by Casey Peeler
“Thanks, Tessa, I know I’m about to get grilled like a ribeye when I get back, but it’s okay. And Tess, I thought he knew how to kiss, but he had my toes curling today!”
She bursts out laughing, and then I hear her apologize to the customer.
“Hey, I’ll let you get to work, but I just had to talk to someone. Love ya!”
“Love you, too!”
I continue to drive to campus in a daze. My thoughts keep going back to Cash, the kiss, and his words. I know that this good ‘ol country boy is who I am meant to be with. I know I like Joe and he has this effect on me, but I can’t let go of Cash. Ever.
I start to walk into Kluft when I hear this hootin’ and hollerin’ coming from the upstairs window.
“Y’all ain’t right!” I laugh and walk upstairs.
Before I reach the hall, all of second floor Kluft is in my business.
“So, spill it. You said you were going to be back before supper, and we can all see that didn’t happen. So, what’s the deal? Y’all were out on some back road weren’t ya?” Caroline says ever so confidently.
“Um, no. We were at Hooters, thank you, and in the parking lot to be exact.”
“I bet horns were just a honkin’ at y’all!” Georgia chimes in. She is quiet most of the time, but when it’s time, she always puts in her two cents.
“Okay, first of all I’m only gonna explain this once. Yes, I got my swim bag, ate at Hooters, laughed like old times, and had the best make out session of my life The kind where your toes curl and you don’t want to pull away.” They are all completely pulled into what I’m saying. It’s like they are trying to picture it, which totally freaks me out!
“Then he told me he loved me and would wait on me no matter what. I do love him, but I want to be independent for a while.”
“Awe Charley, that’s so sweet!” Anna says.
We make our way to our room and chill out for the night. We have practice at 5 a.m. tomorrow, and I haven’t been in the water in forever. I’m sure my body is going to take a beating in the morning. I better get a good night’s sleep.
I turn on the TV and watch Gray’s Anatomy. Then my phone chirps, and I know it’s Cash.
Cash: I just want u to know I love u & I’m ready for whatever u want me to be in ur life
Me: Thanks $ Love u 2, practice at 5am :(
Cash: Go 2 bed, $ <3 u!
Me: Char-coal <3 $
I haven’t felt this happy in what feels like an eternity. I turn over, fall asleep, and dream sweet dreams of Cash, the club, and myself.
At 4:45, I turn off my alarm, jump out of bed, and grab my swim bag quietly trying not to wake Crystal. Tori is coming out of her room and Georgia’s room seems quiet. We knock, and she comes to the door asleep.
“Oh crap! Give me two secs!” Within two seconds she is out the door. We decide to drive across to the gym. Yes, it probably takes longer to walk to the car than across campus, but that’s what we do.
Once in the locker room, we change and head to the pool. That’s when I notice it. There is a box in my bag. I open it and find a necklace. It is a silver chain with three charms: an anchor charm, silver heart charm, and a hand stamped $ symbol on a pea-sized sterling silver circle charm. Inside is a note that reads:
Char-coal,
No matter where you are, I’ll be your rock, your anchor, I will help you stay grounded even when I am not physically there. I love you Char-coal, and this will always keep me close to you.
<3 $
I beam with happiness and send him a quick text to let him know how much I love it and head to the pool.
Coach has already written the warm up on the board. It feels so surreal for me to be back at a pool. I feel like a kid in a candy store. I dip my cap into the water, then put it on followed by my goggles. I dive straight in. 500m choice warm up. I got this. I glide through the water like I haven’t left. After we finish the warm up, we do a few sets. Then Coach decides it’s time to see what we’re made of.
“Alright, Tori, Charley, Georgia, and Sarah (another teammate) Lane 1. Brittany, Harper, Sally, and Jordan Lane 2. Let’s have some fun! Let’s see what you are made of. It’s 4 x 200 IM relay time!”
We all take our places and that’s when we hear the whistle. We all begin to holler and cheer on our teammates. I jump in feet first, since I’m leg one, place my hands on the starting block, feet on the wall, and wait for the whistle. I dolphin kick.1, 2, 3, 4, and then I begin to kick it in high gear. As I reach the flags, I count and do my flip turn, then I continue for three more lengths of the pool. I give everything I have to my last lap. I see the flags in view and push with all my might. As I tag the wall, Georgia dives in. I climb out feeling like a brand new person. We continue to pull out teammates through the relay, and we have an awesome finish time of 4:41:23. Dang, if we are doing that good right now, I can’t wait to see our time at Southern States!
“Wow girls, I’m impressed. Oh, and Charley, you are a damn fish!”
“Thanks, Coach!” I smile.
“Great practice, girls! We won’t have anything this weekend. I know how important those outfits are for Hank’s tomorrow night. So go shopping this afternoon and be ready for two-a-days starting next week.” She just laughs.
“Oh, and remember girls, have fun, but be smart. If you need me at any time, I am always here,” she says with so much compassion.
