Teenage Dirtbag

Ch. 9

While waiting for her to get home from work I sprawled out on the couch and turned on the TV. Letting the sounds of SpongeBob fill the room while I replayed the day through my head. Normally this was my favorite guilty pleasure cartoon, but I had bigger things on my mind than what was going on at the Krusty Krab today.

            It still made me sad to realize Marcel had lost his mother. I hadn't pressed the issue, but we all knew high school was hard enough with out losing a parent. She sounded wonderful from the brief second he spoke about her, and you could see by the look on his face he missed her. The fact that he took me somewhere he hadn't gone to since losing her was nothing less than an honor.

            I was just about to delve into my own parental issues when the front door opening jolted me back to reality. "Scarlett, I didn't think you'd be home yet," she said as she took her shoes off and sat on the couch.

            "Marcel had to get the car back to his Dad," I said with a shrug.

            "What did you guy's do," she asked.

            "We went to the beach, got some ice cream. Got attacked by seagulls, covered in sand. Normal stuff."

            "He took you all the way to the beach just for ice cream, sounds fun."

            I smiled faintly and nodded, "it was. Except for the seagull’s part."

            "Do seagulls like ice cream," she asked tilting her head.

            I couldn't help the laugh that escaped. I sometimes forgot my mother had never spent a day at a beach in her entire life. We were landlocked before we moved here, and since she'd never been she didn't see why anyone thought they were so great, "yeah, Mom, the seagulls liked the ice cream."

            "Rat's with wings," she mumbled, "but as long as you had fun. When do I get to meet him?"

            "I don't know Mom, that's weird..." I said shifting around in my seat.

            "You met his father didn't you?"

            "For like, two seconds," I was about to continue when my phone rang. I didn't even have to look at the caller ID to know it was Marcel, once we started hanging out more regularly I had made Teenage Dirtbag his ringtone. And even though I wasn't expecting a call from anyone else, seeing his name still made my heart flutter a bit. "That's him," I said as I headed for the stairs, "I'll tell him you want to meet him, okay?"

           

            "Fine," she answered an amused look on her face as I nearly tripped up the stairs.

            I quickly regained my composure and walked into my room before answering the phone, "hello."

            "You requested a phone call," he replied in a cheery tone.

            I laughed, "Yes I did. I take it you made it home in time for your Dad to leave."

            "We'll just say I was close," he said and I could hear the grin in his voice.

            "Good. So...," I began, "what are you doing tomorrow?"

            "Nothing, did you want to do something?"

            I sighed, closing my eyes, "my Mom…she keeps asking about you and meeting you and stuff. So I was gonna see if you wanted to come over, and then you can have dinner with us or something. Unless that's weird. It's weird isn't it?"

            He let out a soft chuckle at my awkward ramble, "it isn't weird, I'll come meet her, what time?"

            "Uhh, she'll be home around five, you can come over anytime before that."

            "My Dad goes to work at noon, is that too early," he asked.

            "No," I quickly answered. To be quite honest he could come over now and I would be okay with that. But saying that out loud would be weird, so I refrained.

            "Alright," he said and I swear I heard another soft laugh, "well then I'll see you tomorrow."

            "Tomorrow it is," I repeated

            "I promise I won't cut tomorrow short and run out on you like I did earlier."

            "No you will not because I will not allow it," I answered jokingly.

            "You got it, I'll see you tomorrow Scarlett, goodnight."

           

            "Goodnight, Marcel," and we both waited a few seconds before hanging up. Clutching my phone to my chest I stifled the girly squeal that wanted to erupt from my mouth. Tomorrow would mean I spent my entire weekend with Marcel and I couldn't be happier.

            After changing into my pajama's I ran halfway down the stairs and leaned over the banister so I could see into the living room, "Mom," I hissed to get her attention. Startled she looked over at my with a brow raised, "Marcel is going to come over tomorrow and he's staying for dinner, okay?"

            She smiled and nodded in approval, "okay!"

            "Alright...well, goodnight," and before waiting for her to reply I turned and made my way back up the stairs and into my room for the night.