[World Refugees]
It's not perfect, but I'm still giggling. Took me under two hours to write last night. Poor, poor Eli.
Eli was slumped in his desk chair, staring off into space. His homework was spread out in front of him, with barely more than his name written on the paper. He'd found it difficult to concentrate on silly things like math when his brain was still mulling over the events of last night's dream.
The kiss...and what Kestrel had said. And then there was the girl thing. Eli didn't really mind girls; he'd grown up with Ashlyn and Renee after all, and then there was Lanie...but they were family! Maybe he should ask one of the girls in his class if they wanted to- wanted to- what? What were you supposed to do on a date, anyway? Eli's life up to this point had focused on everything but romance (Cooties, yuck!), and he realized he had no idea where to start.
"Jeeze, I don't wanna ask mom or dad about this."
He collapsed onto his homework with a groan. How was he supposed to start that conversation anyway? 'Hey mom, I need to know what you do with girls when you're on a date, 'cause I need to figure out if I like them that way, because Kestrel kissed me and I'm confused'?
"Jeeeeze."
* * *
A half hour later found him wandering into the kitchen where his mom was seated at the table, bent over a scattering of puzzle pieces and muttering to herself.
"I don't know why I do this, why can't I pick the ones under a thousand pieces?"
Eli grinned a little as he stood next to her. Poor mom.
"Another evil puzzle, huh?"
She picked up a blueish white piece - it might've been part of a cloudy sky - and hovered over a partially completed section before dropping it.
"Bah. Finish your homework?"
"Almost." The grin faded as Eli found himself nervously shifting from foot to foot. "Um, mom, when a guy takes a girl out, what sorta stuff do they do? I mean- uh..."
She turned to stare at him, then jumped up and threw her arms around him.
"My baby's growing up!"
"Ack, mom!" He almost toppled over backwards. "Cut it out!"
She let go of him slowly, then took a step back before reaching up to stroke his hair, a proud little smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"Sorry, but you caught me off guard. I was expecting you to ask your dad about stuff like this."
"Would he know more about it?" Eli bit his lip, wondering if maybe he should've gone to him first.
The smile turned into a grin as she shook her head. "Nope. So, got a crush on somebody?"
"Sorta...kinda...I dunno, I just got to thinking about it, and I wondered."
His mom studied him so intently for the next few moments that he blushed. She didn't know, did she? He knew she still popped into his dreams now and again to check on him, she'd done it ever since he was a little kid, but maybe she'd seen the kiss and he hadn't known she was there and maybe Kestrel hadn't either and oh boy-
His rapid train of thought came to a screeching halt when she suddenly asked, "It's not Renee, is it?"
"Ew mom, no! She's like a cousin or a sister, ew!"
She cracked up and ruffled his hair. "Just checking."
"Ugh." Eli brushed her hand away, trying to straighten his hair with his fingers. His mom dropped back into her chair and picked up another puzzle piece.
"Okay, so whoever it is that you sorta kinda like, you want to ask them out, so you need to know what people do on dates."
Eli felt himself blush again. Close enough. "Yeah."
"Start simple. Ask her if she wants to hang out after school. You guys could play video games, embarrass your dad." She snickered.
"Umm. Maybe. Mom, what if it's not a-"
"Mommy!"
Eli was simultaneously relieved and annoyed as he was interrupted by Lanie bouncing into the room, clutching several pieces of paper.
"I'm done with my story for school! Can I read it to you?"
"Awe, sure sweetie." She reached over and tugged a chair out for her daughter, then looked up at her son.
"Speaking of homework, shouldn't you get back to yours? We can talk more about this tonight, if you want."
"Yeah, maybe." Eli kissed her cheek quickly before mussing his sister's hair. Lanie's indignant yell followed him as he darted out of the kitchen, laughing.
Eli was slumped in his desk chair, staring off into space. His homework was spread out in front of him, with barely more than his name written on the paper. He'd found it difficult to concentrate on silly things like math when his brain was still mulling over the events of last night's dream.
The kiss...and what Kestrel had said. And then there was the girl thing. Eli didn't really mind girls; he'd grown up with Ashlyn and Renee after all, and then there was Lanie...but they were family! Maybe he should ask one of the girls in his class if they wanted to- wanted to- what? What were you supposed to do on a date, anyway? Eli's life up to this point had focused on everything but romance (Cooties, yuck!), and he realized he had no idea where to start.
"Jeeze, I don't wanna ask mom or dad about this."
He collapsed onto his homework with a groan. How was he supposed to start that conversation anyway? 'Hey mom, I need to know what you do with girls when you're on a date, 'cause I need to figure out if I like them that way, because Kestrel kissed me and I'm confused'?
"Jeeeeze."
* * *
A half hour later found him wandering into the kitchen where his mom was seated at the table, bent over a scattering of puzzle pieces and muttering to herself.
"I don't know why I do this, why can't I pick the ones under a thousand pieces?"
Eli grinned a little as he stood next to her. Poor mom.
"Another evil puzzle, huh?"
She picked up a blueish white piece - it might've been part of a cloudy sky - and hovered over a partially completed section before dropping it.
"Bah. Finish your homework?"
"Almost." The grin faded as Eli found himself nervously shifting from foot to foot. "Um, mom, when a guy takes a girl out, what sorta stuff do they do? I mean- uh..."
She turned to stare at him, then jumped up and threw her arms around him.
"My baby's growing up!"
"Ack, mom!" He almost toppled over backwards. "Cut it out!"
She let go of him slowly, then took a step back before reaching up to stroke his hair, a proud little smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"Sorry, but you caught me off guard. I was expecting you to ask your dad about stuff like this."
"Would he know more about it?" Eli bit his lip, wondering if maybe he should've gone to him first.
The smile turned into a grin as she shook her head. "Nope. So, got a crush on somebody?"
"Sorta...kinda...I dunno, I just got to thinking about it, and I wondered."
His mom studied him so intently for the next few moments that he blushed. She didn't know, did she? He knew she still popped into his dreams now and again to check on him, she'd done it ever since he was a little kid, but maybe she'd seen the kiss and he hadn't known she was there and maybe Kestrel hadn't either and oh boy-
His rapid train of thought came to a screeching halt when she suddenly asked, "It's not Renee, is it?"
"Ew mom, no! She's like a cousin or a sister, ew!"
She cracked up and ruffled his hair. "Just checking."
"Ugh." Eli brushed her hand away, trying to straighten his hair with his fingers. His mom dropped back into her chair and picked up another puzzle piece.
"Okay, so whoever it is that you sorta kinda like, you want to ask them out, so you need to know what people do on dates."
Eli felt himself blush again. Close enough. "Yeah."
"Start simple. Ask her if she wants to hang out after school. You guys could play video games, embarrass your dad." She snickered.
"Umm. Maybe. Mom, what if it's not a-"
"Mommy!"
Eli was simultaneously relieved and annoyed as he was interrupted by Lanie bouncing into the room, clutching several pieces of paper.
"I'm done with my story for school! Can I read it to you?"
"Awe, sure sweetie." She reached over and tugged a chair out for her daughter, then looked up at her son.
"Speaking of homework, shouldn't you get back to yours? We can talk more about this tonight, if you want."
"Yeah, maybe." Eli kissed her cheek quickly before mussing his sister's hair. Lanie's indignant yell followed him as he darted out of the kitchen, laughing.