Caroline
Looking in the mirror I feel good which is kind of a big deal. Feeling pretty and confident isn't really an everyday occurrence for me. The last time I felt like this was that night with Luke, him up on that stage, all those beautiful Georgia country girls screaming his name and he didn't look away from me once.
I've tried not to think about him, to not wonder where he is or if he's thinking about me. It still hurts that he never called, I think it always will. But there is a small part of me that wants to believe something happened that stopped him from calling, that the night was just as incredible for him as it was for me. I guess I'll never know.
Enough, I tell myself, gotta focus on today and starting my senior year. The new wardrobe was definitely a good idea. My usual school attire basically consisted of three things: jeans, Chucks and a hoodie or t-shirt. Today I'm wearing dark washed skinny jeans, a fitted long-sleeved button down and ankle boots. My hair down in soft curls not pulled back in my regular ponytail, a little mascara on my lashes, a sheer pink lipstick on my lips.
The doorbell rings and I head downstairs. Expecting to see James I open the door to find his mom, Karen. Giving her a surprised look, "Karen? Hey."
"Hey baby, James is gonna meet us there. He apparently decided it was a good idea to start off the first day of school by sleeping through his alarm. Not once." She says holding up two fingers, "But twice."
Laughing I say, "You know I'm not at all surprised by that!"
"Is your dad here? I wanted to say hello, I haven't talked to him in awhile."
"No, he's outta town. Work."
"Ah, that's too bad. So he couldn't be here to see you starting your last day of high school? I teared up a little waking James up this morning. I'm a huge baby, I know."
"I don't think even if was here he'd care all that much anyway." I say shaking my head, looking down.
"That's not true, Caroline. Your daddy loves you he's just got a hard time showing it after your mom passed. Here let me get a picture of you." Karen says taking out her phone. "I wanna make sure we remember this day."
I stand in the doorway smiling while Karen snaps a few pictures.
"Now give me a little of the duck-lip thing everybody does."
"That is so not happening!"
She chuckles, "Ok girlie, let's go meet that boy of ours."
Every year on the first day of school since kindergarten my mom, me, James and his mom have gone to eat at this little diner for breakfast. Even after my mom died we'd still go, eat way too much, talk about her and about what we think the new school year will be like.
James is already there when we walk in. He gets up from the table and just stares at me.
"What?" I ask, looking down at my clothes. Did I miss a button or something?
"Uh...nothing. You just look...you look really pretty." He says a little surprise in his voice.
"I don't know if I should be happy about the compliment or upset that you sound so surprised that I can look a little decent." I say with a wink scooting in to the booth.
We talk, eat, laugh and the time goes by way too fast. James and I are in his car now heading to school.
James looks over to me, "You ready for today, Boyer?"
"Not really but it's one more day closer to getting outta here so that's a plus."
"Always thinking about leaving. You know when the time actually does come, you're gonna have to take me with you." He says so matter of factly. "I don't know what I'd do without my crazy neurotic best friend."
"You'd survive, I'm fairly confident about that."
We pull up to school, here goes nothing.
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Luke
I've been back up in Statesboro for a few days now. Not even settled all the way back into the dorm and Carter and I already lined up a few parties and a couple nights out at Dingus Magees, the local bar.
Making the three hour drive out here the other day I had two things on my mind; Caroline and getting more music out there. Obviously nothing I can do about the first thing, I've thought about calling again but the last thing I think my daddy needs is me messing anything up with the farm. I'm starting to feel a little silly being so hung up on a girl I barely even know after one night but there's something about that shy city girl that's hard to let go of.
I went back up to the treehouse before I left, thinking maybe I'd find a note or something from her that I missed the first time but there was nothing. I just keep thinking there's got to be more to that night, cause nights like that, a feeling like that, it don't just happen. Man! I need to get a grip!
Grabbing my shoes and headphones I head out the door. I see Carter in the hall, "Gonna hit the gym for a little bit, man. Wanna come with?"
"Nope, not even a little." Carter says smiling.
Laughing I walk out in to the bright Georgia day, hopefully I can work some of these thoughts outta my head. Halfway thru my workout my song's interrupted by a text, it's Katie.
Hey cowboy! Dinner tonight?
Yeah, you buyin'? ;)
Where's all that southern boy gentlemanliness??
Haha ok you're right. We'll go dutch!
Ugh! Pick me up at 7 :)
Having Katie here, seeing her everyday has been a change. In all the time we've known each other we've never spent more than a week together. We haven't talked about what this means for our "relationship", if we're gonna date full on now, exclusively or just keep on doing what we've been doing with the casual hook-up, hanging out thing.
When she first told me she'd be up at GSU this year I was all for us giving a real relationship a shot. Distance is really the only thing that's held us back from being together and now there'd be none. Then I met a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed city girl that made me think maybe my feelings for Katie were just out of convenience. She knew me, I knew her, we didn't have to try, it just came so natural which is good and all I thought I needed until I felt that spark every time I touched Caroline. It was unexpected and new.
Is there really any point to wanting something I can't have though? I don't even know if I'm ever gonna see Caroline again and Katie is here, Katie's always been here. Would it be stupid to give up something familiar and comfortable for something I might not even have again? Turning the music up I start running hard on the treadmill, trying not to think anymore I just let the song blast filling my head.
YOU ARE READING
Georgia
Acak"...and the one thing I loved about him the most was that he is everything I never knew I wanted."
