Finding John
Chapter Thirteen
“How was school?” My dad looked up from the newspaper he was reading. I saw a slight smile on his face and immediately grinned, knowing that I at least was getting somewhere with him.
“It was--eventful,” I replied, confident I had chosen the right word. For the school day was eventful, more-so than mostly any of the other school days throughout my life.
“Oh?” my dad said. A look of slight shock overtook his face. He didn’t say anything for a brief moment, but then opened his mouth and said, with a small smirk on his face, “This doesn’t have anything to do with that Alex kid, does it?”
I felt my cheeks becoming warmer as a large grin came over my face. “So what if it does, dad?”
“I know my eyes are in bad condition, but I’m not blind enough to not see that blush on your face. What happened?”
“He actually talked to me today.” I sighed, slumping into the chair across from my dad. “I mean,” I started up again, “he’s hardly talked to anyone since 7th grade and…that’s obviously a big step for him. But for once in my life I don’t feel scared. Which in turn scares me…if that makes any sense. Because he’s just this--absolutely mysterious guy, but from what I’ve conjured up so far, he seems really amazing.”
My dad smiled. “I must say, John, he seems pretty amazing to me, too. Didn’t I tell you that he had an ulterior motive? Maybe I’m right.”
I laughed. “Just maybe, dad.” I let out a small sigh. “We’ll find out soon enough,” I whispered to myself, beginning to feel nervous about the upcoming day.
“And what does that mean, John?” my dad asked, causing me to jump in my seat.
“Geez, dad. You scared me.” My dad laughed. “I just meant that..he’s coming over tomorrow. That’s okay, right?”
“That’s great, John,” my dad said. “Perfect actually. I was thinking of making your mother’s,” he paused for a second, and then continued, “famous lasagna.”
“Now that’s perfect,” I told my dad.
---
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Right here, okay?”
Alex’s voice rang through my ears, the memory of him smiling at me and walking away yesterday filling my head. Lunch; that’s what time it was. When I reached my regular table, Alex wasn’t there. I shrugged it off, even though it was odd. Alex was always punctual, especially when it came to lunch, something I had picked up throughout the past week. For Alex, lunch was his time of day to just relax, without the added stress of school or the people and things at home bothering him. Even through our silences, I could tell that was the case with him.
After I had set my stuff down, I walked through the lunch line. “Crap,” I muttered, realizing that the last KitKat bar was gone. The school hardly ever ran out of things, but every once in awhile they ran out of something, whether it be chocolate-chip cookies, ice cream sandwiches, or, say, KitKat bars. Shrugging once again, I proceeded down the aisle to the cashier.
When I got back to the table, I saw Alex, with a goofy grin on his face. Excited that he was happy, let alone smiling, I smiled back. After I had sat down, he pushed something towards me. “It was the last one,” he said.
I looked down at the KitKat bar in disbelief, then up at Alex. “Thank you,” I said. “How--how did you know?” I asked.
Alex looked at me like I had just returned from a different planet. “You eat one every day for lunch,” he replied, shrugging. “I figured you wouldn’t want to break your routine.”
I looked down at the candy bar again and said, “But…you really didn’t have to do this, Alex.”
Alex waved it off with his hand. “Nah, I did.” And then he smiled.
“It was--eventful,” I replied, confident I had chosen the right word. For the school day was eventful, more-so than mostly any of the other school days throughout my life.
“Oh?” my dad said. A look of slight shock overtook his face. He didn’t say anything for a brief moment, but then opened his mouth and said, with a small smirk on his face, “This doesn’t have anything to do with that Alex kid, does it?”
I felt my cheeks becoming warmer as a large grin came over my face. “So what if it does, dad?”
“I know my eyes are in bad condition, but I’m not blind enough to not see that blush on your face. What happened?”
“He actually talked to me today.” I sighed, slumping into the chair across from my dad. “I mean,” I started up again, “he’s hardly talked to anyone since 7th grade and…that’s obviously a big step for him. But for once in my life I don’t feel scared. Which in turn scares me…if that makes any sense. Because he’s just this--absolutely mysterious guy, but from what I’ve conjured up so far, he seems really amazing.”
My dad smiled. “I must say, John, he seems pretty amazing to me, too. Didn’t I tell you that he had an ulterior motive? Maybe I’m right.”
I laughed. “Just maybe, dad.” I let out a small sigh. “We’ll find out soon enough,” I whispered to myself, beginning to feel nervous about the upcoming day.
“And what does that mean, John?” my dad asked, causing me to jump in my seat.
“Geez, dad. You scared me.” My dad laughed. “I just meant that..he’s coming over tomorrow. That’s okay, right?”
“That’s great, John,” my dad said. “Perfect actually. I was thinking of making your mother’s,” he paused for a second, and then continued, “famous lasagna.”
“Now that’s perfect,” I told my dad.
---
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Right here, okay?”
Alex’s voice rang through my ears, the memory of him smiling at me and walking away yesterday filling my head. Lunch; that’s what time it was. When I reached my regular table, Alex wasn’t there. I shrugged it off, even though it was odd. Alex was always punctual, especially when it came to lunch, something I had picked up throughout the past week. For Alex, lunch was his time of day to just relax, without the added stress of school or the people and things at home bothering him. Even through our silences, I could tell that was the case with him.
After I had set my stuff down, I walked through the lunch line. “Crap,” I muttered, realizing that the last KitKat bar was gone. The school hardly ever ran out of things, but every once in awhile they ran out of something, whether it be chocolate-chip cookies, ice cream sandwiches, or, say, KitKat bars. Shrugging once again, I proceeded down the aisle to the cashier.
When I got back to the table, I saw Alex, with a goofy grin on his face. Excited that he was happy, let alone smiling, I smiled back. After I had sat down, he pushed something towards me. “It was the last one,” he said.
I looked down at the KitKat bar in disbelief, then up at Alex. “Thank you,” I said. “How--how did you know?” I asked.
Alex looked at me like I had just returned from a different planet. “You eat one every day for lunch,” he replied, shrugging. “I figured you wouldn’t want to break your routine.”
I looked down at the candy bar again and said, “But…you really didn’t have to do this, Alex.”
Alex waved it off with his hand. “Nah, I did.” And then he smiled.