Forever Mason, page 7
Right now, I’m sitting on the couch, far enough away that the radio waves won’t rot my brain or transmit conversations from the aliens. I’m watching MTV and wondering how artists like Madonna get away with nothing more than a bra on TV. I suppose this is what they call freedom of expression and art, although art is a loose term. I thought about driving around, but I don’t want to waste my gas. I’m making good money at Willy’s and am now saving up for a bomb-ass sound system. Willy says the stereo installer can put it behind my seat, and I’ll be able to feel the bass thump against my back.
Mom comes into the living room, and I quickly change the channel. Of course, it’s Billy Graham. He’s telling me I need to go to church and accept Jesus into my life.
“Oh, heavens, what are you watching?”
“Nothing,” I sigh and shut the boob tube off. “I was just flipping. Not much on during the summer.”
“No, I suppose not. I’m heading to the mall,” she tells me. “Would you like to go? We can look at some clothes. Maybe put a few things on layaway.”
Yes, I want to go to the mall, but do I want to go with my mom? That is the question.
“Sure, I’ll come. We don’t need to shop though. The jeans I got for my birthday fit.”
Mom starts to laugh. “Mason, they’re already high waters. You’ll need clothes for school. Come on, let’s go see what we can find.”
Leave it to my mom to remind me school is going to start back up. Although, right now, I’d take it because that means Liam is back, and we’re back to being Mason and Liam. Or is it Liam and Mason? I’m not sure it matters because once my friend returns, it’s football season, and I’m ready to run the ball down some throats.
We take my mom’s car, and she lets me drive. Her car is a lot different than my truck. This is a much better ride, it’s smoother, and not as loud. But my truck, it’s mine, and I’m not going to give my parents a reason to ever take it away from me.
Mom tells me to park by Sears when we get to the mall. “Levi’s are on sale,” she says as we make our way into the store. “I think we should buy a size longer, just in case.”
“When will I stop growing?”
“It’s hard to say. Both your grandfathers are very tall, and so is your dad. I imagine you’ll be well over six feet.” She doesn’t bat an eyelash when she says this, just keeps looking through the racks of clothes. “My brother is six foot five.”
“I’m five ten now.”
Mom pauses and looks at me. “I knew you were growing. Are you in any pain?”
“Pain?”
“Growing pains.”
I shake my head. “Not that I know of. My feet hurt.”
She looks at me and then squats. Her thumb starts pressing into the toe of my shoe. “Ouch.” I yank my foot away. “Be gentle.”
“Well, you definitely need new shoes. When did you get those?”
Shrugging. “Don’t remember.”
“Follow me.” We leave the clothing section and head to the shoes. She picks out a couple different pairs of sneakers, asking along the way if I like them or not. I don’t say much because they’re shoes, and no one really pays attention to them anyway. It’s not like with jeans or T-shirts. Everyone notices those. When the sales lady comes over to us, my mom suggests she measure my foot. I slip off my shoe and my mom gasps. “Seriously, Mason?”
I look down. My sock is dirty, and I know I’m embarrassing her. “I didn’t know we were coming here,” I say quietly.
“We’ll buy some new socks today, as well. Honestly, I feel like I just bought you new socks.”
She did, but I don’t say anything because, well . . .
It’s like she can read my mind and her eyes go wide. “Heavens,” she mutters and turns away. Maybe I should start buying my own socks from here on out.
The salesclerk tells us my shoe size and mom nods. “Two sizes since March. Honestly, Mason, you’re going to eat me out of house and home at this point.”
“Sorry?” I’m not sure what to say. Is she mad because I’m growing? If so, she should’ve thought about that before she had a child with someone who is six four. I definitely didn’t choose to be tall. Honestly, I like it though. Katelyn is short and I like looking down at her.
“It’s not your fault. Just, in the future, when you feel things are getting tight or short, give me a heads up.”
“Okay.”
The clerk brings boxes of shoes out and I try each pair on. Mom and I settle on a pair of black Converse and Nike’s. I tell her I’ll pay for one of the pairs and she counters by suggesting I buy us lunch. I like the idea of buying my mom lunch today and tell her it’s a deal.
We leave Sears, and she tells me she needs to go to the woman’s store, which is code for bras and underwear. Mom already knows I don’t want to go in there, mostly because those things are giving me thoughts I don’t want to have in front of my mom, but I also don’t want to see what my mom wears. Some stuff needs to be kept a secret.
I head toward the arcade. I have a few quarters burning a hole in my pocket and I might as well spend them while I have a few minutes. As I pass the food court, I spot Josie and right away, I see Katelyn beside her. Seeing her sitting there brings a smile to my face. It’s then that I’m struck with this brilliant idea. I turn around and head to the florist. There, I pick a rose with some of that baby breath stuff that looks like snowflakes and give the guy behind the counter three dollars. With so much gusto, I climb the steps to the platform where all the seating is and approach their table.
Only, when Katelyn sees me, she doesn’t smile. She glares.
“H—hey,” I stumble over my word.
“Hey, yourself,” she says and then looks at Josie. “Do you remember Mason?” she asks her, which is a dumb question.
