Chapter 11
"Congratulations, Karen!" Kristy Thomas pulled her stepsister into a hug. "I knew you'd audition well!"
"I can't believe I actually got accepted!" Karen squealed excitedly, her sapphire eyes round with excitement. "I'm going to Ithaca College to do what I love most-acting!" She paused dramatically before she went on. "And there's something else."
Kristy pulled up in front of the Brewer mansion. "Mmm?"
"But I can't tell you now. Wait 'till supper tonight. . .we're having a celebratory feast!" Karen flounced out of the car, long blonde curls swirling around her willowy figure. Kristy smiled and shook her head. Karen never grew out of being theatrical.
Pulling her shoulder-length brown hair back in a ponytail, Kristy glanced in the rearview mirror. Though she had taken a bit more interest in her appearance, her beauty routine consisted only of a smudge of lip gloss and a swipe of mascara. Content with her looks, Kristy pulled out of the driveway and continued on to the apartment buildings in Stamford.
When she reached them, she quickly parked and grabbed her purse. She had two hours until dinner with her family, and she wanted to go for a run and maybe read over her plans for elementary gym class tomorrow. They were starting a kickball unit, and she wanted to make sure she was very organized.
Turning to make her way to the building, she ran into something. "Oomph," she moaned as the wind was knocked out of her. Dazedly, she looked up. And up. (She hadn't grown since middle school.) And, standing there, was the last person she expected to see. Ever.
"Alan Gray?" Kristy demanded incredulously.
Alan stood there awkwardly, a tall, lanky man with dark tousled hair and squared shoulders. Kristy examined him harshly. This was the boy that had caused her so much anguish and anxiety in her teens and childhood. . but she barely recognized the 'boy' under all that. . .well. . .manliness. Alan had truly become a man. And what did she expect? That's what boys do, as time goes by. She guessed that she had immortalized him as a dorky teenager in her mind forever.
"I-I didn't mean for you to run into me," Alan stammered. "I just saw you, and wanted to see if it really was you. . and it is, though I never would have imagined it. . ."
Though Kristy had thought the same thing herself about him, she gave him a strange look. He flushed. That's strange, Kristy thought. Alan Gray? Embarrassed?
"So, how are. .things?" Alan asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
This was just too weird. The terror of my past coming to ask me how 'things' were? "Fine, Alan, and I hope things are well for you too, but I've got engagements to attend to," Kristy informed him icily.
"Oh, sure . .I'm sorry to have bothered you. .maybe I'll see you around?" His eyes searched her face.
With a curt nod, Kristy turned on her heel. Leaving Alan behind, and all the tremulous thoughts that came with him.
"Congratulations, Karen!" Kristy Thomas pulled her stepsister into a hug. "I knew you'd audition well!"
"I can't believe I actually got accepted!" Karen squealed excitedly, her sapphire eyes round with excitement. "I'm going to Ithaca College to do what I love most-acting!" She paused dramatically before she went on. "And there's something else."
Kristy pulled up in front of the Brewer mansion. "Mmm?"
"But I can't tell you now. Wait 'till supper tonight. . .we're having a celebratory feast!" Karen flounced out of the car, long blonde curls swirling around her willowy figure. Kristy smiled and shook her head. Karen never grew out of being theatrical.
Pulling her shoulder-length brown hair back in a ponytail, Kristy glanced in the rearview mirror. Though she had taken a bit more interest in her appearance, her beauty routine consisted only of a smudge of lip gloss and a swipe of mascara. Content with her looks, Kristy pulled out of the driveway and continued on to the apartment buildings in Stamford.
When she reached them, she quickly parked and grabbed her purse. She had two hours until dinner with her family, and she wanted to go for a run and maybe read over her plans for elementary gym class tomorrow. They were starting a kickball unit, and she wanted to make sure she was very organized.
Turning to make her way to the building, she ran into something. "Oomph," she moaned as the wind was knocked out of her. Dazedly, she looked up. And up. (She hadn't grown since middle school.) And, standing there, was the last person she expected to see. Ever.
"Alan Gray?" Kristy demanded incredulously.
Alan stood there awkwardly, a tall, lanky man with dark tousled hair and squared shoulders. Kristy examined him harshly. This was the boy that had caused her so much anguish and anxiety in her teens and childhood. . but she barely recognized the 'boy' under all that. . .well. . .manliness. Alan had truly become a man. And what did she expect? That's what boys do, as time goes by. She guessed that she had immortalized him as a dorky teenager in her mind forever.
"I-I didn't mean for you to run into me," Alan stammered. "I just saw you, and wanted to see if it really was you. . and it is, though I never would have imagined it. . ."
Though Kristy had thought the same thing herself about him, she gave him a strange look. He flushed. That's strange, Kristy thought. Alan Gray? Embarrassed?
"So, how are. .things?" Alan asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
This was just too weird. The terror of my past coming to ask me how 'things' were? "Fine, Alan, and I hope things are well for you too, but I've got engagements to attend to," Kristy informed him icily.
"Oh, sure . .I'm sorry to have bothered you. .maybe I'll see you around?" His eyes searched her face.
With a curt nod, Kristy turned on her heel. Leaving Alan behind, and all the tremulous thoughts that came with him.