John drove me back to my house so that I could put on some dry clothes, pulling up into my driveway only to see my dad's truck parked. I didn't want to be rude so I invited John to come inside to get warm while I changed my clothes, even though I was extremely nervous for John to have to sit with my dad for the few minutes it would take me to get dressed. Dad could be, at times, very protective of me. I appreciated that he only wanted the best for me, but also found it frustrating seeing as how I'm an adult woman now and don't need him to use the "tough dad" act any time I bring a guy home. I was sure that no one would ever have it as bad as Atheson did when it came to my dad, given that he rubbed dad the wrong way from day one. I couldn't put the blame entirely on Atheson because my dad could be intimidating at the best of times, but it also didn't help that Atheson wreaked of marijuana the first time he came over to dinner – and despite how many times he claimed he wasn't, I'm pretty sure he was stoned out of his mind.
That was one of the many ways that Atheson and I differed; he enjoyed partying and sometimes doing questionable things, while I had never drank a single drop of alcohol and I certainly wasn't into anything else. Eventually I knew I would have a drink of alcohol, but the time hadn't been right. In any case, that was only one of the things that caused tension between us.
When we walked inside, dad was reheating leftovers in the microwave while the television blared some pre-season baseball games, the announcers voice echoing through the front hall as I closed the door behind us. I smiled at John, ushering him to follow me to the kitchen. Dad was humming to himself as he bounced his fork up and down on the palm of his hand, his eyes quickly looking up to John and I. He looked surprised to see me with someone, trying to hide the fact that he instantly disapproved that it happened to be someone of the male gender.
"Hey dad," I said, trying not to act nervous so that dad wouldn't pick up how much I needed him to behave so that he didn't scare John away. "I just came home to change into some dry clothes. This is my friend, John, and John this is my dad Phil."
John stepped up and extended his hand to dad, which was returned with a hearty shake. "Nice to meet you, sir," John said.
"And you," Dad replied, glancing at me for a moment before making eye contact. "You look familiar, have we met before?"
John speculated for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "We might have, my uncle is Fletcher Daniels."
Dad's face broke into a smirk, nodding at John and finally releasing his hand. "Fletcher, eh? We play poker together at the end of the month, I think I remember him saying something about you. You're a lawyer, right?"
John laughed. "No, must be someone else. I studied Psychology at the University of Denver."
"Oh, good for you," Dad replied. I knew exactly what was going on, dad was fishing for information. He was going to go through his checklist of pet peeves before narrowing down exactly what type of person John was, then he would try to scavenge for any information that may lead him to believe John was the type of guy with bad intentions. I know this because when I had my first boyfriend at fifteen years old I had overheard my dad telling one of his friends that that was how he was going to extract information and eventually scare the kid off. It worked and he never quit using this method.
I motioned to them both that I was going upstairs, cringing at the thought of what was going to be said between them while I was out of the room. I could only hope dad would behave himself, but I never knew quite what to expect. Underneath it all I understood why dad was this way, I was his only child and the only family member he had left – or at least the only family member he had left that he spoke to. He had loved his parents, but they both passed away in a house fire just before I was born. He only had one sibling, a brother named Jackson who he absolutely hated. Jackson was the opposite of everything dad was – Jackson was loud, obnoxious, promiscuous, and argumentative. Their entire childhood was a showdown of fists and words, neither one of them able to be in the same room longer than a few minutes before they were at each others throats. They hadn't spoken in almost four years, and hadn't seen each other since my tenth birthday – which is definitely a story for another time. And then there was mom, who hadn't been in the picture since the time I was so little that I could barely speak. So he didn't have many people around him besides me and a few close friends.
I took off all of my wet clothes and threw them onto the back of my desk chair, rifling through my closet for something modest but flattering to wear. I didn't want to be too overdone, but I also felt the need to look more done-up than usual. I barely had my jeans tugged on before I was opening the door and scattering downstairs to intervene between dad and John. To my surprise, they were in a deep conversation about cars and something to do with engines. I didn't know much about cars, despite how often dad tried to get me interested, so it sounded like they were speaking in a foreign language. Dad laughed, sending a shiver down my spine. I didn't go into the kitchen right away, instead I listened outside in the hall as they spoke. John explained something about a 1952 Ford something-or-another and went on to talk about how he had helped his grandfather rebuild the engine when he was a kid, adding in something about how he tried to sneak into his grandfather's garage later in the night to prove that he could do it by himself, only to burn out a spark plug which set them back two days of work. I heard dad laugh – again – and shook my head, quickly dad cut his laughter short and cleared his throat. I wondered why he stopped, but realized soon after that my shadow was displayed on the wall right outside of the kitchen door. Clever.
