Another.
You’re my best friend.
Another.
You’re better than a
“La Vie En Rose” moment.
Micah lowered the cards to his lap and smiled.
“Did you really write out reasons why you like me on all of these?”
I felt my cheeks flush and nodded.
“All fifty-two cards?”
“Including the Joker card,” I replied.
“Oh, I bet that reason is the best.”
Micah tucked away the cards, which I presumed he’d read later on his own. Afterwards, we settled to watch A Christmas Story together, before Micah drove back home.
JENNIFER: Heeellllooooo?
I was startled from my thoughts and glanced back at my phone. Jennifer. Right. I touched the delicate chain around my neck as I found myself smiling.
CHARLIE: He got me a necklace
CHARLIE: It’s really pretty
JENNIFER: OH MY GOD! JEWELRY!
CHARLIE: LOL! Yeah! Jewelry.
JENNIFER: That is super sweet, Charlie!
JENNIFER: So with New Year just days away…
JENNIFER: What are you and he going to do?!
CHARLIE: Marshall invited us to a party
CHARLIE: I’m not really “all about it” but…
CHARLIE: I agreed to go
JENNIFER: ugh. Marshall.
Jennifer knew all about Marshall. She knew what had happened at the bonfire and the text messages too. I’d told her everything.
JENNIFER: Well, just show up, look nice, drink a soda and leave
CHARLIE: That’s what I’m planning on
JENNIFER: See? Game Plan!
JENNIFER: That is so sweet though. I can’t wait to see!
JENNIFER: You should show me a picture!
CHARLIE: I can!
CHARLIE: [[PHOTO ATTACHED]]
JENNIFER: Have you heard from Rachel much?
CHARLIE: Honestly…? Not really.
CHARLIE: I’m sure she’s busy though
JENNIFER: Yeah, same.
JENNIFER: I kinda don’t get what’s up with that
CHARLIE: I think she’s just been busy with youth group
JENNIFER: …. And her boyfriend.
JENNIFER: At least you don’t ignore me just because of Micah
CHARLIE: I really don’t think she’s ignoring you on purpose
JENNIFER: She only ever invites you to things
JENNIFER: Because you have a boyfriend.
CHARLIE: That’s far from true :(
CHARLIE: She invited you to that Thanksgiving dinner!
JENNIFER: Come on - I never would have fit in
JENNIFER: She knew that. You knew that too.
JENNIFER: So, no. It’s true.
I lowered my phone onto my comforter and sighed. Did Jennifer really feel that way? Did she really think she didn’t fit in with us because she didn’t have a boyfriend? Would Jennifer begin to feel the same way about me eventually?
I knew Rachel hadn’t meant to keep Jennifer out of our activities. But I also knew I couldn’t just dismiss my friend’s feelings either.
JENNIFER: I hope you and Micah have fun on New Year.
CHARLIE: We can meet up on New Year’s Day
CHARLIE: if you want! Watch those animes!
JENNIFER: Maybe…
I let out a small growl as I pushed myself up in my bed, leaning over the screen of my phone.
CHARLIE: Let me know.
I wasn’t going to cater to her pity-party. It just wasn’t going to happen. I was trying to be a good friend. I was trying to be there for her. Didn’t she see that? I didn’t want her to feel as though I were choosing Micah over her. I could spend my time with both of them equally, couldn’t I? There didn’t need to be a fight over our friendships. Especially when we cared about one another. I waited to see if she’d respond, but received nothing. I put my phone on the nightstand and curled up underneath my blankets. Why did relationships have to be so complicated?
“You Don’t Own Me (feat. G-Eazy)”
Grace
“I GRABBED YOU A CHERRY slushy,” Micah said as I climbed into his car. I was relieved when I hadn’t needed to convince my parents to allow me to go to the party with Micah. It was probably because they trusted Micah now. He was such a part of our everyday family life that maybe they would’ve felt odd refusing my request. But my dad had warned me about not drinking at the party.
“I know what kids do. I was a kid too, you know. As hard as that is to imagine.” He set his dinner plate in the sink. Mom had just served us another batch of leftover turkey, made into sandwiches—yum.
“I know,” I had replied. “I won’t drink, Dad.”
But slushies didn’t count. With a grin, I lifted the small white Mini-Mart cup and took a sip from the red straw.
“Good?” Micah asked.
“Yes! Good. Thank you.”
Micah slid his hand onto my knee as he pulled out of the driveway and headed into the countryside of Grand Lakes. We were quiet as he drove on the back roads. I was instantly struck with the memory of the last time we had gone to a party at Marshall’s. I glanced in Micah’s direction. He seemed to read my mind.
“Just don’t walk off again, okay?”
I jerked my chin in a curt nod and darted my gaze back out the passenger side window. In our shared silence, it seemed like no time at all had passed as Micah pulled into Marshall’s driveway. Micah waited for me to get out of the car before he headed back toward one of the off-side garages on the property. Loud music and laughter came from the building. Micah grabbed my hand and brushed his thumb gently across my knuckles, a silent gesture of reassurance.
