Life With Trent Harmon

Part 19: Top 4 Homecoming

You look out the window and check your phone. It's 10:30. Your phone buzzes and you open the new message from Trent
"We are almost to Amory, my parents are at the Longhorn setting up, so we are gonna swing by there and film a little and then we will be headed home to get ready for the parade. What time are you gonna get back to Amory? In time for the concert? I'd like to see you for at least a minute before I have to go back to LA..."
You smile and type back "when we booked our trip, we didn't know this was gonna be the week for the top 4 homecomings. I'm sorry. I wanna see you, too. Praying we get back in time to be at the concert. Let me know when you get there safe. I'm doing the best I can, Trent. I'll get there when I can."
"Okay. Love you." He responds quickly and your heart drops. RK walks over to you and says "everything okay?"
"Yeah, trents really pissed cuz he thinks I'm not here... Maybe I should tell him that we got back this morning to ..."
"No. I promise. It will be worth it. He will get over it fast." She smiles down at you and then runs over to where her mom is busy pouring drinks for all of the guests. You grab your crutches and slowly make your way to where they are and when Mrs. Cindy sees you, she smiles.
"Anything I can help with?" You look around and then back at her.
Mr. Randy looks up at you and says "nah, crip. We got it. Clay's in the back grilling, and Ashley is taking drinks to the tables. Have you heard from Trent?"
"Yeah he texted me a few minutes ago and said they are almost in Amory. He's really mad cuz he thinks I'm not here."
Mrs Cindy pours another drink and then looks at you and winks "he will get over that really fast." And hurries off to answer the ringing phone. You go over to the table in the middle of the restaurant, on the side farthest from the door, where Mama C had made sure you would be sitting with Ashley and Clay, so he wouldn't see you right away.
After a few minutes, Ashley sits down across from you with her back to the door and smiles. "You doin okay?"
You try to force a smile and say "yeah, I'm just really nervous for some reason.." And the point to your crutches. "I was really hoping dr. Mason was gonna let me get rid of these..."
"I know.." She says quietly "but it's only been a little over a week since your surgery. You really don't need to rush it. Maybe when you go back Monday you'll be ready."
You open your mouth to respond but stop when you hear Mrs. Cindy say "okay they are pulling in right now. We are gonna go out and talk for a minute. When we open the door, y'all know what to do." And then follows Mr. Randy and RK out of the door.
Your hands start to shake and your phone buzzes again.
"We are at the longhorn. Sorry I was a jerk. I just miss you. Hope to see you soon. I love you."
You smile and show Ashley the message. She says "he has no idea."
Clay comes and stands next to your table and helps you stand up.
"They are walking up" Trent's aunt who is standing next to the window, says.
The nervous excitement in your stomach grows and you grab Ashley's hand.
The door opens and suddenly, standing in the door way is the one person you've been wanting to see since he left. Everyone around you yells "TEAM TRENT" and cheers but all you can do is lean against the table and stare at him, and try to not cry.
The shock on his face is obvious and after he realizes what is going on, he throws his head back and starts laughing. "YALL!!" He says between laughs "y'all guys got me.."
Behind him, Mrs. Cindy places her hand on his shoulder and you can see her joy bubbling up inside of her. The cameras are taking in every moment and panning around the room, trying to make sure everyone is seen.
"Thank y'all, so so much!" Trent says, and you can see the shock wearing off and a gratefulness taking its place.
All but one of the cameras in the room are focused on him and the other is still panning around the room getting reactions as he continues to talk
"I honestly didn't know y'all were here... I feel like I need to ask everybody what they want to eat!!" Everybody laughs and then everybody runs up to him and starts trying to get their moment with him, but you and Ashley and clay stay at your table.
You watch as he greets every person with a hug and a smile, and talks to them like they are the only person in the room.
For a second, you are grateful to get to see him in this way, and to know that he really is that guy. The guy that you fell in love with. When he has talked to about half of the group, he bends down to talk to his little cousin, Presley. You see him hug her and whisper something to her. Before he stands back up, he kisses her on the cheek and she wraps her arms around his neck. When she lets go, he stands back up slowly as he looks around the room. His eyes cross over where you are sitting and then keep going. Suddenly, he stops in his tracks and moves his eyes back to your table, and then looks straight at you. You see a shocked look cross his face, but just as quickly, a smile replaces it, and he stares at you for a second and smiles and then turns his attention back to the group around him.
