like heaven.
We compared notes and I began to explain the definite integral. This was a cake walk for me, but there was something about watching him concentrate on learning that made my heart race. He seemed so lost, but listened carefully, as I slowly explicated the problems in a simpler fashion. His eyebrows came together when he was confused, but his face lit up like a Christmas tree when he finally understood the concept. It was satisfying and sweet, pushing out most of my thoughts about the food that was tempting my every desire. My stomach was still screaming at me to eat more, but it seemed for now my sensibly small bites were satisfying it.
A few hours went by, and we continued our quest for Tristen to pass the test. Mom came in and out of the kitchen from time to time, looking over in our direction and giving us a smile. I knew better and figured she was checking to make sure we weren’t making out… or that Tristen’s hands weren’t down my shirt.
Then, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at it before silencing the sound. I knew who it was.
“Do you need to go?” I asked, praying that he would say no.
“Oh, no. It’s nothing.” He shook his head and looked back down at his book. I wasn’t quite sure why he was refusing to even say Sonny’s name. Everyone knew about them; it wasn’t a secret. Whatever the reason was, I was grateful for it.
While we wrapped things up, Tristen briefly called his mom to let her know we were finished and that he was ready to be picked up. We sat in the living room and waited.
“Halloween is coming up soon,” he announced.
That one statement alone gave me butterflies.
Halloween was my favorite time of the year. It boggled my mind to think that some people actually didn’t celebrate Halloween. How could you not? Not that I sat at home and held séances, but it was an exciting holiday to me. People were allowed to be whoever they wanted to be. Children scurried from door to door collecting one of the most important things in their little lives; candy. And it was free! People made plans to attend Halloween parties, spend time with their children trick or treating, roam the streets and work together to randomly scare others who walk by, and some even opt ed to just sit home with friends or family to watch gory, scary movies all night. Which is what Phoebe and I did every single year to celebrate. To me, blood, gore, and axe murderers were thrilling. And with the fall breeze in the air, the leaves turning colors, and the moon lighting up the darkness in the night, it was better than Christmas in my opinion.
“I know,” I said with a stupid grin. “It’s my favorite.”
Tristen smiled wide and laughed. I wasn’t sure if he was laughing at me. I was sure my ridiculous grin had something to do with it.
“Do you have plans?” he asked.
“Phoebe and I usually go haunted house hopping. Then we come home and watch horror movies till the sun comes up. It’s sort of a tradition,” I explained, suddenly feeling embarrassed. I realized that in Tristen’s world, he probably attended parties all night long with the cool kids. And Sonny.
“That actually sounds like fun. We normally go to a party. It’s getting kind of boring now. It’s always the same people, getting drunk and sitting around. I haven’t been to a haunted house since I was a kid.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised. He had been deprived.
“Yeah. I mean, we always end up going to the same places. And no one ever dresses up anymore. Who wouldn’t want to be someone different for a night?”
Did he just read my mind?
“Well, you can come hang out with us.” The words were out of my mouth before I can stop them. Was I insane? We had one study date, and now I was asking him to ditch his friends, his clique, his girlfriend to hang out with me and a girl he barely knew. He barely even knew me! And this wasn’t even a date! Oh my God.
He raised his eyebrows and smiled. As
We compared notes and I began to explain the definite integral. This was a cake walk for me, but there was something about watching him concentrate on learning that made my heart race. He seemed so lost, but listened carefully, as I slowly explicated the problems in a simpler fashion. His eyebrows came together when he was confused, but his face lit up like a Christmas tree when he finally understood the concept. It was satisfying and sweet, pushing out most of my thoughts about the food that was tempting my every desire. My stomach was still screaming at me to eat more, but it seemed for now my sensibly small bites were satisfying it.
A few hours went by, and we continued our quest for Tristen to pass the test. Mom came in and out of the kitchen from time to time, looking over in our direction and giving us a smile. I knew better and figured she was checking to make sure we weren’t making out… or that Tristen’s hands weren’t down my shirt.
Then, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at it before silencing the sound. I knew who it was.
“Do you need to go?” I asked, praying that he would say no.
“Oh, no. It’s nothing.” He shook his head and looked back down at his book. I wasn’t quite sure why he was refusing to even say Sonny’s name. Everyone knew about them; it wasn’t a secret. Whatever the reason was, I was grateful for it.
While we wrapped things up, Tristen briefly called his mom to let her know we were finished and that he was ready to be picked up. We sat in the living room and waited.
“Halloween is coming up soon,” he announced.
That one statement alone gave me butterflies.
Halloween was my favorite time of the year. It boggled my mind to think that some people actually didn’t celebrate Halloween. How could you not? Not that I sat at home and held séances, but it was an exciting holiday to me. People were allowed to be whoever they wanted to be. Children scurried from door to door collecting one of the most important things in their little lives; candy. And it was free! People made plans to attend Halloween parties, spend time with their children trick or treating, roam the streets and work together to randomly scare others who walk by, and some even opt ed to just sit home with friends or family to watch gory, scary movies all night. Which is what Phoebe and I did every single year to celebrate. To me, blood, gore, and axe murderers were thrilling. And with the fall breeze in the air, the leaves turning colors, and the moon lighting up the darkness in the night, it was better than Christmas in my opinion.
“I know,” I said with a stupid grin. “It’s my favorite.”
Tristen smiled wide and laughed. I wasn’t sure if he was laughing at me. I was sure my ridiculous grin had something to do with it.
“Do you have plans?” he asked.
“Phoebe and I usually go haunted house hopping. Then we come home and watch horror movies till the sun comes up. It’s sort of a tradition,” I explained, suddenly feeling embarrassed. I realized that in Tristen’s world, he probably attended parties all night long with the cool kids. And Sonny.
“That actually sounds like fun. We normally go to a party. It’s getting kind of boring now. It’s always the same people, getting drunk and sitting around. I haven’t been to a haunted house since I was a kid.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised. He had been deprived.
“Yeah. I mean, we always end up going to the same places. And no one ever dresses up anymore. Who wouldn’t want to be someone different for a night?”
Did he just read my mind?
“Well, you can come hang out with us.” The words were out of my mouth before I can stop them. Was I insane? We had one study date, and now I was asking him to ditch his friends, his clique, his girlfriend to hang out with me and a girl he barely knew. He barely even knew me! And this wasn’t even a date! Oh my God.
He raised his eyebrows and smiled. As
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