I was surprised to see Paul there, standing tall and handsome in a blue plaid shirt with a Pepsi in his hand. The same raccoon-eyed girls I had seen at the bonfire were there also, sharing a bag of Cheetos. A smear of orange crumbs lingered in the corners of their mouths.
“DUDE! You came!” Marshall burst from a crowd of guys who looked like they could easily pass as twenty-one, each of them holding a can of Bud Lite.
“My boy is here!” Marshall called over the music. Micah grabbed Marshall’s hand, echoing the same stupid handshake they did every time they saw one another. “You brought her too, huh?”
Micah eyed him for a moment and nodded.
“Yeah. What of it?” Micah’s gaze scanned me briefly. “She’s my girlfriend.”
Girlfriend. My heart began to beat strongly. I was still getting used to Micah calling me that. I was his girlfriend. I lifted my hand, tracing the delicate chain around my neck.
“Oh! I didn’t know things were that serious.” Marshall raised his hands in mock defense.
“So are you enjoying the ride?” Marshall gave him a wink as he bit his bottom lip and paddled the air with his hand. Micah frowned and slid a hand through his hair—a sign of discomfort. I looked away and tried to pretend to focus on the small TV in the corner of the garage, where Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve party was on.
“I’m not having this conversation with you,” I heard Micah mumble.
“Yo! Micah, my man. That is not how relationships work. You give a little and she gives too. It’s a partnership.” He slid his arm around Micah’s shoulder. “I’m sure it wouldn’t take much coaxing. She seemed to be pretty open to it.”
Micah pushed Marshall away, glaring at him warningly. He walked away, toward one of the tables with snacks and sodas. He grabbed a Coke for himself and snapped it open. Marshall watched Micah with narrowed eyes as he took a sip of his Bud Lite. I wrapped my arms around myself and tried my best to not feel awkward.
“We’re all here to have fun,” Marshall commented and frowned. “If you’re not into it, you can get the hell out.”
My eyes scanned the garage, taking in a few of Marshall’s friends,
who were watching us. It was definitely time to go already. I didn’t understand why Micah was friends with a guy like Marshall.
Micah shrugged and put his soda down. “I’m not here to start any shit with you, Marshall. You invited me.”
“Guys, guys,” Paul interrupted, lifting his hands between the two of them. “Let’s just crank up the music and chill.”
“I am chill,” Marshall responded and took another swig of his beer. “Chill as fuck.”
Paul walked over to the CD player next to the TV and changed the music to Kongo’s “I’m Only Joking.” Micah returned to me, an extra soda in his hand.
“You should get her a beer.” Marshall lifted the lid to a cooler. I noticed there was an assortment of alcohol. How in the world did he get all of that?
“Come on, Charlie. Live a little,” Marshall said as he shoved a cold can of Bud Lite into my hands.
“Hey, man, knock it off.” Micah was clearly irritated as he took the beer from my hands. “Just leave her alone.”
“Of course, the savior Micah has to ruin the fun,” Marshall said.
“What the fuck is your problem?” Micah glared at Marshall.
“I should ask you the same question,” Marshall replied. “You became a fucking pussy after you started dating her. You never used to be this way.”
“You crossed a line a few weeks ago.”
“Aw, are you still butt-hurt over the texts? Come on, man, it was a joke.” Marshall winked in my direction. It was becoming more and more apparent how drunk Marshall must’ve been. “She liked it. You can’t say I never tried to help you tap that.”
“What she and I decide to do is our business,” Micah growled.
“I was just trying to help you out, man. You weren’t making a move! She’s prime Grade-A meat!”
“Really?” Micah shook his head in disbelief. “I knew coming here was going to be a mistake.” Micah slammed the can of beer he’d taken from me down onto the table. “Knew you’d be some kind of asshole. You never disappoint, Marshall.”
“Why don’t you just leave, huh? If you’re too good for us now. You and your little—”
“Don’t.” Micah lifted his finger. “Don’t. Say. Another. Word.”
“Whatever, man. You’re totally not worth my time. Just get out.”
“You’re right. You’re not worth mine either. Come on, Charlie.” Micah grabbed my hand and started to pull me toward the door. “Let’s not waste our New Year’s Eve on this douche.”
“Micah,” I gasped as he pulled me behind him. Micah didn’t release my hand until we were at his car.
“Micah,” I tried again, but he lifted his hand and shook his head before I could continue. What could I say to help? I was sorry. I hadn’t meant for any of this to happen.
“Just get in the car, Charlie,” he replied with a sigh. I opened the door and slid into the seat. He slipped the keys into the ignition and started the car. Before I had the chance to look back in the direction of the garage, Micah was spinning his car out of the driveway and out onto the road. The soft hum of the radio was distant, but enough to fill the quiet between the two of us. I carefully moved my hand over his on the steering wheel.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Micah said finally.
