The Other Side Of The Fence

Teddi Bear,
Baby, please understand this is what is best for you, take this apartment, all expenses paid, there’s money on the table, go buy clothes, go buy food. Get a cell phone, laptop, TV, whatever you want Teddi, find a job, find friends, buy a car baby, whatever makes you happy.
I’ll be watching, here to help whenever you need me too.
-M

I was shaking as I read the note, I didn’t know if M was Mother, if she had finally given up, and decided to let me have my own life, or if it was someone else. I had woken up in an apartment I didn’t recognize, I knew I was a heavy sleeper, but I didn’t think I could be moved so easily, without even noticing. Maybe it was the music? I didn’t know, but this was wrong, this had to be a dream.

I got up and walked around the apartment, it was furnished, there was already a TV, it was quite large too, why would I have to buy one? There was one in the living room, I didn’t need two TV’s. I hadn’t even had one for the longest time. I looked further around, the kitchen needed food in it, there was no clothing here, there was a new tooth brush, and tooth paste in the bathroom, and a brush. At least I could try to fix my hair before I went out into the real world, to purchase the things I would need to live here.



This was beyond overwhelming, I had finally gotten my first cell phone, and I didn’t know how to use it. I had never gone grocery shopping before, once or twice I had accompanied my parents when I was younger, but I never paid attention to what they got, so I ended up getting things that just seemed good, I knew there was nothing for real meals in that basket, but I wasn’t worried. This was my apartment now, I could eat whatever I wanted to. I still had to go get clothes, and feminine products, oh, and makeup, I would finally get to pick out my own makeup now. Mother never had a problem with me using whatever makeup she bought for me, but most of it was blush, mascara, and maybe a lip gloss, but it wouldn’t be anything fun. It wouldn’t be like anything in the magazines, I wanted to try my hand at that, I wanted to know if I could pull off those looks.

“Excuse me.” I heard a deep, raspy voice say behind me, I jumped, turning quickly to see a man standing behind me, a big dimpled grin on his face.
“Oh, uh… hello.” I couldn’t believe that I had stuttered, which only made his grin grow.

“Hi, um, I need to get by.” Of course he did, he wasn’t here to pick me up in the grocery store, no real love stories started like that, why would mine? I nodded, and ducked my head, so he couldn’t see my embarrassment, I didn’t want him to know what I had been thinking.

“I’m Matt, by the way.” I bit my lip to keep myself from smiling, maybe it wasn’t like in the movies, but I could tell he at least wanted to be my friend, and that was something I was more than okay with.

“Theodora, but Teddi for short. “ I smiled up at him, his dimpled grin, just making mine all that much bigger.

“That’s a very beautiful name, Teddi.” The way he said my name made goose bumps form on my skin, and I couldn’t help but grin a little, looking up at him. He was beyond beautiful, I had never seen a man that looked like him, the tattoos, the short dark hair, holes in his ears, and those dimples. Oh, those dimples, they were what poetry was written about.

“Thanks, Matt’s a great name too!” I knew that sounded horribly lame, even to my own ears, but it made his smile grow, and those dimples get deeper. I looked up into those beautiful hazel eyes, they were the color of a lagoon, and I would happily swim in them any day, they held such promise, and what looked like love. This boy was definitely the type of man I was hoping to meet when I sat and daydreamed back home.

“So, uhm, Teddi, do you have any plans for Friday night?” I shook my head quickly, making him chuckle, I didn’t though! “Would you maybe want to go out?”

“I’d love to!” I seemed too eager, but I didn’t care, this would be my first actual date, and I couldn’t believe that someone as beautiful as Matt would want to go on a date with me!

“Great, can I get your number?” He asked, motioning to the phone in my hand, I nodded and handed it to him, not quite sure how to use it yet, he just chuckled and sent a message to his phone, before handing it back to me. “Now you have my number too. Well… I should probably go, I’ll see you Friday, about seven, work for you?” I nodded quickly, too happy to agree to anything at the moment. He just nodded, hiding his smile a bit, before grabbing something off the shelf and walking away. I could feel the butterflies start in my stomach, at 22 years old, I finally had my first date. If it ended well, maybe a real kiss, a real relationship. A real boyfriend.