Mismatched Compatibility (A and D Spin-Off)

Mismatched Compatibility (10)

Dana:

In no time, we were already parking by the side of the house where the reunion was being held at. The road and driveway that lead to the house were already full of cars. It seemed like the party was already in full swing.

My eyes then landed on an open spot by the mail box. I turned to ask Ethan about the empty space when I saw that he noticed it, too. He grinned really wide and maneuvered his car to park exactly there.

“Looks like old habits die hard,” he said quietly, still smiling as he turned off the ignition and pulled out his keys.

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

He turned to look at me. For a moment, I was taken aback. There was something in his eyes . . . As silly as this might sound, it was as though they were twinkling with delight – or was it pride?

He looked around at all the vehicles in the area. There was a genuine smile plastered on his face that took me by surprise. This was the first time I've seen him smile like that. I couldn't quite describe how it made me feel, but just that it was beautiful.

“When we were in High School,” he began, “there was this unspoken rule that the lane directly in front of the house where the party's at was reserved only for the star players in school. Doesn't matter if he's playing Football or Basketball.”

I was staring intently at Ethan as he told the story. So I noticed the way his smile grew a little bit wider as if he was remembering something very entertaining.

“Fact is, you gotta earn it.” He paused and leaned back his head. “I was in my sophomore year when I made a winning shot that got us to State. That same night, they made me park right in front of the mail box at whoever's party it was. Since then, it's been my spot.” He let out a low laugh. “Can't believe things haven't changed much. Even Luke's bike and Aaron's car are here,” he added, looking in front of us.

Though I was curious to see what he was looking at, I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. I didn't realize he looked angelic without the arrogance. There was a longing look on his expression. It wouldn't take a genius to see that he enjoyed his high school days a lot more than he let on.

I envied him.

He was able to live a life I could only dream of. I thought when I entered college, things would change. I'd get to be free from it all. But really, nothing changed. I got to go to parties, clubs, and bars – that was true. However, it didn't guarantee the fact that I'd enjoy it. What was the point of the place when the company wasn't worth keeping?

Click!

The sound brought me out of my thinking. Ethan was already climbing out of the car. I quickly followed after him. As we headed toward the house together, I looked around place. Empty red and blue cups were scattered across the lawn – and other indistinguishable trash. My eyes wandered to the house. Not a single light was turned off, while the music was blasting off. It was a surprise that no neighbor was complaining.

“This is your reunion?” I asked Ethan, trying to keep the incredulous tone out of my voice.

Ethan nodded. “Yep, just like old times.”

“It looks like a high school party.”

“Have you ever been to one?”

“Well, no. But . . .”

“Then, how would you know?”

I cleared my throat to hide my embarrassment.

“I've watched films,” I answered, refusing to meet his gaze.