my teachers talking with their teacher friends. I saw students playing cards in the grass or playing tag. It was the equivalent of recess for high school.
Everyone was having fun. It all seemed so easy for them, but it escaped me. It was frustrating. Things that were hard for others came easy to me. Yet something that was so simple for everyone was impossible for me. Maybe some things were never meant to be.
“Hey, Liz.” The voice came out of nowhere.
I tried to take a fast step back, but didn’t move anywhere with the fence behind me. I slammed myself against it. It took me a second to register that Patrick was standing in front of me.
“Oww.” I rubbed the back of my head.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay?” He reached out to touch my arm, but I moved it, so he couldn’t. His arm returned to his side.
“Yeah. I just didn’t see you.” How did I miss him? I had been constantly scanning everyone around me. It was as if he had some cloaking device and I didn’t notice him coming toward me.
“I walked straight at you. Everything alright? You didn’t seem… I don’t know… here.” He looked at me concerned.
“I was just thinking. My perpetual state of being. That’s all.” I tried to shake it off. That seemed to satisfy his concern. I realized he had to come up to me for a reason. “What’s up?”
“Did you get a chance to read Mr. D’s handout?”
I nodded.
“Well, I had an idea of what we could do. I think it would be fun and really cool.” His eyes lit up with excitement.
“Okay… what do you have in mind?” I hadn’t thought of anything concrete yet.
“We could go to the carnival. It’s in town starting next weekend. There are lots of things we could do there. I thought we could show some rides and games and do write-ups on them. You know?” He seemed be having so much fun just telling me about it.
“Actually, I’ve never been to one.” I was solemn.
“Really?” He was surprised.
“Yeah. Never had a reason to go.” I shrugged.
He could have said ‘Who needs a reason?’ or ‘Fun is the reason.’ In which case, I’d have to explain how I didn’t know how to have fun. He could have given me a hard time and made fun of me. But he was Patrick and he didn’t. Instead, he said, “Well, now you do.”
“Don’t you want to go with your girlfriend and have fun, instead of doing a class project there with me? What’s the catch?”
“Well, first of all, Becca doesn’t want to go. I promised my kid brother that I’d take him and she doesn’t want to spend her Saturday babysitting as she puts it . So, I guess there is sorta a catch. If you don’t mind Andy coming with us… We could have fun and get the project done at the same time.” He explained casually. It didn’t seem like a catch to me though. It seemed… nice.
“Well, I’d have to ask my folks.” At least I’d have about a week to work on them. If it was for a school project, I might stand a chance. I’d have to show them the assignment. Wait, next week, I think there was something my mom wrote on the kitchen calendar. Maybe they would be gone. That would make life easier.
“Earth to Liz.” He waved his hand in front of me.
“Oh, sorry. Umm… What time would you want to go?” I need as many details as possible to feed my parents.
“Around 2:00. Andy has piano lessons on Saturdays.”
“’Til?”
“I don’t know. Maybe around 8:00 or 9:00.” He suggested.
That long? That was late. It would definitely be dark then. Suddenly, I felt scared. “There’s… there’s that much to do for like five hours? I mean, doesn’t your brother have a bedtime? Wouldn’t it be too late for him to be out?” It definitely is for me.
“Oh, yeah. There’s lots to do! You’ll see. You’ll have fun. Don’t worry about Andy. The carnival is a treat, so he can stay up later than usual.” He was excited again.
Great. The kid probably has a better night life than me. Well, not
Everyone was having fun. It all seemed so easy for them, but it escaped me. It was frustrating. Things that were hard for others came easy to me. Yet something that was so simple for everyone was impossible for me. Maybe some things were never meant to be.
“Hey, Liz.” The voice came out of nowhere.
I tried to take a fast step back, but didn’t move anywhere with the fence behind me. I slammed myself against it. It took me a second to register that Patrick was standing in front of me.
“Oww.” I rubbed the back of my head.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay?” He reached out to touch my arm, but I moved it, so he couldn’t. His arm returned to his side.
“Yeah. I just didn’t see you.” How did I miss him? I had been constantly scanning everyone around me. It was as if he had some cloaking device and I didn’t notice him coming toward me.
“I walked straight at you. Everything alright? You didn’t seem… I don’t know… here.” He looked at me concerned.
“I was just thinking. My perpetual state of being. That’s all.” I tried to shake it off. That seemed to satisfy his concern. I realized he had to come up to me for a reason. “What’s up?”
“Did you get a chance to read Mr. D’s handout?”
I nodded.
“Well, I had an idea of what we could do. I think it would be fun and really cool.” His eyes lit up with excitement.
“Okay… what do you have in mind?” I hadn’t thought of anything concrete yet.
“We could go to the carnival. It’s in town starting next weekend. There are lots of things we could do there. I thought we could show some rides and games and do write-ups on them. You know?” He seemed be having so much fun just telling me about it.
“Actually, I’ve never been to one.” I was solemn.
“Really?” He was surprised.
“Yeah. Never had a reason to go.” I shrugged.
He could have said ‘Who needs a reason?’ or ‘Fun is the reason.’ In which case, I’d have to explain how I didn’t know how to have fun. He could have given me a hard time and made fun of me. But he was Patrick and he didn’t. Instead, he said, “Well, now you do.”
“Don’t you want to go with your girlfriend and have fun, instead of doing a class project there with me? What’s the catch?”
“Well, first of all, Becca doesn’t want to go. I promised my kid brother that I’d take him and she doesn’t want to spend her Saturday babysitting as she puts it . So, I guess there is sorta a catch. If you don’t mind Andy coming with us… We could have fun and get the project done at the same time.” He explained casually. It didn’t seem like a catch to me though. It seemed… nice.
“Well, I’d have to ask my folks.” At least I’d have about a week to work on them. If it was for a school project, I might stand a chance. I’d have to show them the assignment. Wait, next week, I think there was something my mom wrote on the kitchen calendar. Maybe they would be gone. That would make life easier.
“Earth to Liz.” He waved his hand in front of me.
“Oh, sorry. Umm… What time would you want to go?” I need as many details as possible to feed my parents.
“Around 2:00. Andy has piano lessons on Saturdays.”
“’Til?”
“I don’t know. Maybe around 8:00 or 9:00.” He suggested.
That long? That was late. It would definitely be dark then. Suddenly, I felt scared. “There’s… there’s that much to do for like five hours? I mean, doesn’t your brother have a bedtime? Wouldn’t it be too late for him to be out?” It definitely is for me.
“Oh, yeah. There’s lots to do! You’ll see. You’ll have fun. Don’t worry about Andy. The carnival is a treat, so he can stay up later than usual.” He was excited again.
Great. The kid probably has a better night life than me. Well, not
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