Muster Every Ounce of Confidence
Step Two: Experiencing Fine Dining
I nod slowly, rising from my spot on the floor.He leads me upstairs. "My room is across the hall. Uh....Your stuff should be here tomorrow. Bethany said she packed you some stuff?" I hold up my duffel bag. "Cool. So....uh....school starts at 7:30, so be ready by 6:40. If you're not up, I'll assume you don't want to go." He watches me as I look around the room. "You hungry?" The growling of my stomach answers his question. "Come on, we'll go out."
I've never been out to eat.... This should be interesting
Tony finds two other guys as we're leaving. I sit in the front with Tony, forcing the others to work out a comfortable seating arrangement.
"So, Eliza, how old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"Cool."
"If you say so."
"Why do you say that?"
"I am a senior in high school who's never had a friend and got put up for adoption. Being 17 is not cool." The rest of the car ride is silent, partly because I pull out my IPOD and put my song back on. Tony taps my shoulder when we get to the restaurant.
"You like Italian?"
"Never had it."
"What!? Your mom's side of the family is Italian."
"So. I've never met any of my family."
"WHAT?!" The other guys groan as he launches into a speech about the importance of family. He ends it with, "How can you not have met our family?! Family is everything!!"
"I am my family."
"So am I."
"I don't know anything about you." I look at the restaurant we're standing in front of. "Question: What's eating out like?"
"What do you mean?"
"What's it like? I mean, I've heard about it and driven by restaurants before....but I've never actually eaten anywhere other than home."
"What?!" This time the pudgy man steps forward.
"Eliza, you can't be serious."
"Well I am. And I'm kind of curious, so let's go." I lead the way into the building.
"Ah... Mr. Lovato. Right this way."
"Who?"
"My last name is Lovato." Tony steers me to the table where the host is standing. "Thanks Frank." The guy bows before leaving.
"Uh...." I sit between Jere and Tony.
"Oh! I forgot. Eliza, that is Matt. He's your cousin too."
"Is he adopting me, or are you?"
"I am. Matt's to irresponsible."
"Big words from a little man." Tony and Matt fake glare at each other.
"Anyway, you can keep your last name or take mine."
"Uh.... I don't want a last name."
"Is that possible?" I shrug and pick up the menu. The waiter comes to take our orders.
"And for you miss?"
"Lasagna Florentine."
"No meat?"
"Vegetarian." The pudgy man, who I learned is Nick, gasps. "Meat can clog your arteries."
"So? It tastes good."
"You think meat tastes good?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Best thing you'll ever put in your mouth."
"You three better watch out." I say this with no emotion as I examine my stubby fingernails.
"Sick Liza!" I pause at the shortened version of my name.
Odd, it sounds endearing coming from them.
I keep quiet the rest of the meal. By the time we're pulling into the driveway, I've decided two things. 1) I love Italian food. 2) I'm taking Tony's last name.
"Night guys."
"Night Liza!" follows me up the stairs. I set my alarm for 5:40 after changing into my pj's. 'Can't Take This' plays softly on my CD player all night.
"ELIZA!?" I get up from my bed and find Tony. "What were you doing?"
"Waiting in my room."
"Uh....Why?"
"I didn't know what else to do."
"Watch TV, play video games, run around screaming about giant green hamsters." (joke from 9th grade... sorry)
"I'll ignore that last one."
"Good idea. Let's go." Once in the car, Tony begins to question me further. "So what was Seattle like?"
"I don't know. I went to school, lived in my room, and ate in the kitchen."
"Huh?"
"In other words, I had no social life."
"Oh. Well do you want one?"
"Not really."
"Then don't tell anyone I'm adopting you."
"Why?"
"I'm famous." I send him the 'get real' look along with a scoff. "Seriously. My band is very popular."
"Okay. Who's Benji?"
"What?"
"You kept talking about him last night. Who is he?"
"A friend of mine. A very good friend."
"What's it like to have friends?" We arrive at the school.
"We'll finish this tonight." He hugs me and I get out of the car.
I guess I need to get use to the hugging
I've never been out to eat.... This should be interesting
Tony finds two other guys as we're leaving. I sit in the front with Tony, forcing the others to work out a comfortable seating arrangement.
"So, Eliza, how old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"Cool."
"If you say so."
"Why do you say that?"
"I am a senior in high school who's never had a friend and got put up for adoption. Being 17 is not cool." The rest of the car ride is silent, partly because I pull out my IPOD and put my song back on. Tony taps my shoulder when we get to the restaurant.
"You like Italian?"
"Never had it."
"What!? Your mom's side of the family is Italian."
"So. I've never met any of my family."
"WHAT?!" The other guys groan as he launches into a speech about the importance of family. He ends it with, "How can you not have met our family?! Family is everything!!"
"I am my family."
"So am I."
"I don't know anything about you." I look at the restaurant we're standing in front of. "Question: What's eating out like?"
"What do you mean?"
"What's it like? I mean, I've heard about it and driven by restaurants before....but I've never actually eaten anywhere other than home."
"What?!" This time the pudgy man steps forward.
"Eliza, you can't be serious."
"Well I am. And I'm kind of curious, so let's go." I lead the way into the building.
"Ah... Mr. Lovato. Right this way."
"Who?"
"My last name is Lovato." Tony steers me to the table where the host is standing. "Thanks Frank." The guy bows before leaving.
"Uh...." I sit between Jere and Tony.
"Oh! I forgot. Eliza, that is Matt. He's your cousin too."
"Is he adopting me, or are you?"
"I am. Matt's to irresponsible."
"Big words from a little man." Tony and Matt fake glare at each other.
"Anyway, you can keep your last name or take mine."
"Uh.... I don't want a last name."
"Is that possible?" I shrug and pick up the menu. The waiter comes to take our orders.
"And for you miss?"
"Lasagna Florentine."
"No meat?"
"Vegetarian." The pudgy man, who I learned is Nick, gasps. "Meat can clog your arteries."
"So? It tastes good."
"You think meat tastes good?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Best thing you'll ever put in your mouth."
"You three better watch out." I say this with no emotion as I examine my stubby fingernails.
"Sick Liza!" I pause at the shortened version of my name.
Odd, it sounds endearing coming from them.
I keep quiet the rest of the meal. By the time we're pulling into the driveway, I've decided two things. 1) I love Italian food. 2) I'm taking Tony's last name.
"Night guys."
"Night Liza!" follows me up the stairs. I set my alarm for 5:40 after changing into my pj's. 'Can't Take This' plays softly on my CD player all night.
"ELIZA!?" I get up from my bed and find Tony. "What were you doing?"
"Waiting in my room."
"Uh....Why?"
"I didn't know what else to do."
"Watch TV, play video games, run around screaming about giant green hamsters." (joke from 9th grade... sorry)
"I'll ignore that last one."
"Good idea. Let's go." Once in the car, Tony begins to question me further. "So what was Seattle like?"
"I don't know. I went to school, lived in my room, and ate in the kitchen."
"Huh?"
"In other words, I had no social life."
"Oh. Well do you want one?"
"Not really."
"Then don't tell anyone I'm adopting you."
"Why?"
"I'm famous." I send him the 'get real' look along with a scoff. "Seriously. My band is very popular."
"Okay. Who's Benji?"
"What?"
"You kept talking about him last night. Who is he?"
"A friend of mine. A very good friend."
"What's it like to have friends?" We arrive at the school.
"We'll finish this tonight." He hugs me and I get out of the car.
I guess I need to get use to the hugging