Hopeful Undertone

Chapter 5: Shotgun

I did have to get on a chair and retrieve my phone from the top of my closet eventually. Lyla still thought she was my ride to camp, and I had to break the news that Tyler was picking me up instead.

"I'm so sorry," I said sincerely. "Trust me, I'd much rather ride in a car with you for two hours than a bunch of smelly guys."

"I don't get it," Lyla said. "Your parents are so strict with you about everything else, but one comment from Tyler's dad and suddenly you're not only allowed to go to camp, but also getting a ride with a cute guy you barely know?"

"First of all, I don't think my parents find Tyler cute," I said, giggling at the thought of it. "Apparently they've known the Josephs for a while. Tyler's dad coached a basketball clinic that Ryan did a while back, and I know my parents are super impressed that Tyler was offered a basketball scholarship. They just really seem to respect his parents."

"I didn't know that, about the scholarship," she said.

"Yeah, he gave it up to pursue music."

Lyla sighed, and I could tell she was envious that I was getting to spend so much time with him through no merit of my own.

"We barely talked," I said, exaggerating a little to reassure my friend. "It was a big group. Think of how much time you'll have to see him this week."

"Yeah, that's a happy thought," she said dreamily.

* * *

As much as I would've loved to play it cool and pretend I was hardly looking forward to the trip, I bounced around the house that weekend like a giddy middle schooler.

"Someone's peppy this morning," my dad noticed, sipping coffee with his usual impassive grumpiness.

"It's a nice day," I said, shrugging.

Diane looked across the room at me, detecting unapproved feelings of joy.

"You need to have all your homework finished before you leave on Monday," she said sternly. "I mean it. You're not just going to blow off school for this trip."

"I don't have any homework," I returned cheerfully.

"None at all?" she said in a dubious tone.

"No," I said. "If I did, I would've done it during my five free periods last week. But since I've already met the requirements to graduate, gotten into college, and only have eight weeks left until finals, I guess my teachers didn't see the point. Come on, Sadie!"

I went to the front door before Diane could come up with another asinine question. The leash clinked against the brass pot it was kept in, triggering Sadie to come bounding to the door, her overgrown nails causing her to skid into it just slightly.

"Alright, alright," I said, laughing as she made my job more difficult. "We're going."

Outside, it was bright and cool. Last night's rain was rising off the street, shrouding the neighborhood in mist. I had only intended to walk Sadie around the yard, but now we took the long way through the neighborhood, relishing the freshness of the morning.

For so long I had tiptoed around under Diane's authority as if she had the power to make my life worse, but at that moment, I saw that my future was going to unfold whether she wanted it to or not. She couldn't prevent me from growing up and gaining my freedom any more than she could prevent this mist from rising off of the pavement. In two days, I was leaving for camp, and this summer, I would leave home for good.