chapter twenty-one

21.
After finishing our bears, Mike drove us over to the local mall where we got some pizza and pigged out. I'm having a great time, I admitted to myself. And Mike and Kyle do seem to actually like me. Huh. It was kind of different having someone actually like me for who I was. I mean, I knew R liked me, and it seemed that James and Sophia liked me, too. But it was different because I wasn't really having to try and make them like me. In fact, I wasn't really doing anything besides just acting like myself. Of course, I was still more self-conscious around them than I was around R, but I was getting better. Better at just letting go and not caring about what people thought. I would never get to the point where I could totally forget about the people around me and what they thought, but I was working on it. I was improving. And it was nice, not having to be so self-conscious all the time.
Mike started up a conversation by asking about me. I mean, about my life. “I know we're friends and everything,” he said, “but I still don't feel like I know you all that well. Hey, I know. Pretend like it's another counseling whatever. You're used to that, huh?”
I laughed, but was really glad he was interested. It meant (I thought) that he really did want to be a friend, not just, well, a someone. “Well, I'd much rather pretend that this isn't a counseling session,” I started. “Because those could get pretty weird and I don't feel like venting. But I guess at least I kind of know where to start. Do you want to hear about me personally, or my family?”
We laughed a lot, and I told them some stuff about me, about my parents, my life. I thought it would sound really boring, but they sounded interested most of the time. Then it was my turn to ask a question.
“Well, what about you guys? I don't really know anything about you two. It's your turn to talk. I don't even know where you live!”
Kyle grinned and answered, “24th street.”
“No, I mean seriously! I talked, now you gotta talk.”
Kyle just looked at Mike, who started talking. “I'm over on Main.” He smiled. “But I guess it's only fair that since you told us about your life, we should talk about ours. My dad left us when I was just four. Us being my older brother Jack, my mom, and my sister Hannah who was just a baby at the time. So I've grown up with just Mom. I don't even remember my dad that much, really. Mom doesn't talk about him much. She's supported the family by working two jobs, and man, does she ever work hard. When Jack graduated from high school five years ago, he decided not to go to college, so he just took a job to help out the family's income. He doesn't live at home anymore, he moved out last year, but he still sends us a check every month. It sure helps, since Dad's not giving us a cent.
“I work jobs in the summer to help out also, because Mom doesn't have too much money to spend on extra little things,” he took a break to bite into another slice of pizza. “Such as this delicious food. Yum. That money's all coming out of my pocket. That's also partly why I'm trying so hard on my school work this year, so I can get a scholarship. Mom says that she won't let me skip out on college, not like Jack. She refuses to let me even think about it. So I'm trying my best to make sure I don't have to work her to death trying to pay for me. I feel like I owe it to her, you know? Since she's always worked so hard for us kids. I'm thinking about going to Boise State. How about you?”
That whole time I sat and listened, I couldn't believe my ears. I had always seen Mike as the type of guy who didn't care too much about school, just went to get it finished. And I hadn't ever gotten a hint that he was, not poor, but at least not well-off.
“Wow,” was all I could say. “I never would have guessed.”
Mike just shrugged me off. “It's not that big a deal, really. I know that tons of people out there are living on the streets. I'm just thankful with what I have, and what I have is the greatest mom ever.”
I still couldn't say much, so I just turned to Kyle. “How about you?”
Kyle laughed a little, and went on, “Me? I don't think I have that interesting of a life. I live. I wake up every morning, breathe, eat, dress, go to school, talk some, come home, do homework, eat some more, play video games, eat some more, talk to my parents a little, get undressed, go to bed. Repeat the next morning.”
I chuckled. “That's not what I mean. Do you have any siblings?”
“Yeah, 5,” he nodded. “There's Amy, who's six or seven, Gabe, I think he just turned ten. Ian is thirteen. Then me,” he fluttered his eyelashes and made a silly face. “My older brother Mason, he just graduated high school last year, he's eighteen. And I have two older sisters, Kyla and Jenna. Kyla's in college right now, I think it's her third year. Oh yeah, Mason is in college too, he's going to the community college. And Jenna graduated college a few years ago. She moved to Hawaii a while ago to be a teacher over there. As for me, I think living in Montana would be cool. When I was little, I would always imagine being a cowboy and having my own ranch over there. Now I don't really care much for the cowboy business. I kind of still want to live in Montana, though.”
“Do you want to be an astronomer now?” I teased, remembering what he had said earlier about Pluto.
He laughed, naturally. Such an easy-go-lucky guy. “Who knows? Maybe!”
We all laughed a little, and then settled into talking about some less serious, more trivial things. But I was really glad to have had that time when we just talked about our families and aspirations, those things. I had learned that Mike had much more depth than I thought he did, and Kyle had less.
No, I'm just kidding. I knew that Kyle mostly showed his easy, more shallow side. But he was a really cool guy, who let something thoughtful and profound slip out every now and then. So I knew there was a different side to him, one that he chose not to show as often. Kind of like me and my wild side. I just didn't know why he wanted to hide it, and I didn't think it polite to ask. I also didn't care that much. Kyle and Mike were my friends, and they were themselves, whether they were putting on a front or not, I wouldn't be able to tell. But I knew that I would like them either way, no matter what.
Unfortunately, I was the one to break up our lovely little time. “Guys, I really have a bunch of homework to do...”
They moaned. “Aw man, bearer of bad news.” Kyle said. Teasing, but he sounded serious.
“He's right, though.” Mike agreed. “I actually probably should have headed home instead of coming for pizza.”
Kyle didn't agree, saying that he 'didn't have anything pressing that he needs to do', but he did say that if we had to go, then there wasn't much he could do about it. Mike has the car, after all. So we left the mall, and Mike drove by each of our houses and dropped us off.
“Thanks!” I called as he zoomed away. Wait, they kidnapped me. And I'm thanking them? Who knew a kidnapping could be so much fun!