Categories > Original > Romance > The Keys
The next day was Saturday. As Victoria walked downstairs, she saw her mom sitting at the kitchen counter eating cereal.
“Good morning,” her mom said with a mouthful of cereal.
“‘Morning”.
Victoria walked over and grabbed a Pop Tart before making her way out the door.
“Where are you going? It’s 10 in the morning.” Her mom asked.
“Just for a walk to the park, it’s a nice day out.”
“Ok just be back soon, we need to finish unpacking.”
Victoria responded by sighing, and walking out the front door. In truth, Victoria had no idea where she was going. But if she stayed, her mom was sure to question her all about her first day which was something Victoria did not want to talk about.
Beads of sweat were already forming on Victoria’s forehead as her feet crunched over their gravel driveway. The day was unbelievably hot and it wasn’t even noon. She started her walk towards the little park at the end of their neighborhood. Only one more year until she got her license.
The park was small. On the right was a little field where kids would play games of kickball during the summer. To the left was a couple of benches and an old playground. Everything was rusted, and the swings creaked as little kids climbed onto them. Victoria sat down on the bench and let the sun beat down on her face. The heat felt good on her face, and it warmed her entire body. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes while listening to the sounds around her. It was when she heard the sound of someone walking towards her that she picked her head up and opened her eyes.
The sun was temporarily blinding, and it wasn’t until the person sat down on the bench next to her that she was able to focus and see who it was.
“Hi.” He said
She blinked.
“Hi.”
“How was your first day at Oak Ridge?” Adam asked.
“It was good. Except for getting lost.”
Now he blinked.
“Didn’t anybody give you a map or show you around?”
“Once,” Victoria replied, remembering how she had to rely on Rebecca to get to her history class, “the school isn’t that hard to navigate.”
“Well next time your lost, come find me. I’d be happy to show you around.” Adam flashed her a smile almost as blinding as the sun. His hair that morning was unkempt. He had to keep pushing strands back from his face. His blue streak was hidden under the mess of his other hair.
“Aren’t you hot?” she asked, noticing he had his leather jacket on top of a blue v-neck and black skinny jeans.
“No. This is what I usually wear, I’m used to it.”
“Oh.”
They both fell into an uncomfortable silence, unsure of what to say next.
“I better go; I need to help my mom unpack. Our house is still covered in boxes.”
“Do you need help?” Adam asked her, staring right into her eyes.
Victoria raised her eyebrows in surprise, that was something she had not expected.
“Really? You want to spend your Saturday helping me unpack?”
“Why not?” he gave her a soft smile and stood up. Adam offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet. When they were standing, their faces where an inch apart. Victoria could feel his breath on her face. Her eyes raked over his face, taking in every little detail.
“My house is this way.” She managed to stutter, and turned away.
“Lead the way.”
*
“Mom?” Victoria called, “Are you here?”
She heard soft thumps coming down the stairs as her mom appeared.
“Hi sweetie. Have a nice time at the park?” As she finished the sentence, her mom’s eyes flicked over to Adam standing right behind Victoria.
“Uh yeah. This is Adam, he’s a friend from school. He offered to help us unpack.”
“Oh.” Her mom’s voice had gained an icy chill to it, something Victoria didn’t understand.
“Nice to meet you,” Adam spoke, “You have a lovely house.”
“Thank you”, she said. Victoria’s mom was smiling through pursed lips.
Before things got any more awkward, Victoria told her mom that they would be upstairs and led Adam to the stairs. They climbed the stairs in silence and Adam followed Victoria down to the end of the hallway and into a small room on the right.
“This is my room. All the boxes here are books and CD’s while the boxes in the other corner are bedding and sheets.”
“Well let’s get started.” Adam said and started to peel back the tape on the box full of books and CD’s.
They had been unpacking and stacking whatever was in the boxes for about a half hour before Adam spoke.
“Tell me about your life.”
“What?”
“Tell me about your life. I want to know more about you.”
