Where We Began

chapter forty-four

The rest of the week flew by in a blur. After everything at the police station Wednesday Zane, Eli, Cole and I spent the rest of the day playing pool and eating at the local hang out spot. Eli and Cole had work so Zane took me home and stayed to hang out a bit longer while I cooked dinner and danced around the kitchen. My mom got home just as Zane smeared leftover pasta sauce on my face causing me to throw flour on him I had from rolling out fresh pasta. She smiled and gave me a look as she left us to our mess. You know she thinks we're together, Zane had commented. I knew she was basically praying I would end up with Zane but I only had a heart for Cole.

Thursday I had court followed by a meeting with my car insurance agent. Sammy had done enough damage to my car that they ultimately called it a complete loss and totaled it so I spent the rest of the day searching for a new vehicle online while driving my step dad's truck. Friday I picked up my class work from the front office since I was excused from school until Monday. I had everything completed and decided to take a short nap before dinner which turned into me sleeping through the rest of the evening and night before my alarm woke me at 6 a.m..

"Good morning," my stepdad greeted me as I walked into the kitchen to make coffee, "are you ready to go get you some new wheels?"

"After coffee," I smiled as I popped a pod in the keurig and waited as the delicious aroma filled the room, "I have some money saved up for the down payment but I know I'll need a co-signer since I don't have credit yet."

"Don't worry about it," Rob laughed as he flipped through some pilot magazine, "your mom and I had talked and I planned to sign anyways. As for the down payment I'm covering that too as a birthday and graduation present."

"That's too much!" I said as I choked on my coffee, "I have enough saved to cover it!"

"Brooke," he said sitting down the magazine and looking at me over his glasses, "we have money. Enough money to spend as we please. So if we choose to put down your down payment, which we have, then we will. Money isn't worth anything when we're dead and gone so I might as well spend it now while I'm good and alive!"

"Okay fine," I caved knowing I was going to win this battle anyways, "but can we keep this between us?"

"Sure sweetheart," he said as my mom came into the kitchen, "good morning beautiful!"

"Oh Rob hush," she giggled then shot him a look as he slapped her playfully on the ass.

"Ew gross," I laughed as I turned to go get dressed with my coffee in hand, "I'll be ready in 30."

"Make it 15 so you don't miss your thing tonight!" My mom shouted after me before laughing at something Rob said.

I smiled as I walked to my room and picked up my phone to see a message from Cole.

Good morning beautiful :)

Good morning :) I replied then sat my phone down to get ready for my day.

I dug through my closet finally settling on dark washed jean capris and a black cutoff the shoulder t-shirt with a dinosaur that said 'coffee is my fossil fuel' paired with my favorite pair of black converse. Cole had tried to convince me DC shoes were superior to my converse but I preferred to not wear bricks on my feet. Laughing to myself I snapped a picture of my shoes and sent it to him.

I'm buying you DCs when you drag me to the mall, Cole replied almost immediately.

No. I'm buying YOU converse, I replied as my phone rang with Zane's goofy face filling the screen.

"Brooookke!" he sang as I laughed, "where have you been?"

"Oh ya know," I replied, placing the call on speaker so I could curl my hair, "skipping the super important classes I have everyday."

"Yeah yeah whatever," he said, blowing my joke off, "you're still coming tonight right? I don't think Cole knows anything yet. You haven't told him have you?"

"No of course not," I hadn't even told him happy birthday yet even though I was dying to, "I haven't even said Happy Birthday."

"That is cold Brooklyn Mae," Zane said in a tisk tisk tone, "you better make that up to him in a big way."

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about what plans I have for Cole," I laughed finishing the simple curls in my hair.

"Oh lord," Zane sighed, "just don't kill the poor guy."

"Shut up Zane," I muttered looking into the mirror, surprised at the lack of bruise on my cheek. Eli knew what he was talking about with the banana peel; it was like magic.

"What time are you coming over?" Zane laughed.

"Well I'm going car shopping right now then I'll let you know," I said brushing on mascara and eyeliner before grabbing my bag to head to the kitchen.

"Sick. Let me know what you get," Zane said, before adding, "if you need to put down an employer, put down dad and the restaurant number. I'll be there to answer if anyone calls since you're starting next month anyways."

"Thanks," I laughed, hanging up the phone and sitting on a barstool to flip through the stack of papers I had showing my housing options for college while I waited on Rob.

My options were limited since I was going as a freshman but I still had a few. I could follow the traditional route and take my chances with a stranger in a dorm but they didn't offer any sort of privacy for studying and with my luck I would get either a drama major or someone who constantly played Dungeons and Dragons 24/7 and smelled of crusty Cheetos. Also the dorms were coed, and while all of my friends are guys, I didn't know how to feel about people having sex in the shower stall next to mine. My next option would be to join a sorority but then I would have to pay dues and do rush week. Not to mention the house would probably always be loud or I would be forced to go to frat parties just because. I could petition to live off campus but then I would have to pay rent, which I could cover with the money left over from scholarships but I needed to do the math first and take a few tours. Maybe I should just ask Zane to stay at the house his dad bought for him near campus. I could live with Zane as a roommate even if he did bring a different girl home every night it would beat having my dorm smell like Cheetos.

"You ready missy?" Rob said making me jump since I was daydreaming about college life.

"Yes!" I smiled jumping off the stool and heading to the front door where my mom was waiting for a hug, "Bye mom. I'm off to make big girl decisions!"

"You two be safe," she smiled hugging me then kissing Rob, "and don't buy anything crazy missy!"

"No promises!" Rob shouted as we climbed in the truck to start our adventure as he looked at me, "I know you've already picked something so where is it?"

"Well there's a couple cars I would like to see that are good on gas-" I started before Rob cut me off.

"Brooke. You're 18 years old not 25 with two kids," he laughed while taking a drink of his coffee, "I know you probably want something that maybe isn't good on gas or doesn't have third row seating. Now is the time to live a little and get what you want! You can worry about good gas mileage and practicality when you finish school and start your own family."

"Well," I smiled taking in his words, "I did find one thing the piqued my interest."

"That's my girl," he laughed, "where are we going?"

"Springfield," I said as he turned up the music and we began our jam session for the almost three hour ride. I really hoped they had exactly what I had been looking for at the dealership.