Part 2
I'm writing this down so I don't forget it.
You know those moments where you feel so miniscule just because you say something that sounds extremely stupid but it's the truth? Well that's all I felt when I told Tins about what happened last night.
"So, let me get this straight." She said as she was putting down her multiple bags. "Parent stuff happens, as usual. And you walk into the middle of a track field where you saw a dog carrying a bag of clothes. You really expect me to believe something like that?"
"Well, unless the stuff was already there." I murmured, afraid to push the story further.
"That would be the more likely approach babes." She always said things that made the most sense without any sort of doubt. "That would be the most ideal situation since you were at a track course where, you know, men actually take clothes off and run like chickens."
I raised my eyebrows at her. "Now you think it's a boy?"
"Hun, I know it's a man because you wouldn't be so interested if it was a woman." Point proven, I guess.
"Whatever. I took the stuff though." I said in hopes to pique her interest.
"Now that's considered stealing."
I sighed. "I just felt a strong need to return the stuff. I don't know why! The moment I saw the clothes there that night made me feel like I should find the owner and return it."
She laughed, again. "So you're going to be a complete stranger, find this man, give him the clothes you just so happened to find on a track field, and express your love to him?"
"You're making this sound completely ridiculous!" I complained, annoyed by the fact that Tins was right on every level.
"I say just drop the stuff and let it be. Or do the right thing and actually give it to the school's lost and found." Tins wins against the amazing gay stalker.
"Maybe." That was all I had to say.
"Did you check the clothes for I.D.?" She asked casually as she was pulling new bras out of her bags.
"Ah, no." That was a brilliant idea! "You know, I actually have them in the car, I'll go check!"
I stood up and ran outside before Tins could say anything else. She had a point, though. Why does it matter about these clothes? They were just items laid out across the field. Anybody could have just walked over to pick them up. But I could have swore I saw the dog-thing drop them as it was running across the field...
I opened the back door of my car and picked up the black backpack that had teeth marks all over it. That dog's teeth must have been very, very large. Closing the door, I turned and looked down the small cul de sac and thought about how many times I came over here to get away from my family. I always planned ahead for when arguments like those happened. I made multiple copies of my keys and placed them around the yard in case I needed to drive somewhere. On top of that, I almost always leave my drivers license in the car for purposes like these. I took out my phone to look at the time, noon. I guess ____ would have to plan another day with me. I dialed his number and waited for him to pick up. The moment the operator told me that my phone was temporarily disconnected, I slammed it shut and picked up the backpack. Why is it that my parents have to control my entire life just so I can bow down and kiss their goddamn feet?
Catching my breath, I walked by inside Tins house, thankful that someone would at least keep me company rather than have to deal with waiting for my parents to leave the house for an hour. I popped a jelly bean in my mouth and walked into the living room, tossing the backpack on the floor in front of her.
"I think I have proof that the dog was actually carrying this." I said while I pointed at the teeth marks on the straps.
Tins looked down at it and shrugs her shoulders. "Those could be just the wear and tear. Those actually don't even look like teeth marks. The strands are just coming off."
Again, another fact pointed out by the grand observer. "Okay then, let's see if there's any information."
I opened the backpack and took out all the clothes. I didn't realize that there were red boxers in there, and a comb. There were initials on the handle of the comb that read C. B.
"We have initials." I said handing Tins the brush.
Using her two fingers to touch it, she looked at it and stated simply, "That just means 'Come, Butt.'"
I couldn't help but laugh at that one. I picked up the green polo with a white stripe down the middle. I checked the size, large. Looking for anything particular, I noticed a few strands of dog hair on it.
"There's dog hair." I said simply showing her the shirt.
"Who doesn't have a dog nowadays?" She shot back with even more of her matter-of-fact tone.
Sighing and placing the shirt aside and picked up the pair of pants and looked at the tag. Typical 36-32.
"Why do you keep looking at the sizes!?" she screamed, watching my every move.
