15

                                    

                                          
Tyler
                          
        I had cleaned the laundry and fast food wrappers out of my truck, but it still didn't seem right to drive Caley to prom in my old, beat up truck. My mom thought so even more than I did. I drove my mom's car to Caley's house.
                          
        I walked up to her door and wondered if I had tied my bowtie right. In the movies, her dad would answer the door with a gruff greeting and Caley would walk down the staircase while I stared in awe. But her dad was in Arizona as far as I knew, and her house wasn't two stories. I doubted it had a staircase. Caley opened the door.
                          
        The staircase wasn't necessary- I still stared. She still looked like Caley, but I'd never seen her like this. Part of her long brown hair was twisted back, the rest fell down her back in soft curls. She had one hand on the doorknob and the other at her side, fingers clutching the skirt of her green dress. She was smiling.
                          
        "You clean up nicely, Tyler," she said as she opened the door wider and took a step back to let me in.
                          
        "Thanks. You look..." God, what do I say? "You look so pretty." Ugh. I hope I don't speak like this all night.
                          
        She grinned anyway. "Thanks."
                          
        There wasn't more than a couple seconds of silence before who I assumed to be her mother came rushing into the room, big black camera strapped around her neck.     
                          
         "You must be Tyler," she shook my hand vigorously. "Such a pleasure to meet you. Caley is shy. She doesn't always like to meet new people, much less bring them home to meet me, so this is a little bit new for me. Don't you look dashing?"
                          
        "Mom," Caley warned, folding her arms across her chest.
                          
        "Oh honey, I'm not going to hurt him," she waved her hand.
                          
        I laughed as unawkwardly as I could. "The pleasure's all mine, Mrs. Sloane. Your daughter is one of my best friends."
                          
        Mrs. Sloane released my hand to hold up the camera she wore. "Okay, let me just take a few pictures."
                          
        "Mom."
                          
        "Oh Caley, just a few. I promise. Go stand in front of the fireplace and-"
                          
        I backed up towards the fireplace and Caley put her hand around my arm by my elbow.
                          
        Mrs. Sloane held the camera up. "Oh, I need new batteries. Stay right there. Don't move, I'll be right back." She hurried out to another room and called behind her, "Don't you leave without letting me take pictures Caley!"
                          
        Caley turned to me and said, "I'm glad you weren't here an hour ago. When Madeline's group came for her, my mom took at least fifty pictures."
                          
        I laughed. "She seems nice."
                          
        Mrs. Sloane came back into the room as quick as she had the first time. "Okay, now Tyler dear, you put your arm around Caley, and Caley why don't you put your arm around his waist? Okay, perfect. Click. Click. Now you put your arm back down and Caley can link her arm in yours. Wonderful. Click. Click. Tyler, how tall are you? You must be over six feet. Caley's head barely comes up to your shoulders. Click. Click. Click."

                          
        "Okay, Mom, that's enough. We should go."
                          
        "Well, have fun. And be safe. And-"
                          
        Caley began to pull me by the arm towards the front door. "Got it. Bye Mom!" she said as we stepped outside.
                          
        I called over my shoulder, "It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Sloane."