Is Home Really Where The Heart Is?, chapter 4
"Delivery," a tall guy said to me. It was a penguin! No it was really the movers. Yay! The movers! I get my drum set! Woo Hoo!
"Mom! They mover people are here!" I was very happy now. I practically jumped through to the next level. Of course I didn't though, 'cause I'm not that amazing.
"Hello ma'am. Where do you want us to drop this stuff off at?" the other one said. Now, since I don't know their names, I shall call the tall one 'Mover Dude One' and the other guy, well, 'The Other Guy'. I'm so creative![/i] My mom gave them their orders on where everything goes. Eventually, they brought in my boxes.
"And where do the drums go?" Mover Dude One said.
"Oh, follow me. They go in my room!" I piped up.
"Ok then, lead the way," The Other Guy said. So I lead them up to my room and told them what boxes to put where. I spent about an hour or so setting up the set and making sure everything was just right. I finally set everything up exactly how I wanted it and went down stairs to find some drumsticks.
"Mom, did you see my blue Kipling bag anywhere?" Where could it have gone!
"Yes, actually it's in the dining room."
"Oh. Which is where again?"
"Down the hall on the left, or was it the second right? Well, it's down that hall somewhere."
"Thanks mom, you're a great help." Oi.
"Is that sarcasm in your voice?"
"Of course not!" I said sarcastically.
"Carlie..."
"Bye!"
Ha! I found the room... and my bag! Yay me! Now where'd those drumsticks get to? Hmmm... I looked in the bag but they weren't there.
"Mom! Do you know where my drumsticks are?"
"Perhaps in the box labelled 'DRUM STUFF'?"
"I knew that!" Not really.
"But if you do find those drumsticks, I don't want you near that drum set." What?! Why not!?
"What? Why?!" Grrr...
"You have more important things to do...like unpack."
"So that's what those boxes are for! Suddenly it all makes sense now!"
I went back to help her and we continued unpacking for the night. There were still about 3 or 4 boxes left un-unpacked (if that even makes sense). At 10, I went up to my room and dug a thin blanket out of one of the cardboard boxes along with a hoodie and a pair of pj's. I've been here on vacation so I knew that the nights are not always warm. After finding the bathroom and taking a shower (I'm to lazy to take them in the morning) I got changed into my comfy pants and hoodie. I laid (if that's the right use of the word) down on my bed and stared at the empty ceiling. I put one of my mixed CD's into my walkman and fell asleep.
In the morning, I was dreaming and thought I heard background music, but then I realized that it was my alarm. Duh. I got up and looked at the clock. 6:00...meh. I still think that's too early to wake up. Once I was at least half awake (or half asleep, whichever you prefer), I put on my jeans, some kind of guitar shirt, and my converses. I threw some gel in my hair, because remember, I have short spiky kind of hair, and washed my face, the went to get some breakfast.
"So, what's for breakfast?" I asked my mom, who was drinking her coffee. Ewww... coffee. I hate coffee, even the smell makes me gag. But anyway...
"We have leftover pizza, how's that sound?"
"I don't know. I've never heard the sound of a pizza in the first place."
"Yes or you starve." She looked at me.
"Ok then, I'll take the pizza I suppose." Once I finished my pizza, I brushed my teeth, grabbed my backpack, and set off for school. I walked out the door and down to the side walk. I have a side walk! Cool!Yes as a child I was deprived of side walks...I told you I lived in the boonies. See, where I lived, you walked through the woods or a neighbors yard to get where you needed to go.
I turned right, then realized that the school was in the other direction. I'm not the best with directions in case you haven't noticed. I tried to remember the directions that my mom gave but it didn't work to well. So, I wandered around for a few minutes before I walked into someone. Although, I don't know how I missed him, 'cause he was like a foot taller than me.
"Oops, sorry, didn't see you there. Even if you are un-miss-able." Do I ever make sense when I talk?
"What? Oh, um, it's ok." He's really tall. His hair is longer than mine! Oh, blue eyes! Tall! I always tend to look at peoples' eyes first...then their shoes. Oh...blue shoes! Tall...he looks about 16...did I mention he was tall?
"Hey, whatever your name is, do you know where Pinole High School is? I'm kind of lost."
