The Major Diaries Pt. 05

"I've thought about it a little," Jon said. "The decision needs to be yours, and I'll support whatever you decide. But maybe we could tell her right after you graduate. Then, you could make the argument that you are legally an adult with a high school diploma and a scholarship to one of the best colleges in America. At that point you could tell her there is a guy who is just crazy about you, and that we are using one of the most reliable forms of birth control available."

"Oh man," Stephanie said. "I still think she'll have a fit."

"Probably," Jon said. "I don't know her, but I imagine there's no way to avoid having a conversation where you inform your mother of the fact that you are now an adult capable of making your own decisions."

"What if she kicks me out of the house?"

"If she does that, you'll move in with me. Which would be great, by the way. But that's not going to happen. What I think will happen is you'll arrange a time for her to meet me, and I'll win her over with all my natural charm."

Stephanie smiled again. "I'm the one in bed, but you're the one dreaming."

"Then close your eyes and do some dreaming of your own. I'll see you after you wake up," Jon said, giving Stephanie a gentle kiss.

He left the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He imagined that Stephanie would be asleep for at least an hour. Jon was an unusually organized young man, so he immediately started thinking of productive things he could do during her nap. Her clothes were spread around the living room floor, so he thought it would be a nice gesture if he gave them a quick wash. That way, she'd have fresh clothes to put on her freshly showered body

He loaded his clothes in the washing machine along with a set of sheets he'd changed earlier. After that, he realized that Stephanie would probably be hungry when she woke. He got out his copy of the delivery menu of his favorite pizza place, but then he realized pizza was not a good idea. He'd learned something new about Stephanie when he watched her play soccer. She wasn't an ordinary high school senior. He'd known she was a soccer player who expected to win a scholarship, but he hadn't understood she was so dominant. Stephanie was an elite athlete, and people like her didn't usually eat a lot of cheeseburgers, french fries, and pizza. He had to think of a healthier option for her. An online search showed that there was a nearby restaurant that served organic vegan food. He printed a copy of their delivery menu so Stephanie could decide what she wanted as soon as she woke up.

While he was online, Jon decided to see if any local sportswriters had ever written anything about Stephanie. Clearly, she was the kind of high school athlete who deserved media coverage. Jon typed her name into a news search engine, and found more than 100 stories that mentioned her. Some of the stories were long, detailed reports about her exploits on the soccer field. Many of the stories were illustrated by large photographs showing Stephanie performing impressive plays. "Damn. My girlfriend is a superstar," Jon said.

That's when Jon realized something important. One of the first things Stephanie told Jon about herself was that she needed to get an A in French in order to secure a scholarship. That had to be a lie. There was no way a soccer powerhouse like UCLA would turn away an athlete like Stephanie because she got a B in French. In retrospect, it's such an obvious lie that Jon was surprised he'd ever believed it.

She'd told him that lie because she wanted to find a way to see him again. Jon smiled as he realized that Stephanie was pursuing him almost from the first moment they met. It made him feel good to see that she felt he was so desirable. The lie she told was a good lie, containing just a kernel of truth. It was true, after all, that Stephanie needed tutoring to get an A in French, but Jon should have realized that the rest of her story made no sense.

"You are as clever as you are beautiful," Jon said. "I'm going to have to remember that in the future."

..................................

This is becoming a very adult relationship, isn't it? Jon helps Stephanie experience something new in Chapter 6.