My Boy Hood
Charlie St. Cloud
I got dressed into some decent clothes that I haven’t touched in a while. Hell, it may have been unexpected, but I’ll treat the date as something important. Blue plaid shirt, white skinny jeans, and my favorite hi-tops of all time made me look sharp. Ha, I felt good after a night’s rest. Now I had to deal with another Sunday with Blake and Penny.
I wondered if Summer will talk to them now that she was talking to me. She didn’t make an effort to talk to her mom. I headed out the door then and started walking up the street that would lead me to downtown. Before I crossed the street, though, I saw Blake running up toward me. “Yo, man! Damn, you look flashy!”
He had on jeans, a button down shirt, and Jordans. “Not so bad yourself.” I replied.
“Mom’s deal. She says every guy’s gotta make good first impression.” He shrugged.
We started walking across the road when I said, “A little late for that, huh?”
“Shut up! It was weird though, when she asked me.” He put on a smirk, “She was embarrassed too, so that’s a bonus.”
We messed around for a while until we made it to the movie theater, “Typical, the guys have to wait on the girls.”
I shrugged. We sat on a concrete setting around a pole. We talked some more before we started to hear other people talk. “Haven’t we seen those guys before?”
“They play for the Scorpions! Ah! I never seen them outside of the game before-“
“It’s pretty weird,” Blake said, “It’s a lot worse if Jeremy or Sam are around. Don’t even get me started with Sake.”
“Honestly-“ I started.
“Oh, my God!” I heard a girl scream in my ear, “You’re that guy that played the piano yesterday!”
I looked and saw two girls who were arm in arm. I wonder how long it’s been since Lala and I did that. “Yeah? This badass here is my best bud!” Blake said, getting me in a headlock.
“You were awesome! I’m definitely a fan of you and that girl.”
“Thanks.” I managed to say through Blake’s headlock. Something caught my eye and I pointed,
“Blake, incoming! Target on lock!”
“Aw, sweet.” He said, letting me go.
We got up and I half-attempted to polish my hair as they grew closer. Summer had on a baby blue dress that really brought out her eyes. Penny had on shorts and a fluffy blouse. Yep, this has totally turned out to be a date. “You look nice.” Both Blake and I said at the same time.
“I really don’t want to see where this is going,” Penny said, grabbing Blake’s arm, “Let’s go see the movie!”
She started dragging Blake along, “We’ll get the tickets! You two save some good seats!”
They left us and rushed inside, “What are we even watching?” I asked.
“She wants to see Charlie St. Cloud.” Summer answered.
“That’s old.” I stated, “Are they still playing that here?”
“The theater plays old movies every once in a while for half price.”
We walked in and I let the thought of being cheap slip from my mind. Charlie St. Cloud was a depressing, yet romantic movie. Lala watched it three times in a row and she made me watch it with her. She was a total crybaby over it. “Have you’ve seen it?”
“No, but I’m excited!”
We found some good seats and Blake and Penny came with popcorn and sodas. “Did you know Sam worked here?” Blake asked.
That was news to me. I don’t remember ever seeing him here before when I came here. Then again, I didn’t come here often. The movie started and halfway through I had to get up and find some tissues. I saw Sam still working behind the counter, filling up the popcorn machine. He grinned when he saw me, “What’s up?”
“Got any tissues?” I asked.
“What’s wrong?” He asked, reaching in a cabinet for something.
“Blake’s bawling his eyes out and Summer’s about to break.”
Sam laughed, “Wow. What about you?”
“Done seen it a dozen times.” I answered, “I'm immune to it.”
“That would be a sight to see. Nicky crying.” He said, reaching for the napkins, “They aren’t the real deal, but they’ll do.”
He handed me napkins that were about two inches thick. “Jeez, thanks.” I muttered.
I noticed then that he was alone, “Are you the only one working?”
He shook his head, leaning on the counter, “Nah, the others are on break. Tell me, you don’t have a job, do you?”
I shook my head, “No. Never sought out to get one.”
He shook his head, “If you ever need one, call me. I can get you a recommendation here.”
I shook my napkins at him, “I’m busy as it is at the moment.”
I walked back to the theater and handed a bunch to Penny, who was already at work with Blake. I handed the rest to Summer, who didn’t seem to need them, but took them anyway. I patted Blake on the back roughly, “Dude,” I whispered, “it’s just a movie.”
He sobbed and buried his head into my shoulder, “It’s so sad!”
I looked at Penny, who wanted to laugh. Summer whispered real low in my ear, “Hug him.”
I gave her a horrifying look, but patted his head. That was the most comfort he was going get from me. I wanted to cry with relief when the movie was over. We walked out, and Blake made a run toward Sam, who was making his way out of a theater. He hugged him tightly. “What the hell you doing?” Sam exclaimed, “Get off me!”
“I love you man! I love you! Just remember that, okay!”
Penny broke, and she was laughing. Why did Blake have to make a scene? I saw Summer next to me chuckling. “Dude, get off before I get the manager to kick you out!” Sam said, trying to pry him off, “Besides, I’d take Nickole hugging me any day!”
My smile dropped. And Sam seemed to realize what he just said. Blake stopped hugging him,
“Nickole?”
“Um…” Was all Sam said.
Okay, I thought, it slipped. Sam looked at me, desperate for help. I sighed, “She’s my cousin. He offered her a job here a while ago.”
I was adding fuel to the fire. I was trying not to panic that my secret was about to be revealed. Blake looked at me, “I want to meet her! Is she hot?”
He looked at Sam for the answer, and my temper seemed to rise, “She looks a lot like Nick.”
I glared at Sam. What the hell? “I want to see her!”
“You can’t see her until she gets the job.” I said, “Let’s go, Blake.”
