Tom Daley: Mr. Perfect

Chapter 12: The Breakup Taxi

I was walking back to my dorm from the sandwich shop when a car pulled up beside me.

"Need a ride?" The driver was a guy. About my age. He was wearing the same hoodie as me, with our university name on it. He obviously noticed that too, because he said, "You're a long way from your dorm!"

I shrugged. It had been a long day. "A ride would be nice I guess."

"I'm Kris," he said.

"Zoey."

"So Zoey, what are you walking for?" Kris asked.

I couldn't think of a lie to tell him. So I just said, "My ride left me. You know, boyfriend problems."

"Ooooh! I don't happen to have a girl myself!" He said, I had to refrain myself from rolling my eyes. He looked at me as went on "Would you like to grab some hot chocolate?"

"You're obviously very open about stuff like this," I said, but suddenly I realized that's the same thing I had said to Tom before.

"I'm only open about it with the pretty girls," he said.

This reminded me so much of that day in the hospital just a couple weeks ago.

Thinking about that made me realize how short a time Tom had in Utah. Only about a week left. Wow! We managed a great relationship in just two weeks. But soon he'd be back in London and if we didn't make up by then I'd be alone.

However, I decided I wanted some hot chocolate, and Kris took us to a drive thru and we drank it in the car on the side of the road. We talked a little bit about my relationship and how Tom was British and he was leaving in a week. Then we talked about the classes we were taking. It turns out Kris was in my biology class and I didn't even know. We discussed a little bit on genetic engineering which he was very knowledgeable about and he and exactly the same opinion as me about using umbilical cords instead of embryos.

He was a friendly, smart, nerdy, and funny guy. But he wasn't Tom. I could be best friends with this guy, but as for right now I only wanted a relationship with Tom.

I had him drop me off on the corner by my dorm, "I'm not showing a stranger where my dorm is!" I told him. He sighed. "Thanks for everything Kris! That's just what a girl needs after a breakup, chocolate, someone to talk to, and a ride home."

"Yeah, I do that for a living. 'Breakup Taxi Kris,' you can find me driving around every Monday," He said sarcastically. "Would you like my business card?" I laughed, but he scribbled on a sticky note and handed it to me.

"I don't need your number Kris." I said, still thinking about Tom.

But he handed it to me anyway and closed the door. As he drove away he rolled the window down and yelled things like, "DON'T LET HIM GET YOU DOWN! BE TRUE TO YOURSELF! SOMETIMES LIFE IS HARD, BUT IT WILL WORK OUT IN THE END!" And other cheesy encouragements. I smiled and waved, then walked back home, ready to call Tom.