That Was Then

40-Now

For reasons unknown to me, or really everyone it seemed, Kya cancelled her party. The team lost and most of the guys weren't in the mood to party anyway. Caleb had never said that he was going, but I assumed that he would want to join his teammates to celebrate or commiserate after the game, and would have never asked him to ditch the party for me. No matter how badly I wanted him to. Vivi was not going to attend the party either, she had developed her own distaste for Kya and Kya disliked Vivi by association to me. Vivi and I had planned on going to a late movie after the game, some B rated slasher flick playing at the cheap theater. But when the party was cancelled, we were all too eager to cancel our plans as well to hang out with our other friends. And Caleb and Aiden. Or, especially Caleb and Aiden. Mara refused to go to the football games with us and teased Vivi for being a sellout but agreed to meet up with us after the game.

"I cannot sit in the back seat, I get car sick." Mara told me, opening the passenger's door and gesturing for me to get into the back seat. I climb into the back, pushing school books and empty Starbucks cups aside to make room to sit. Articles of clothing and fast food trash litter the floor.

"I think there's something living back here!" I tell Vivi, tossing a sock over the seat at her.

"Not all of us are clean freaks like you," Vivi says good naturedly. I shrug and check my makeup in a compact as we pull out of Mara's driveway. "Mara is full of shit, by the way, she doesn't get car sick. She just has control issues." I glance at Mara over my compact and she nods, completely unashamed.

"You look fine, that boy would probably swoon over you even if you looked like a swamp monster," Mara insists, reaching back and closing my compact. I roll my eyes. "No, seriously. He's got it bad. You two must have had a thing before you went away to your fancy school."

"No," I shake my head. I had never thought of Caleb like that before I left. And I was willing to bet he hadn't thought of me that way either. "We were just good friends before. I've known him my whole life, I don't think anything would have ever happened between us if I hadn't gone away for awhile," I say as the realization comes to me. It's true, if I hadn't left, the dynamics of our relationship never would have changed.

We meet up with everyone at a 50's like diner that I'd never heard of. According to Eden they have the best french fries in the history of ever and they are open 24 hours so we can stay as long as we like. Or at least until curfew. The place is empty and we push together silver tables and pull up red pleather chairs. There is a jukebox and the walls are decorated with records. We are quite a mismatched group; Caleb, Aiden and a couple other football players, Tatum and Allie, Eden brought along a friend of hers that plays in the marching band and Vivi, Mara, and I round out the hodgepodge crew. We share red plastic baskets of French fries and I only eat a few but they are admittedly delicious. A few people order gigantic milkshakes and as good as they look, I didn't work out today, so I pass.

I'm feeling rather content when Seth shows up followed by Marley only minutes later. I'm sitting across from Caleb and the seat next to me is open. I cringe as Seth takes the seat and drops his arm across the back of my chair. Marley is forced to pull a chair up because there are no more empty seats and she glowers at Seth and me from across the table. I wonder if Kya will be coming too and my good mood starts to slip away.

"Hey Blakely..." Caleb winks at me from across the table, "didn't your parents want you home a little early tonight?" I narrow my eyes at him for just a second before catching on.

"Oh, uh yea," I nod, we're not fooling anyone. Caleb comes around to pull my chair back as I stand and slips a hand around my waist almost possessively, and I think I see him shoot a dirty look at Seth. The teasing voices of our friends follow us out of the diner. I'm pretty sure that I'm blushing but for once I don't care.

"Thanks," I grin and lean against him. He opens the passengers side of his truck for me to climb in.

"Why are you thanking me? I was just trying to get you alone," he winks again and my heart skips a beat.

"And why would you want to get me alone?" I tease when he climbs in behind the wheel.

"Because," he leans across the seat, only a few inches from my face and I can smell the strawberry shake on his breath. I suddenly become very conscious of my own breath. Does it smell like French fries?! I try not to breathe out too heavily. "I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but I kind of like you," he brushes his lips against mine lightly and then sits back, leaving me wanting more.

"Oh yea?"

"Yea.." he smiles and starts the truck. I'm momentarily disappointed that we don't fulfill the teenage cliche of making out in his truck, but when he reaches across the cab and grabs onto my hand I decide this is better. We fall into a comfortable silence until I break it just before we pull into my driveway.

"Caleb?"

"Hmm?" He squeezes my hand and then puts the truck in park.

"Do you think things would be like they are between us now if I hadn't gone away for awhile?" I watch his handsome face as he considers the question.

"I don't know, I mean I won't be like Jackson and tell you oh I've always had a thing for you. I never thought of you that way before," he confirms what I had been thinking earlier. He shakes his head, "but I still just feel like those two years you were gone are time we missed. Maybe it wouldn't have happened, but maybe it would have happened sooner." I feel a pang of guilt but he scoots close to me and pulls me against him, not allowing me to wallow in the feeling. "I'm just glad you're here now." Caleb grins and leans down to kiss me. I'm not sure how much time passes while our lips are locked together, his hands tangled in my hair and mine wrapped around his neck before I pull away. I make a face, somewhere between a pout and a grimace. "If I'm that bad of a kisser you could have stopped me sooner," he jokes.

"It's not that," I look down at my lap, "I was just thinking..." Caleb quirks an eyebrow questioningly. "It's just weird that you were Kya's first kiss."

"What?" His brows knit together. "No, I wasn't!"

"Yes," I blow a renegade strand of hair out of my face. I can't even imagine the state my braid must be in now after having Caleb's hands tangled up in it. "Remember? That night my parents were out of town, you had Will stay the night and I had Kya. We stayed up late watching you guys play video games..." Caleb starts to laugh.

"I remember that night but I didn't kiss her!" I stare at him doubtfully. "I didn't, I swear. She tried and I told her no. Will told her he'd kiss her if she went and got us a snack and she did. Will was her first kiss, not me!" I lean back, relieved. We stay in Caleb's truck until my midnight curfew, kissing and talking. He tells me about his actual first kiss and I tell him about mine; an awkward, nose bumping lip lock in the back of a movie theater the year before. I like to think I'd gotten better since then. Caleb must think so too because he can't seem to stop.