Something Beautiful

Fifteen: Sparks

"Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty." - Albert Einstein

So yesterday Caleb dropped Carl off at his house first, because Carl was sure his mom would be hitting the roof by then, I didn't doubt it either since Carl was her baby boy. So yeah once he was dropped at his place, it was off to mine. At first I didn't know whether to go home or to the diner, since it was only around six PM by then, so my dad would probably still need help and all. But after the day I'd had, well I just didn't feel like working, call me lazy.

So I told Caleb to take me to my house and was giving him directions the whole way, since he didn't know-obviously. Anyway it helped fill a silence that could've been potentially awkward. He asked me questions just like before, but these were different. Since well we didn't have to pretend we knew each other. He asked what grade I was in, which I thought he knew but apparently not. When he heard I was a junior, his face could only be described as surprised.

"Really?" he'd asked then, as if I'd lie about something like that... wait, would I?

"Yeah...?" I told him then, since at the time it wasn't something I would even consider lying about, it's my grade. What would I gain by lying about it?

"You don't act it, I thought you were my age," he told me then and I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not, guess he meant I was mature? I just went with that.

"Thanks?" I'd replied and then gave him a direction to turn left at the stop sign up ahead, then make a right at the stop light. Then we fell silent once more, but he was there again to break it. Seems he was starting up all the dialogue that was exchanged between us...

"So, um, what ever happened about the whole thing in the bathroom? I mean I thought you hated that girl and her boy-toy?" he turned to me at the end of his sentence with a joke gleaming in his eyes, obviously trying to decrease the weight of his question. It didn't help though. I'd been absolutely dreading him asking about it. It was inevitable though, wasn't it?

"Oh, um, that..." I started, trying to come up with the word, again should I lie or not? In the end I decided to just come partially clean, "well we were going through a bad patch, you know a bit of an argument, but we made up now..." I'd told him, even though I was really just minimizing what happened.

It was a lot more than a bad patch, more like my whole life. And we really haven't made up, just are getting along now that I supposedly have a new cute boyfriend. So it wasn't totally true, but hey. I was making an effort.

After a minute of silence- which by the way wasn't awkward, at all- he seemed pleased with my answer, which I didn't like at all. Half of me just wanted him to catch me in my falsehood and call me out right there, just to get that damn knot out of my stomach, but he didn't. Oh my mom would be ashamed of me...

A few more questions and some lefts later, we were at my house. He stopped the car and I thanked him for the ride and all that. We shared an awkward over the gear shift, friendly hug since well, that's what city kids do... They hug a lot? I don't know, I guess kids in my new crowd do it too, I've seen 'em. Carl and I just don't do that, but I guess I'll have to get used to it.

Then I went inside and straight to bed, A productive day, don't you think?

Now it's seven AM, and time for school. Joy. My alarm clock is lying in a heap in the corner of my room since I basically judo chopped it away from my ear a few seconds ago. Oh well, time to start the day.

Getting up I walk to the bathroom down the hall, the house is cold, probably since I just got out from under my comforter. I'm just wearing some cut off plaid short I made out of pajama pants, but I hate wearing anything long when I sleep. Which would explain my top which is an old tee shirt of my dad's, but I ripped the sleeves off. Too constricting otherwise.