A Break

            Not very much changed at home while I was away. Mother asked me if I met any attractive men and Odie asked me to make her something to eat.

            I showed off my improved culinary skills with some vegetarian sushi rolls. And then Mother got hit by another one of Odie’s sink pranks.

            It was funny, but guess who was held responsible for the mess.

            I told my sister all about school. It was nice talking to her in person once again. Phone calls simply could not cut it forever.

            Mother decided that college wasn’t entertaining enough for her, and then went off to imagine her ‘true’ face in the mirror. Some days I seriously considered seeking treatment for her, but she was already so old. It’d be better just to leave her.

            Somewhat grumpily, I returned to bunk beds.

            Kyle wanted to see me while I was in town, but his schedule was full with work. The only time he had to spare was early in the morning. I suggested the karaoke club, not knowing that they were closed.

            Poor Kyle nearly slipped catching up to me. I’d gone across a frozen pond as a shortcut. I did not expect him to be so punctual and to follow my exact footsteps.

            With steadier footing, we talked until he needed to leave for work. His face was so handsome; it was a shame that most people would never notice it because of his extra fat. I wondered how he could stand to look me for our entire conversation.

“Hey, uh, look I’ve been having a really great time talking to you so much,” he said and I prepared myself for something awful. From his body language and stuttering, I deduced that he was nervous. He was probably going to ask that we stop speaking. “D-Do you think you might want to try something with me? When you’re done with school. Uh, something serious? Like a relationship?”

Now why would that have made him so anxious? From the way our phone calls were progressing into flirtatious boundaries, I’d have assumed we were naturally heading toward a romantic partnership. I found that I was also shaking though. Of course I told him yes.

            I returned to Mother eating a snow cone at my chess table. She asked where I had gone, and I lied about getting groceries. She was overly obsessed with physical appearances; there was no way she would possibly approve of Kyle. And I did not need her nagging me.

            Odie was inside reiterating to the beagle (I assumed) why their latest mission had been a failure. She hadn’t expected the malamutes to be able to swim.

            When they concluded making future plans, Odie turned around and gave me a hug. I guess she had missed me. Or maybe she was just thankful that someone didn’t tell her how ridiculous her war with imaginary dogs was.

            I made sure to take her out before heading back to college. We had fun, despite her acting like a typical teenager. It made me appreciate being past mood swings and angst.