Latter Days

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

     “Annalie? Why are you awake so early?” I glanced over at the microwave clock.

     “Mom, it’s 10:30.”

     “Well yes, but it’s also Saturday. I’ve never known you to get up before noon on a day when you don’t have to.” She had a point there.

     “I don’t know, I just got up. Whatever.” I walked over to the cereal cabinet and pulled out my favorite—Lucky Charms—and some milk from the fridge.

     “Annalie, are you okay?” My mom put down her coffee mug and looked at me with a concerned expression on her face.

     “Mom, I’m fine, alright? I woke up a little earlier than usual, it’s really not a big deal.”

     “Alright, well… I’m going to head to the office soon, so…”

     “Yeah. Have a good day.”

     “You too, Annalie.” With that, she picked up her keys, and left. The truth was, I was up early for a reason. I was meeting Jack to hang out today. Running into my mom before she went to work was not a part of my plan. Honestly, up until then, I had never known what time my mom left for work. I just knew she left some time after I left for school on the weekdays, and some time before I usually woke up on the weekends.

     I finished my bowl of cereal and dumped the milk into the sink. I headed back upstairs to take a shower and get ready for the day.

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     A few months had passed since Jack and I started our relationship. My mom still didn’t know about us, but I knew on some level that she wouldn’t have cared anyway. She had never asked me before if I had a boyfriend, so I assumed she didn’t care.

     Jack and I still hadn’t kissed, but I was okay with that. I wasn’t sure if he had ever kissed a girl, or if he was ready for it. After all, he had been homeschooled since kindergarten. The only girls he knew were members of his church. I had never set foot in a Temple, but I imagined that kissing teenage girls was something that was frowned upon while inside.

     It was now December, and we had one week to go until Christmas break started. Jack had met me at my locker on Friday and told me to make sure I was ready by noon on Saturday. When I asked him what he was planning on doing, he simply put a finger to his lips and shushed me. “That’s not important, Annalie. Be ready, because I’m taking you out.”

     “What should I wear?” I had asked.

     “Something warm.”

     “What, we’re spending the day outside? This is Massachusetts, Jack. In December. That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard.” He only laughed at me.

     “Just… wear something warm, okay? I’ll pick you up at noon.” He kissed me on the head, and went back to his economics class. Over his shoulder he called out, “Don’t forget a hat!”

     So now, after my shower, I was standing in my bedroom staring at my closet. Obviously it had been freezing outside for the past couple of weeks, and I was used to dressing nice and cozy every day, but for some reason, now that I was dressing for a pseudo-date, I had no idea what to wear. I settled on a pair of black leggings, tall, men’s socks from the GAP, an oversized gray sweater with a denim vest over it, a slouchy maroon beanie, and tall brown boots. Looking in the mirror, I tried to figure out what we were doing. I had no idea if we were actually spending the day outside, or if Jack just wanted me to dress warmly because of the season we were in. I didn’t have much time to contemplate before I heard a knock at the door.