"Well, I'm Mike, and yes I do know where it is," he said.
"Where is it?!"
"You asked if I knew where it was, not if I could tell you."
"Good point." He's a smart cookie. Cookies? I like cookies! I want a cookie now! No! Stop it! Focus! I don't have ADD! Fooooooccuuuuuuuuuus darn you!
"Well then Mike, can you show me where it is?"
"I guess, but can I at least know your name?" he asked me as we walked a little further.
"A trade huh? A name for a school. Doesn't come out to well for me, but ok. I'm Carlie, Carlie Hope."
"Nice to meet you Carlie." He stuck out his hand which I shook. "Now I'll show you where to go."
"Why thank you."
And we were off.
"So, you're new to the area huh?" he said avoiding eye contact with me.
"No, I'm just a figment of your imagination. I've always lived here, now is just the first time your meeting me."
"Really?...Cool." We both laughed at ourselves.
"Actually, I just moved here from Pennsylvania. My mom was offered a job here. We just got here yesterday." He gave me a weird look when I said that.
"Your mom moved your whole family all the way to California, just for a job? What the hell does she do for a living?!"
"She's a professional chef. She got a job at a golf club or something."
"Wow, that's pretty cool. So does she like always cook like super fancy food for you all the time?"
"I wish." Mike gave me another strange look. "I guess I should explain. I have to cook all of my own meals, except for lunch at school, because my mom works from 2 in the afternoon until like 11 at night. Plus all weekends at holidays. So I'm home alone to fend for myself."
"What about your dad? Is he ever home?"
"He's a truck driver. I see him every 2or 3 weeks for about 3 days. Other than, I'm always home alone."
"Just like Billie Joe."
"What?" What the heck is he talking about?
"Your dad, he's a truck driver, just like Billie's dad used to be."
"Um...ok," I said confused. He stopped walking so I looked at him.
"Hold on a minute, I got to go get Billie. You can wait here," he said as we walked up to one of the houses and waltzed in. I waited there for a few minutes waiting for...umm...Mike, ya that's it Mike, go get back. I saw him finally come out of the house with a smaller person behind him. They both walked up to me.
"Carlie, this is my best friend, Billie Joe," Mike said to me. He looks kind of cool. I can tell he doesn't want to be near me too much. He's giving me weird looks. But he has brown hair and green eyes, so he's cool in my book. He put his hand toward me.
"Hey... Carlie was it?" Billie Joe said. Hmmm...what could that be short for? I wonder.
"Yep, Carlie Hope. So, is your name short for anything?" I had to ask.
"No, that's my real name, B-I-L-L-I-E J-O-E. Billie Joe."
"Cool, like my name."
"Why? Is your name spelled with like a 'K' or something?" he asked as I stumbled over the sidewalk.
"No, and since you can spell out you're name, I will too. It's C-A-R-L-I-E. Just like yours. '-ie' instead of '-y'. Although because it's spelled like that, people always think my name is Charlie. But I learn to live with it."
"Charlie? So, do you have any other interesting nicknames I should know about?"
"None that I'm willing to tell you."
"Ahhh, come on...they can't be that bad," Mike said. Hey! I don't remember you being part of this conversation!
"No, and yes, they are that bad. To me at least. Now leave me alone about it, please."
"Ok then," Mike spoke again. Crap...here's the school. Now I have to spend all day in the office. Oh joy.
"Could one of you two show me where the office is? I'm confused...it's so different from the WA Secondary Center."
"Billie, could you show her? I have to go do something else." What? But Billie Joe doesn't like me! Don't leave me alone with him! He might poke me! No! Not poking!
Mike left and I walked next to Billie to the office. This school was so different from Wyoming Area. There were preps sure, but there were also punks, and jocks, and freaky people, and people who just wanted to be themselves. So many people all being themselves.
"Your school is so cool," I said in a trance-like voice.
"Ya? Well, let's see what you think after a week here," he stated flatly, looking around.
"But, I mean, my old school had 2 types of people," I said holding up three fingers, then realizing this and putting down one finger. "There the popular people and the 'others'." I used the air quotations too, unfortunately, my left middle finger was impaired so they didn't come out right.
