17. PATH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17. Path

 

     I WOKE UP AT NINE IN THE MORNING. MAYBE I SHOULD BE A little late on seeing Stephanie. I took a bath and brushed my teeth, I brushed my curls gently, just to waste my time. Then I hurriedly went downstairs to eat breakfast.

     I headed to Shane’s house where Shane is standing at the front porch steps.

     “Hey…” I said.

     “So where are we going?” he asked.

     “Um, is Adam home?” I ignored his question.

     “They’re upstairs, preparing…”

     “Ah… um Shane, there’s no need for you to come with me…”

     “Why? Well I want to…”

     “I think you should come with them on the baseball game…”

     “How did you know—”

     “I talked to Nate…”

     “But I want to help you…”

     “No need… you should go and have some fun…”

     “I don’t like baseball anyway…”

     “It’s your favorite sport… you told me, remember?”

     “Really?”

 

 

♦216♦

 

 

     “You even told me you love collecting baseball cards…”

     “Well…”

     “You should have fun… but just one more thing, can you come with me in your basement? I’d just like to borrow something…”

     “Sure…”

     We went to their basement; good thing Adam didn’t notice me.

     “Okay, um, remember the wig that looks like the hair of Adam? You know the one I used last Halloween…” I remembered last Halloween— I dress up as Adam, Shane dressed up like Nate, Nate dressed up like Shane and Adam dressed up as me— which was really memorable.

     “Of course…” he dug a box full of wigs until he found was he was looking for. “Here…” he handed me the black and wavy wig.

     “Thanks… um, can I also borrow this jacket?” I asked holding the black jacket— which is the same as the one I used last Halloween.

     “Sure… what for anyway?”

     “Well you see, last night when Adam and I were on the park, Stephanie called to his phone twice, I answered it and imitate Adam’s voice, and I did it badly but she’s a real sucker to believe me, she said if I could meet her on the Albona Ristorante Istriano…”

     “She’s hard to fool you know… and that means I should really come with you, even if I’m just in the car… please…”

     “You’ll just waste your time and missed the game…”

     “That’s okay… it will be encored on TV anyway…”

     “Are you really, really, really sure about this? Think about all the fun that you’ll miss…”

     “Yes… I already thought about it last night after you called…”

     “Well…” I bit my lip.

 

 

♦217♦

 

 

     “Please…”

     “Okay… but I’m really, really sorry for keeping you from having fun…” I said hugging him. I know I shouldn’t have done this because he might fall for me even more, but I can’t help it.

     “That’s okay… it’s my choice…” he hugged me back.

     “Okay, so do I look like Adam?” I asked letting him go, then I put the wig and shades on.

     “You’re much skinnier, since you’re a hundred and thirteen pounds while he’s a hundred and forty… but that would do…”

     “Okay…” I put the jacket on.

     “And, you’re much, much taller… boots?”

     “Hey, not my fault I don’t have any sneakers… boots, sandals and flip-flops only…”

     “Here… wear mine… that’s new so I haven’t use it yet, so don’t worry, there’s no smell…”

     “Will this fit me?”

     “We’re the same size…”

     “Thanks… c’mon…”

 

     We reached the park by eleven thirty. I bet she’s upset already.

     “Just wait here, okay? Or if you want, you can catch up—”

     “I’ll just stay here…” he cut me off.

     I went inside the restaurant; I look around a little until I found her smiling friendly. She looks so innocent, I might believe her if I didn’t know. I walk toward her as she stands up to hug me.

     “Hey Adam, I’m so glad you made it… I was a little nervous that you couldn’t come…” she said hugging me.

     “Yah sure…” I tapped her back. I’m getting the hang of imitating Adam’s voice.

     “Lets have a seat then…”

     “So what do you want to talk about?”

     “Why is your voice—”

     “I have a cold and cough…” I fake to cough.

 

 

♦218♦

 

 

     “Oh… um, remember, this is the restaurant where we first dated?”

     “I’m in a hurry…”

     “What’s the hurry? Well I guess you’re busy with your new girlfriend…”

     “Of course…”

     “Just make sure you took the right path…”

     “Of course…”

     “But just remember I’ll be here, waiting for you…” she said playing with my jacket. God she’s a flirt.

     “Ah Stef, I already have a girlfriend, obviously…”

     “Don’t worry… if the continents broke off, what else on you two? Besides, I’m sure you don’t love her as much as you do to me…”

     “How can you be sure?”

     “You told me that you won’t love any girls the way you love me… and I’m sure that’s still true…”

     “Really…”

     “Well, did you already bring her around the world?”

     “She doesn’t like to go…”

     “Tell me, do you really love her, or are you just dating her to make me jealous?”

     “Whatever…”

     “Yah sure… and one more thing… I’m not that easy to fool…” she said taking my wig off.

     “You knew all along?”

