by Eliza Rose
“Please don’t yell at me. Yes, he sleeps on the couch or the floor in the living room and I either sleep in my bed or on the couch. I feel more comfortable on the couch and not in the bedroom.”
“Sorry, I can understand why. Who is with you tonight?”
“No one.”
“Why didn’t you go to the game?”
“She said it wouldn’t be safe for me to go. I don’t think it’s safe here alone either, but what do I know?”
“You know how you feel. I know Momma and I don’t agree on everything, but with this I think she is right. I think that a big crowd is a bad idea.” She breaks off at the end and is talking to someone else. “Kimmy, I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you soon. Don’t be a stranger star child!”
“Okay, I love you moon child.”
“Love you, bye.” And just like that I’m alone again. I miss her so much. Maybe I can go to Florence soon and see her. It’s not that far, and she sounds like she misses me too. I feel my phone vibrate and look down to see another text from Rachel. It looks to be a group text.
WILDCATS WIN!!!! Champ dance at the school 6pm tomorrow. Wear blue and white to support your team. GO WILDCATSSSSSS!
Oh, that’s awesome! I text Cole as soon as I get it to tell him congratulations even though I know he won’t get it until he gets back tomorrow. I guess they are coming home tomorrow morning instead of Sunday like Cole was saying. I send the text and eat dinner. It has been quiet. I sit and watch tv for a while. I don’t hear from Cole for the rest of the night. I text him a few times to check and see how he is feeling after that hard hit at the game. I still don’t hear anything, and fall asleep watching tv.
I wake up to a sound at the door. I jump up and get to the kitchen before I can catch my breath. I hide in the shadows and not knowing who it is trying to come in the door, arm myself with a kitchen knife. I then realize that it’s my Momma and she has dropped her keys twice trying to unlock the door. She steps in and turns on the living room light.
“Kimber? Why are you in the kitchen holding a knife?”
“I fell asleep on the couch and heard you come up the porch. It scared me.”
“Sorry honey. Why did you fall asleep in here?”
“Watching tv in here feels better than in my room. How was your night?”
“Pretty quiet. Are you hungry?”
“No, I think I’m ok for now. Do you want me to make you something?”
“No, I think I’m just going to have some coffee for now. Go rest. I’ll see you later today. You need to sleep.”
“Okay, Momma I love you.”
“Love you too honey.” I sleep until around 10 in the morning. When I wake up, I check my phone to see if Cole has called or texted me. Nothing. That’s so strange. I guess I will see him soon. I go out, and see if Momma is still awake. She’s in the kitchen reading the paper.
“Hey Momma.”
“Hey Kimber, did you sleep well?”
“Yes ma’am. Did you know that the football team won state?”
“Yes, I did, and that there is a dance tonight that you will want to go to with Cole. That you are going to ask me if you can go to it. I will say yes and that you need to be home by midnight. I will also ask you if you have anything to wear. You will say yes, and I will tell you to go to town and get you something nicer with my card that’s on the kitchen table waiting on you. I will also tell you that you need to hurry and go so that you have time to get ready. I love you and I am going to bed.” She says with a loud laugh at my face, a kiss on my cheek, and a shove towards my room to get ready to go out. I have no one here to go with so I’m not worried about what I’m wearing to go shopping. She thought of everything. I head out the door and into town and find the perfect white dress. I even find a few blue accessories that will pop. I can’t wait to see what Cole thinks of this outfit. I head home and start on my makeup and hair. I start to put on my dress and hear my phone.
Wanna go to the dance? It’s from Cole.
I was hoping to go with you.
I’ll be there in twenty. He says. It’s only two thirty. I haven’t heard from him until now.
See you then I type back. I finish getting dressed. I start thinking if Cole is just busy and not ignoring me. I look in the mirror. My hair isn’t perfect and my make up is super simple, but it’s what I can do by myself. It’ll do. At almost three I hear a knock on the door. I go to the door to see who it is. I’m sure its Cole. I go to the door and see the most handsome guy I have ever laid my eyes on. He has on a nice pair of dress pants and a button-down powder blue shirt with grey and white striped tie. Cole says hi and hands me a bouquet of wild flowers. I smile and put them in some water. After running the water in the vase and setting the flowers on the kitchen table, I turn to see him looking at me.
“What?” I ask him curious to see if there was something wrong with my dress or if my hair was worse than I thought.
“You’re beautiful, more beautiful than ever,” He whispers and puts his hand out for mine.
