July 19

by Lori Cohen

  I could hardly wait until last period on Monday. It had been a busy weekend, but Owen was on my mind all the while. I wondered if he was thinking about me too. Racing up the stairs to class, I realized that I was smiling even before opening the door to class. It’s like I knew he was already sitting there, watching me walk in.

  “Hey!” I said cheerfully when I saw him.

  “Hi, how was the weekend?” We were the only ones in the class.

  “So busy. You?” I replied.

  “Why so busy?” he asked

  “Oh, we had family plans, and I did some painting, chilled with Caroline, did yoga with Dani...” I rambled.

  “Lucky Caroline and Dani,” he smiled, raising his eyebrows.

  I blushed, “And you? what were you up to?”

  “Oh, nothing quite so social. Mostly just listened to music and hung out with Amy and Michael, my aunt and uncle.”

  “Nice.”

  “Yeah, they were talking about taking me up to Killington to try skiing, but I don’t know. I’ve never skied before and I feel like I’d be a fish out of water.”

  “I don’t ski either, but I did go to Killington once. I just hung out at the resort. They had an outdoor hot tub and it was really cool to sit in a bathing suit, in the hot water, with all the snow-capped mountains around. It was really beautiful there.”

  “Well, you make it sound amazing. If only you were going to be there, in that hot tub, I may just want to go...”

  Once again, I found my heart aflutter.

  Just then Mr. Rauch and the other students all walked in and sat down. We watched them, and we watched each other. Mr. Rauch talked for the rest of the class about our final project. It would not be due until May and we would have the rest of the semester to work on it outside of class time. The presentation would be worth 30% of our grade, and he wanted us to have plenty of time for research, writing, and the creation of a final presentation that would be presented to him and the class. Our class time, he explained, would continue to cover the curriculum and we would have tests on the material, but the projects would be independent of the in-class work. Then, he said something that was life-changing. “You will be working in pairs.”

  Owen and I immediately looked at each other knowingly. Everyone else in the class paired up pretty easily too; in a class with so few students, there just weren’t so many options. Mr. Rauch explained that the topic of the presentation could be anything that could be looked at through the lens of various religions in a kind of a “compare and contrast” evaluation. Possible subjects included life cycle events, including birth traditions, coming of age traditions, marriage (monogamy/polygamy) or death and the afterlife. Alternatively, we could pick a topic like Gods and sacrifice, the treatment of women, or food and dietary restrictions. He was very open to whatever topic we wanted to research as long as we took a “deep dive” into the subject matter. He gave us one week to decide and tell him what the subject of our presentation would be. I could not have been more excited. At that point, I really didn’t care what we worked on, as long as we worked together.

  I could tell Owen was just as excited when he asked me after class if I wanted to go with him for a coffee to discuss the possible subjects we could pick. I so regretted having to tell him that we would have to do it another day because I had a yearbook meeting after school. He totally understood and suggested the next day instead. Happily, I was free, so I only had one more day to wait.

  The yearbook meeting was more of the same — eager geeks doing their best to outshine one another. Mrs. Anderson attended this meeting which made the whole thing even less tolerable. The vying for her attention, and the outright ass-kissing was really too much to take. I had to admit, the yearbook was coming out amazingly well. It was just the process that was excruciating.

  That night I called Dani to talk about Owen, finally filling her in on how I was feeling and what doing this project with him meant to me. I would be spending A LOT of time with him. I explained that this opportunity to work with him felt like the beginning of something. Something important. It sounded dumb even to me when I said that, but she surprised me.

  “Ari,” she said, “I saw you two at the talent show reception. It’s like you and Owen are connected. I can literally see it. I don’t get it, but I totally understand what you’re saying.” What she was trying to say was that she was seeing exactly what I was feeling. It was impossible to define, but whatever “it” was, it was not just in my head.

