Letting You Go

1 | Only Love

*Some parts of this chapter have mature content.

Fall of 2010 | Senior Year

I had been standing by her locker waiting for her to get here after her class. The hallway was filling up with students getting out of their own classes eager to get home.  

We had to get to Atticus' house. We had been practicing the duet that she and Atticus would be singing at the birthday party on the weekend.

"Hello, there handsome!" I heard her say behind me.

She tried to cover my eyes with her hand.  I turned around to face her and gave her a kiss on the cheek, then snaked my arm over her shoulder as we walked towards the exit.

"How was your class today?"

"Same old, same old. How was yours?" She asked.

"I got some homework to do but that can wait. We gotta hurry Chase is already on his way. You want me to drive?" I asked.

"Only I can handle Roger, sweetheart." She said winking at me.

Ah, the famous Roger. Erin didn't care at all when she became the talk of the school when she brought Roger the first time. She felt proud and happy with how her bike turned out even if it looked awful. Moving Rust Machine was how Atticus and Chase called Roger. They know Erin didn't like that much when she almost ran them over one afternoon.

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"Erin, when are you going to have a paint job on that thing?"Atticus asked after we pulled over by his driveway.

"As soon as I get enough money, Atti." She answered when we hopped off.

"You know your folks can afford it." He added.

"I know. And what? Give them the leverage to keep Roger hostage if I do something stupid? Nope! Not happening."

"Sounds like she loves Roger more than she loves you, Jakey!" Chase added.

She hit Chase on the arm. "Not true! Roger comes second after Jacob, right, baby?"

"Whatever you say, babe!" I said. I gave her a piggyback ride to Mr. Walker's garage so we could start rehearsing.

We became officially a couple the summer of last year. When I finally got the courage to ask her out, she became my girlfriend. We really didn't need to go through the get to know you part of a relationship. We've known each other all our lives. We fought so many times all these years. We did things together, but we also did our own thing separately.

Erin's into getting herself dirty with her metalwork when she was building her bike, she enjoyed going hiking to capture her perfect pictures. She would spontaneously run to the beach with whatever she's wearing and just swim. She would throw caution out in the wind. I have heard her say to me a million times, "Jacob loosen up! You cannot plan everything in your life." If things don't work out, she doesn't beat herself up. She would keep trying, but she doesn't sulk if she kept failing.

I was the complete opposite. I was a neat freak, liked order, and cared what people thought about me. I was into planning and carefully executing plans. I would have plan A, B even C on things which she thought was hilarious. I know after graduating in high school I would take civil engineering at Rutgers University. Erin was contemplating taking mechanical engineering, but she also wanted to pursue music or photography.

She was also considering taking a year off to travel and searching what she wanted to do with her life. This was the side of her that drove me crazy. I know she's very smart. Both of us were at the top of our classes. We can definitely pursue our plans of going to Rutgers, find work, and get married. Yes. At seventeen, we know we want to be together for the rest our lives the only uncertain thing was Erin's career choice. I would leave that up to her to decide.