We were walking out when I got a text from Sam. I replied back, So what about that job? It wasn’t like I had a choice now. I had to go as a girl. It really wasn’t that convenient at all. I wanted the date to be over and I about died of happiness when it was.
I wondered if Summer will talk to them now that she was talking to me. She didn’t make an effort to talk to her mom. I headed out the door then and started walking up the street that would lead me to downtown. Before I crossed the street, though, I saw Blake running up toward me. “Yo, man! Damn, you look flashy!”
He had on jeans, a button down shirt, and Jordans. “Not so bad yourself.” I replied.
“Mom’s deal. She says every guy’s gotta make good first impression.” He shrugged.
We started walking across the road when I said, “A little late for that, huh?”
“Shut up! It was weird though, when she asked me.” He put on a smirk, “She was embarrassed too, so that’s a bonus.”
We messed around for a while until we made it to the movie theater, “Typical, the guys have to wait on the girls.”
I shrugged. We sat on a concrete setting around a pole. We talked some more before we started to hear other people talk. “Haven’t we seen those guys before?”
“They play for the Scorpions! Ah! I never seen them outside of the game before-“
“It’s pretty weird,” Blake said, “It’s a lot worse if Jeremy or Sam are around. Don’t even get me started with Sake.”
“Honestly-“ I started.
“Oh, my God!” I heard a girl scream in my ear, “You’re that guy that played the piano yesterday!”
I looked and saw two girls who were arm in arm. I wonder how long it’s been since Lala and I did that. “Yeah? This badass here is my best bud!” Blake said, getting me in a headlock.
“You were awesome! I’m definitely a fan of you and that girl.”
“Thanks.” I managed to say through Blake’s headlock. Something caught my eye and I pointed,
“Blake, incoming! Target on lock!”
“Aw, sweet.” He said, letting me go.
We got up and I half-attempted to polish my hair as they grew closer. Summer had on a baby blue dress that really brought out her eyes. Penny had on shorts and a fluffy blouse. Yep, this has totally turned out to be a date. “You look nice.” Both Blake and I said at the same time.
“I really don’t want to see where this is going,” Penny said, grabbing Blake’s arm, “Let’s go see the movie!”
She started dragging Blake along, “We’ll get the tickets! You two save some good seats!”
They left us and rushed inside, “What are we even watching?” I asked.
“She wants to see Charlie St. Cloud.” Summer answered.
“That’s old.” I stated, “Are they still playing that here?”
“The theater plays old movies every once in a while for half price.”
We walked in and I let the thought of being cheap slip from my mind. Charlie St. Cloud was a depressing, yet romantic movie. Lala watched it three times in a row and she made me watch it with her. She was a total crybaby over it. “Have you’ve seen it?”
“No, but I’m excited!”
We found some good seats and Blake and Penny came with popcorn and sodas. “Did you know Sam worked here?” Blake asked.
That was news to me. I don’t remember ever seeing him here before when I came here. Then again, I didn’t come here often. The movie started and halfway through I had to get up and find some tissues. I saw Sam still working behind the counter, filling up the popcorn machine. He grinned when he saw me, “What’s up?”
“Got any tissues?” I asked.
“What’s wrong?” He asked, reaching in a cabinet for something.
“Blake’s bawling his eyes out and Summer’s about to break.”
Sam laughed, “Wow. What about you?”
“Done seen it a dozen times.” I answered, “I'm immune to it.”
“That would be a sight to see. Nicky crying.” He said, reaching for the napkins, “They aren’t the real deal, but they’ll do.”
He handed me napkins that were about two inches thick. “Jeez, thanks.” I muttered.
I noticed then that he was alone, “Are you the only one working?”
He shook his head, leaning on the counter, “Nah, the others are on break. Tell me, you don’t have a job, do you?”
I shook my head, “No. Never sought out to get one.”
He shook his head, “If you ever need one, call me. I can get you a recommendation here.”
I shook my napkins at him, “I’m busy as it is at the moment.”
I walked back to the theater and handed a bunch to Penny, who was already at work with Blake. I handed the rest to Summer, who didn’t seem to need them, but took them anyway. I patted Blake on the back roughly, “Dude,” I whispered, “it’s just a movie.”
He sobbed and buried his head into my shoulder, “It’s so sad!”
I looked at Penny, who wanted to laugh. Summer whispered real low in my ear, “Hug him.”
I gave her a horrifying look, but patted his head. That was the most comfort he was going get from me. I wanted to cry with relief when the movie was over. We walked out, and Blake made a run toward Sam, who was making his way out of a theater. He hugged him tightly. “What the hell you doing?” Sam exclaimed, “Get off me!”
“I love you man! I love you! Just remember that, okay!”
Penny broke, and she was laughing. Why did Blake have to make a scene? I saw Summer next to me chuckling. “Dude, get off before I get the manager to kick you out!” Sam said, trying to pry him off, “Besides, I’d take Nickole hugging me any day!”
My smile dropped. And Sam seemed to realize what he just said. Blake stopped hugging him,
“Nickole?”
“Um…” Was all Sam said.
Okay, I thought, it slipped. Sam looked at me, desperate for help. I sighed, “She’s my cousin. He offered her a job here a while ago.”
I was adding fuel to the fire. I was trying not to panic that my secret was about to be revealed. Blake looked at me, “I want to meet her! Is she hot?”
He looked at Sam for the answer, and my temper seemed to rise, “She looks a lot like Nick.”
I glared at Sam. What the hell? “I want to see her!”
“You can’t see her until she gets the job.” I said, “Let’s go, Blake.”
We were walking out when I got a text from Sam. I replied back, So what about that job? It wasn’t like I had a choice now. I had to go as a girl. It really wasn’t that convenient at all. I wanted the date to be over and I about died of happiness when it was.