Three Weeks Sober
Chapter Three
Unexpected Things Can Be Good Things
One Year Ago
"So are you gonna go to junior prom?" Kevin asks me as he leans up against the counter at Quick Mart that I'm stuck working in until my parents say otherwise.
I look up at him a bit annoyed. "Are you?" I answer dodging his question as I stack some bags of cheetos on the chip rack.
"I don't know, I might. If I find someone to go with." He gives me this look that suggests that he's giving me a hint as to who he wants to go with.
I roll my eyes. "No way am I going with you to Junior Prom." I say leaning against the register and looking at him like he's crazy.
"What? Why not?" He stands up straight and eyes me. "What's wrong with us going together?"
"Kev, we're friends... nothing more." I answer as I walk around from behind the counter with a rag and a bottle of Windex.
"Then we can go as friends. People do it all the time." He says following me.
I spray the front window and wipe it clean. "I don't know... I'll think about it."
He looks at me and puts his hands into the pockets of his denims jacket.
"If you won't go with me will you at least just go? Junior prom only comes once."
"Not like I'm missing anything, I got senior prom and that's more important than junior prom." I say as I move to the front door and start cleaning it. He stops where he is and thinks for a moment, then lets out a defeated sigh -- yes! I win.
"Okay fine. You got a point."
I smile because I know I'm right and then walk back towards the counter. Putting the Windex and rag away under the register. "Ugh I hate Thursdays." We're slower than malaises on Thursdays, nobody ever comes in.
"Well, at least you got me here to keep you company." He says as he turns to walk down the candy isle.
I smile weakly and shake my head - Kevin's a great friend, I've known him since the third grade but sometimes he can definitely get on my nerves.
Suddenly the bell to the front door rings letting me know that I have a customer but I don't look up to see who it is. A few seconds later Kevin is back at the counter. "Did you see that guy?" he says under his breath.
"What guy?" I ask rolling my eyes.
"Mr. Eye candy by the refrigerators." He answers tilting his head in the direction of the refrigerators. I look up for some reason, one that I'm not really sure of and see a tall dark haired guy -- most likely a college student in the back of the store; I couldn't help but just stare at him. "Jamie...? Earth to Jamie." I hear Kevin say and that snaps me back to reality.
"What?" I say, trying to keep my voice from sounding nervous.
"Did you hear what I said at all?" He asks with a smile as he looks back at the cute guy.
"I really don't care right now." I answer.
Kevin rolls his eyes and steps away from the register. A moment later and cute guy is walking towards me, I can feel my palms get sweaty and my heart start to race. When he reaches the register he looks at me and smiles. "Hi." He says in this sexy kind of voice.
"H-hi." Great Jamie, you're about to make a complete full of yourself.
I watch him place a liter of Coca-Cola, a bag of gummy bears, sunflower seeds and a calling card on top of the counter. I ring up his stuff and place it all in a plastic bag trying hard to keep my hands from shaking even worse than they already are. "Anything else?" I ask looking up into his eyes --oh my god; he has these gorgeous blue eyes.
"Yeah, can I get a pack of Marlboro?" he asks smiling again -- if he smiles one more time I swear I'm going to melt. I turn around to take the pack of cigarettes off the cigarette shelf and end up slipping on the rag that somehow managed to fall on the floor. I land right on my ass, I close my eyes hoping that it'll take away some of the embarrassment. I hear laughing -- but it's a familiar laugh, Kevin's laugh. I open my eyes and look up. Cute guy looks down at me and holds out his hand. "Are you alright?"
No, I just made a complete fool of myself. "Yeah I'm fine." I answer letting him pull me to his feet. I look up at him and I feel my cheeks heat up --great now I'm blushing. I place the cigarettes on top of the counter and let out a heavy sigh.
"You sure you're okay?" He asks again.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll live."
"Okay." He laughs softly. Such a sexy laugh. "Um... What time do you get off?"
"What?" I ask looking at him not really sure what he means. -- Damn that fall must of messed me up really badly.
"Work. What time's your shift over?" he answers with that million-dollar smile.
I look down at my watch. "Um... an hour."
"Okay, do you wanna -- um hang out?" he asks.
Oh my god... this can't be real. "Um... yeah... I'd like that." I manage to shudder.
"Alright, see you in an hour." He says as he takes his bag and the cigarettes and heads for the door. When he gets there he stops. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." he says as he peels the wrapper off the pack of cigarettes.
"Jamie."
"Nice to meet you Jamie. I'm Preiston." He places a cigarette in his mouth and left.
As soon as Preiston drives away, Kevin walks over to me wide eyed. "Oh my fucking god." He says in pauses.
"What?" I ask, trying to make it sound like nothing happened but inside I'm jumping up and down.
"You just got asked out by one of the most drop dead gorgeous guys I have ever seen!" Kevin shouted. "I so envy you!"
"Keep it down." I snap hitting him in the shoulder.
"Why are you not like... excited? I mean... I would be like... bouncing off the walls id that happened to me."
"Probably because I'm still in shock." I answer leaning against the register because I'm afraid I might fall over if I don't.
"Well Jamie." Kevin says with a smile as he tucks a strand of his blonde hair away from his face. "I better get home before my mother flips out. You better give me all the details tomorrow at school, you hear me?"
"Yeah whatever." I say hoping he'll just drop the subject and leave -- surprisingly he does.
I look back down at my watch. In exactly 45 minutes, I would get off work to meet with Preiston and I'm so excited I don't think I can even last 45 minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~*
It's almost five o'clock; the sun is barely starting to set. I'm sitting on the floor in my room staring down at a picture of Preiston and me. His arms wrapped around my shoulders as he kisses my cheek, it's hard to think about times we had like this. Knowing that I'm leaving my past behind -- All of it. Kevin, Preiston, all the memories of my eighteen years of living in California have to be put behind me now. Maybe my mom's right; maybe I should at least attempt to give Silverplum a try, see how it is. Who knows, I might actually like living here... Maybe... Or just maybe I'm not meant to enjoy life the way I used to. Because God knows my life will never be the way it used to be -- I'll never live a normal life again. Ever.
A/N- hey guys, check out my group for this and other stories by me---http://groups.yahoo.com/group/prisoneroffate/
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When The People We Love Are Taken From Us, The Way To Have Them Live On Is To Never Stop Loving Them... Buildings Burn, People Die... But Real Love Is Forever... -The Crow