  Lying in bed that night, I thought about what Owen had said to me earlier. “Lucky Caroline and Dani,” and “If only you were going to be there, in that hot tub.” There was no denying that Owen wanted to spend time with me. I didn’t feel any of my apprehension that I’d felt with Jake. Owen felt so different to me, a very special chemistry. I began to think about the next day and our coffee date. Aside from picking a topic for our project, it would be really cool to discuss our own views on religion. I really wanted to learn more about him and open myself up too.

  Thankfully the snow was melting, but the walk to school through the slush was so annoying. My mind kept me busy on the way, as I processed my dreams, my feelings for Owen, and my thoughts about our project. I felt quite happy to do any topic he wanted to do. I was just looking forward to spending time with him.

  “I couldn’t wait for class to end. I’ve been wanting to talk to you all day,” Owen said on our way out of class.

  “That’s so sweet. Me too actually,” I replied, trying to contain myself.

  “Want to meet at the side door again?” he asked.

  “Sure, or you can come with me...my locker is just down here,” I offered.

  “Sounds great,” he said. We chatted easily about our classes that day as I got my stuff together.

  “Who’s that?” Owen asked as he pointed to a picture of me and Sarah taken on my 16th birthday when she was helping me blow out candles.

  “That’s Sarah, my older sister. It was my birthday,” I said.

  “I can definitely see the resemblance. When’s your birthday?” he asked.

  “July 19,” I said.

  Shocked, he said, “What? No way…you’re kidding, right?”

  “No, I’m not kidding, why?” I asked.

  “Aria, that’s my birthday too. How weird is this?” We stared at each other in amazement.

  “Oh my god Owen. This is totally bizarre! I can’t believe it!”

  “Well if you tell me you were born at midnight, right when it became July 19 it really would be bizarre,” he said.

  “I feel like I’m disappointing you, but I was born at exactly 3am, so I guess you’re older than me,” I chuckled.

  “Aria, I was born in Seattle, not here. midnight Seattle time is 3am here,” he said dryly.

  My eyes widened in disbelief. “Okay, that is officially bizarre!”

  We walked to his locker and out to his car, both seemingly stunned by this revelation. It should not have been so strange that two friends at school share the same the birthday. But it felt like something more than a coincidence when we realized that we were born at exactly the same time. Of course, neither of us could explain the feeling, but still. There was something about the revelation that made a big impression on us.

  “This is just so weird, or maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s just weird that we met and we’re friends,” I said, thinking aloud.

  “Well it’s a giant coincidence for us then! Of course, there are a lot of 16-year-olds out there that have exactly the same birthday,” Owen said.

  “Of course, you’re absolutely right,” I agreed, but inside something was stirring.

  I secured a corner table at Starbucks and Owen insisted on getting our drinks. Returning to the table he asked, “So what are your thoughts on our project?”

  “Well to be honest, I’m really open to any topic. Is there something that interests you in particular?” I asked.

  “Actually, there is. When my parents died, I thought about heaven and t
he afterlife a lot. I’d never taken it seriously until then, but it brought me a lot of comfort,” he said.

  I could feel his emotions. We were silent for a few moments and then I concluded, “It’s the perfect topic for us to do.”

  We managed to plan a rough outline for our project and we each had a starting point for our research. When Owen dropped me off at home, my mom was just pulling into the driveway. I introduced Owen and we chatted a little while with my mom before I said goodbye.

  “He seems like a sweet guy,” my mom said when I got inside.

  “Yeah he’s super sweet! I like him a lot! And, we discovered the craziest thing today. We have the same birthday. And we were born at the same time!” I exclaimed.

  “Oh wow, that’s a small world! He’s your age?” she asked.

  “Yes!” I said. I went on to tell her about his parents.

  “That breaks my heart. Honey you know he’s welcome here anytime,” she said.

  “I do know. Thanks Mom.”

  When I saw Dani at lunch the next day, she was very eager to tell me that Owen had obviously dedicated a song to me that morning.

