Maybe, You (006)

I awoke to the hard jolt of Aunt Andrea’s car coming to a stop. My eyes shot open and I strained my head so I could see Andrea from behind my bag that was sitting on the seat between us. She caught my eye and smiled softly.1

“Sorry, I need to get the brakes on this thing changed.”2

I made my mouth like an ‘o’ and nodded. “I kind of noticed.”3

I sat up in my uncomfortable seat and peered out the window. Thoughts soared through my head as I watched the many cars on the highway go by.4

Brendon...5

Brendon...6

Brendon...7

That kiss...8

I closed my eyes and let out a long yawn. I shouldn’t be thinking about the past, there was a whole new life ahead of me. Someone who doesn’t play with my affections. Gosh, those beautiful green eyes.9

“Hey, are you hungry?” Andrea’s voice startled me. My stomach growled and when she pulled into the McDonalds parking lot my feeling of hunger vanished. I never ate fast food, it made me sick.10

“Uh, not really but thanks anyway.”11

When I was thirteen I went to Hardies with Gena and I ate a whole bacon cheese burger with everything on it and on the ride home I puked all over her mom and dads car. I haven’t eaten fast food since. The grease triggers something in my body that doesn’t react well. 12

Andrea shrugged her bony shoulders and pulled up in the drive through.13

“Welcome to McDonalds how may I take your order?” The nasally high pitched voice asked through the speaker.14

Andrea pondered over the menu. “Just a diet coke will be fine, thanks.”15

I stared at her. “Are you on a diet?”16

She pulled up to the first window and scoffed. “No! Do I look like I need to?”17

I laughed. I knew my comment would make her think that. “Not at all, you’re a stick! But I remember you getting hamburgers and all of that jazz when we came to fast food joints. Now you get a diet coke. Diet?”18

Andrea smiled and paid for her drink. “It’s a lot easier to drive and drink then it is to eat and drive.” She stopped and looked at me. “No, don’t drink. That’s bad. Especially don’t drink and drive. You can drink a diet coke and drive but that’s about it.” 19

I rolled my eyes. “Thank you, Ms. Obvious.” 20

She pat my knee and pulled out onto the highway. “Are you ready to see your new home?”21

My stomach churned. “Yeah, new home.” 22

Fifteen minutes passed and we pulled up to a huge stone house. I blinked and turned to Andrea who put the car in park. “This isn’t you house...I remember, it was small and homey not huge and spacious!”23

Andrea laughed. “It’s called moving. We’ve been in this house for two years and a half.”24

I grabbed my bag and opened the car door. The fresh warm air hit my face and I took in a breath. Maybe this wasn’t going to be as bad as I thought it would be.25

The door of Andrea’s house flew open and Uncle Adam charged at me with such force I thought the impact from his body hitting mine would hurt. Once it happened I fell to the hard ground with a thump and Andrea burst out laughing.26

“Adam’s been watching to much football. I told you not to watch that stuff when I was gone, you see what it does to you. Your going to end up hurting your back one of these days.”27

I groaned in pain. “Or mine, possibly.” 28

Adam smiled down at me revealing 32 pearly whites. I rolled my eyes and he pulled me up off of the ground. Andrea and Adam were only 29 so they still had the energy and the strength that my dad has lost. Andrea and Adam embraced and shared a soft, kiss. I blushed and looked away. It was like I could still feel Brendons kiss on my lips. That amazing, wonderful, mind blowing kiss.29

Adam grabbed my bags off of the grass and smiled. “I’ll take these up to your room if you want to take a look around the neighborhood.”30

I smiled and nodded. “Thanks, I guess I’ll take a quick walk.”31

I turned and looked both ways down their street. All I could see for miles were houses upon houses that all looked the same. There was a gust of wind and it blew my hair across my face. I flipped up my hood and pulled my jacket closer around my average sized body. My feet moved absent mindlessly down the sidewalk until something caught my eye. I turned my head towards the house to my right and my eyes widened. The guy was bent over in the trash can by the mailbox in front of the house. The bottom half of his body was fully covered in tight skinny jeans and gray converse, like Brendon. On the contraire, his top half, was totally bare.32

I couldn’t help but stare, it wasn’t his appearance that caught my eye. It was his actions. 33

Why in the world was he digging through the trash?34

The guy lifted himself out from the can and did something resembling a double take at me. We stared at each other for a second and he moved the trash can a few inches away from him with his foot. His brunette razored textured spikes and soft side swept bangs fluttered in the soft Nebraska breeze. I raised my eyebrow at him and he stuffed what looked like a piece of paper into the pocket of his jeans. He nodded at me and then turned and walked back into his ordinary house. I blinked and continued to walk down the street. I stuffed my hands into my pockets and smiled to myself.35

*I feel the salty waves come in, I feel them crash against my skin.36

And I smile as I respire because I know they'll never win.*37

I reached into my pocket and fished out my small, old cell phone. The caller ID read Sage.38

“What do you want, Sage?” My voice dripped with the venom of annoyance.39

“Valerie, I really just wanted to talk to you about everything that has happened.”40

I stopped walking once I spotted a small park to my left. I ran to the swings and sat on the closest one to me. “Okay, talk.”41

He took a long breath and sighed. “I miss you, Val. We had such a good run, what happened?”42

