My World Today

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Kal is awful cute isn't he?" My mom said right as I spewed juice across the white tiled counter in our kitchen.

"What the heck possessed you to say that!" I shouted with more than a little bit of shock in my voice.

"I saw the way you were looking at him earlier Lori. I may be old but I am not stupid," she said with a smug grin. "I am just glad that your finally taking an interest in real boys and not ones from books."

"What do you mean by the way I was looking at him earlier? I was just looking at him normally!"

"Please, you looked like your little brother when we took him to that really big candy store in Florida."

"I did not!"

"Yes you did. And clean up that mess so we can start unpacking," she said as she left the kitchen to go finish unloading the rest of the car.

Did I look at Kal weirdly? And did I really look like my candy-loving little brother when I did? No wonder he was staring at me. I would stare at me too if I looked like my brother in a candy store.

Defeated, I looked around for some paper towels. That was when I realized that the box that was labeled "Kitchen Necessities" was in my dad's car. Great.

"Hey Mom! We don't have any paper towels!" I yelled out the open door to my mom who was carrying a small box labeled, "Silverware".

"They must be with your dad. Go across the street and ask to borrow some."

"I'm not going to ask complete strangers for paper towels!"

"They're not complete strangers, that's where Kal lives."

"Oh."

"Lori, now."

"Okay, okay. I'm going!"

"Good, ask him to show you where the grocery store is to."

"What? Can't we just google it or something?"

"And get lost on our way there? No. We need to make friends Lori, you need to make friends. And I for one think that Kal is a green place to start so go!"

Sighing, I crossed the street and walked up to the door of a house that looked like mine, but in white. I knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. No one did. Thank goodness. Turning away from Kal's house I began to head home.

"Hey Lori," Kal said from behind me.

"Oh, hi Kal!" I said, surprised, "I thought no one was home."

"I was in the back yard. Do you need something?"

"Um, yeah. All of our paper towels are with my dad so I was wondering if I could borrow some?"

"Sure! No problem, do you need anything else?"

"If you have any free time later do you think that you could show me where the nearest grocery store is? Both my mom and I have a terrible sense of direction, so she thought it would be best if someone would show us."

"I have free time now. Let me get your paper towels and I will take you there," he said with a grin as he turned back inside. "You can come in if you want, I don't bite I promise. But I can't say the same for my little brother," he said over his shoulder.

Nervously, I followed him inside to find my self in a sunny kitchen with plants in all the windows and little kid drawings taped up all over the wall.

"My mom a botanist," he said as he reinterred the kitchen with a role of paper towels,"that's why there are plants everywhere."

"It's pretty," I say as I take it all in,"the flowers are so many different colors!"

I realize that I am grinning from ear to ear and I quickly try to gain control over my face again. I can't help it, I love color! It always makes me feel better.

"You want one?" He asks with a grin.

"Really? I mean no, I couldn't. Their your mom's."

"She won't mind, she loves to give away flowers. She says that her duty in life is to spread beauty through her flowers. Which one do you want?"

I look around until I spot a bright pink Rhododendron, the West Virginia state flower. Just looking at it brings back memories of summers spent running in the forest.

Kal notices my gaze and asks,"Do you want the Rhododendron?"

"Yes please," I say and then hurriedly add, "if it is okay with you!"

"Why wouldn't it be?" He asks as he picks up the pot and hands it to me. "Let's bring this stuff over to your house and then we can head over to the store," then he grins and adds,"If you want I could show you my favorite place on the way back?"

"Sure," I grin and don't try to hide it this time,"that sounds perfect!"