"I don't know! Just curious I guess..." What is wrong with me and my idiotic come backs?
"The guy ain't gunna come and take you into the land of gold, Dear." Tins said and took the pants from me.
I watched her as she checked the pockets. I saw her face lit up and knew she found something. Oh my God, there was a wallet in there!
She pulled the worn, brown leather wallet out and tossed the pants aside.
"That sucks for the guy." She said as she opened it.
Was it wrong that the only thing I could have cared about in that wallet was a picture of a man who lost his belongings? "Just look for identification or an address."
"Bad news for you hun, there's no I.D." She said casually, but I knew she was going say something else.
"But...?"
She slowly pulled out a card and showed me the company. I slowly took it away from her and read the title of it. The Unnatural and Therapeutic Ways to Cope with your Life.
"I've read about that whole crap." Tins said as she strayed away from the clothing and focused on her laptop. "There's a lot of buzz about it on the internet."
"What is it?" I asked as I searched the rest of the wallet. A hundred dollar bill was all that remained in it.
"Well, there's this company called Revelia that is working on ways to help people with problems that are more difficult to explain. Not a lot has been revealed about them because they strictly ensure the privacy of their clients. But I heard they were also very expensive."
I looked at her, both interested and annoyed with the fact that she learned this all over the damn internet whereas my psychology classes never mentioned this company at all.
"What do they specialize in?" I asked as I stared at the business card.
"They basically find other means to help their clients when other forms of clinical treatment won't work." Tins said as she started to look through her social websites, Myspace in particular.
That's strange, I thought as I flipped the card over. I noticed a name and phone number scribbled in the back of it. Andy Laraway. If this place was so expensive, then obviously the person that lost these clothes must have a lot of money. It's rare for me to see the occasional hundred dollar bill.
"So much for returning the clothes." I said as I slid the card back in the wallet.
The smell of autumn slowly crept in my nose as well as the smell of spices that you would only want to smell during fall. I shook my head slowly, assuming that I'm going crazy and that scent must be a candle somewhere I can't see. It was spring but I could have swore I smelled the scent of a man that wore cologne.
"You want to see a movie?" Tins asked as I was staring off into space.
I shrugged. "I have no money."
"I didn't ask that." She said.
"Sure....I'm down for whatever." I knew that no was not going to be an answer and I need to be preoccupied from everything going on.
As Tins was getting ready to leave, I stepped outside and looked off into their backyard. Tins lived with her Grandpa who practically raised her since she was a child. Looking at the little garden to the right, I smiled and thought of how nice it must be to just not have such authoritarian parents who expect nothing from you but to stay in your bedroom like a locked bird. I looked down at the wallet and shuffled around it some more.In one of the secret side flaps, a green post-it slid out and fell on the cement porch.
I bent over to pick it up, but suddenly a small dog rushed up and grabbed it before I can grasp it.
"Hey....Puppy!" I yelled and started to chase him. This tiny terrier ran like no tomorrow and it never seemed to run out of energy. Cursing and trying my best to plot a strategy to make Puppy stop, I noticed the green post-it was no longer in his mouth. I scowled and glared at the dog, threatening him as I started to search around the backyard.
While I was plotting the dogs demise, I suddenly found the note laying gently on top of a vine of ivy and picked it up. Opening it quickly I realized it was a simple note.
~I know that you want to get together and talk. How about we meet at Hunters at 10 Friday night? We'll deal with it then. Paul.~
As soon as I finished that letter, several questions started to swirl in my head. Was he older than me? Did he have a boyfriend? Was he going to be there if I go? How will I know which one was him? How will I get into Hunters when I'm 19?
But all those questions didn't matter. What mattered the most was that he must go to Hunters, which can only mean he's gay. Right?
"We're going to be late!" Tins yelled at the front door.
I shoved the note in my pocket and quickly ran to her side. This was definitely something that would be kept a secret from Tins for now. What I would need is someone who can help me get into a bar even though I'm under age.
