Authors: Beverly Marsh
The next day turned out to be one of the best days of Karlie’s life. Sure, her mother was still on her case, and she still had detention but those things didn’t matter because she, Joey, and Colin were going to Chinatown and Little Italy after.
What kind of confused her, though, was the fact that while she was sitting in the backseat of the pickup truck with Colin, she felt the butterflies in her stomach that were like the same as she felt while she was kissing Joey yesterday.
Was this some kind of a joke?
She asked herself.
She couldn’t possibly have feelings for them both, she told herself. But then again…what’s impossible these days?
Maybe, she did have feelings for both of them. And, maybe, there was nothing wrong with that. After all, they were all going through detention together. They were what she had at this moment, and maybe, she was just appreciative of that.
But she really couldn’t deny the electricity flowing through her veins as she was sitting down beside Colin. He looked like he was having a lot of fun, too, excited about things to come.
“What are you thinking of?” She asked him.
“Nothing,” He said, “Just…wow, this is fun. It’s funny how it’s like, I’ve been in a shell all along, and there are just a lot of things out there, you know? And,” he said as he looked at her, “You’re beautiful.”
She blushed. She knew she did.
“You look great yourself, too.” She smiled.
He then moved his face closer to hers, and it was like time stopped as his lips touched hers. She felt sparks going around her body like this moment is something that she’s always waited for.
She kissed him back softly, and for a couple of seconds there, it was like nothing really mattered anymore.
“Take it easy, lovebirds!” Joey’s voice brought them back to reality. It was funny how they didn’t notice that his truck actually stopped already, and they were then at the parking area near Chinatown.
Karlie rolled her eyes as she and Colin were prompted to break apart. She caught Joey’s eye and for a second there, she thought she saw the first few glimmers of jealousy—but maybe, she was wrong.
Colin jumped out of the truck first and helped Karlie go down, too. “Thanks.” She muttered and smiled.
“So…” Karlie said, and she wiped her hands on her ripped jeans. “We’re here.”
“You bet we are.”
Joey led the way and Karlie and Colin apparently just couldn’t get their hands and lips off each other, never minding whether people saw. Maybe, that was the whole point of this adventure, Karlie thought. Maybe, they needed to forget about norms and all these things that people impose on them and just be who they wanted to be.
Of course, she also couldn’t help but appreciate the fact that it was as if they were already in a different realm. Chinatown’s in New York, but it didn’t feel like New York at all—except for the weather.
They were surrounded by shops of every kind—fruit stands, fish stores, and lots of piñatas and Chinese lanterns. There were restaurants, too, of course, and they made sure that they tried at least a dish in each one. They had the famous for being infamous Soup #5, some stir-fried noodles and vegetables, and dim sum. By the end of it, they were full but made sure they still had space in their stomachs for some pasta and gelato as Little Italy was also close by.
Colin asked them to wait for him as he wanted to buy some fruits and those fish snacks for his little sister at home, so Joey and Karlie waited for him by the pick-up truck.
“So…” Joey told Karlie as they stood close to each other while there was a throng of people surrounding them. “You couldn’t get your hands off each other, huh?”
“Jealous much?” She teased.
He laughed. “Can’t blame him.” He said. “You really are something.”
“I am something, huh?” She quipped as she looked at him and ran her index finger over his lips.
“Yeah,” he muttered. Both of their hearts were now racing with the excitement of it all. He looked her in the eyes and touched her cheeks. “Mind if I kiss you?” He asked.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed him instead. She didn’t know how long they stood there and kissed each other until they heard Colin’s voice teasing them.
“Okay, lovebirds…” He quipped and laughed. “Uhm…Come on now?”
Joey and Karlie couldn’t help but laugh. It sure wasn’t the most normal situation, but it was good for them. It was good because, for the first time in a long time, Karlie felt like she didn’t have to worry about anything, and she had her boys to fend for her.
And for now, that was all that mattered.
“Come on,” Joey said, “Colin, you can drive the car. I’ll sit with Karlie.” He said, giving her a knowing look.
“What if I drive—”
“Don’t even think about it,” Colin and Joey said at the same time.
