My Name Is River Blue by Noah James Adams

Author:Noah James Adams [Adams, Noah James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-08-18T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

As they did with most of Carlee's wishes, her parents approved her request to host a holiday party at their home during the last week of December. The guest list was similar to that of her back-to-school party but specifically excluded single girls that Carlee didn't want near me. She invited the varsity football team and the players' girlfriends, and left the single football players irritated by the lack of single girls.

I had celebrated my fifteenth birthday the week before Christmas, and Carlee's fifteenth birthday would be in January. I knew that even if her father ever approved of me as more than a friend to Carlee she still had another year before she would turn sixteen and have her father's permission to date. Until then, there was no way that she could appear too interested in me unless she wanted "Big Bill" to go crazy, possibly grounding her until after she graduated from high school. Carlee was frustrated because she thought that she had to worry about other girls flirting with me since she could not announce that we were a couple.

In addition to his rules on dating, Carlee's father insisted on imposing other unrealistic expectations on his children. His beliefs were so outdated that Bill Summers was delusional to think Carlee and Billy, Jr. would not find ways to rebel. Carlee and her father were much alike in the sense that both of them insisted on believing that things would be, as they wanted them to be, even when simple logic told them differently.

Carlee's invitations noted that the proper dress for her party guests would be "black tie," the same as a prom. I seriously thought of skipping the party, but Papa thought it would be good experience for Ant and me and paid for the rental of our tuxedos. I understood Papa's point, but I kept thinking that I would rather live at Tolley House than to live in that stuffy, pretentious environment Carlee's parents created. I was uncomfortable in a house that had a ballroom, the largest room of any kind that I had ever seen.

When Ant and I arrived at the party, we found Tina and Carlee, and talked with some of the kids we hadn't seen since school dismissed for the holidays. One of the favorite topics of discussion was "What did you get for Christmas?" and for once, Ant and I didn't mind answering. We could have talked proudly about our horses all night long.

I hadn't been at the party long when I saw Carlee's father just outside the French doors on the terrace. He was having a conversation with his brother who was Max's father. Max stood to the side of them and looked miserable to be spending his party time with his father and uncle, while Julie, his date, was waiting on him.

I had already spoken to Big Bill, who always made some comment to me about football. He would tell me I played a good game, or he would give me advice, such as I should look harder for an open receiver before I run with the ball.

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