He never ceased to amaze Victoria with his random and straightforward questions.
“Well this is my seventh move; my dad is a petty officer.”
He nodded and signaled her to continue.
Victoria continued with her life story. She included everything from her one year at gymnastics which she failed at miserably, to the details of all seven moves. The entire time Adam continued to help her unpack and nodded occasionally, letting her know he was still listening. The only time he made a comment was when Victoria mentioned that they hadn’t heard from her dad in over a month, to which he simply said, “I’m sorry.” There was something about him that didn’t make her hold back and Victoria included every detail. By the time she was done with her story, it was in the late afternoon and most of the boxes had been unpacked.
“Thank you for helping me.” Victoria said, as she wasn’t quite sure what else she could say.
“It’s no problem…” Adam trailed off.
Victoria looked up and was surprised to see him standing right in front of her.
“Do you want to hang out tomorrow? It’s my turn to tell my story.” His voice was soft and gentle, and he smiled in her direction. It was at that moment that Victoria wanted to run up to him, wrap her arms around his buff body clad in tight clothes, and give him a kiss. The feeling shocked her.
As Adam was walking out her front door to walk home, he turned around and gave her a slow wink. The sun was setting behind him, and it seemed as if he was glowing. The last thing she saw as he left was his slow, casual saunter and the normally hidden blue streak peeking out around his shaggy hair.
When Victoria turned back around, she saw her mom standing there.
“I don’t like that Adam kid.” she stated.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I don’t think you should hang out with him anymore.”
“Why? You don’t even know anything about him!” Victoria fired back.
“I don’t need to. I’ve seen the way he’s dressed and his makeup. It is simply unacceptable.”
Victoria just stood there and blinked at her mom.
“Honey,” her mom said, stepping forward and grasping her shoulders, “I think he’s gay.”
Victoria’s mouth dropped open.
“What does that have to do with anything?! Are you homophobic?”
Victoria wrenched her mom’s hands away before turning away and running into her room. She slammed her door and sat down on her bed, hunched over.
It was then that she remembered her plans with Adam tomorrow.
“Good morning,” her mom said with a mouthful of cereal.
“‘Morning”.
Victoria walked over and grabbed a Pop Tart before making her way out the door.
“Where are you going? It’s 10 in the morning.” Her mom asked.
“Just for a walk to the park, it’s a nice day out.”
“Ok just be back soon, we need to finish unpacking.”
Victoria responded by sighing, and walking out the front door. In truth, Victoria had no idea where she was going. But if she stayed, her mom was sure to question her all about her first day which was something Victoria did not want to talk about.
Beads of sweat were already forming on Victoria’s forehead as her feet crunched over their gravel driveway. The day was unbelievably hot and it wasn’t even noon. She started her walk towards the little park at the end of their neighborhood. Only one more year until she got her license.
The park was small. On the right was a little field where kids would play games of kickball during the summer. To the left was a couple of benches and an old playground. Everything was rusted, and the swings creaked as little kids climbed onto them. Victoria sat down on the bench and let the sun beat down on her face. The heat felt good on her face, and it warmed her entire body. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes while listening to the sounds around her. It was when she heard the sound of someone walking towards her that she picked her head up and opened her eyes.
The sun was temporarily blinding, and it wasn’t until the person sat down on the bench next to her that she was able to focus and see who it was.
“Hi.” He said
She blinked.
“Hi.”
“How was your first day at Oak Ridge?” Adam asked.
“It was good. Except for getting lost.”
Now he blinked.
“Didn’t anybody give you a map or show you around?”
“Once,” Victoria replied, remembering how she had to rely on Rebecca to get to her history class, “the school isn’t that hard to navigate.”
“Well next time your lost, come find me. I’d be happy to show you around.” Adam flashed her a smile almost as blinding as the sun. His hair that morning was unkempt. He had to keep pushing strands back from his face. His blue streak was hidden under the mess of his other hair.