     “Of course… you’re too skinny to be Adam…”

     “I don’t care… so you should just stop calling, flirting and brain-washing him!” I stood up. I still tried to keep my temper and to keep my voice low.

     “How sure are you that he’s really in love with you? Did he ask you to marry him? Right, you’re not married yet, so there’s no rule that says he can’t break up with you and go back to me… you’ll just wake up one day that he’s not on your side

 

 

♦219♦

 

 

anymore…”

     “Whatever… you just can’t accept that he’s not yours and will never be…” I took off my jacket.

     “Take that back!” she pulled my hair.

     “Let me go!” I took the glass of water and poured it on her face.

     “Ah! How dare you!” she picked gnocchi and threw it to my hair. Why is she going for my hair?

     I picked a baked pasta dish with béchamel sauce— which I’m pretty sure I’ll regret later, but I really don’t have a choice— and poured it to her dress.

     She tripped; I didn’t notice that she was wearing a white chiffon dress. She tried to stand up, but it was too slippery for her. I like her shoes; suddenly she picked pancetta and topped with a touch of fresh marinara sauce and threw it directly to me, as she stood up. Thank God I have some extra clothes.

     I took the dark chocolate flan and threw it at her. This is kinda fun, just like having a food fight in the cafeteria; only the two of us are only fighting.

     She pulled and crashed a Chocolate Bonet to my hair, but this time I slapped her with a Panna Cotta, then I took a bouquet of roses and took the roses and threw it at her.

     “Whoa! Let’s go…” Shane said dragging me out.

     “Wait, you have to—” a waiter said.

     “Here… keep the change, if there are some…” Shane cut him off and gave him the money, I didn’t see how much. “But I think that wouldn’t cover for her mess, so just ask her for her damage…” he pointed at Stephanie.

     “Yes sir…”

     “It’s like nothing happened…”

     “Yes sir…”

     After we reached his Ferrari, he raised one eyebrow at me.

     “Sorry…” I bit my lip. “I guess you regret coming with me now, huh…”

 

 

♦220♦

 

 

     “No way… that was fun…” he took some sauce out of my hair.

     “But please don’t tell Adam…”

      “Sure… but don’t you want to change first?”

     “Oh right, can you hand me my bag? I have some extra clothes… I’m prepared for this…”

     “Here…” he chuckled.

     I headed to the rest room and changed. Good thing Stephanie’s not yet there. I washed my hair and brushed it quickly—reminding me of my straight hair— and went out before I could see her again.

     “Wow, you’re pretty on all kinds of hairstyles… from curls to straight…”

     “Well, I need to get the gnocchi and bonet out of my hair… she’s really going for my hair back there…”

     “Okay… so where are we going?”

     “Is the baseball game finish?”

     “Not yet… but I guess when we reach there, it’s already done…”

     “Okay… want to have lunch?”

     “Sure… but not there…”

     “Okay… do you have a blower and a curler?”

     “Yah… on our house… my mom has the curler, since mine is already curled.”

     “Great… I can’t find mine…”

     “C’mon…” he went in his car.

     “Okay…” I went in his passenger’s seat.

     He started the car. “So what’s with the food fight?”

     “She pulled my hair, I gave her some water, and she gave me a gnocchi in return…”

     “a lot of sauce?”

     “Kinda…”

     “Too bad I didn’t have the chance to taste the bonet…”

 

 

♦221♦

 

 

     “Yah… good thing it’s not a cheesecake… or I’ll be regretting it…”

     “Hmm… cake sounds good now… want to stop by and buy one?”

     “Sure… what flavor?”

     “Since you had a chocolate bonet on your hair, then it’s chocolate…”

    “Okay…”

 

     We reached their house by one— we didn’t bother buying a cake, well actually, since I’m such a chatter, we didn’t notice that we already got pass of the bakeshop— and I guess they’re not home yet.

     “Maybe we should eat here, anyway…” he said.

     “Yah sure… so where’s your blower?”

     “At my room…”

     “Okay…”

     He led me to his room—which looks quite different from the last time I saw it. The walls which was painted white before is now painted pearl blue, his things had been rearranged, from the bed which was huge and white, with clouds of gossamer floating down from the canopy to the floor, which is still pale wood that matched the other room. His wii is still on the side, and now there’s more shelf and shelf of books. God he’s such a genius. He sometimes acts older than his age, this is the main reason why until now I’m still in shock and I can’t believe that I became the valedictorian.

     “Here you go…” he said handing me his blower and Ashley’s curler.

     I looked at the mirror and dried my hair first, then I curled my hair gently. “Hey, what are you looking at?” I face him.

     He quickly hid his hands behind him. “Nothing…”

     “Hmm…”

     “So what do you want to eat?”

 

 

♦222♦

 

 

     “Anything… you know how to cook?”

