My Life Is a Cliché
The Park
Morana was practically jumping up and down in the back seat. I couldn’t blame her. She had been cooped up in the hospital for a week and then the apartment for another week. We pulled up to a random park which was relatively empty for a Friday.
As soon as she got out, Morana took a deep breath.
“Do you think swings are off limits?” she asked.
“Definitely,” I said and she pouted.
“Oh, fine.”
My mom’s phone rang and she talked to someone.
“Guys, I have to go back to the ranch,” she said, looking worried. “One of our horses is sick.”
“Okay,” I said and hugged her. “It’ll be fine.”
She just nodded and hurried off, calling my dad to have him pick her up. I sighed.
“It’s always hard when this happens,” I said as we walked down the path.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Have you lost many horses over the years?”
I nodded. “About ten.”
A cool wind blew through, sending a good whiff of her perfume my way. I glanced over at her. She was walking with her eyes closed, taking deep breaths and enjoying the sun on her face. I looked ahead of me again and put my hands in my pockets, trying to think of something to say.
Unfortunately, a group of female joggers came running our way. When they saw me, they started giggling.
-Morana’s POV-
I was secretly watching him as we walked. I wasn’t sure what deodorant he wore but it smelled amazing. The wind blew, making his shirt billow and I had a good view of his abs through the wife beater. He had rolled the sleeves up and I could see the beginnings of his biceps. I tried not to stare for too long and, just when I thought I’d never be able to stop, a group of joggers approached us.
“Are you Thaddeus Hatch?” one of them asked, taking her sunglasses off with a flourish.
She had long brown hair tied up and she was in a pair of workout yoga pants and a tank top. She was in front of several other girls that looked almost like clones.
“Yes,” he said slowly.
“I’ve been to your ranch,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him.
“Is that so?” he asked, making it obvious he wasn’t interested.
“It was your dad that gave me the tour, though. Maybe you can give me the next one?”
“Sorry. I don’t really go down to the horses,” he said, running a hand through his hair.
“What happened to your shoulder?” one of the girls asked me.
“Oh,” I said, surprised at her concern. “I broke my collarbone.”
“Then what are you doing at the park?” the girl asked, frowning.
“Getting fresh air,” I said and looked over their shoulders. “We’re actually trying to walk here. Do you think we can share the path?”
“Maybe you should go rest,” the first girl said slowly. “How about we go walk and you can go back to your place?”
I frowned. I was about to answer but Thaddeus took my arm.
“Come on,” he said and he stepped around the girls. “Sorry,” he added.
“Does that happen a lot?” I asked and he nodded.
“Unfortunately, yes.” He sighed. “It gets exhausting after a while.”
“I never had that problem,” I said. His hand slowly went from my elbow down to my hand. “In school, that is. After I went to college, I got some more attention.”
“How many boyfriends have you had?”
I blushed and looked away. “None.”
“Really?” he asked, sounding so surprised I looked at him. “You’re joking.”
“Nope,” I sighed. “I got attention but they usually went for Katie instead of me.”
“Wait a minute. So when I kissed you…. That was your first kiss?” I nodded, looking at my feet. He nudged me. “That’s not something to be ashamed of.”
“Not according to your girlfriends back there,” I laughed. “They look like the kind to have several guys at once.”
“They probably are,” he agreed and I chuckled.
-Thaddeus’s POV-
We continued to walk down the path. I was glad she was holding my hand back. I was sincerely surprised that she hadn’t had a boyfriend before. For the rest of the walk, we were quiet. We passed by the group of joggers again but they didn’t bother us this time around.
“Will you help me make dinner tonight?” she asked suddenly and I looked at her suspiciously. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing too difficult. We just need to go to the store.”
“All right,” I said. “As long as you promise to take it easy; I don’t want your doctor to attack me.”
She laughed. “I promise.”
We went to the grocery store where she poked around the produce and pointed out what we needed.
“What are we making?” I asked after she picked up a pot roast.
“Stew,” she answered. She got her wallet out. “It’s the only dish I know how to cook.”
When we got back to her apartment, it was locked.
“Uh-oh,” she muttered and I looked at her.
“You have the keys, right?” I asked and she grinned at me.
“Not exactly.”
I rolled my eyes and she got her phone out to call Katie.
“She’ll be here in ten minutes,” she sighed. “I hope the roast will be okay….”
“It will be,” I assured her and we sat down. “How’s your collarbone?”
She yawned. “It’s doing okay. I’m ready for another dose of my medicine, though.”