And that was when they all cracked up.
“It’s like…a Panini.” Karlie said as she, Joey, and Colin were looking up the Flatiron Building that Saturday. The said building was famous for looking like a clothes’ iron, which is quite an innovation in itself considering it was established way back 1902.
“We go all the way here, and all you could say is that the Flatiron Building looks like a Panini,” Joey said. “Classy, Karlie, really.”
“What?!” Karlie punched him lightly on the shoulder. “It’s true. Like, look at it.”
“She’s probably hungry, man,” Colin said, “Let’s go grab some pretzels and hotdogs and go to that Battery Park that you’re talking about.”
“You know,” Joey said, “that’s a pretty good idea.”
***
The air was cool as Karlie sat down in between Joey and Colin. They had a perfect view of the Statue of Liberty as they sat on a patch of grass near the New York Harbor. Battery Park was amazing that way, Karlie thought. It was amazing how a certain patch of land could separate the sea from the rest of New York; how it was just so serene and so light in there.
“I never thought I’d see the day that I’d see Lady Liberty this way,” Colin said as he looked ahead.
“Why?” Karlie asked.
“Nothing,” He said, “It’s just like…when you get to see her, you’re supposed to be surrounded by all these people but then again, I realized that you could actually see it in a more peaceful manner. And with you guys, too.”
“Now I’m touched.” Joey quipped, and they all laughed.
“Now that I think about it,” Karlie said, “I’m really going to miss you guys once detention ends.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t know how I’d be without you guys again.”
“Hey,” Colin said, “The friendship doesn’t have to end after detention. We still have the rest of the summer, and besides…after detention, why don’t we do something?”
A lot of things were going through Karlie’s head then, and she wondered whether they felt the same way too; whether they were thinking the same things.
“I like the sound of that,” Joey said. “We can go to my place and celebrate.”
“I’m in.” Karlie smiled.
“Yeah, that would be cool.” Colin agreed. “So, why don’t we head over to Central Park now? I’d really love to try those boats!”
“But…” Karlie muttered. “Wasn’t that like, our last plan? Does that mean that it’s the end of our adventure now?”
“Who said that?” Joey asked. “You know we could always make our own plans.”
Karlie just couldn’t help but smile.
***
And make their own plans they did.
They actually didn’t go to Central Park right away. Instead, they chose to go to Coney Island first and ride the Ferris Wheel. They even played some games, such as stacking those rings and throwing balls at targets. Joey and Colin won some stuffed bears for Karlie, and she was just at the happiest point in her life that she didn’t care about her mom calling her, or about the fact that she still had to re-submit that music project to Mr. Kessler.
What only mattered at that moment was the fact that she’s just so happy to be with the two most important men in her life. They traversed the High Line and took loads of pictures, checked out Grand Central just for the heck of it, and when they finally arrived in Central Park, they decided to do everything they could.
They rode the boats, and Karlie laid her head on Joey’s lap as Colin stroked her back while they were sitting on the grass. For her, it was just the most comforting thing of all. She felt secure with both of them. She felt like, for the first time in her life, she didn’t have to conform to anything and that the world really was so much more than what most people think it is.
They ended the day by going to the Empire State’s Observation Deck. Karlie has been there before, but she never really felt anything because she was just with her family and she didn’t get to spend time with people who really meant much to her; who made her feel that living wasn’t actually so bad at all.
“Wow,” Colin said as he looked down. “We’re on top of the world!”
This made all of them laugh.
“It’s so funny, isn’t it?” Karlie asked. “Like…the world is just this big sphere of a thing and yet, we don’t often appreciate it. Just take New York for example. We’ve been here for so long, and we don’t get to see it this way.”
“Life’s life,” Colin said. “Sometimes, you really could get so caught up in a lot of things. I sure have.” He took a deep breath. “I always thought I knew everything already and then I met you guys and realized that there’s just so much about the world that I need to know. Actually,” he looked at them, “I’m planning to go on a trip this summer. Maybe, a cruise or something. Just see where the wind takes me and all that…”
“That sounds fun,” Karlie said although the thought of him leaving was breaking her heart a bit. She was still enjoying her time with him—with them—and she just couldn’t let both of them go.