I took a moment before advancing into the kitchen, smiling at the two of them. Dad crossed his arms over his chest, his face blank as if he was trying too hard to remain emotionless. I threw my thumb over my shoulder towards the door, "We should probably get going, Elaine will be waiting."
John turned back to my dad and once more shook his hand, the two exchanging something unspoken that I could barely make out. "It was nice meeting you, and I'll have to bring that photo over the next time I see you."
"Looking forward to it," Dad added, looking past John to me, "Have fun, Ellion, I'll see you later."
The tone of his voice meant he didn't want me going home with John at the end of the night, not like I had intended to any ways. By now dad should have realized that I was not that type of girl at all, especially given that I had to go to him when I was twenty years old to have the sex talk because I knew practically nothing about it beyond what I was taught in school. If I had to measure the most uncomfortable moment in my life, it would be that conversation with dad. I didn't end up having sex for the first time until Atheson and I were almost two years into our relationship. I preferred it that way, and if John and I were to ever be anything, I was sure I was going to stick by the same rule. I wasn't in any rush.
When we finally pulled up to Elaine's house and went inside, she was beyond excited to see John, who in turn was nothing but a gentleman. Elaine could be a little flirt when she wanted to be, having stars in her eyes the same way that I did when I first saw John. She went out of her way to show John around her house, leading him softly as she looped her arm around his and paraded him around like he was her date. Clearly she had no issue with John joining us to go see the movie, which I didn't figure she would. If anything, Elaine was excited that I was taking her advice and trying something new. She wanted me to find someone because if there was one thing Elaine believed in it was love.
John helped Elaine into the front passenger seat of his truck while I squeezed into the middle between them, having to straddle the gear shift between my legs. This made for a bit of an awkward encounter as John had to reach between my knees in order to change gears, apologizing under his breath. I hated to admit that having his arm draped over my legs in such a relaxed fashion made my heart sing in such a silly way. Elaine helped with the awkwardness, questioning John all about his life to try to get to know him better. I also knew that Elaine was a sly little devil that was also trying to ask questions that I was too nervous to, especially when it came to what John was looking for in a woman.
He laughed gently, his arm still dangling over my legs as he pushed the shifter into the next gear. "Someone who is secure in who she is. I think it's important to have a strong sense of character and what you believe in, otherwise people can walk all over you," John replied.
"Yes, that's true. You don't need those kind of wishy-washy girls in your life, anyhow. You need someone who doesn't need to prove herself to anyone, someone like Ellion," Elaine said, unable to stop her giggle. I nudged her gently, keeping my eyes focused ahead as my cheeks ran hot with embarrassment. John laughed, biting his lip as his arm tensed on my lap. "You know, Ellion's single," Elaine trailed off.
I tried to casually look over to Elaine as if to say stop embarrassing me, shaking my head very lightly before staring back out of the front windshield. John chuckled to himself, "So I've heard."
"Isn't she a beautiful girl, Johnathan?" Elaine said, twiddling her thumbs in her lap, knowing fully well that I was dying of embarrassment. I would definitely let her have it later on, trying to hide the smile of how badly she was going to pay for this.
John looked over to us both, nodding. "You both are," He replied, cool as a cucumber.
Elaine snorted. "Oh, if only I still looked like her. Now I'm just a pudgy muffin with stale blueberries inside of me."
"Oh, please," I interjected. "I'm not going to look half as good as you do when I'm your age. I'll be lucky to look like a dried apricot instead of a three month old praline that's been set out in the sun."
"Who teaches you these phrases?" Elaine laughed, knowing fully well that a lot of my mannerisms came from her. "You know what I've told you, it's all about skincare."
