Chapter Eleven: Summer Party Problems:

I tried not to think about my former boss at the summer party. Ah, yes about that. Somehow, I ended up at the party. Guess who pushed me to go? Of course, it was my mom.

“It will be good for you,” she said. “You need get out more.” I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me,” Mom said. “You need this!” I threw up my hands at her.

“Fine, fine,” I said. She pulled me into her arms.

“I love you, son,” she said. I forced myself to smile.

So now, here I am at this party. I stood in the backyard with my drink in my hand. Most of the people here in forty plus years old. Of course, no one my age would be here. They skipped town as soon as they could. I did the same once too. I looked up at the paper lanterns over my head. Why did I come back here?

“Nathan? Nathan, is that you?” I heard in the distance. I turned my head. A small Asian lady with my mom ran over to me. Oh goodie! I’m going to be held hostage here, aren’t I? I forced myself to grin. Looks like I have to be nice again.

“Hello, Mrs. Wong,” I said. Mrs. Wong and mom stood in front of me.

“Nathan! Is that you? You’ve gotten so big!” Mrs. Wong said. I nervously laughed with my punch in my hand.

“Uh… yeah, I got older,” I said. We have this conversation every time we see each other. I couldn’t help but wonder if her memory was going. Mom patted me on the back.

“I told Mrs. Wong everything that happened to you,” she said. I looked at her with big eyes. What the hell? That wasn’t her news to share. Who else has she told? I started to fear that she told the whole neighborhood.

“I’m sorry about your job,” Mrs. Wong said. I pressed my lips together and nodded.

“Yeah, it was really bad,” I said. I started to look around for a way to escape. I could already see how this was going to play out. Needless to say, I wasn’t going to like it. I needed to get away as soon as I could.

“That man was bad,” the little old lady said.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah,” I said. I finished my drink.

“Listen, I’m going to go over here to get another drink,” I said point over to the punch bowl. I ran over to the refreshment table before they could say a word.

“Nathan,” mom said. I made it over to the table. I thought I was trying to get away from work. Why couldn’t mom keep her mouth shut? I looked down into my empty cup. That was some good punch though.

“You hiding out too?” I heard. That voice… I jerked my head up to see Heather with Mallory and Kimmy across the table.

“Heather?” I asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Oh, I was invited by my mom’s friends,” she said.

“You too?” I asked. How small was this neighborhood? My sisters looked at me. Malloy had her phone out again. A little piece of me hoped that she wasn’t looking up news stories about my former school again. I flinched as I tried not to think about that.

“I don’t really know some of these people here,” I said. I looked around at the middle-aged women in the backyard. Some of them were huddled up into little groups, talking. They all looked like they were in high school with their cliques. Mom had already started talking to her group of friends. My sisters, Heather, and I didn’t belong here.

“Hey, do you want to get out of here?” I asked. The girls looked at me like I started speaking in another language.

“What?” Heather asked. I shrugged.

“I mean, why not?” I asked. “No one’s going to notice if we’re gone or not.”

“And where are we going to go?” Mallory asked. I turned my head and looked towards the wooden gate across the yard. I dug through my brain for my childhood memories. Let’s see… What would be a good place to escape to in the middle of the night?

Only one place came to mind.

“Let’s go by the neighborhood pool,” I said.

“Isn’t that closed right now?” Kimmy asked with her head cocked to the side. I smiled at such a petty question. I dipped myself more punch.

“Oh Kimmy, sweetie, my dear child,” I said. “You underestimate me. I have my ways.” I took a sip of my punch.

“And what would that be?” Mallory asked. She had her hand on her hip, eyeing me. I leaned down to her face. I knew that I was smiling at such a question.

“Why don’t you come along and see?” I asked. I took another sip of my punch as I saw her wrinkling her nose.