World behind my wall part 2.

The walk home from the restaurant was awful, but it was absolutely relieving to be back home. I took a very hot shower to relax a bit and wash off the strong smell of cologne. Truly, I was just glad that I was home, and safe. No thanks to my "courteous" date of the night. My dad pretty much just assumed that the reason tonight was such a disaster was something that I did wrong and he probably wasn't such a terrible boy, but again he was off just a few facts. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes carefully traced every contour of my face. I was so proud of my beautiful mocha brown skin. It's one of the many things that separated me from the tiny world of Barrington I lived in. So peculiar, such a quiet "respected" neighborhood being the suburb of Chicago. Which, as we all know is a larger city and simply just not... quaint. Chicago produced criminals of all variety, fashion designers, artists and.... of course musicians. But what the well off suburbs of Chicago produced were awkward families. These families grew up to produce awkward sons and daughters as well as awkward girls named Marissa. Helloooo life. I changed into some rather comfortable boxer shorts and a tank top to match and hopped into my twin bed. It was a long process as always moving the plethora of stuffed teddy bears and pillows off of my mattress and onto my floor. My parents attempted to spoil me. Just another result of being an only child. One, perfect, planned, daughter... I sighed and closed my eyes ready to escape the day. I was fed up with putting up with... well everything. Just because I came from a privileged home, doesn't mean I don't suffer as much as any. Money had softened my spirit as well as my coping and communication skills. I tried to push the negative thoughts away and happily drifted to sleep. Far too peaceful in the unconscious state.

The next morning, I awoke to vicious thunder gashing my eardrums wide open. I gasped and sat up startled and then scoffed looking out my window, angry that I lost sleep over some common force of nature. I turned and fell back onto my pillow and mattress, bouncing from the force of my enthusiasm to fall back asleep. I had just fully settled into my pillow, thinking about whatever pleasant fictional thoughts would come when they were terribly disrupted.
"Marissa, Breakfast is ready sweetie."
Always so bubbly and excited easily. This was my mother's voice floating up the steps to my room. I opened my door. Five steps right, 22 steps down, 7 steps left and then straight ten steps to my seat at the family dining table. My mother was busy away in the kitchen finishing up her light and fluffy pancakes. There was already a porcelain white plate in front of me when I sat down. Steaming scrambled eggs, Bacon and biscuits with gravy patiently waiting for my mouth to savour their tenderness. My mouth was just as eager. It'd been almost a day since I'd eaten. I looked across the table at my father, eyebrows furrowed, buried in that mornings paper. My mother hurried over with the pan of pancakes. Her heals were clicking as she made her way over.
"Good Morning." She smiled at me exuberantly with her radiant white teeth. She already had a fresh coat of burgundy lipstick, mascara and tan eye shadow on. She was wearing a billowing black dress and pears. Her wedding ring glistened in the kitchen light. I glanced over at the clock on the oven.... It was just past 8 in the morning. My family was a football player away from being rather picture perfect. Absolutely disgusting.
"Morning." I replied rather half hearted. She hugged me, almost burning me with the frying pan. She served everyone pancakes and then sat down. She attempted to make some conversation but truly lost my participation when the subject of last night came up. She was the only one who really made an attempt to fix what was really left of the contents of our abode. She usually lost but it was just more natural this way. She gave up for today after my stand-offish responses made her retreat to making conversation about the economy with my father. As if their wallets were affected at all. Ugh. I just couldn't take anymore so I got up to leave but my father stopped me.
"And just where do you think you're going little lady?"
"I was going to go to my room."
"Well, unfortunately you are grounded."
WHAT?! Grounded, what'd I do?"
"You were late for curfew last night. Don't think I forgot. And your mother and I were going out into the town today, but we don't want to leave you here alone so you're coming with us."
"But, I was only late because the date you set me up with last night was a total cretin! I shouldn't even be grounded in the first place. Plus it's storming outside, I just wanna go back to bed. I'm not going to get into much trouble when I'm asleep."
"Nice try, but you're going. Now go upstairs and get ready. We're leaving soon."