"Preach," John added, causing all of us to laugh. We talked a bit more about how the times have changed from when Elaine was our age and how Elaine wished she could be young again in this generation, simply because there was so much more to life. I hated to think that Elaine only had a few more months left to live and that she wouldn't get to see all of the beautiful things in the world to come. But I tried to push all the thoughts of death and my premonitions from my mind, hoping to enjoy the evening without any interruptions.
We purchased our tickets and found seats in the middle row, sharing a bag of popcorn between the three of us, mostly because Elaine hated sitting through a movie without a snack and one that wouldn't affect her diabetes. Elaine sat on one side of John while I sat on the other, his arm brushing up against mine as we shared the armrest. The previews rolled through, each one more enticing than the last, yet had I seen the trailers on television I probably wouldn't have been interested. But there was something magical about being in the theater, how everything seemed so much better than it really was. It really felt like being pulled from one world and immersed into another.
The first act of the movie was phenomenal, I found myself glancing over quite a bit to see the excitement on Elaine's face. The high tempo of the swing music coupled with the beautiful panoramic shots of New York long before it was what it is now were just the cherries on top, the actual storyline pulled the viewer right into the world. The characters were fast-talking and glamorous, embodying everything flashy about the 1920s era while remaining realistic. The movie was based off of a very popular novel, I knew I had read it in high school at one point but everything about it was vague now so the story seemed fresh.
Once the first act was finished, I decided to go get a bottle of water for Elaine so that she wouldn't get dehydrated from all of the salty popcorn that she was eagerly shoving into her mouth. John motioned that he was going to join me. We carefully navigated through the dimly lit theater until we were out into the main hall. As soon as the light shone on us, we looked at each other and smiled. I could tell he was enjoying myself and I probably didn't have to explain that I was enjoying myself very much.
"This seems like the perfect movie for her," John mentioned, walking beside me as we made our way to the concession stand. "It probably brings back a lot of memories."
"It's a little bit before her time, but yeah, it probably does," I replied.
There was a pause in conversation as we ordered a bottle of water at the till, noting that he was standing quite close to me. As the attendant rang up the bottle, John offered to pay for it. I thanked him as he tossed a few dollars onto the counter before allowing me to walk first towards our theater. I felt like we were both purposefully walking slower than usual, as if we both didn't want to go back in to watch the rest of the movie and instead have the time to talk. But neither one of us said a word, heading back inside to join Elaine. It was like she didn't notice that we had left, sitting on the edge of her seat with her eyes wide as a deer in the headlights. I gave her the bottle and motioned for her to drink up, and she playfully hushed me as she set the bottle in the cup-holder beside her.
When I sat back in my seat and placed my arm on the armrest, John's hand was laying over top of the cup-holder between us causing me to rest my hand on his. I was about to pull away, having felt awkward about accidentally placing my hand on his, but when I thought about it I didn't want to move my hand. He kept his eyes straight ahead at the screen, his hand unmoving. I blushed, feeling my palm get sweaty but not moving away. We sat like this for a good five minutes, neither one of us acknowledging each other but the glow of emotions as clear as day. Finally, I felt one of his fingers twitch, wondering if I should take my hand off of his. God forbid he was only grinning and baring it so that he didn't have to be rude, but after a second his fingers carefully interlaced with mine. On the outside I tried to remain as calm and steady as I was before, but inside of me it was as though there was a very rowdy party going on as my emotions celebrated the innocence of his fingers around mine. Suffice to say that I was more than a little flustered.
After another hour or so the movie came to an end, and just as the credits began to roll Elaine started to clap. At first there was a timid silence from the rest of the audience, but finally they joined in. Elaine wiped away tears from her eyes, turning to look at John and I as her face glowed with joy.
"I am so in love," She whispered, exaggerating every word. Her eyes shifted their view down to the fact that John and I were holding hands, quickly pulling my hand out of his and vice versa. She tried to pretend she hadn't seen, but the giddy smile on her face said otherwise. She cleared her throat, gathering her purse from the chair beside her. "Say, would the drugstore nearby be open? I would love to get some hair clips like the heroine had."
John stood up first, extending his hand to help Elaine to her feet. I nodded, exiting the row first and walking down the aisle. "I believe they just changed their hours a few weeks ago, so we might be in luck."
"And the hair clips," John added, pausing as he guided Elaine down the stairs one step at a time, "are my treat."
