Half an hour later Oscar was still lying on his blue and orange striped bed, wondering how he was going to ask his parents to go out on a school night.

"They'll probably say yes, right?" he asked himself. "I mean, I never go anywhere, and Dad is always asking me why I don't hang out with friends very often."

"Okay, here we go," he said aloud.

As he walked down the stairs he was reminded of all the times that he and Kim had slid down the banister after a sleepover when they were younger, both scrambling to get the first serving of blueberry pancakes at breakfast.

He continued down the stairs, and watched his white sock-covered feet shuffle down the tan carpeting, step by step. He soon rounded a corner and saw his mother, sitting at the distressed granite counter in the kitchen and typing on her laptop.

He slowly approached, immediately regretting his decision to leave his room. But it was too late, his mom saw him. "Hey sweetie," she said in a soft tone, still typing on her laptop.

She had her chestnut colored hair pulled back to reveal a round, charming face. Her squinting hazel eyes, set high within their sockets, watched cautiously over her fingers, as they moved across the keys.

Years of dedicated practice on the piano had left her hands nimble, yet accurate and precise.

Having had to sacrifice her artistic passion for a more lucrative career, these days, she was the manager of a small startup business and constantly busy. If it wasn't a client who needed to speak to her immediately because of impending crisis, it was one of the other coinciding problems that came with being an entrepreneur that took up most of her time.

Oscar paused and thought for a moment. "Uh, hey, Mom. How was work today?" He asked.

She emitted a deep breath, and stopped typing. "It was fine. A deal almost dropped but the new assistant manager really took charge and saved us."

"That's, uh, good." Oscar said.

There was a silence. "Anyway, did you want something?" She asked, attentively.

"Yes, actually," Oscar began. "I was, uh, wondering if maybe I could, uh..."

His mom encouraged, "What, honey?"

Oscar continued, "Well, it's just that, Kim and some other people are going out tonight. I was wondering if maybe I could go too? It's like uh, a party?"

She looked up from her screen, and over the tops of her glasses.

"This was stupid, she's not gonna say yes... " Oscar chidded himself.

"Yeah, I think that'd be fine," She finally answered.

Relieved, "Really?" Oscar asked.

"I mean, why not? Kim, is gonna be there. It sounds like fun," She responded.

"Okay, thanks Mom," Oscar breathed out. As he began walking back upstairs, his mother called him back.

"Oh, Oscar?" she said.

"Yeah mom?" He asked.

"Just don't be out too late, okay?" She said.

"Okay!" Oscar called back at her, and ran up the stairs.

On the way back to his room, Oscar felt euphoric. He felt anxious, and for the first time in a while, excited.