“No, that’s not why I want you to go have a good time.” He didn’t look too sad before, but he almost did now, like he hadn’t meant to imply I was the problem and didn’t like that. “I don’t want you to have to babysit me. I just want you to be happy.” Even if I’m not, he seemed to say.
Okay. I didn’t exactly want to give him space. Except he was the one being broken up with. And I did want what he wanted. Which is why him being broken up with sucked. I left him alone.
Hadn’t even been sure about Dad dating again. Had to happen, wanted it to happen, in the abstract. But actually being there while it happened, while he moved on? Really scary. Except having it taken away?
That seemed even worse.
11. Parties for Men
Sounds great in theory.
Stuff Everyone Totally Does All the Time
Motorcycles. Just something with motorcycles.
Controlled explosion (for science!)
Controlled burn (for science!)
Crash a stranger’s party
Learn how to tie a tie
Jump a shark on a surfboard
Luke
When baseball stuff got difficult, I took my mind off my problems and had fun with Ryan. That’s what we were doing now. The problems were his this time. We were putting them out of the way. They were back in Lake Forest, and we were in Fairview.
Always one to take advantage of a situation, Ryan wanted to get up to no good legitimately. Due to said problems, he figured I might indulge him. Could you legitimately get up to no good? There was actually something on his list that would let him feel rebellious or like a renegade or whatever and it wouldn’t cause any harm. Party crashing.
We found a venue, lots of cars and noise, and went in. Overheard some people around our age saying it was going to be wild. Ryan was super fluent in sarcasm, but I think the excitement of what we were doing was too much for him.
The event? A bar mitzvah.
We went in and almost immediately got caught.
Being in party jail at a stranger’s bar mitzvah probably wasn’t Ryan had in mind for party crashing or taking his mind off his problems. He was being quiet while a bunch of pre-teen or barely teen girls made fun of me. It was a little weird. Ryanlovedmaking fun of me, he practically invented it.
This was also embarrassing.
The girls were in a little semi-circle around us, all in pretty dresses while Ryan and I were sitting on chairs in one corner of the venue.
“You should have seen his face—" one girl said to the others. Her name was Hannah. She had a sparkly thing on her head, sort of a headband. I should know what it was called because I had a little sister, but I couldn’t think of it.
“Right there in the center of the dancefloor,” another girl recalled. Hadn’t learned her name yet. She had shiny yellow shoes.
“I’m from Lake Forest,” I tried to defend myself. “It’s small, there aren’t a lot of Jewish people.”
The girls talked over me, replaying what happened. “Evan becomes a man today,” said one with a blue dress that had a sash. Stacey.
“He’s 13!” Another one cut in. “No offense, but I don’t get this tradition!” Had to give her credit, pretty good impression of my horrified face and voice. Her name started with an M or R, but I couldn’t remember anymore.
“Come on, do the face, Luke!” Hannah urged. She was the ringleader.
I shook my head. “It was an honest mistake.” No one paid attention. They were having a lot of fun standing around and laughing at me.
“He was so horrified!” Stacey recalled even though we all had been there. “What kind of party is this?” she mimicked. “He’s just a kid!” She wasn’t as good at imitations as her friend.