I rolled my eyes. “Sage, you know exactly why.”43

“Yeah, right. Brendon. But why did you think...” His voice trailed off.44

“Why did I think what? Why did I think that he was better than you?”45

There was only silence on his end.46

“Sage, I never thought he was better than you. I just felt this connection with him that I didn’t feel with you.”47

Sage laughed nervously. “Still, a part of me wonders why him?”48

I smiled softly. “He was mysterious, he was so passionate about what he did and when he touched me, I don’t know...it was like my whole body was on fire.”49

“I understand, Valerie. You don’t have to say any more. I’m just sad you had to move to Nebraska so...soon.”50

I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “Yeah, me too.”51

I could tell Sage was about to cry. “I don’t know why I called you...I guess for closure.” 52

I started to swing and I felt like everything around me was spinning. “I’m glad you did. Now you can move on.”53

Sage laughed. “Right, well. Bye, Val.”54

I smiled. “Bye, Sage.”55

I closed my phone and held it loosely in my hands as I swung back and forth, letting the wind take me where it desired. I closed my eyes and sighed. “What am I doing here.”56

“I believe you are on a swing, talking to yourself.”57

My eyes shot open and I turned my head so I could see the owner of the voice. It was trash can guy.58

“Do you like to sneak up on strangers?” I hissed at the poor, innocent boy.59

He held up his hands and backed away from me. “I’m sorry, I just saw you over here and recognized you from earlier.”60

I rested my head on the chain of the swing and nodded. “Right, yeah. Your head was in a trash can.”61

The guy looked down at his feet with a huge grin on his face. “Yeah, there was a reason for that.”62

I nodded and smiled. “I would think you would have to have one.”63

The guy motioned towards the swing next to me and I nodded. “Knock yourself out.”64

He eased into the seat of the swing and glanced over at me. “You’re new here.”65

I nodded. “That easy to tell?”66

He smiled. “I see it in your face, you don’t like it here.”67

I looked down at my phone and shrugged. “It’s not that, but its just that I was forced to live here.”68

He nodded and started to slowly swing. “Ah, I see...and you aren’t happy about that.”69

I snorted. “Your more than right.”70

He sighed. “You are used to being in control of your life. Getting your own way with things, you were caught off guard when your parents rejected your saying ‘no’.”71

I glanced over at him. “Is that how I really come off? Spoiled and self-centered?”72

He laughed. “Hardly.”73

I smiled and sighed. “I’m just really messed up right now.”74

The guy nodded. “That’s understandable.”75

“Yeah, sure.”76

“Matt.” What an odd thing to say.77

I looked over at him. “What?”78

He smiled. “My name, it’s Matt.”79

I made my mouth like an ‘o’ and nodded. “Valerie, Val for short.”80

He reached his muscular hand over to me and I shook it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Valerie.”81

I looked up at the darkened sky and sighed. “I probably should be getting home.”82

Matt nodded and stood up from his swing. “I could walk you home, you never know who is lurking in these suburban neighborhoods.” There was a hint of teasing in his voice.83

“Right, sure.”84

On our way back to my house Matt and I shared un important information about each other to pass the time. I found that Matt was a Leo and his favorite color is Blue. He is single and isn’t really looking for a relationship with anyone for a while. He just got through with a hard break up with his girlfriend, Lacy, of two years.85

We came up to my-Andrea and Adam’s- driveway and I turned to matt.86

“Thanks for walking me home.”87

He nodded and waved his hand around in the air. “Don’t mention it. I just aim to please.”88

I smiled and waved as I watched him walk back to his house. My whole body trembled from the cold, bitter night as I opened the door to my- Andrea and Adam’s- house softly, being careful not to wake anybody up.89

I slipped off my shoes and tip toed into the kitchen, hungry from not eating anything since breakfast.90

Everything was dark so I felt my way around until I found the fridge. I peered inside and pulled out the milk. I shut the door and searched for cereal.91

Luckily, they had a row of cereal boxes set neatly on the counter by the sink. I blindly pulled out a box and opened it up. Captain Crunch. I pour myself a bowl and put the milk back into the fridge. I felt my way to a chair and eased into it while taking a huge bite of the fruity cereal.92

The light in the kitchen flickered on and I jumped at the sight of Adam towering over me.93

“It’s eleven, your eating cereal at eleven at night?”94

I smiled catching my breath and nodded. “Sorry, I’ll be done in a second.”95

Adam chuckled at the sight of me hurrying to finish a full bowl of cereal in record time. “No need, I think I will join you.” He did the same routine as I, only in the light and much quicker. He sat down across from me and began to eat his eleven o’clock snack.96

“That was an awful long walk you took.”97

I swallowed and looked up at him. “I met Matt, if you even know who that is.”98

Adam’s eye brightened and he smiled. “Matt is a good kid. Very good kid.”99

I nodded. “Yeah, I noticed.”100

Adam studied my face. “Don’t rush into things, okay? He is a guy with morals.”101

I caught his eye. “I’m not looking for a relationship, Adam.”102

He nodded and took another bite. “Just thought I should mention it.”103

I grabbed my bowl and set it in the sink. “I’m going to go to bed.”104

Adam smiled at me and nodded. “See you in the morning.”105

I nodded. “See you.”106

I ran up the stairs and into what I assumed was my room. It was small, a lot smaller than my room back home. No, this was my home now. There was a window seat under the two windows to my left and a regular sized bed to my right. I didn’t bother changing out of my clothes as I collapsed onto my bed. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out.