Walking the Crimson Road

by Perrie Patterson

  Amanda leans on my shoulder and says, “Some of the girls are going in to put on their swimsuits.”

  “I wish I had packed one,” I reply.

  “I brought two with me.”

  “Thanks, Amanda.” I follow her and the other girls back toward the house.

  After changing into a bikini, I decide to open the small gift box. I slide the ribbon off and open the lid. Inside is a gold necklace with a small round charm. It’s the Alabama crest symbol, the one with the Greek Goddess holding leaves in one hand, but below her other hand is a skull and crossbones symbol. There’s also an envelope inside the box. I slide the card out and read-----Wear this and you will be allowed places you never thought you’d be. Your loyalty will be rewarded, and the position of editor will be granted.

  I’m not sure what this means. I’ve only applied for assistant editor for the Crimson White next semester. I won’t even find out if I got it until sometime over the summer. I stuff the card back into the box and close the lid. I put the necklace on. I glance at myself in the mirror. It’s pretty and dainty, but deep down I know there’s something powerful behind wearing it and having power may not be such a bad thing after all.

  I rush back outside to find the girls and notice the sun has set, and the guys have moved to the swimming pool and the hot tub. Colorful lights light up the pool and hot tub. Music is playing on the outdoor speakers, and there’s lots of laughter and splashing going on around me. I sit on the edge of the pool and dip my feet in. The water is warm with steam rising from the surface. Lane joins me with a cigar in one hand and his glass of scotch in the other. He smiles at me, and I smile back.

  “You want to go somewhere to talk?” He tilts his head to the side with a slight grin on his face.

  I nod my head and stand. He sets his glass of scotch down, sticks his cigar in it, and takes my hand. The familiar feelings and butterflies come back as though they’d never left.

  We walk to the end of the pier and sit on the porch swing. We stare into the darkness of the water for several minutes until Lane breaks the silence.

  “I’ve decided I’m getting a double major in English and art history and a minor in journalism. I’ll be finishing my minor in June. I’m also going to start grad school this summer.”

  I look at him in shock, thinking he may be talking about law school at Yale.

  “I’m getting an MBA from Alabama,” he continues. “I start this summer and will finish the following May. I’m staying another year for my master’s. I want to do something in publishing and plan to have a job worked out by the time I finish my MBA next May.”

  “That’s awesome, Lane.” I look at him, beaming. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “I’ll be around. I’m not going anywhere, and I just want you to know that,” he says with a serious look. “I’ll be gone for a week in June for my sister’s wedding, but other than that I’ll be in town and in classes all summer.”

  “I’ve worked out some things, too,” I begin. “I’m taking the internship at The New Yorker next spring. I’m going to take five classes in the fall and two online classes in the spring that work with my internship. My advisor encouraged me to double major in journalism and creative media and I already have a minor in Spanish. This summer, I’ve decided to work as a camp counselor at a Young Life camp in North Carolina.”

  “Wow. It sounds like you know what you want to do. That’s great, Bex.”

  “Yes, I feel good about everything. I think working at the summer camp will help clear my mind and get me down to basics again. And I’m looking forward to the internship this time next year. Look, Lane, I’m sorry I got angry with you.” I turn my body and face him head on. His eyes grab mine in a magnetic gaze. “I understand your delay in telling me about your family history. I know you didn’t mean to hurt my feelings. At the time, it felt very overwhelming. I told my mother everything last weekend on Easter Sunday. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I had lied to her, and I felt like you had lied to me. I was trying hard to shove everything under the rug and move on, but I knew I couldn’t, and all I wanted to do was run to my mom and tell her. She was great, and she encouraged me to trust my feelings and to trust that she and Dad will always be there for me.”

  I hesitate to say the rest and look down at the ground gathering my courage. I know I’m changed, and there’s no going back, I know what I want, and in truth, it’s been there all along. I look up into his eyes and a warm feeling burns inside me.

  “I also told her that---Lane, I’m very much head-over-heels in love with you.”

  He pulls me into his arms, runs his hand gently over my neck touching the necklace, pulling me in tight and holding me like there’s no tomorrow.

  Epilogue

  Two weeks later, I’m with Lane the evening prior to his graduation, at the graduate honors reception inside the grand historic President’s mansion on campus. I feel privileged to be with him as we mingle through the crowd meeting the elites of the university.

  While Lane introduces me to several distinguished alumni, there’s one in particular, an Alabama Supreme Court Justice who is the keynote speaker tomorrow at graduation.

  “Justice Melton, this is Rebecca Brant, my girlfriend.”

  He’s an older man, maybe around my father’s age. He’s been a justice for a long time and is highly respected. As we shake hands, he comments on Lane’s decision to complete his MBA at Alabama, then he turns to me, his eyes seem to land on my necklace.

  “Aaaah, yes, the new Crimson White editor. It’s lovely to meet you, Rebecca, I’ve heard so many good things about you and not just your GPA,” he jokes.