     “A little… but we have a lot of cookbooks…”

     “Okay, since you let me use your blower, I’ll cook…”

     “Sure…”

     “What do you want?”

     “You can follow some on recipes on the cookbooks…”

     After I fixed my hair, we headed to their kitchen then he took only ten cookbooks— from a hundred cookbooks— from the first shelf. Then I just flipped it to spot something interesting.

     “How about… this light vegetable lasagna and cabbage, then for dessert, sugar-free pudding?”

     “Sure… I’ll do the pudding…”

     “Okay…” I grabbed an apron. I remembered this recipe, which Abby did before, though I didn’t ask on how she did it. I quickly prepared the ingredients— four bell peppers cut in half lengthwise discard the seeds and membrane, six yellow squash, halves lengthwise and cut into one-inch pieces, half teaspoon sea salt, a half teaspoon black pepper, four garlic cloves, minced, one large onion, chopped, one teaspoon dried oregano, a half cup chopped fresh basil, one and a half cups grated sharp provolone cheese, a half cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese, two cups low-fat cottage cheese, two cups spinach leaves, chopped, and nine whole-wheat — and followed the instructions carefully. It says preheat the broiler. Then place pepper halves on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil fifteen minutes or until blackened.

     “How’s the pudding going?”

     “Great… it’s easy…”

     “Good for you…”

     After that, I combined the oil, salt, black pepper, squash and onion on the same foil-lined baking sheet and baked it for twenty minutes at four hundred fifty ˚F. No wonder whenever I order lasagnas on some restaurants it always take them a little long before they finish it.

 

 

♦223♦

 

 

     Then I took it from the oven and combined it with garlic in a bowl. Then I decreased the oven temperature to three hundred seventy-five ˚F. I combined all cheeses with the dried oregano and basil. Then I spread the bottom pan with one-third teaspoon extra virgin oil. Then I arranged the three noodles over the saucepan; top with one cup of cheese mixture, one cup of spinach, four bell-pepper halves, two cup vegetable mixture. Then I repeated layers, ending with noodles. I covered and baked it at three hundred seventy-five ˚F for fifteen minutes. Finally, I uncovered it and sprinkled with the mozzarella cheese. Then I baked it for another twenty minutes.

     “Yes! It’s finally finished!” I said in relief.

     “Great! I’m starving…”

     “Here…” I sliced it gently and put it on his plate. “Try it…”

     “Okay…” he took a bite. “It’s amazing! But a little hot…”

     “Great…” I took a slice for me then sat beside him.

     “So what do you think?”

     I took a bite. “It tastes great…”

     “Hey guys…” Adam said. “Hey, I though you’re doing your chores today?” he looked at me.

     “I finished early…”

     “Ah…”

     “Want to taste it? I cooked…”

     “Sure…” he borrowed my fork and took a bite. He pretended to choke.

     “Hey, a simple gross would be okay…”

     “Just kidding, it tastes wonderful…” he smiled crookedly.

     “You’re lying…”

     “No, it really tastes great…”

     “If you’re telling the truth, then why don’t you take a plate?”

     “Sure…” he took a plate and a slice. “There, happy?” he took a bite.

     “Yah…”

     “Did you bake this here?”

 

 

♦224♦

 

 

     “Yah…”

     “Where’s the mess?”

     “I’m not as messy as you, don’t worry…” I took a bite.

     “So where’s Nate?”

     “Kyla’s house…”

     “Ah…” I took another bite.

     “So how’s the game?” Shane asked.

     “It’s great… the New York Yankees won….”

     “Ah…”

     I look at Shane, he shouldn’t have asked about it. I knew how he love that team and baseball. “So who wants pudding?” I changed the topic.

     “Sure…” Adam said.

     I took the pudding from the refrigerator.

     “Who did this?”

     “Me…” Shane said.

     “This better taste good…”

     “Of course… he followed the cookbook…” I said.

     “So, do we need a plate for this or just dig in?”

     “Dig in!” Shane said.

     “Sure…” I said.

     Adam tasted it first then me, Shane was a little scared to try it at first.

     “It tastes great…” I commented.

     “Yah…” Adam agreed.

     “It’s okay…” Shane said.

     “Oh yah, my best friend, Miley, will be visiting here for a few days for now…”

     “Great…” Adam said.

     “But that doesn’t mean you won’t be visiting here, right?” Shane asked.

     “Of course not… I don’t want to lose in touch with my other best friend…” I said. I’ll still try my plan for Miley and Shane. I hope it’ll work.

 

 

♦225♦

 

 

     Adam cleared his throat.

     “Of course you too…”

     “Good…”

     “Just call us when you’ll fetch her…” Shane said.

     “Thanks…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

♦226♦

Reviews

[blackrose24]

i like the food fight part.. i had experienced a food fight before, and i do admit, getting messy plus being sent off to the principal's office was fun.. :)