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Every time I think of the way Eric’s face must have looked when he read my letter, my stomach turns. I spend that first night away from him up in my room, sobbing and cursing myself. The more I thought about things, the more I started to think we were just fooling ourselves if we thought we could get by on letters for the next five years. It wasn’t enough and I know myself well enough to know I’m not the kind of girl that can get by on words alone.

My final days at the resort are spent in a daze. I do my chores in the morning and spend my evenings in my room reading. Gran tries to get me to come down for card games or trips to the movies, but I can’t do it. I just want to be alone. The night before I go home, I see lights on in the cottage Eric was staying in. I sneak out of the Lodge after I’m sure Gran is asleep, and run across the huge yard to the woods.

I’m hoping to somehow see Eric or his parents back in the cottage, but they’re gone. In their place I spot a dark-haired couple sitting together on the porch swing, listening to the crickets and fish jumping in the lake. Leaves rustle in the trees and a cool breeze makes my hair tickle my neck. When I close my eyes I can almost fool myself into believing those are Eric’s fingertips tracing patterns on my skin while we dozed in the summer sun.

I force myself to go back to Gran’s. Up in my room, I finish packing my things. We’ll be leaving early and I’d just as soon get home. Maybe if I’m surrounded by my friends I won’t feel so down anymore. In time, I figure, it won’t hurt so much. I wonder how long it will take for the sting to ease up.

It’s after midnight when I finally get to bed.

♥ ♥ ♥

Back home my room is just the way I left it. Mama went in to dust and whatnot, but otherwise it’s exactly the same. Daddy’s not so hostile when I get there, and Gran’s kind review of my behavior over the summer goes a long way to get Daddy to soften up a little more.

“Sookie even met a nice young man,” Gran tells them before I get the chance. “He was very polite and treated her well. His parents were regular guests up at the Lodge.”

“How nice,” Mama says and smiles over at me. “Isn’t that nice, Corbett?”

Daddy grumbles and it’s like I already know what he’s thinking. Any boy that would spend time with me can’t possibly be that respectable. Only Daddy will never know since I fixed it so he and Eric will never meet.

“Corbett Stackhouse, you lighten up on this girl,” Gran says firmly. “She knows she made a mistake. I think she’s paid her penance. You remember who sits in ultimate judgment, buster, and it’s not you. Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone.”

Daddy’s face gets a little red and I know he wants to argue, but he doesn’t. Instead he leaves the room. As usual, Mama sticks up for him.

“Now why’d you have to go and upset him, Adele?” Mama demands.

“Don’t you raise your voice at me, little girl.” Gran holds her ground. “He’s acting like a prize idiot. Where’s his compassion for his daughter? That fool boy just wanted one thing from her and he said what he needed to say to get it. He fooled her. That makes Sookie naïve and nothing more. Maybe if you taught her to stand up for herself instead of the boys that mistreat her she’d be better off.”

I sit there quietly, but I’m cheering inside. God bless Gran for taking my side.

Mama gets as flustered as Daddy, and she ends up leaving the room, too. I get up and hug Gran tightly.

“Thank you, Gran.”

“You’re welcome, sugar. If they get out of hand you give me a call. I’d me more than happy to have you back,” Gran tells me.

“I will,” I promise.

Gran leaves a short time later and I go up to my room to unpack my things. I come across a picture of Eric and me from the little birthday party Gran had for me. This is the only photo I have of the two of us, and in spite of the letter I wrote to Eric, I tuck the picture into the edge of the mirror above my dresser so I can see it easily. Eric would have kissed Gran for what she said to my parents.

I wonder where he is and what he’s doing. Has he gone back to school yet? I start next week. I’m anxious to have something to occupy my time. If I keep busy I don’t think about Eric as much. If I don’t think about him the ache in my chest is less. It never fully goes away, though. I wonder if he hates me, or if he’s already resolved to move on to someone new.

My stomach hurts at the thought of him with another girl, even if I told him to find someone else. Deep inside it’s not what I want. I want him, but it’s just not meant to be.

♥ ♥ ♥

The next Monday I’m up bright and early for my first day of senior year. I have breakfast with Mama and Daddy in the kitchen.

“What classes are you taking again this year?” Daddy asks, and I recite them for him. He nods and says, “Try to buckle down this year so you don’t have to go back in the fall.”

Thanks for your support, Daddy.

“I’ll try.”

A horn honks outside and I know it’s Amelia. She’s the only one of us that has her own wheels. I take my plate to the sink and kiss Mama’s cheek.

“Thanks for breakfast, Mama.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” she says. Mama’s taken it easy on me since I’ve been back. I don’t know if it’s because of Gran or what, but I’ll take it.

I kiss Daddy’s cheek, too, and then I grab my things. Amelia’s pale pink Chevy is parked in our driveway. Pam and Tara are already in the backseat.

“There she is!” Tara shouts and the girls whistle at me.

