Chapter 1
Theodore
"I already told you that they're not going to let me go, Kai! So why do you still want me to ask them?” My friend Kai was currently talking my ear off about the Batman vs Superman movie. He knows how my parents are and that they won't let me go.
"Come on, Theo,” he persisted. “Just ask them, maybe they'll have a change of heart and let you go! You won't know until you ask!”
"What makes you think they'll have a change of heart all of a sudden?" I asked while looking at him through the phone with a raised eyebrow.
"Theo, please!” He begged with sad eyes, while I just gave him a bored look, wanting for this conversation to end.
"I already asked Win, and she said we could come along with her and her friend since they're already going,” he continued. “So please man, just ask them. If they say no, I promise I won't bother you about it anymore!” he fake pouted.
“Fine!" I huffed out, as I rolled my eyes.
“Awe, thanks man!" he replied happily, "Aye? Call me back after you ask them because Win told me she already got the tickets and she’s trying to get up there before the preview starts.”
"Alright, I'll call you back later,'' I hung up.
"Well, here goes nothing,” I sighed out and began making my way downstairs. The closer I got to the living room the more my anxiety began rising, making me even more nervous than I already was.
The last time I had asked my parents about anything was if I could go to my cousin Leslie's birthday that his parents were having at some Hotel in California.
Mom said that I could go as long as I got my older brother Josh to go with me, but my Dad wasn't having it. He explained to me and Mom how he didn't want me going because he didn't want me listening to the Devil's music" and he explained how "kids my age are having Unholy thoughts and he didn't want me to give in to temptation'.
And him saying no wasn't enough, oh no you see he had taken me to Church and said that he would have to baptize me to wash my foolish thoughts about partying away. And the only thing that should be on my mind is Jesus and Studying.
You better believe I didn't breathe a word about any parties after that. Now here I am about to ask if I can go with Kai to the movie and my anxiety isn't making it any better. Dang you Kai.
"Um, mom" D- dad?", I stuttered. I only stutter when I'm nervous and right now I'm very out of it and I can't help but stare at the coffee table so that I'm not making eye contact with them.
"What is it Honey?", my mom asked, with her soft and soothing voice, it only made me a little less anxious, but then there was my dad who I had to worry about.
"Well, what is it, Theodore?", "You've been standing there for the longest just looking at the table like it's the most fascinating thing in here!" Dad let out, with his deep and husky voice. " If you have something to ask us, just ask. "No need to stand there like a statue".
I think my anxiety has increased even more than what it was before.
"C- Ca- can I- I go t- to the Mo- movies w- with Kai pl- please?", I stuttered each word while looking at them. Then I quickly looked down and prepared myself for their answers, as if I didn't already know that dad wouldn't let me go.
"What movie are you two going to see exactly? "It's not that new one where the man blindfolds and handcuffs the woman to the bed is it, Theodore? He asked, with a serious tone but I couldn't bring myself to look at him, I think that I might have a panic attack if I do.
"Theodore, look at me when I'm talking to you". And answer my question". "Honey, just calm down" mom had told, "can't you see that he is nervous". "Just give him a minute".
I finally raise my head. Here goes nothing. "We were going to see the new Batman vs Superman movie".
They just looked at each other and started whispering right in front of me but I couldn't make out what they were saying.
" Will there be anyone else going with you two? Like any girls?", Dad asked, with an eyebrow raised while looking at me with suspicion, probably to see if I would lie to him.
"Just Winifred. She's the one that is taking us, I explained, not telling him the part about her friend coming along.
"I don't-"
"You may go Theodore", mom said and made both of our heads turn in her Direction. "Lisa I don't-"
"No! Zachary," said she cut him off again, and looked at him with a straight face.
"Theodore gets good grades, we never get any calls from his school saying that he is being disruptive, and he's always studying,'' she gave me a soft smile.
"The least we could do is let him go to the movies with Kai" "Besides you heard him, Winifred will be there and you know she's a responsible young woman, and she'll call us if anything happens".
Dad just looked down for a minute or so, as if he was contemplating what he was about to say next.
"Alright Theodore you can go,'' he said, with a calm voice while looking at me. "Your mother is right, you don't give us any reason not to trust you and Kai and Winifred are good kids". "So with that being said you call us after the movie is over".
To say I was shocked would be an understatement, I was speechless. "He actually said yes? I wasn't dreaming, was I No even in my dreams he still says no, so this had to be real.
"Theodore!" Are you alright honey? "You didn't say anything after your father said that you could go", mom had told me while feeling my forehead to see if I had a fever or something.