“You’re silly. It’s just a little make up and a new dress.” I say laughing, and grab his hand linking my fingers with his.
“It’s much more than that. I can assure you that I am more interested what in those eyes tonight than what you have on.” I blush as he says this.
“Are you ready for the dance my dear?” he asks me while offering his arm that I’m not holding. We head out to his car and he opens the door for me. We make it to the dance. All of the players and their dates are going to enter at a different time so we are all outside of the gym. The coaches line us up and Cole is at the end of the line so we are the last to enter the gym. As each player enters, he is announced by his name, player number, and then his date is announced. You can hear a round of applause after each name. Great, more attention than I have ever wanted. Cole looks down at me fidgeting and rubs my hand to reassure me. The time comes for us to go in. The head coach introduces Cole.
“Last and certainly not least, Cole Snyder, number eleven escorted by Kimber Huntley. Cole why don’t you and your beautiful date come up here to the podium.” Cole looks at me and shrugs his shoulders. We make our way to the front and all of the coaches come up too. The head coach shakes Cole’s hand and then mine.
“I would like to announce the MVP for this year. Cole Snyder. He led this team all year and even fought through getting the living crap beat out of him every Friday night. He is what a true team player and an asset to our team and we are going to miss you next year. Thanks, and congratulations Cole.” The gym erupts in applause and cheers. He hugs the coach and shakes his hand again and shakes the rest of the coach’s hands. Then turns to me and in front of the entire gym, gets down on one knee, and kisses my left hand.
He stands and whispers, “This is nothing without you,” in my ear. Then he kisses me. I’m not sure how long it lasted nor did I really care. We were alone in the gym. Just Cole and Kimber that’s it. It was a like a dream. Then as he pulls away and I open my eyes, all of the cheers and screams and all the people come back into focus. All I see is Cole though. His smile is brilliant. The music starts and we dance like it’s just us. No one really bothers us minus a few congratulations from random people. He thanks them and then continues dancing with me. After a few hours we are ready to go home. We leave and go back to my house. We come in and I tell him I’m starving. So, I make some supper for both of us because I know if he smells food, he will want some too. We sit and eat in a comfortable silence and rest our tired feet.
“I think I’m going to shower and change.” I say as I take our plates to the sink and wash them.
“Okay, is it still ok if I stay?” he asks hopeful.
“Of course. I am still not sure about sleeping in my room though.”
“Okay, what movie do you want to watch?”
“You pick, I’ll be back.” I head to my room and put all my things away. I shower and change into a nice pair of shorts and t-shirt. I head back into the living room to find
Cole sprawled out on the couch with the remote in his hands.
“I picked are you ready to watch?”
“What is it?”
“It’s a surprise.” He smiles and then pats the couch next to him.
“Okay….mysterious.”
“How about this, I know it’s one of your favorites and it’s a romantic movie.”
“The Notebook?”
“Yes, now come sit.” We lay together and watch the movie. I start to feel tired. Then Cole starts to move a little behind me. He moves just enough to put his leg over mine. He rubs my hair and kisses my neck.
“Cole,” I whisper, “What is all this?”
“I want to be as close to you as possible tonight.” Does he mean what I think he means?
“Okay just be careful.” I say this and wrap my arms around his neck and turn towards his face. I kiss him hard and soft and the same time. He grabs my hips and pulls them toward his. We spend the night together giving up the things that we had held on to for so long to give to someone special, and giving those gifts to each other.
Chapter 10
November passes faster than any month ever. Cole and I are closer than we have ever been before. He knows me more than anyone even Momma and Jozlyn. The winter formal is tonight and Cole has asked me to go with him. Of course, I said I would. I think I’ve finally found the perfect dress. The one I have my eyes on is a black halter top with green sparkles all over it. It’s a corset that comes just below my hip line to a point. I love it. Momma is going with me today to see how it looks on me. If she likes it I will be get if not I’ll keep looking. I’m so excited and Cole doesn’t have any idea what it looks like; He just knows that it’s black.
Momma and I go to the dress shop and she loves the way the dress looks on me. She buys it and I buy the shoes and jewelry for it. She asks about my hair and makeup and if I want my nails done. I would love to and so we go and have a mani and pedi together. This is just what I needed. Not the material things, but the time with my momma. She seems like she needed it as well. We haven’t went out together in a long while and she never takes a break. She is the definition of all work and no play. We finish up with the nails and go to the hair salon. My hair is super long so I know it will take a while. I get big old Hollywood curls in my hair. Momma stands behind me and looks in the mirror at me.
