professional concert violinist. This was the perfect start. Everything was falling into place.
I also had another reason to be excited about this summer. Ever since I’d seen Tyler a month earlier I had been haunted by how sad he’d seemed. Earning a spot in the orchestra also meant that I’d be spending the summer in LA. I’d be spending the summer with Tyler and I had a plan. I was going to make him happy again. I was going to show him that it was ok to be happy, even in LA. Yes, I had a plan… and it backfired.
It was easier than I had anticipated getting Tyler out of the apartment, he was eager to go along with whatever I suggested. We swam in the pool, walked around his neighborhood, and even went to the mall. He didn’t argue, complain or resist. If I wanted to do something he was game. I was trying to show him how much there was to do. That he didn’t have to sit around in his room all the time. I was sure that he had just locked himself in his room to spite his parents at first and then maybe he just forgot how to have fun. I was going to remind him.
Of course I had violin practice three days a week, but he even helped me with that. He was my eager audience back at the apartment and even when I completely messed up a new piece he swore that it sounded perfect. He never missed a weekend performance and it was comforting to have him there in the front row every weekend. He was my good luck charm.
We were practically inseparable all summer. The only time we were apart was when I was on campus practicing. Their apartment was walking distance to the UCLA campus. Tyler would walk me to practice every day and he would always be waiting to walk me home when I was done. Sometimes I wondered if he just waited around for me all day, but I didn’t ask.
I insisted on cooking dinner every night. I figured it was the least I could do to repay their hospitality. Aunt Claire tried to refuse at first, but eventually she gave in. She said I was as hard headed as my mother and almost as good a cook. I definitely took both comparisons as a compliment.
No matter how much I insisted Tyler wouldn’t let me sleep on the couch and I felt terrible about it. He was so tall I knew he had to be uncomfortable scrunched up on the couch every night, but he didn’t complain. I actually hadn’t heard him complain about anything since I’d arrived. He seemed happy enough to me and I began to wonder if the conversation I’d overheard between A unt Claire and my mom had just been an example of Aunt Claire’s overprotective worried nature. But then I remembered how Tyler had looked at my recital in San Diego, he has seemed so withdrawn. Maybe it was my presence here that was making him so happy now. Regardless of the reason I was glad to see it.
He seemed much more like my childhood friend now, even if he didn’t look like it. I still couldn’t believe how much Tyler had grown in the few years since I’d seen him last. He was actually taller than me, when he wasn’t slouching.
Tyler wasn’t much of a morning person so I spent my mornings off with Aunt Claire while he slept in. She was a kindergarten teacher and so she was out for summer break too. It was nice getting to spend time with her again. I was only 14 when they moved away from San Diego, so my memories of her were those of a child looking up to an adult. I was really enjoying getting to know her on a deeper level. We would eat breakfast together and most mornings we played cards. She would tell me stories about what my parents had been like when they were younger, and I could tell she really missed my mom. She seemed almost as lonely as Tyler at times, she just hid it better. It didn’t seem to me that the move from San Diego had been very good for any of them.
I didn’t get to see much of Uncle Charlie because he worked all the time. I could tell that was hard on Tyler. When they had lived in San Diego I remembered Uncle Charlie always playing with us when we were
I also had another reason to be excited about this summer. Ever since I’d seen Tyler a month earlier I had been haunted by how sad he’d seemed. Earning a spot in the orchestra also meant that I’d be spending the summer in LA. I’d be spending the summer with Tyler and I had a plan. I was going to make him happy again. I was going to show him that it was ok to be happy, even in LA. Yes, I had a plan… and it backfired.
It was easier than I had anticipated getting Tyler out of the apartment, he was eager to go along with whatever I suggested. We swam in the pool, walked around his neighborhood, and even went to the mall. He didn’t argue, complain or resist. If I wanted to do something he was game. I was trying to show him how much there was to do. That he didn’t have to sit around in his room all the time. I was sure that he had just locked himself in his room to spite his parents at first and then maybe he just forgot how to have fun. I was going to remind him.
Of course I had violin practice three days a week, but he even helped me with that. He was my eager audience back at the apartment and even when I completely messed up a new piece he swore that it sounded perfect. He never missed a weekend performance and it was comforting to have him there in the front row every weekend. He was my good luck charm.
We were practically inseparable all summer. The only time we were apart was when I was on campus practicing. Their apartment was walking distance to the UCLA campus. Tyler would walk me to practice every day and he would always be waiting to walk me home when I was done. Sometimes I wondered if he just waited around for me all day, but I didn’t ask.
I insisted on cooking dinner every night. I figured it was the least I could do to repay their hospitality. Aunt Claire tried to refuse at first, but eventually she gave in. She said I was as hard headed as my mother and almost as good a cook. I definitely took both comparisons as a compliment.
No matter how much I insisted Tyler wouldn’t let me sleep on the couch and I felt terrible about it. He was so tall I knew he had to be uncomfortable scrunched up on the couch every night, but he didn’t complain. I actually hadn’t heard him complain about anything since I’d arrived. He seemed happy enough to me and I began to wonder if the conversation I’d overheard between A unt Claire and my mom had just been an example of Aunt Claire’s overprotective worried nature. But then I remembered how Tyler had looked at my recital in San Diego, he has seemed so withdrawn. Maybe it was my presence here that was making him so happy now. Regardless of the reason I was glad to see it.
He seemed much more like my childhood friend now, even if he didn’t look like it. I still couldn’t believe how much Tyler had grown in the few years since I’d seen him last. He was actually taller than me, when he wasn’t slouching.
Tyler wasn’t much of a morning person so I spent my mornings off with Aunt Claire while he slept in. She was a kindergarten teacher and so she was out for summer break too. It was nice getting to spend time with her again. I was only 14 when they moved away from San Diego, so my memories of her were those of a child looking up to an adult. I was really enjoying getting to know her on a deeper level. We would eat breakfast together and most mornings we played cards. She would tell me stories about what my parents had been like when they were younger, and I could tell she really missed my mom. She seemed almost as lonely as Tyler at times, she just hid it better. It didn’t seem to me that the move from San Diego had been very good for any of them.
I didn’t get to see much of Uncle Charlie because he worked all the time. I could tell that was hard on Tyler. When they had lived in San Diego I remembered Uncle Charlie always playing with us when we were
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