When he looks away, you can finally breathe again, and suddenly feel the tears on your cheeks. You wipe the tears and watch him again, and he glances over at you every few seconds to make sure you are still there. As the people start sitting down, clay and Ashley stand up and start walking toward him, and you follow behind them. When he sees y'all coming toward him, he hugs the last few people around him, and then steps toward yall. Ashley gets to him first and she wraps her arms around his waist and he squeezes her shoulders tightly. "I missed you, T!" She says over the noise of all of the people.
"I missed you, too, Ash!!" He says and the pulls away from her. Clay steps in front of you and Trent gives him a look before hugging him quickly. Clay says "welcome home, brother."
"Thank ya, man." Trent replies and then looks up and locks eyes with you. Clay keeps talking to him, but his eyes stay in direct contact with yours, and a smiles sneaks its way onto his face. You feel the heat rush to your cheeks, and Trent side steps to get to you, but clay follows him, and blocks his path to you, and continues talking. after this happens a few time, Trent looks back at clay and whispers "bro, I love you, but if you don't get out of my way, I'm gonna kick your ass."
Clay laughs and steps out of Trent's way and before you can even take one step, he has already closed the distance between y'all and is wrapping you in his arms. He puts his hands around your waist and you lean into him, trying to hold on to your crutches. Ashley comes and slips them out from under yours arms and the you wrap your arms around him and pull him in tighter. After a minute, he pulls back and searches your eyes. "I thought y'all were on your way back from Florida?" He asks, as he laughs.
"We got home about 9:45 this morning." You say quietly while looking into his eyes and moving your arms to wrap around his neck. "You shoulda known I wasn't gonna miss this."
He smiles and stares at you for another second "I have missed you so much..." He says quietly, so only you can hear. For a second it's only you in the room, looking at each other, smiling and you think he's going to kiss you, but suddenly he seems to become very aware of the cameras around and pulls you in for another hug.
"Trent" one of the camera men says "we need you to get ready to serve some food." You try to hold onto him but he pulls away and says "I'm sorry." As he looks into your eyes.
Ashley hands you your crutches back, and you limp back over to your table and watch him as he goes to each table and takes orders and refills drinks like you have seen him do so many times before. He takes time with each table to make sure he has everything right.
Once he is done taking orders, he sits down to his little cousins and starts talking to them for a minute.
Mrs. Cindy walks outside for a second and then comes back in and nods at Mr. Randy. Suddenly, a familiar face comes through the door, and suddenly you realize that it's Manny, Trent's best friend who got voted off before top 10. When Trent doesn't turn toward the door, you realize that he has no idea that manny is anywhere around.
You watch the scene play out in front of you, with tears in your eyes.
Manny walks up behind Trent and puts his hand on his shoulder. Before he can turn around, manny says "man do you know where I can get a good steak?"
You watch as a confused look crosses Trent's face but is replaced quickly by a look of complete shock. Trent turns around as fast as he can and stands up, face to face with Manny.
He stares at him for a second with the shocked look still plastered to his face. Manny laughs uncontrollably and wraps Trent in a hug. "Dude. What're you doing here?" You hear Trent ask, still in disbelief.
"Man your mama called me and asked if I wanted to come today, and you KNOW i was all over that." Trent steps back and looks at manny and starts laughing. They stand together and laugh for a second before Trent pulls him in for another short hug. You see Trent look over at you and then say something to Manny and the  they start walking toward you.
"AHHH! It's you!!" Manny says as you stand up. He wraps you in a quick hug and laughs again. "I feel like we already know each other, thanks to FaceTime." You laugh and say "I know! Welcome to Amory!"
Trent introduces manny to Ashley and clay and Manny and Clay hit it off instantly.
The camera men call Trent back over to start serving food and all four of you sit together and watch as Trent tries to remember how to correctly serve the meals to the right table. You all laugh everytime he takes the wrong plate to the wrong table and when he walks by you say "I think you've lost your touch."
"Never" he winks at you and then keeps walkin.
After all of the plates are served, Trent is wisked out of the restaurant.