I looked at her. “You’re definitely looking pale.”
“Oh jeez,” she mumbled.
“What’s wrong?”
“The pain. It all just hit me at once.” She gripped her collarbone. “It’s killing me, Thaddeus.”
I bit my lip. She only said my name when it was serious.
“Phone,” I said and she handed it to me. “Hey Katie. I need you to get here soon. She’s not doing so great.”
“I’m parking now.”
“Hang in there,” I said but, before anything could happen, she snatched one of the bags and tossed the roast out of it.
I was curious what she was doing until she started to throw up. I swore under my breath and rubbed her back. Thankfully, Katie came hurrying up the stairs. She got the door unlocked and helped Morana into her bedroom.
“I’ll get her medicine,” she said, “but I think she may have overdone it.”
“I knew we shouldn’t have gone to the store,” I sighed.
“Katie,” Morana called weakly and she hurried back in with her medicine.
While Katie took care of Morana, I started searing the meat for her. I cut up the meat and put it into a pot followed by the vegetables and stock.
“How is she?” I asked when Katie finally came back out.
“Passed out,” she answered. “I managed to get her pillows around her and she’s nice and tight.”
“Good. Do you know how long this is supposed to cook for?”
“Three hours,” she said. “I have to get back to work. I’ll get rid of that, too,” she added.
“I’ve totally forgotten about the sick bag,” I sighed.
“No worries. See you soon.”
About ten minutes later, my mom came back.
“How’s the horse?”
“Much better,” she said in relief. “They think it’s just a cold.”
“I’m glad.”
“Where’s Morana?”
“Resting. She overdid it a little. She’s going to be mad that I cooked for her.”
“What do you mean?”
“She wanted to cook stew for us,” I explained. Suddenly, Morana screamed and we rushed into her room. “What’s wrong?”
She was pointing at the foot of her bed, terror etched on her face. I followed her gaze and sighed.
“Seriously, Morana?”
“Kill it!” she screamed.
“It’s a Daddy Long Legs,” I said, rolling my eyes and getting some toilet paper.
“It’s a spider,” she snapped as I flushed it down the toilet.
“Aren’t you supposed to be asleep?”
“I smelled meat.” She narrowed her eyes. “You cooked it, didn’t you?”
“I’ll wake you up when it’s ready,” I said. “Sleep.”
“Turd,” she mumbled but cuddled up to the body pillows and fell asleep right away.
As soon as she got out, Morana took a deep breath.
“Do you think swings are off limits?” she asked.
“Definitely,” I said and she pouted.
“Oh, fine.”
My mom’s phone rang and she talked to someone.
“Guys, I have to go back to the ranch,” she said, looking worried. “One of our horses is sick.”
“Okay,” I said and hugged her. “It’ll be fine.”
She just nodded and hurried off, calling my dad to have him pick her up. I sighed.
“It’s always hard when this happens,” I said as we walked down the path.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Have you lost many horses over the years?”
I nodded. “About ten.”
A cool wind blew through, sending a good whiff of her perfume my way. I glanced over at her. She was walking with her eyes closed, taking deep breaths and enjoying the sun on her face. I looked ahead of me again and put my hands in my pockets, trying to think of something to say.
Unfortunately, a group of female joggers came running our way. When they saw me, they started giggling.
-Morana’s POV-
I was secretly watching him as we walked. I wasn’t sure what deodorant he wore but it smelled amazing. The wind blew, making his shirt billow and I had a good view of his abs through the wife beater. He had rolled the sleeves up and I could see the beginnings of his biceps. I tried not to stare for too long and, just when I thought I’d never be able to stop, a group of joggers approached us.
“Are you Thaddeus Hatch?” one of them asked, taking her sunglasses off with a flourish.
She had long brown hair tied up and she was in a pair of workout yoga pants and a tank top. She was in front of several other girls that looked almost like clones.
“Yes,” he said slowly.
“I’ve been to your ranch,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him.
“Is that so?” he asked, making it obvious he wasn’t interested.
“It was your dad that gave me the tour, though. Maybe you can give me the next one?”
“Sorry. I don’t really go down to the horses,” he said, running a hand through his hair.
“What happened to your shoulder?” one of the girls asked me.
“Oh,” I said, surprised at her concern. “I broke my collarbone.”
“Then what are you doing at the park?” the girl asked, frowning.
“Getting fresh air,” I said and looked over their shoulders. “We’re actually trying to walk here. Do you think we can share the path?”
“Maybe you should go rest,” the first girl said slowly. “How about we go walk and you can go back to your place?”
