The Bucket List (Write Affair Finalist)

Chapter 20: Going back to Norwood

~ Chapter 20: Going back to Norwood. ~

        The next day, Damon and I left home to drive to Norwood. I had never come back to my hometown before and I was kind of anxious. Damon and I had packed things to stay over for the night, so that we could go to the cemetery on the following day. This was going to be an intense couple of days but I was feeling ready to face it. I had had a sort of nervous breakdown but I think I was feeling better now. I was trying to think about something else than Damon’s death so that I wouldn’t start feeling depressed again.

We arrived there early so we got settled in the coffee shop while waiting for Kara, who came just a minute after. When I saw her, it felt like the time had stopped for a second. She hadn’t changed, except for her hair, that she had cut short. She looked really good!

“Oh my gosh, you guys, it feels so weird!” She exclaimed when she was close to our table. “You haven’t changed.”

“Neither have you.” Damon said while looking at her.

She sat with us and we ordered.

“Wow, I can’t believe this…” Kara started after seconds of silence.

“Yeah, it’s so strange!”

“So, you guys are a couple now?” She asked.

Damon and I nodded and he took my hand under the table, which made me smile.

“Yeah, everyone knew it was going to happen sometime.” Kara confessed. “But then everyone moved out or…You know…”

The crash. Everyone had died or moved out.

“But I’m so glad that it happened. It proves that it was meant to be.”

“You’re right.” Damon approved.

I smiled. Damon was so sweet! We talked a lot. After five years, there were so many things to say we didn’t know where to start! She asked about Seth and I showed her a picture. She wouldn’t believe it was him. When we were living in Norwood, pretty much everyone knew Seth, especially my friends. He was like the funny little guy that everyone liked. He was making everyone laugh and didn’t miss a chance to fool around. I remember the grandmas worshiped him. They used to call him “precious” and to give him candy or stuff like that every now and then. So he was kind of like the mascot or the little favorite in town.

My friends also really liked him and when they would come over, he was always there to crash in the party. Even when we were trying out some nail polish, he would come in the room and chat with one of the girls. He wouldn’t leave until he would have made someone laugh.

We left the café three hours after. I thanked Damon, because, without him, I wouldn’t have seen Kara again and I was really glad I had. We weren’t the same because we were more mature and had other things to talk about like college for example, but it still felt like we were back to five years ago. And man it felt good!

After hanging out in town with Kara, she had to leave us. We would see each other the next day too. Then, Damon and I walked around and stopped in front of my old house. The outside walls had been repainted in white. But except for that, it was the same. It felt so weird, like being in a time capsule! Damon took my hand when he understood how it was making me feel. And that would be sad. And nostalgic. I was able to remember every single thing we had done in that garden, or how we had climbed up that tree and fell. Andrew had broken his arm like that.

“Excuse me but… What are you doing in front of my house?” A boy asked.

I jumped with surprise and turned around. The boy was probably around fifteen and was standing here with an inquisitive look, the arms crossed on his chest.