Chapter 3: Meeting People
It finally felt like fall that third weekend of September, and my mom was still away on a trip. I met Sarah, James, and Henri at their apartment in Oakland. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Can I ask you guys an important question?" I asked. "Sure," James replied. "What is it?" "Have you guys met anybody else new besides each other as kids?" I asked. "Yes, I did, Angel," James replied. "I have lots of friends I met when I was a junior in high school. Actually, just prior to then, when you, Sarah, and I went to the local car dealer in Cheswick the summer I turned 16 years old, I met lots of nice friends who were getting a new car, just like I was." "That's cool," I remarked. "What were their names?" "They were Cindy, Peter, and John." "Cindy, Peter, and John?" I asked myself. "Those sound a lot like Brady Bunch characters. Are you sure they were real people?" "Yes, Angel," James replied. "They were not those same characters." "I met a nice, friendly worker the same day when we went to Pizza Hut," Sarah informed me. "His name was Robert, and he is just 2 years older than I am. He offered to be our server and make James a special birthday cake." "Yum, I remember that delicious birthday cake," James recalled. "It was chocolate." "It seems like a lot of guys like chocolate-flavored desserts, huh?" I asked. "Certainly," James replied. "Anyway, I realized that Robert was the same age as James, and now he is going to be my permanent boyfriend," Sarah informed me. "The day when me, James, and Sarah had to wear all black, I met a kid in my fifth grade class who asked me why I was wearing black, and he was wearing all black clothes, just more casual than the rest of us," Henri narrated. "His name was Thomas, and he always had a thing for black." "I met these people at an event for a specific interest, which was driving," James told me. "I met Robert through his job at Pizza Hut," Sarah told me. "Little did I know he went to the same school as me!" "I met Thomas in my 5th grade class, out of a random interest," Henri told me. "I'm glad that Sarah, James, and I were not the only ones dressed in all black that day!" "I think you guys wanted to express your true style, even if you guys were not performing in a concert or going to a funeral," I explained to them. "We included a greeting, a handshake, our names, how we were related, stating our title, and acknowledging," Sarah explained. "It was all very important stuff to learn, especially when we went out to dinner at a nice restaurant." "And, looking for a good deal on a car!" James added. "Good points, but I wouldn't exactly call Pizza Hut a nice restaurant," I reminded Sarah. "Oh, right," Sarah remembered. "But, still." "Thomas and I found a common interest to start our conversation- the color of the clothes we were wearing!" "He was also the one who taught me to drive a car, along with my dad," James recalled. "I just did not know that he would voluntarily help out with Henri's elementary school." "We also have their phone numbers and e-mail addresses," Henri told me. "But with their permission first, of course!" "So, tell us, Angel," Sarah told me. "Who is the name of a good friend that you have met?" "You see, my dad knows Mr. and Mrs. Homeson from being lawyers in Pittsburgh with them, and they suggested to him that their daughter, Erica, who is the same age as me, help me with growing up and basic life skills, as well as socialization skills," I told my friends. "Erica also has an older sister, Eva, 2 younger sisters, Sophia and Chloe, and 4 best friends: Jessica, Colleen, Garrett, and Jeremy. We met out of common interest, which was growing up and learning new things, which was also an event of interest. My dad met Erica's parents through his job as a lawyer." "Cool," James remarked. "As a matter of fact, Erica will introduce me to some of her good guy friends today before I head to the Monroeville Mall!" "Awesome," Sarah remarked. "Hey, we're going to have dinner at Golden Corral in Monroeville today? Want to join us?" "That's okay," I told them. "I already went there earlier this week, and my potentially new guy friends could take me out to some simple fast food restaurants, like Dunkin' Donuts and KFC." I then saw a bus outside the apartment. "That's my ride," I told my friends. "I gotta go." "Bye, Angel!" Sarah told me. "Have fun!"