Set Him Free

When We Crashed

His soft humming was anything but on key, but I still smiled as I slowly awoke from my sleep. His eyes were on the road, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel to the beat of the song. The volume was turned down, probably to keep me from waking up, but the catchy pop song still could be heard from the Jeep's speakers.

"Hey," I said, my voice groggy. I ran a hand thru my hair and sat up straighter, blinking quickly to adjust to the bright light coming from the windows. 

 He didn't even flinch as he expertly flicked on his turn signal, exiting off the busy highway. "Good morning."

I yawned obnoxiously loud, stretching my sore muscles. "How much longer until we get there?"

His eyes flickered to the clock by the car's controls, then replied, "About four and a half hours. Feel free to go back to sleep, if you want."

I shook my head, already fully awake. Instead, I looked out the window at the cornfields rushing by. Every once in a while, I'd feel my eyes glance over at him. He blonde hair seemed even lighter in the sun, but his eyes changed to a darker hue, reminding me of the dark coffee I had bought this morning. A content smile graced his lips and a soft humming still emitted from them. His slender hands, practiced in almost every instrument, we're both wrapped around the steering wheel, in full control of the car. I almost sighed at this boy in front of me.

Trent had grown into a beautiful man.

It sounded weird, coming from me. Trent, a man? What happened to the scrawny boy I met in high school? Where did the mischievous grin and the ruffled hair go? No, he was far from the boy I met all those years ago. The lessons he had learned and the consequences of his actions had formed him into a mature adult.

 "A picture lasts longer."

 I knew it was coming. He caught me staring, a cheeky smile on his face. I responded by pulling out my phone and taking a picture of him. He was mid-laugh, probably because of my creepiness. I admired my work before saying, "This will last forever."

-----

 The hours flew by quickly. Soon we were pulling into the Columbia University parking lot, exhaustion clear on both our faces. The drive there was more or less silent, but our excitement kept us awake most of the time.

 The school maybe wasn't the biggest, but I was still in awe. I could see students mulling around already. The architecture on this campus was incredible. Most buildings seemed to have stone pillars somehow incorporated and there were more plants than I was expecting. It seemed like Trent was doing the same thing I was. He was leaning into the steering wheel, his wide eyes trying to take everything in.

"Oh my gosh... We did it, Paige. We actually made it." His mouthed was gaped open, and I laughed at his disbelief.

 "Of course we did, weirdo. You're an excellent driver." He nodded in a daze and we both continued to look around like children.

 Ha, excellent driver? Nah.

Time seemed slow down. The car in front of us, slow as it may have been going, came to a complete stop. Trent and I, used to the constant speed of 5 miles per hour, were oblivious to the change while we were looking around like complete idiots. Long story short, our Jeep rear ended the navy Prius in front of us.

"Trent!" I yelled, slapping his arm as he sat in shock. He looked at me, wide eyed and opened mouth, giving me a "did you see that" face. I raised an eyebrow, fanatically gesturing to the car in front of us. I would've laughed at how awkward we looked communicating without words, but I was too shocked to make a sound. He looked back at the car, horror plastered on his face. The driver's door of the Prius opened slowly and a Nike shoe stepped out in what seemed like slow motion. I saw him look around through my tinted window, probably since we were still in the middle of the parking lot. My stomach lurched as he finally made his way over, dark sunglasses not allowing me to see his expression.

 At this point, my head was in my hands in utter embarrassment. First day at college and look where we are.

The sound of the car window rolling down was like a judge ordering a death sentence. I waited in silence as Trent cleared his throat and said, "Uh, look. Let's exchange information and I'll pay you back-"

The man snorted, and I heard the click that told me his sunglasses had been taken off. "Yeah, you sure as hell are going to pay for the damage. You see that car? I had to save for years to get that car right there. Your stupidity just caused those dents in that car." I heard an frustrated sigh. "First day of college and look where I am."

Wait, didn't I just say that?

I lifted my head slowly to get a look at this person, a person who probably hates our guts. He's running a hand through his chocolate brown curls, impatience clearly seen. His bright blue eyes widen a fraction when they meet mine, and I'm immediately transported to five years ago.

"Paige?"

 I gulp, not willing to connect the dots. I should've known coming to New York was a dumb idea. Out of the thousands of people I just had to run into...

"Atticus?"

Trent looks back and forth, surprise written all over his face. "Wait, Atticus? You don't even look like Atticus..."

I wasn't paying attention as Trent's voice trailed off. Sure, he looked older. His jaw was more defined and his shoulders were now more broad, but this was the boy who had left me years ago.

Now his eyes were hooked on mine, never leaving as if he feared I would disappear. My mouth was so dry it made it hard to talk, so I wasn't surprised when he talked first.

"Well, what a pleasant surprise."