I am laying in my bed. It's 12 pm. I still can't fall asleep.
Lots of big things happened today. I arranged sort-of date with Brenda. And I caught my older brother practicing cross-dressing. I guess I realy couldn't have completely great day.
I will never forget how I told my parents about that. How I was looking down at the floor while I was snitching my brother out. How I was doing my best not to vomit while I was giving out basic details about that... incident. How both of my parents, and I, were practically mute for next few minutes, till my mom finaly managed to order me, in few brief, silent rooms, to go in my room.
I, naturaly, hated every bit of that conversation, and I probably shouldn't snitch him out, but I think it needs to be... taken care of as soon as possible. I know some scientists claim that is natural... but what the hell do they know? I don't want my brother to dress like a woman! And I definetly don't want to be known as brother of a cross-dressing guy! Not like I was totalyl unprepared to catch him in some creepy, disgusting act, but still...
But, I guess I need to look forward with good things on my mind. I need to think what will I wear tomorow? I think I'll put on something casual, like my red T-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. I'll found her number in phone book and call her, using my cellphone, to arange things further.
Movie starts at 5:30 pm, so I guess I need to get all other things done till at least 4:30 pm. School will finish at 3 pm and I'll get home till about 3:30. Hope one hour will be enough. I also need to take a shower and brush my teeth before leaving.
With that in mind, I somehow fall asleep, finaly.
#
My alarm clock woke me up at 7 am. I barely crumbled out my bed. I needed to do my best to pee straight in a can. Somehow, I managed to put on my school clothes and climb downstairs, for breakfast. We had scrambled eggs, ham, toast and waffles. My dad wore white shirt, black pants and black shoes. My mom wore black shirt, blue jeans and black shoes. Hillary wore white T-shirt and blue jeans. Larry wore blue T-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. At least I believe that he was wearing that, since image of him dressed in red dress and blonde wig was still stuck in my head.
"Good morning", I said before siting down.
"Hmmm", they all mumbled.
You could cut the awkwardness with knife. I was siting right next to Larry. We were doing our best not to share any eye contact.
"Mom, dad...", I started, hoping to change a subject. "I'm planning to go somewhere today, about hour and a half after school."
Silence.
"I will be gone for about two, two and a half hours."
Still no response.
"I'll come back right in time for dinner, I promise."
Nothing.
"Can I go... please?"
"Sure", mom said.
"OK", dad muffled and tooked a sip of coffe.
"Good for you" , Hillary commented.
Larry coughed, silently.
Dad and Larry both tried to grab last waffle left on the plate on the middle of a table, accidently touching each other's hands in process. Right after, they moved their hands away from each other and the plate, obiously barely managing not to scream, and decided to leave a waffle.
Oh my God.
I quickly finished my breakfast, walked back upstairs in my room, tooked my schoolbag, with books, notebooks and writing kit olready in it, puted schoolbag on my backs, sat on my bed, tooked of sleepers, puted them under my bed, puted on my shoes, walked downstairs and quickly run out from that crazy house. Suddenly, school didn't seem so bad.
#
I was in my room, puting on my blue jeans, red T-shirt and blue jeans. I just tooked shower and brushed my teeth. I would done it earlier, but I walked in on Larry taking a spunge bath while talking with his best friend and our neighbour Kenny, using his cellphone. I was too shocked to say anything, so I just walked back in my room and waited till he was done.
I gaze one last time on the mirow in right corner of my room. I think I look perfectly... decent, for somebody who is 14 and lives in dysfunctional family.
I tooked some money from drawer of my writing desk and puted it in right pocket of my jeans. I knew Brenda olready has tickets, but I realy didn't want her to pay me my popcorns and beverage. That would be very embarassing, like I'm still a kid, and from family which doesn't have much money. (I am both of that, actualy, but there was realy no need to point out on that in front of her).
I found Brenda's home number in phone book and called her before I left. She answered after second ring.
"Hello?
-Hello, Brenda! It's me, Mike. Where will we gonna meet?"
"Uh... We could meet near that shopping mall across the street, and then walk to the movie theatre? Sounds OK to you?"
"Of course! Great. Bye."
"Bye", she replied and hang up.
I walked outside, closing the doors behind. With hands in my pockets, I slowly made my way towards the destination.