"Whatever you say." We kept walking down the many halls, him mostly spaced-out and me admiring all of the people. I wonder how today's going to go. Hmmm...
"Mom! They mover people are here!" I was very happy now. I practically jumped through to the next level. Of course I didn't though, 'cause I'm not that amazing.
"Hello ma'am. Where do you want us to drop this stuff off at?" the other one said. Now, since I don't know their names, I shall call the tall one 'Mover Dude One' and the other guy, well, 'The Other Guy'. I'm so creative![/i] My mom gave them their orders on where everything goes. Eventually, they brought in my boxes.
"And where do the drums go?" Mover Dude One said.
"Oh, follow me. They go in my room!" I piped up.
"Ok then, lead the way," The Other Guy said. So I lead them up to my room and told them what boxes to put where. I spent about an hour or so setting up the set and making sure everything was just right. I finally set everything up exactly how I wanted it and went down stairs to find some drumsticks.
"Mom, did you see my blue Kipling bag anywhere?" Where could it have gone!
"Yes, actually it's in the dining room."
"Oh. Which is where again?"
"Down the hall on the left, or was it the second right? Well, it's down that hall somewhere."
"Thanks mom, you're a great help." Oi.
"Is that sarcasm in your voice?"
"Of course not!" I said sarcastically.
"Carlie..."
"Bye!"
Ha! I found the room... and my bag! Yay me! Now where'd those drumsticks get to? Hmmm... I looked in the bag but they weren't there.
"Mom! Do you know where my drumsticks are?"
"Perhaps in the box labelled 'DRUM STUFF'?"
"I knew that!" Not really.
"But if you do find those drumsticks, I don't want you near that drum set." What?! Why not!?
"What? Why?!" Grrr...
"You have more important things to do...like unpack."
"So that's what those boxes are for! Suddenly it all makes sense now!"
I went back to help her and we continued unpacking for the night. There were still about 3 or 4 boxes left un-unpacked (if that even makes sense). At 10, I went up to my room and dug a thin blanket out of one of the cardboard boxes along with a hoodie and a pair of pj's. I've been here on vacation so I knew that the nights are not always warm. After finding the bathroom and taking a shower (I'm to lazy to take them in the morning) I got changed into my comfy pants and hoodie. I laid (if that's the right use of the word) down on my bed and stared at the empty ceiling. I put one of my mixed CD's into my walkman and fell asleep.
In the morning, I was dreaming and thought I heard background music, but then I realized that it was my alarm. Duh. I got up and looked at the clock. 6:00...meh. I still think that's too early to wake up. Once I was at least half awake (or half asleep, whichever you prefer), I put on my jeans, some kind of guitar shirt, and my converses. I threw some gel in my hair, because remember, I have short spiky kind of hair, and washed my face, the went to get some breakfast.
"So, what's for breakfast?" I asked my mom, who was drinking her coffee. Ewww... coffee. I hate coffee, even the smell makes me gag. But anyway...
"We have leftover pizza, how's that sound?"
"I don't know. I've never heard the sound of a pizza in the first place."
"Yes or you starve." She looked at me.
"Ok then, I'll take the pizza I suppose." Once I finished my pizza, I brushed my teeth, grabbed my backpack, and set off for school. I walked out the door and down to the side walk. I have a side walk! Cool!Yes as a child I was deprived of side walks...I told you I lived in the boonies. See, where I lived, you walked through the woods or a neighbors yard to get where you needed to go.
I turned right, then realized that the school was in the other direction. I'm not the best with directions in case you haven't noticed. I tried to remember the directions that my mom gave but it didn't work to well. So, I wandered around for a few minutes before I walked into someone. Although, I don't know how I missed him, 'cause he was like a foot taller than me.
"Oops, sorry, didn't see you there. Even if you are un-miss-able." Do I ever make sense when I talk?
"What? Oh, um, it's ok." He's really tall. His hair is longer than mine! Oh, blue eyes! Tall! I always tend to look at peoples' eyes first...then their shoes. Oh...blue shoes! Tall...he looks about 16...did I mention he was tall?
"Hey, whatever your name is, do you know where Pinole High School is? I'm kind of lost."
"Well, I'm Mike, and yes I do know where it is," he said.
"Where is it?!"
