What Happened After

Epilogue

Okay, now it really is over. I just want to say, the fact that I wrote over 200 microsoft word pages of ANYTHING is remarkable to me, and I know that this took a really long time to get up, but I'm really proud of myself for even getting this far. Alright, anyway--

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Epilogue.


Ruesso’s POV.


          “There it is,” I said to her. “You got your key, right?”


          “Yeah, I put it on my keyring the second I signed the lease. Are you ready for this?”


          “I’ve never been more ready, love. Come on, I’ll help you get your bags and bring them inside.” 

          Stepping into the house, a sense of pride washes over me. Here I am, a sophomore in college, and I have a house. Granted, I share it with my girlfriend and two of our friends, but a house nonetheless. I’ve never felt like more of an adult than I do at this moment.


          I transferred to Berkeley over the summer to be with Rayn, and she was so overjoyed she immediately started looking a place to live. “I was just gonna stay in the dorms again since I have scholarships, but now that you’ll be there I have somebody to live with and share the rent!” she had exclaimed.


          “Is that all I am to you?” I joked, faking a hurt expression. “Someone to share the rent with?”


          “Well I guess you’re a little more. For the most part though, you’ll just be my roommate.”


          “Oh, I see.”


          Now, as she carried her bags and boxes into her bedroom, a honk was heard from outside. “We’re heeeeeeere!” a familiar female voice shouted at us. I shook my head and walked out the front door to greet Rayn’s best friend and former college roommate, Anna. She ran up the front steps to give me a hug, and almost knocked me over. “It’s great to see you, Ruesso! I haven’t seen you since school ended last year. I’m sooooo excited you’re going to school with us now, we’re gonna have the best time.”


          “Anna, what’d I tell you about stealing my boyfriend?” Rayn asked from behind me in the doorway. “He is MINE.” I smiled at that.


          “Speaking of, where’s your boyfriend?” I asked, looking back at Anna.


          “He’s unloading the car,” she said with a dismissing wave of her hand. “And speaking of cars, I really love what you’ve done with yours! That black was getting so depressing. I’m happy you decided to brighten it up.”


          A few weeks before coming back to school, I had brought my Bronco to the shop for a paint job. Before the accident, I had had a mint green Bronco, and after it was totaled, I bought a new one. Only this one, I had painted solid black. I guess it was a way of mourning my loss, and of sharing my anger with the world. Looking back, it had been a little childish of me, and I was happy with the new color.


          “I really like it too,” Rayn said, coming up behind me to wrap her arms around my waist. “Did I ever tell you orange is my favorite color?”


          “You’ve mentioned it,” I responded, smiling gently.


          “Raaaayyyyyn!” a voice called out from the driveway. Taryn came out from behind his car, having finally retrieved all of Anna’s belongings from the back and shutting the hatch. These two were more alike than even they knew, and I totally understood why they had gotten together over the summer. I was just worried about possibly losing my hearing over this next year—the two of them were the loudest couple I had ever been around. “How the heck are ya?”


          “I’m good, Taryn!” she let go of me to hug him. Ever since he kissed her, I had been a little weary of her spending time with him, but now that he was with Anna, I knew I didn’t have anything to worry about. I didn’t before—I knew Rayn wanted to be with me—but it was still a little off-putting knowing he had kissed her before I had.


           “Oh, God, this is gonna be the best year ever,” said Anna, grabbing Taryn’s hand.


          “I’m so excited!” exclaimed Rayn. Just looking at her, I could tell she was a thousand times happier than she had been last year. I looked ahead and knew our sophomore year was going to be the best ever.


          We all headed back into the house, unpacking our respective belongings into our bedrooms, and Taryn made us all dinner in our brand new dining room. “Anything but sandwiches,” he told us, and we all laughed. After dinner, we finished putting the rest of our house together, and got rid of the cardboard boxes in the trash can outside.


          I woke up early the next morning and took a shower before walking down the hall into the living room. Rayn was the only other person awake, sitting on the couch facing the fireplace. She had a blanket draped over her shoulders, and was drinking a cup of hot tea—something she had picked up from me over the past year. I smiled, proud, and poured my own cup before sitting down next to her. She rested her head on my shoulder, just like she always did, and offered me some of her blanket.


          I placed my half around my own shoulders, and kissed her on the head. We both stared forward, sipping our tea and smiling at the large frame she had hung above the fireplace before I had woken up that morning.


          “Do you think that’s a good place for her?” she whispered without taking her eyes off of it.


          “I think it’s absolutely perfect,” I responded, smiling at the wall.


          There in front of us, was the most beautiful decoration in our new house. A framed photo of Lauren smiled down at us from her position on the wall above the fireplace. Smiling up into her eyes, I knew we had made the right decision, and I knew that Lauren would approve of the girl sitting beside me on our couch.



THE END.