“Yeah, that does,” Joey said. “I don’t think I’m going to college right away, though. Band’s planning to go to LA, see what happens, but we’ll see…”
“You guys are leaving me?” Karlie asked.
“Hey,” Joey said, “those are just plans. Maybe, you could leave New York, too.” He said. “We’d all see the world together somehow then we could meet up again and…you know…”
For a while, none of them spoke. It was like all of them felt the gravity of the situation. That in time, they really would have to let each other go, and this would all end somehow.
“Let’s not think about anything,” Colin said, “For now,” he held Karlie’s hand, “this is all that matters.”
Karlie smiled and took Joey’s hand, too.
Colin was right. There was no use thinking too much about the future without savoring the present first. Maybe, this was all they had for now—and there was absolutely nothing wrong with that.
“Where have you been, young lady?” Mrs. Anderson said as Karlie got home that night. It was already way past 9, and for her mom, that was really late already.
“Sorry, I just…” Karlie didn’t really know what to say. “Well, we were working really hard and—”
“Working really hard or traversing around town?”
Karlie was confused.
How is it that her mother gets to know these things?
“If you’ve forgotten, young lady, I have friends at the Empire State and one of them said that she saw you going on the deck with two guys. And well, you did post a photo on Facebook with Joey and that half-Italian classmate of yours, didn’t you?”
Karlie couldn’t help but sigh. “Yeah, well, I’m sorry.” She put her purse down the couch and sat down. “But mom, I’ve never really went out like this in the past couple of months as I’ve had a tough senior year, but now that it’s ending…don’t you think I deserve this?”
“Deserve this?” Mrs. Anderson scoffed. “Deserve what exactly, Karlie? To be what, both of these guys’ lady of the month or whatever? I didn’t raise you to be that way.”
“You didn’t raise me to be anyway, exactly.” Karlie argued.
“Oh, don’t you dare pin this on me, Karlie,” Mrs. Anderson said. “This is your own doing.”
“But I’m not doing anything wrong!”
“Oh, please. I know how these things go. You hang out with these guys thinking that it’s all fun until one day, you fall for both of them and you get your heart broken. I just don’t want you to have to endure those things when I know we both could prevent them from happening.”
“But I’m at the happiest I’ve been in for years!” Karlie said a little too loudly. “All this time, you keep on telling me how to act like a proper lady and be the kind of girl who’s so precious and so worth bringing home to mom or whatever, but what if I’m not that girl, mom? What if I don’t think I could ever be that person? This isn’t life, mom. You giving me all these things, paying for my education and all that? That’s not life. Yes, I’m thankful, I really am, but you can’t pretend that that’s all there is to life.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” Mrs. Anderson said, and for what seemed like the first time, Karlie heard some heartbreak in her mother’s voice—like she was about to cry, but she was trying so hard not to.
Mrs. Anderson went on. “When I was your age,” She opened up, “I thought I knew everything, too. I had two guys who were good friends of mine, and you know…one thing led to another and before we knew it…” She trailed off and took a deep breath, “You’re eighteen, Karlie. You should know how to take care of yourself.”
“Were you happy?” Karlie asked.
Mrs. Anderson laughed. “As I could ever be.” She said. “But life’s not just meant for the things you want, you know? Maybe, I’ve been tough on you. Maybe, you’ve never felt that I was really there for you, with you…but I only did what I could to make sure you grow up well. And I guess, you did.”
Karlie hugged her mother. She may not show it well, but she still and will always love her. But she knew that there was one more important question that needed to be asked.
“So, what happened?” She asked. “I mean…where are they now?”
“We all had to go our separate ways,” Mrs. Anderson answered. “To be honest, I guess none of us really wanted to act on it. We just wanted to have fun and…and, we all had these plans for our lives so we really couldn’t just stay in our bubble.”
Karlie nodded and took a deep breath.
“As for you, young lady,” Mrs. Anderson said, “You have a good head on your shoulders. I guess, this is all up to you now.” She tapped her on the shoulder, “Good Luck.”