Me,Myself and Life...Oh! And the Boy across the Road
Me,Myself and Life...Oh! And the Boy across the Ro
It was 6.45pm and my mom shouted up the stairs to where I was, in my bedroom. “Anna, I’ve been ready to go nearly an hour now! I don’t know why me and Libby couldn’t have just gone over ourselves. Now, hurry up!”
“Mom, give me a minute! I told you, you can’t go over without me, because Max and his family will think there‘s something wrong with me!” In the last hour and a half, I had changed my outfit six times. This is not counting the three times I’d changed into the first outfit I’d put on this morning. After a hundred conversations with my mom, each time her getting more and more frustrated and angry, I’d decided to wear a pair of dark blue jeans and a long-ish camisole top. I checked myself out in my mirror once more, then exited my bedroom and started to retreat down the stairs.
I know I sound very ‘high maintenance’, but I’m really not. I still can’t understand why I’m like this around Max. Worrying about what I’m wearing, what I’m saying and worrying what he thinks about me. Usually with boys I can very easily be myself, no problem. I think it’s different with Max because he seems to have as much confidence as I have, maybe more, so that makes me nervous? Because he seems so flirty and sure of himself, it makes me feel uneasy?
“Thank God for that Anna!” This time it was Libby talking. She tutted loudly and strutted out the front door. I couldn’t help but smile after her.
“Anna, you look gorgeous, okay? No-one will even care what you look like…Unless there’s something you’re not telling me…?” My mom smiled at me before following Libby out the front door. I hadn’t told her about Max, she kept accusing me of fancying him, but I wouldn’t admit it incase she told Val, his mom. And then Val could tell Max and I would never be able to leave my house again. I’d managed to talk her out of the idea. Or so I thought. Obviously not.
Outside Max’s house, we could hear music and voices coming from the back garden. As soon as Val opened the door, Libby marched past her, as if she owned the joint herself. “Hi! I’m so glad you could come. Come in, come in!” She turned around and walked to the kitchen, me and my mom followed. Val started up a conversation with my mom as she poured them both glasses of wine. I was glad I had changed, all the people I could see in the garden were wearing ‘smarter’ clothes. Trying to show off their wealth probably, oh how I hated everyone who lived in my area. So snobby and up their own arses. I then spotted Libby out in the garden already entertaining a small crowd of adults. Yes she looked like an angel in that little white dress with her curly hair, but wait until she unleashed her menace! “Anna, Max is in the garden somewhere. Go and find him.” Oh no! Oh no! Oh. No. Val and my mom then turned around and strode into the garden to do some mingling. I now had no choice but to go and find Max.
It didn’t take long. As soon as I stepped out into the garden, he seemed to materialise at my side. “Am I glad to see you Anna? Come on.” I was so glad I didn’t have to hunt him out and I was also happy at his greeting towards me. That was good, wasn’t it? Max turned around and headed back into the kitchen, I followed. “Want a drink, we can have some alcohol if you like? No-one will notice that it’s gone.” He smiled a dazzling, cheeky grin at me. I felt my breath catch in my chest.
“Erm…yes…yes, I’ll have a glass of wine?” He poured me one, grabbed a beer for himself and led the way into the living room. He sat himself on the red, leather sofa and I sat next to him. Leaving a large distance between us, of course.
I had to work on this speech problem. I couldn’t keep doing this! Not when I wanted him to like me! Even as just a friend. However, that is easier said than done.
“No offence, but I hate this area. The people here are right snobs! With the exception of you and your family, of course.” He smiled another dazzling grin.
“Oh, yeah I know. They are horrible around here. Just because they’ve got money, they feel they have to flaunt it. And they don’t talk to you either, unless it’s to brag about something or other.”
“Tell me about it. So, tired earlier were ya?”
“What?” It took me a moment to process what he’d said. “Oh. Right. Yeah I am actually. Jaz and Lils stayed last night and we didn’t get to sleep till past 4 this morning and then Libs woke us up to play at like 8. Then I guess we nearly fell asleep outside, until you woke us up!” I accused. It was easier to talk to him now. I just had to really concentrate.
“Yeah sorry about that. What were you talking about till 4 in the morning?!” He asked, exasperated.
“Just…stuff. Girlie stuff. I was ill, y’know? I hadn’t seen them for two weeks! We had stuff to catch up on.”
