Our Winter break was nearing. I was pretty excited for it because a) We wouldn't have school for about three weeks and b) It was going to be Christmas. Christmas was probably my favorite holiday but then again, there was Thanksgiving and that meant my mom would make her pumpkin pie.
(Which I adored.)
Things were going pretty well. I was eighteen for some time now and it didn't feel as scary and, well, I was dating someone who had been my crush for about three years. So yes, things were going pretty well in my life. I smiled at Dallas and watched him do some math equations. It was lunch break and he had asked me to help him. I smiled wider when I saw him furrow his eyebrows and bite down on his lip.
"Need any help with that?" I asked.
Dallas broke out into a grin. "Nope! I figured it out!"
I laughed at his excitement. He looked at me and smiled, shutting his book shut. He shuffled closer to me and wrapped an arm around me, resting his forehead on my shoulder. We'd been dating for about a month now and I still blushed whenever he did things like that.
The bell then rang and he pulled away. He cupped my face in his hands. "You wanna hang out after school?" he asked. I vigorously nodded. He laughed and leaned in, connecting our lips. I melted into it and resisted the urge to whine when he pulled away.
I got up from the bench, a smile never leaving my face, and we departed ways.
Things were definitely going well for me.
"Settle down, class," the teacher spoke. "Please settle down and be quiet. I have some news to announce – some that you may find quite exciting."
The class fell silent. The teacher sat down and interlaced her fingers together. She stayed quiet for a second, examining the class.
"Okay," she began. "As you all know, this is your last year of high school. After that comes college, which is a big step for you all and I hope you take your last year seriously. Now, a lot of students can get pretty confused and stressed when it comes to picking colleges and then applying to them. So, the school has conducted a trip to New York—" She held up her hand to silence the students, who all began cheering. I was grinning wildly in my seat. "—to help you prep for university. There, you will be visiting several colleges, where you get to learn about what they have to offer. Several of you may not go to college in New York, but this trip may and will help you along the way. I have some papers here that include everything you need to know about the trip and the requirements. Please be sure to have your parents read and sign this."
Amber and I exchanged excited glances, high-fiving each other. We were going to New York – the big Apple. New York was one of the most expensive and beautiful states. And we were going to that very state. I resisted the urge to squeal and instead grinned and waited for the teacher to hand out the papers. This year was by far the most exciting for me. It was crazy. Maybe this year was going to turn out better than I thought.
New York meant a lot of things. It meant beautiful landscapes, amazing restaurants, places to explore...
And it also meant Dylan.
He wasn't in my class but I wondered how he felt about the situation. To him, I think New York meant a lot of things, things that I didn't even know about. They were things I wanted to know about. I knew for sure that a hell of a lot happened to him back in New York. New York meant Catherine and Catherine seemed to be part of why Dylan was so secluded and angry all the time.
I just wondered if I could change something.
After the teacher handed out the papers, I read them over and didn't pay attention to the lesson she was explaining. I didn't think anyone was due to the excitement this trip had ensured. I grinned and shoved the papers in my bag when the bell rang.
"We're going to New York!" Amber screamed in the hallway. I laughed and ran with her to our next class. The day went unbelievingly slow and I think it was because of my urge to tell my parents about the trip. When the last bell rang for the day, Amber and I were still squealing about the news. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist. Dallas' chin rested on my shoulder and he kissed my cheek.
"We're going to—" I began.
"New York," Dallas finished. Amber and I squealed again. Dallas laughed and planted another kiss on my cheek. "You still want to hang out?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Great," he smiled, grabbing my hand. My knees buckled at the contact. "Amber, you want to join?"
"No. I'd rather not watch you two kiss."
We laughed and departed ways. Dallas never let go of my hand.
While in the parking lot, I turned my head, out of curiosity. I spotted Dylan walking out of school. His black hair was disheveled, a frown on his face. It was the usual and I wondered if it had anything to do with New York. But then again, it was the way Dylan always looked, so there was never any way to be sure. Except ask him, of course. And that wasn't exactly easy. I looked away and got into Dallas' car. I figured I'd talk to Dylan later to check up on him. There was no need to think about that now and he wasn't going anywhere anyway.
I smiled as Dallas drove off. I turned on the radio and hummed to the song. Dallas smiled at me and quickly leaned over to kiss me. I laughed and blushed.
I was never going to get tired of that.
