We Are Free

Growing Up

The days go by and go by I still can't get the courage to ask Halo out. Andrew's birthday is in 10 days. I have to get everything. I asked Zac to watch the kids and he said yes.
     When he gets to the house I leave and go to the store I get him Legos, action figures, cars, a few outfits, a bubble set, some play dough, a new coloring book, some crayons, markers, and colored penicals.
     I get him some transformers, transformers bed sheets, a blanket, curtains, and I get him a spider man cup. I get some blue cups, napkins, plates, forks, spoons, knives, a table cloth, party hats, ballons, some candy and a piñata. I get his ice cream for his cake. I get a phone call Halo's picture shows up on my phone. I hit answer.
     "Hello." I say to her.
     "Hi."
     "Whats up?" I ask her.
     "I was just wondering what to get Andrew for his birthday." She says to me.
     "Um he likes superheroes, Legos, and Ben 10."
     "Okay thanks."
     "Yup."
     "Bye."
     "Bye." I got nervous just talking to her on the phone. I go to check out and pay for my stuff. I leave the store my heart just starting to slow down. I get in the car and go home. I get there and Zac had the kids occupied so I take my chance for getting the presents inside.
     I hide them and go to the kitchen where I put all the party stuff away. Zac leaves for a doctors appointment. I put them down for a nap and once they both are asleep I get his presents out I wrap them and put them away I look outside the window and see two birds. They were on a tree. They move their heads closer to eachother.
     "Well at least you have the love of your life the one you have been crushing on since you saw her but I suppose you did something about it."
They fly away as I walk to the kitchen. I look at the water in my cup and move my cup in a circular motion. I set it in the sink and walk to the porch.
     "I'm just a chicken shit." I sit down and watch the clouds it looked like it was going to rain. That's wonderful at least I don't have work tomorrow Dan is giving us off for Andrew's birthday party.
     Halo and Zac are already coming and so is Anna we are going to have an out door party in the yard with the sprinkler, bubbles, and glow wands. Im so excited I can't believe he will be 3.
     I just keep looking up at the sky and think something is going happen between me and Halo. What I don't know but something. I take a deep breath and the wind blows. I breath out and the wind chime blows.
     This is hard trying to be a teenager and a parent figure I have no clue how to do it. I'm struggling with love, heart break, and with them. I have everything but Halo by my side as more than a friend.
    I don't know how to ask her. I feel a hand on my shoulder I tense up and slowly turn around. Halo was looking at me.
     "Oh my gosh thanks for a heart attack." I say grabbing my chest.
     "I texted you three times called you twice nocked on the door 4 yelled 6 and you still didn't answer." She says holding up numbers with her fingers.
     "Sorry I was thinking." I say.
     "What about?"
     "I would rather not say."
     "Oh god if you have another-"
     "No it's not that it was something else." I say cutting her off knowing where this is going.
     "What?" She asks me.
     "I don't wanna talk about it."
    "Why not?"
    "I don't thats all." I say.
    "Is it serious?"
    "I don't think so."
    "Oh my god is it a girl?" She asks getting a smile.
     "Kinda you could say that."
     "Oh well thats good." She gets kinda down but smiles she has no idea that it's her and I can see it is hurting her knowing it's a girl.
     "It's just a crush most likely nothing serious." I say shrugging my shoulders.
     "That's it a crush?" She asks. "Since when do you get crushes?"
     "Yeah I know, and kinda." I say answering both of her issues.
     "Okay."
     "Well it is my first one so I bet that is a good thing. I'm kinda hoping it's my last."
"Okay well I'm happy for you, you deserve someone amazing and someone who will love you."
"Thanks."
"I came by to tell you that I got Andrew some Legos and a blanket."
"Okay that is good he will like them."
"Okay." She had she hair in a braid and she had on converse and a purple dress that went to her knees.
"Is that the only reason you stopped by?"
     "No."
     "Okay what's the other reason."
     "I wanted to tell you that I'm over Derek and I wanna focus on the one person I like that I wanna be with."
     "Whose that?" I ask.
     "I'd rather not say." She says.
    "Okay."
     "Why are you out here?" She asks trying to get me to say. She hopes that I will forget and tell her without knowing but I'm not falling for it.
     "I was thinking."
"I can tell."
"And once again I'm not saying." I say to her.
"Dang it."
"I'm glad your over Derek." I say changing the subject.
