Blue
Almost Normal
As they walked up to the porch Riley suddenly noticed that the sun had set and the stars were shinning bright above her and Jeremy. She looked at her phone to see it was already eight-thirty. Had they really been outside for a couple of hours? She glanced over at Jeremy and noticed she’d gotten mascara all over his shirt.
“Sorry about your shirt,” She said, embarrassed.
He shrugged. “It’s no big deal. As long as you’re ok I could care less about this shirt,” he said, smiling.
Riley ran her hands through her hair. “Well before I see your mom can I go clean myself up in the bathroom?”
“Of course, I guess I’d better go change my shirt as well,” he said.
Riley giggled. As Jeremy held open the door he grinned at her, a little too much warmth shone in his eyes and Riley couldn't help but feel like she was leading him on without meaning to. She must have made a face because Jeremy’s grin disappeared and was replaced with worry.
“Riley?” he asked.
She just shook her head and hurried off the bathroom before he could say anything else. She locked the door and leaned against it for a moment. She wished he didn’t like her like he did. It made their friendship so much more complicated. They’d been best friends since pre-kindergarten and she couldn’t imagine them being anything but friends. She hoped that by her staying the night here didn’t encourage him to think she was feeling feelings she didn’t have. She groaned and shook her head.
Riley dared a glance in the mirror was glad she didn’t look as bad as she thought she did. Her eyes weren’t too red and puffy from crying and although her mascara was all down her cheeks, at least it wasn’t all over her face. Her hair was still styled perfectly with the part to the left and straight as a board. She sighed and got to fixing her face. She tore off some toilet paper and began to wipe off the dark streaks of mascara. When she was finished with that she fixed her eyeliner and put her mascara back on. When she felt presentable she unlocked the bathroom door and headed toward the kitchen where she could hear the sound of voices talking and smell the food cooking.
When she walked through the door she spotted Jeremy sitting at the bar, his back to Riley, and his mom at the stove. The kitchen was just how she remembered it, with a few exceptions such as Jeremy’s dad’s pictures were no longer hanging on the walls, but the blue and white checkered curtains still hung on the windows, her own and Jeremy’s school pictures were still on the fridge, and their height measurements as they grew up were still penciled on the wall. Riley couldn’t help but smile at the familiar-ness.
“Riley,” Jeremy’s mom said as she turned from the stove.
Riley smiled and crossed the distance, devouring her with a hug. “Dawn, it’s so good to see you,” Riley said and meant it.
“Honey, you need to stop by more often, I miss having you over,” Dawn said pulling back from the hug to look at Riley.
“I will, I promise,” Riley said. “Things have just been, crazy lately.”
Dawn’s mouth turned to a grimace. “You know you are more than welcome to stay here when you need to. My house is always open for you and your mom and you know that the doors are always unlocked.”
Riley nodded. “Yes ma’am.”
Jeremy’s mom smiled again. “Now, let’s eat. I made your favorite.”
Jeremy was already getting the plates down from the cupboard so Riley went for the silverware, grabbing forks, spoons, and knives.
“Riley, go ahead and fill your plate.”
She nodded and Jeremy handed her a plate with a small smile. She said thank you and went for the food. Dawn had made fried squash, alfredo noodles and corn, and mix vegetables. She filled her plate and sat down at the table, waiting for everyone to sit before she began to eat.
Once everyone was settled at the table, Jeremy led them in a prayer and then they dug in. The first spoon full had Riley’s taste buds exploding in delight. Once upon a time, her own mother used to cook every night as well, before everything went to crap, but it could never compare to Dawn’s. She was a natural cook. Anything she made, whether it was burnt or cold, was fantastic.
And for a moment, everything felt like it was perfect, like it was back to normal, but deep down, Riley knew this feeling couldn’t last, it was only a matter of time.
“Sorry about your shirt,” She said, embarrassed.
He shrugged. “It’s no big deal. As long as you’re ok I could care less about this shirt,” he said, smiling.
Riley ran her hands through her hair. “Well before I see your mom can I go clean myself up in the bathroom?”
“Of course, I guess I’d better go change my shirt as well,” he said.
Riley giggled. As Jeremy held open the door he grinned at her, a little too much warmth shone in his eyes and Riley couldn't help but feel like she was leading him on without meaning to. She must have made a face because Jeremy’s grin disappeared and was replaced with worry.
“Riley?” he asked.
She just shook her head and hurried off the bathroom before he could say anything else. She locked the door and leaned against it for a moment. She wished he didn’t like her like he did. It made their friendship so much more complicated. They’d been best friends since pre-kindergarten and she couldn’t imagine them being anything but friends. She hoped that by her staying the night here didn’t encourage him to think she was feeling feelings she didn’t have. She groaned and shook her head.
Riley dared a glance in the mirror was glad she didn’t look as bad as she thought she did. Her eyes weren’t too red and puffy from crying and although her mascara was all down her cheeks, at least it wasn’t all over her face. Her hair was still styled perfectly with the part to the left and straight as a board. She sighed and got to fixing her face. She tore off some toilet paper and began to wipe off the dark streaks of mascara. When she was finished with that she fixed her eyeliner and put her mascara back on. When she felt presentable she unlocked the bathroom door and headed toward the kitchen where she could hear the sound of voices talking and smell the food cooking.
When she walked through the door she spotted Jeremy sitting at the bar, his back to Riley, and his mom at the stove. The kitchen was just how she remembered it, with a few exceptions such as Jeremy’s dad’s pictures were no longer hanging on the walls, but the blue and white checkered curtains still hung on the windows, her own and Jeremy’s school pictures were still on the fridge, and their height measurements as they grew up were still penciled on the wall. Riley couldn’t help but smile at the familiar-ness.
“Riley,” Jeremy’s mom said as she turned from the stove.
Riley smiled and crossed the distance, devouring her with a hug. “Dawn, it’s so good to see you,” Riley said and meant it.
“Honey, you need to stop by more often, I miss having you over,” Dawn said pulling back from the hug to look at Riley.
“I will, I promise,” Riley said. “Things have just been, crazy lately.”
Dawn’s mouth turned to a grimace. “You know you are more than welcome to stay here when you need to. My house is always open for you and your mom and you know that the doors are always unlocked.”
Riley nodded. “Yes ma’am.”
Jeremy’s mom smiled again. “Now, let’s eat. I made your favorite.”
Jeremy was already getting the plates down from the cupboard so Riley went for the silverware, grabbing forks, spoons, and knives.
“Riley, go ahead and fill your plate.”
She nodded and Jeremy handed her a plate with a small smile. She said thank you and went for the food. Dawn had made fried squash, alfredo noodles and corn, and mix vegetables. She filled her plate and sat down at the table, waiting for everyone to sit before she began to eat.
Once everyone was settled at the table, Jeremy led them in a prayer and then they dug in. The first spoon full had Riley’s taste buds exploding in delight. Once upon a time, her own mother used to cook every night as well, before everything went to crap, but it could never compare to Dawn’s. She was a natural cook. Anything she made, whether it was burnt or cold, was fantastic.
And for a moment, everything felt like it was perfect, like it was back to normal, but deep down, Riley knew this feeling couldn’t last, it was only a matter of time.