"Hey Rick, are you going to get the dresser?" my mom asked my father.
"Yea, it is in the car. I'll bring it up later." my dad responded.
We all had to work in preparation for "the arrival". There was always an extra bedroom in our house. It was actually a large room. The room was larger than my room. I've been trying to move in there for so long. My parents continuously say the room I have is fine. Now someone else is coming and taking the room I want. Now that's something.
Just yesterday I was playing Call of Duty at this time of day. Now today I'm sweeping a room that was supposed to be mine, but will be a girl's from Japan. I didn't even want her to come. Why do I have to clean for someone I don't want anything to do with?
"If we clean then you clean." my dad said. He saw my face and knew what I was thinking. "She is living with you too."
"I never agreed to this." I told him.
"Well you don't have that choice".
"I never do."
As I continued to sweep around the room I looked around it. I made a blueprint in my head multiple times. Now that the room was cleared I could really map out how my room could be. Looking from the door perspective, my bed will be on the far wall under the window. I had a couch that would be on the right wall near the closet. Across from the couch was going to be the entertainment center with my dresser and the T.V. on top and next to that my Xbox 360. I still had enough room in the far right corner next to the bed for my bench. I'll be sure to place mats down.
Too bad that will never be reality. I'm starting to think for all these years my parents planned this. That's why they did not give me the room. Or they were expecting another baby.
I forgot the thought as soon as it entered my mind. I did not care if they expected another baby. The baby is not here, so rightfully I should have the room.
I finally finished sweeping and mopping. I dumped the dust pan, flushed the dirty water, and washed up. Then I went to my mother to ask if I could leave the house.
"Well if you are done with…" mom started. I turned and ran down the stairs before she could finish.
"Aren't you going to eat lunch?" she yelled after me.
"I'll pick something up at the store." I said while closing the door behind me.
I had to get out of there. I have been frustrated in that house since yesterday. Fresh air and some new scenery would be good. Anywhere but home would be great.
As soon as I stepped out of the house I saw my dad coming from the car. He was carrying his tools and blankets. I guess that was for the bed he was putting up.
"Where you headed, Ray?" my dad asked.
"I don't know. Probably to Dashaun's house." I said walking past him.
"Oh okay." he said.
I sped up my walk. I did not want him to remember about the job he wanted me to do with him.
"Oh yeah, Ray!" he yelled after me.
I stopped and turned around to look at him. "Yeah, dad?" I said knowing what it was about. My dad does not forget a lot of things.
"Be back by six so we could get this dresser up to her room." he said
Her room? Now it is her room. I nodded and turned around. Just my life.
Dashuan's house was not far from mine. He did not live in Jackson Complex, a complex of apartment houses, but my family lives in a townhouse on the complex. Actually none of my friends lived there. My best friend Dashaun Mathews lived right up the street from me though. I didn't even know what I was going to do there. I just wanted to get out of that house.
I arrived at his house at 2 o'clock. Four hours until I had to go back. I knocked on his door and a couple seconds later it opened. It was Dashaun who answered the door. He stood about 5'11. Taller than me by a few inches, but other than that we kinda looked alike. Both Light-skinned with a fade. His arms were pretty long which made him a great target to pass the ball to when we played basketball. He can be crazy, but he's definitely my brother.
"Yooo!" we both said and gave each other the pound. He welcomed me in and I went to the living room. The original Batman was playing on the television. We both loved superhero movies, cartoons, comics, and games.
"So Ray, why are you here?" he asked.
"I just wanted to hang out." I said. "It was hot in my house and my parents were working me to death with this summer cleaning."
"I was about to come to your house a little later. This works too."
"Yeah." I said. I was thinking that I just dodged a bullet. If Dashaun came to my house he would start asking a lot of questions once he saw that we were cleaning out the former storage room. Plus a new bed and a new dresser in that room? Dashaun is not stupid. I'm pretty sure he could put two and two together.
"You want to fire up the 360, bro?" he asked.
"Sure…" I stopped. My stomach started growling. It was not much hearing it, but feeling it. I have not eaten anything today. I lied to my mother saying I was going to the store. I did not have a penny in my name right now. I needed some food in me. "Actually, can I have a sandwich or something? I'm hungry."