  I notice the gold pin on his lapel, its exactly the same as the charm on my necklace, the one I received during the secret society party. There’s more to the secret society I know that now, and I’ve just skimmed the surface. I’m anxious to find out its secrets, and I think my junior year will be very telling. Between being an editor for the campus paper and working in New York next spring, my journalism career will go anywhere I want to take it. I’m ready for the challenge and whatever comes my way. And Lane. I’m happy he’ll be here another year for his masters, his decision mainly being because he’s in love with me.

  Sophomore year didn’t disappoint, but junior year, heck, it’s gonna blow up and if there’s one thing I’ve learned this year is to follow my heart…

  Because sometimes you have to let your heart lead and your dreams follow.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to my friends who believed in me and this dream of mine to write and publish a book. Many, many thanks to those who took the time to read really rough drafts in order to give honest feedback in order to improve the story. Thank you to my editors who taught me a lot of things about the writing process. Sue Grimshaw, you were a cheerleader, pushing me to try my best. Thank you to my copy editor, Mary Marvella who spent a lot of time on my manuscript looking for mistakes. Thank you to everyone who gave me their support in the completion of this book…Mary Beth Bishop, Laura Sinabria, Lisa Lucas, Faith Kummetz, Catherine Abbate, Dana Ridenour, Eileen Tucker, Zann Kennedy, Jane Peay, and all of my book club ladies at Polo Women’s Club.

  Find out more…

  Song: “Death Was Arrested” Northpoint Inside Out Ministries

  Northpoint Community Church Alpharetta, GA (found on Spotify)

  Northpoint Inside Out high school ministry… www.northpoint.org

  Younglife Forsyth County Georgia: @focoyl @focowyldlife @wfhs_younglife

  To find a Younglife group in your area go to www.younglife.org

  University of Alabama Younglife Instagram: @bamayounglife

  For more of the “Walking the Crimson Road” experience….

  The soundtrack for “Walking the Crimson Road” can be found on Spotify…

  Perrie Tucker Walking the Crimson Road playlist

  Discussion questions for groups:

  Bex thinks she’s been cautious, and straight-laced throughout high
school and her freshman year at college and wants something exciting to happen sophomore year. Explain what you think she wants to happen and why you think she feels this way.

  After meeting Lane in class, Bex can’t get him off her mind. In your opinion do you think she acts like a stalker, or just a regular girl with a crush?

  Amanda, Bex’s Phi Mu big sis, and dance teammate encourages her to be in the secret society. Why do you think Bex is hesitant to join them? Do you think she should join them? What would you have done in that situation?

  Bex struggles with her feelings for Grant. If Lane had not been in the picture, where do you see Bex’s relationship with Grant going? What would you do in the same situation?

  For their creative writing/journalism class Bex and Lane have to submit stories they wrote. Bex comes up with a doozie and writes a fictional tale based on a former American heartthrob who was from a famous political family. What did you think about Bex’s story? Did you like it? From Lane’s story, what are some of the things you learned about him from reading it? How do you think what happened to him in the story changed him or made him who he is today?

  How do you feel about Bex lying to her best friend about the secret society? Do you think it’s right for her to keep that secret since it is a very secretive society and those are the rules? What are your thoughts on the whole secret society thing?

  When Bex decides to lie to her parents about her whereabouts over spring break and take off with Lane, were you thrilled or scared for her? Would you have done the same thing?

  When Bex discovers the secret that Lane has been keeping from her, she feels upset, hurt and lied to. Do you think she’s being fair to Lane? Are her feelings justified? Can you see yourself feeling the same emotions as Bex? Would you have handled the situation in a different way?

  Were you glad that Bex came clean and told her mom everything, and I mean everything… Did she do the right thing?

  In the final chapter during the secret society party, Lane and Bex have a heart-to-heart talk. Are you glad they made up and got back together? How did it make you feel?

  During the pre-graduation reception at the President’s mansion, Bex is introduced to some powerful people and seems to have accepted the secret society for who and what they are. Is accepting the potential opportunities that these powerful people can provide good or bad? Why or why not?

  How do you think Bex has changed since the beginning of school in August? In what way is she better or worse?

  Are you looking forward to the sequel?

  Follow me on social media: IG: @always.n.style Twitter: @PerrieT Website: www.perriepatterson.com Facebook: Perrie Patterson

  About the author…

  Perrie is the mother of two teenagers and enjoys hosting gatherings and events for them in her home. She is a mentor for the Forsyth Co. school system. Perrie also facilitates her neighborhood book club and is a member of the Chestatee River chapter DAR in her hometown of Cumming, GA. Her family attends Brown’s Bridge Community church. Perrie designs jewelry and works as a background actor for TV productions in nearby Atlanta. She is a 1989 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in fashion merchandising. In her downtime you can find her either watching Alabama football or cuddled up with her kindle in one hand, a cup of Earl Gray in the other and one of her fur babies by her side. “Walking the Crimson Road” is her first novel.