Her Journey Begins (5 page)

  
“
Smells good. What are you making?
”
Chris jumps.

  
“
Hi mom, you scared me.
”
Mimicking Brad, Chris tells her,
“
I am making French toast and snausages.
”
Barb gives her a kiss on the cheek.

   
“
I
’
m sorry I scared you, but I will never get used to you getting up so early on a Saturday. So what were you daydreaming about?
“

  
“
Just about school starting next week. I can
’
t believe I
’
m a senior already.
“

  
“
Me neither. Time seems to have flown by.
”

  
“
I know. Where
’
s dad at?
”

  
“
He
’
s in the bathroom shaving.
”
Barb grabs a cup of coffee and sits down at the table to read her newspaper. Saturday and Sunday are the only days Barb ever reads the paper. Saturdays it
’
s here at the kitchen table and Sundays it
’
s sprawled out on the living room floor. Chris has been calling Barb, mom, ever since that first visit with the judge. It took her a little longer to be brave enough to call Brad, dad. She remembers his reaction the first time. She was changing the oil in his car,
“
Something he had thought every girl should know how to do
”
, and she was lying under the car trying to get the oil pan off.

  
“
Dad hand me that wrench up there, please.
”
He squatted down and looked under the car at her.

  
“
Who are you and what did you do with my Chris?
”
She looked over at him and smiled.

  
“
Sorry
”

He had the biggest grin when he told her,
“
No sorry needed. I
’
ve been waiting for this day for a long time. Thank you.
”

Chris could swear she had seen a tear run down his cheek, but she never mentioned it. Looking back to when she was twelve, Chris never imagined her life could ever be this happy.

    Chris is sitting at her desk when Barb taps on the open door. Glancing up Chris smiles.

  
“
Hi mom. Come on in
”

Barb walks over and sits down on Chris
’
bed.

  
“
What are you doing?
”

  
“
I
’
m just trying to get everything ready for tomorrow.
”

  
“
I bet you
’
re ready to go back after being off for four days.
”

  
“
Not really
…
Mom, am I beautiful?
”

  
“
Of course you are Chrissy. I think you are very beautiful.
”

  
“
I know I am to you mom, but would a guy think I
’
m beautiful?
”

  
“
Of course a guy would. You have those big blue eyes, long  brown hair, a beautiful smile, and a figure that most girls would envy. Why are you asking? Has a guy told you that you are beautiful?
”

  Chris rolls her eyes.
“
Only since the beginning of the school year.
”

  
“
What else does he tell you?
”

Chris looks at Barb and shrugs her shoulders.

   
“
Nothing
”

  
“
Nothing? So what do you say to him?
”

  
“
I
’
ve never talked to him. He sits behind me in my American Government class and every morning he tugs on my hair and says,
“
Good morning beautiful.
”

  
“
And you
’
ve never talked to him?
”

  
“
I don
’
t talk to anyone at the school mom. They are all upper class, high society snobs. Their daddy
’
s buy them fancy sports cars and they wear designer clothes. The girls make fun of my clothes or they put me down and the guys just don
’
t pay any attention to me.
”

  
“
So who do you hang out with?
”

  
“
Nobody, I usually spend my free time in the library or I help one of the teachers.
”

  
“
Well, who do you eat lunch with?
”

  
“
Normally
…
by myself. Every once in a while, that guy and a friend of his will come sit at my table, but when I
’
m done eating I get up and leave, because the other students will say things to him about sitting with me.
”

Concerned Barb reaches over and puts her hand on Chris
’
shoulder.

  
“
Chris, why haven
’
t you told me about this sooner? I would have gone to the district. In fact I will go to the district, and get you changed to the other school with your friends.
”

  
“
No mom. This is my last year. We only have a few months left and my grades are good. I
’
m okay there.
”

  
“
Chrissy, do you like this guy?
”

  
“
Maybe...
”

  
“
Is he cute?
”

Chris blushes and looks down at her hands.

