Standing Up to Life

Chapter 5:

THAT WEEKEND WE went over to my grandparent's house for a while. My grandfather gave me a fair amount of heckling over my hair until my grandmother told him to knock it off, because she liked it. I hadn't seen them in about a month, so it was even longer than it had been the last time they'd seen me. I had actually expected more heckling from him, so I was quite pleased that it had ended so abruptly.

With the weekend quickly over, Monday came. I got ready and Mom dropped me off at Amy's house at noon. When Mom had said it was a nice house she wasn't exaggerating. It was a huge two story house with a circular driveway in front of it. I rang the doorbell and stood nervously until she came to the door. "Hey Brandon, come on in!"

I went into her house and she led me up to her room, which was also huge. It was decorated in a mix of little girl colors and bedding, with pictures of some of the latest cute movie stars up on her walls. "So what do you want to do?" She asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know, did you have anything in mind?"

"Well, we could play on my Playstation for a while?" She suggested.

"Sure, that sounds fun." I was willing to go along with almost anything. I wanted her to invite me over again!

We played games on it for a couple hours before we got bored. "Well now what," she asked me.

"I don't know, maybe watch a movie?" I asked.

"Alright, that sounds good." She replied. "What do you want to watch?" She asked me.

"What do you have?" I asked.

"Well... I just got the Lion King yesterday, you want to watch that?" She asked.

"I don't know, is it any good?"

"You mean you haven't seen it yet?!? I can't believe that. Come with me!" She exclaimed as she grabbed my hand and dragged me down to their living room. I was stunned as I saw they had a huge TV that that must have cost a fortune! She led me to the couch and turned on the movie.

"Do you want anything to drink while the previews are going?" She asked.

"Maybe some water please?" I asked. She brought back two glasses of water from the kitchen a few minutes later. And we watched the movie. We actually talked and laughed a fair amount while the movie was playing. And, during the course of the movie I decided I really liked it.

"That was really good. My family doesn't go to the movies so I hadn't seen it yet."

"I love going to the movies, you'll have to go with me the next time something comes out."

"That sounds like fun." I replied.

"By the way, I don't think I told you yet but I like what you did with your hair today. It looks really nice." She told me.

"Thanks. My mom took me to the store and had me pick out some different shampoo, a couple hair brushes, and a blow dryer. I can't believe how different it looks when I take care of it this way."

"You know there are a lot of girls that would kill to have the hair that you have now." She told me.

"Thanks... I think." I said blushing deeply.

"You're welcome. I've been really amazed by how much you've changed this year. I think you're acting a lot more grown up. Everyone has noticed, I think that's why most of the kids have stopped messing with you. Well... that and a bit of fear after Matt's nose." She said laughing and winking at me.

We talked about just about everything over the next couple hours. The two of us had a lot in common, and we had a chance to bond in those few hours like we had never had before. Her mom came home a little later and said, "How are you doing Brandon?"