Nineteen

Chapter Sixty-Three

Mac is handsome and well cut. He almost looks like something from a magazine.

"Good things, I hope."

"Of course." He laughs and nods his head. He's charming as well. 

I turn my attention back to Clark. "I'm going to go back to my room," I tell him.

"No, stay with us. You're always in your room. We can go see a movie or something," he says.

I don't want to go anywhere but up the stairs in the building I'm standing in front of. 

"We could explore the area?" Mac says.

That captures my attention. I would love to know more about this place I'm calling home for now.

"Yeah, okay."

Clark makes a face like he didn't think I would agree. I'm kind of surprised myself.

"Can I drive?" I say and surprise him again.

"Yeah, sure," he says.

"Great!" I pull my keys back out of my pocket and start to walk.

The two boys are clearly caught off guard with my sudden mood change, and I have to admit, so am I.

When we get back to the parking lot I unlock my doors.

"Is this yours?" Mac asks when I open my door to get inside. "Nice," he adds.

Mac crawls in the back and Clark makes himself at home in the front.

"Where are we going first?" Mac asks when I push the car in reverse.

"Let's go to the beach," I say. I hate to admit it, but I knew exactly where I wanted to go when I agreed to a road trip.

They both shake their head and agree. I'm sure they would rather be anywhere else on a Friday night, but instead they decided to go with me.

I hum along to something on the radio as I turn onto the main road.

The sky is lit up from clubs and parties the closer we get to the beach. There are cars everywhere so I'm forced to park in an empty buildings lot.

"Maybe we should go to a club," Mac says when we all step out of the car. The building across the street is lit up and you can hear the music through the open doors.

"We're too young," I say. I'm curious about what it's like, but there is no way I'm drinking again anytime soon.

"It's not that kind of club. If you're 18 or older you get in, but you just can't drink," he corrects me.

"I'm in," Clark says then looks at me, "if you are."

"I can't go in there looking like this," I say and gesture to myself. "I look horrible."

"Well let's go shopping. We all look pretty rough," Clark says and gestures to a store down the street. Mac laughs at him.

"Might as well," Mac says and throws his hand into the air before beginning the walk.

I look at Clark and he wraps his arm around my shoulder. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

I feel so much better. I'm glad he talked me into leaving and not sulking in my dorm room on a Friday night.

I'm excited to be doing something new, but deep down I know I'm using all of this as a distraction from what my mind is actually weighing on: a brown eyed boy.