  
“
I think he is.
”

  
“
Hmm
…
Okay so tell me, what does he look like?
”

  
“
Well he
’
s got dark blond hair and its cut in that shaggy style like dads.
”

Barb interrupts her,

  
“
Is that what you call you dad
’
s hairstyle, shaggy?
”
Barb shifts her eyes towards the ceiling and thinks about it.
“
Yeah, I guess you could call it that. Okay, go on, tell me more.
”

  
“
Well
…
he has deep blue eyes. He
’
s about dad
’
s height and he plays football.
”

  
“
Oh, so he
’
s got muscles?
”

   Chris wrinkles her nose.
“
Yeah, but not all bulky like the other football players though.
”

  
“
What
’
s his name?
”

  
“
Brandon.
”

  
“
Chris honey, I don
’
t want to give you the wrong advice, but I think you are going to have to take a chance and say something to him.
”

  
“
But mom, what if he
’
s teasing me just to be mean? I mean what if I turn around and say good morning to him and he says,
“
Ugh, you
’
re ugly, turn back around
”
or asks,
“
What are you looking at?
”

  
“
Chris you
’
ll just have to be brave and tell him good morning and then if he does say something mean, I am going to transfer you.
”



   Chris is getting ready for school when there
’
s a knock on her bedroom door.

  
“
Come in
”
Barb walks in and hands Chris a very pretty blouse.
“
Mom, I can
’
t wear that, it
’
s one of your favorites.
”

  
“
But I think it will look better on you. Try it on and let
’
s see how it looks.
”
Chris pulls off her t-shirt that she was going to wear and puts the blouse on. Barb nods,
“
I thought so. It makes your blue eyes sparkle.
”
She takes Chris by the hand.
“
Here, sit down on the bed. When you turn to look at him, do you turn to the right or the left?
”

  
“
I don
’
t turn to look at him.
”

  
“
Okay, well let
’
s say if you did, which way would you turn?
”
Chris glances over her right shoulder then her left.

  
“
I think this one.
”
Barb makes one thin braid in Chris
’
hair on the left side. Putting her hand under Chris
’
chin she lifts her face up and looks into her eyes,

  
“
Chris you are very beautiful on the inside and the outside and don
’
t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
”

  
“
Thanks mom.
”

  
“
Alright let
’
s go have some breakfast. We don
’
t want your stomach growling and scaring him off when you tell him good morning.
”



   Walking into class Chris sees she
’
s the first one. She sits down and waits for the bell to ring and for the rest of the students to slowly start meandering in. Brandon walks by and taps his finger on top of her desk.
That
’
s unusual, he
’
s never done that before.
Now she
’
s even more nervous about talking to him. He sits down in his seat behind her, but for some reason he doesn
’
t tug on her hair or say good morning, maybe he
’
s finally given up on her. She listens as he talks to his friend Brent, that sits across from him. They must have had a good weekend because they are both talking and laughing about something that happened on Saturday. The teacher comes in, takes roll call, and has them open their book to chapter 9. About five minutes before the class ends, a student from another class walks in and hands the teacher a note. Their teacher stands up and walks over to the door.
“
I
’
ll be right back. Finish reading that chapter and if I
’
m not back when the bell rings, excuse yourselves.
”
The teacher walks out and Chris feels a tug on her braid.

  
“
Good morning beautiful. I like the braid.
”

Chris bites her lower lip, takes a deep breath and turns around to face him. Smiling she asks,

  
“
What do you want?
”

At first, Chris smiles at the shocked look Brandon gives her, but her smile fades as Brandon clutches at his chest. 

  
“
Oh my God. I think I
’
m having a heart attack. You can talk.
”
He doesn
’
t say it too loud, but Chris sees the students closest to them watching. Out of the corner of her eye, Chris can see Brent is grinning. She faces forward and slumps down in her chair and  listens to the snickers from other classmates. When the bell rings Chris is the first one up and out the door. Brandon jumps up to go after her and catches his foot on the desk, almost knocking it over. Outside the door Chris can hear everyone in the class laughing and quickly walks towards her next class. Brandon catches up to her and puts his hand on the wall in front of her.