by C. M. Boers
My interview was before Eli’s. The manager was a woman named Claire with jet-black hair and brown eyes. She was nice, but seemed stern when it came to business, which I completely understood. It was important to be professional in order to be successful.
We were both done with our interviews within an hour, and we must have had what they were looking for— we were offered positions on the spot, starting as soon as we wanted. While Eli decided to start right away on Monday, I made sure that I could start after my dad left. Eli was working as a bus boy, while I had been hired as a server.
As we left, we talked excitedly about the prospect of working together. We celebrated with ice cream at a self-serve frozen yogurt place near my house. Eli paid for it, and it made me uncomfortable. I didn’t have any money with me so I vowed to pay him when I got my first check.
My mom was ecstatic when I told her about my new job. “I knew you could do it,” she proclaimed, as any proud parent would.
When Monday rolled around I couldn’t wait for a report from Eli on how it went. I was ecstatic when he said it went great, and it made me more excited about working there. I couldn’t wait to start earning tips. I’d never had a job before so I was nervous about the unknown, but I knew it would be so much easier working with a really good friend. We could help each other through things that we didn’t understand, and we would be able to make the time feel like it was going by faster just by being together.
All of the previous issues with Eli had seemed to evaporate over the weekend and things were back to normal between us. Pete, on the other hand, hadn’t shown up for school.
By the time Tuesday rolled around, I couldn’t wait to see my dad. Just a few hours at school and he would be at home waiting for me!
To my surprise and dismay, Pete was back at school, sitting in his seat in front of me when I walked into first hour. My shoulders slumped. Neither of us spoke to each other, and I couldn’t wait for a new seating chart so I could sit as far away from him as possible.
I don’t know when I decided it—maybe at that very moment, seeing him sitting there looking smug—but I knew what I had to do. I had to break up with Pete for good. Time apart wasn’t enough to make the problems disappear. I knew that deep down all along, but I couldn’t admit that to myself. Just being near him disgusted me. I really had wanted things to work so badly and I hated to admit when I was wrong.
I planned to do it right after class so when I was done I could leave as soon as I said it. That way he couldn’t explode in front of other people, and I could put as much distance between us as possible when hundreds of students flooded the hallway. It would be easy to slip into the crowd.
Once again, class seemed as if it was cut short that day. Outside, Pete acted as if nothing had happened, which made me even more upset.
“About the other night—”
“Forget about it, I forgive you.” He grabbed me and squeezed in an attempt at a hug, but I pushed off of him. Then, he put his arm around my waist and pulled me forward to walk.
Could he be any more arrogant? We were walking together to my next class. I didn’t want anyone overhearing.
“No, umm… it’s over, I’m done with this. I can’t handle wondering if you’re going to blow your lid at the drop of a hat. I will not be with someone that is going to tell me who I can and cannot hang out with. That’s my decision.” It was simple, to the point. I felt good telling him exactly how I felt. I was proud of myself for formulating the words and having them come out exactly how I wanted. Now I just had to wait for the outburst.
“You’ll be sorry!” He grunted through his teeth before stomping off.
It wasn’t what I expected, but I was glad that it was his only reaction. I knew that his threat wasn’t something to worry about and he would get over it… eventually, hopefully sooner rather than later. He was more of a short fuse than a grudge-holder as far as I could tell anyway. I saw Eli walking towards me with a concerned look on his face. He must have seen everything. At least I wouldn’t have to tell him what happened and relive it any more than I had to. I would already have to do that with Bailey.
He wrapped his arm around me as we walked, and it was comforting to know that I had the support of a close friend. I felt safe with his arm around me.
After school, Eli rushed me home. I knew my dad would be waiting. I couldn’t wait to introduce him to Eli. I wanted him to know the one person that had kept me sane through the new school process. My rock.
I ran through the door leaving Eli in the dust; he followed far too slowly behind. Dad was in the living room, and he stood up when he saw me. He was looking a little tired and I noticed the dark circles under his blue eyes. It also appeared that he recently got his arrow-straight, light brown hair cut. He never kept his hair short, so a hair cut meant that his hair flowed down his head to the base of his neck. As soon as I saw him I jumped into his arms and gave him the biggest hug I could, which he returned by picking me up in the air. Eli wandered into the room and cleared his throat. Dad put me down quickly, laughing.
“Well, who’s this Abby?” he asked smiling.
I leaned into the crook of dad’s arm and rested my head on his chest. “This is Eli, he’s my best friend.” I smiled at Eli. I had never confided to him that he was in fact my best friend before now, and I could see a surprised look sweep across his face. He almost seemed proud to be introduced with that title but he recovered quickly. “Eli, this is my dad, Sam.”
“Hey, nice to meet you, sir.” Eli was the first to speak.
“Good to meet you, too. Glad to hear someone is taking good care of my baby,” he said with his hand outstretched for a handshake.
“Dad...” I said as I shoved him playfully.
