A Step to Love

“So where are you taking me?” I repeated anxiously.

He smiled gently while taking the hand he wasn’t using to drive to link it with mine. “To the park.”

“I thought you were taking me to your house.” He rubbed with his thumb my knuckles.

“No, ba-Lilly.” He paused. “Not yet. I want my parents to meet you properly first. I don’t want to risk dragging you into my room and while at it, stumble across them. They might think something other than what we want them to.”

“Well, you don’t have to drag me.” I giggled. “I don’t think coming to your place would be against my own will.”

He laughed. “Still, I better not take any chances. You will meet them soon, though.”

“’Kay.”

I kept silently imagining how his parents were going to look like. I became excited as I pictured them all happy and blonde. …At least I thought they would be. Brody had only mentioned them once apart from this, but I didn’t think it was because he was hiding something, right?

Right.

We pulled up in front of the park’s rusty gates and Brody pushed them aside as I tried to unbuckle myself. He paused in front of the gate while I got out of the car and walked towards him. I frowned slightly.

“Isn’t this the city’s park?” I thought we were actually going to the park near Brit’s house. No wonder we took so long. I remembered Brody lived near Pat—us.

Brody nodded. “Why?”

I pursed my lips and stared at a group of guys—all in hoodies—that talked just a few feet away. “Well, I don’t know if you knew this, but—”

I saw him follow my sight. “Oh, because of those guys?” He paused. “Nah, they’re nothing.”

“Maybe we should leave this place,” I stated as soon as I saw one of the guys turn his head to us. He was followed by the rest of the group and suddenly, I felt fear attack me once again.

I couldn’t see their faces. They were covered by the shadow that the hoodies provided them. I pulled Brody towards the car, closing the gate behind me and ignoring Brody’s complaints.

I climbed in the car and waited for Brody to the same. He hesitated a while before doing so and once he got in the car, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Just drive,” I said as I watched the group, still staring at us.

He laughed. “B-Lilly, they’re not going to do anything to us.”

I looked at him in disbelief. “How the hell do you know? They look so fucking creepy!”

His smile faded and his hand went to start the ignition. “I just know…”

Immediately as we drove off…their heads went from our faces to themselves.

~*~*~*~*~

“So, which color do you want?” Brit asked referring to the collection of balloons that hanged before us. It was a bit weird to pick...And slightly funny because, come on…we were shopping for balloons, not a wedding dress.

“Hm, I don’t know. I want something that pops out or something,” I said picking a bag of green neon balloons.

Brit gasped. “What about this pink?” She picked up a bag of hot pink balloons. I glared at her. “Right, sorry. I keep forgetting you don’t like it.” She giggled.

“How about this?” Sasha said picking some white, black and orange balloons.

Brit whined. “But then it’s going to look like a Halloween party, though.” She laughed. “Not that I mind about my favorite holiday ever, but you know…it’s a birthday party. Lilly’s birthday party.”

“You’re right.”

I picked up a bright purple and took the white balloons from Sasha’s hand. “What do you think about this combination? We can put some white curtains or blankets or something that hangs from them.”

Sasha squealed next to me. “I love it. It will look so good with your present.”

I raised an eyebrow as I saw Brit hit Sasha in the arm and glare at her. “What present?”

Brit sighed. “Later.”

We had only gone to three stores in the day, but it was actually quite enough for the birthday party. Thankfully one of them was completely full of everything that one needed for a birthday. I think it was called “Everything for Birthdays”, which was actually convenient because it did have absolutely everything. But we also had decided to check out a few other places just in case.

In the store “Everything for Birthdays” we had bought some of the decorations and the cake. We went to another store to check out the prices on decorations and we ended up buying the balloons there. And we also went to check another store downtown to buy chips and beverages. We even bought a bag of sliced bread to make sandwiches, and we were also buying pizza, so at least the guests wouldn’t be dying of hunger.

What we didn’t buy was alcohol or anything like that. Sasha’s mom had said that the only condition she was giving us in order to stay in her house and have the party there, was that the party contained no alcohol. And of course, we had to respect that condition after she did us the favor of even considering having us there on the first place.

Sasha, Brit and I walked towards cash register to purchase the food. I took out the money from my wallet and handed it to cashier. There was no way I was letting my friends pay, let alone, their parents.

About two months ago, I got a job at a McDonald's. Sure, I hated McDonald's to death, but it was the only place that gave me an itinerary that didn’t affect school. And it wasn’t enough to pay high bills like water or TV, but it was enough to cover some of the stuff I spent.

“I’m so excited!” Sasha and Brit said in unison as soon we got in Pat’s car.

She gave us a smile full of warmth from the rear view mirror. “I’m guessing you guys found everything you needed.”

I smiled in return from the back. “Yes. We have to pick up the cake the day of the party at 9:00am, though.”

She smiled wider, but simply nodded as we headed back home. Home. …I wondered how my mom was doing so far.