“Aren’t you hot?” she asked, noticing he had his leather jacket on top of a blue v-neck and black skinny jeans.
“No. This is what I usually wear, I’m used to it.”
“Oh.”
They both fell into an uncomfortable silence, unsure of what to say next.
“I better go; I need to help my mom unpack. Our house is still covered in boxes.”
“Do you need help?” Adam asked her, staring right into her eyes.
Victoria raised her eyebrows in surprise, that was something she had not expected.
“Really? You want to spend your Saturday helping me unpack?”
“Why not?” he gave her a soft smile and stood up. Adam offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet. When they were standing, their faces where an inch apart. Victoria could feel his breath on her face. Her eyes raked over his face, taking in every little detail.
“My house is this way.” She managed to stutter, and turned away.
“Lead the way.”
*
“Mom?” Victoria called, “Are you here?”
She heard soft thumps coming down the stairs as her mom appeared.
“Hi sweetie. Have a nice time at the park?” As she finished the sentence, her mom’s eyes flicked over to Adam standing right behind Victoria.
“Uh yeah. This is Adam, he’s a friend from school. He offered to help us unpack.”
“Oh.” Her mom’s voice had gained an icy chill to it, something Victoria didn’t understand.
“Nice to meet you,” Adam spoke, “You have a lovely house.”
“Thank you”, she said. Victoria’s mom was smiling through pursed lips.
Before things got any more awkward, Victoria told her mom that they would be upstairs and led Adam to the stairs. They climbed the stairs in silence and Adam followed Victoria down to the end of the hallway and into a small room on the right.
“This is my room. All the boxes here are books and CD’s while the boxes in the other corner are bedding and sheets.”
“Well let’s get started.” Adam said and started to peel back the tape on the box full of books and CD’s.
They had been unpacking and stacking whatever was in the boxes for about a half hour before Adam spoke.
“Tell me about your life.”
“What?”
“Tell me about your life. I want to know more about you.”
He never ceased to amaze Victoria with his random and straightforward questions.
“Well this is my seventh move; my dad is a petty officer.”
He nodded and signaled her to continue.
Victoria continued with her life story. She included everything from her one year at gymnastics which she failed at miserably, to the details of all seven moves. The entire time Adam continued to help her unpack and nodded occasionally, letting her know he was still listening. The only time he made a comment was when Victoria mentioned that they hadn’t heard from her dad in over a month, to which he simply said, “I’m sorry.” There was something about him that didn’t make her hold back and Victoria included every detail. By the time she was done with her story, it was in the late afternoon and most of the boxes had been unpacked.
“Thank you for helping me.” Victoria said, as she wasn’t quite sure what else she could say.
“It’s no problem…” Adam trailed off.
Victoria looked up and was surprised to see him standing right in front of her.
“Do you want to hang out tomorrow? It’s my turn to tell my story.” His voice was soft and gentle, and he smiled in her direction. It was at that moment that Victoria wanted to run up to him, wrap her arms around his buff body clad in tight clothes, and give him a kiss. The feeling shocked her.
As Adam was walking out her front door to walk home, he turned around and gave her a slow wink. The sun was setting behind him, and it seemed as if he was glowing. The last thing she saw as he left was his slow, casual saunter and the normally hidden blue streak peeking out around his shaggy hair.
When Victoria turned back around, she saw her mom standing there.
“I don’t like that Adam kid.” she stated.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I don’t think you should hang out with him anymore.”
“Why? You don’t even know anything about him!” Victoria fired back.
“I don’t need to. I’ve seen the way he’s dressed and his makeup. It is simply unacceptable.”
Victoria just stood there and blinked at her mom.
“Honey,” her mom said, stepping forward and grasping her shoulders, “I think he’s gay.”
Victoria’s mouth dropped open.
“What does that have to do with anything?! Are you homophobic?”
Victoria wrenched her mom’s hands away before turning away and running into her room. She slammed her door and sat down on her bed, hunched over.
It was then that she remembered her plans with Adam tomorrow.
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