Chapter 2:
I began to see Autumn everywhere. She was in all my calsses and showed up at all my hockey games.
She talked a lot but was still beautiful. She had apparently moved from Outer Banks with her father two weeks after her mom died.
Connie invited her to sit with the Ducks at lunch. She sat across from me and next to Banks and Portman. She played with her mashed potatoes and talked to Banksie. I saw a hint of jealousy flicker in Jule's eyes as she inhaled her hot dog. Right after lunch the most unexpected thing happened. Banks asked her out. I felt my stomach drop as she nodded and smiled. I was out of luck and I knew it.
* * *
Luis shook his head as recalled the memory. His therapist was jotting something down. He looked up, wanting something more.
* * *
I found out that Adam and Autumn had planned a date that night when I walked out of my job at the haunted mill. I pulled my mask and black costume off and threw them in my duffel bag. As I walked out of the front doors of the lobby something to my left caught my eye. It was Autumn.
I smiled to myself. When I sat my hand down on her shoulder she jumped.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"That's okay, it's your job isn't it?" she asked.
I looked at her, confused. She pointed at my duffel bag.
"Oh, yeah,that. So, what are you doing here?" I asked, sitting down beside her.
"Umm, Adam's supposed to meet me here. Like ten minutes ago," she added, looking at her watch.
"Oh," my smile faded.
She must have noticed because she told me I could wait with her. I really didn't want to because then I would have to see her with Adam, happy.
"Sure," I said. I sat down. There was an awkward silence between us for a good five minutes. "So, do you want a funnel cake?"
"Sure," we walked to the concession stand.
"A small funnel cake, with extra powder," I said. When the man, Tim, handed me back the cake Autumn reached in her pocket. "Oh, don't worry about it. Employees get it free. On work nights."
"Okay," she reached for a piece.
"Good?" I asked.
"Mm hmm," she said with a mouthful and then laughed. We sat back down on the bench when suddenly her cell phone rang.
She slid the silver plated phone out of her pocket and wiped her hands on her pant. "Mmm, it's Adam," she pushed talk. "Hello?"
His voice traveled through the phone, " Hey, ahh... i'm not going to be able to make it tonight. I promised to help Julie... umm.. get her keys out of her car." There was a silence between both of them.
* * *
"Do you know what happened there?" Beau asked.
"Yeah, Julie said 'Hurry up Adam. I won't be horny forever."
"I see."
* * *
"I gotta go," Adam yelped and hung up the phone.
She sighed.
"He isn't coming?" I asked, trying to pretend that I hadn't heard it.
She shook her head. I felt a surge of anger towards him for upsetting Autumn but happy and relieved at the same time that I got to be spending more time with her.
"Well, you came all the way out here to get scared, you're going to get scared." I stood up and she just looked at me.
"What?"
"C'mon. I can get us in without a wait. I pulled her to the front of the line and gave Henry a card I had scrummaged out of the bottom of my bag.
"Hey, Luis," he said.
"Hey. Two for the Haunted Mansion," he hole punched two of the little numbers and handed the card back to me.
"Ready?" I whispered in her ear?"
"Yeah," she laughed.
We went through the first hallway without running into any "creatures." As we were climbing up the first set of stairs a man with a chainsaw jumped out in front of us. She screamed and jumped back into me. The man began chasing us down the hall. When he found another group of girls, younger than us, he went to taunt them.
"Oh, God," she said, scared but still laughing.
"Scare ya?"
"Yeah," she pulled me into a room which turned out to be mistake.
I began to see Autumn everywhere. She was in all my calsses and showed up at all my hockey games.
She talked a lot but was still beautiful. She had apparently moved from Outer Banks with her father two weeks after her mom died.
Connie invited her to sit with the Ducks at lunch. She sat across from me and next to Banks and Portman. She played with her mashed potatoes and talked to Banksie. I saw a hint of jealousy flicker in Jule's eyes as she inhaled her hot dog. Right after lunch the most unexpected thing happened. Banks asked her out. I felt my stomach drop as she nodded and smiled. I was out of luck and I knew it.
* * *
Luis shook his head as recalled the memory. His therapist was jotting something down. He looked up, wanting something more.
* * *
I found out that Adam and Autumn had planned a date that night when I walked out of my job at the haunted mill. I pulled my mask and black costume off and threw them in my duffel bag. As I walked out of the front doors of the lobby something to my left caught my eye. It was Autumn.
I smiled to myself. When I sat my hand down on her shoulder she jumped.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"That's okay, it's your job isn't it?" she asked.
I looked at her, confused. She pointed at my duffel bag.
"Oh, yeah,that. So, what are you doing here?" I asked, sitting down beside her.
"Umm, Adam's supposed to meet me here. Like ten minutes ago," she added, looking at her watch.
"Oh," my smile faded.
She must have noticed because she told me I could wait with her. I really didn't want to because then I would have to see her with Adam, happy.
"Sure," I said. I sat down. There was an awkward silence between us for a good five minutes. "So, do you want a funnel cake?"
"Sure," we walked to the concession stand.
"A small funnel cake, with extra powder," I said. When the man, Tim, handed me back the cake Autumn reached in her pocket. "Oh, don't worry about it. Employees get it free. On work nights."
"Okay," she reached for a piece.
"Good?" I asked.
"Mm hmm," she said with a mouthful and then laughed. We sat back down on the bench when suddenly her cell phone rang.
She slid the silver plated phone out of her pocket and wiped her hands on her pant. "Mmm, it's Adam," she pushed talk. "Hello?"
His voice traveled through the phone, " Hey, ahh... i'm not going to be able to make it tonight. I promised to help Julie... umm.. get her keys out of her car." There was a silence between both of them.
* * *
"Do you know what happened there?" Beau asked.
"Yeah, Julie said 'Hurry up Adam. I won't be horny forever."
"I see."
* * *
"I gotta go," Adam yelped and hung up the phone.
She sighed.
"He isn't coming?" I asked, trying to pretend that I hadn't heard it.
She shook her head. I felt a surge of anger towards him for upsetting Autumn but happy and relieved at the same time that I got to be spending more time with her.
"Well, you came all the way out here to get scared, you're going to get scared." I stood up and she just looked at me.
"What?"
"C'mon. I can get us in without a wait. I pulled her to the front of the line and gave Henry a card I had scrummaged out of the bottom of my bag.
"Hey, Luis," he said.
"Hey. Two for the Haunted Mansion," he hole punched two of the little numbers and handed the card back to me.
"Ready?" I whispered in her ear?"
"Yeah," she laughed.
We went through the first hallway without running into any "creatures." As we were climbing up the first set of stairs a man with a chainsaw jumped out in front of us. She screamed and jumped back into me. The man began chasing us down the hall. When he found another group of girls, younger than us, he went to taunt them.
"Oh, God," she said, scared but still laughing.
"Scare ya?"
"Yeah," she pulled me into a room which turned out to be mistake.