Behind Shaded Eyes

Epilogue

Hazel

I was finishing an essay for the mid year assignment my professor gave to our English class. Literally, who wants to write about the broken school system? High school students write about this stuff.

Once I was done, I closed my laptop and set it aside as I made my way over to go check on my roommate.

"Carissa, I-" I stopped myself from continuing when I saw nothing but a note neatly placed on my roommate's bed.

Gone to go hang out with my mom in Phoenix. Stay safe & call me if you need anything.
- Carissa xoxo

My smiled thinned as I thought about being alone in the dorm I shared with her. Yay me, I thought to myself sarcastically.

Being at university wasn't necessarily bad, honestly. I mean except for the numerous deadlines I had to keep up with and the times my roommate disappears with her mom or boyfriend. I don't know, it wasn't too often I was alone in any place. Not since the car accident.

I decided to call up Bella and Riley. It'd be no use trying to talk to Christian or Brayden since they're both at NYU, and there was not point in contacting them when it was 2 AM over there.

I sighed as no one answered their phones. Who would blame them, though? It was 11:38 PM on a Friday night and only I would be the one staying up to finish my work.

Sometimes I second guessed myself for applying. I'm sure all college kids do that at some point.

All jokes aside, it was worth applying to an out of state college. At the same time, I wished I was back in high school acing all the easy exams because I was too damn lazy to take all advanced courses my senior year. And then there I was, a freshman in college regretting that I didn't push myself to do those honors classes.

After a few minutes of thinking, I decided to call James, but of course, he also didn't pick up so I threw my phone aside and grabbed some brownie brittle to snack on.

An hour passed by when I'd finished watching Titanic for the millionth time. Every time Rose let go of Jack, I only cried harder at the scene. Then there were a couple of knocks on the door, making me wipe the fresh tears off my face as I walked over too see who was visiting. Whoever it was came at such a bad time. Why do I always look like total crap when I get the door?

My breath was caught in my throat when J opened the dorm door to reveal the person behind it.

James Kallaway was standing before me with a small bouquet of flowers and a tiny blue box in his hands, a smile plastered on his face as his blue eyes greeted me.

I dared not utter a word when he came inside and set the bouquet down, the blue box still in his other hand.

"Hey Wildcat," James greeted me. "You're probably wondering why I'm eleven hours away from my school."

I simply nodded, gesturing for him to go on with what he needed to say.

He gestured for me to sit down as I was still soaking in the fact that he was here standing right in front of me.

"I know you're not into the super cliché stuff like everyone else is, but judging by the DVD on the table, I'm guessing you're having an off night." He continued, making me chuckle.

I gasped at the sight in front of me as he opened the small box to reveal a cute and simple bracelet.

Let Someday Be Today.

"You know," I started, "I wouldn't think you'd actually travel to Arizona and woo me with a bouquet of white roses and jewelry, but here you are."

James gave me his signature smile again and continued to speak. "It's not the best present in the world," he said," but it's all I could afford with out it making or breaking my college tuition for next year."

I giggled and brought my knees to hide my blush. "I'm listening, Kallaway."

"Again, I know you're not the cheesy type of person, Haze. I've known the ins and outs of Hazel Marks since the first day we became fiends in elementary school. But let me be a little cheesy just this once with this bracelet."

James carefully grabbed my wrist and placed the bracelet around it before keeping his hand wrapped around mine.

"I know we have our whole lives ahead of us and that college will be Hell to get through with my soccer games and you busying yourself with your schoolwork, but I know we both wanna make this work, just not right now. Not when everything is so new and we're just getting to know ourselves first.

"So take this and keep it. We may not be together, but keep and wear this bracelet anyway so I know that you're out there and I'm out there, and that someday we'll find each other again and we'll actually make things work."

I bit my lip and raise my pinky up. "Someday?"

James sent me a genuine smile this time and wrapped his pinky around mine. "Someday."