j u d a h *
I was supposed to graduate high school with my best friend today, but he had to go and enlist in the Navy on his 17th birthday, in the middle of our junior year. I mean, don't get me wrong, what he's doing is great, but I'm a little salty that he left me. I know it wasn't an easy thing for him to do, and I'm proud of him, but I just miss him a lot.
"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Meredith, one of mine and Grant's best friends, asks me as she sits down beside me.
"Grant," I say softly. "I miss him a lot,"
"You like him, don't you?"
"Yeah, of course, I like him! He's my best friend!"
"No, Jude, I mean you like him, don't you?"
"Oh...that kind of like..."
"Jude?"
"Yes, alright, fine, I do. I do like him."
"I knew it! Since when?"
"Since the end of our eighth-grade year." I look at her. "I miss him, Mare,"
"I know," she says quietly as I lean into her shoulder and she rubs my back.
I feel the couch we're sitting on dip beside of me.
"Why are we all sad? We graduate tonight! Come on, be happy!" Another friend, Tucker, says. I pull out of Meredith's shoulder and give him a 'you did not just say that' look. He shrugs in response.
"Tucker," Meredith says, a warning tone in her voice.
"What?!" He asks in a skeptical tone.
Meredith hits his shoulder.
We still have four hours until graduation and I'm sitting on my bed, sobbing about Grant not being here, surrounded by Meredith, Tucker, my Mom, and my little sister, Micayla.
"It's okay!" Micayla says, in a would-be happy voice. "He'll be watching on live-stream!"
Which only causes me to sob harder. "Yeah, but he won't be he-he-he-he-here!" I sob out.
Tucker looks over at my little sister. "Not the time, Cay, not the time..." he mutters.
I bury my face in my pillow. "I'm not going!" I say, my voice slightly muffled as I sniff and let out a sob. "I can't go like this!" Then, someone has their arms around me, cupping my face and leaning their head against mine. I open my eyes to see Grant, also seeing that my family has left the room and the door is closed.
"Is it really you?" I ask him. "Are you really here?"
"It's really me," he mutters. "I'm really here,"
I reach over and pinch myself, closing my eyes. When I open them, Grant is still there.
"How are you here?" I ask him.
"I got to leave. I have some news," he says.
"You have a girlfriend? OH MY GOSH, you don't have a kid, do you?"
He laughs. "No, no, no! I don't have a girlfriend and I don't have a kid!"
"Oh, that's good. I mean, if you're happy about not having a girlfriend, I mean,"
"I am happy I don't have a girlfriend. If I had a girlfriend, I couldn't have you," he whispers, leaning forward and pressing his lips against my own. I don't hesitate, but start to kiss him back, trying to scoot closer to him--as close as I can get. He grabs my waist, taking his hands from my face and pulls me onto his lap. I put my hands on his shoulders briefly, then move one to the back of his neck, pulling him closer into me. He breaks the kiss.
"My news!" He mutters briefly.
"Is what?" I ask him, wanting to kiss again.
"I'm coming back home in June. I have two more months."
"How did you manage to leave early?"
"I told them I had family back at home that needed me. You know, they do let people out early for family things."
I smile at him. "That's awesome! Wh-what are you planning to do once you get back?"
"Be with you," he says softly, looking up at me. "Go to college with you. Move into an apartment together. Start a life with you. I want you, Jude."
"I want you too, Grant," I say, letting out a breath.
"Judah Rayne Strighton." My name is called and I walk across the stage and take my diploma. I did it. I made it. I look out into the crowd and see my mom, my sister, my aunts and uncles, my cousins, my grandparents, my boyfriend... I smile widely as I walk off the stage and return to my seat. They call out the rest of the names and then tell us to move our tassels. I'm graduated. We all file out into the lobby, where our families will be able to come and see us. Grant is the first one towards me, wrapping me in a hug.
"You did it!" He says in my ear. "You did it! I'm so proud of you!"
"Thank you!" I say softly, feeling close to tears. The rest of my family comes over to us and we take pictures, I stay to greet and talk to other classmates, teachers, guests, and underclassmen.
