Aaron broke up with me last year. Since
then, it has been a case of choosing sides for Ted and Joel. Hang out with
Aaron or Ava? I seemed to be losing the battle more often than not, but I
couldn’t blame them, I guess.
“I’m going out with a boy.” I waited for
her to catch on.
She put down the wooden spoon and turned
towards me with a hand on her hip. “And which boy would this be? Someone I
know?”
“Actually you don’t know him. His name is Nolan
Hill, and he is a new ticket agent at the Boats.” I could see the trepidation
in her eyes. “He’s a very nice boy, Mom.”
“Well, I should hope so as you deserve nothing
less.” She grabbed my shoulders and kissed my forehead. “Have fun and be home
before 12:30.” I hated that I had a curfew. I was not used to that at college,
but my mother said as long as I was living under her roof, I’d have to respect
her rules.
Fair enough—free rent.
It was finally about date time, so I perched myself behind the window in the living room. I could see
between the two houses across the street and into the Dells Boat Tours housing.
Companies throughout the Dells frequently hired foreign students to fill their
summer positions. They often needed to provide housing for these students, so
many companies bought out old, rundown motels around town and rented the rooms
to these students. The Boats bought an old, two-story house that had six very
small cabins on its land. There was a lawn with a campfire area amongst the
cabins where parties frequently broke out. Someone nailed an old sign to the
tree out front that said “ Animal Island .” Aptly named.
I let my eyes relax as I stared out of the
window. Soon my vision became blurry, and in a matter of seconds, the lawn and
cabins across the way started to pixelate into large
squares like the river had the day before. It was like someone took a picture
of my view and then blew it up too large and it became unfocused. I blinked
several times and rubbed my eyes, but the squares began to pulse like some sort
of hypnotist’s trick. When I blinked again, the view became focused, sharp as
ever. I blinked a few more times to make sure the view was clear.
Could I be stressed? Does nervousness affect
the eyes?
I only looked out the window for a few more
seconds when, soon enough, Nolan left his cabin. I watched him walk out the
door and sniff his armpits. I laughed at his moment of insecurity. So perhaps
he wasn’t as perfect as I thought. He kicked a half charred log in the fire
pit, checked his watch, and then walked into the alley. I watched him turn onto
the sidewalk and walk down to the next corner. I jumped down the stairs to meet
him, and when I opened the door, he was walking past the split rail fence on
our property.
“Hey there, stranger. Man,
what a long walk,” he joked. “I can’t believe we live so close to each other.
This is hilarious!”
“I know! So, do you want to come in and meet my
parents?”
“Wow. Meeting the
parents on the first date.” An awkward silence followed, and I was about
to retract my statement when he looked up at me and sincerely replied, “That sounds
wonderful. Parents love me.”
I smiled at him and opened up the porch door.
“Do you want the grand tour?”
“Of course!” he said and followed me through
the dining room.
“This is the formal dining room, which we
hardly use.” We walked past the upright piano pushed up against the wall and
into the kitchen. Then I pointed into the family room and over to the bathroom
and my sister’s room.
We walked back through the rooms we had already
traveled through and I led him up the stairs. The small bathroom was off to our
left, and then I pointed down the hall and told him my parents’ room was at the
end.
“This looks like a great place to call home.
Have you lived here all your life?” he asked. I loved how he always seemed so
interested in everything about me.
“Yes, my parents have lived in this house
then, it has been a case of choosing sides for Ted and Joel. Hang out with
Aaron or Ava? I seemed to be losing the battle more often than not, but I
couldn’t blame them, I guess.
“I’m going out with a boy.” I waited for
her to catch on.
She put down the wooden spoon and turned
towards me with a hand on her hip. “And which boy would this be? Someone I
know?”
“Actually you don’t know him. His name is Nolan
Hill, and he is a new ticket agent at the Boats.” I could see the trepidation
in her eyes. “He’s a very nice boy, Mom.”
“Well, I should hope so as you deserve nothing
less.” She grabbed my shoulders and kissed my forehead. “Have fun and be home
before 12:30.” I hated that I had a curfew. I was not used to that at college,
but my mother said as long as I was living under her roof, I’d have to respect
her rules.
Fair enough—free rent.
It was finally about date time, so I perched myself behind the window in the living room. I could see
between the two houses across the street and into the Dells Boat Tours housing.
Companies throughout the Dells frequently hired foreign students to fill their
summer positions. They often needed to provide housing for these students, so
many companies bought out old, rundown motels around town and rented the rooms
to these students. The Boats bought an old, two-story house that had six very
small cabins on its land. There was a lawn with a campfire area amongst the
cabins where parties frequently broke out. Someone nailed an old sign to the
tree out front that said “ Animal Island .” Aptly named.
I let my eyes relax as I stared out of the
window. Soon my vision became blurry, and in a matter of seconds, the lawn and
cabins across the way started to pixelate into large
squares like the river had the day before. It was like someone took a picture
of my view and then blew it up too large and it became unfocused. I blinked
several times and rubbed my eyes, but the squares began to pulse like some sort
of hypnotist’s trick. When I blinked again, the view became focused, sharp as
ever. I blinked a few more times to make sure the view was clear.
Could I be stressed? Does nervousness affect
the eyes?
I only looked out the window for a few more
seconds when, soon enough, Nolan left his cabin. I watched him walk out the
door and sniff his armpits. I laughed at his moment of insecurity. So perhaps
he wasn’t as perfect as I thought. He kicked a half charred log in the fire
pit, checked his watch, and then walked into the alley. I watched him turn onto
the sidewalk and walk down to the next corner. I jumped down the stairs to meet
him, and when I opened the door, he was walking past the split rail fence on
our property.
“Hey there, stranger. Man,
what a long walk,” he joked. “I can’t believe we live so close to each other.
This is hilarious!”
“I know! So, do you want to come in and meet my
parents?”
“Wow. Meeting the
parents on the first date.” An awkward silence followed, and I was about
to retract my statement when he looked up at me and sincerely replied, “That sounds
wonderful. Parents love me.”
I smiled at him and opened up the porch door.
“Do you want the grand tour?”
“Of course!” he said and followed me through
the dining room.
“This is the formal dining room, which we
hardly use.” We walked past the upright piano pushed up against the wall and
into the kitchen. Then I pointed into the family room and over to the bathroom
and my sister’s room.
We walked back through the rooms we had already
traveled through and I led him up the stairs. The small bathroom was off to our
left, and then I pointed down the hall and told him my parents’ room was at the
end.
“This looks like a great place to call home.
Have you lived here all your life?” he asked. I loved how he always seemed so
interested in everything about me.
“Yes, my parents have lived in this house
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