They won. All the perfect logic, and expressing in the world I could do, did nothing to convince them of my innocence. So here I was, walking through aisles of fabric stores, nick knacks, frilly dresses, and of course.... beloved stores for the rich folks to better their interiors. Wonderful. Minutes slowly turned to hours and just when I thought they'd never tire of looking at the same old brocade patters and debating about weather the couches were made of real or fake leather, my mother voiced that she had once more grown hungry. The three of us piled into our car and went on the hunt for a restaurant. I stared out of the window, putting my body somewhere else than this re-upholstered nightmare. Too bad my phone was taken from me, or maybe I'd be able to secretly text my friends from the backseat without my parents caring too much about how there I really was. The car turned a few times and then came to a stop as did the quiet chatter between my parents. I looked up and my heart stopped. We were at the exact same restaurant that I was at last night. I sighed and unlatched my seat belt and hopped out of the car trudging along beside my mother.
"Are you doing alright? I hope last night wasn't as bad as it looked."
"Dad, I already told you... I don't have a problem with the world, it's the world that has a problem with me."
"What?" came my fathers voice from across the table.
I looked up at his extremely confused face.
"So did it turn out better?" I turned and looked to see the same waiter from last night with the scribbled name that read "Bill". Perhaps it was the atmosphere of last night but I truly didn't' realize how beautiful he was. And he had some kind of subtle accent.
"Um. I... yeah." Making a fool of myself. I wish I could just never come to conclusions. "After I got home everything seemed to relax a ton."
"I'm glad. I like happy endings and I guess that was yours." He gave me a sincere smile then turned to face my parents.
"My name is Bill, and I will be your server tonight. Is there anything I can get for you folks to start off with?"
Throughout the rest of the sit down I spent my time not focusing on my food but looking out of the corner of my eye looking for bill. For some reason my hungry eyes couldn't get a good enough look at him. He didn't return for quite sometime so I figured that I could risk a quick trip to the bathroom. I bumped unexpectedly into something on my way out of the bathroom doorway.
"Oh excuse me, I'm not that good at evasive action to objects that appear out of nowhere." Another cute crooked smile.
"That's alright, it was my fault anyway." I tried to laugh as casually as possible.
"You know, you really shouldn't be in relationships with people who abandon you so readily. I feel rude prying but... it just seems I should."
"Well, thanks for the concern but I'm not stupid enough to be dating that prick!."
"Is this an insulting word? You'll have to excuse some of my ignorant questions, I'm not from around here exactly."
"Oh yeah, it's not exactly a nice word to call someone, but he fits the description rather well. Where are you from exactly? I noticed you had an accent. I'm not trying to be rude or anything. I'm just fascinated by speech."
"Well, my family is from Germany actually. But I'm doing a student exchange program right now with my twin brother."
"Ah very cool. That sounds very interesting. My friends is pretty good at German, I bet you two would get along."
"Well, actually. I don't know how boys act in America --though hopefully not like the guy you were with last night-- but, I think I'd like to get to know you better. That is if you are compliant. I guess... I'm asking for your number?"
He asked very shyly, saying the last few words like a true question. I stopped and stared for a few moments before I realized what was happening.
"Oh! yeah, just my dad took my phone away but I'll have back in a few days anyway."
I said it much more confidently than I thought it would've been. We exchanged numbers quickly, having forgotten about how long I'd been "in the bathroom".
"Schonen. Danke! oh oops. German sorry..." he looked rather apologetic.
"haha, it's ok. Bitte, right?"
"Ja, sehr gut...."
"Marissa. I'll see you around Bill. Tschus!


God I loved Steafene for her German lessons right now.



That night, I dreamed that I traveled to Germany with Steafene. There were two buildings on a platform, both extremely inviting. Steafene was there telling me that we could only choose one ancient castle to roam. In the doorway of the one on the right was Bill. He looked ravishing, like he was from another time all together. I started to walk towards him, craving that rushing heartbeat he gave me. But out of the corner of my eye, something about the grandeur of the castle on the left spoke to me. I stood in the middle of the two buildings, not knowing what to do. Steafene shook her head in disapproval of my inability to make a decision and turned. As she walked away from me down the cobblestone, I started to spin. My head felt heavy as gravity pulled upward and then the blackness hit before the poorly paved road did. And then I fell up, into consciousness.