"Me to."
"Did you go somewhere besides the store you look kinda dressed up?" I say.
"My mom took me to breakfast." She says nudging her head to the right.
"Oh okay."
"Yeah, have you talked to Zac?" She asks me in a way that makes me worry.
"Yeah, he watched the kids for me today why?"
"Okay."
"Why?"
"He just seemed down for some reason at least he was last time I talked to him."
"That was yesterday."
"I know."
"Maybe he was just having a bad day that's all."
"Yeah that could be."
"Well he was fine today it could have been many things."
"Yeah I suppose what time is his party."
"2:00 and bring your bikini."
"Okay will do. I will come early to help you set up."
"Okay sounds good."
"I'm going to get going see ya slick."
"Bye." She leaves and Emily gets up as soon as she walks out the door. I give her a snack then Andrew gets up and I give him a snack. I wonder who is Halo's crush.
The days go by and Andrew's birthday is right around the corner. It was the 9th and everything was ready both Anna and Zac had gotten him a present. Anna got him some swimming trunks and some Legos. Zac got him some Ben ten pjs, ninja turtle pjs, and a bumble bee action figure.
I ordered his cake and they say I can pick it up tomorrow which is good. I make sure I have everything, which I do. When they are down for a nap I go outside and get the big fold out table I put it on the back portch and go back inside.
I do the house chores and clean the house. I need to find the sprinkler to. I go outside and find the sprinkler. I grab the bag of water ballons and the small cooler.
I fill up water ballons for a while before the kids get up. When they get up I give them a snack. After dinner they play in yard while I keep doing water ballons. I give them baths and put them in bed around 7:00. I do more water ballons.
When 9:00 comes around I go to bed myself. The next morning I go into Andrew's room and pull him out of bed. I pick him up and put him on my hip.
"Happy birthday handsome." I say to him as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes.
"Thank you."
"How old are you?" I ask him.
"3." He says holding 3 fingers up at me.
"No way your getting so big I love you."
"Love you to." I put him down and he laughs. I put some shorts and a t-shirt on him. I put socks on him and he runs out of the room, as he runs he falls I go by him but he gets up and keeps going. I smile I go to Emily's room and she was sitting in bed looking at the ceiling.
"Hi princess." I say to her confused as to why the
"Hi."
     "Why are you looking at the ceiling?"
     "I'm counting the dots."
     "Well that's an interesting thing to do."
     "It's actually quite boring."
     "Well then lets get you up and dressed, do you wanna put on your swim suit now or later?"
     "Now." I grab her pink and white poka dot tankini. She puts it on and puts some shorts on over the bottoms. I grab Andrew and put his swim suit on him as well. I give them breakfast and I put my swim suit on and a shirt.
I eat something and we go outside. I put the table up and put the table cloth on it I grab his presents and put them on the table. I get the chairs and put the plates, forks, and hats on the table.
I get the big cooler put ice in it and put soda and juice in it. I get the cooler with water ballons and put it out by the table I hook up the sprinkler. They play the whole time with yard toys.
I grab the glow sticks and put them on the table as well. I grab the water bottles and put them in the cooler. I'm nearly done this is going alot smoother than I had planned. Around 11:00 Halo comes over she had on shorts and a shirt with flip flops.
      "Hey."
     "Hey can I ask a favor of you?"
     "Yeah."
     "I have to run to the store could you watch them?"
     "Sure I can do that."
     "Awesome thanks."
     "Of course." I leave and go to the store I get his cake and food then head out. I go home it was 12:30 I put the stuff that was cold in the fridge and go back outside. I get the grill and move it out.
I get the bean bag toss out Halo sets it up. I get the chalk out. Halo takes the lid off and puts it on the table. I get the bubbles out and give them a bottle to play with. They run around blowing bubbles.
It was 1:30 now. I think I have everything but I'm not exactly sure yet. I grab a towel for each of us except Anna. Halo takes her shirt off and folds it up she puts it on her towel.
I take Andrew's shirt off and Emily hands me her shorts. I put them on the table they both run off in their swim suits. I go inside and set up the piñata.
I hang it in a tree and I go back inside and grab the food. Halo helps me bring it out. I set it all down and put the cold stuff in the cooler. Zac shows up.
     "Hey." I say to him.
     "Hi."
     "Are you going to help me cook?"
     "Wouldn't be a party if I didn't."