  “Why? What did he say?” I asked.

  “Well it was something like, ‘this next song is for a girl I know who’s probably still fast asleep’,” she said.

  I laughed, melting inside, and asked what song he played for me. “Wild Horses, by the Stones. Seems like someone is into you, big time, Aria,” she smiled.

  Oh my God, Who is this guy? I found myself thinking once again.

  My heart felt like it skipped a few beats when I saw Owen walking up the stairs to class. I slowed my pace just to watch him. When he got to the top, he turned around to face me, clearly not surprised that I was right there. I trotted up the stairs and met him at the top. “How’d you know I was there?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, but I just felt that you were. Maybe it’s my sixth sense at work,” he said.

  “Well it’s pretty cool whatever it is,” I smiled.

  “I’ve been humming ‘Wild Horses’ all day and I don’t know why, or maybe that’s my sixth sense at work,” I laughed.

  “Haha, oh that’s cute, but it’s not quite the same thing,” he said. “Which one of your friends figured out my dedication this morning?” he asked.

  “Dani. She was all over it,” I laughed. I wanted to kiss him so badly right there and then, but the sound of Mr. Rauch’s voice reminded us that class was beginning.

  But before we went in, Owen turned to me and said, “If you’re not busy Friday night, do you want to come over?”

  “Sounds great,” was the first thing that came out of my mouth. What I wanted to say was, “I can’t wait!”

  The truth was, Sarah was coming home from school on Saturday for her break, but other than that, I would be painting...and dreaming.

  I ran into Dani the next day in the hall and she asked, “How’s your artwork coming along?”

  “It’s coming along well. I’m actually going to work on it tonight and again on the weekend. I feel like I’m on a roll with it,” I said.

  “You know, my whole family will be coming to your show. They’re so psyched,” she said.

  “That’s so nice of them!” I was surprised and flattered.

  “Are you kidding? They wouldn’t miss it!”

  If nothing else, that brief conversation with Dani reminded me that I was working to a deadline. I was excited but, for the first time, I realized I was bloody nervous too.

  Chapter 10

  Friday night rolled around and Owen picked me up at 8 o’clock to take me over to his house. His aunt and uncle, Amy and Michael, were a bit younger than my parents. They didn’t have kids of their own, which left them plenty of time to travel and explore the world. Their home reflected all the places they had visited: The Far East, Europe, South America. The various pieces they had shipped home from their travels were displayed throughout the house, creating a beautiful, eclectic, warm home. I liked it. And I liked them. Amy was the sister of Owen’s late mother and I found myself wondering if Owen’s mom was anything like her. She seemed very outgoing and a free spirit. Michael was laid back and super sweet. The two of them seemed genuinely happy to have Owen (and me) around. After a tour of the house, we all sat on the floor with a massive bowl of popcorn and old-school glass bottles of Coke and played Cards against Humanity. It struck me that I would be mortified to play that game with my parents, yet with Amy and Michael, it was comfortable and hilarious. I hadn’t laughed that hard ever. As the last round was being dealt, I realized how happy and comfortable I felt being there, being with Owen, and being a part of his world, as bittersweet as it was. He took me home around midnight and I went to sleep excited to see Sarah the next day and to share everything with her.

  After playing mini golf, my friends and I walked over to a little yellow cottage with a big porch out front. It was an ice cream shop. As I licked my coffee ice cream cone, we talked and laughed.

  Sarah got home Saturday around noon. It wasn’t quite the greeting I had hoped for. She was in a foul mood because she wasn’t doing so well in a couple of her classes, and one of her professors assigned work over the break. She was stressed and impatient. Her bad mood set off a chain reaction because she was apparently snapping at my dad on the drive from school back home. So, he walked in the house pissed off, which caused him to get into an argument with my mom about leaving so little gas in the car after she had driven it. I decided it was probably best to head out for a little while until the dust settled.

