“What makes you say that?” I’m shocked the story went to me. I think the teacher just got schooled at his own game. I’ve never been so proud.
“Come on. Isn’t it obvious? It’s your day off, yet you’re here, with me. Where you always are. If you had a girlfriend or any type of life outside this hospital, you wouldn’t be here right now.”
I sit up slightly offended but try to act more serious than I feel. “I have a life,” I defend. “I have friends, well, one friend.” I pause. I can’t tell him anything else, but mainly because he’s a kid, and well, there are just certain things you don’t share with anyone.
“See, one friend.” He glares his disapproval before giggling. “Na, don’t lie, you have two. I’m your friend.”
I grin, reaching out for his hand. “That means a lot, bro.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. But I can’t be your girlfriend, too. It’s time to man up,bro.”
I let out a loud laugh. This kid is wise beyond his years, and the way he said bro, mocking me, proves that maybe he knows what he’s talking about—like a parent talking to a child.
I lean back in my chair again, putting my feet up and watching his fake annoyance at the gesture before sighing his approval. I take a deep breath, diving into the memory of my past. “I had a girlfriend, at one point…”
Ten Yearsago
“Mom, Dad, where are you guys? The mail, it’s here. There’s a letter from UCLA!” I yell out, running through my house as my fingers tingle from the envelope in my hand, the verybigenvelope.
“Carter, oh my God, open it!” my mom yells as they both come running in from outside, just as excited and nervous as I am.
I’ve worked my ass off at school, taking every AP class I could, even driving a half hour every night to the next town to take pre-college courses at the local community college to try to compete with other kids from more affluent areas. I need this admission, but more importantly, I need a full scholarship.
My parents are great people, but living in this tiny town doesn’t offer much chance for advancement. They have lived paycheck to paycheck most of my life, barely getting by and trying their best to make a great life for me. I want to make them proud. I want to show them their sacrifice was worth it, and I want to help them the way they helped me.
With trembling fingers, I rip open the envelope, pulling out the stack of papers to read, “Congratulations, we are pleased to inform you that you’ve been offered a full scholarship to University of California, Los Angeles. Your tuition, lodging, and books are all included…”
I try to read the rest, but my mom’s arms wrap around me as she cries into my shoulder, holding me tighter than she has in years. I drop the paper, engulfing her in my arms as my dad wraps around both of us. We all cry tears of joy, tears of relief. I did it. Everything I’ve worked for, every party I didn’t go to, every test I studied my ass off for, every hour I volunteered, every mile I drove to take extra classes has finally paid off.
I’m getting out of here.
Later that night I decided to go out for once, hang out with my friends and celebrate.
“Holy shit, is that Carter Donovan at a party?” James shouts out as I walk up to his truck parked in the middle of a field. He’s sitting on the tailgate, and six other trucks are lined up in a similar position with a keg directly in the middle of it all.
My best friend, Alan, answers for me, just as proud of my accomplishment, “We’re celebrating. Carter here is getting out of this shit hole, on a full ride to UCLA.” He hits my chest, and his beaming smile makes me laugh.
James jumps off the truck. “No shit?” He grabs my hand. “Congrats, man.”
“What? What’s going on?”
I turn and see her. Evangeline. I’ve had a crush on her for years but never acted on it. She’s so out of my league. She’s the popular girl in school, the crazy girl, always doing wild things and causing a commotion in the community.
I’ve watched her from afar, lusting after her every move. I’ve heard rumors she has a thing for me, but I never believed them. Or more, I tried not to. I wanted to so badly, but I couldn’t let anything get in the way of my dreams, so I kept my head down, focusing on what needed to be done.
“I got in,” is all I say as a slight fear runs through my body from just looking at her.
“You’re leaving?” I swear I see a bit of sadness in her eyes, and I know it shouldn’t, but it excites me to see I affect her that way.
“Yeah, I got into UCLA on a full ride,” I say, pride bouncing around me.
“When do you leave?” she asks, walking up closer to me, placing her hand on my chest, and I hope to God she can’t feel my heart beating like a bass drum deep in my chest.
“Not till August,” I say, taking her cue and throwing caution to the wind. I already got in, so the idea of actually enjoying the rest of my senior year starts to take over, quickly.
I wrap my arms around her waist and bring her into me. I hear my friends laugh, yelling, “Get you some.” And then they walk away, leaving us alone.
I look back at them before smirking in her direction. “Don’t listen to them,” I suggest, hoping deep down that she actually will, in fact, listen to them.
“Hmmm, it’s April, so you’ll leave in four months, then?” she says, snuggling up even closer.
“Probably not until the end of the month, so more like five months,” I whisper, swallowing a lump in my throat.
She looks up at me. Her eyes are so beautiful, so perfect. We stare into each other, acknowledging for the first time there’s something between us. I take a chance, leaning down, softly touching my lips to hers, and I’m done for.
This girl is everything.
