Disconnected

1

I wake up to the of Green Day's "2000 Light Years Away" outside my window. I gaze up at the ceiling for a bit before looking at my phone to check the time.
6:00 a.m.
I groan and move toward the window. As I open up the blinds I see my neighbor and best friend Aaron outside on the platform beneath my window holding up his phone. Our windows both had that weird platform and they were brought together by an earthquake before I had moved in.
Aaron has lived here since the day he was born. Literally. His mom and dad didn't have a car at the time and his mom said she wanted her first baby to be "home born". Sounds weird but not weird for her. Anyway, her little brown-haired, pale-skinned, green-eyed son became my best friend in kindergarten when I first came here. He was the only one who wanted to share his lunch with me since my mom forgot to pack me something to eat. Ever since that day, I would hang out with him all the time and it never seemed to bother him. Ten years later and we're still pretty good friends.
He turns off the music and puts the phone in his pocket. "Open the window moron!" He says playfully, widening his eyes.
"Hmm. I don't know if I should. I mean you just called me a moron." I say putting my hands to my chest, pretending to be offended.
"Alright, alright." He puts his hands up as if saying a prayer. "Please miss princess let me inside of this castle. It is my dream to be let into-"
"Okay stop you're embarrassing me and there's nobody even here." I laugh as I open the window letting the cool autumn breeze hit me.
"Thanks. It wasn't very nice outside without you- uh- your jacket that you took from me."
"Take it back. I don't want it anyway. It smells like sweat." I say scrunching up my nose. He mimics me as he takes his jacket and puts it on. "Why'd you wake me up so early?"
"Because I wanted to ask you something before we went to school and if your answer is the one that I hope it is, we'll be going somewhere."
I feel my stomach turn slightly. Okay yeah, I have a crush on Aaron. It's been a crush since the fifth grade, but I've always tried getting rid of it. So far, as you can see, there has been no progress. "Uh, yea what's the question?" I clear my throat.
"Well uh, we've been best friends for- what, like ten years now? And I think you're a really awesome girl and all that stuff you know. So what I'm trying to say is; will you go to McDonalds with me?"
I feel myself turn red. "As in like a date?"
"What? No! No, like as friends." He laughs. "Why would I ask you on a date? Especially to McDonalds breakfast."
I feel my face burn with embarrassment. "Oh." I laugh nervously. "Yea, duh. Um, yea I'll go. Just let me get ready."
"Haha, alright."
"Yeah."
Aaron starts playing with his feet. I look at him and clear my throat.
"Oh! Yea! Sorry, I forgot- this is your room." He laughs nervously as he starts heading out the window. "I'll be in the car." He said as he points to his black jeep. He jumps down from my two-story house onto a trampoline we set on the ground a few nights ago and half-walks, half-runs to his car.
I shake my head smiling and search through my closet for clothes.
White plain shirt, faded light blue jeans, white vans? Sure.
I head to the bathroom and turn on my straightening iron to straighten my long, brown hair. I got it from my dad. Most of my looks come from my dad, like his blue eyes, his nose, his paleness, but I look more like my mom due the overall set up of my face.
My mom is a Latina and everyone knows how strict Hispanic parents are. She always has her eye on me even when I'm not home. When I'm at a friends house, she usually tells one of her friends to pass by and check up on me like I'm a little kid. I know she does if to protect me though, and I love her, but it can be a bit too much.
My dad is a typical American dad and he's pretty chill about anything except for the typical exception of boys. "No boys in your room. No boys in the house. No. Boys." His main rule. I'm a pretty well-behaved teenager with good grades and hardly get into any trouble, so it's not hard for me to follow his rules.
I finish getting ready and rush downstairs to tell my mom she doesn't have to drop me off. I get to the kitchen and see my dad on the kitchen table reading the newspaper.
Shit. I forgot he's up at this time.
I pause and try quietly to head back to my room without making any sound.
"Yes honey?" He says without taking his eyes off the newspaper.
Crap.
"Oh hey dad. Um can you tell mom that she won't have to take me to school today? Okay. Thanks. Love you!" I quickly turn and try walking away.
"Alexandra."
Yikes. He doesn't call me Alexandra unless he's suspicious of me or angry.
I turn back around. "Yea?"
He puts the newspaper down, takes off his glasses and looks at me. "Isn't it a bit early? And why won't she need to take you today?"
"My friend's gonna take me instead."
"Which friend?"
"Uh. It's Aaron from next door."
"Alex what'd I tell you about him?"
"Dad he's not a 'sexually frustrated boy'. He's really sweet and just wants to take me to McDonalds to eat some breakfast before school." My dad raises an eyebrow. "It's not a date, dad."
"Fine. Don't push your limits Alex. And if you go out tonight be home before 10!"
"Thanks dad! Love you!" I run to him, give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, grab my bag and run out the door.
I run to Aaron's car parked in my driveway and sit on the leather black seat.
"Wow. My dad actually let me come."
"What? Hah. He's finally warming up to me."
I roll my eyes. "Drive loser."