  What a shitty day, was all I could think. The sky was so dark and gray, and the ground was messy with slush. The ugly days of winter make everything feel so much worse. Like a beacon, I walked toward Starbucks, not knowing where else to go. I sat alone with my latte on a stool at the window and looked blearily outside. Everything was swirling around in my head. Sarah was down, my parents were angry. Too much negativity, I thought. My thoughts turned to the art show and how I would use the remaining weeks to get everything done and ready. Ah, and then there was the project with Owen. Now that was something that made me happy. And in that brief thought, a feeling of warmth spread through my body. And then my phone vibrated.

  “Miss you.” the text from Owen read.

  Closing my eyes, I felt the familiar butterflies, and then replied, “I miss you too.”

  “I can see you,” he wrote.

  “Ok!! When?” I replied.

  “I can see you,” he wrote again.

  Confused, I re-read it, assuming his text came through twice.

  “I love that color on you,” he wrote.

  I turned around and there was Owen sitting at a little round table about six feet from me. I felt tears behind my eyes as I sprung up from my stool. He leapt up and walked towards me and somewhere in that six feet we grabbed one another. Pulling away slightly, he looked at my face with a look that said he was not waiting any longer. We kissed instinctively.

  “Owen,” I said. But he didn’t let me continue the sentence. Instead he took my arms and moved me around a corner where we were no longer in anyone’s view. He leaned into me, pressed me against the wall, and kissed me. Then he held my face in his hands and just looked at me, kissing me again so softly and sweetly on the lips. Heaven, I thought, this is heaven.

  Time seemed to stand still in that corner. I lost myself. Or more accurately, I was lost in him. The connection was strong and real, and it was clear that he felt it too. It took us several minutes to ground ourselves back in reality. Reluctantly, we separated our bodies and stepped back toward the table and sat down, still holding hands.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I am now,” I paused, “but the day started off pretty low...” I replied.

  “I sensed that. I was actually driving by and saw you in the window.”

  “You saw me?” I smiled.

  “Well, I didn’t know for sure if it was you, but I felt like it was you. Then I walked in and saw your long
brown hair and your boots. Then I knew it was you. But you looked so lost in thought...”

  “I was. Maybe too lost.”

  “Well, I enjoyed sitting right here and watching you. I hope you don’t think I’m some kind of stalker,” he smiled.

  “Not just some kind, the best kind,” I said squeezing his hands.

  “So, tell me what’s going on. Why so down?” He asked.

  “Nah, I feel better. I don’t really want or need to talk about it. Can we just hang out now?” I wanted nothing more than to be with him.

  “Well, why don’t we do something fun?” He suggested.

  “Like what?!” I asked curiously.

  “I’ll surprise you. Come...” He took my hand, tossed our cups, and we headed out to his Jeep.

  While Owen drove, I sunk back into the seat and relaxed as we listened to Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together.” I had no idea where he was taking me, so I just texted my mom to say that I was with Owen and that I would be home for dinner. About 20 minutes later, and through plenty of traffic, we arrived at an old-fashioned roller rink. We went inside and as I was lacing up my roller skates, I had a deja-vu. I had never been to this place, and I had no recollection of ever having roller skated; yet there I was with a familiar feeling. Owen took my hand and pulled me up. It took only a moment for me to realize that I could actually do it! I was roller skating gracefully and with ease. The music was loud. It was The Rolling Stones “Wild Horses” pumping through the loudspeakers and the coincidence was enough to make me fall over. Owen looked over at me stunned, an expression I had never seen on his face. “I had nothing to do with that, I swear,” he said, shaking his head. I believed him. Around we went on the wood floor, and around my head went - the motion, the deja-vu and the music all made me dizzy. Just then, Owen leapt up and turned himself around to skate backwards, and as he took my hands in his, I swear I saw the iris of his eyes turn from brown to blue, and a moment later back to brown again. It must have been the strobe lighting in there, I thought. But the whole experience left me high and mystified.