"I'm just excited about going, I'm fine mom," I said while moving Her hand.
"So what time does the movie start?"
"Come on, Theo,” he persisted. “Just ask them, maybe they'll have a change of heart and let you go! You won't know until you ask!”
"What makes you think they'll have a change of heart all of a sudden?" I asked while looking at him through the phone with a raised eyebrow.
"Theo, please!” He begged with sad eyes, while I just gave him a bored look, wanting for this conversation to end.
"I already asked Win, and she said we could come along with her and her friend since they're already going,” he continued. “So please man, just ask them. If they say no, I promise I won't bother you about it anymore!” he fake pouted.
“Fine!" I huffed out, as I rolled my eyes.
“Awe, thanks man!" he replied happily, "Aye? Call me back after you ask them because Win told me she already got the tickets and she’s trying to get up there before the preview starts.”
"Alright, I'll call you back later,'' I hung up.
"Well, here goes nothing,” I sighed out and began making my way downstairs. The closer I got to the living room the more my anxiety began rising, making me even more nervous than I already was.
The last time I had asked my parents about anything was if I could go to my cousin Leslie's birthday that his parents were having at some Hotel in California.
Mom said that I could go as long as I got my older brother Josh to go with me, but my Dad wasn't having it. He explained to me and Mom how he didn't want me going because he didn't want me listening to the Devil's music" and he explained how "kids my age are having Unholy thoughts and he didn't want me to give in to temptation'.
And him saying no wasn't enough, oh no you see he had taken me to Church and said that he would have to baptize me to wash my foolish thoughts about partying away. And the only thing that should be on my mind is Jesus and Studying.
You better believe I didn't breathe a word about any parties after that. Now here I am about to ask if I can go with Kai to the movie and my anxiety isn't making it any better. Dang you Kai.
"Um, mom" D- dad?", I stuttered. I only stutter when I'm nervous and right now I'm very out of it and I can't help but stare at the coffee table so that I'm not making eye contact with them.
"What is it Honey?", my mom asked, with her soft and soothing voice, it only made me a little less anxious, but then there was my dad who I had to worry about.
"Well, what is it, Theodore?", "You've been standing there for the longest just looking at the table like it's the most fascinating thing in here!" Dad let out, with his deep and husky voice. " If you have something to ask us, just ask. "No need to stand there like a statue".
I think my anxiety has increased even more than what it was before.
"C- Ca- can I- I go t- to the Mo- movies w- with Kai pl- please?", I stuttered each word while looking at them. Then I quickly looked down and prepared myself for their answers, as if I didn't already know that dad wouldn't let me go.
"What movie are you two going to see exactly? "It's not that new one where the man blindfolds and handcuffs the woman to the bed is it, Theodore? He asked, with a serious tone but I couldn't bring myself to look at him, I think that I might have a panic attack if I do.
"Theodore, look at me when I'm talking to you". And answer my question". "Honey, just calm down" mom had told, "can't you see that he is nervous". "Just give him a minute".
I finally raise my head. Here goes nothing. "We were going to see the new Batman vs Superman movie".
They just looked at each other and started whispering right in front of me but I couldn't make out what they were saying.
" Will there be anyone else going with you two? Like any girls?", Dad asked, with an eyebrow raised while looking at me with suspicion, probably to see if I would lie to him.
"Just Winifred. She's the one that is taking us, I explained, not telling him the part about her friend coming along.
"I don't-"
"You may go Theodore", mom said and made both of our heads turn in her Direction. "Lisa I don't-"
"No! Zachary," said she cut him off again, and looked at him with a straight face.
"Theodore gets good grades, we never get any calls from his school saying that he is being disruptive, and he's always studying,'' she gave me a soft smile.
"The least we could do is let him go to the movies with Kai" "Besides you heard him, Winifred will be there and you know she's a responsible young woman, and she'll call us if anything happens".
Dad just looked down for a minute or so, as if he was contemplating what he was about to say next.
"Alright Theodore you can go,'' he said, with a calm voice while looking at me. "Your mother is right, you don't give us any reason not to trust you and Kai and Winifred are good kids". "So with that being said you call us after the movie is over".
To say I was shocked would be an understatement, I was speechless. "He actually said yes? I wasn't dreaming, was I No even in my dreams he still says no, so this had to be real.
"Theodore!" Are you alright honey? "You didn't say anything after your father said that you could go", mom had told me while feeling my forehead to see if I had a fever or something.
"I'm just excited about going, I'm fine mom," I said while moving Her hand.
"So what time does the movie start?"