Elaine beamed from ear to ear. "If I was only sixty years younger, I would snatch you up in a heartbeat."
"Maybe in another life we'll meet at the same age in the same place?" John questioned as Elaine pretended to swoon, laughing as he tried to make sure she didn't accidentally fall. Elaine cuddled up close to John, staring lovingly into his eyes, "One can only hope."
Once we retrieved a pair of flashy hair clips for Elaine and secured them to hold back her bangs just like the heroine in the movie, we drove her back home and I made sure she was dressed and ready for bed while John took it upon himself to do her dishes for her. I wasn't sure if he was just trying to make a good impression or if he was genuinely this kind, either way I couldn't deny that I really liked him. Elaine couldn't stop talking about John the whole time, while adding in references to the movie. By the time I had her tucked into bed I was sure that she was completely in love with him and I was going to have a bit of competition.
I locked all of her doors and made sure her windows were closed for the night, given the fact that the rain was starting to come down heavily again. John used the flap of his jacket to cover my head as we ran to his truck to avoid getting wet, opening my door for me before running around to his own side. He shivered for a moment as he shook off the raindrops from his hair, looking over to me only to meet me with a smile. I wanted to hold his hand again so bad, but I couldn't get the courage to. He turned his attention to the ignition, turning the car on and immediately blasting the heat. I placed my hands over the vents to warm them up, watching as he gently blew hot air into his own. We didn't say anything, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable.
Finally he secured his seat-belt and pulled out of Elaine's driveway. I could see him glance over to me a few times, quickly turning his attention back to the road. This was the first time that neither of us had anything to say, and it wasn't because we didn't want to, it felt as though we didn't have to. We both knew exactly what was happening and there was no denying it.
When he pulled up to my house, he walked me to my door. I was so nervous that I had a hard time hiding the fact that my hands were shaking so much, not sure I was ready to kiss him yet. We stood in front of my door, turned to each other as both of us tried to figure out what the next move was. I shuffled my keyring around a few times, thinking the day through.
"I had a really, really good day with you," I said quietly. "We should do this again some time."
He nodded. "I agree."
The rain trickled off of the awning of the front porch, splashing into soft puddles on the walkway. There was a soft rumble of thunder in the distance, but nothing too intimidating. He sighed softly, nodding his head again as if he was trying to figure out what to do. "You should get some sleep, you've had a pretty busy day," He said.
"Yeah, and you, too."
"Okay," He said, pausing as we made eye contact. His eyes were so entrancing that I really didn't want to look away. He stepped forward, bridging the already small distance between us as he extended his hand and gently wrapped it around my own, squeezing it gently in his. "I'll see you soon?"
"You will," I replied. At that moment I wanted to lean in and kiss him, but again I was too much of a coward. Instead he flashed a smile at me and gently allowed his hand to slip from mine, nodding as he departed towards his truck. I watched him get into the drivers seat before I went inside of my house, gently closing the door behind me.
The headlights of his truck flashed on and soon enough he pulled away, watching him until he disappeared out of view. As soon as he did, I shuffled out of my shoes and gently tip toed upstairs to my room. I couldn't stop smiling as I dressed for bed, sliding underneath my warm covers and cuddling into my duvet. The events of the day ran rampantly through my mind, having a hard time believing that I hadn't dreamt the entire thing. I was left with such a full, warm feeling in my stomach that it actually made me wonder when the last time was that I felt this way.
As I was about to drift into sleep when it came to me – another premonition. I was looking through the eyes of John as a beautiful woman with her arm in a cast began smacking him with it, yelling at him for something that I wasn't quite sure of. John was telling her to calm down and that she didn't need to act this way, that she had made her bed and now she had to lie in it. I quickly identified the woman as the one that had been in the pictures with him on his Facebook page, wondering if this was his infamous ex-girlfriend Nora. She continued to smack at him with her cast as he put his hands up in defense, trying to get away from her. The premonition wasn't at Lake Newberry, but by the looks of the moon in the distance it was the same day.
I snapped out of the premonition, unsure of why it had come to me. This was the second time now that I had a premonition that didn't directly relate to the actual death, but the events leading up to it. Nothing like this had ever happened before, so why was it now?