     "True." He puts his present on the table and Anna shows up. She sets her present down on the table and gives the kids a hug. Zac and I start the grill.
I turn on the sprinkler and the kids play in it Zac puts his shirt on the table so he is in his swimming suit. I sit down and so does Zac.
     "Can you believe that next month Emily starts school?" Halo says to me and I roll my eyes.
     "Don't remind me." I say.
     "She is so big before you know it both will be in school." Zac says.
     "I know and it's scary." I say the thought of them both in school makes me jump a little.
     "Yeah it is." Halo says. They play in the water and they scream and laugh. I get up and put the hamburgers on the grill and the brats. I get the kids a juice box and open it they drink some and go to the side walk to play with the chalk. While Zac tends to the food Andrew comes up to me coverd in chalk dust.
     "I'm dirty." He says making me smile.
     "I see that." I say to him and he holds his arms out.
     "I don't like it."
     "Well why don't we go play in the sprinkler."
     "Okay." I pick him up and walk to the sprinkler we stand in it and it washes him off.
     "Better?" I ask him.
     "Yeah." He says nodding his head.
     "Okay." I set him down and he goes to the table and sits on Halo's lap. She gets up and goes to the sprinkler with him. I grab a purple water ballon I throw it at Zac it breaks and splashes against his stomach. The water drips down his stomach getting his swim suit wet.
     "Yo!" He says.
     "What?" I say shrugging my shoulders.
     "I saw that."
     "I didn't do it."
     "Yes you did." He grabs a water ballon and throws it at me, he misses and it breaks as it hits the side of the house, water drips down.
     "Damn it."
     "Ha!" I say. He grabs another and throws it he misses me again. He hits a tree.
      "Damn it hold still." He says.
     "No if I did that you would hit me." I pick one up and throw it at him I hit him in the shoulder. He throws one at me and misses again.
     "Fuck you."
     "Only if you insist."
     "Hold still."
     "I'm not moving." He throws another but hits another tree.
     "I give up."
     "Good." I throw one and hit him in the back.
     "That's it." He grabs a water ballon and chases me. We run around the yard as he chases me with it. He gets close and throws it he hits me in the middle of my back.
     "Yes I got you I give up I won."
     "I will show the Lego video again."
     "I'm shutting up now."
     "Good." We finish cooking the food and get the kids their plates. When the both of them are settled down we get our food. Once everything is settled down and we all are eating we laugh and have a good time.
When we are done eating they play with bubbles. Zac, Halo, Anna, and I sit at the table and talk we share memories and laugh. It was 4:00 when we decide it was time for presents. I sit him in a chair and hand him a present. He opens it.
I read the card to him he giggles. We take pictures as he opens his presents and he likes them all. When he is done with presents I light the candles on his cake and Halo gets the ice cream she has put her shorts back on. He blows out his candles and I give everyone some cake and ice cream.
     "I don't wanna go to work tomorrow." She says running her hands through her pony tail.
​      "I know me either." I say.
      "I'm glad I'm not the only one." Zac says.
     "But gotta pay the bills." I tell them.
     "Yeah true." Zac says.
     "Yeah."
     "I have good news." Anna says.
      "What's that?" I ask her.
     "My job is giving me new hours 2 in the morning to 7:00." She says very happy.
     "And?" I ask her.
      "You can drop them off in the morning and I will take them until you get them."
     "What about sleep?"
     "I have it all planned out don't worry and in the morning get Emily off to the bus and I will get her from school."
     "You sure?"
     "Yeah positive."
     "I don't know."
     "Jason, tomorrow morning you will drop those kids off or I will personally come get them." She says and it send glade bumps all over my skin. She never says Jason.
     "Okay will do."
     "Thank you." Halo starts laughing.
      "What?" I ask her.
      "Your face."
     "What she don't take no for an answer and she gets scary."
     "That's my mom for you." Halo says shaking her head.
     "You will understand when you have kids." Anna tells her.
     "I guess." I say.
      "Yeah." Halo says. It was 5:00 now until 8:00 we play in the sprinkler and throw water ballons. We talk and laugh. We have an awesome time. Around 8:00 we all go our seperate ways. I give both kids a bath and get them in bed.
I clean the kitchen and go to bed. I fall asleep knowing that today was a good day. I had fun and they did to. I just wanted that for him and for them and I'm so happy I could do that.