My Car

The place I am most at peace. The years of high school are coming to an end. I think the hardest thing is that I drive and drive around the same back roads, wave at the same old people, and look at the same faces year after year. I have senioritis. I can not wait to make my own little mark at the next town I go to. For me, that’s anywhere but here!

I just need to be able to get out and be free.

    This is where Tucker comes in. He has been my best guy friend since freshman year. He has never failed to amaze me. He got into the college that he wanted. He’s top ten in our class, he even is that jock. The one everyone loves. But he hasn’t always been this way. I remember it like it was yesterday. We were both the new kids and we both had no one to sit with at lunch. He was almost goofy looking. Skinny with arms and legs that were just a little too long. Trust me though that did not last long at all. Coming back from the summer into sophomore year changed everything. When I say everything I mean everything…. Tucker started dating the high school hottie. Paige, she just is so perfect. Well at least everyone thinks.

    I, of course, see her has her true self. The person she tries to hide from everyone I see right through it.

But Tucker, oh that boy doesn’t. He thinks she's hot shit. Until one night. I was in my car. Yanno the normal place to find Maddie Wager. When I got a call from Tucker. He was crying not like crying but like I thought Niagara falls was coming down from his face. All he was saying through the lots of crying and what sounded like punching was “ she did it, she is the bag you have been telling me about.” “ Where are you? I need you to come to get me. “ “ I will explain everything once you are here.” “ I'm at Paige’s.” Me being the better of the best friends here I say “ yes, of course, I’ll be there in less than 10.” Hung up the phone and drove probably not the safest right to go get him. Thought were going so fast through my mind. Tucker hadn’t talked to me in months after Paige said about how uncomfortable it made her that we were so close. I was glad that he didn’t forget that I told him I would always be there for him. I meant everything I said. When I got there he was kicking down her mailbox. I’ve never seen him so mad and upset. He opened the door and slammed it shut in what seemed like the blink of an eye. He before I could even spit something out he was yelling at me to drive. So I did.

   I drove to the spot that Tucker and I would always go when we had a bad day. Everyone calls it the Outlook. It’s a dirt road all the couples go to in town. It’s a dead end that has a clearing in the trees. Something out of a movie. It's my favorite spot in my hell hole of a town. I go here to clear my mind. The world seems to slip away in the lights of my little town. Everything seems so little when I come here. The pure sound of the crickets and the breeze that is always there. We went the whole time without talking. He just sat there and cried. My heart hurt to see him hurting.

   I asked him what happened after we just sat there in awkward silence for a couple of mins. He got out of the car when I asked. So I followed. We sat on the hood of my car just like old times. He told her all about how he went to surprise Paige because he is just that boyfriend who constantly is going out of his way to make her happy. Instead of seeing her sleeping when he went there like she has said she was going to be. He walked in on her with his best friend. Who he proceeded to punch and the face and then call me.

   I laughed because he did when he said it. Then something happened. He looked me in the eyes and said: “ I have missed this and you more than words can describe mads ( the nickname he has called me since the day we met ).” Then he did the completely unthinkable. He leaned in and kissed me. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. In what felt like the same breath he pulled away. He smiled at me. A cute innocent smile. Like the one, a baby gives their mom when they walk for their first time. We both just sat there smiling. I wanted to break the ice and ask why but I didn’t because I was afraid of doing something stupid. So I got off the hood and went into the car. Tucker followed. The ride to bring him home felt like seconds.

   When I finally got home it was much past 1 am. I snuck into my room through the window. Trying to not wake my parents of course. I crawled into my bed. My second favorite spot in the world. The sheets are white along with my comforter. Makes it feel and look like a cloud. A warm cloud though because the sun hits it all day making it warm and soft. While the air is cold and crisp. I lay there while rethinking everything that had happened the night. When my phone lights up and buzzes. It was Tucker.

That’s when I knew I had my best friend back and maybe something more this time.