"Sure, bro. Mi hasa es su hasa."
"It's casa. That's why you dropped out of Spanish, huh." I laughed.
"Whatever." he said. We both went to the kitchen.
It was a nice kitchen too. What I liked was that his parents always kept the house clean. The kitchen really shined. Everything was a gray marble. The wax made it shine. I used to walk into things because of the marble camouflage.
I went to his fridge and pulled out some ham, turkey, lettuce, and mustard. I was not going to eat much because I did not want to be rude and eat all of their food.
"Yo, I'll go up and start the Xbox. What you want to play?" Dashaun asked.
"Put in Madden. I haven't beaten you in that in a while." I responded.
"I'm better than you." he said while running up the stairs.
Cool guy. The question is how will I tell him about the situation I have. I'm probably overthinking his reaction, but still better be sure how and when I will tell him.
I went upstairs ten minutes later after making and eating my sandwich (and thinking about the situation). When I got up there Dashaun was playing practice using the San Diego Chargers.
"What took you so long?" he asked.
"I don't know I was procrastinating for like five minutes."
"Whatever. Get the controller so we could get started."
"Bro, if you are using the Chargers then you are going to lose by a lot."
"You suck at Madden, Ray." he said.
"Says the guy who always loses." I replied.
Dashaun and I played Madden for two and a half hours. In that amount of time we were able to play three games. I won all of them using the giants. Dashaun used a different team in all of the games. I made him quit once.
After Dashaun got frustrated with losing he switched the game to Fight Night. That was one of the only games he could beat me in. He won five matches in a row. I did not care because he needed his confidence back. Whenever he lost multiple matches he got mad and I didn't feel like dealing with that.
Also my head was not completely into it. I still haven't told Dashaun about Jessica. I was still wondering if I wanted to tell him or not. Still was working on what to say and what not to say. I guess I'll tell him, but when.
"Bro, you suck at this game." he said.
"Put Madden back in and see what happens." I said
He didn't, but we did not play another game of Fight Night. We went back to the kitchen for snacks and drinks. I looked at the clock. It was fifteen minutes before I had to leave. He handed me a soda and chips. Now was a good time to tell him. Nothing like food when you got news to tell.
"Yo bro I need to talk to you about something." I said to Dashaun.
"What?" he said before drinking some of his soda.
"So my parents entered this stupid program or whatever it is."
"Oh no, not again. What is it this time?" Dashaun knows about all the crazy things my parents made me do in life. He was pissed that I had to go to my Uncle's farm. We had plans to train for basketball that summer. Me going to that farm ruined those plans. He doesn't hate my parents, but he dislikes their ideas.
"Where are you going this time?" he complained.
"Me? I'm not going anywhere. Someone is coming here however." I told him.
He looked very confused about what I said. That's when I told him about the program and what my parents told me. I also told him some things about Jessica. Not that I knew a lot about the girl myself. Dashaun sat and took in all of the information I just gave him.
"So a girl is going to be living with you for a year?" he asked.
"Yup." I said
"From Japan?"
"Yes."
"Seventeen years old?"
"Yes."
"Fluent in English?"
"Mhmm."
"Living in your house?"
"Uh-huh." Where is he going with this?
He stood there and looked at me for a second. Then he started to smile. Then he started to laugh. It was my turn to look at him confused. I did not see what was so funny in this situation. This was not the reaction I expected from him. He stopped laughing, but the smile was still there when he looked at me. Then I knew why he was smiling. Dashaun had one of those ideas in his head.
"Dude this may be the best thing your parents have ever done to you." he said.
"How so?" I already knew the answer.
"A girl who is basically the same age as you, who is not a relative and foreign is living in your house."
"And your point is…"
"Bro, you are set." he laughed.
Yep I knew it. I wouldn't call Dashaun a pervert, but he enjoys the company of females, a lot. A girl says something to him and then he believes she likes him. Don't let a girl laugh at his jokes. He is a cool kid, but he reads all the wrong signs from girls. Of course I think he could get a girlfriend, but I think he goes about it the wrong way.
"I knew it." I told him.
"Bro, you know many guys dream of this?"
"Some. Including you."
"That… and a lot of other things." he said with a smile. I did not want to know what he was thinking about. He just might be a pervert.
