Bache (trans: Child)

The next week were very quiet and calm compared to everything that had happened? I most spent time with my friends, Jack and reading. The one complicated thing that I did handle was the situation with Aryan.  Two days after my conversation with Kevin at Rally’s, I went over to Aryan’s house to talk to him.

I think he knew what I was going to say when he tried to give me kiss at the front door and I dogged it so it landed on my cheek. He had a peculiar expression on his face for a moment before he smiled and invited me in.

I walked in and sat down on the same couch that Aryan and I had our first kiss on and I flushed a little. Aryan smiled and asked “Do you want something to drink?”

“No. Thanks. Sit, Aryan I need to talk to you”. I said

Looking just a little sad, Aryan sat down across from me and said “I know what you are here to say and my response is okay”

I was thrown a little and said “wait, what? How do you know what I’m going to say?”

Aryan smiled again and said “when you didn’t return my calls or my texts messages the last two days, I was starting to get the picture. And just now when you obviously dodged the kiss I was trying to give you, I got the full picture”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so we lapsed into silence. Surprisingly though, the silence was uncomfortable but charged with un-said things.

Finally, I looked at Aryan “I’m sorry. I know this is going to sound cliché but it’s the truth. It’s not you, it’s me” Aryan smiled at that and smiling in return I continued “I just have way too much going on at the moment. The whole thing with Kevin and now you. I feel like I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster and I’m tired of it. The only ride I was to be on right now is plain and safe kiddy coaster that doesn’t really get off the ground”

At my second analogy, Aryan burst out laughing and that released the remnants of tension that had been left in the room. We talked a little bit more about what my expectations were of Aryan regarding the whole kiss and I told him that I had none. He was free to date anyone he wanted to because I didn’t want to force him “to wait for me” because I didn’t know if I would ever be ready to start something with him because I didn’t want to lose another one of my best friends.

The rest of my time at Aryan’s place was spent in the same way that I had spent countless days there. We just talked, watched TV and hung out and when I left a few hours later, Aryan gave me hug, just like before the kiss incident and I left knowing that I had at least managed to salvage this friendship.

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Before I realized it, it was time for me to go to Seattle for the Boeing interview and the long weekend with Alex.

My parents who had come back from their trip, even more over protective then before, if it was possible were fussing about me driving to Seattle alone. My mom kept telling my dad that she wasn’t going to let me drive over 12 hours alone and my dad ignored her at first and then got onto her band wagon as well.

After listening to 3 days of this, I finally had enough and in frustration I almost screamed “What the hell do you want me to do that?”

My parents, who speak and understand English wonderfully, just stared at me in shock for a minute before they snapped out of it.

“WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY” my dad yelled

As soon as the words had escaped my mouth I knew that I was in trouble. My parents do not take talking back to them lightly, especially talking back to them and cursing.

“Sorry” I said, looking at the ground because somehow my dad manages to always make me back down from a fight with him before it even starts.

After a 10 minute lecture on how to not talk to your parents and what a disappointment I was, my dad finally stopped talking. Just when I thought that it was over and we could move on, my mom, who had remained most quiet so far, started talking which quickly turned into another lecture.

When they were finally both done, I was close to tears and just wanted to get the hell out of there. Of course that wasn’t going to happen as I well knew because my parents love to rub things like this in my face and wouldn’t be letting me out of the house anytime soon unless it was for class or work.

When Jack came home a few hours later, I was, I admit it, sulking in my room. He must have talked to mom and dad because when he knocked on my door and I told him to go away, he ignored it and came in anyway.

“So what are you in for and how long” he asked

Despite everything, I had to smile at his phrasing of the question and said miserably “I yelled at mom and dad after they wouldn’t shut up about the drive. And 8 days, until I leave for Seattle”

“What can’t you do” Jack asked

“No car and I have to be home the moment I get out of class and work. No lunch with friends even if it is during my time at USC” I said getting angry again “It is just like middle school again when you get grounded. Accept for the car. The car that is mine that I paid for too”

Jack smile and gave me hug and said “well you know what happens when you talk back to mom and dad”

Since I was already in a bad mood, Jack’s flippant tone annoyed me even more and I snapped “you mean this is what happens to ME” I glared at Jack when he looked at me “because all you get is a glare. I get treated like I’m a child…”