The Ride of My Life

Pancakes Make Everything Better

The sound of my phone ringing woke me up with a start. I opened my eyes blearily. My head was pounding. I sat up too fast and instantly felt nauseous. Then I remembered last night and felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me. Oh no..

The shrill ringtone was piercing my ears. I picked up the phone and answered it.

"Girl. Who the hell did you go home with last night? Are you even home? Your truck is parked outside the bar! I'm picking you up in 5.." Erika hung up.

How was she this chirpy at 9am in the morning?

I drank some water straight out of the tap in the bathroom and changed from the clothes I had slept in. Skinny jeans and a plain white t-shirt. I put on some concealer and mascara to try and hide my hungover state but it didn't do much.

Before I could make more progress on my face, I heard Erika pull up outside on her motorbike. I gulped down the bile that rose in my throat at the mere thought of getting on that thing.

I opened the door and walked outside without even looking, only to smack into someone.. That definitely wasn't Erika. I looked up into a pair of green eyes looking down at me.

Caleb. Oh shit.

He stepped back, apologising. He held a brown bag in his hand, which he put down on the step.

"Groceries. I figured you hadn't had time to get anything since you got back, so there's just some milk.. Coffee.. Bacon.. You know? What's wrong? You a vegetarian?" he asked, looking at my confused face.

"No, I'm just.. How did you know when I got back? Why are you here?" I said, squinting at him.

He laughed. "Well I do work here? I rent the land off you.." he trailed off, raising one eyebrow.

Everything clicked into place suddenly. Of course. I saw his red truck yesterday morning.

Before I could say anything, Erika ran over and plopped a motorbike helmet on my head. It sank down so far it almost obscured my vision entirely.

"Great to see you Cal, but we're leaving!" she chirped, grabbing my elbow. "What the fuck Bea?" she whispered in my ear as she dragged me off before I could even say thankyou.

Somehow, I wasn't sick on the way into town on the back of Erika's bike, although there were a few moments I thought I was going to puke into the helmet. She stopped in front of her parents diner, which looked the exact same as it had during our childhood.

Sliding into a booth, she was about to launch into her interrogation when her mom walked over and pulled me in for a hug.

"Oh my god Bea, it's so good to see you again, you have no idea." she said, giving me a squeeze.

She shouted back in the general direction of the kitchen, "COME OUT HERE BRIAN!"

I laughed, as Erika's dad came out wiping his hands on his apron. He looked up and broke into a big grin.

"Bea, I can't believe it. Got tired of the big city?" he joked.

I spilled everything to Erika over her dad's amazing banana pancakes, soaked in syrup, and a black coffee.

Her eyes were wide as saucers as I recounted the mortifying way I had thrown myself on Caleb last night.

I suddenly remembered her comment the night before, about Caleb having gone through a lot.

"What did you mean about Caleb last night Erika?" I asked, looking down into my swirling coffee.

When she didn't reply I looked up. She looked at me apologetically.