Two weeks passed. Unfortunately for me, nothing more happened between me and Brenda. We were hardly even seeing each other, actualy. Still, those feelings sticked with me.
That night, I walked downstairs in kitchen to took some juice from fridge. Mom and dad were siting on the couch in living room close to kitchen. Dad was wearing white shirt, black pants and black shoes, mom was wearing black shirt and brown pants.
-Hey, Mike, honey-she said-I told my mom you'd spend a day with her on Sunday.
-Grandma Betty? I don't want to hang with her. She's old, and she smells funny.
Mmy father jumped from the couch and started walking towards me.
-Hey hey hey-he said.-She's your grandmother, all right? And she won't be around forever-he said.
-I know-I said-so I should enjoy her while I can.
-No, I was gonna say you won't have to deal with her much longer, but that's true, too-he said and sat back on couch, followed by mom's angry gaze.
Well, that was a dad I know and love. Unfortunately, I knew I'll need to visit grandma Betty anyway. I tooked juice and climbed back upstairs in my room. I sat at my writing desk, opened a can of juice, and tooked sip. I started thinking.
Me and Brenda probably lived something special that day in cinema, but, although I wasn't very experienced in dating (not at all, actualy), I believed that whatever we lived there, at that point, will eventualy fade away, with the time. I knew I can't aloud that happen, all my first big step foward will become worthless, like I never accomplished it. I need to move closer to her again. But how?
Of course! Hillary! She is her best friend. She is also my older sister. And we live in the same house. What better source of information can I have?
In the other hand... Everything wasn't so simple. First of all, Hillary and I weren't very close. We never were, actualy. And she has, well, bitchy attitude. And I definitely couldn't just ask her about Brenda straight away! She would probably tell me to fuck off and mind my own buisness. Or she could figure out my plan and reveal it to Brenda. They would have a good laugh and I would probably never succeed in my plan. I needed to accomplish that slowly and carefully.
I walked outside my room, closing the doors behind, and walked towards her room. I knocked on her doors.
-Come in!-she replies. Her voice was strangelly... calm? Normal?
I walked in my room, closing the doors behind. She was lyng on her bed, wearing black T-shirt and blue jeans. She was reading some magazine. She glared at me.
-Oh, hi-she said, then continued reading.
-Hi-I said.
-What do you need?-she asked me, still reading.
-Uhm... Help with homework-I said, walking few feets closer to her bed.
-Shoot-she replied.
-Uhm... That's my English homework... When did Ermest Hemingway won the Noble prize for lierature?
-In 1954-she replied after short thinking.-Is that all?
-Yes. I'm surprised that you know so much about... that.
-I learn something from time to time. Especially know in High school.
-Yes... they are realy giving you a lots of work, don't they?
-Yes. For example, we need to make presentation about some big historical figure from Civil war. Everybody needs to choose one person. They gave us that sign today and we only have three days! Can you believe it?! Brenda olready askeds for help about that, but I can't help her because I think I can barely make it in three days myself.
-Thank you-I said while walking towards the doors.
-You're welcome-she said, still reading.
I walked out, closing the doors behind. Finaly, I had the starting point.
#
Plan worked out suprisingly well. That night, I googled, even studied some facts about Civil war. That day, after school, I walked to front doors of her home, while holding plastic cup in my hand. I was standing there for five minutes, opening and shuting my palms which were geting sweater a s sweatier, warmer and warmer, while my heart was beating so hard I felt it in back of my head. When I realized that somebody my mistake me for burgular or peeping tom, I finaly pressed my sweaty right index finger on cold doorbell and pressed it. I almost jumped out my skin when front doors were finaly opened.
Thank God, it was her, in her white T-shirt and pink shorts.
-Oh, that's you-she said.-What do you need?
-Hi. I... uhm... need to borrow some sugar. Do you have any?
-Uhm... I think we do. Come in.
She lead me in the kitchen.
-Uh... You are home alone?-I asked.
-Sort of. Mom is still at work. My dad is doing some chores in the garage.
On kitchen table, I noticed her laptop, with Wikipedia article about Civil War on the screen, and lots of papers and pens on the table, together with 11th grade History book.
-So... I see that you're doing some History projects-I comented while I was puting some sugar in my plastic cup.
-Yes-she said while siting back at the kitchen table.-Every student needs to pick up one important historical figure involved with Civil war and make detail History project about him or her. They said that yesterday and gave us three days! Can you believe that?
