Thursday Nights | ✓

EIGHTEEN | 11/26/15

EIGHTEEN | 11/26/15

THE PAST FEW months had slowly and painfully gone by, especially with the workload and responsibilities of college dragging us behind. Finally, however, after all days and nights of tests and essays and sleep-depriving nights, Harrison and I drive to Cherryhill for our short Thanksgiving break. I gladly want to come back home, excited to see my dad, but Harrison, on the other hand, seems more reluctant to come.

As we're driving back, Harrison intertwines his fingers with mine and begins with, "I really hate to say this, but I kinda miss this shitty town."

"And I hate to say this, but you don't," I bluntly say, throwing him a look from the passenger seat, "or else you would've come with me every time I visited in the past three months. You made me suffer alone."

This time, he snorts at my words, "It's not suffering if you don't hate Cherryhill. You have family here, Arden."

"So do you," I counter.

"Who?" Harrison says, his free hand tightening on the wheel, turning his knuckles into a ghastly white color, "Nathan? My parents?"

I frown and look at him, "You have Lucas, and my dad, and Grant, and Venice, and me."

A few moments later, Harrison's blue eyes soften, and his grip on the wheel loosens up, "I know -- I'm really stupid, I know."

"You're not stupid, Harrison," I say, squeezing his hand in a comforting way, and he squeezes back, "It's okay to feel like the world's against you. It's been tough for you."

It really has been tough for him. Never have I seen Harrison Gage so distraught when his family didn't come to visit him once or call him or even text him. So, in a Harrison fashion, he retaliated against his parents by not showing up at all these past months. To him, it's simply an eye for an eye, except it's really hurting feelings for feelings. Thinking back on it, I don't know if escaping this town helped him out.

"I'm only here for you," he defiantly says, "For you, baby, okay?"

I wish he'd consider everyone else, too.

"Yeah."

•••

BEFORE HARRISON DROPS me off and drives to his respective house, I reassuringly run my fingers through his dark hair and place a soft kiss against his lips. I know how hard it is for my boyfriend to see his parents and Nathan, but I tell him that he'll have Lucas there with him, and that I'm only a drive away.

We have to be there for each other.

"I'll call you before I go to sleep," Harrison says before kissing me once again.

"And I'll be waiting."

I step back from the car and watch as he drives down the road. Satisfied, I turn on my heel, clutching onto my backpack of schoolwork and my bag of clothes, and enter my house. It's warm and familiar and smells like turkey inside, which I find surprising. It's not like my dad to make or do anything traditional; we just settle in for some pizza and movies.

"Dad?" I call out, dropping my belongings on the couch and walking towards the kitchen, "What's up with all the cooking?"

I stop in my tracks, watching as a woman chops up vegetables in my kitchen. Either that, or I walked into the wrong house.