One Hundred Absent Days

“How was your first day, Lizzie?” my father asked over dinner. I told him that it had been relatively uneventful, but he pressed me for details. “Did you meet anyone? Any pretty girls or nice guys?” One thing I valued about my father was his easy acceptance of my bisexuality.

My mother had been less supportive.

“There’s a girl in my French class who spoke with a beautiful accent,” I told him. I would keep the number-exchange with Michael Christopher Fuentes to myself. My father wouldn’t approve of the boy with the weed on his breath. I was to be turning a new leaf.

“Très bonne!” he replied with a chuckle. We chatted idly for the rest of dinner, then I retreated to my bedroom.

As I lie on my bed listening to Papa Roach, I heard my phone buzz from across the room. Reluctantly, I trudged over to check it. I hoped it would be one of the friends from Oregon who promised to keep in touch with me.

Unknown Number: Want to hang out?

My heart skipped a beat. It had to be Mike; no one else had my number. I threw the phone on my bed and ran to check my hair. It was in a short, wavy ponytail, so I pulled it down and shook it out to reveal lovely volume. Throwing on a fresh coat of mascara and dark plum-colored lipstick, I picked the phone back up and asked where he’d like to meet.

Much to my dismay, he asked if he could pick me up at my house. I’d have to sneak out; my father would never approve. I agreed and ran downstairs to give him an excuse.

“Dad,” I said sweetly. As I turned the corner, I saw him snuggled up on the couch with my stepmother, Kate; both of them reading. “Where’s Addie?” I asked, not seeing my little sister anywhere.

“Her room. What do you need?” Kate asked, clearly annoyed with the interruption.

“I’m going out, okay?”

“Yeah, sure, okay. Don’t stay out too late,” my dad said, completely engrossed in the book he was reading.

I agreed to that and ran back upstairs to change out of my school uniform. I opted, instead, for baby blue skinny jeans, a black sweater, and my all-black Vans.

Stepping out the front door of my house, I saw Mike in the driveway, leaning against an old, faded red Camaro.

“You work quickly,” I chuckled. “Where are you taking me?”

“Well, would you like to come see my band practice?” he raised an eyebrow.

“You want me to be a groupie to your shitty garage band?” I huffed.

“Yes,” he laughed, starting up the ignition and pulling out of the driveway.

“Is this a date?” I couldn’t meet his eyes once the question left my mouth, so I just stared out the window, watching the suburbs zip by.

“You’re not one for subtlety, are you?” Mike chuckled, lower, softer, than before. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was embarrassed. After clearing his throat, he asked, “Do you want it to be a date?”

Looking over and biting my lip, I responded, “I’ll let you know.”

Mike grinned and we finished the drive in silence.

Once we arrived at, what I assumed was Mike’s house, he opened the garage door to reveal all kinds instruments.

“What do you play?” I asked as we hopped out of Mike’s car.

“Drums,” he said, swaggering up the driveway with his hands in his pockets.

“Juliet! What’re you doing here?” Tony, the guy from my English class, called out from the garage with a grin on his face.

“It’s Liz,” I said with a grin, walking up and letting him pull me in for a side-hug.

“You two know each other?” Mike asked.

I explained that we’d met in school that day, and Tony recalled my dirty monologue, causing Mike to laugh and me to blush.

“Where are the guys?” Mike asked Tony. He said that they were in the kitchen, and the two gestured for me to follow them inside.

“Mike,” I whispered, tugging gently at his sleeve so I could whisper in his ear. “Isn’t it a little weird for me to be meeting your family? We just met.”

Mike grinned down at me widely. “It would only be weird if this were a date.”

“Hey Mikey!” a perky-looking guy with spiked up hair said, jumping up from his chair and taking a huge bite from his pizza. “And hellooooo pretty girl!”

“Jaims,” Mike said, gesturing to me, “this is Liz. Liz, this is Jaime.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said with a little wave.

“Hey,” the last guy, short, with long brown hair, said from the kitchen counter. He was obviously too focused on his pizza to be bothered with introductions.

“Liz, this is my big brother Vic. He goes to our school, but he’s a senior.”

After a few awkward moments, the guys all got into a banter and I was comfortable listening to them and occasionally laughing while we all ate our pizza.

“Alright,” Jaime said, hopping up from his seat, “let’s go play some music!”

The other guys agreed and we all funneled out to the garage. “Liz, do you play any instruments?” Tony asked me.

“I play a little bass but I’m more of a singer, actually.”

The boys then burst into a chorus of ‘oooh’s and asked me to demonstrate.

“Play me something, then,” I laughed. I requested Forever by Papa Roach, and the boys went right into it as I sang. When the song finished, they all clapped and cheered and Tony pulled me in for a quick hug. I saw a fleeting look of jealousy on Mike’s face out of the corner of my eye.

For the next hour, I listened to the boys play their songs, mixed in with some various covers, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I loved their energy and the joy that they clearly got from playing their songs.

I looked down to see the time shown on my phone. 7:30 PM. “Hey, Mike, I gotta get home soon,” I said apologetically. The rest of the guys all said it was nice meeting me and Mike and I climbed into his car.

“Why so early?” Mike asked once we were driving. I explained that my little sister wouldn’t go to sleep if I wasn’t there to sing her to sleep. “Sounds like you’re a pretty good sister,” he said sweetly.

Once we were back at my house, I went to step out of the car when I felt a hand fall on my thigh. I looked up to see Mike looking at me with a smile. “I had a great time tonight,” he whispered.

“Me too.” I leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before hopping out of the car.

Notes