Started With a Lie

Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter Fifty-Two

Giselle's birthday is a success.

           We have a little party for her in the lounge room on the second floor of our building, streamers and cake everywhere. Our group of close friends attend. Tanner comes late and Giselle glares at him and throws an empty cup at him. But later, I see them in the corner and Tanner pulling out a bracelet for Giselle. Something's definitely going on there...

           Jess shows up with her girlfriend, Suzy, who is a fashion major and incredibly nice. We all sit around on the couches, talking and playing charades and other hilarious games. It's a cozy night but eventually more and more people show until we end up going to seventh floor to expand our party. And it's actually fun. Can't remember a thing but I'm sure it was fun.

           "You ready to go?" Daniel says, loading the taxi with our bags on Thanksgiving Day.

              I place my phone in my coat pocket, just ending my phone call with Mom's doctors. They are to inform me if anything changes while I'm gone. I spent the whole day yesterday in her hospital room, watching comedy shows and eating the hospital's turkey dinner, pretending like she could hear me. Her increased security were right out her door.

            "Ready."

            "Great," he says, grinning. Daniel's shaved and his hair is done cleanly this morning. We're flying out to spend some days with his parents, Thanksgiving dinner included tonight. We would drive but he has no car and I have mine at the shop to get it ready for winter. Besides, flights are a little cheaper than yesterday or tomorrow since today is Thanksgiving.

               I'd be lying if I didn't say I was completely nervous about this whole thing but it's a rather better distraction than sitting alone cooped up in the dorm room, contemplating life and everything Madam Jin told me.

            The hour flight to Boston is quick and I fall asleep through all of it. Boston is a bit chillier than New York, its wind biting as it blows by. In the taxi, I watch the buildings and city life as they blur by. It's a beautiful city. It's also saddening this is the first time I've been out of New York. While Brent backpacked through South America before college and even moved to a completely different state for college, I haven't set a foot anywhere cool or exotic.

              Daniel's parents live in South Boston and you can almost see the blue line of the sea down the street. Their house is a simple fading white with dark blue shutters and roof. The lawn is small but that's the disadvantage of living in the city. Besides, it seems as if they might have a whole beach to themselves down the street.

           Joanne, Daniel's mother, is a nice brunette woman. She has teal bangles on her wrists and wears khaki capris with a flowy white shirt, blue flowers embroidered on them. Her smile is pretty and so are her welcoming eyes.

               "Welcome to our home," she says as Daniel unloads our luggage from his father's car. He picked us up from Logan. Prices for planes are no joke for Thanksgiving, so Daniel and I have established we'll take the cheaper bus or train back. I have no clue why we didn't do that in the first place. New York and Boston are only hours apart and we are two broke college kids.

            Daniel's dad, Rogerio, is more of a silent yet happy man. He played some jazz in the car and bopped his head to the beat but he never made unnecessary conversation which was relaxing in its own way. He only grunts as he carries our suitcases and silently leads them upstairs.