Nineteen

Chapter Fifty-Five

When I open the door I see Link. He's dressed in a pair of cargo shorts and a black hoodie. 

"You look great," he says as I step out of the room, closing the door behind me.

"Thanks, you do too." I mean it. He looks great, like the boy I remember once upon a time.

"We're going to the football field now. I was going to take you to eat, but there is already a lot of students claiming spots for the movie."

I want to ask him if this is a real date or just two friends hanging out, but I don't want to make things weird if he gives me the last answer.

When we step outside its still hot, regardless of the late hour it is.

"What do you drive?" I ask him. He used to drive an old car his aunt let him use, but I'm sure he doesn't have it anymore.

He pulls out a set of keys and points to the parking lot. "The blue jeep parked beside your car."

I turn to look at my car, and sure enough, a blue jeep lights up from the key fob in his hands.

"Wow, when did you get that?" I ask.

"When my aunt got remarried she got this for me in order to finish school."

His aunt got married? There's a lot I don't know about him anymore. 

And it excites me to learn about him all over again.

"Oh," is all I can think to say.

We get in his vehicle and I glance around. It's very nice. Almost nicer than my car.

I notice there are stacks of blankets in the back seat and a basket strapped down in the floor. I wonder what is inside?

Like he can read my thoughts he says, "I brought something to eat, since it's too late to go out."

I smile at him. His actions are too pure and sweet, and I'm glad I'm with him today.

When I was 14 I constantly wondered what it would be like to date Link. What would it be like to hold his hand, kiss his cheek, or have him tell me I looked pretty? I now feel closer to that reality than I ever did in high school.

When we get to the football field, there are people everywhere. We finally make it to an opening near the back and lay out a blanket. Link stacks up pillows in order to make somewhat of a prop for us to lay against.

"So," he says as he opens the basket, "do you still like peanut butter and Dorito sandwiches?"

I laugh and say, "yes, I do, actually." I grab the wrapped up sandwich and he hands me a drink to go with it. Pepsi, my favorite as well. I feel my cheeks getting warm.

"The movie will start when the sun goes down. I think we're watching some kind of football movie," he says as he opens a bag of popcorn and lays back against the pillow prop we made.

The sandwich reminds me of home and how much I miss it. The thought of transferring makes it's way back into my head.

"I'm still thinking of transferring to Duke," I say. I don't remember if I've talked to him about this or not.

He doesn't seem surprised. "I say go for it. It is your dream school and it's all you ever talked about."

He's right, but I'm terrified of change. I'm somewhat accustomed to my routine that I've made in the last month or so.

"Would you go?" I ask him. "If it was you, of course."

"Absolutely. I would wait until the end of the semester, though. Maybe I could go, too. You know, to be closer to home," he says as he smiles at me. 

"I doubt I could even get in. It's such a picky school and I'm not the smartest student."

Right as I finish the sentence, the movie begins to play on the large screens above the field.