After we make it out of graduation, we go to Dairy Queen to get ice cream, having already eaten dinner before graduation. After eating our ice cream, my mom, little sister, and Grant go back to my house.
"How long are you here?" I ask Grant as we lay in my bed that night.
"Only until Sunday," he says and I look at him. "But it's only for two months, okay? Remember that, two months."
I nod, trying to hide the fact that there's a tear running down my face, but he notices. He wipes it off with his thumb.
"It'll only be two months, okay? And then I'm home for good, okay? And then I'm yours." he whispers.
I nod, but bury my head in his shoulder, starting to cry. He rubs my back gently.
Grant gets picked up by one of his Navy mates who also came home on Sunday afternoon. We stand in my bedroom before he leaves, and of course, I'm crying again. He wipes the falling tears away and kisses my lips.
"Two months," he whispers. "It's only two months."
I nod. When his friend comes to pick him up, he insists that I walk out with him. He puts his stuff in the back of the Jeep, wearing his uniform again. He walks over to the passenger side front door and gestures for his friend to roll down his window.
"Jude, this is Vincent, he's a good friend of mine," Grant says, introducing me to the young boy, mine and Grant's age, at the steering wheel. I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Vincent waves at me, a smile appearing on his lips. "Vincent, this is Judah, my boyfriend,"
"Ah, this is the famous Judah?" Vincent says, reaching across through the open window to shake my hand. "I've heard a lot about you. You're practically all he talks about." I blush and look at Grant, who smiles at me.
"I've got to go, okay, love?" Grant says, turning to me. I bite my lip to hold back the cries that want so badly to escape. Grant cups my face and presses his lips against mine softly.
"It's only two months," he says as he pulls away and gets in the car. "Hey, I love you,"
"I love you too," I manage to get out. I stand outside and watch as they drive away, instantly breaking down into sobs as soon as the Jeep is out of sight. I look up when I hear footsteps running back towards me.
"Wha-what are you doing?" I ask Grant as he grabs my arms.
"I forgot to give you something," he says, undoing one of the chains on his neck and putting it around mine. I look at him.
"It's my nametag, I have an extra one. This way, you don't forget that you're mine and I'm yours," he says softly, leaning in to kiss me again.
Two months pass quickly. Grant comes home today, and I have to admit, I'm slightly nervous. What if he changed his mind about us? What if he doesn't want to be with me anymore? What if he doesn't like me anymore? These thoughts run circles around my head as Mom and I drive to the port to pick Grant up. Micayla stayed home and is being babysat by Meredith and Tucker. My heart starts pounding quicker when we pull up to the dock, and my stomach starts doing flips. I think I'm going to throw up. We're supposed to be here at 3:00 PM, it's 2:45 now.
Mom and I get out of the car to stand at 2:55. I can't help but fear that he met someone else--a girl or a guy-- while he was gone and he won't want me anymore. I psych myself out like I always do, and convince myself that as soon as he gets off the ship and reaches me, he's going to dump me. People are starting to gather around as the ship docks. Shortly after, Navy men and women start pouring off the ship. I see Grant and he sees me. He smiles and comes over to me, wrapping me in his arms and kissing my lips hard. How could I ever think he wouldn't like me anymore? He pulls away from the kiss and hugs me tightly.
"I missed you so much!" He says, squeezing me tightly. When he pulls out, another one of his friends walks by--a girl.
"Hey, Brittany!" He calls. "This is Judah, my boyfriend!"
"Hi, Judah!" she says, shaking my hand. "I've heard a lot about you!"
I smile and blush. "Have you seen her yet?" Grant asks and then turns to me. "She's waiting on her wife, she's pregnant!" I smile even wider.
"Yes! She's over there!" Brittany says, pointing to a young, very pretty--and very pregnant--girl standing by the wooden fence. The girl waves at us and smiles.
"I wish you both the best of luck," Brittany says before she turns to walk towards her wife.
"Thank you, Brittany. You guys too! Send pictures of the baby!" Grant says.
"I will!"
When she's gone, Grant turns to me and kisses me again.
"I'm so happy you're home!" I mutter against his lips.
"Me too, love," he replies, kissing me again.
12/16/19
