Ocean of Secrets

The next morning, I felt incredibly giddy, but at the same time I also felt stupid. Sure last night was scary, and sure Malachai could have taken me somewhere else or warned me better, but I didn’t have to get as nervous as I had. Nothing bad had happened to me, and it was nice to see a new part of Malachai.

A knock on the door shook me out of my thoughts. “Lucy, can I come in?” My mom’s voice resonated down the stairs.

“Yeah,” I didn’t really feel like entertaining my mom at the moment, but I couldn’t really tell her that.

“How did your date last night go?” After stepping into my room and sitting on the foot of my bed, these were the first words out of her mouth.

I debated on how much to tell her. My mom was very lenient when it came to certain things, but I don’t know if she’d like the idea of me at an abandoned warehouse with a complete stranger. “It went alright, I suppose. We might have another at some point.”

“Well if you do,” I could already see where this was going and I groaned inwardly. “Bring him over here for dinner. I want to meet this boy.” A huge smiled found its way onto my mom’s lips, and she seemed to think that there was nothing wrong with bringing Malachai home to meet everyone.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea mom.” Just the thought of him and my father in the same room made my stomach do back flips. “I think that I want to get to know him a little bit better before I let dad scare him away.”

My mom still hadn’t stopped smiling and just looking at her was making my mouth hurt. She wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

“I don’t even know if he’ll want to come mom. We pretty much just met and there isn’t anything serious going on between us,” yet. I added in my head.

“Even more reason for you to bring him, and if he doesn’t want to come then I’m sure that your father could find another suitable young man.” A sound of disgust escaped my mouth before I could apply any kind of filter. “You know he’s only trying to give you the best of everything, right darling?”

“His best doesn’t exactly have the same definition as mine.” I crossed my arms and sunk deeper into my pillows. “Most of the guys he brings over are perverts. That Gill kid, for example, threatened me when I told him no.”

For some reason this didn’t seem to surprise my mom. She just nodded in understanding and stood up before walking to the door. “Do you know when you are going to see this boy of yours again?”

“I-” my earlier giddiness left me once and for all, as I realized that I had no way of getting in touch with him until Tuesday. If he even decided to come to the store, that is, “I don’t know.”

My mother’s smile faltered slightly, but she quickly replaced it. “That’s alright. I’m sure we’ll see him soon enough.” She left the room and shut the door quietly behind her.

As soon as she was gone I dialed Bridget’s number.

“So,” Bridget’s voice was serious, “how was the date?” She obviously didn’t want to beat around the bush.

I shrugged even though she couldn’t see it and opened my closet door. She would want to know every detail and I prepared myself to tell lie after lie.

“Where’d you go,” and that’s how it all began.

“I can’t remember the name, but it wasn’t in town. It was nice and quiet though.” I bit my bottom lip and held up a grey shirt to inspect it.

“Did you guys, you know, kiss or anything?”

I watched my face down red in the mirror on the door. “No.”

“Did you want to? Do you think that he wanted to?”

Suddenly I didn’t want to have this conversation anymore. I had thrown up. I really doubt that he had wanted his mouth within five feet of mine. “I thought it would have been nice,” I lied, “but I don’t think he wanted to.”

The other end was silent for a short period of time and I threw the grey shirt back into my closet. “When are you going to see him again?”

Why did everyone want to know the answer to that question? “Hopefully Tuesday, unless of course he decides to not come in to the store.”

I could sense her unhappiness through the phone. “You didn’t get his number or anything? God Lucy, you can be so stupid some times. You need to take the lead and ask him so that you don’t have to wait for Tuesday every week!” She had finished her rant in a raised voice. “I suppose that I’ll just have to come with you Tuesday and get his number for you!”

She hung up before I could say anything else to her, and I tossed my cell onto the bed. Hopefully no one else decides to ask about last night because I didn’t think that I could lie again.

Belle wandered into my room, rubbing her eyes, and made her way onto my bed. “Mommy woke me up. I don’t want to wake up. Can I sleep here?”

I smiled at my little sister and nodded my head. “But,” I said, “if mommy catches you, then I had no idea that you were here.” A giggle escaped from my little sister and then she laid her head onto my pillow and closed her eyes.

Slowly I sat down on the edge of the bed so I wouldn’t disturb her, and watched as her breathing slowed. Something about seeing Belle always calmed me down and made me happy. I suppose all children to that to everyone though. I stood up once again and left Belle to dream.