Paper Planes
Six
“Girlfriend?” who I remember to be Tony asked. “Way to keep us in the dark, man.”
“Is she gonna be there tonight?” Chris asked.
“No, she’s got… stuff…”
“I’ve got to babysit for her,” I said, pointing to my cousin.
“She doesn’t drink anyways,” Tucker said. I looked at him.
Now, this might surprise you. I drink a lot. I’ve been drinking since I was 12. It’s kind of a way of passing. I get a cup of ouzo every night at dinner, too. It’s just the way things work.
“Awe, you can still party, right?” one of the guys asked me.
I laughed, awkwardly, not really knowing how to respond. “Look, she’s not coming. She has to… babysit,” he said, angrily.
“Actually,” Vera said, “I just remembered that the dinner was cancelled, so we shouldn’t need you tonight.”
Both Tucker and I looked at her, in horror. “Well that’s great!” Tucker said, sarcastically. I guess no one else caught on, because they all agreed.
“Tucker, I cannot believe you didn’t tell us you had a girlfriend,” Nick said.
“Especially since she’s so hot,” Dante said. I furrowed my brows. What?
Everyone looked between me, him, and Tucker.
“What?” I asked. “What is hot?”
Tucker laughed. “Um, we met overseas. She isn’t too familiar with American slang.”
“Oh, hot!” I said, when it finally dawned on me. I blushed a deep shade of red. “Oh,” I said quietly.
Vera smiled. “Well we have to get going now. We’ll let you men get back to your work.”
We all said goodbye and Vera and I headed home.
“Why did you do that?” I asked her.
“Do what?”
“Say I could go?” I felt my age. No, I felt younger. Like she was my mother, or something. She kind of was, in a way. Or an older sister, I suppose.
“I don’t know. I guess I thought you would like meeting his friends. Seeing other people besides me, Tucker, and Rob.”
“You don’t like him, do you?”
“What?”
“He just seemed kind of mad that I’m going tonight. You knew he would be mad.”
She shook her head. “I just don’t want him ignoring you, is all.”
“Okay,” I said. We sat in silence for a little bit. “Why didn’t Tucker have a sandwich bag?” I asked.
“A sandwich bag?”
“Yes. All of the other men had bags with their lunches in them.”
“Oh, I guess they made them and brought them to work. Or their moms did, or something. I wouldn’t put it beneath them.”
“On the television I saw their wives making them,” I said to her. “Am I supposed to do that?”
She laughed. “Sweetie, you don’t have to do anything.”
I nodded. “I think I will.”
“You’re too nice,” she said. “So what are you going to wear tonight?” she asked.
“What’s wrong with this?” I asked, getting worried. “I told you this wasn’t appropriate for being worn in front of people!”
She laughed. “No, no. Usually people dress…. Well worse to your standards, I guess, at parties.”
My eyes widened. “Well, I think I’m going to wear this.”
“Fine. Just promise me that you won’t get drunk tonight.”
I smiled at her. “You haven’t seen me in quite some time. I think know how to handle my liquor now.” The last time she’d visited was four years ago, and we’d thrown a little party for her and Rob.
“Well drinking in America is different. They make it into games and they get very wild.”
“Awe, are you worried about me?” I asked.
“Just… don’t get too drunk. Promise?” she asked.
“I promise,” I said to her.
“Is she gonna be there tonight?” Chris asked.
“No, she’s got… stuff…”
“I’ve got to babysit for her,” I said, pointing to my cousin.
“She doesn’t drink anyways,” Tucker said. I looked at him.
Now, this might surprise you. I drink a lot. I’ve been drinking since I was 12. It’s kind of a way of passing. I get a cup of ouzo every night at dinner, too. It’s just the way things work.
“Awe, you can still party, right?” one of the guys asked me.
I laughed, awkwardly, not really knowing how to respond. “Look, she’s not coming. She has to… babysit,” he said, angrily.
“Actually,” Vera said, “I just remembered that the dinner was cancelled, so we shouldn’t need you tonight.”
Both Tucker and I looked at her, in horror. “Well that’s great!” Tucker said, sarcastically. I guess no one else caught on, because they all agreed.
“Tucker, I cannot believe you didn’t tell us you had a girlfriend,” Nick said.
“Especially since she’s so hot,” Dante said. I furrowed my brows. What?
Everyone looked between me, him, and Tucker.
“What?” I asked. “What is hot?”
Tucker laughed. “Um, we met overseas. She isn’t too familiar with American slang.”
“Oh, hot!” I said, when it finally dawned on me. I blushed a deep shade of red. “Oh,” I said quietly.
Vera smiled. “Well we have to get going now. We’ll let you men get back to your work.”
We all said goodbye and Vera and I headed home.
“Why did you do that?” I asked her.
“Do what?”
“Say I could go?” I felt my age. No, I felt younger. Like she was my mother, or something. She kind of was, in a way. Or an older sister, I suppose.
“I don’t know. I guess I thought you would like meeting his friends. Seeing other people besides me, Tucker, and Rob.”
“You don’t like him, do you?”
“What?”
“He just seemed kind of mad that I’m going tonight. You knew he would be mad.”
She shook her head. “I just don’t want him ignoring you, is all.”
“Okay,” I said. We sat in silence for a little bit. “Why didn’t Tucker have a sandwich bag?” I asked.
“A sandwich bag?”
“Yes. All of the other men had bags with their lunches in them.”
“Oh, I guess they made them and brought them to work. Or their moms did, or something. I wouldn’t put it beneath them.”
“On the television I saw their wives making them,” I said to her. “Am I supposed to do that?”
She laughed. “Sweetie, you don’t have to do anything.”
I nodded. “I think I will.”
“You’re too nice,” she said. “So what are you going to wear tonight?” she asked.
“What’s wrong with this?” I asked, getting worried. “I told you this wasn’t appropriate for being worn in front of people!”
She laughed. “No, no. Usually people dress…. Well worse to your standards, I guess, at parties.”
My eyes widened. “Well, I think I’m going to wear this.”
“Fine. Just promise me that you won’t get drunk tonight.”
I smiled at her. “You haven’t seen me in quite some time. I think know how to handle my liquor now.” The last time she’d visited was four years ago, and we’d thrown a little party for her and Rob.
“Well drinking in America is different. They make it into games and they get very wild.”
“Awe, are you worried about me?” I asked.
“Just… don’t get too drunk. Promise?” she asked.
“I promise,” I said to her.
♠ ♠ ♠
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