Because I'm a Girl

Chapter 11

My mom was washing dishes at the sink, her back towards me. I stood a meter away, next to the counter, and held my hands together, hoping to calm down. I hadn't asked my parents if Josh could come over and I didn't know how my mom would react. It wasn't smart of me to ask Josh before I had asked my parents, but I hadn't been thinking straight.

"Mom," I said, wanting to let it out. "Can... my friend come over for dinner tomorrow?"

My mom placed the last plate she'd been washing into the drying bin and turned around. Bags were evident on her face as she looked at me. Staring at her, I prayed she'd agree.

"Which friend?" she asked.

"It's a new friend," I said.

"What's her name?"

Pausing, I prepared myself for my mom's reaction. My mom was very conservative. Hanging out with boys wasn't right to her, especially at my age.

"His name is Josh," I said. "I have classes with him."

My mom's eyes widened and she stared at me, stunned for a moment. Blush ran into my cheeks and I began to rock on my feet, unsure of what to say. My mom hated when I tried to convince her of something - she assumed I was talking back, so I decided to wait for her to do the talking.

"A boy?" my mom asked, her eyebrows furrowing. "You want to invite him for dinner? Is he your boyfriend?"

"No," I blurted out, embarassed. "He's just a friend."

"Sarah, you are too young to date. You know that."

"Whoa," my dad said, entering the kitchen. "Sarah's dating someone? Since when."

My dad walked over to my mom's side and kissed her forehead. She shot him a look, leaving him frowning when he realized she was upset. Looking at me, my dad's eyes softened when he noticed how panicked I seemed.

"No, I'm not dating anyone," I said. "Please mom... and dad. Can my friend have dinner with us tomorrow?"

My mom stared at me and my dad stared at her. I knew my dad didn't mind, but my mom was another challenge. I stared at her, my eyes pleading with her to agree.

"Fine," my mom said, leaving me relieved. "He can come over. Just this once, okay?"

"Okay!" I exclaimed, running up to her. "Thank you."

I threw my arms around her and hugged her, squeezing her with joy. She jumped, surprised, and rolled her eyes as I hugged her. I laughed at her reaction and closed my eyes, thankful that despite her strict attitude, she would do what made me happy.

*****

My heart was pounding against my chest as I paced behind the front door. Josh would be over soon and I felt nervous. I didn't know what to expect and I didn't know how he'd react to my family, but I knew I wanted him to have a good time. Flushing, I realized I cared about what he thought.

Shaking my head, I then jumped when the doorbell rang. I quickly opened it and froze when I saw Josh standing there, wearing black dress pants and a blue dress shirt. In his hands was a box and I stared at him, stunned he had dressed up.

"Hey," he said, handing me the box. "I brought cake."

"Oh, thank you," I said, taking the box from him. "Wow, you're dressed up."

I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, which Josh seemed to realize as he glanced at my outfit. He blushed then, seeming embarrassed, and I smiled. Shaking my head, I turned around.