Trusting My Friend

Chapter 4

Alissa

Graduation, it is finally here. Sitting in the sweltering heat of the late May morning, we listen to the valedictorian drone on and on. We have been sitting here for an hour now and nobody's paying attention. Some are talking to those around them, others are on their phones, a few are asleep, and then there is me. I am just sitting here, almost passed out in the heat of the early summer sun.

Just shut up already. As if she hears me, the valedictorian finishes her speech and everyone claps. The principal goes up onto the stage and says a small speech and then starts calling students names for getting their diplomas. I wait at least ten minutes before they get to the J's, my name being first.

"Alissa Jamieson," the principal calls. I walk up to the podium to get my diploma and he shakes my hand. Unlike everyone else, I only get a few claps. Those come from Meg and Kat. My parents aren't here. They probably forgot I existed. Whatever. I leave Sunday morning. Just two more days left in this town.

After all the names are called, we stand up and throw our caps in the air. I am so distracted that I miss it. Meg and Kat come over to me and hug me at once. I hug them back with no enthusiasm.

"Come on girl! We graduated! That was not a very happy hug. Why?" Meg questions, pulling back from me and gripping my shoulders with her tiny hands.

"I don't know. I guess I'm happy to have graduated to get out of this town, but I just keep getting lost in thought." I look down at the ground and fidget.

"Is this about a guy? Why you aren't happy? Because you are leaving a guy behind that Meg and I don't know about?" Leave it to Kat to think everything is about guys.

"No. There isn't a guy that I am leaving behind. I just can't concentrate today. I don't think I am up to going to the party tomorrow. I'm spending all day tomorrow packing and partying just isn't on my list of things to do before heading out Sunday." The lie rolls off my tongue easily and without fault.

"You're no fun." Meg pouts, thinking I will change my mind just because of the puppy look.

"Whatever. I'll talk to you later. Maybe before I leave on Sunday or some other time." I start to walk away and wave as I walk.

"Play it Again" by Luke Bryan, my ringtone, starts going off quietly in my pocket. I grab it out, and look at the screen, seeing a text from what is shown as an unknown number but one I will never forget. Kayden Ross' number. "Why'd you run off just now? BTW, ur still invited to the party." I close out of the text and turn off my phone, ignoring his text.

Kayden

As all my friends are talking after graduation about all the parties they are going to go to, I zone them out and look around for no one in particular. Well, that's a lie. I'm looking for Alissa. I finally catch sight of her talking to her two very peppy friends, one of whom I recognize from one of the classes I had been in. Alissa walks away from her friends waving back at them. I send her a text and a minute later I see her stop and look down. I look at my phone and it shows that the text had been read but I didn't get a response back. I look up again and don't see Alissa. Damn it. While I was waiting for a response, she walked off.

I turn back to my friends, say bye and that I will see them tomorrow night, get the yeah's and sure's. Seeing as how they wouldn't really notice if I left, I go find my family to say that I'll see them later. After saying the goodbyes, I head to my car and figure out where I'm headed. I turn my car on and back out of the parking spot. Instead of heading home, I drive around for a bit and then start driving in the direction of Alissa's house.

As I get closer, I see Liss' car in the driveway. I pull up behind her and put the car in park and get out.

"Liss," I say as she is getting out of her car and she jumps.

"Kayden, what are you doing here? What don't you get about someone not texting you back? Why are you so interested in what I am doing and where I am going? Why are you following me and keep bugging me about the party? Please, just please, stop bothering me and caring so much about me." I can see the tears in her eyes. "You didn't care about me for three and a half years, so you don't need to care about me now. Leave me alone. Just go home. Get ready for your party and don't worry about me. Please, Kayden." The tears in her eyes have started falling and she starts wiping her face with her sleeves and turns away.

I go up to her in three strides and turn her around to face me. She tries to push me away as I start to put my arms around her, but in a matter of seconds, she stops struggling and falls against my chest and starts crying. I pull her close and hold her tight, putting my chin on the top of her head. After a while, her crying starts to slow until she is just sobbing. Alissa backs away an inch and looks down at the ground, pushing her hands against her face in hopes of wiping tears away and to clean her face.

"Sorry," Alissa says, looking up at me.

"Liss, there is no need for you to be sorry. I should be the one saying sorry." I give her a small smile.

"No need. Kayden, can we talk? More than we did yesterday?" She asks, hesitant.

I offer her a smile. "Of course, Liss. Here or somewhere else?"

"Elsewhere please." She smiles back.

"Alright. Come on." I pull her to my car and open the door for her and she gets in.

Getting in the driver's side, I start the car and back out.

"Okay, Liss. Where to?" I look over at her and she looks back at me and smiles her wonderful smile that I have missed.

"Can we go to your house? This might sound weird, but I kinda miss hanging out there."

"That doesn't sound weird. The house hasn't felt the same without you there for the last few years."

Driving towards my house, I reach over and grab her hand and she lets me, intertwining our fingers like we used to do as kids when hanging out. Once parked in the garage at home, I get out of the car and go around the front of the car to open Alissa's door and give her my hand to grab. She grabs it, and knowing the way through the house, pulls me through the kitchen, with the enthusiasm that she used to always have, and stops in front of the door to the stairs which lead down into the basement and my room. Liss looks at me, as if asking if my room was still down there. I reach past her to open the door and push it wide as an answer. She walks down the stairs, still pulling me behind her, and when she gets to my bedroom in the basement, she stops suddenly seeing the mess of boxes and everything. She lets go of my hand and turns toward me, putting her hands on her hips. I smile knowing I am about to get chewed out.

"Kayden Ross, what the hell has happened in here? You always kept your room clean. This isn't normal for you. What's up with all the boxes?"

"I have been trying to pack for college and moving out, but am having a hard time organizing, and it's all just a mess for me. I can't find anything I need to take and what is staying for now. On top of all that, I leave in less than a week and don't think I am ready." I give a weak smile.

"Ok, after we talk, I'm helping you pack. No arguing."

I laugh. "That's the Alissa I remember knowing." She punches me in the arm and I reach up and rub it. "Dang girl, where'd you learn to punch like that?"

"I've taken some lessons." She shrugs.

"Ok, whatever. Come on, let's sit on the bed and talk." I say changing the subject to the reason we are here.