her movement.
“Thanks.” She smiled sweetly, batting her big brown eyes at me. “Can I drive? You know I have my license now.”
I exhaled, part disappointment, part relief. As much as I wanted something to happen between us, I was nervous about what it would do to the dynamic of our group. I looked over and saw Garrett grinning ear to ear, taping his finger on his imaginary wristwatch, unsure if he was referring to getting the activities of the evening underway or me wasting time by not making a play for Alyssa. Since the first day we started hanging out, he’d been convinced that I was denying my feelings for her. Maybe I had been, but I remembered the look on her face when January ditched her for Hap and I didn’t want to do the same thing to my best friend, no matter how hard he pushed me to be with her. It had always been the three of us. I’d been alone with her a few times and she never did or said anything to make me believe that she was wrestling with her feelings. I smiled back at her and pulled the keys from my pocket, dangling them in front of her wide eyes.
“Not a chance, sweetheart.” I might have loved that girl, but I loved my Jeep too.
That night we took her to her favorite restaurant in the city and had a field party. I think the entire school was there to celebrate, but she stuck close to Garrett and me all night. A six pack in and she was three sheets to the wind, dancing and laughing without a care in the world. I was so happy that I’d helped give her such an awesome night. When she started to get that sway in her step, we knew it was time to get her home, but first we had one more stop.
“I love you guys so much,” she slurred as we helped her back to the Jeep. “This is the best birthday ever.”
“It’s gonna get even better,” Garrett laughed as we drove to the edge of town. When we pulled up to the gate that surrounded the town’s water tower and pulled out the cans of pink spray paint, she suddenly sobered up.
“What are you doing?” She frantically asked as we scaled the fence.
“You’ll see.” I smiled. It took a good five minutes to climb up that ladder and with every rung, I questioned the plan that Garrett and I had. Alyssa looked like a little speck pacing the ground below. When we finally reached the top and tagged the silver tank with our birthday greeting, we could see her smile beaming in the moonlight and I knew it was totally worth it.
“Jess?” A familiar voice caught my attention. “Well, shit, I better call the Herald and get them out here to a write story. Jesse Vaughn has returned!” I turned to see Hapley Wilson, wearing a shit-eating grin, standing a few feet from me.
“Hey,” I chuckled as I walked toward him, extending my hand for his and pulling him in, bumping our shoulders together, “how are you?”
He raised his eyebrow and smiled, “Me? How the hell are you?”
“I’m good,” I lied, hiding it with a forced smile and nod.
“It’s been a while. Where’d you go, man?” He took a swig of his beer.
“I had to get away after, you know. Been down in Florida at my uncle’s place.”
“Yeah.” His smile was understanding, “I get it.”
“Yeah.” I looked over his shoulder when I saw her come back outside. Hap knew my attention had been pulled from him.
“She know you’re back?” He turned to face Alyssa just as January was saying something to her that she didn’t really like. We watched as she stomped her foot and balled her fists at her side. Even when she was throwing a temper tantrum she was cute.
“No,” I sighed, “haven’t talked to her yet. Not sure if I’m ready.” I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Something was definitely up with her tonight. “How is she?”
“Well, it’s up and down. Tonight, she’s a rock star but yesterday, a train wreck.”
I watched her storm away from January and walk straight over to Collin Smolder.
“Thanks.” She smiled sweetly, batting her big brown eyes at me. “Can I drive? You know I have my license now.”
I exhaled, part disappointment, part relief. As much as I wanted something to happen between us, I was nervous about what it would do to the dynamic of our group. I looked over and saw Garrett grinning ear to ear, taping his finger on his imaginary wristwatch, unsure if he was referring to getting the activities of the evening underway or me wasting time by not making a play for Alyssa. Since the first day we started hanging out, he’d been convinced that I was denying my feelings for her. Maybe I had been, but I remembered the look on her face when January ditched her for Hap and I didn’t want to do the same thing to my best friend, no matter how hard he pushed me to be with her. It had always been the three of us. I’d been alone with her a few times and she never did or said anything to make me believe that she was wrestling with her feelings. I smiled back at her and pulled the keys from my pocket, dangling them in front of her wide eyes.
“Not a chance, sweetheart.” I might have loved that girl, but I loved my Jeep too.
That night we took her to her favorite restaurant in the city and had a field party. I think the entire school was there to celebrate, but she stuck close to Garrett and me all night. A six pack in and she was three sheets to the wind, dancing and laughing without a care in the world. I was so happy that I’d helped give her such an awesome night. When she started to get that sway in her step, we knew it was time to get her home, but first we had one more stop.
“I love you guys so much,” she slurred as we helped her back to the Jeep. “This is the best birthday ever.”
“It’s gonna get even better,” Garrett laughed as we drove to the edge of town. When we pulled up to the gate that surrounded the town’s water tower and pulled out the cans of pink spray paint, she suddenly sobered up.
“What are you doing?” She frantically asked as we scaled the fence.
“You’ll see.” I smiled. It took a good five minutes to climb up that ladder and with every rung, I questioned the plan that Garrett and I had. Alyssa looked like a little speck pacing the ground below. When we finally reached the top and tagged the silver tank with our birthday greeting, we could see her smile beaming in the moonlight and I knew it was totally worth it.
“Jess?” A familiar voice caught my attention. “Well, shit, I better call the Herald and get them out here to a write story. Jesse Vaughn has returned!” I turned to see Hapley Wilson, wearing a shit-eating grin, standing a few feet from me.
“Hey,” I chuckled as I walked toward him, extending my hand for his and pulling him in, bumping our shoulders together, “how are you?”
He raised his eyebrow and smiled, “Me? How the hell are you?”
“I’m good,” I lied, hiding it with a forced smile and nod.
“It’s been a while. Where’d you go, man?” He took a swig of his beer.
“I had to get away after, you know. Been down in Florida at my uncle’s place.”
“Yeah.” His smile was understanding, “I get it.”
“Yeah.” I looked over his shoulder when I saw her come back outside. Hap knew my attention had been pulled from him.
“She know you’re back?” He turned to face Alyssa just as January was saying something to her that she didn’t really like. We watched as she stomped her foot and balled her fists at her side. Even when she was throwing a temper tantrum she was cute.
“No,” I sighed, “haven’t talked to her yet. Not sure if I’m ready.” I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Something was definitely up with her tonight. “How is she?”
“Well, it’s up and down. Tonight, she’s a rock star but yesterday, a train wreck.”
I watched her storm away from January and walk straight over to Collin Smolder.
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