Unexpected Turns

5

It was around ten o'clock the next day, and I was waiting for Scott to come and pick me up. Today was the day we all had to go back to college after Spring Break, and I was dreading it more than anything.

Scott, Chris and I all had afternoon classes, so we were going to drive down to campus together. I had my bags packed up from my visit home and was ready to leave. But I didn't want to go.

At least at home I could avoid getting dragged out to frat parties by Chris, not being able to leave because of Scott, and making sure both of their drunk butts got in bed safely afterwards.

But after everything that I've realized about my true feeling for Chris, I don't know how many more carefree nights I can have with him. It just hurts to much, to do so much for him and with him and know that he'll never like me back.

I sat on the living room couch, having coffee while flipping through the paper and watching the news. My mom sat next to me in pajama pants and slippers, and I wished that I was as comfy at her. But I had to get dressed for my classes.

"So," my mom says, taking a sip from her mug. "What's been going on with you lately? I never see you, you're always at college. And I had to work for most of Spring Break. We never got the chance to talk like we used to."

"Yeah," I say, smiling as I reminisced in all of the late nights my mom and I would have, just sitting and drinking coffee while having long talks. I tell my mom everything.

"So how ya been?" she asks, setting down her cup and leaning towards me, anxious for gossip. "Any cute boys?"

I blush, uncontrollably. I know that I can't tell her about Chris, for our parents are too good of friends. But if I told her that there was nobody, she would call my bluff. So I improvised.

"There is this one guy," I told her.

She grins. "Ooo. Who?"

"Well, his name is Parker," I say, thinking about that guy I met at Chris' party. And even though Chris said he was bad news, the part of me that was still mad at him for what he said only made me like Parker more. "I met him at Chris' party."

"What's he like?" my mom asks.

"He's tall, dark hair, green eyes," I say, thinking about his beautiful emerald eyes.

"Sounds handsome," my mom notes.

"He is," I say. "And he's really funny."

My mom smiles. "Humor, too? Sweetheart, he sounds like the whole package!"

I can't help but smile too. "I guess he is. We exchanged numbers and he's going to take me out for coffee sometime."

As I finish up telling my mom about Parker, feeling like a school girl with a silly crush, the doorbell rings.

"That's probably Scott," I tell her, standing to give her a hug. "I'll see you soon."

She hugs me back, telling me to be safe and she loves me and all that stuff she usually says when I have to leave. I open the front door, my luggage in hand, to find Chris instead of Scott.

"Oh," I can't help but say. "It's you." And if I was being honest, he looked terrible. Hair disheveled, bags under his eyes. But somehow he still looked as handsome as ever.

"Yeah," Chris says shyly, scratching the back of his neck. "Here, let me take that for you."

"No," I reply, my grip tightening on my suitcase. "I got it."

I look up at him and he looks back down at me, an awkward silence falling between us as our gazes expressed the things our words could not. My stare was almost a glare, still mad about what happened at the party. And his words wouldn't of hurt so bad if anyone else said it. But coming from his lips, it felt like a bullet wound.