He paused, looking at me with both interest and confusion playing across his features. “Girlie stuff?…I tell ya, I will never, ever, ever understand how the female mind works.”
“Ah Max. That is because it is a very complicated yet easy thing to understand. It just takes practise. Which you obviously haven’t had much off!” I teased. I was feeling more like myself now. I could feel my confidence trickling back in through my blood stream.
“Too right I haven’t! I need a new girl to show me the ropes and to teach me.” He winked at me then chuckled.
I didn’t have a clue what to say to this. My confidence had gone. I had no witty comeback. Did he mean me? Was he flirting? Or was he taking the p**s? Just at that moment John, Max’s dad entered the room.
“Ah I was wondering where you two had got to! Ooh alcohol, trying to lure Anna into bed are ya Max?” He laughed at his own joke and smiled widely at us both. I found myself laughing aswell.
“Shut up dad!”
“Oooh! Anyway, I’ve finished some food on the barbie. You want some?” Me and Max followed John out into the garden Without even realising it before, I suddenly felt famished.
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Looking at Max’s alarm clock in his bedroom, I could see that it was now 1.30 in the morning. Libby was fast asleep in Val and John’s bed and my mom was downstairs with the rest of the adults. Well, the ones who stayed at the BBQ past 9.00pm anyway. Some of the supposed ‘snobs’ weren’t so bad after they’d had a drink or two down them. At the moment, the adults were in the back garden, p***sed off their faces, singing their own renditions of 80’s songs. That was why me and Max had come upstairs, for some peace and quiet.
It was safe to say that me and Max were a bit more than tipsy. Although we weren’t as far gone as the adults, we’d had our own share of the alcohol and I knew I would feel this in the morning.
We were sitting in his room in the dark because neither of us could find the light switch, him on the bed, me on the floor, just giggling about something stupid. I can’t even remember what had started it off, but we started giggling more and more just because we were giggling in the first place. Yeah, stupid right?
“So Miss Coleman. Are you going to tell me what you girls talk about? Would you let me delve into the female mind, just for a bit? Let me get some practise in. I need a few answers to some questions.” He slurred his words out and I was pretty sure my answer would come out sounding the same.
“Well Mr Miller, what would you like to know?”
“First of all, what does girlie stuff mean?”
“Just…girlie stuff”
“I know that, silly girl, but what does girlie stuff mean? Give me a straight answer, please?”
“Well mostly, girlie stuff is about boys, to be honest. So, girlie stuff is a waste of time! Because boys are a waste of time!”
“Ah, now we’re getting there!” I heard some shuffling then and the next thing I knew there was a huge thump and Max had landed on the floor head first. Then his body followed suit, he grunted and then there was silence. I didn’t know whether to laugh. Instead I crawled across the floor as steadily as I could make myself and whispered his name. God knows why I was whispering.
“Max? Max, are you okay?” My hand felt some part of him, his shoulder? His knee? Then, before I could understand what had happened, his hand whipped out and pulled me down next to him. I collapsed into a fit of giggles with Max following straight after. I heaved myself over onto my back and turned my head to the side and found myself facing Max. He had laid down on his side, facing me. Instantly, I felt comfortable, like it was right.
Max had stopped laughing now. “So…do you talk about me?”
“What?”
“You heard me!” I could feel him smiling at me through the darkness. It was surprising how being in the darkness made me feel honest. Or maybe it was just the alcohol?
“Erm, well, Jaz mentioned you. Only because she saw you out of my bedroom window though”
“Oh. And…?”
“And I told her what I knew about you.”
“Oh. Okaaay. And did you say anything else?”
“Well…” He took this pause for a yes.
“So, did you tell her that you liked me?”
“Hmm…kinda. But I hardly know you!” I instantly knew as soon as the words left my mouth that I would regret what I’d said in the morning. Maybe he wouldn’t remember.
There was silence. For a moment I thought I’d really upset him. I heard him inhale a deep breath then he whispered, “I really like you Anna.” Now it was my turn not to say anything. Instead I kept looking at him sideways through the darkness, although I could only see his silhouette. I honestly could not believe my ears! Then without saying a word, but moving really slowly as if weighing up his actions, Max leaned over and planted a really light kiss on my cheek. He lingered there a couple of moments, then he sighed and lay back into his original position. It was meant to be a sweet kiss and it was. I could feel him staring at me intently through the darkness.