“You don’t have to be sorry. I feel as though…I should be.”
“Why?” Micah looked at me with a hint of irritation behind his dark eyes. “None of that was because of you.”
“I mean, kinda…” I shrugged. “Clearly, he feels that since you started to date me…” Before I could continue, Micah pulled the car over and turned to look at me.
“First, Marshall was drunk out of his flipping mind. He’s an absolute dumbass when he drinks. Second, he knows I’m pissed about the text messages. And…lastly, things are different for me now.”
I let that soak in, waiting a few minutes before I responded.
“I didn’t mean to change things for you.”
Micah’s fingers gently turned my chin in his direction. His eyes softened.
“Whether or not you meant for it to happen, it did. And I’m glad. Don’t think for a single second that this is your fault. I chose to make these changes. I chose to have something worth keeping in my life, for once.”
I pushed myself up from my seat and wrapped my arms around his neck. I held him, until I felt him gently push me back. He glanced at the clock on the dash.
“Well, we have some time until midnight. What do you want to do?”
I knew what I wanted to do. I just didn’t know if I was brave enough to follow through with it. I chewed my bottom lip in thought and then slowly peered at the time.
“We could go back to my house and watch the ball drop in my room…if you want.”
“Sure,” Micah said.
“We could play a game or something,” I added. “Something to kill the time.”
“Sounds interesting. What sort of game?” Micah raised his eyebrow. At least I had peaked his interest.
“Guess you’ll have to drive me home and see.”
“As you wish!”
“Wake Me”
Bleachers
“ONE,” MICAH SAID WITH A smile as he lifted a card from his deck.
“Two,” I managed between giggles. Micah wiggled his eyebrows.
“Three,” we said together, flipping our cards face-up. Micah’s King of Diamonds beat my Jack of Hearts. He won—again. I noticed the heap of cards near his bended knee. He was beating me at war.
“You suck at this, C. Whoever taught you how to play, failed you.”
“No, you just cheat,” I said. I had caught him peeking at his next card, which he wasn’t supposed to be doing.
“I keep things exciting.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes,” he stated matter-of-factly, and eyed the cards in my hand. “Ready?”
“You’re going down,” I warned.
“Three!” Micah tugged the last card from the bottom of his stack, slapping it face-up. I flipped my own card while shaking my head. His ace stole my queen.
“Cheater!” I said as I reached for the cards between us.
“Those are dangerous accusations!” Micah grabbed my wrist gently to prevent me from taking the cards. “If you keep talking like that, I’ll just go home.”
“Oh, go home,” I teased as I rolled my eyes. I gathered the four cards I had left in my pile and shuffled them carefully. From over Micah’s shoulder, the television program had returned from commercial break, and the announcer was gearing up for the New Years ball to drop. We were only minutes away from midnight.
“How much time do we have left?” Micah asked. Pressing one of the side buttons of my phone, I glanced at the clock: 11:57 PM.
“Three minutes.”
“What was your favorite part of this year?” He put his cards down beside mine on the floor.
“I guess…it would have to be…” Of course it was him. Of course he had to know that. His eyes twinkled with amusement, and I felt my cheeks burn slightly.
“It would have to be the time you called Samantha out at her own study party.” It had been pretty epic to watch Micah call Samantha a bitch after she had been so rude to me. I had never had anyone stand up for me that way.
“That’s all?”
“When you…kissed me,” I admitted. A small smile grew on my face.
“Which time?” Micah asked. My face got warmer. “You’re so cute, you know that?”
“Hardly,” I replied. Micah pushed himself forward, shoving our cards out of the way as his hands found my face.
“You’re so beautiful.” He spoke with wonderment. “Beautiful and strong and…luckily, all mine.”
His. All his.
“What about you?” I asked. “What was your favorite part of this y
ear?”
“Seeing you across the cafeteria,” he replied without missing a beat. “The day you left me a note in my locker, telling me how you felt about me. Kissing you from the first time to today.”
“You haven’t kissed me to—”
“Well, the day isn’t over yet, now, is it?”
Before I could reply, Micah’s lips touched mine.
The excited voice of the announcer broke our kiss, and we were pulled back to reality.
“The last minute, ladies and gentlemen!” All the guests around him began to chant the countdown. “...forty-five…forty-four…forty-three…forty-two…forty-one…”
Micah’s fingers skimmed my cheek and I turned my attention back to him. He smiled at me and pressed a soft kiss against my forehead.
“…thirty-two…thirty-one…thirty…twenty-nine…twenty-eight…”
“What do you hope for in the new year?” I asked, curious.
“Happiness, whatever that is for us,” Micah replied.
“...nineteen…eighteen…seventeen…sixteen…fifteen…”
“What about you? What do you hope for in the new year?”
Could I just say him? More of him. More of us. More of everything.
“Same.” I nodded. ...and more.
The Songs We Remember: A Young Adult Romance (The Songs in Our Hearts Book 2) Page 8
