Fireflies

Haley Larson had never been what you would call shy, even as a young child. So it didn’t come as a surprise to her, or anyone else for that matter, that it wasn’t difficult for her to make connections with people easily. Making friends had always come naturally to her and more often than not it happened quickly. So it came as no surprise when she found herself spending a Saturday night at the bowling alley with someone she’d barely met a week ago.

It had happened the previous Saturday night in the line at the movie theater. She had been there with her friend, Kelsey, when she’d met Ryan. Kelsey had had her attention buried in her cell phone and Haley found herself bored. Haley had made a sarcastic comment and Ryan, who had been standing right beside her and facing the same situation with his friend, had overheard and couldn’t stop himself from laughing. By the time the movie theater finally started seating the movie they were there to see they’d discovered they got along well and had exchanged phone numbers.

“You’re going to lose, I hope you know that.” Haley warned as she tied the laces on the bowling shoes.

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.” Ryan replied, sending her a grin. “I was a little surprised you weren’t doing anything tonight.”

“Why? Kelsey has a date tonight and everyone else is in South Carolina for a concert.”

“Didn’t you say you have a boyfriend? I mean you did make it pretty clear that a date was out of the question.”

“Things are just hard to explain with Jesse and I don’t know you well enough to dive into that can of worms. What about you? You didn’t have anything to do tonight either.”

“Everyone was busy. Besides, you seem like fun. You wanna go first?”

She flashed him a smile and walked past him, bowling ball in hand. Ryan watched as she threw a strike and realized he might actually lose. “Told you, I’m pretty good at this.”

“I’m not going to have your boyfriend coming after me for hanging out with you tonight right?” Ryan asked, picking up his own bowling ball.

Haley laughed. “Nope. I didn’t tell him and I don’t plan on telling him. I don’t have a clue what he is doing tonight anyway. Now enough talking about other people, I’m looking forward to beating you.”

***

“How are you so good at bowling?” Ryan asked later that night, setting down his slice of pizza. They’d finished bowling and had decided to get something to eat before going their separate ways.

“Dad, Carla, and I used to come bowling every weekend before my sophomore year of high school. We still come at least once a month. Mom comes sometimes but she’s horrible at it.”

“Carla is your step mom right?”

“Yup.”

“What happened with your parents? I mean from what I’ve heard they get along great. If you don’t want to tell me about it just tell me to butt out.”

“No, I don’t mind. Its not like it’s a secret or anything. Mom was sixteen when she got pregnant, seventeen when she had me. Dad had just turned eighteen when I was born and his parents were making sure he was going to college. They stayed together until I was about two I think, that’s what they told me anyway, and then broke up. They just didn’t feel ready to get married and I guess its great they didn’t. When they broke up they both wanted out so they just stayed friends. Then Dad met Carla when I was five and they got married a few years later. I’d explain about Keith but I’m still trying to figure that out.”

“He is your mom’s fiancé right?”

“Yup.”

“Do you not like him or something? Sorry for asking so many questions, I just couldn’t imagine having anything like that in my life, it seems like it’s a lot to adjust to.”

Haley shrugged. “Its not something I think about I guess, its just life. I probably wouldn’t know what to do if I suddenly found myself with my parents married just because I’ve never thought about it. And no, its not that I don’t like him. He’s a nice guy and all but he just tries too hard. I don’t like him butting in and trying to play dad. I’m a legal adult and my mom, dad, or Carla aren’t as bad as he is. He’ll learn eventually I think. I just wish he’d stop approaching it like he has to fit into a family that has to work together to set rules for a kid. I don’t know, maybe I’m just being difficult. Haven’t we talked enough about me and my family already? Lets talk about you and your family.”

Ryan laughed, enjoying her honesty. “Well there really isn’t much there to talk about. We’re close, especially me and Martin, and they’re great. I’m lucky to have a family that is as loving and supportive as they are. What else do you want to know?”

“Where are you from? I don’t know that yet. Are you from here or somewhere else?”

“Mayetta, New Jersey,” Ryan paused. “No Jersey shore jokes?”

“I hate that show! You can find a group of idiots anywhere, they aren’t anything special.”

Ryan chuckled. “Well I appreciate no jokes about it. I moved down here because of the racing but I go back when I get the chance. Everyone else is still up there and I still have friends. I’m going to guess you’ve been here your whole life.”

“Born and raised.” Haley was going to ask another question when her cell phone started ringing. “I’m sorry, its my dad. I have to answer it or he’ll worry.”

“Go ahead, I don’t care.” Ryan tried to avoid listening to her conversation, but it was hard to do given their proximity. It was a quick conversation but he gathered she was supposed to head to her dad’s house when she left the bowling alley.

“Sorry, everyone is at Dad’s house and they want to talk as a family.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure it has something to do with travel plans. Mom and Keith are getting married in Hawaii the end of summer so we’re trying to figure out who is fly out when.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not.”

“Yes and no. The part about going to Hawaii sounds fun. The figuring out travel plans doesn’t sound too fun.”

“I like the way your mind and humor works. So why don’t you have a girlfriend?”

Ryan coughed, swallowing a little bit of his drink wrong. He was surprised by her question, he hadn’t expected that. “Because I don’t I guess. Why do you ask?”

“I’m just trying to put the pieces together here. Good looking guy, nice, and funny. Just seems like you’d have a girlfriend, or at the very least girls throwing themselves at you.”

“Did you just call me good looking?” He smirked.

Haley rolled her light brown eyes. “Your point? Don’t tell me you’re going to get cocky now.”

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?”