I frowned. I was about to answer but Thaddeus took my arm.
“Come on,” he said and he stepped around the girls. “Sorry,” he added.
“Does that happen a lot?” I asked and he nodded.
“Unfortunately, yes.” He sighed. “It gets exhausting after a while.”
“I never had that problem,” I said. His hand slowly went from my elbow down to my hand. “In school, that is. After I went to college, I got some more attention.”
“How many boyfriends have you had?”
I blushed and looked away. “None.”
“Really?” he asked, sounding so surprised I looked at him. “You’re joking.”
“Nope,” I sighed. “I got attention but they usually went for Katie instead of me.”
“Wait a minute. So when I kissed you…. That was your first kiss?” I nodded, looking at my feet. He nudged me. “That’s not something to be ashamed of.”
“Not according to your girlfriends back there,” I laughed. “They look like the kind to have several guys at once.”
“They probably are,” he agreed and I chuckled.
-Thaddeus’s POV-
We continued to walk down the path. I was glad she was holding my hand back. I was sincerely surprised that she hadn’t had a boyfriend before. For the rest of the walk, we were quiet. We passed by the group of joggers again but they didn’t bother us this time around.
“Will you help me make dinner tonight?” she asked suddenly and I looked at her suspiciously. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing too difficult. We just need to go to the store.”
“All right,” I said. “As long as you promise to take it easy; I don’t want your doctor to attack me.”
She laughed. “I promise.”
We went to the grocery store where she poked around the produce and pointed out what we needed.
“What are we making?” I asked after she picked up a pot roast.
“Stew,” she answered. She got her wallet out. “It’s the only dish I know how to cook.”
When we got back to her apartment, it was locked.
“Uh-oh,” she muttered and I looked at her.
“You have the keys, right?” I asked and she grinned at me.
“Not exactly.”
I rolled my eyes and she got her phone out to call Katie.
“She’ll be here in ten minutes,” she sighed. “I hope the roast will be okay….”
“It will be,” I assured her and we sat down. “How’s your collarbone?”
She yawned. “It’s doing okay. I’m ready for another dose of my medicine, though.”
I looked at her. “You’re definitely looking pale.”
“Oh jeez,” she mumbled.
“What’s wrong?”
“The pain. It all just hit me at once.” She gripped her collarbone. “It’s killing me, Thaddeus.”
I bit my lip. She only said my name when it was serious.
“Phone,” I said and she handed it to me. “Hey Katie. I need you to get here soon. She’s not doing so great.”
“I’m parking now.”
“Hang in there,” I said but, before anything could happen, she snatched one of the bags and tossed the roast out of it.
I was curious what she was doing until she started to throw up. I swore under my breath and rubbed her back. Thankfully, Katie came hurrying up the stairs. She got the door unlocked and helped Morana into her bedroom.
“I’ll get her medicine,” she said, “but I think she may have overdone it.”
“I knew we shouldn’t have gone to the store,” I sighed.
“Katie,” Morana called weakly and she hurried back in with her medicine.
While Katie took care of Morana, I started searing the meat for her. I cut up the meat and put it into a pot followed by the vegetables and stock.
“How is she?” I asked when Katie finally came back out.
“Passed out,” she answered. “I managed to get her pillows around her and she’s nice and tight.”
“Good. Do you know how long this is supposed to cook for?”
“Three hours,” she said. “I have to get back to work. I’ll get rid of that, too,” she added.
“I’ve totally forgotten about the sick bag,” I sighed.
“No worries. See you soon.”
About ten minutes later, my mom came back.
“How’s the horse?”
“Much better,” she said in relief. “They think it’s just a cold.”
“I’m glad.”
“Where’s Morana?”
“Resting. She overdid it a little. She’s going to be mad that I cooked for her.”
“What do you mean?”
“She wanted to cook stew for us,” I explained. Suddenly, Morana screamed and we rushed into her room. “What’s wrong?”
She was pointing at the foot of her bed, terror etched on her face. I followed her gaze and sighed.
“Seriously, Morana?”
“Kill it!” she screamed.
“It’s a Daddy Long Legs,” I said, rolling my eyes and getting some toilet paper.
“It’s a spider,” she snapped as I flushed it down the toilet.
“Aren’t you supposed to be asleep?”
“I smelled meat.” She narrowed her eyes. “You cooked it, didn’t you?”
“I’ll wake you up when it’s ready,” I said. “Sleep.”
“Turd,” she mumbled but cuddled up to the body pillows and fell asleep right away.