I looked at the clock on the toolbar.
'Shit.' I stuffed the rest of the turkey into my mouth, and grabbed my jacket, car keys, and headed downstairs.
'You heading out, honey?' I looked at my mom who sat at the kitchen table, sipping a cup of coffee. I nodded as I chewed the last of the meat, then swallowed.
'Yeah. I’m actually running a little late. Spent a wee bit too much time online.'
'Oops.' My mom smiled.
'Thanks for letting me use the car.'
'No problem, hon.' She stood and walked over to me. 'You guys have fun, and please be careful.'
'Will do. I love you.'
'I love you, too, Andrea.' With a quick hug from my mother, I was out the door. On the way to Haley’s, I glanced at the map I’d brought with me. The Mall of America was just about an hour away. I hadn’t been there in years, so was looking forward to it. I certainly had never been there around the holidays, so I imagined it was amazing, decorations everywhere, Santa’s little winter play land brought south. Though not much south here in Minnesota.
I pulled up to the Corregan’s house and parked at the curb. The garage door was open, and Mrs. Corregan walked out with a tied garbage bag.
'Andi. Hello.' She smiled at me, lifting the garbage can lid, and dumping the bag in. 'Haley is inside, downstairs. Go on in.'
'Thank you, ma’am.'
'Ma’am. What am I? Sixty?' I laughed. How on earth could someone be so chipper all the time? Weren’t there rules or laws against that?
I headed into the house through the open garage, finding myself in the kitchen. I had to try and remember which way the basement was, then I heard music. Piano music. Following the sound, I saw the open door with steps leading down, and made my way into the basement. I looked around to see Haley sitting at the piano, her hands flying across the keys as she played 'Liebestraum' by Listz. I was stunned, slumping back against the wall as I listened, my eyes closing as the music filled me. My heart lifted with each note as I sucked in my breath, the song building to an intense crescendo, her fingers pounding each note out so that it resonated in my head.
Finally the song began to soften, the last few notes played lovingly, until everything went quiet. My eyes opened, and I saw Haley raise her hands from the keyboard, laying them on her thighs for just a moment before she quickly turned to look at me.
'How long have you been standing there?' She turned on the bench, surprise on her face.
'Long enough to want to waltz.' She smiled, then looked down, a bit shy. 'I had no idea. You’re brilliant. Why haven’t you told me you could play like that?' I crossed my arms over my chest.
'I don’t tell anyone, really. Only Kelly knows, outside my family.'
'How long have you played?' She shrugged, picking invisible lint off her sweater.
'Probably about as long as you’ve been the Karate Kid.' She smiled, so did I.
'Funny girl. But why don’t you do anything with it? I mean, you could easily be in the symphony at school.' She looked at me.
'Yeah, and become a band nerd? I don’t know. It’s jut not really cool to do, you know? I’ve always loved doing it. I begged my mom for lessons when I was 5 years old. Finally she got them for me, and the rest is history.' I thought for a moment; what a shame that someone so talented would hide this.
'So, you ready?' Haley asked, obviously eager to change the subject.
'Yep.' She stood, carefully pulling the cover over the keyboard, and grabbing her jacket that was laid across the couch.
'You’re late, woman.' She said.
'Yeah, sorry.' I turned to head up the stairs. 'I was doing some research for my project.'
'Ah, I see. So penis envy is more important than shopping on the day after Thanksgiving with your buddy, huh?'
'Certainly.' I could hear her chuckle as she followed me upstairs. I could still hear Haley’s playing in my head. 'You know, I always thought the ability to read music was so cool. Just a bunch of symbols and odd-looking little lines.'
'Do you play any instruments, Andi?' I glanced at her over my shoulder as I hit the top of the stairs.
'Are you kidding? I can’t even keep the beat with a spoon against my thigh.' She grabbed her purse from the coat hanger mounted on the wall.
'I could teach you.'
'Really? Does that mean you could teach the blind to see?' She grinned, shaking her head.
'I doubt you’re as bad as you seem to think. If you don’t like it, you can always stop.' We headed into the kitchen.
'You girls have fun.' Haley’s mom said, standing at the sink washing dishes.
'See you later, mom.'
We hurried out the garage door, both giddy and excited like school girls. Well, we are school girls, but we were still excited. Haley and I had spent nearly every day together in one way or another, since the beginning of November. If she wasn’t at my place, or I wasn’t at hers during the weekends, then she took me home after school, and often made some surprise stop along the way. Usually for food or to play pool.
Tracy and I did things together on occasion, but I’d never really had a friend like Haley, that I spent a great deal of time with, and that I had shared so much with. I remembered one day when she’d been up in my room, and had turned to look at my Beanie Baby collection.
'Okay, Andi, now explain this obsession to me?' She grabbed one, looking at Bam the Ram.
'I don’t know. My father got me my first baby for my birthday about five or six years ago. He may be a jerk, but I loved the Beanie. So, I started to collect them. Getting them for my birthday, and Christmas.'
'Oh, this is so cute.' Haley put the ram down, and grabbed Suki the Karate Bear. She looked at me, a huge smile on her face.
'My mom got that for me when I got my first black belt.' I smiled, remembering how proud my mom had been that she’d found it. 'It’s my favorite.'
'Andi?' Startled, I looked at my passenger.
'What?'
'Where did you go? Are you going to let me in the car, or would you rather I ran alongside?'
'Sorry.' I grinned. We both got into the car, and we were on our way. 'Music.' I finally said. 'Actually, I’ve always wanted to learn how to play something.' I glanced at her.
'Really?' I nodded. 'Cool.' Her smile was huge. 'I’ll tell you what, I’ll teach you the piano if you’ll teach me Tae Kwon Do.' My heart soared. She was really interested in that? The thought of sharing something with her that was so close to my heart filled me with joy.
'You got a deal.'
'Woohoo! I’m so excited. I’ve always thought martial arts were so cool.'
The drive was nice, we chatted about anything and everything, Haley excited for school to get out.
'Can you believe this is my last Christmas in high school?' my stomach fell, but how could I let her know I was bummed when her voice radiated so much excitement? I knew that like me, Haley just wanted to get on with her life, go to college, and begin her career. 'So what will you do without me here?' She smiled at me; I glanced at her. I shrugged.
'Celebrate?'
'Andi.' I grinned as I felt her smack my leg.
'Well, I’ll miss you.' I looked at her as I stopped for a traffic light. She was already looking at me.
'Will you?'
'Sure. Where else can I find a nut who dresses up as a plain M&M?' She smiled, very sweet, her head falling back against the head rest.
'I’ll miss you, too, Andi.' I was surprised for some reason. I mean, logic tells you she will, but my self- confidence, well, or lack thereof, told me differently. 'I mean, we can still write emails, and call on the phone, and stuff.'