“I fail to see the point you’re trying to make. Just because I make an observation about something doesn’t mean anything. For example I could say that the guy sitting over in that corner is good looking and it doesn’t mean anything, its just an observation.”

“Were you on the debate team in high school? Making observations, failing to see my point, and for example?”

“I was on the debate team for a while junior year actually.” Haley laughed.

“A while?”

“That’s a story for another day.” She finished the last bit of her soda and glanced at the screen of her cell phone. It was almost ten and she knew everyone was waiting at her dad’s house for her. “I better get going, its almost ten. I had fun tonight, thanks for suggesting bowling.”

“Next time, I’m going to beat you.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.”

***

“So what’d I miss?” Haley asked, walking through the door of her dad’s house. Her dad was sitting in his favorite chair, Carl
a was settled into the love seat, and Melissa and Keith were on the couch beside each other.

“Nothing yet,” Jeff said, looking up at her with a yawn.

“We just want to get this figured out tonight so we know how many plane tickets we need for what day.” Keith added, looking up from his phone.

“Well how about you three talk about it while Haley and I go get everyone something to drink. Does lemonade sound alright to everyone?” Carla asked, already standing up. After everyone had answered yes, she headed into the kitchen with Haley. As soon as they were out of earshot of everyone else, Carla turned her attention to her stepdaughter. “So how was your night?”

“It was fun. I won.” Haley pulled the glasses out of the cabinet.

“That’s good, I’m glad you had fun. Who all went anyway? Kelsey and Jesse?”

Haley had talked to Carla earlier that day and had said she was going to bowling but she’d left it at that. “Nope. Kelsey had a date tonight and I have no idea what Jesse is doing. I went with Ryan.”

“Ryan? The guy you met at the movie theater?”

“Yup, that one.”

“I wish I would have been as outgoing as you are when I was your age. I was still so shy I couldn’t muster up a full sentence with a stranger unless they got the conversation started.”

“I keep waiting for it to get me in trouble. I’ll come back and grab my glass.”

“Okay, honey.”

Back in the living room there were different dates being thrown around. Haley had been dreading this and had been keeping her fingers crossed they would have decided this by themselves. She could tell that Carla felt the same way about it.

“Everyone has to be there by the twenty-four for the rehearsal,” Keith said, looking at what Haley assumed was the calendar on his phone.

“Haley has to be there the twenty-third at the latest for the hair and make up test with Stacy and Jane.” Melissa corrected. “We need to be there by the twenty-second at the absolute latest, preferably the twenty-first so we have more time for last minute things.”

“And its anywhere between a twelve and thirteen hour flight depending on the layover so either we take early morning flights or fly out the day before.”

“I think we should fly out the twentieth.”

Jeff finally cut in. “How about Haley, Carla, and I fly out the twenty-second? Then you guys can go out there earlier and Haley doesn’t have to be there by herself.”

“She is bringing Jesse remember, Jeff?” Carla caught in.

“Then she is definitely flying out with us. Maybe you’ll break up with him before then anyway.” Jeff turned to look at Haley.

“I haven’t decided who I’m taking with me. I might just bring Brittany or Kelsey, or even Jamie with me. You guys said I could bring whoever I wanted so I didn’t have to tag along with any of you or just be alone remember?” Haley watched her dad sigh in relief when she brought up taking someone other than Jesse.

“Then its settled. You two can fly out on Monday and we’ll fly out on Wednesday. Work for everyone?” Jeff looked around, seeing everyone nod. “Good, now its out of the way. Thank God.”

“We better go,” Keith said to Melissa.

“I’ll just ride home with Haley. I’ll see you tomorrow though.”

“Ew, can’t you two take it outside?” Haley asked, seeing her mother get that look that always came before a kiss with Keith.

“That’s my girl,” Jeff praised. “Now if you’d just start thinking ew about that hairy-legged little bastard I’d be the happiest father in the world.”

Haley laughed, giving Carla a hug before moving on to her dad. “Night, Dad.”

Jeff hugged Haley. “Goodnight sweetheart, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

On their way home, Melissa asked about Haley’s night. Haley didn’t hesitate to fill her mother in on how her night had been before changing the subject.

***

Ryan parked his truck and got out, immediately heading for Martin’s house instead of the guesthouse. He’d seen the lights on so he knew that Martin was home. He knocked, unsure if Martin’s girlfriend was over, and heard “Yeah?”

Opening the door, he saw his brother sitting on the couch watching television. “Hey, Martin.”

Martin looked over. “Hey. What’s up?”

Ryan sat down, looking at the television screen. “Remember the girl I told you about?”

“The one from last Saturday?”

“Yup. I think I need advice.”

“If you still want to ask her out then ask her out. The worst that can happen is you get rejected.”

“I can’t ask her out.”

“Why?”

“She has a boyfriend.”

“Ah, there’s the problem. My advice? Stay out of it.”

“Well I’m not going to try and break them up or anything, I wouldn’t do that. They don’t seem that close anyway.”

“Wrong thought process. Don’t stick around with the expectation they’ll break up because you can’t be sure about that.”

“What about just being friends with her?”

“If you can be content with just being friends then sure. Just don’t put yourself in a bad situation. There is a line that you can’t cross or you’ll get yourself into a lot of trouble.”

“Yeah I know. I just wanted to make sure that didn’t seem like a stupid idea. You won’t tell anyone about me having to get advice about a girl right?”

“Who am I going to tell, Ryan? Relax, its not a big deal. Just be careful and make sure you don’t get yourself in trouble.”

“I think I can do that.”