Homecoming story part 6

Pressure

Because the homecoming dance was on Saturday, that meant my brother and I would be spending the weekend with my dad at my grandparents' house.

The plan that we had come up with was that my dad was going to be the chauffeur and take Lilly and me to this nice Italian restaurant I loved. Lilly had never been to it, so it was a perfect choice.

After that, it's off to the homecoming dance.

I was excited and nervous at the same time. So much so that I had trouble sleeping the night before because I kept asking the same questions back and forth. Even from the moment I woke up to the moment I jumped into the shower to get ready for the date.

What if the date goes badly?

What if it doesn't?

What...

"...THE...HELL...IS...THAT...THING!? EWW!"

My first reaction was to poke at it. "Ouch!"

I couldn't believe what I was seeing in my own reflection. There was this massive white growth at the crease of my nostril. The skin around it was very red, inflamed, and painful to the touch.

"Oh my God! Is that...a pimple?"

Until that moment, I had never had one, let alone one that big. I didn't know what to do and started to panic. This wasn't something I could ignore and leave alone.

At this point, there was going to be a nasty mark whether I left that pimple alone or popped it. Taking a deep breath, I took my index fingers to the sides of it and pressed firmly.

POP!

My eyes widened in surprise. I didn't realize pimples made a noise and can turn into a projectile like a little volcano just erupted on my face. It was completely disgusting and relieving at the same time.

Unfortunately, there was now a bloody crater on my face that was even more noticeable than the pimple itself. From what I've heard, many of my classmates swear by putting a dab of toothpaste to clear them up. I wasn't really sure how that worked, but it's better than nothing.

Once I was finally cleaned up after that unexpected fiasco, I went to get dressed. My outfit was neatly laid out and freshly ironed by my grandma. I found myself admiring myself in the mirror again. It was hard to believe how well I cleaned up and how confident I looked.

"Ah. Mira. Ya te ves guapo como hombresito." (Ah. See. Now you look like a handsome young man.) My grandma said adoringly.

That just made me blush and get so bashful. What is it with all the women in Latino families? All my Aunts and my Grandmas. They just have that knack of making us blush and shy away.

I went ahead and gave Lilly a call to let her know we would be leaving to pick her up soon.

When that time had come, there was one tiny thing that I really didn't anticipate—my little brother was also tagging along.

Why?!

As much as I loved Mando, he was hyperactive and a huge pain in the ass. What else could go wrong?

-----

Lilly lived on the military base and was one of the many students at our school who stuck around longer because of her Dad's job in the Army. I never really understood what kind of jobs they had in the military, just their ranks and the chain of Command, thanks to JROTC.

My dad, being a former Marine, knew his way around the base. The residential areas there had many houses built with very similar designs. The only difference between them all was the exterior color and any yard decor. If you've been to one of those houses, you've been to them all.

When we made it to her address, I got out and made my way to knock on the door. My dad already had a disposable camera ready to capture all these moments like some tourist documenting the courting habits of some wild animal in the Serengeti.

—(Sounding like David Attenborough) "If we look closely, the young male makes its approach into unfamiliar Territory. Cautiously, he surveys the den of a potential mate. Fascinating."—

This was also the first time I would be meeting her family. When I knocked on the door, I was greeted by a short and stout woman with a bit of an accent that had a very sweet, melodic chime to it.

"Oh. Hi! You must be Alfie. I'm Mary." She giggled and shook my hand with both of hers. They were very warm and definitely motherly. "Let me go get her, she's almost done."

Lilly's father came out, and I introduced myself to him as well.

"Hey, Alfie! Nick." He didn't have an intimidating demeanor about him at first, but the firm squeeze to his handshake said otherwise. "Nice to meet you, kiddo!" He really didn't say much after that. However, he did go over and talk to my dad while I waited for Lilly. I guess a soldier can spot a soldier from miles away. Might as well let them become acquainted.

From outside, I was laughing hearing Lilly bickering with one of her sisters. This must be a usual occurrence that almost sounded like my house in the mornings.

Once Lilly stepped out from the doorway, I didn't recognize her for a second. The dress she had picked out was a very rich red that did appear like the blush of a fine wine. A gold satin sash was tied around her waist that complemented the curves of her figure. Her skin appeared very porcelain-like in contrast to the dress. There were tiny speckles of light in her hair that were caught and reflected by tiny crystals that were fastened by an invisible string.

Was this really Lilly? Was this the same grungy rocker girl I have known since the 6th grade? She was...stunning.

"Okay, kids, pause right now there," Mary said.

Her mom and my dad took out their little cameras for some quick pictures of us before heading out. There were so many flashes of blinding light that Lilly and I were both having trouble getting into the SUV.

————

During the ride, I couldn't help but stare at how beautiful she looked. It's not every day that you see your friends dressed elegantly and formally.

She punched me on the arm playfully. "Stop! You're going to make me blush."

"Oww". I rubbed my arm. Her punch stung me more than I had anticipated. "Sorry. I'm not used to seeing you all dolled up."

"I'm not even used to it." She giggled as her cheeks flushed a soft pink.

My little brother kept looking back at us from the front seat and making faces at us. I was trying my best not to bicker with him in front of Lilly and make a scene. Instead, I was giving him a serious look to knock it off. It wasn't as effective as when my older sister did it.

"Ugh! Such a brat." I muttered under my breath.

Lilly snapped her fingers and shot him an even more menacing look that made him quickly yelp and turn around.

My jaw dropped in disbelief. I looked over at Lilly, who was now just sitting innocently, like she did nothing at all. "You scare me sometimes, you know that?"I said coldly.

"What?" She shrugged and stared at my dumbfounded face. "I am the oldest of 4, I do it all the time."

There must be some kind of mystical power older sisters possess. I have even faced these powerful stares from my sister and older cousins that strike instant fear into the bravest.

We had arrived at an antique-looking brick building with a hand-painted sign that said "Capettos Ristorante". The aromatic smells of garlic, basil, and freshly baked bread filled the air as we stepped closer to the restaurant.

I took in a deep breath of all those smells. "Lilly, I'm telling you, this place is awesome. The spaghetti bolognese has these massive meatballs that do not disappoint."

"How many?" The hostess greeted us.

"Table for 4." My dad spoke out.

My head turned sharply to my dad. I thought the plan was that Lilly and I were going to have our own table while they sat somewhere else.

Wait! WHAT?!

They're sitting with us?

NO!!!!