Fractured Heartstrings

Ch 10

William
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"Would you calm down," I tell the nervously shaking Alyssa. Today was the date we decided it was best to introduce myself to her parents. Ever since I mentioned it this morning, she couldn't seem to stop herself from chewing her fingernails. I knew if her nerves didn't calm, then she would no longer have anymore fingernails to chew.

"You're more nervous than I am," I tell her as I chuckle. I quickly fix my eyes other than the road and take note of how rapidly she bounced her one leg. Usually, the case seemed to be the men were fearing of losing their heads. Obviously by my sight, we must've switched positions.

She lets out a deep sign, "gee, I'm sorry. I guess I'm just real nervous, these things never end well," she tells me, "I haven't seen my parents practically the whole summer and I have no idea what they'll think of me bringing back a boyfriend..."

I shake my head and play a smile, turning my attention back towards the fast moving traffic. Supposedly her parents weren't too far from the centre of downtown, but they weren't exactly walking distance either.

But to be honest, Alyssa seemed crazy nervous. I couldn't say I wasn't, because through my wholehearted honesty, I was surprised I hadn't pissed myself yet.

I followed the directions the GPS built in my car told me. The drive was silent, practically the whole half hour was silent. Dead silent.

It came in the point of the drive where Alyssa insisted shed direct me through her neighbourhood. It wasn't no gated residential, but it could sure come close. One thing was for sure, she wasn't poor. Every corner was filled with luxurious houses only gaining size as we moved upward. It was sorta like an oddly created maze, except this one I didn't mind getting lost in, the sight was beautiful. Colours of green trees, pink flowers, multi-co,lured roofs had me staring in awe.

As we slowly approached her home, I felt my gut turn in trepidation. I certainly acknowledged her parents wouldn't be too fond of the situation. In both my eyes and probably theirs, it seemed everything kept going three times the pace of a normal relationship. Maybe just maybe they'd understand. Hell, maybe her father would lash out on --

Alyssa interrupts my thoughts, "out over there," she points. The house's bricks stood with a light faint colour and very nicely complimented the roof and garbage doors. The garbage was painted a dark brown as well as the front door. In the driveway was parked an older Honda silver van with a visible dent marked in the back headlight.

I cautiously drive and park to the left of the driveway. After parking the car awfully crooked, I look over to Alyssa with uncertainty glowing in my eyes. "You ready?" I ask. "Let's do this," she replied as she unbuckled both herself and my seatbelt.

Stepping out of the car, I couldn't resist but glare at her home once more. I shut my eyes and allow the fear to drain down, letting a deep breath out I can already feel my bones calm. I open my eyes and start up the stairs until I'm reunited with Alyssa at the top.

"It'll be ok, right?" I ask as I hesitantly grab onto her trembling hand. She smiles faintly and says, "it'll be alright. And if it doesn't turn out that way, then fuck it."

She steps forward and rapidly knocks on the glass before deciding to ring the doorbell a few dozen times. I peek through the glass to find a figure making its way closer to the doorway. Now I can most definitely feel my heart up my throat.

Within those couple of quiet silent moments, the door busts open suddenly. "Darling! I've missed you so much!" a curly haired woman exclaims, bringing Alyssa into what seemed like a bone-crushing hug. The woman had big curly locks with nicely coloured bright blonde hair bouncing off her shoulders. Her eyes shone dark brown. Beneath little makeup was poorly covered wrinkles, but not enough too consider she was older than sixty. I assumed she was her mother.