The Boy I Knew

Bringing Up the Past

It was 5:00 and I was getting ready before PJ picked me up at 6:00. I put on some music and hopped in the shower. I thought about how this night would go. I was kind of nervous. I still have some things I want to talk to PJ about, and I was hoping to take care of it as soon as possible. Just to know once and for all this I want to go through with this, or avoid my heart getting broken again. But, I don't see us being able to talk alone tonight. I get out of the shower and get dressed. I put on a yellow sundress that ends just under my knees. I put my hair in a bun and put on just a little makeup. Not too much, still a natural look. I put on a little lipgloss. By the time I get done, it's almost 6:00. I slip on some cute flip flops and wait for PJ to come get me. About 10 minutes later, I hear a knock at the door. I grab my purse and answer the door. PJ was already smiling a little, but when I open the door, he looks at me from head to toe, and his smile grows from ear to ear.

"Hey!" I say, stepping forward and giving him a hug.

"Hey, you look...." He pulls away and looks me up and down again. "Stunning." He finishes. I smile and shrug.

"Thanks." I say with a giggle.

"Ready to go?" PJ asks, holding out his hand. I smile and nod. He takes me by the hand and we walk to his car. PJ wasn't really dressed up, and I was starting to think maybe I overdressed. But he still looked good....Hell, he always looked good. He was wearing that same red pearl snap shirt he wore to the bar the other night. The top three buttons left unbuttoned exposing his bare chest, and the sleeves pushed up just at his elbows. Just like the other night. God, I was a sucker for that smooth, tan chest. He wore light jeans and black converse. His hair had that messy look that also drove me crazy. He had his Ray-Bans on. He wears them all the time, even inside. Even though I kinda like them, I wish he didn't feel the need to cover his beautiful eyes. After awhile we get to his mom and dad's house. The driveway is full of cars, and there's a few parked on the street. PJ finds a place to park.

"Ready?" He asks me. I take a deep breath and smile slightly.

"Yeah, just a little nervous." I answer. He smiles and takes my hand.

"You've already met everyone!" He reassures. Which is true, but it's almost worse meeting them again, and I don't really know why.

"I know, just nervous to see everyone again after all these years." I say, looking down. PJ puts a finger under my chin and pushes my head up to look at him. He leans forward to look me in the eye.

"My family doesn't judge, you know that. You'll do just fine." He says softly with a smile. I smile and nod. He kisses my cheek, and we get out of the car. We walk into the house, and there's some people in the living room that PJ introduces me to. PJ puts a hand on my shoulder. "I gotta run upstairs real quick, I'll be right back." He tells me as he turns around and walks to the stairs. I watch as he disappears up the creaky stairs. I wished he didn't leave me just standing here. But it's not long before he emerges down the stairs and comes back to me, smiling. He kisses my cheek as he wraps an arm around me and leads me to the kitchen. I smell whiskey on his breath, and now I know why he went upstairs. He's so supportive of Roger's sobriety that I can't believe he just did that....But I guess it's better than drinking in front of him. We walk into the kitchen and Lemoyne, PJ's sisters, and a couple other ladies are buzzing around the kitchen, getting food ready. PJ walks over to an open bag of chips and grabs a handful, then leans against the bar.

"It's about time!" Lynne says. This gets Lemoyne's attention and she turns around and sees PJ.

"Philip John Clapp!! Your cousin's gonna be here any second now and you almost missed out on the surprise! Shame on you!" She says, smacking his chest as she walks by. PJ laughs as he finishes the chips in his hand.