“Why does it matter if she comes to me?”
“Because it just does. I don’t know how to explain it, but there’s a certain way these things work. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it’s just the way it is. If you go over there right now and stare at her the whole time because you can’t think of anything to say, you’re going to come off as weird. On the other hand, if you wait for her to miss you enough to come see you, she’s not going to care that much about what you have to say. She’ll just be glad to be with you. It puts you in a good position, and it gives you both some time to come up with things to talk about. It doesn’t hurt that it gives you time to let what seemed like the perfect night fade from your mind. You don’t want the perfect first date to make the second one seem bad.”
“Thanks. There’s still one thing I don’t understand, though.”
“This isn’t rocket science, Eric. Just do what I tell you, and you’ll be fine.”
“That’s not what I’m saying. My question is about you. Since when did you start caring about me?”
“I suppose I should stop caring,” she said coldly.
“I didn’t mean anything by that. I just don’t understand. You spend most of the time pointing out what’s wrong with me, but right now, you’re actually trying to help. I appreciate it, but it’s not something I’m used to.”
“You’re my brother, and yeah, you freak me out. I know all too well how weird you can be, but you’re still my family. I give you a hard time because I know you can be more. While I’m always worried about grades, a social life, and finding places to intern, you’re just slacking off. It usually seems like you don’t care about anything. It’s a little irritating to see someone try so little when you’re trying so hard. Most of the time, I can’t figure out if you care at all. I don’t have to be a genius to see that you actually care about that girl, though. I know you’re only going to see her for a few more days, so nothing can really come of this, but it’s a start. I can see my brother working for something. I guess I just think if you can care about this, then maybe that means you’ll get with the program about everything else.”
“Thanks. I do care. I just don’t always show it. I hope you know that.”
“I do. You need to show it more often, though. Let’s talk about something else. I don’t think all of this brother-sister talk really suits us. What movie do you want to see?”
The afternoon was actually pleasant, and I was left with something to question. Was Catherine right? Should I do more back at home? I was starting to think so. There was one other thing she said that really bothered me. I was only going to be there for a few more days. That meant that whatever I had, or could have, with Olivia would soon mean nothing. I was only fourteen, and what we were developing wasn’t serious. As a man, I can see that now, but for a fourteen-year-old boy, that was the most serious thing in the world. Even if I had only known her for a couple of days, Olivia seemed like the best friend I never had.
When the movie was over and we were home, I followed Catherine’s advice. I didn’t go see Olivia. I waited. It seemed wrong, though. Shouldn’t dating be simpler than this? It felt like I was making a move in some game, and this was anything but a game to me. Still, I wanted things to work out as best they could, and my sister had a lot more experience with these kinds of things. Didn’t it make sense to follow her advice?
At seven that night, I heard a knock at the door. My aunt answered it, and then she let the girl of my dreams in. Catherine was right. She had come to me. I stepped into my room, and she walked into it with me. I was so happy that my move had worked, but the conversation we were about to have would change that.
“Hey, where have you been?” Olivia asked.
“I’ve been here. Why? What’s up?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I just thought we had a really great time last night. I told you things I never tell people and took you to my favorite spot. I even gave you your first kiss. Somehow I thought that might require a hello by you at some point.”
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to give you some time to think about things. I figured you would come to me when you wanted to see me again.”
“Time to think about things . . . what does that even mean?”
“I don’t know. It’s just something my sister said.”
“What did she say?” Olivia asked as she sat down on the bed beside me.
“She said that if we really had such a good time last night, I should give you some space to think about it and miss me a little. She also said that a great first date always overshadows the second one unless you give it some time. It all seemed like a move in a game, but I don’t have a lot of experience in this area. She does.”
“It was a move in a game. I’m a little disappointed. I don’t play games. I think you’ve confused the whole situation.”
“What do you mean?”
“That wasn’t a date last night, and I’m not going to compare every time we see each other to then.”
“What do you mean it wasn’t a date? That was the best time I’ve had with anyone. It meant something to me.”
“You’re misunderstanding. It meant something to me, too. That’s why I don’t consider it a date. I don’t have a lot of experience with dating, but here’s what I do know. It always feels like an interview. You go there with all these expectations of how things should be, and you do the things that are expected of you at the appropriate moments. It’s like one long boring dance where you just go through the motions until it’s over. For me, it’s not fun. I had no expectations last night. I just took a chance on trusting you because well, I kind of caused you to get hit by two cars. We were just two people who wanted to spend time together. There were no rules or expectations. That’s what I liked most about it. For once, I could just be myself with someone. When you turn it all into some weird dating game where we have to go back and forth between pretending to care and not to, it’s a little tiring, though. Besides, we don’t have time for that. You wasted one of the five days you have here. I want to spend some more time with you, but I want it to be simple.”
