Just Friends

Love Will Find a Way

(Unedited)

Caroline

Seven years later

"Yes mom, I just got to the apartment. Mom...I am.......ugh mom I'm.......I'm fine! I'll be okay! I'll call you later. Alright...love you....mmhm....bye!" I turn my phone off and look at the old apartment building that will be my home for the next eight years of medical school. The plane ride from Denver to St. Louis took forever or so I thought it did. I attended the University of Colorado Denver for my undergrad then transferred to Washington University in St. Louis to get my masters and doctors degree in Orthopedics. I was glad to be back in Missouri after the move seven years ago. Long story short, Dad got a job transfer to Denver, Colorado which included a huge pay raise, so it would be stupid not to take the job.

After the move, I made a new life for myself and studied really hard to get a scholarship to my dream school, Washington University in St. Louis. It offered one of the top-ranked medical, social work, and business programs in the country. I was so excited when I got my acceptance letter in the mail a few months ago. I snapped out of my daydream and came back to reality. I started to unpack all my boxes that were already sitting in my apartment once I got up there. I didn't bring much from Colorado, just the necessities you need for living.

After unpacking and putting everything away a few hours later, I decided to go check out the neighborhood. I grabbed my red cotton trench coat styled-like coat from its hook, my phone, wallet, and keys then headed out the door. It was chilly day for being August, but it felt like home. I missed Missouri believe it or not. I loved the little shops and bistros down a few blocks from my apartment building, so I decided to check one of the places to see how their coffee tasted. Just as I pushed open the door, something, or should I say someone, crashed into me and split piping hot coffee on me.

"Ahhhhh!" I screeched.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry," the person said.

"Well if you'd look up from your phone when you're in a rush we wouldn't be in this problem," I was pissed. My new hundred dollar coat was stained with coffee!

"I'm sorry. Here's some napkins," I grab them from the person and start wiping off the excess coffee. "I'll buy you a new coat if you want. It looks expensive,"

"No, no it's fine-" As I look up to see who spilt coffee on me, I suddenly freeze. It can't be, could it?

"Derek? Derek Correy?" The guy smiles.

"Caroline Richards, it's been a while," he scans my body up and down appreciatively. "You've changed a lot,"

"Yeah, you too," I look down, not knowing what to say. What do you stay to someone who you haven't seen in seven years and moved away without telling them? I just wanted to forget my old life since I never thought I would be coming back again.

"I called your house phone," he says suddenly. "It said it got disconnected so I asked my mom about it. She said that you guys moved to Colorado and didn't know your new home phone."

I didn't know what to say to him. I feel bad that I didn't tell him all those years ago that I was moving......that I was not gonna see him for a long time to never......that-that I liked him.

"Well, I cut my hair and donated it then started wearing makeup and got a growth spurt around junior year," I tell him. "I got a boyfriend around the beginning of my sophomore year in college and we have been dating since then,"

I watch him process that last part. I can't read him like I use to, he just had a blank look on his face.

"It's good to see you Derek,"

"It's good to see you too, Caroline." He smiles at me and I see that it hasn't changed after seven years. We smile at each other before we return to reality. I just look down and he turns his head. "And again, I'm so sorry about your coat,"

"No, it's fine. I can always wash it," Silence surrounds us again. "Well, I should go order my coffee now,"

"Oh, yeah!" He starts scratching the back of his head. "Did you, um, want to meet up some time to, uh, catch up?"

"Sure, give me your phone," he looks as if I have three heads. I roll my eyes and grab his phone from his hands then put my contact in his phone and give it back to him. Some just never learn. "Here, text me when you want to meet up," I start walking up to the counter.

"Caroline," I turn around. "You're still that crazy fifteen-year-old girl that I used to know, even if you have changed," he smiles at me then leaves the café.

What the hell just happened?

Later that night I get a text from some random unknown number.

Hey Caroline. Its me Derek

I stare at the screen and start to type.

Hi Derek, what's up?

I smile, satisfied with my message and hit the send button.

Not much. I was just going through some boxes and found some old photos of us. Did you want to come over and look through them together?

I re-read his text at least twenty times before I reply back.