I’m dressed in a pencil skirt with a simple white button down shirt and a pair of heels. My hair is pulled back and I have a sweater with me just in case the classrooms are freezing cold like they were last year.

“Hello ladies,” I say as I slide onto the front seat.

“Ladies?” Pam snickers.

As soon as my door is shut Amelia puts the car in reverse and peels out of my driveway. She burns rubber all the way to school.

EPOV

On my first day in our new town I go out and find a job. I like having something to keep me busy, and I need it even more now to get my mind off of Sookie. My parents are okay with me having a job as long as my grades stay up. I’ve never had much of a problem with that, thankfully. I ride my bike around town looking for places with help wanted signs. There aren’t many. I try at the grocery store, but the position they need filled would clash with my school hours. I thank them anyway and keep looking.

It takes all morning, and just when I’m about to go home for lunch I find the gas station. A man named Calvin Harris runs it, and he’s looking for a man to do the evening shift. I’d have to arrive at four and my job would be to pump gas, clean windshields, and check the oil of the cars. He says if I prove to be a hard worker, and responsible, he might consider giving me more hours and letting me close up the shop. He assures me that we’re not all that busy at night, and I would be able to do my studying while I’m there.

I take the job on the spot and quickly bike home to tell my parents. They’re proud of me, and my father only tells me to make sure I focus on my studying as much as my job. They know I’m responsible and they trust me.

In my down moments, my mind goes to Sookie a lot. I wonder if she felt bad giving me that letter and saying goodbye knowing what it said. I wonder if she even cared how it would make me feel. Even though it’s been a couple of weeks now, I still feel numb. I suppose it’s better than feeling all the pain.

My mother and I go to my new school to get me registered. It’s much bigger than my last school. I had a class with only forty students. The counselor tells us that my class here will have well over one hundred and fifty. I suppose it’s not a bad thing if it means I’ll be less noticeable. I just want to go to my classes, work, and graduate so I can move on.

The first day of school is a little stressful. It’s a much bigger building than I’m used to, but the office sets me up with a girl named Claudine to show me around. She’s nice, but in the very enthusiastic way. She’s that girl that loves school entirely too much, and makes you convinced her mouth is permanently fixed in the smiling position.

I’m pretty sure she flirted with me a lot as she showed me where my classes were, but I didn’t reciprocate. I’m not interested in being in a relationship again. There’s not much of my heart left to give to anyone else anyway.

My classes aren’t bad, and I find that the larger class sizes suit me. No one really pays much attention to me. The only class that people talk to me in is phys ed. A guy named Stan introduces himself to me as we wait on the bleachers for the teacher to take attendance. He’s as tall as me and he’s got dark hair and wears glasses like Roy Orbison.

“Nice to meet you,” I shake his hand when he holds it out. “I’m Eric.”

“You new in town?” he asks.

“Yes. My parents and I just moved down from upstate New York.”

“Wow. Are you liking it here?”

“Yeah, it’s a nice town. Mr. Harris at the filling station gave me a job, and the school is nice.”

“Mr. Harris is awful nice,” he says. “You play any sports?”

“No. I’m not too bad at basketball, but I’d rather focus on my studies.”

“You should think about trying out for the team.”

“Thanks, but I’ll have a lot on my plate with school and work.”

“Fair enough,” he nods with a friendly smile. “There’s a pep rally on Friday after school. You should join in.”

“I’ve got to work, but thanks anyway.”

“No problem,” he says.

At lunch the next day, Stan sits with me. We talk about our classes and I find out he and I have similar aspirations. We’re looking at the same colleges and he tells me he wants to be a math teacher. He’s friendly, and after that we start sitting together at lunch. It’s nice to have made at least one friend.

On Friday, work is pretty busy with all the people heading to the pep rally. I really enjoy the work since it’s steady and it’s nice to meet a lot of townspeople. They’re really good about tipping too.

Things are starting to slow down finally, and I’m just finishing up with one car at pump one when a pink Chevy full of girls pulls up at pump two. I finish pumping the gas and take the money from the car I filled up, and then head over to the other car.

“Hello there,” I smile. “What can I get you?”

“Your phone number,” the driver says.

“Amelia!” A brunette nudges her.

“What? He’s a dreamboat,” the driver, Amelia, says.

“That’s nice of you, ma’am, but I’m afraid I can only get you gas and clean your windshield,” I smile.

“Party pooper,” Amelia winks at me. “Fill her up then, I guess.”

“Sure,” I nod, and turn to get the gas pumping.

While it pumps, I go ahead and clean her windshield off because it looked a little dirty. When I turn to put up the cleaner I hear the bell on the door to the shop jingle. I look up and swear my heart stops. Walking toward me is none other than the girl I’m in love with. She looks up and stops dead in her tracks when she sees me. Her eyes go wide, and I don’t know what to do.

“Sookie?” I ask, and before she can say a word I close the distance between us and kiss her.

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