“I got a letter of acceptance to the Baron’s Edge School of Esthetics and Cosmetology. It’s a two-year program, and I was accepted on a scholarship. It’s not areal university, but it’s achance at a career and a new life doing something I’ve always wanted to do. Make a name for myself while making people feel beautiful.”
Mason squeezes me tight. “Congrats, Sprite. That’s amazing news.” His words say he’s happy, but his voice is thick with emotion. He clears his throat, and when I turn to look at him, his smile is sad.
“I went to see a recruiter today,” Mason says, his voice quiet but firm.
“What recruiter? What are you talking about?” I’m confused. Mason has never told me he was thinking about going into the military. He always talked about maybe becoming a mechanic or a bouncer somewhere, but never the military.
“I enlisted in the Army today. I leave next week for my ASVAB test and to get my physical.”
“Y-you, you’re leaving?” My heart slams against my ribcage as all the air is being sucked out of my lungs. I feel like a fish out of water, scrambling to breathe.
“Only for a little while.” He says it so calmly. So nonchalant. Like his announcement didn’t just rip my heart out of my chest and stomp it into the dirt. “I have to get my physical done and some other things before I officially ship out to boot camp, but then I’ll only be gone for about ten weeks. After I’m finished with that, I’ll be sent to another round of training, depending on the job I choose, and then I’ll be placed at my first duty station,” he explains. Like it’s just that simple. But nothing about this is simple. He’s leaving me.
“How long?” I ask, tears stinging the back of my eyes. I hate being emotional. I really hate crying, but more than anything I hate feeling like the rug has been pulled out from under me. Not wanting him to see the hurt in my eyes, I turn away.
He just kissed me. He said he had been waiting for this moment. For us to cross that line together. And now he’s leaving me?
“How long will I be gone? Or how long until I come get you and take you to my duty station with me?” he asks, smiling against my neck. His words do nothing to warm the cold, icy feeling coursing through my veins.
I blink back the tears. Sure he didn’t mean what he just said. “You want to take me with you? Where? What about my scholarship?My plans?”
Mason shrugs. “I don’t know how long until I can have you come with me just yet. I mean, I have to get through all of my training before they station me somewhere. I’m guessing maybe six months or so. Not too long.”
“Six months,” I whisper, wiping the tears that have finally broken free. “My schooling is for two years, Mason. I can’t just leave school to be with you. It doesn’t work that way. I’ll lose my scholarship. My shot at my dream job.”
“Hey. Why are you crying, Sprite? I thought you’d be happy. You can still go to school. We can move you after you’ve graduated,” he says, turning us so we’re facing each other. Again, he doesn’t get it. He doesn’t see that he is genuinely tearing my heart to shreds because I know what this means. It means he’s going to go on somewhere without me, and in two years' time I’ll be out of sight, out of mind. His plans all sound amazing, but the reality is they’re just plans. And plans change. Especially when you don’t see each other every day.
“You always said you wanted to see the world. I thought this was what you wanted. I’ll have a career, and when I’m situated, you can join me. We’ll both go wherever the Army sends us.”
“It sounds great, Mason.” I smile, but I don’t mean it. I won’t tell him that though. He’s so happy with his decision, and I’m sure he truly believes this crazy plan of his could work, but I’m arealist. We’re going to go our separate ways, and that will be the end of the start of us.
“It will all work out, Ever. You’ll see. You’ll go to school while I go to boot camp, and then when I get stationed, you can come there and work for a while. Then, when I’ve finished out my contract, we’ll come back here and I’ll open up my repair shop, and you can open up your very own salon like you’ve always dreamed about. And we can settle down and raise a family together, right here in Oakridge.”
More tears fall, and I can’t help the sob that escapes me. “You know I love you, Mason. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had and the only person to ever show me genuine kindness and support, and it has meant the world to me having you by my side.” I pause, catching my breath. I wipe the tears from my face, straighten my spine and say the words that will rip my heart in half.
“Where are you going with this, Ever? What are you trying to say?” He’s watching me closely now. I should lie to him and tell him his plan is perfect and I’ll be waiting for him, but he knows me too well. He’d see right through the lie. “You can tell me. I’ve always been there for you. I care about you. I fuckingloveyou. So, please, tell me you’re on board with this.”
“You loving me … it’s everything, Mason.” I raise my eyes to meet his. He looks so torn. Unsure. Both are things I have never seen when it comes to Mason. He’s always so sure of himself. So confident in his decisions. But I see the uncertainty staring back at me, and it’s my fault. I put that doubt there.
“I love you. I always have. And the kiss we shared will forever be my happiest memory in this shit hole of a town. I want to be with you more than anything, but it seems fate is set on separating us.” I try to smile, but I sob instead.
“It’s only temporary, Ever. I know it sucks, but it’s temporary. You get that, don’t you?”
I nod. Not wanting to draw this out any further, I tell him, “I’m sorry, Mason. It’s getting late. I should get home. I’ll talk to you later, okay?” I run up the hill to my bike and take off while Mason yells my name in the dark behind me. I don’t look back. I push my bike as hard and fast as I can until I get to my house. When I make it home, I find three motorcycles in the driveway along with Fred’s truck. Tossing my bike behind the bush, I open my window and crawl into my room, curling into a ball on my bed. I think about everything Mason said and what a beautiful picture he painted for our future, then cry because I know he’ll never come and find me.
Yelling coming from the front of the house immediately puts me back on alert. My mother is arguing with someone. A man’s voice I don’t recognize.
“Either you get me the rest of the fucking money by Friday or I’m taking your daughter back with me. I’m sure she’ll turn a pretty penny with her tight little body and unused holes.”
“Leave Everly out of this, Dagger. I’ll get you your money. Just leave my daughter alone.” She cries in the distance.
“Oh, now you give a shit about her?” There’s more laughter, alerting me he’s not the only man in the house. “Fucking mother of the year right here, boys. She sells her pussy for any Tom, Dick, or Harry so long as she can get her next fix. Now tell me again, how much you truly care about that kid of yours? All that matters to you is getting high and getting paid.” More laughter, followed by my mother’s sobs.
“She’s my baby! Of course I love her!” she shouts.
“Just make sure to have our money by Friday, or your daughter becomes our newest sales addition.” I hear him say with amusement. “Now, since we’re here, I think you should show some appreciation for my willingness to negotiate. On your knees, bitch!” Mama cries out as if in pain, and laughter follows. I can’t take any more of this. I need to get out of here.
I walk over to my closet, pull out my small suitcase and fill it with the bare essentials. I grab my backpack and pull out the cash I’ve been stashing for weeks in the bottom zipper compartment. I have just enough for a train ticket to Baron’s Edge. I don’t know where I’ll stay or how I’ll eat, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not waiting. I won’t be able to stay here another week. I don’t want to have to watch Mason leave me. So, I’m leaving Oakridge tonight. I’ll be gone by sunrise.