“Yep, we’ve actually known each other since the first grade, but he doesn’t remember me.”
“Wh—what?” I’m so confused. Why would Josie say this?
Josie smiles, except it’s not a real smile. Her lips are thin and she’s sort of scowling. “We used to go to church together,” she tells me.
“Huh?”
“Yep. We were in the same Sunday school class.”
“Oh, sorry. I don’t remember.”
“Obviously,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“Well, you didn’t remember either,” I point out. “We’ve been hanging out for the past few months, and this is the first time you’ve brought it up.” My eyebrow raises to send my point home. “So, not sure why this is my fault.”
“It’s your fault because you haven’t called,” Katelyn says, which makes zero sense. Girls are confusing.
“So, I’m in trouble or whatever for not remembering that Josie and I met in the first grade, and for not calling?”
They say, “yes,” in unison.
“Okay.”
“Why haven’t you called me?” Katelyn asks. She’s pretty bold if you ask me.
“I don’t really talk on the phone unless I have something to say.”
Katelyn’s face falls. She goes from pissed off to sad in less than two seconds. Clearly, I’ve said the wrong thing. I should stop at the bookstore and buy a book about teenage girls because something tells me I’m going to need one.
“I’ll call you tonight,” I tell her. This puts a little pink back into her cheeks. “I don’t work nights, if you’d like to hang out?”
“That’d be fun,” she says and then looks at the rose. “Who’s that for?”
It was for you, but now I’m embarrassed.
“For my mom,” I say. “She bought me some new things and I thought I’d thank her.”
“That’s very sweet of you,” Josie says.
“Yeah,” Katelyn adds.
“Where’s Liam?” Josie asks.
“He’s at camp.”
“Yeah, but where? And when will he be back?”
“Not until the end of summer,” I tell Josie. “He’s in Florida.”
Josie rolls her eyes. “I can’t believe he went all the way there for some camp.”
“He’s going to be famous someday. Liam will go to the NFL and be the best quarterback ever, and we’ll all be sitting at home thinking back to the time when we went to high school with him,” I say. Even though Liam has promised to never forget me, I know he will. We won’t be friends forever because nothing lasts forever. At some point, people grow up and move on. After he goes to college, he’ll forget about us in Beaumont and go make a name for himself. I hope he forgets his parents first. If he gets a scholarship, which I have no doubt in my mind he will, he won’t need his parents anymore. He can tell his coach to keep his father out of the stands or go far enough away that his dad can’t travel. Liam needs a clean break.
“My dad agrees,” Katelyn says.
“My dad seems to think that Liam will end up being a skirt chaser like all the boys in town and will end up getting some girl pregnant. He’ll work at the mill, like the rest of them.”
“Nah, that’ll never happen.” I know my friend, and right now, he’s afraid of the opposite sex.
I spot my mom heading in our direction and I’m sort of happy. These girls are intense, and I need a break. Mom smiles when she sees me and comes over to say hi. I introduce my mom to Josie, and they greet each other, and my mom says hi to Katelyn and tells her it’s nice to see her again.
We leave the girls and find a table, far enough away that we can talk with some privacy. Mom and I opt for Chinese food for lunch. I set the flower in front of my mom and tell her it’s for her and thank her for buying me new stuff today before going over to place our order. With the tray in hand, I carry everything over to our table and Mom arranges everything.
“Katelyn is a nice girl,” she says. I fear she’s going to start with the sex talk again. I hold up my hand and my mom closes her mouth.
“I like her, Mom. And I know that you saw some stuff in my room and you’re worried about sex and stuff, but I haven’t done anything wrong, and I don’t plan to, but I’d like to ask her out on a date.”
Mom swallows hard or chokes on her food, I’m not sure which. “What I saw in your room,” she pauses and clears her throat. “It’s normal for people to explore their bodies, and there will come a time when you want to explore another person’s body—”
“Mom!”
She puts her hand over mine. “No, just listen for a minute. I don’t want to forget and have to remember later.” She clears her throat. “I hoped your dad would sit you down, but the universe wants me to be the one who has to say everything. If you and Katelyn, or you and whoever, find yourself in a position where you want to explore, remember to only do so if she allows you to. If she says no or pushes you away, you listen to her. You respect her boundaries, at all times. You never pressure her into doing something she doesn’t want to do. And if you,” she pauses and looks around to see if anyone is listening. “If you want to have sex, use a condom. Be prepared because it only takes one time. I don’t want you to have to face such hard, life altering decisions, at a young age. And know you can always come to me or your dad for anything.”
She lets go of my hand and picks up her fork. Mom takes a bite of food like the conversation we just had, in the middle of the food court, didn’t happen. But it did, and I feel awkward. Do other boys talk about sex with their moms? I’d ask Liam, but I already know the answer. Maybe I should reach out to some of the other guys on the team and get their take. Hell, they can probably give me pointers. I know most of the guys on the team have hooked up a time or two, and a couple of them have steady girlfriends.
I don’t know why this is on my mind. I just want to take Katelyn out on a date. It’s not like we’re having sex in my truck.
