Long Road Ahead

Chapter 16 Old Friends, New Stories.

I watch him from the table I sit at. I'm such a creeper. I watch as Eric gets our food and just study him. He's changed quite a bit. He's more toned and way more better looking then when we were younger. His hair is a lot longer than he use to wear it.

Why am I checking out my best friend when i'm in a relationship? I brush it off as Eric sits down. "Here ya go." He smiles. "Why thank you." I smile taking my smoothie. "So are you staying for longer than six months?" I ask. "Nov, i'm here to stay. My grandmother is real sick and mom needs me here to help with the younger kids." He explains.

"So no more air force for you then?" I asks. "Guess not." He sighs looking out the window. "I-I'm sorry." I say. "No it's fine. I want to get a college education anyways." He smiles patting the table.

He's always had a weird habit of having to pat something when he's trying to sooth someone. It's weird I know but it's always been that way. "I've really missed you by the way." I say looking down at my smoothie. "I've missed you. So is there a lucky guy for ya? I've seen on E! That it's one of your band members." He says.

"It's not! My boyfriend is not in the band." I laugh. "Then who is it?" He asks. "His name is Cole Thomas." I laugh. "Wait? As in Cole the one you were friends with and then he stopped talking to you?" He asks. "Uh yeah that's the one." I smirk.

"Oh uh yeah he's pretty cool." Eric says looking away at the wall clock. "Do you need to be somewhere?" I ask. "I'm sorry Nova but yeah. Will you be fine?" He asks. "Yeah i'll call someone to give me a ride." I say with a small smile. "I'm sorry." He says leaving. "Yeah." I whisper.

I grab my jacket, purse, and smoothie before walking out into the main part of the mall. I take my phone out to text anyone who I think would reply.

Me: Do you wanna hang out with me at the mall by any chance? Maybe give me a ride.
Colby: Are you just asking me because I answer sooner than the other two?
Me: you're such a butt!
Colby i'll be there in ten.

I get a text twenty minutes later telling me Colby is here and I go to find him at the door. "Thank you so much." I sigh wrapping my arms around his torso. He wraps his around my waist. "Who were you with anyways?" He asks pulling away.

"Old friend." I say as he throws his arm around my shoulder. "What do you want to do? Christmas shop?" He asks. "Yeah I guess I need to get that over with." I laugh knowing christmas is little over a week from now. We walk into a small clothing store and browse around a bit.

"You think Kar will like this?" I ask holding up a black and pink dress. The top is a hot pink and fades into the black. "Yeah I think so." He says.

I chuckle and take it off the rack. I look at the price and quickly hang it back up. "That dress alone is four hundred dollars." I say pulling Colby along behind me. "I didn't see high names in fashion on that thang." Colby chuckles. "Thang?" I smirk bursting into a fit of laughter.

He just smirks before throwing me over his shoulder and spin around extremely fast. I just laugh harder as we both fall to the floor. I land letting out a loud ommf on top of Colby.

"You're impossible." I laugh getting up and extend my hand to Colby. We walk to the next store and for three hours we go in the same cycle.

~*~

"I'm so tired!" I whine throwing my stuff in the back seat and climb into the passengers side. "And i'm not?" Colby asks starting the car. "You're in better shape than me!" I say looking over at him and beam a bright smile.

He shakes his head at me and laughs. "Thank you for ya know wasting your day on me." I smile. "I didn't waste my day!" He says stopping at a redlight.

"Are you, you know happy?" He asks after a few moments of silence. "What do you mean? Like happy now?" I ask. "I mean as in happy with Cole." He answers. "He makes me happy and i'm more myself with him." I reply.

Am I happy with Cole? Am I as in love with him as I was three months ago? I feel happy when i'm with him and I absolutly love him more than anything but am I happy with him?

We finally pull up in front of my house and I get out grabbing my bags and wave Colby off. I walk into the house and is greeted by a happy Snow. "Hey girl!" I smile patting her head. She gives me a puppy like yap and prances into the kitchen. "I'm coming." I laugh sitting my stuff down and enter the kitchen.

I find rose petals on the ground and leading out the back french doors. I'm confused for a minute because i'm not sure weither to go out or not. What if it's mom's boyfriend doing something sweet for her and I'll intrude.

I quietly walk up to my room and find a note taped to my door. I grab it and walk into my room and fall to my bed. I unfold the paper and read it.

You're such a nerd. Come to the back it's not your moms boyfriend. So bring your butt down here and be my date. Xoxo- Cole

I laugh and get up checking my reflection. I decide I look fine and walk down the steps and out the french doors finding Cole holding a bouquet of red roses and in a tux. I gasp and walk closer to him.

I look around and the back yard is covered in rose petals, candals,and tons of differant types of flowers. I smile at the boy standing before me with a smirk on his face. He picks up a large picture frame and inside is pictures of us as kids to now. I notice the pictures spell out 'Prom?' and my hand flies up to my mouth.

"So NovaLynn Prescott, Prom?" Cole asks smiling. "Yes!" I smile running into his arms and kiss him on the lips. "I love you." Cole whispers. "And i love you also." I whisper into his chest. "This is so cute!" I smile picking up the frame. "You fail to amaze me." I add kissing his cheek.

"How did we end up talking?" Cole asks sitting down. I sit down next to him and shrug. "We were kids. Kids do not care what you look like, the color of your skin, or even how much money you have to be friends." I reply.

He looks at me for a moment before looking away again. I sigh and stretch out looking up at the stars. "But if you think about it. I pulled your pigtails all the time and you still wanted to be my friend." Cole finally says laying down next to me. He puts his arm under my head and I snuggle closer to his side.

"I guess you just had something about you that I liked." I smile kissing his jaw. "You amaze me sometimes." He laughs returning the favor and kiss my forehead.

And just like that I couldn't think of another way to spend my night. I'm beyond blessed to have Cole in my life and sometimes I just do not let Cole know just how important he is to me.

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The picture above is the person I chose to play Eric. I will post pictures of the others soon with the next chapters.
-Becca