We go to the locker room, shower, and change. We are about to starve, so we go to the café. I make a waffle, sit at our usual table, and go to the dorm to get my stuff to meet Joe.
I walk out of the dorm and notice that he is sitting at the table already. He looks like he is really focusing on something then I see his cellphone. I decide to mess with him a little bit. I walk as quietly as possible to where he has his back to me. I tip toe up to him and place my hands on his shoulders. BOO! He almost jumps out of his skin, and I die laughing. I mean like bent over, can’t talk, about to hyperventilate laughing. I don’t think it would have been nearly as funny except that he is totally embarrassed due to some of his teammates walking to class, but then I see this dark look in his eyes. I stop laughing.
“Charley, that shit isn’t funny. Please don’t ever sneak up on me again.” He puts his cellphone away.
“It’s no biggie; I was just messin’ with ya. Can’t you take a joke?”
“I really don’t like when people do that; just drop it.”
“So, what have you figured out about this project?”
“I think we should talk about where we want to volunteer and maybe come up with some of the unique facts,” Joe says seriously. I think someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
“I got one unique fact on you already. You’re a scaredy cat,” I say with a playful laugh.
“No, I just don’t like surprises.”
“Okay, well I’ll write that down. Nine more to go.”
Joe and I take a few minutes to talk about home, what our parents do, and what we like and don’t like. Before long we have several items on each of our lists. But for some reason, his list for me makes me look like I’ve never left the farm. Is this really what people think of country folks like me? I snatch the list and look at it.
Unique facts about Charley:
1. She lives on a farm
2. She set 3 records at her school in swimming, all state, and didn’t want to swim in college (weird)
3. Eats roadkill (squirrel, opossum, deer, goose, and turkey)
4. Goes hunting, fishing, and cleans everything she catches
5. Enjoys being outdoors
6. Has used the same pair of goggles for 4 years
7. Best friend is Cash and she calls him Cash Money
8. Flip flops or Ariat boots are her preferred type of shoes
9.
10.
Well, I see you have your list almost finished. For some reason, this list pisses me off. I am proud of who I am, where I am from, what my parents work for, and Joe makes m
e feel like I should be embarrassed. For some reason, I don’t think I like Joe as much as I did when I met him on the front lawn. He’s still hot as hell and got those eyes that make you wanna melt, but I don’t know how I’m going to survive this project with him.
“Let me see yours,” he says as he takes my notebook off the table with a smile.
Joe’s Unique Facts:
1. Scares easily
2. Grew up with his parents, but moved in with his grandparents his Sr. year.
3. Has played lacrosse since he was 5, but his first love was golf
4. Can do a toe touch
5. Made straight A’s his entire high school career (must be nice)
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
He places my notebook back on the table. I can see that he is trying to read what I’m thinking.
“Well enough of this class stuff, Charley. Are y’all going to Hank’s tomorrow?”
“I do believe so. In fact, the Kluft girls are going shopping this afternoon,” I say with confidence.
“Nice. I can’t wait to see what you decide to wear.”
We pack up our stuff and part ways. I’m ready to hit the mall. I need some retail therapy after that conversation. I wait for all the girls to get back from class. We ditch the café for lunch and decide that Bojangles is in order. Anna looks at us like we have lost our mind, but Tori, Caroline, Georgia, and I all know that she is going to fall in love. There is just something about those seasoned fries!
We arrive at the Mills and decide to check out Charlotte Russe. I have only been in here a few times. As I begin perusing the store, I see a few things I like, but nothing that really hits my fancy. We go by Wet Seal, Forever 21, and The Body Shop.
“I gotta question. So, Hank’s is like a redneck bar turned ghetto fabulous on Saturday nights? What the heck are we suppose to wear? I mean I’m just confused.”
Everyone stops and looks at me.
“What?!” I say with a shrug.
“I know exactly what you’re saying. Let’s go back in Charlotte Russe. I saw something that totally was hot and looked like you,” Caroline says as she grabs my arm and pulls me that way.
Caroline is right. The perfect outfit is there. A pair of cream colored lace shorts with a little fringe on the ends and a denim polka dot peplum top. It is perfect. I am comfortable, look great, but still look like me. I knew from the get go that a skirt was out of the question.
When we return to campus, things are rowdy. People are on the stoop drinking. We are completely exhausted from practice. We decide to watch Safe Haven and call it an early night.
I wake up Saturday morning to my phone vibrating like crazy. I have five missed texts from Tessa, seven from Cash, and two missed calls from Mom. She knows.
After reading all the texts, I decide that I have to face the music. I call Mom.
“Hey, Mama. Sorry I left my phone on vibrate last night.”
“Hey, sweet girl! So, how’s life?”
“Really good, Mom. Um, I wanna tell you something. Please don’t be mad, but I joined the swim team here, and Cash brought me my bag this week.”