Twelve
I’m mowing the lawn when my mom comes outside and waves her dishtowel in the air. I pull my Walkman from my waistband and take my headphones off. I don’t know why I bother trying to listen to music while doing the yard, the mower is too loud, and I can barely hear the music. Plus, the vibrations from the mower mix with the bass, and everything is just confusing.
“What?” I yell, and she frowns.
“No need to yell.”
I let her retort go. She’s never used a mower and doesn’t understand what it feels like or how it messes with all your senses. I make my way to the deck stairs and climb them. She hands me the towel she’s holding, and I use it to wipe my face and hands.
“Katelyn Cohen is on the phone for you.”
“Oh, okay.” I head inside with my heart thumping like crazy. As soon as I step inside the house, my heart starts beating faster, and the organ meant to keep me alive feels like it weighs a ton right now. I wipe my hands on my shorts, which isn’t smart since there are still some grass clippings on them, but I’m nervous. My mom sits down at the small table in the kitchen and picks up her magazine. Does she really need to be in here? She probably thinks I’m going to have phone sex or something.
“He—hello?”
“Hey, Mason.” Her voice sounds the same on the phone as it does in person. It’s sweet, caring, and causing an issue in my shorts. This can’t be normal.
“Hey, Katelyn. How are you?”
“I’m fabulous. I was wondering if you want to come over and go swimming?”
I do! I absolutely do! If my mom weren’t sitting in the same room, I’d ask her if she plans to wear another bikini because I really liked the first one.
No, I’d never ask her something like that.
“Yeah, let me ask my mom if it’s okay.” I pull the phone away from my ear and cover the receiver. “Can I go swimming at Katelyn’s?”
“As long as there’s adult supervision.” Oh yes, because you think I’m having all the sex!
“Hey, Katelyn. I can as long as there’s an adult there.”
“Yep, my mom is home. She said you can come over.”
“Rad. I’ll be there in like an hour. I have to finish mowing the lawn, but I’m almost done, and then maybe take a shower because mowing the lawn is pretty dirty with all the dirt and clippings shooting out the back end.”
Katelyn laughs. “That’s fine, Mason. Don’t forget to bring a towel!”
“Okay, see you soon.” We hang up, and I stand there for a minute to let it all sink in. She didn’t say anything about anyone else being there, so maybe it’ll just be us. And we’ll be alone. Except her mom will be there, and last time her mom was like a peeping Tom, spying on us. It was sort of creepy.
Mom doesn’t say anything either, but there’s a smirk on her face. I can’t tell if she’s happy I’m going over or if she’s biting the inside of her mouth to keep from having another sex talk with me. If I have to listen to her talk about sex one more time, my head is going to explode.
Back outside, I ditch the Walkman and restart the mower. I make sure to do the best job I can because my dad will make me do it again if I don't. Once I finish with the lawn, I take a shower, dress in my swim trunks and a T-shirt, grab my towel, and tell my mom I’m leaving.
My hand is on the doorknob, and I’m about to leave when she says, “Mason?” I close my eyes, knowing what she’s going to say.
“Yes.”
She sighs heavily and smiles. “Have fun. Call me if you decide to go somewhere else.”
I return her grin. “I will. Thanks.”
Being able to drive is so much nicer than walking. Katelyn doesn’t live far from me, but it’s enough that she and Josie went to a different school than Liam and me. In middle school, we were cross-town rivals. Our football team would play theirs, but we'd combine for some sports because there weren’t enough kids from each school to play. And now that we’re in high school, we’re one big family.
I park along the sidewalk, and instead of going to her front door, I go to the gate that Liam and I used last time. Katelyn is on a lounge chair, reading a magazine, and just as I expected, she’s the only one here. Maybe Josie will come later, or perhaps she won’t because Liam won’t be here.
The gate closes and latches behind me. Katelyn looks up and says, “Hi.”
“Hey, thanks for inviting me over. It’s a scorcher today.” I set my towel down on the lounger next to hers and sit down.
“Yeah, it is. I love summer. It’s my favorite time of the year. What’s yours?”
“Uh . . . fall?”
“Oh, right. Dumb question since you love football so much.”
I shrug. “Summer’s nice because we aren’t in school. But I love football season. And I love Halloween and Thanksgiving.”
“Well, you might as well throw Christmas in there.”
“For sure! Santa comes.”
Katelyn laughs. “You’re cute, Mason.” As soon as she says this, her cheeks turn pink. “Let’s go in the water.” She stands and makes her way over to the diving board. When she’s on the edge, she looks down at the water before diving in. I do the same, but I cannonball. “Oh my God, Mason, the splash you created was so big!” We swim to the shallow end and sit on the steps.
I shrug and flex. “I got muscles.” Now I’m blushing.
“I’ve noticed.”
Whoa! She’s noticed!
“I have a confession. Josie and I used to ride our bikes over to the park when you and Liam had a game, and we’d watch you play.”
“Really?”
She nods. “The first time I went, it was with my dad and a friend of his from work. They wanted to see Liam play because I guess he was doing some amazing stuff for his age or something. I tagged along. And then, the following weekend, Josie and I rode our bikes over and watched. We did it off and on for a couple of years.”
