Mr. Berkshire (Book 1 in the For Better Or Worst Trilogy)

Chapter 22

     Everyone left the meeting mentally exhausted, but rather pleased with the outcome. After much back and forth, the group decided we would participate in a car wash to raise money for the event. Once that's settled, we all share a cup of tea and peanut butter and jelly finger sandwiches while catching up with one another. By the time we leave the tea room, the sky is dark and littered with twinkling stars, but the night is not nearly over yet.

     "Wanna head over to the carnival?" Jackson asks as he holds the door open. 

     "Oh, I don't know. I should probably check in on work." It isn't a full lie. I want to check in with Skylar, who I work with and miss dearly. 

     "Come on, Sawyer. You can do that tomorrow. Don't you wanna see everyone?"

     Biting my lip, I give half a shrug. "I'm not sure. Maybe. I haven't really talked to anyone since I left or since I came back. What if they don't like me anymore?" Since returning, i've felt in this strange between place. Part of me is happy to be home, but the other part of me is not sure if this was ever home to begin with. While growing up, I always felt like something was missing, but in Seattle, I feel nearly complete. A part of me wonders if i'll ever feel completely complete, but Seattle is the closest i've come to it. 

     "What if they don't like you anymore? Are you insane?" He laughs, shaking his head in amazement. He opens the passenger door for me before climbing into the driver side. "You won Miss Belle which basically means you'll be a beloved icon in this town as long as you live. Actually, I think it's illegal to say a single nasty thing about you." 

     Laughing, I throw my hands up. "Fine."

     "Fine?" He raises a brow, clearly astounded that I gave in so easily. 

     "Fine, i'll go." Smiling ever so slightly, I half shrug. "But you better not leave my side." I flash him what I hope is a dangerous glare, but most likely looks more like puppy dog eyes. 

     "I wouldn't dream of it."

**********

     Bright illuminating lights brighten the dark night, inviting the town's people into the allure of exciting rides, greasy foods, and tricky games. As soon as we're through the arch, I'm surrounded by familiar faces that I consider family. That's the nice thing about living in a small town, you're always running into old friends, babysitters, distant cousins, teachers, coworkers, Mrs. Willa who gives out free fresh baked cookies at the bank. 

     "Let's start this night off right, Pebbles." My eyes widen to an abnormal size as I stare at him in shock. Childhood flashbacks of two blonde children, the best of friends, causing as much chaos as toddlers can plays before my eyes. "What?" Jackson asks, confused by my reaction to the childhood nickname. 

     "You remember that?" The nickname was given to me when I used to be a wild child, and it came as a matching pair with my partner in crime. Jackson, the Bamm Bamm to my Pebbles. 

     "Uh duh. Of course I remember that. We used to be attached at the hip, remember?" I did. I remembered. At one point in my life, Jackson was my best friend and then my boyfriend, and then a stranger. I also remember the ending. The betrayal. 

     "Yeah, it feels like forever ago." I whisper softly. For a brief moment, our eyes meet and the history we had flashes between us, ending with a text from a girl named Riley saying how much she missed his touch. We both divert our eyes, hiding from the history that lingers. 

     "Blue cotton candy?" He offers, drawing the smallest of smiles from me. He knows I can't turn down cotton candy, especially the blue kind. 

     "You don't believe me, but blue does taste different from pink." This argument would have us bickering back and forth for about an hour, every year we would come to this carnival.

     "Yeah, yeah." He shakes his head, disbelieving that we are jumping back down this rabbit hole. It's so easy to fall back into old routines, quickly forgetting why I left them in the first place. 

     Cotton candy in hand, torn to pieces left and right, we sit at the top of the ferris wheel. The conversation flows easy between us, walking down memory lane. Jackson was my one and only childhood best friend. He was the only person that knew of my dream to escape to Seattle and work in literature. Most of the girls and boys that lived in this town were perfectly okay with settling down with their highschool sweetheart and living the white picket fence fairytale. Jackson and I, we wanted more. Everyone knew he wanted to be a big football star, but I knew he also dabbled in the idea of interior design. This town was and never would be enough for us. Yet, one of us found a way out and the other still lived in his father's shadow. I almost forgot how close we once were. The internal outsiders, always feeling wrong, no matter how hard we tried to fit in.

     "What have you been up to? We never really got the chance to talk about you over dinner. What has the great Sawyer been up to since she abandoned us small town folk?" Holding his tongue out, he goes cross eyed trying to watch the cotton candy dissolve into pure sugar. I shove him playfully which he quickly returns. 

     "The life of Sawyer Calloway is not as great as one might expect." I pick a piece of cotton candy, quickly shoving it in my mouth, so as to have a moment to think before continuing. "I'm working at Berkshire's publishing in Seattle." I start off, immediately met with wide eyes as a response. 

     "Berkshire publishing?!" He sits straighter. "How did you wiggle your way in there?" My jaw drops and I bring my free hand to my chest in mocked hurt. 

     "Pure talent and compelling conversation can get you anywhere." I shrug, laughing slightly at the memory of that interview. The very first time I met Roman Berkshire. In his presence, I felt small and unimportant. So much has changed since then. Through the months, the timid girl who felt like gum at the bottom of Roman Berkshire's shoe, became confident and comfortable. She felt so confident that she thought she could have the dream guy, dream job, and anything else she could possibly dream of. I'm beginning to wonder if that girl is naive. 

     "Tell me more." He urges, returning a shove of his own. "Writing a book of your own yet?"

     "I don't know if I could ever write a book of my own, but it's been fun there. I get to read all types of books and pass it over to the big guy himself. Not much to do since i'm only an assistant. It's not very impressive. Getting coffee, organizing paperwork, helping out in anyway I can." For a moment, I wonder if he'll think it's as pathetic as it sounds. 

     "That's only the beginning, Pebbles! You know how many people start off assistants and then before you know it, they are the next best thing?" One thing I can always count on Jackson for? A positive attitude. 

     "I thought that too, but you know how my papa can be. He thinks i'm wasting my time." His warm hand come to rest on mine, squeezing it. 

     "Following your dreams isn't wasting your time. You've always been too good for this town, Sawyer Calloway." And for the first time since coming back to Maywood, I feel like i'm home. 

What do you guys think of Jackson? 

What do you want to happen next?

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