I felt strangely... happy. All of the sudden. Before that, all that nervouses probably supressed happiness over having sort-of date with Brenda. But, I guess her tone of voice realy... raised me up. She sounded so happy, like she has no worry in the world, so innocent and optimistic. And, the best of all, she may felt that way because of me. I can't know that for sure, but it is possible. But after all, she is happy. And I'm happy because I'm glad because of her.
I walked to the shopping mall very soon. Brenda was olready standing there. She wore white T-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. I quickly walked towards her, almost runing.
"Hi", I said.
"Hi", she smiled. "Let's go."
We started walking down the street, only two of us.
I could clearly feel pleasant shivers going through my body while I felt her smell: strawberries, vanilia, flowers, and something special, truly HERS. Slightly cold wind was blowing, bringing that beautiful smell closer to me, her beautiful black hair on wind. I could barely keep my eyes of her, but I somehow managed to do that every time when possibility that she will notice me arrived.
"So... how are things doing at school?", she asked me.
"Pretty good, I guess", I answered. "I don't really like Math. Or Physic. Or Chemistry. I think we have too many classes per day."
"They still didn't learn,huh?"
"So it seems."
"How is stuff doing with you at home?"
"Usual stuff, I guess. Didn't Hillary already tell you about that?"
"She doesn't like to talk about that kinda stuff with me, at least not detaily."
"Did she... uhm... ever mentioned... me?"
Brenda glared at me, slightly surprised.
"Why are you asking me about that?"
I felt my face turning red.
"Oh... I don't know. I'm just curious."
"She didn't say anything... specific. She said that you're boring... for her."
"And for you?", I asked, realizing what I did when it was olready too late.
"Oh, I don't know. We never hanged around."
"We are hanging around now", I said.
"We'll see."
That's what she said, and we spend rest of the walk in silence.
Cinema's loby was big, walls painted in white, red carpet over the floor. We walked to the counter and purchusaed popcorns and Cola. I produdly paid for mynes myself. We walked in cabine number 10 and sat at their seats. Line 5. Seats 11 and 12.
When lights went off, I accidently rubed her right shoulder with my fingers. She looked at me and smiled. I felt heat going up to my face and I quickly turned my face away and started watching the movie.
To be honest with you, movie wasn't very good. 90 minutes of Jeniffer Aniston moving in other town and tryng to found job and love of her life while walking on sunshine was playing in background in every other scene of the movie. Few good jokes and one brief hot scene with her in red bicni, but nothing more.
I would sometimes glare at Brenda. Her eyes were entirely focused on movie. I can't know that for sure, but I felt like... I don't know... like she, Brenda, wants... or hopes... maybe even expects to found a true love, or simply hapiness, like movie's main character.
After movie was over, we started walking outside. I felt that typical feeling after watching a movie in cinema: itchy eyes.
While we were walking back home, she asked me:
"Did you like the movie?"
"Well... it was... pretty good", I answered, choosing my words carefully. "Only... not quite the type of movie I prefer."
She chukled, probably realizing my intent.
I followed her to her house.
"Thank you for making me company", she said.
"You're welcome", I smiled.
She hugged me. I felt warmth of her body through soft fabric of her T-shirt. I even could feel, although barely, her heart beating, and I am almost sure it was beating fast, strong. I felt smell her hair and skin.
After few seconds, she leted me go, and went in her house, closing the doors behind, giving me a brief but beautiful smile before doing so.
I walked few feets away to my house, even jumping once during walk because of sudden happiness wich I felt again. I walked in, closing the doors behind. Others were olready siting down at tge kitchen table to have dinner. We had tuna salad. Everyone seemed much more relaxed and happier (at least when compared with atmosphere during breakfast). Deciding to enjoy in it, since it diesn't happen very often, I quickly sat down at the table and started eating.
Only few hours after, I found out that Larry isn't cross dresser; he stole mom's car while parents were at work to drive near some girl's house with Kenny in order to impress them. He was in disguise so anybody who would briefly see him driving would think that's our mom. Plan backfired because he forgot to take off the disguise when they stopped in front of the said house. It was all revealed when parking ticket with photograph of car taped by high speed camera came by the mail. OK. That's the level of weird that I can bare.