I ran out of the apartment and ran into my Dad’s living room.
“Who called?” I almost screamed at him.
“I told you son. I don’t know. And watch your tone with me.”
“I’m sorry sir, but my iPod was on my bed when I got home. I gave this to Remi.”
“You must’ve made a mistake. I’m sorry son.”
“ I know what I gave her.”
I went out to the street and walked to Brenda’s house. I knocked on her door until she answered.
“Is she here?” I demanded.
“Is who here?” She asked like I was an idiot.
“Is Remi here? You would tell me if she was here right?”
“You would be the first to know if she was here Cooper.” She winked and smiled at me and closed the door quickly.
I made my way to Josie’s house but got no answer at the door.
This is it. I’ve officially lost it.
“Honey, he just left my house not three minutes ago. He was in a huff for sure. What’s next?”
“Well today after he left I put his keychain that I bought him in his locker. So he should find that tomorrow. I went today and finished registering for BRCC. God, Aunt Brenda, what if I’m doing all of this and he doesn’t take me back. What if he doesn’t love me anymore?
I just need to make sure.
”
“You know that boy never for a flat second stopped loving you. He’s just been working his little behind off telling me that he wants to be a better person when you decided to come back. He told me even if it took years he would still be here waiting for you. Oh, and I got you a ticket to graduation day after tomorrow too.”
“ I hope you’re right Aunt Brenda.
I bought the ring yesterday.
I missed you so much Aunt Brenda. Thank you for putting me up in a hotel until I could get everything straight.”
“Oh Remi, don’t you know by now that there’s very few things I wouldn’t do for you?”
“I do now. I was blind before. But I do now.”
“Good, now I need to…what do y’all say... stalk him tomorrow to see how he reacts to that keychain in his locker.” She giggled like a school girl. It was music to my soul to hear her.
“Ok, so you’re coming into Baton Rouge for dinner with me right, tomorrow?”
“Yeah, of course. I can’t wait to squeeze you. So your credits all transferred?”
“No, my math one didn’t, but that’s fine. I can take it again.”
“Ok tomorrow at seven, right?”
“Yup. Goodnight Aunt Brenda.”
“G’night honey.”
As soon as I hung up the phone Josie texted me.
Josie:
Holy cheeseballs! He almost knocked my door down!
Me:
Sorry! Did he go back home?
Josie:
No! He’s still banging on the door. I know he sees my car.
Me:
He’ll quit soon. Don’t answer it!
Josie:
You better wrap this up soon! I can’t take the stress. LOL
Me:
It will all be over in a couple of days Josie. Good or bad.
Josie:
You know it will b
e
good. He’s still got it bad.
I lay in my bed looking at the ceiling in this hotel room praying harder than I’ve ever prayed in my life that it would work ou
t. I looked at the ring that I had bought with my saved up money plus my paycheck
. Maybe I had hurt him beyond repair. There was only one way to find out. I wish I could see the look on his face when he found that keychain in his locker. I knew I was driving him nuts but I needed to gauge his reaction before I made my move.
I didn’t sleep one wink. Not one. I haven’t been this tired since those weeks after Christmas. Those weeks after she wouldn’t speak to me or see me.
I decided that there was nothing I could do about it if she was here and didn’t want to see me.
I got up and got dressed for school. We didn’t have classes today, but we had to clean out our lockers and we had Senior meetings to practice lining up and walking on stage. Troy drove me to school and he was sixteen kinds of hyper about graduating. He and Josie had big plans for tomorrow night and I was happy for them. They were finally off of their rollercoaster and settled. We got out and the school had been rolled. There were rolls of toilet paper from every single tree in sight. It was both funny and not.
We got handed a garbage bag as we entered the school and told to go our lockers, like we didn’t know. We went to Troy’s first and I laughed and almost gagged at all the stuff he had in his locker. Some of that stuff could’ve sprouted legs and walked away.
We threw away his bag and moved to my locker. I know I didn’t have that much in there.
I opened the locker and started pulling papers out.
I looked at Troy who wasn’t moving but staring into my locker.