It was so comforting to have him there. I wanted him to see every aspect of my new life in Arizona, and to have a part in it all. Then when he went home he could picture everything I talked about, and it might just feel more like he was there instead hundreds of miles away.
“Well, it was nice to meet you sir, but I should probably be getting home. You two probably want to catch up. See you Abby,” Eli said, turning to leave.
“Bye, Eli. See you tomorrow!”
I heard the door shut behind him quietly.
“So, Abbs I was thinking we could go out to dinner tonight just the two of us and catch up. What do you think?”
“Sure, what about mom?”
“Well, I already discussed it with her and she will be working late tonight anyway.”
Again? I thought. What could possibly be keeping her working late so much? It seemed like that was the story every night anymore. I couldn’t imagine it would make my dad too happy to have me home alone at night so often, so I didn’t mention it.
“Well, that works out great then! Where should we go?”
“You’re the one that lives here, you tell me.”
“Right,” I giggled. “I have an idea. How does pizza sound?”
“Sounds great.”
“I have some homework I need to do before we go. I will be back down in a little while. Will you be okay? You can come upstairs with me, but I won’t be much company, not as much as the TV would.”
“I’ll be fine honey, get your work done, I won’t have you getting bad grades just because I came to visit. Besides, the TV and I need to catch up too,” he said playfully and plopped down on the couch with the remote in his hand.
It made me smile to have his playful banter back in the house. “Okay,” I said cheerfully.
I couldn’t have been happier to settle back into the routine of having my dad around. I wished we could go back to that completely and not just once in a while during visits. However, I wasn’t going to hold my breath and wait for that to happen.
I took my dad to Rosali’s. I hadn’t told him I got a job there yet, so I was excited to show him where I would be working rather than just telling him. Then he could put a mental picture with the place further down the road whenever he thought of
me working. Plus, Eli was working that night too. It turned out that dad loved the pizza as much as I did. He was so proud that I had my first job. I was slightly embarrassed at his flood of compliments.
When we finished eating, we finally saw Eli for the first time since we had arrived. He came to our table to clear our plates, but that was the last we saw of him before we left.
At home, we talked until almost midnight. Again, mom was home around 9 p.m. and she went straight to bed. I could see the awkwardness on both mom and dad’s faces. They didn’t quite know how to talk to each other anymore, and it showed.
For the first time since we moved, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and I slept more soundly than I had in a long time. I even had a good dream where I was on the beach with mom and dad for the day. We built sand castles and played tag, and my parents were happy as they always used to be. I could only think of one reason for the sudden turn around: my dad. He was the sudden burst of sunshine that was brought to my world, and sadly it wouldn’t last very long.
I got up early so I could have breakfast with my dad before I went to school. It was oddly familiar walking downstairs and hearing my parents talk over the sounds of clanking silverware and glasses. It was comforting to know that my whole family was under one roof, at least for the next week.
“What are you planning on doing today, dad?” I asked, chewing my pancakes. I ignored the dirty looks coming from mom.
“Well, I thought about going shopping. I need to buy some new clothes. I haven’t found the time to go lately, and then I will probably come back here and find a game on TV.”
“Keep busy while I’m gone, I would hate for you to be bored.”
“A little boredom might be nice,” he said with a smile.
I could hear a car honk outside. “I should get going, that’s Eli.”
I kissed my both my parents before I ran out the door.
My day went more slowly than I could have ever imagined, and I knew it was only because I couldn’t wait to see my dad again. I was disappointed when I got home from school to find him not there. While I didn’t want him to sit around all day bored without me there, I really was looking forward to him being there when I got home. It was a double-edged sword. I decided I should go upstairs to do the little homework I had anyway. I just hoped he would be home by the time I was finished. I threw in my ear buds and listened to music while I worked. In what felt like minutes I was done. I ran downstairs to see if dad arrived, but to my disappointment, he was still gone. I wondered what could be keeping him. When the front door opened I darted right over to see who it was. I was shot down again when it was my mom’s voice I heard flooding the entry way and echoing through the house.
“Hello...” she called.
“Hey mom,” I answered with a sigh, rounding the corner and into her view.
“Well, isn’t that just the greeting I was looking for,” she teased. “What’s got you so blue?”
“Dad isn’t here, I thought you we’re him coming through the door,” I admitted.
“Oh, well I guess I’m just chopped liver!” she teased some more.
“Mo-o-m,” I whined.
“I know, I know. I was just kidding. I’m sure he will be back soon. Besides, I want to talk to you about something, with him gone for the moment it will give us a chance to do that.”
I followed her into the kitchen and sat at a bar stool while she leafed through the mail. I couldn’t sit still as I waited for her to broach the subject.
“What do you need to talk to me about?” I asked, suspicious and impatient.
“Remember when I asked you how you felt about me going on a date the other night?”
“Yes...” I answered hesitantly.
“And remember how you said you would be fine with that as long as I was happy?”
“Yes...” I answered again not liking where the conversation was headed.
“Well, I have a date tonight,” she said excitedly.
