Time After Time

Part 4

I brush past my mom, who's reading a magazine, and head straight for my room. I pick up my pale yellow phone and dial Lucy's.

*ring*

*ring*

"Hello?" Lucy answers on the other end.

"You will never believe what just happened, Lucy! I mean, never!" I halfway yell into the phone.

"Lux, where were you? I was waiting for you at Smoothie Prince!" I smack my face as I realize I forgot about our after school plans.

"I'm so sorry! But I promise this is a good reason!" My mind races and the day's events sink in further as I let out a scream. I hear my mother call out, asking if I'm alright.

I cup the phone. "I'm fine, mom!" I speak back into the phone. "Okay, okay I'm sorry! It's just, you'll really not believe me! I mean, I don't even believe myself."

"I swear to fuck, Lux, tell me right now!" Lucy laughs and I take a deep breath and begin.

•

"You're lying! You have to be lying! There is no way the most gorgeous guy at Beverly Hills High, and probably all of California, drove you home!" Lucy cries out in shock.

"I'm totally serious! He was so sweet, so kind, and his smile- god!" We swoon together as I lie on my purple and blue bed, caught up in my reality that feels awfully like a dream.

"So is your car still at the school?" Lucy asks.

"Yes..."

I hear her laughter. "Oh my god, I'll be over there in a little bit."

•

Lucy honks her car horn and I head towards the door, informing my mom that I'm leaving.

"Okay, honey. Have fun!" She always wishes me to have fun without ever asking where I'm going. I could be going out to drug house or off to get a pimp, and she'd never know. Not that I'd ever do those things, I just find it funny. And, with all honesty, I kind of enjoy the space she's been giving me since her and my dad got divorced.

•

"Okay, Lux, now give me more details!" Lucy demands once I'm in the car.

"Like what?" I giggle, feeling like I've already told her everything single thing that happened.

"Well, his tone of voice: Did he sound like a nice, older brother, or a dangerous but charming prince?" Lucy asks, causing me to go back and rethink our moments.

"You see, that's the thing." I say. "I'm not really sure. Sometimes he sounded like just a nice guy looking to get away from his usual crowd, and sometimes it sounded like something more." I sit criss cross in her passenger seat as I explain. "But he did say 'see you tomorrow', so I guess we'll just have to wait and see!" I reach and turn on the radio, clicking through different stations.

Lucy screams out through the sound of the music, "See you tomorrow?! See you tomorrow! He so fucking likes you, Lux! Oh god, I can see it now! Our friendship will dwindle as he sweeps you into his rich kid life! And I don't even mind, really! I'll just be a fragment of your old, boring life, and I'll say 'I had the honor of being friends with The Lux Haim'."

"Oh, come on Lucy! You don't think I'd drop you for a guy, right? Not even Corey!" I assure her as I admittedly blush to her reference of The Lux Haim. "And for your information, he isn't going to suck me into any kind of 'rich kid life'. I told you, he isn't into that anymore."

"Whatever, Lux. All I'm saying is, I'll beat your hot ass if you become friends with his people and you don't hook me up with Drake!" I giggle at her statement. Drake is another rich kid from our school. He's been one of her many crushes over the last couple of years. He's fairly tall, even taller than Corey, and has almost black hair. I won't lie, he's always had a mysterious vibe about him but he was never really my type. Probably because he radiates an asshole vibe.

"Okay, I doubt I'll become friends with any of those rich dicks. But, if I do, I'll try my best." Lucy giggles in excitement as we stop by Smoothie Prince.

We park and look at the menu, which sits on a long pole and presents its large variety of flavors. A waiter comes and takes our order of 2 vanilla shakes.

"So what are you gonna do tomorrow when he sees you actually have a car?" Lucy asks, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I don't know." I hadn't really thought of that yet. "I'll just say my car was in the shop and I was going to ask someone else for a ride until he came along?"

"Genius." Lucy replies sarcastically.

"Got anything better?" I challenge her.

She's silent for a while and then laughs.
"Nope."

The waiter comes and hands us our smoothies as we both pitch in for the bill. The Californian air pours in from the windows as we ride to the school. Once we arrive, Lucy and I agree to meet up back at my house after school tomorrow. I go to my car and start heading back home.

•

When I enter the house, my mom runs over to me.

"Lux, sweetie!" She's wearing her workout uniform as the Richard Simmons workout video is paused. "You got a call." She smiles.

"From who?" I'm surprised because no one other than Lucy calls me. There was a period of time when David Frog would call me non-stop. He graduated last year and we went on one date over the summer, he got kind of obsessed until Lucy cursed him until he cried.

"A boy named Corey." My mother's face looked like she was completely oblivious that this was the guy I've been talking about for the past 3 years. I guess I can't blame her. I probably would forget details too if I went through a divorce and picked up drinking and younger men as a hobby.

"Did he say anything?" I was eager for more than just a name.

"No, but he left his number. It's in the kitchen." She waddled back to the living room in her pink tights and I raced to the kitchen. Once I had the number, I raced to my bedroom, picked up the phone, and dialed.

*ring*

"Hello?" Corey's deep voice answers.