You know those moments where you feel so miniscule just because you say something that sounds extremely stupid but it's the truth? Well that's all I felt when I told Tins about what happened last night.
"So, let me get this straight." She said as she was putting down her multiple bags. "Parent stuff happens, as usual. And you walk into the middle of a track field where you saw a dog carrying a bag of clothes. You really expect me to believe something like that?"
"Well, unless the stuff was already there." I murmured, afraid to push the story further.
"That would be the more likely approach babes." She always said things that made the most sense without any sort of doubt. "That would be the most ideal situation since you were at a track course where, you know, men actually take clothes off and run like chickens."
I raised my eyebrows at her. "Now you think it's a boy?"
"Hun, I know it's a man because you wouldn't be so interested if it was a woman." Point proven, I guess.
"Whatever. I took the stuff though." I said in hopes to pique her interest.
"Now that's considered stealing."
I sighed. "I just felt a strong need to return the stuff. I don't know why! The moment I saw the clothes there that night made me feel like I should find the owner and return it."
She laughed, again. "So you're going to be a complete stranger, find this man, give him the clothes you just so happened to find on a track field, and express your love to him?"
"You're making this sound completely ridiculous!" I complained, annoyed by the fact that Tins was right on every level.
"I say just drop the stuff and let it be. Or do the right thing and actually give it to the school's lost and found." Tins wins against the amazing gay stalker.
"Maybe." That was all I had to say.
"Did you check the clothes for I.D.?" She asked casually as she was pulling new bras out of her bags.
"Ah, no." That was a brilliant idea! "You know, I actually have them in the car, I'll go check!"
I stood up and ran outside before Tins could say anything else. She had a point, though. Why does it matter about these clothes? They were just items laid out across the field. Anybody could have just walked over to pick them up. But I could have swore I saw the dog-thing drop them as it was running across the field...
I opened the back door of my car and picked up the black backpack that had teeth marks all over it. That dog's teeth must have been very, very large. Closing the door, I turned and looked down the small cul de sac and thought about how many times I came over here to get away from my family. I always planned ahead for when arguments like those happened. I made multiple copies of my keys and placed them around the yard in case I needed to drive somewhere. On top of that, I almost always leave my drivers license in the car for purposes like these. I took out my phone to look at the time, noon. I guess ____ would have to plan another day with me. I dialed his number and waited for him to pick up. The moment the operator told me that my phone was temporarily disconnected, I slammed it shut and picked up the backpack. Why is it that my parents have to control my entire life just so I can bow down and kiss their goddamn feet?
Catching my breath, I walked by inside Tins house, thankful that someone would at least keep me company rather than have to deal with waiting for my parents to leave the house for an hour. I popped a jelly bean in my mouth and walked into the living room, tossing the backpack on the floor in front of her.
"I think I have proof that the dog was actually carrying this." I said while I pointed at the teeth marks on the straps.
Tins looked down at it and shrugs her shoulders. "Those could be just the wear and tear. Those actually don't even look like teeth marks. The strands are just coming off."
Again, another fact pointed out by the grand observer. "Okay then, let's see if there's any information."
I opened the backpack and took out all the clothes. I didn't realize that there were red boxers in there, and a comb. There were initials on the handle of the comb that read C. B.
"We have initials." I said handing Tins the brush.
Using her two fingers to touch it, she looked at it and stated simply, "That just means 'Come, Butt.'"
I couldn't help but laugh at that one. I picked up the green polo with a white stripe down the middle. I checked the size, large. Looking for anything particular, I noticed a few strands of dog hair on it.
"There's dog hair." I said simply showing her the shirt.
"Who doesn't have a dog nowadays?" She shot back with even more of her matter-of-fact tone.
Sighing and placing the shirt aside and picked up the pair of pants and looked at the tag. Typical 36-32.
"Why do you keep looking at the sizes!?" she screamed, watching my every move.