“I really like you too.”
“Mom, give me a minute! I told you, you can’t go over without me, because Max and his family will think there‘s something wrong with me!” In the last hour and a half, I had changed my outfit six times. This is not counting the three times I’d changed into the first outfit I’d put on this morning. After a hundred conversations with my mom, each time her getting more and more frustrated and angry, I’d decided to wear a pair of dark blue jeans and a long-ish camisole top. I checked myself out in my mirror once more, then exited my bedroom and started to retreat down the stairs.
I know I sound very ‘high maintenance’, but I’m really not. I still can’t understand why I’m like this around Max. Worrying about what I’m wearing, what I’m saying and worrying what he thinks about me. Usually with boys I can very easily be myself, no problem. I think it’s different with Max because he seems to have as much confidence as I have, maybe more, so that makes me nervous? Because he seems so flirty and sure of himself, it makes me feel uneasy?
“Thank God for that Anna!” This time it was Libby talking. She tutted loudly and strutted out the front door. I couldn’t help but smile after her.
“Anna, you look gorgeous, okay? No-one will even care what you look like…Unless there’s something you’re not telling me…?” My mom smiled at me before following Libby out the front door. I hadn’t told her about Max, she kept accusing me of fancying him, but I wouldn’t admit it incase she told Val, his mom. And then Val could tell Max and I would never be able to leave my house again. I’d managed to talk her out of the idea. Or so I thought. Obviously not.
Outside Max’s house, we could hear music and voices coming from the back garden. As soon as Val opened the door, Libby marched past her, as if she owned the joint herself. “Hi! I’m so glad you could come. Come in, come in!” She turned around and walked to the kitchen, me and my mom followed. Val started up a conversation with my mom as she poured them both glasses of wine. I was glad I had changed, all the people I could see in the garden were wearing ‘smarter’ clothes. Trying to show off their wealth probably, oh how I hated everyone who lived in my area. So snobby and up their own arses. I then spotted Libby out in the garden already entertaining a small crowd of adults. Yes she looked like an angel in that little white dress with her curly hair, but wait until she unleashed her menace! “Anna, Max is in the garden somewhere. Go and find him.” Oh no! Oh no! Oh. No. Val and my mom then turned around and strode into the garden to do some mingling. I now had no choice but to go and find Max.
It didn’t take long. As soon as I stepped out into the garden, he seemed to materialise at my side. “Am I glad to see you Anna? Come on.” I was so glad I didn’t have to hunt him out and I was also happy at his greeting towards me. That was good, wasn’t it? Max turned around and headed back into the kitchen, I followed. “Want a drink, we can have some alcohol if you like? No-one will notice that it’s gone.” He smiled a dazzling, cheeky grin at me. I felt my breath catch in my chest.
“Erm…yes…yes, I’ll have a glass of wine?” He poured me one, grabbed a beer for himself and led the way into the living room. He sat himself on the red, leather sofa and I sat next to him. Leaving a large distance between us, of course.
I had to work on this speech problem. I couldn’t keep doing this! Not when I wanted him to like me! Even as just a friend. However, that is easier said than done.
“No offence, but I hate this area. The people here are right snobs! With the exception of you and your family, of course.” He smiled another dazzling grin.
“Oh, yeah I know. They are horrible around here. Just because they’ve got money, they feel they have to flaunt it. And they don’t talk to you either, unless it’s to brag about something or other.”
“Tell me about it. So, tired earlier were ya?”
“What?” It took me a moment to process what he’d said. “Oh. Right. Yeah I am actually. Jaz and Lils stayed last night and we didn’t get to sleep till past 4 this morning and then Libs woke us up to play at like 8. Then I guess we nearly fell asleep outside, until you woke us up!” I accused. It was easier to talk to him now. I just had to really concentrate.
“Yeah sorry about that. What were you talking about till 4 in the morning?!” He asked, exasperated.
“Just…stuff. Girlie stuff. I was ill, y’know? I hadn’t seen them for two weeks! We had stuff to catch up on.”
He paused, looking at me with both interest and confusion playing across his features. “Girlie stuff?…I tell ya, I will never, ever, ever understand how the female mind works.”
