The Art of Life (21 page)

               
“Who works on bikes?” Jack
inquires.

               
Turning around, I say, “My
friend Jeremy.
 
He is a, what do you call
it, gear head?”

               
With a chuckle, Jack says,
“Yeah.
 
That’s cool, if your car ever has
problems.”

               
“I don’t have a car,” I
mutter.
 
“I don’t even have my license.”

               
“How old are you?” Jack asks,
with a surprised look on his face.

               
I cross my arms, “18, but my mom
never took me to go get it.
 
Jeremy is
teaching me, and
get
this, he wants me to get my
motorcycle license.”

               
There is a split second of
silence, before Eric yells, “What!?”
         

               
“Yeah,” I snap.
 
“That was my reaction, too.”

               
“A chick with a motorcycle
license, that’s SO hot,” Jack laughs.
 
“Like seriously….a girl on a bike?
 
That is freaking awesome!”

               
Quite frustrated, I sigh and
smack my forehead.
 
“He probably won’t
relent until I do it, too.
 
I barely have
learned to drive stick.”

               
“He taught you to drive stick?”
Eric asks.

               
“Yeah, on a
flippin
’ muscle car!
 
I am so lucky we didn’t end up around a light pole.
 
Do you have any idea how much power those
things have!?” I exclaim in frustration.

               
That seems to grab Jack’s attention.
 
“Seriously?
 
What kind of car?”

               
“An orange one,” I reply.
 
“I don’t remember what kind it is.
 
I do remember it’s a 1967 something or
another.”

               
“Well, that leaves many options
open,” Jack groans.
 
“You need to find
out more information.
 
I love older
muscle cars.”

               
Shaking my head, I say, “It’s in
pristine condition and he could show it, but doesn’t.
 
I will ask him what it is when I see him
tomorrow.”

               
“You are getting together with
him tomorrow?” Eric inquires, looking out of the corner of his eye.

               
“Oh yeah, got to practice
driving,” I retort.
 
“I did pretty well
for my first time.”

               
Jack nods his head, “I would
have killed to learn on an awesome car like that.
 
I learned on my mom’s station wagon, totally
not noteworthy at all.”

               
Now, I want to smile, but I try
not to.
 
“It was alright.
 
It’s nice that Jeremy has the fast car and
great motorcycle, but there is a lot more to him,” I state, as I look out the
window.
 
“He is a great guy.”

               
“You are really into this guy,
huh?” Jack asks.

               
My eyes look at Eric.
 
He returns my gaze.
 
“Jeremy is a major part of my life.
 
I don’t know what I would do without him.”

               
“That’s cool,” Jack returns.

               
“So, you two are an item then?”
Eric asks.

               
I smile and laugh.
 
“We are a couple of nut jobs.
 
That is what we are.”

               
“Dude,” Jack exclaims, “If you
are going to be in that car tomorrow, you need to bring it by where I
work.
 
I WANT to see what it is.”

               
Turning around, I smirk, “And
where do you work?”

               
“The coffee
place on Hickory.
 
I know it’s
across town, but I swear, I will give you free coffee if you show up.”

               
“I think we can drive by,” I
reply.
 
“Jeremy’s apartment is right by
there.”

               
That seems to shock Eric.
 
“He has his own apartment?”

               
“Uh, yeah,” I retort.
 
“He is 21, and not the type to live with his
parents.”

               
“Where is he from?
 
He didn’t go to our high school,” Eric
questions me suspiciously.

               
After thinking about it for a
minute, I slowly reply, “He is an extremely private person, so I won’t share
his information beyond that he is from Texas.”

               
“That’s a ways away,” Eric
replies.

               
“
Mmhmm
,”
I hum.
 
“So, anyway, how was everyone’s
day?”

               
 
Jack groans.
 
“I have a 12 page paper due tomorrow for English Lit.”

               
“Ouch,” I say.
 
“Shouldn’t you be going home then?”

               
Winking at me, Jack replies, “I
am going to get help.”

               
“I bet you are,” Eric
laughs.
 
“Well, here we are.
 
Not sure why you needed a ride if you were
just going to Joanne’s house.”

               
Jack opens the door, “Because I
am a teenager, and super lazy.”

               
“I walk home every day,” I
state.
 
“Not all teenagers are lazy.”

               
“Are you telling me if you had a
ride home every day, you wouldn’t take it?” Jack asks.

               
That makes me frown.
 