"I don't know! Just curious I guess..." What is wrong with me and my idiotic come backs?
"The guy ain't gunna come and take you into the land of gold, Dear." Tins said and took the pants from me.
I watched her as she checked the pockets. I saw her face lit up and knew she found something. Oh my God, there was a wallet in there!
She pulled the worn, brown leather wallet out and tossed the pants aside.
"That sucks for the guy." She said as she opened it.
Was it wrong that the only thing I could have cared about in that wallet was a picture of a man who lost his belongings? "Just look for identification or an address."
"Bad news for you hun, there's no I.D." She said casually, but I knew she was going say something else.
"But...?"
She slowly pulled out a card and showed me the company. I slowly took it away from her and read the title of it. The Unnatural and Therapeutic Ways to Cope with your Life.
"I've read about that whole crap." Tins said as she strayed away from the clothing and focused on her laptop. "There's a lot of buzz about it on the internet."
"What is it?" I asked as I searched the rest of the wallet. A hundred dollar bill was all that remained in it.
"Well, there's this company called Revelia that is working on ways to help people with problems that are more difficult to explain. Not a lot has been revealed about them because they strictly ensure the privacy of their clients. But I heard they were also very expensive."
I looked at her, both interested and annoyed with the fact that she learned this all over the damn internet whereas my psychology classes never mentioned this company at all.
"What do they specialize in?" I asked as I stared at the business card.
"They basically find other means to help their clients when other forms of clinical treatment won't work." Tins said as she started to look through her social websites, Myspace in particular.
That's strange, I thought as I flipped the card over. I noticed a name and phone number scribbled in the back of it. Andy Laraway. If this place was so expensive, then obviously the person that lost these clothes must have a lot of money. It's rare for me to see the occasional hundred dollar bill.
"So much for returning the clothes." I said as I slid the card back in the wallet.
The smell of autumn slowly crept in my nose as well as the smell of spices that you would only want to smell during fall. I shook my head slowly, assuming that I'm going crazy and that scent must be a candle somewhere I can't see. It was spring but I could have swore I smelled the scent of a man that wore cologne.
"You want to see a movie?" Tins asked as I was staring off into space.
I shrugged. "I have no money."
"I didn't ask that." She said.
"Sure....I'm down for whatever." I knew that no was not going to be an answer and I need to be preoccupied from everything going on.
As Tins was getting ready to leave, I stepped outside and looked off into their backyard. Tins lived with her Grandpa who practically raised her since she was a child. Looking at the little garden to the right, I smiled and thought of how nice it must be to just not have such authoritarian parents who expect nothing from you but to stay in your bedroom like a locked bird. I looked down at the wallet and shuffled around it some more.In one of the secret side flaps, a green post-it slid out and fell on the cement porch.
I bent over to pick it up, but suddenly a small dog rushed up and grabbed it before I can grasp it.
"Hey....Puppy!" I yelled and started to chase him. This tiny terrier ran like no tomorrow and it never seemed to run out of energy. Cursing and trying my best to plot a strategy to make Puppy stop, I noticed the green post-it was no longer in his mouth. I scowled and glared at the dog, threatening him as I started to search around the backyard.
While I was plotting the dogs demise, I suddenly found the note laying gently on top of a vine of ivy and picked it up. Opening it quickly I realized it was a simple note.
~I know that you want to get together and talk. How about we meet at Hunters at 10 Friday night? We'll deal with it then. Paul.~
As soon as I finished that letter, several questions started to swirl in my head. Was he older than me? Did he have a boyfriend? Was he going to be there if I go? How will I know which one was him? How will I get into Hunters when I'm 19?
But all those questions didn't matter. What mattered the most was that he must go to Hunters, which can only mean he's gay. Right?
"We're going to be late!" Tins yelled at the front door.
I shoved the note in my pocket and quickly ran to her side. This was definitely something that would be kept a secret from Tins for now. What I would need is someone who can help me get into a bar even though I'm under age.