It was a Tuesday evening almost just like any other; my brother was watching YouTube, my mother was grading tests for the English class she teaches, and my father was getting ready for his weekly Pilates class. Everything seemed normal, everything except for one thing: I had to go to my dad's Pilates class.
I don't know what inspired my dad to suddenly take me to his Pilates class. I was quite content to sit and read in my room, just like I do any other day. My mother said that it was probably good for me to get some fresh air and wander out of my "stinky hole of a room." The thing was, I didn't want to leave the safety and comfort of my books and warm room, and I certainly didn't want to see my father doing Pilates, of all things. Even so, when my father was pulling out of the driveway for the fifteen minute drive to the strip mall where he practiced Pilates, I was unhappily sitting right next to him in the passenger seat of his car.
"Eliza, the least you could have done was wear some clothes that are proper for Pilates," my father said as he drove down the rode, eyeing up my skinny jeans and band tee. My only reply was an eye-roll accompanied by a dramatic huff and crossed arms. I so did not want to be there, not when I could have been reading up on the latest adventures of the Wolverine in the comfort of my own room.
"Come on, it's not that bad! Give it a try!" my father pleaded, oblivious to my attempt to end the conversation. I closed my eyes and sighed, carefully choosing my next words.
"Listen, Dad, I know you enjoy Pilates and all, but it's not really my thing. My thing is sitting around and reading whatever I can get my hands on, alone."
"That's the life of a hermit."
"A happy hermit," I muttered as I began to stare out the window and got comfortable for the remainder of the drive.
Apparently, during the few minutes that passed from the time of my short conversation with my father and the time we arrived to the strip mall, my dad had a change of heart.
"Here's two dollars," he said as he pulled two beat-up dollar bills from his wallet, "there's a coffee shop a few stores to the left and a comic book store is right next to it. Knock yourself out."
I quickly took the money, wondering what in the world I could do with two dollars, and watched as my dad disappeared behind the door to JoAnne's Yoga and Pilates. I then turned to the left and decided that two dollars would be well spent on a coffee.
I quickly found the so-called "coffee shop," which was really nothing more than a cheap pastry bakery that also sold cheap coffee to those who were desperate for caffeine. Unfortunately, I was one of those people desperate enough for caffeine to spend a dollar fifty on a cup of coffee that was probably ground out of dirt. I apparently was also desperate for a cookie, because that's where my last fifty cents went.
After finishing my cookie and coffee, I walked out of the shop and went next door to Comics Galore, the store I assumed was what my father was talking about when he mentioned the comic book store. As I walked into the store, I was taken aback by the large selection of comic books and action figures. I was immediately drawn to a group of Dragon Ball Z action figures and had to force myself not to touch anything for fear of breaking something. After thoroughly examining that whole side of the store, I turned around so I could begin examining the other side of the store before further exploring
the middle. These plans were put to an end, however, when I saw who was standing behind the desk in the center of the store.
The guy was about 5'7, if I had to guess. He had blonde hair that reached just past his chin and a slightly scruffy beard along his jaw. He had the deepest brown eyes I had ever seen and he was wearing a band tee that featured my favorite band.
I was smitten.
Immediately, I ran to the back of the store and hid in an aisle that was entirely made out of Batman and Robin comics.
'OH MY GOSH,' I thought, extra emphasis and all, 'THAT MAN IS GORGEOUS.'
I peered over the top of a comic book I had picked up off a shelf to get yet another glance of the guy. He was sitting at the cash register, reading something on his iPhone. When he fidgeted like he was about to look up, I quickly buried my head back into the comic book.
If I didn't already hold the title, I'm pretty sure that's the moment I would have won the ultimate nerd award for getting lost in a comic book while in the presence of the most attractive man I have ever laid eyes on.
"Ahem," I heard a male voice say beside me. I startled and looked up, hoping it would be the man behind the counter. Unfortunately, it wasn't.
"Are you going to buy that or what?" a man just barely taller than me asked with one eyebrow raised quizzically. I blushed from embarrassment as I remembered that I had no money left on me and placed the book back on the shelf. I walked away to the next aisle, which featured manga. The manga reminded me of my friend who was a
fantastic artist and was great at drawing in the anime style. Suddenly, I was struck by a brilliant and totally foolproof idea.
'A lot of fans like to draw the characters in comic books, like fan art, right?' I unnecessarily asked myself, after all, I myself am guilty of creating fan art, 'Well then, why don't I go up and ask the guy behind the counter if they have any books on illustration?'
Excited and only mostly nervous, I approached the desk with a full sentence planned out in my head. If everything went as planned, the man and I would be talking about art, comics, or bands within minutes.
'Foolproof, Eliza, the plan is FOOLPROOF, just follow the plan,' I thought before I spoke. I opened my mouth to ask the man if the store had any books on illustration, but when his eyes met mine, I froze.
"Uh, uh, um....Do you...d-do you kn-know if, uh, um, if....uh, you h-have any, um, books that, uh, th-that you, um, use to, um.....use to draw and, uh, stuff?" I asked, stuttering several times and failing at speaking like a normal human being. The man looked at me with wide eyes, probably because he had no idea what I just said since it took me so long to say anything.
Out of nowhere, the man who asked me if I was going to buy the Batman and Robin comic book came up and directed me to a section of books about illustration. I was disappointed because the man I was trying to talk to didn't take me to where the books were, but I was also grateful because I was being saved from further embarrassing myself.
After thoroughly inspecting the books and vowing to return to the store with money so I could buy them, I quickly left and met my dad outside his Pilates class, which was just ending.
"Did you have fun in the comic book store, Eliza?" my father asked as we walked towards the car.
"I guess," I answered, feeling a slight blush on my cheeks. We got in the car and my dad began to drive. I most definitely did not look back at the comic book store. Totally.