“I get it. I’m sorry. I guess I’m just really bad at this sort of thing.”
“You’re better at it than you think you are. Listen to your instincts more often, and don’t overthink things. If you want to see me, just do it. We only have four and a half days to get to know each other. I don’t want to put a label on what we’re doing, or even think about it, because I don’t think there’s enough time to figure out what we are or could be. Let’s just go with the flow. What do you say?”
“I say that I’ve been an idiot. You’re too good for me. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I definitely do. I think I might like you a little, though.”
“Oh, really? What is it that you like so much? Is it my good looks or the fact that I’m such an amazing kisser,” I joked.
“Don’t get cocky now! There’s a lot of room for improvement.”
“I don’t see where.”
“For starters, after a girl tells you about her deadbeat dad and gives you your first kiss, you can, I don’t know, give her a call the next day. You know, maybe you can even come see her instead of making her come over to your uncle’s house and awkwardly ask for you.”
“Well, I suppose there is that.”
“Now that we’ve covered that, are you going to introduce me to your family? I’m not big on first meetings, but since I did just come into your aunt and uncle’s house, I think it might be appropriate.”
“Of course. I figured you already knew them. You live right across the road.”
“We see each other, but I wouldn’t say I really know them.”
I introduced her to my family, and my aunt asked if she wanted to stay for dinner. All throughout the meal, I noticed that my parents looked shocked. They weren’t used to seeing me with a girl. They were surprised, but at the same time, I think they were happy for me. It’s strange to reflect on how they looked at me back
then. It seems like such a world away now. Everything changed through the years, and if I could . . . no, that comes later in the story. First, I should tell you about what happened then. Times were so much simpler. After dinner, I walked Olivia back to her house. She didn’t go inside immediately, though.
“You know, tonight was really nice. Your family is a lot better than you made them out to be. I’m starting to think that theory I had about you being a little rich boy whining about rich people problems is true,” Olivia joked as she turned back toward me.
“They’re not all bad. I think they were putting on a good show for you. They don’t normally see me with a girl. They were probably pretty shocked by the whole thing.”
“You’re a good looking guy. Why don’t they ever see you with a girl?”
“It’s hard to explain. I don’t fit in very well back at home. I guess I’m a little shy because I already know that I’m not what girls around there are looking for.”
In that moment, Olivia closed the distance between us and wrapped her arms around me. She leaned in, and I met her halfway with a soft kiss. It felt right. My sister had been wrong. Nothing about my time with her suffered from having such a good time the night before. If anything, I felt more comfortable with every conversation, touch, and kiss. As she pulled back, Olivia said something that I would always remember.
“Eric, don’t ever assume that you’re not what someone wants. Any girl would be lucky to have you. I know I wish you were staying,” she said and gave me one more quick peck on the lips. Then she walked inside.
I simply stood there at her door in a haze for a few seconds. No one had ever made me feel like I was worth so much. I didn’t say it to anyone, but I wished I could stay there with her forever. For the first time, I was truly happy. Olivia gave me happiness and a confidence that wouldn’t be broken. For that, I’ll always be grateful to her.
Chapter 4
See You Later
Three days went by quicker than I ever thought they would. Throughout that time, I got to know my aunt and uncle more, and my relationship even improved with my family. It seemed like everything was turning around, and I’m not even mentioning the most important part. I got to spend three more days with Olivia. That time was simple. Just like she said she wanted it, there were no labels or games between us. There were just two friends who happened to be very into each other.
As my time there was coming to a close, I started to feel rushed. When I woke up on the morning of my last day in Wisconsin, I knew that I had to do something to make our time together memorable. I didn’t know what, but a deep panic was starting to overtake me. Suddenly, what used to be simple was now the most complicated thing in the world. I had to find a way to say goodbye to my dream girl. How does a person do that? For that matter, did I even want to say goodbye? My life there was so much better than the one back at home. Truthfully, I was already heartbroken, and I didn’t even have to say goodbye yet. I tried not to let it get me too down, though. I got dressed and went downstairs where I asked my mother for some money so I could do something with Olivia. It wasn’t a problem, and I was out the door in no time.
While I was walking over to Olivia’s house, I started to wonder what I was doing. I had no plan of any kind. Where were we even going? Before I could come up with anything, I found myself at the front door knocking. I was just going to have to improvise. When Olivia opened the door, the first thing I noticed was that she wasn’t ready for anything. As a matter of fact, she was in nothing but her pajamas, and she wasn’t looking very good.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
“Not really. Come in,” she said and weakly walked back to the couch.
“I’m sick, and I feel terrible. You might want to get as far away from me as possible,” Olivia said.
“I’m not scared of getting sick. How did this happen, though? You seemed like you were feeling great last night.”
“Well, let’s see . . . some guy kept me out in the cold until late last night. I don’t quite remember what his name was, but . . .”