I could tell she wanted me to be excited with her but I couldn’t be. It was selfish of her to think that this week of all times was the right time to go on a date.
“Tonight?”
“Yep!”
What in the world was my mom doing going on a date while my dad was here? Staying in our house! I couldn’t comprehend what she was trying to accomplish, unless it was completely for my dad’s benefit; something just to make him jealous. That had to be it.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with dad, does it?” I asked, trying to understand her rush.
“No, what on Earth would make you think something like that?”
“Well, you chose to do this while he was still here. Don’t you think that is a little…” I paused. “Awkward?”
“Only if he makes it that way,” she said stubbornly.
“Is the guy picking you up here?” I hoped she would say no, but I already knew that probably wasn’t the case. The way she was acting told it all.
“Yes, I want you to meet him to tell me if you approve.”
This was not what we discussed. She was supposed to introduce me to him if it was getting more serious, not on the first date! I especially did not want to meet him with my dad there. I was furious. She was not only going to go on a date while dad was in town, but she was going to rub it in his face, too.
“Well, what about this guy you’re going on a date with? How do you think he is going to feel about dad staying here?”
“He knows,” she said nonchalantly, looking away.
I couldn’t believe how selfish she was being. I felt empathy for my dad and what he was about to be put through. He was clueless. I only hoped that he didn’t let it put a damper on his visit. If he acted like I thought he would, he’d brush it off and move on.
“Well, whatever makes you happy, but I don’t agree with how you’re going about it.” I stormed out of the room.
I knew I was being disrespectful, but I couldn’t help the way I felt or keep it inside. At that point I began to hope dad wouldn’t come home until after this guy came to pick up mom.
Of course, that was not in the cards either. Five minutes later he walked through the front door. He came to find me, carrying shopping bags and a pizza.
“I hope it isn’t too early for you, but I thought we could have pizza again for dinner,” he said cheerfully.
“No it’s not too early, it’s perfect,” I answered. As much as I didn’t want him to be there when mom’s date came, I could use his support. It was going to be hard on me too, seeing her leave with another man.
“That’s good! I was worried that you might not want pizza again. Is your mother going to join us?”
Great! I was going to have to be the one to tell him. The middleman. I got mad at mom all over again. I was not supposed to be the one dealing with all of their issues! That was the whole point of the divorce.
“No, umm... dad… she has a date...” I trailed off and couldn’t even look him in the face.
“Oh,” he said, more surprised than shocked.
“I’m sorry dad. I don’t know what she is thinking going out tonight. He’s picking her up here. It’s this first time since... well you know.”
“Thanks for the warning, but it’s okay honey. Your mom is free to do as she pleases.”
He was acting very open-minded but I knew better. Deep down I knew he had to be hurting. Who wouldn’t? Then it dawned on me—was dad dating too? It was too much. I did not want to know if dad felt the need to date. Then again, maybe I did. I certainly would not ask him. Mom dating was enough to handle for now.
We sat down in the living room to eat our pizza. It was only 5:30 but I liked having an early dinner. It left plenty of time to have dessert later, and I had my mind set on a nice hot cookie with vanilla ice cream. I would need the sugar jolt after the anxiety I was feeling.
Before long mom came downstairs looking stunning in a little black dress, not unlike the one I wore to the Homecoming dance. It looked as
if it was painted on. I wasn’t sure I had ever seen her in anything so revealing. Her hair was curly and pinned halfway up. She was playing dirty, and I hoped it wouldn’t taint dad’s time at our house. I didn’t want him to be reluctant to visit again.
“Well don’t you look nice.” Dad’s tone of voice was kind and polite.
“Well, thank you,” mom said graciously yet snidely at the same time.
“You’re welcome,” he said respectfully, without showing that he noticed her coldness. Dad was always more civil in that sense.
Soon after mom made her appearance, her date arrived. He was well dressed in black dress slacks and sport coat with a royal blue tie. His shoes were shined and free from scuffs. His jet-black hair was loosely slicked back and he had brown eyes that didn’t stand out. He was driving a BMW. It made me wonder if he had a lot of money. He almost seemed rude towards my dad, which made me want to be hostile towards him. I refused to say more than “hello” to the mystery man, and hoped I’d never have to see him again. They left quickly and I was grateful for that.
We spent the rest of the evening playing board games and eating dessert, something we used to do often. My favorite game was scrabble and dad’s was battleship, so we played both. It was getting late by the time we finished playing, and each winning, our favorite games.
I was yawning and so was dad, so we decided to hit the sack even though mom wasn’t home yet. I wondered when she was going to get home, but also didn’t especially care after the way she acted. I don’t know what came over her, but she was acting very immature and I was embarrassed by it. That was a first.
CHAPTER NINE
I was fast asleep when the front door startled me awake. I rubbed my sleepy eyes and squinted at the clock. It was 3 a.m. I tried to orient myself when it hit me like a ton of bricks—my mom was just getting home. I couldn’t believe she had the nerve to come in at that hour! What kind of example was she setting? She had some nerve; that was for sure.