Dear Jamie (on hold)

3 - homesick

"What's with the long face?" I ask sitting down at my usual lunch table. 

"Huh?" Jamie looks up, frowning.

"He's trying to ask why you're upset, he just has a really corny way of doing it," Nathan says. Jamie and Nathan only met two days ago, but they seem to be hitting it off.

I smack the back of his head before turning back to Jamie. "So?"

She gives a heavy sigh before answering, "It's nothing, I'm just a little homesick, I guess."

"Homesick or last-location-sick?" I ask.

"California-sick," she explains. "It's just … Halloween's tomorrow and my friends and I always used to have a horror-movie marathon after trick-or-treating ended."

"Wait, you guys went trick-or-treating first?" Nathan asks.

"No, I've never been."

"Wait, you've never been trick-or-treating?!" he says.

"Nathaniel, that is beside the point," I say. "Well, why don't we start a new tradition?"

Jamie smiles a bit at this, "Yeah, sure, why not?"

"Because that's stupid. I mean, there's only so many things to do on Halloween," Nathan comments, his mouth full. "If she's sad about not having her movie-marathon-thing, then why don't we just have one of our own?"

"Or," I say, "we could go to a party!"

"Isaac, have you ever even been to a party?" Nathan asks.

"Well, no, but--"

"Exactly, you're too socially awkward. Besides, there will be too many girls in slutty animal costumes there and I don't think you can handle that. Especially not with your new love interest."

"I--"

"No, that sounds great!" Jamie says, excited. "We can invite a few more people and you can all come over to my house! I've got the movies if you guys can bring drinks and snacks?" she offers.

I guess she notices the apprehensive look on my face because then she adds, "Don't worry, my parents won't even be there."

"Great!" I say, like that's what I was actually worried about.

"It's a date!" Nathan says with a wink. "I'll call Jessica!"

"Great…"

I have a confession…

I hate horror movies. Fear them even. Yes, I know, I already lack masculinity in many areas, and now I'm scared of a genre, but what can I say? It all started a few years ago…

*Cue flashback*

My parents were throwing a Halloween party, and being the naive child I was, I decided to join them during The Shining. Needless to say, I've never been the same since.

Of course, Nathan doesn't know about my horror-movie-phobia because I figured he would mock me. And now I have to watch one with a girl that I really like in less than twenty-four hours.

Joy.

The next morning, I wake up with nothing on my mind except the impending evening ahead of me.

It's like, when I'm around Jamie, I'm comfortable, but I'm a nervous wreck before I see her, always worried I'm going to mess something up. This is my first "relationship," if you can even consider it that yet. I haven't asked her.

I decide to shake off all of the negative thoughts and by the end of school, I find myself actually excited for tonight. I'm supposed to be at Jamie's by eight, and at six, I join my mother for dinner.