Mirror, Mirror

Chapter-Four

         It was a Friday night, a week before my 21st birthday, for once Delilah wanted to go out and party a little. So I agreed and we made our way to the pool hall in town. It was a mixture of a bar, dance and pool hall. I had a feeling we would just be occupying the pool hall part of it. Dee didn't dance and we couldn't drink yet. But I was happy that she finally agreed. As we drove there the conversation centered on Landon and I, discussing the ways we could tell everybody else about us.


         "You could just stop sneaking around and let them see you together. Not like kissing but your natural mannerism toward each other. Lately you guys have been so in sync." Delilah honestly stated.


         "Do you really think that will help?"


         "It can't hurt and you never know." she acknowledge.


         We pulled into the parking lot; it was more crowded than usual.


         "So is anybody else coming?" I asked her nonchalantly.


         "Well I invited Savannah and Courtney but who knows if they actually show up."


         Delilah was referring to how the sisters always changed their plans at last minute for imprudent reasons.


         We walked to the door and Delilah made it a point to get there first. I shrugged it off as her being a nut. We walked through the bar and went straight to the pool tables.


         "SURPRISE!" a crowd of friends and family mobbed me with hugs and "Happy Birthday’s”


         "OMG ya'll know my birthday isn't until next week right?” I wondered. Delilah hugged me and then Landon, holding on a little too long but not long enough.


         "Yes, but then you will be partying with your older drunk friends, like Landon. So now you are still the same as us. Plus you had no idea!" Savannah explained, "You can consider this your Surprise Pre-Birthday Birthday Party."


         “What do you mean, Landon?” My guard had risen to high alert.


         “Just that he can drink and we are not supposed to, yet.” She clarified for me.


         I finished greeting the miscellaneous guests and then looked around for Landon. I couldn't find him. I began the search among the crowds of friends but he wasn't there. I asked Delilah as quiet as I could in front of Savannah and Courtney with the music blaring. She had no idea. I scowled the rooms and eventually found him in the dance hall. He was standing at the door with a blank look and a cluster of girls surrounding him. I detach the concubines, grabbed his hand and pulled him to the center of the room, and then we walked to a dark corner. The group whined and hissed, his face lit up.


         "So how's it going?" I asked him.


         "Now that you are here it's great."


         "Thank you for all of this, how did I not know?"


         "It was hard work not telling you, but just because I wanted to tell you so bad. Come on let's dance."


         We stayed in our dark corner and danced a few songs until the entrance of the dance hall was filled with some of my party people. We ducked into a chair to hide. Once they disappeared we headed back to the pool tables with five seconds in between us.


         "Hey Abby, you want to play pool?" asked my cousin Korrina.


         "Sure." I answered.


         It was the middle of the game and we were even. Korrina was setting up her shot and I was talking to her and the movie night group behind me. All of a sudden, Landon came up behind me took my hand, twirled me around ending up with a dip and kissed me in front of everyone. I dropped the pool stick in my hand and moved it up to his curly brown hair. Hoots and hollers echoed from the other patrons in the building. We returned to a standing position but were still attached to one another. Delilah smiled and then laughed. The rest of the party goers were either struck with admiration or had astonishment glued to their faces.


         When our lips detached he said, "Guess what."


         "What?" I asked breathlessly.


         "We don't have to tell them anymore?" he laughed and kissed me again.





         After awhile the party died down, people began to leave wishing me “Happy Birthday's" and “Congratulations”. 


         Korrina even came up to me and said, “I’m glad you got him because if not I would be following him home tonight. God he is so hot! How did you find him?”


         “He’s Delilah’s older brother.” I told her.


         “What does he do?”


         “Right now he is back in school working on his Master’s in Culinary Arts.”


         “Good he can feed you, keep this one close.” she commanded me.


         Eventually everyone except Delilah, Landon and I had gone home.


         "Why did you choose now to tell them?" I wondered to Landon.


         "Because Leo dared me to kiss anybody in the pool hall, and you were the lucky recipient."


         "Great you used a child’s game to tell them about us. Oh well, you made a very good choice. Next time we'll play Charades to tell them any other secret." I joked with him.


         “I’ll call you later.” he said.


         Delilah yawned trying to get me to leave faster.


         “So what are you doing now?” I asked her in the car on the way home.


         “Oh, I’m spending the night at Savannah’s. ...You can come if you want.”


         “Uh, no thanks, I need to get some sleep and I have a whole crap load of work to do.” I lied.


         “So how does it feel to not have a secret anymore?” she wondered.


         “It feels...it feels like a weight has been lifted off my chest and I don’t have to worry about what others will say because I really don’t care anymore. I feel lucky and blessed and...in love.”


         “Great birthday present then, right?”


         “The best one fate has ever given me. Well thanks for the ride and the party was awesome. What would I do without you?”


         “You would be really bored and not in love. I’m happy for you Abby.”


         “Me, too. Bye, I’ll call you tomorrow maybe.”


         “M’kay, bye.”


         I walked into apartment turned one light on and headed for the phone.


         “Hey I just got home. Let me pack some things and I’ll be right over.”


         


         I parked in the guest parking lot of the Jasmine Village apartments. A few vehicles down I noticed an exact replica of Delilah’s car but I shrugged it off as coincidence and went to meet Landon.


          Unlike the previous week he greeted me with a kiss...





         “How about for your birthday we stay in bed for twenty-four hours?” Landon asked me over breakfast the next morning.


         “Well, for my 21st birthday I pictured getting drunk and partying with some older friends, like you. As Savannah said last night.”


         “Fine Wednesday to Thursday.”


         “You want me to skip classes.”


         “Just Thursday’s we will start at seven Wednesday night and be together until seven Thursday night. Then rest and go out partying at midnight or the next day.”


         “Fine, it sounds like a good way to end my first two decades, anyway. ...Wait what about Dee?”


         “Don’t worry about her. I’ll take care of it.”