“All right, I get it. I’m sorry for getting you sick.”
“No, it was worth it. I’ve really enjoyed the last few days. It’s too bad we won’t get to spend our last day together.”
“Why wouldn’t we get to spend it together?”
“Because I’m really contagious right now. You actually do need to get out of here.”
“I’m not worried about that. Let me ask you something. Where’s your mom?”
“At work. I really don’t want to ruin your Christmas. It’s only a week away, and if I make you sick now, then it’s going to be bad for you. Trust me,” she said and coughed.
“I don’t mind sharing anything with you, and that includes germs. Besides, everybody needs someone to take care of them when they’re sick. I can’t leave until your mom gets home.”
“I don’t know how she’ll feel about coming home and finding a boy here. Are you sure about this?”
“I’m positive. Now, what can I do for you?”
“Answer a question for me. Why do you care about me so much? We’ve only known each other for a few days.”
“That’s easy. I’ve never felt at home with anyone until you. I know I’m not going to be around after tomorrow, and we haven’t known each other very long, but none of that really matters. I’m just going with it like you said, and I can’t help but care about you when you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
“I’m going to tell you a secret. I feel the same way. Now, there is something you can do for me.”
“What is it?”
“There’s a blanket beside you. Why don’t you spread it out over us and watch a corny Christmas movie with me? I think that’s all they’re playing right now.”
I did exactly that. As I spread the blanket over us, she leaned her head on me, and I wrapped my arms around her. Within an hour, Olivia was asleep with her face firmly planted on my chest. As I sat there, my throat started to feel scratchy. It wasn’t bad, but it was clear that it was the beginning of sickness. I didn’t care, though. I was right where I wanted to be, and any consequences of this visit were welcome. I simply held her until my eyes started to feel heavy. Within a few minutes, I was asleep. Throughout the morning, we simply lay there in each other’s arms. A surprise awaited us at noon, however.
I awoke to the sound of the front door opening. Olivia’s mother was home. For a second, she looked a little odd about me being there. Then it was as if it all became clear to her. There was no reason for her to be suspicious. Olivia was sick, and odds were that this was innocent. Besides, she had a good daughter. Olivia had already been spending a lot of time with me, and I think that she was just glad to finally meet me.
“Mom, what are you doing home so early?” Olivia asked.
“I came home because I felt bad about leaving you alone while you were sick. It looks like your friend picked up the slack, though. I assume you’re Eric. I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said.
“I am. I’m sorry if me being here isn’t okay. It’s just that I’m leaving town tomorrow, so I wanted to spend some time with Olivia, even if she is sick. I hope that’s all right,” I said.
“It’s fine. I’m glad she had someone to keep her company while I was gone. You two spend some time together, and I’ll fix lunch,” she said and walked into the kitchen.
I noticed that she still gave me a suspicious look as she left. Olivia’s mother knew that nothing was going on, but even so, she shot me a protective glance that let me know not to ever do anything inappropriate with her daughter.
“Wow. That went better than I thought it would,” Olivia said.
“We weren’t doing anything wrong. As a matter of fact, all we were doing was sleeping.”
“Yeah. Let’s just say you should be glad I’m sick right now. If my mom came in and found me asleep on a guy in any other situation, I’m pretty sure there would be hell to pay.”
“I didn’t th
ink about it like that. Wait a minute. I just realized something. You’re actually a good girl, aren’t you?”
“What makes you say that? I’ve been out with some random guy I just met over the last several nights. That doesn’t sound like an angel to me.”
“I don’t know. It just sounds like your mom would never expect a guy to be here, and you genuinely looked worried when she walked in. Not only are you a good girl, but you really care about what people think of you. I learned something new today,” I teased.
“You caught me, but it shouldn’t have been a big secret. I told you from the beginning that I’m pretty much a tease. I like to have fun, but that’s all. Anything too serious can wait. Besides, with everything my mom and I have gone through, I don’t want to put her through anything more or give her a heart attack by suddenly becoming the stereotypical bad girl with daddy issues. Is it such a bad thing that I’m good? I mean, you’re nothing more than a saint yourself.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I have a bad side. You just haven’t seen it yet.”
“Oh, really? This from the guy who hadn’t even kissed a girl before I met him.”
“I’m just saying. You don’t know what I’m like back in Miami.”
“I think I do. I’m guessing shy with a side of too pasty to be walking around the beach.”
“Hey, that’s not funny.”
“It’s a little funny. You didn’t answer my question, though.”
“Of course it’s not a bad thing. I really love that you’re good. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“So your intentions were pure when you came over that day. That’s surprising. I’ve got to tell you, though, you could really stand to be a little bad.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you got sent to the hospital thanks to me, and all you got out of it was a few kisses. I’m just saying. I might be good, but if pressed, you probably could have gotten more out of me,” she joked.
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