-Yes, that sucks. Hillary told me about that-I said and quickly remained silent for few seconds afrer that. I really shouldn't even hint her that I was talking with Hillary, especially not about this. She could tell her that I came over and said that and everything would backfire!
Luckily, she showed no interest in that. She was reading something from her laptop (probably that Wikipedia article).
-So... what person did you choose?-I asked, slowly moving closer to her.
-Abraham Lincoln-she said.-I picked up the most famous one, but, as it turns out c that isn't making things easier. OK, I can somehow deal with founding informations about him. But tryng to figure out which informations are better and more detail and puting them together... I really don't know what to do.
-Yup, I know a lot about this guy. He preserved Union, abolished slavery, strengtheted goverment, got killed on April 15th 1865 while watching a classic play. Nice guy.
-A-ha.
-Uh... I'm good at that, actually. You know... writing, puting informations together...
-Good for you.
-I really have a lots of free time lately.
-Yup.
-I really have nothing smart to do, so... if you need the help with... this project... I guess I could... help you out.
She finaly moved away from her laptop and glared at me.
-You would like to do that?-she asked, almost in disbelief.
-Yes-I said.-You probably don't know that, but I like helping people. Brilliant.
-I really don't want to bother you-she smiled. Man, how adorable is that?
-You won't bother me. You could actually help me to... have some more fun and use during my free time.
-Allright...-she said, biting her lower lip and looking at the floor while thinking about solution for few moments before looking back at me.-I'll write part of it today, and tomorow I'll call you and make a deal where and when we'll meet so I coups take a look on it and help me to improove it.
-OK. Sounds great!-I said.
-Shall I call you on your home number on your cellphone?
-Cellphone-I said almost straight away.
-OK-she said.-Just give me my number.
I told her my cellohone number and she write it down in her History notebook.
-OK... so... I'll see you around-she said, her beautiful smile still on her lips.
-Sure-I smiled.
-Bye.
-Bye.
I walked out, closing the doors behind. On my way home, I dumped plastic cup full of sugar in dumpster near my house. To be sure that nobody will notice me, I came in in on back doors, straight into kitchen. I heard dad and Hillary talking. Just in moment when I was about to go through living room, I heard my dad telling (to Hillary, I guess):
-I didn't want to tell you this, but your grandmother is sick and it's medical marijuana.
-Oh, my God!-I heard Hillary saying.-That's terrible. Is it grandma Betty or is it grandma Rosemary?
-It's grandma Betty. But don't tell your grandmother that I told you, OK? Because she's a very proud woman and she doesn't want anyone to know that she is sick.
I moved away, tryng to wrap my mind around what I just heard.
So... we have two possibilities here:
a) grandma Betty is real sucks and really needs marijuana in medical purposes, and mom and dad think Hillary stole it and they are tryng to get it back by revealing that to her
b) my parents are secretly smoking weed, suspect that Hillary stole it and they are making up this story un order to make her give it back
Knowing my parents, theory b is probably more likely. But, I can't take that chance.
I told Brenda that I like helping people, didn't I? I don't want to lie to her, so...
I ran upstairs in my room, grabbed my jacket, ran downstairs and started walking towards front doors through living room while puting it on. Mom and dad were siting on a couch. Hillary was gone.
-Hi, guys-I said to them.-I'm gonna ride my bike, I'll be back later-I explained and walked outside, closing the doors behind.
I tooked bike from garage and drove on local playground. I stoped near bench on which two guys, only few years older than me, were siting.
-Hi, dude, what's up?-I said, then tooked money from my jacket.-I'm here to score some weed.
#
Hour later, I knocked on the doors of grandma Betty's apartment. She opened.
-Mike?-she asked, surprised.-What are you doing here? I thought your mother told ne I don't need to see you till Sunday.
-I just wanted to see how are you feeling.
-Well, don't just stand here in a hall like a stranger. Come in! I'll make you something. What would you like Ravioli, lasagna...
-No, grandma, it's OK. You don't need to get in any trouble because if me. Just take it easy-I said and gently huged her.
-Oh, aren't you sweet!-she comments.
-Oh, and this is for you-I said, tooked brown grocery bag full of weed from right pocket of my jacket and gave it to her.-Dad wanted you to have it. I love you, grandma-I said, huged her again, and left. This will either lead me in Heaven or in Hell.