“Ah Max. That is because it is a very complicated yet easy thing to understand. It just takes practise. Which you obviously haven’t had much off!” I teased. I was feeling more like myself now. I could feel my confidence trickling back in through my blood stream.
“Too right I haven’t! I need a new girl to show me the ropes and to teach me.” He winked at me then chuckled.
I didn’t have a clue what to say to this. My confidence had gone. I had no witty comeback. Did he mean me? Was he flirting? Or was he taking the p**s? Just at that moment John, Max’s dad entered the room.
“Ah I was wondering where you two had got to! Ooh alcohol, trying to lure Anna into bed are ya Max?” He laughed at his own joke and smiled widely at us both. I found myself laughing aswell.
“Shut up dad!”
“Oooh! Anyway, I’ve finished some food on the barbie. You want some?” Me and Max followed John out into the garden Without even realising it before, I suddenly felt famished.
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Looking at Max’s alarm clock in his bedroom, I could see that it was now 1.30 in the morning. Libby was fast asleep in Val and John’s bed and my mom was downstairs with the rest of the adults. Well, the ones who stayed at the BBQ past 9.00pm anyway. Some of the supposed ‘snobs’ weren’t so bad after they’d had a drink or two down them. At the moment, the adults were in the back garden, p***sed off their faces, singing their own renditions of 80’s songs. That was why me and Max had come upstairs, for some peace and quiet.
It was safe to say that me and Max were a bit more than tipsy. Although we weren’t as far gone as the adults, we’d had our own share of the alcohol and I knew I would feel this in the morning.
We were sitting in his room in the dark because neither of us could find the light switch, him on the bed, me on the floor, just giggling about something stupid. I can’t even remember what had started it off, but we started giggling more and more just because we were giggling in the first place. Yeah, stupid right?
“So Miss Coleman. Are you going to tell me what you girls talk about? Would you let me delve into the female mind, just for a bit? Let me get some practise in. I need a few answers to some questions.” He slurred his words out and I was pretty sure my answer would come out sounding the same.
“Well Mr Miller, what would you like to know?”
“First of all, what does girlie stuff mean?”
“Just…girlie stuff”
“I know that, silly girl, but what does girlie stuff mean? Give me a straight answer, please?”
“Well mostly, girlie stuff is about boys, to be honest. So, girlie stuff is a waste of time! Because boys are a waste of time!”
“Ah, now we’re getting there!” I heard some shuffling then and the next thing I knew there was a huge thump and Max had landed on the floor head first. Then his body followed suit, he grunted and then there was silence. I didn’t know whether to laugh. Instead I crawled across the floor as steadily as I could make myself and whispered his name. God knows why I was whispering.
“Max? Max, are you okay?” My hand felt some part of him, his shoulder? His knee? Then, before I could understand what had happened, his hand whipped out and pulled me down next to him. I collapsed into a fit of giggles with Max following straight after. I heaved myself over onto my back and turned my head to the side and found myself facing Max. He had laid down on his side, facing me. Instantly, I felt comfortable, like it was right.
Max had stopped laughing now. “So…do you talk about me?”
“What?”
“You heard me!” I could feel him smiling at me through the darkness. It was surprising how being in the darkness made me feel honest. Or maybe it was just the alcohol?
“Erm, well, Jaz mentioned you. Only because she saw you out of my bedroom window though”
“Oh. And…?”
“And I told her what I knew about you.”
“Oh. Okaaay. And did you say anything else?”
“Well…” He took this pause for a yes.
“So, did you tell her that you liked me?”
“Hmm…kinda. But I hardly know you!” I instantly knew as soon as the words left my mouth that I would regret what I’d said in the morning. Maybe he wouldn’t remember.
There was silence. For a moment I thought I’d really upset him. I heard him inhale a deep breath then he whispered, “I really like you Anna.” Now it was my turn not to say anything. Instead I kept looking at him sideways through the darkness, although I could only see his silhouette. I honestly could not believe my ears! Then without saying a word, but moving really slowly as if weighing up his actions, Max leaned over and planted a really light kiss on my cheek. He lingered there a couple of moments, then he sighed and lay back into his original position. It was meant to be a sweet kiss and it was. I could feel him staring at me intently through the darkness.
“I really like you too.”