Love Me Love Me (English)

10

June

"What'd you say their names were?"

I was in the car with my mom, and it was like I was in third grade again.

"Amelia, Poppy, and Ari."

"And they're all girls?"

"Mom."

I shouldn't've lied, especially not before seeing a guy I just met, but if I told her I was going out with someone of the opposite sex, I'd have shot myself in the foot.

I crossed my fingers, hoping that William wasn't a serial killer. Mom stopped in front of Tropical, looking at me suspiciously.

"Where are they?"

"2025 called, Mom. Where do you think they are? They're waiting for me inside."

"Eleven thirty."

I opened the door and jumped out.

As I walked into the game room, I was bombarded with lights and trippy colors. Guys and girls were drinking and leaning against the pool table, others were lining up for the bowling alley. It was a little crowded, but all in all the chatter was pleasant. I saw a few familiar faces in the crowd.

I saw someone wave then heard William's voice. "June, I'm right here! I'm happy to see you."

His voice mingled with the background noise as he came toward me. I smiled back at him.

He was wearing a tight-fitting T-shirt that peeked out from under an army-green jacket. He looked even hotter than usual.

I looked around a bit and ascertained that there was no trace of any of his friends.

"Come on, let's sit down," he invited me, motioning to a small, secluded table.

This part of Tropical looked like a classic '50s diner, with red and black checkered tablecloths and an array of stools at the counter.

"Did your mom drive you?"

"Yeah." I sat down and realized we were alone.

"What's she like?"

"Crazy." My answer made him raise an eyebrow.

"I mean, she's an artist," I explained.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. I'd never been alone with a guy, even at school. It was my first date.

"Interesting. What kind?" he inquired attentively.

He was making small talk, but the way he made eye contact with me made him seem genuinely interested.

The idea that our date was a joke had crossed my mind more than once. But in that moment, when I was with William, I started believing that he was serious.

"She does contemporary art with some realism inspirations." I pulled out the adjectives I'd heard a million times during my mom's exhibitions.

"So, in laymen's terms, cool stuff," he said as he leaned toward the counter hoping to get a waiter's attention to bring us a menu.

"Weird stuff," I corrected.

"I thought so. And tell me, was it just the two of you who moved here? Are you an only child?" Did we really have to broach this subject on our first date?

Poor William didn't know what kind of brutal, boring drag my life was, and I had every intention of sparing him the details.

"My dad remarried. He still lives in Virginia."