Although you half expected him to say something - to make some subtle little dig or joke at your expense (something Allison would be oblivious to) - he managed to refrain. And while you continued to awkwardly chat away, about the movie, and about school, he stood there silently beside you, no doubt judging every single thing you were saying. Ready to use it as ammunition.
"Well, we'd better get going anyway," Allison said as the conversation began to dwindle. "I think the movie's about to start."
"Yeah, sure. No problem."
"I guess I'll see you at school."
Giving her a little wave, she then walked off towards the cinema screen entrance. Shawna and Debbie following quickly after, and the three of them immediately going into one of those giggly huddles.
Watching as they disappeared through the doors, you turned back to Randall, who just as predicted, sarcastically told you, "Way to make a move, dude."
"What d'you mean? What move?" you asked, not entirely sure what he was talking about.
"Exactly!" he said, grinning away. "She was totally waiting for you to ask her out and you completely squandered the opportunity!"
This was news to you. As far as you were aware, she was just saying hello. Making a little meaningless small talk while she waited for the movie.
"No she wasn't," you scoffed, shaking your head at your friend's assessment. "What the fuck are you talking about?" Randall having obviously been reading way more into it than you had been. At least you think he had. Now that you thought about it... had she been waiting for you to say something? You were no longer quite so sure. Randall's comment having entirely confused you.
"Anyway. Even if she was," she told him, "I'm not exactly gonna ask her on a date in the middle of a crowded cinema with both you and her friends listening in, am I?"
"No, I guess not. But then again, you're not exactly gonna ask her out anywhere at this rate. What's it been, a year at least you've been pining over her?"
"Fuck off! It's not been that long." It had in actual fact probably only been about four or five months, if memory severed you. "And I'm not pining. I just think she's cool that's all."
"Yeah, "cool"," he repeated, making little quotes in the air. That sarcasm once again returning.
"She is alright," you assured him, and not for the first time either. Randall having in the past always got something of the cold shoulder when it came to her. "Just because you guys never got on... If you hadn't have wound her up so much in the 9th grade things would have been fine!" This, you believed being the impedes for their mutual animosity. Randall having gotten on a lot of people's nerves back when he was younger.
This he at least partially agreed with. "Possibly. Though I got to say, it was pretty funny seeing her be all "nice to meet you" and smiley and shit. She had absolutely no fucking clue who I was, and it felt kind of awesome. Liberating, sort of. If that makes any sense."
It kind of did. Randall presumably having been worried that seeing old faces would make him depressed, or long for his old life again. Apparently though, it also gave him a chance at a fresh start. To wipe the slate clean so to speak, with certain people and things. Which in a way was kind of a good thing.
"Anyway, now that you've forever blown your chances with Allison," he teased, "You want to grab something to eat somewhere, then I can give you a ride back home?"
Ignoring his comment about Allison and figuring that you had plenty time to grab some dinner before you had to head home (being in no rush), you told him, "Yeah, sure. That'd be good thanks." It being handy also that you finally had a friend with his own car.
"Cool. Well come on then. I'm getting kind of sick of those creepy weirdo's over there checking me out..."
Glancing over his shoulder to where he was gesturing, you spotted three college age guys leaning up against a nearby wall. All three of them, less than subtly, staring over in Randall's direction. Laughing away and making more than few indecent comments about the size of his breasts and how much they'd like to "plug that hole". Much like Randall, it made you want to leave too, thinking them a bunch of pervy douche assholes. Which was ironic in a way, as you and Randall had often done the exact same thing yourselves (though usually not so obviously and so loud). Of course back then, it hadn't been your Aunt, nor your best friend you'd been gawking at...
He must get that all the time though, you realized, having previously mentioned that dude, Cole, at work, who was constantly checking him out. As well as a few clients who'd done the same. With a body like your Auntie's, with its rather dramatic proportions, you weren't surprised. Still, it had to be a bitch. It made you uncomfortable and it wasn't even directed your way.
Heading then to a nearby burger joint you both often frequented, the two of you then spent the next half hour or so dissecting the movie, before your thoughts again turned to Aisha and the rest of your Aunt Joan's friends. Although Randall was still a little **** to full integrate with them - their interests being way different to his own - he realized that he was eventually going to have to try. They were a part of your Auntie's life, which meant that they were now a part of his. Who else did he have to hang around with when you weren't there? You had your family, and Danny and Chris at school. He had no one. For his own sake as much as anyone else's, it would probably be better in the long run if he could actually find some common ground.
Resolving to do so (or at least give it a try), he dropped you off near your house about an hour later and you waved him goodbye, jokingly telling him as you went that you'd get some more "Auntie and Nephew practice in next week".
And that you did, heading out to the mall on the Monday afternoon to do a little shopping and improve Randall's still rather one sided DVD collection. He also picked you up from school on one occasion, having gotten finished work early for a change, and took great pleasure looking upon the building that he had once been a prisoner of for a full three years. Laughing away at all the pupils and teachers he had known, pouring out the doors like ants. "You can't call me a silly little boy now, Miss. Wells," he giggled with glee, spotting his old Math teacher heading towards her car. "Not now that I'm older than you are!"
As well as this, he'd also begun to get to grips a bit more with his increased work load. Returning home of an afternoon, no longer looking quite so run down as he had that first time you seen him. As for finding common ground with Aisha and Madelyn and all the rest of your Auntie's friend's, it seemed he had actually managed to make some headway. They still talked a load of boring shit about dresses and who all was sleeping with who, but he was beginning to get a little more used to it now. No longer wanting to put a power drill through his skull when they came round. Not only that, but he'd also let Aisha talk him into going to the gym with her while you had were otherwise indisposed. Your Auntie having been quite a keen gym goer - her svelte and toned figure being evidence enough of that.
Though you teased him about it (the only muscles Randall ever exercised being the ones in his fingers from using an XBox controller), he admitted that it was actually kind of fun and not the two hours of **** he had been anticipating. As his body was already fit, he didn't really have to push himself all that much and found it doing most of the hard work for him.
"Wonders will never cease," you laughed, curious to see if he'd actually keep it up or not.
He did though, going with Aisha once the first week and two times the next. Admitting to you that he felt a real sense of achievement when he finished. As well as growing gradually more and more accustomed to Aisha's rather wicked sense of humor. "Plus, there's a hell of a lot of hot babes at the gym in skimpy little clothes. I dunno why I didn't think of going sooner!"
As for you, much to your surprise your dad finally decided to come clean and tell your mother that you had been visiting Randall for the past three weeks or so. She apparently had suspected this right enough, and actually seemed okay with it. Telling you that she had no intention of stopping you from seeing him, and that it was good that the two of you were still close friend's. This made you rather happy. Glad that she wasn't angry at you, and glad also that you no longer had to lie and sneak around behind her back all the time.
Of course, once David and Tabitha heard about this (having been kind of on the fence about the whole thing), they were **** to find out more. How Randall was coping. What it was like speaking to him and being around him like that. And if he had any ill feelings towards them for not going to see him. You did your best to answer all these, assuring them that he didn't harbor any resentment or anger towards anyone and that he completely understood there position. They seemed relieved, having always been fond of him (though Tabitha in particular being **** to admit it), and it was a welcoming sign that they were showing any interest at all. Holding out hope for everyone possibly getting together again in the future.
Comments