"You asked if I knew where it was, not if I could tell you."
"Good point." He's a smart cookie. Cookies? I like cookies! I want a cookie now! No! Stop it! Focus! I don't have ADD! Fooooooccuuuuuuuuuus darn you!
"Well then Mike, can you show me where it is?"
"I guess, but can I at least know your name?" he asked me as we walked a little further.
"A trade huh? A name for a school. Doesn't come out to well for me, but ok. I'm Carlie, Carlie Hope."
"Nice to meet you Carlie." He stuck out his hand which I shook. "Now I'll show you where to go."
"Why thank you."
And we were off.
"So, you're new to the area huh?" he said avoiding eye contact with me.
"No, I'm just a figment of your imagination. I've always lived here, now is just the first time your meeting me."
"Really?...Cool." We both laughed at ourselves.
"Actually, I just moved here from Pennsylvania. My mom was offered a job here. We just got here yesterday." He gave me a weird look when I said that.
"Your mom moved your whole family all the way to California, just for a job? What the hell does she do for a living?!"
"She's a professional chef. She got a job at a golf club or something."
"Wow, that's pretty cool. So does she like always cook like super fancy food for you all the time?"
"I wish." Mike gave me another strange look. "I guess I should explain. I have to cook all of my own meals, except for lunch at school, because my mom works from 2 in the afternoon until like 11 at night. Plus all weekends at holidays. So I'm home alone to fend for myself."
"What about your dad? Is he ever home?"
"He's a truck driver. I see him every 2or 3 weeks for about 3 days. Other than, I'm always home alone."
"Just like Billie Joe."
"What?" What the heck is he talking about?
"Your dad, he's a truck driver, just like Billie's dad used to be."
"Um...ok," I said confused. He stopped walking so I looked at him.
"Hold on a minute, I got to go get Billie. You can wait here," he said as we walked up to one of the houses and waltzed in. I waited there for a few minutes waiting for...umm...Mike, ya that's it Mike, go get back. I saw him finally come out of the house with a smaller person behind him. They both walked up to me.
"Carlie, this is my best friend, Billie Joe," Mike said to me. He looks kind of cool. I can tell he doesn't want to be near me too much. He's giving me weird looks. But he has brown hair and green eyes, so he's cool in my book. He put his hand toward me.
"Hey... Carlie was it?" Billie Joe said. Hmmm...what could that be short for? I wonder.
"Yep, Carlie Hope. So, is your name short for anything?" I had to ask.
"No, that's my real name, B-I-L-L-I-E J-O-E. Billie Joe."
"Cool, like my name."
"Why? Is your name spelled with like a 'K' or something?" he asked as I stumbled over the sidewalk.
"No, and since you can spell out you're name, I will too. It's C-A-R-L-I-E. Just like yours. '-ie' instead of '-y'. Although because it's spelled like that, people always think my name is Charlie. But I learn to live with it."
"Charlie? So, do you have any other interesting nicknames I should know about?"
"None that I'm willing to tell you."
"Ahhh, come on...they can't be that bad," Mike said. Hey! I don't remember you being part of this conversation!
"No, and yes, they are that bad. To me at least. Now leave me alone about it, please."
"Ok then," Mike spoke again. Crap...here's the school. Now I have to spend all day in the office. Oh joy.
"Could one of you two show me where the office is? I'm confused...it's so different from the WA Secondary Center."
"Billie, could you show her? I have to go do something else." What? But Billie Joe doesn't like me! Don't leave me alone with him! He might poke me! No! Not poking!
Mike left and I walked next to Billie to the office. This school was so different from Wyoming Area. There were preps sure, but there were also punks, and jocks, and freaky people, and people who just wanted to be themselves. So many people all being themselves.
"Your school is so cool," I said in a trance-like voice.
"Ya? Well, let's see what you think after a week here," he stated flatly, looking around.
"But, I mean, my old school had 2 types of people," I said holding up three fingers, then realizing this and putting down one finger. "There the popular people and the 'others'." I used the air quotations too, unfortunately, my left middle finger was impaired so they didn't come out right.
"Whatever you say." We kept walking down the many halls, him mostly spaced-out and me admiring all of the people. I wonder how today's going to go. Hmmm...