"All I'm saying is that it is the perfect opportunity for you to have a girlfriend." he said.
"There is a problem in your little theory, genius." I said.
"What?"
"I don't know how she looks, what she is like or anything."
"Those are details that will be discovered my friend. All you have to think about is what you will say when she arrives."
"I was not planning on saying anything to her."
"That's no good. If you want her to like you��"
"Stop right there. I never agreed to do this."
"Don't you want a girlfriend? Your first?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Well this is the perfect opportunity for you to have one."
"Okay let us say she is perfect. She is beautiful, smart, and has a great personality. Everything I want in a girlfriend she has. She is only staying here for a year."
"I did not have to say it had to be long term. Just have some fun."
"You know that I don't like doing that."
"Bro, you gotta start somewhere."
"I told you that when I got a girlfriend I wanted it to be long term."
"And how has that worked out for you?" he asked.
I couldn't answer that.
"Yea exactly. That's your problem. You talk to girls trying to get that long term relationship. You befriend them. What happens next?"
Again no answer.
"Friend-zone. And you are stuck there. You got the opportunity to change that. She doesn't know you, you don't know her. In order to get the long term you must know how it is to be in a relationship. It is rare that you find 'the one' first time."
Damn. I hate it when he makes sense. I mean he was right on most accounts. I have been friend-zoned multiple times. There was Stacy last year and Laura the year before that. Now I'm good friends with both of them. In other words, never going to happen. Maybe I do try too hard looking for "the one" instead of facing facts.
"Okay. I'll think about it." I said.
"Good. Here is what you need to say and do…"
Dashaun started talking again, making a list of what I needed to do. I just remembered I need to get back to the house to help my dad with the dresser. It was already six thirty. My dad is usually late so it didn't matter.
"Yeah bro I got to go. We could discuss this later." I told him.
"Iight bro. Remember confidence."
"Yeah." I had no idea what he was talking about with the confidence thing. I was not listening to him.
We went to the door and said goodbye.
"Wait. When is she coming?" he asked.
"I don't know. I forgot." I knew, but I did not feel like another conversation. I needed to go.
"Iight bro. See you later."
He probably knew I was lying, but he also knew I had to go. Good friend.
"Iight bro. Peace." I responded.
I got back to the house at six fifty. My dad was finishing painting part of a wall in the hallway. My mom was in the kitchen cooking cheeseburgers and fries. Awesome.
"Hey Ray. Give me another thirty minutes then we will get that dresser." He said.
"Okay Dad." I said.
"Oh Ray. You're home." My mom said looking from the kitchen. "Your dinner is ready."
"Okay Mom."
I went upstairs and took a five minute shower. It was really relaxing. After that I got my food and started watching Sportscenter. I always got to stay informed with the latest news in sports, especially in basketball. It was the off-season and I wanted the Nets to make a move this year.
"Hey Ray. Are you ready?" My dad asked walking into the living room.
"Let me finish my dinner real quick." I answered.
"Ok." he said and went back to the kitchen.
I finished my dinner, but I also finished Sportscenter as well. My dad knew that, but did not bother me.
"Ok dad. I'm ready." I told him.
We went to go get the dresser from the car. It was a tall wooden dresser. The dresser was light when I lifted it. I could have brought it up myself, but I guess he did not want any accidents.
We got it up the stairs with ease and put it in the room across from the bed. It was the last thing to be added to the room. I took a look around. It was not bad. The bed was new with new sheets neatly added under the window, the walls were clean with fresh paint so nothing was against them, and there was a television (that I guess was going to put on the dresser), and an empty space where she could do what she wanted with it. The room was not bad at all. If it was my room it would be better, but sadly it wasn't.
"Thanks Ray." my dad said.
"No problem."
He left the room and went to the bathroom to turn on the shower. I gave the room one more look around. Soon someone else would live here. A girl. A Japanese girl. A girl I don't know. Thoughts of what Dashaun said came into my head, but I wished them away. I did not feel like worrying about that nonsense right now.
I left for my room. I played a little 2K and then went to bed. I had one more day to myself. After that there would be another presence in this place. What I will do tomorrow I had no idea. I know I wanted to enjoy it. I fell asleep with thoughts to myself.