“Charley, you can’t hide things from your mama. I knew the minute Tessa started doing all her chores without being told that you girls had a secret. Then Cash stopped by Wednesday night asking your daddy some random question. I thought that you wanted to put that in the past, but if this is what makes you happy, then I’ll support you. I have one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“Check the schedule and make sure that Montgomery University is not competing against you. If so, you can’t do this. I won’t let you get near Dylan again. As a mother, I have to protect you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“So, word from Tessa is that Cash is back in your life.”
“Mom! Well, I really don’t know what we are, but you know as well as I do that I’ve always loved that boy.”
“I’m happy for you. Well, sweet girl. I gotta get going. I got three apple cobblers to get to the church’s bake sale. Take care and I love you.”
“Love you too, Mama.”
I need to get outside for a little while. I grab a pair of athletic shorts, tank, and running shoes. I’ve got to do something today or my body will be dead by the end of the week. I grab my iPhone, running station, and head down the stairs. I decide to make a loop around campus and then see where I go. I notice a trail, take it, and after about thirty minutes I end up back at the dorm. I’m drenched in sweat, but feel fabulous. I’m in such a good mood. I decide to get ready and read a good book on the lawn. Heck, I might even have some of that famous Kool Aid after lunch.
I spend the rest of the afternoon hanging out with the Kluft girls. We agree that we deserve a meal out. We all ride in Tori’s Explorer to Sagebrush. I can’t wait for a steak! We have the best time at supper. We laugh, Caroline flirts with the bartender and gets herself a free drink (underage I might add), and we head back to campus.
We can hear the music blaring before we get upstairs. Jenny has it blasting. We all enter the hall and start busting moves. Caroline gets some of her famous Kool Aid, and everyone but me decides to partake. I’m unsure of Hank’s Tavern, and I want to be fully aware of my surroundings. I know that if I drink too much, Cash won’t be here to save me, or better yet, I might mess things up with him again.
We eventually make our way to our rooms and begin to get ready. Before I do, I decide to call Cash.
“Hey, Cash. Whatcha up to?”
“Ah, I’m just fixin’ to go down to the pool hall a little while. Tessa said her and her friends were going and she wanted to know if I would go with her. I think she gets nervous there.”
“Well, that is super sweet of you, Cash. I appreciate it. If I was there I’d kiss you right now.”
“Char, you can’t say stuff like that and not be home. It has me wanting to get in my truck, break every speed limit law, and make you prove it.”
“Oh, that would be nice, but I’ll make it well worth your wait if you take care of my sister.”
“So, what are y’all doing tonight?”
“We are going to this place called Hank’s Tavern. It’s like redneck turns ghetto fabulous on Saturday nights. We’re going to check it out. I even got a new outfit!”
“You have got to take a pic for me, but Charley promise me that you will be careful. I’m not there remember.”
“I will, and just so you know, I’m never taking off the necklace. I guess I gotta get ready. I’ll text you soon. Love you, Cash Money.”
“Love you, too.”
I stop for a minute to take in everything—college, swimming, and Cash. I feel like this is a fairytale. Once I have my moment, I decide to get ready. I take the new clothes out of the Charlotte Russe bag, remove the tags, fix my makeup, hair, and grab my boots. I can tell this is going to be a great night. I look at myself in the mirror and approve. I then take out my phone and text Cash a pic. He’s my anchor; I need him even when the storms are rough, but I crave him more when the sea is calm.
Cash: Hot damn woman! UR killin me here! Be careful, have fun, and text me when you get in tonight love u
Me: Will do $ Love u 2
As eleven o’clock approaches, everyone on the hall finishes their final touches. I take one last look and wish Cash were here. I just love dancing with that boy. I double check my wallet making sure I have my ID even though I’m unsure how it is going to get me in.
I walk into the hall, and Tori throws me her keys. I guess I’m DD tonight, and that is fine by me.
“Hey y’all. Crystal texted me and Lucas told her for us just to take our school ID. It will get us in! Eeekk! I’m so excited!” Caroline exclaims.
I go back to my room, grab my school ID, license, and a few bucks. I decide to ditch the purse and just use my pocket.
We all pile in the Explorer and take the short trip to Hank’s. Georgia is drunk as a skun
k and it is hilarious. She’s singing every word to Snoop Dogg. I just never pictured a 4’11’’country talkin’ girl from Alabama rapping. I guess that is what happens when you assume.
There is an old wooden sign that is barely legible on the left side of the highway. It looks like it has been there for fifty years. We make a few quick turns, and there it is. Hank’s Tavern. It’s a party in the middle of nowhere. Something about this makes me feel like home.
As we make our way to the door, Georgia slips on the gravel. She starts laughing and the rest of us do as well once we help her up.
“Y’all, I think the ground and curbs are out to get me. I mean they come out of nowhere. The next thing I know, I’m on my ass again!” Georgia is a hoot. She always makes light of situations.