“Good point.”

               
A snort comes out as a response,
“I will see you guys later.
 
Don’t forget
tomorrow Isabelle.”

               
“I won’t.
 
You promised coffee!”

               
He grins.
 
“If you get him to let me drive it, I will
give you free coffee for life.”

               
“I don’t think I have that much
pull, but we shall see,” I giggle.
 

               
“Bye!”
 
Jack waves and shuts the door.

               
I turn and look at Eric.
 
“Okay, so you can let me out on the corner of
Harmony and Twelfth Avenue.”

               
“Why not your
house?”
He asks.

               
“I don’t let anyone see where I
live.
 
Sorry,” I quietly mutter.

               
With a quizzical look, he says,
“Alright.
 
Do you live in a box or
something?”

               
“Yes,” I reply.
 
“Two boxes actually, held together with that
tape that fixes everything.”

               
“Awesome, I hope you at least
have a great view.”

               
A chuckle escapes me.
 
“Yeah, our neighbors
garage.”

               
The corner of Eric’s mouth
twitches.
 
“So, do you have plans all
weekend?”
            

               
He’s asking me about this
weekend.
 
Why!?
 
Oh
my gosh
!
 
What do I say?
 
What do I say!?
 
Play hard to get.
 
“Yup, all weekend, booked full.”

               
“That’s good,” he replies.
 
Then there is silence.
 
I bite my lip and stare out the window.
 
Should I have said that?
 
“Well, if you find yourself free sometime
this weekend.
 
You should call me.
 
I have no plans.
 
I mean, get together as friends, not to tread
on Jeremy’s territory.”
                                         

               
“Oh,” I squeak.
 
“Sure.
 
I don’t have your number.”

               
Looking at me, he says, “Give me
your cell.
 
I will put it in.”

               
“Umm, yeah,” I retort.
 
“I don’t have a cell phone.”

               
“Wow, okay, get out a piece of
paper then.
 
I hope you have that.”

               
Now, I glare at him.
 
“Funny, funny.”
 
Opening my backpack, I take out my
sketchbook.
 
“Okay, what’s your number?”

               
“555-6504.”

               
My heart is going to pound out
of my chest.
 
I seriously just got a
guy’s phone number!
 
And of all the guys,
I got Eric’s.
 
I think I am going to
die.
 
“Alright, got it.”
 
This can’t be happening.
 
Seriously!?

               
“That’s my cell.
 
I would say text me, but that’s kind of hard
to do when you don’t have a phone to text from,” Eric says with a smile.

               
I playfully roll my eyes.
 
“I haven’t really needed a cell phone, but I
am starting to think that I am going to get one.
 
Sooner or later, I am going to have to track
down Jeremy and I don’t want to do it from home.”

               
“Why?”

               
“My mom would probably eaves
drop.
 
So, that means I probably wouldn’t
call you from home either,” I state heavily.

               
Eric laughs.
 
“I used to eaves drop on my sister’s
calls.
 
It drove her nuts.”

               
“That’s so sweet of you.”

               
“I told you, we only started
getting along recently.
 
When she was my
age,
ooooohhhh
man, we did NOT get along.
 
Now, she is 23 and married, having a
baby.
 
It’s different.”

               
 
As we pull up to the corner, I quickly grab my
backpack.
 
“Thanks for the ride.”

               
“Wanting to rush off so
quickly?” Eric says, with a raised eyebrow.

               
“Did you want to talk?” I ask
curiously.

               
Shrugging his shoulders, he
replies, “I was just enjoying our conversation.”

               
“Oh,” I mumble awkwardly.
 
I sit back in the seat.
 
“What do you want to talk about?”

               
With a blank look, Eric says, “I
don’t know.
 
I know nothing about
you.
 
No one does.
 
I know you don’t have friends and all, but I
don’t understand why?”

               
“Have you ever seen those movies
about the dorky, nerdy characters that have no friends and get picked on?
 
Well, that’s me.
 
I just stopped putting myself out there.
 
Jeremy is the first person to really SEE
me.
 
That is why he is so important.”

               
“Are you in love with him?” Eric
asks.

               
Gasping, I say, “NO!
 
What would make you think that!?”

               
“I was just curious,” he
replies.
 
“He seems to mean a lot to
you.”

               
I nod my head.
 
“He does.
 
He is my one true friend.
 
I am
waiting for it to blow up in my face, though.”