“What the hell man? Is there a spider or some…”
The hallway started to spin a little bit and I had to hold onto the locker to steady myself.
Stuck to the inside of the door to my locker with Duck Tape was a keychain. And this wasn’t just any keychain. This was a round keychain with ‘The Who’ on it. This was the keychain that was attached to the keys to my car…her car.
I undid one of the buttons on my shirt even though it wasn’t even but
toned up all the way to my neck just to feel like I could breathe a little easier.
“She’s here.”
“Yeah, she’s here. I’m not supposed to tell you but I just can’t keep it from you. She’s…she’s in Baton Rouge applying to get into school and then she’s going to be at graduation tomorrow. Then she’s…”
“She’s what? Tell me.”
“She’s gonna try to get you back.”
“Try to get me back? She doesn’t have to try. All she has to do is show up.”
“I know man, but she’s got a plan and she wants to do it right, ok? And if you tell Josie or anyone else that I told you I’m gonna get the silent treatment from my girl, ok? So keep your trap shut.”
“Ok, ok, ok. I won’t say anything. Tell me everything.”
“Well tomorrow after graduation she’s going to leave a note on your door to let you know where to meet her.”
I wanted to jump out of my skin. At the same time I wanted to beat the snot out of everyone for hiding this from me.
But I know now and I can’t wait to get my girl back.
For the first time in months I was smiling about my girl. I was sooo ready.
I could see him from where I was sitting but I don’t think he could see me. He would probably have to be looking for me. They called the graduates through one by one. It was a small graduating class, maybe sixty or seventy kids. I was so proud of him. Aunt Brenda, Troy, Josie and even Eric had been telling me all about his hard work. And they claimed it was all because he wanted to be ready for me to come back to him. They called
his name and he stood up and walked onto the stage and I couldn’t help myself. I stood on my chair and screamed and clapped louder than anyone. I know he saw me but he didn’t seem shocked or surprised.
I left after he was seated because I needed to get some things ready. I was so ready for this.
I packed up the Cuda with blankets including our blanket and the comforter I bought him for Christmas. I packed towels and a picnic basket full of his favorites.
I packed the CDs and a stereo. I put the ring in the glove box and went to shower and change.
I put on a plum colored bikini and
a similar colored halter dress
. I was not swimming in my skivvies again, love of my life or not. I got my bag, got in my Cuda and went to plant the note.
Meet me where I wrapped my legs around you
Where you held me in the murky water
Where I fell a little deeper in love with you in the shallow pond
Pistol
With the note taped to his door, I took off in search of our place. The place that I hoped would fix us.
We went out to eat after graduat
ion. Me, Dad, Mom, Gram
, Troy and his Dad and Aunt Brenda all sat around a big table eating and celebrating while they continued to pretend they had no idea that my heart was roaming somewhere in this town right this very minute. I wanted to skip the dinner and go to her immediately but I hated to admit it, a little part of me said ‘let her wait a bit.’
We all hugged and said our goodbyes and drove back to Dad’s house. I spotted the note on the door and
broke out in laughter. This was it. She had come back. This time I wasn’t going to screw it up.
I went in my apartment and grabbed some shorts and towels and went to my Dad’s house. He smiled at me when I went inside and asked what was wrong.
“I know she’s here Dad. I’ve known since the other day. I need your truck.”
He looked at my mom and then threw me the keys to his truck.
Something was going on with the two of them and had been for a while, but I didn’t have time for it.
I jumped in the truck and forced myself to slow down. It was a little after nine at night and these back roads were narrow. I turned in the rocky driveway which led to the place where I’d messed up so badly all that time ago.
I pulled up next to the Cuda, which was shined to a sparkle and put the truck into park and just sat there for a minute. I had waited for this for so long, but damn it if I could get my legs to move. She was dangling her legs back and forth over the side of the dock, her feet skimming the water below. The smallest amount of light was coming down in rays from the moon and one of the rays hit her back just so. She hadn’t changed a bit. She had gained some of her weight back and it looked good on her. She was looking out towards the water and never turned her head when I pulled up or when I opened the door.