“You look like a movie star.” She wipes a tear away and smiles.
“Thanks Momma, I just hope it looks good with the dress.”
“What does it look like?” The hair dresser asks me. I pull out my phone and show her a picture. “Oh, honey you will be the belle of the ball.” She smiles and looks at momma.
“My baby girl is all grown up. She’s a senior you know. Bless her heart. I just thought I’d have a little more time with my baby.”
“Momma you still have me. I don’t graduate until May. I’m still thinking about where to go to college.”
“It has gone by so fast! I didn’t think that it would be such a short time until you were gone off to school to be your own woman.” Well, this isn’t embarrassing at all. I now kind of wish that I had planned on staying at home with her. My mind is set though. Cole and I will be moving to Athens, getting an apartment, and starting our lives together. This is what I have decided on and I’m sticking to it. Athens isn’t that far from Lester and we can visit her often. She can come see me also because she works at the hospital in Athens. No big deal. Right?
“I am thinking about getting an apartment in Athens, Momma. I won’t be far and you can visit me or I can visit you. It’s going to be fine.”
“You will not settle here. You have a free spirit and I won’t chain you to this area just for me, or is it for someone else?”
“It’s for me,” I say truthfully. I know that part of me will want to have it for Cole too. However, Momma doesn’t need to know that right now. I’ll keep that little tidbit of information in my back pocket. We finish at the hair salon and go home. I slip into my dress and put on a button up shirt over it. I get something to snack on, brush my teeth, and get my make up on. By the time that I am done it is almost time to leave. I look down at my phone and it shines up 4:30 p.m. I thought Cole would be early, but the dance starts at 5:30. I text him to see where he is.
Hey, are you still coming to get me for the dance?
Yeah, I’m running a little late.
Okay, well do you want me to drive or pick you up?
I can meet you there if you want I’m just now getting in the shower.
The dance starts in an hour, will you have time to get ready if I come get you?
I can be ready in ten minutes. Getting in the shower now
Ok I’m on the way
I get in my car and go to Cole’s house. On the way I wonder why he has waited until now to get ready. Maybe it’s a guy thing. I guess that it could be that he isn’t going to try and get too worked up about a dance. I pull into his drive way and he is stepping out of the house and pulling his tux jacket on. He has an all black tux on with a little green pocket square. He has a small plastic box in his hand and a grin on his face. He hasn’t saw my dress yet and he wont see it fully until we get out at school, but once he gets in the car he just stares at me.
“I thought Kimber was coming to pick me up.”
“I did”
“You are some runway model not my girlfriend.”
“I’m too thick to be a model number one, and I guess I will take that as a compliment. I don’t see what is so different that you would say that.”
“You are more beautiful each and every day that passes. I could see you in sweatpants or a ball gown and I still see the most gorgeous girl I have ever met. You are what keeps me going and what pushes me to be better. I love you no matter what you look like, but tonight I hope this is a glimpse to what you will look like on our wedding day. I want you to be my wife. I don’t have a ring yet, but I will promise you that I will be the best husband and father to our children. I want to make you proud to call me your other half, and I want to be the person that you are on the front porch with in rocking chairs when you are old and gray. Will you marry me?” What the heck just happened?! I don’t know what to say.
“Yes, Cole, I’ll marry you.” He kisses me with fierceness and then puts a corsage on my wrist.
“This will have to do for now.” He says and kisses my ring finger on my left hand. This is a dream, it must be. Why would he propose marriage? We are in high school, and we are young.
“Let’s get to this dance,” Cole says and taps my hand. The gym is decorated in snowflakes and light blue and white streamers. Everything is frosted in a way that looks like it is frozen. Sparkling icicles are hanging from the ceiling. Winter wonderland doesn’t describe the gym well enough. They have even decorated the floor to look like ice. Cole twirls me around and we dance. We don’t stop and talk to anyone and by the end of the night my legs feel like pudding. Cole turns the winter formal into a night I will never forget.
The semester ends and I start to plan for my last semester in high school. The windows are finally fixed in my room and there hasn’t been any incidents since when they were busted. The police have run out of leads and they think that it may be some kids playing a prank. I can’t believe that is true, but there isn’t anything I can do about it. They are doing their best. Momma works during Christmas, but Jozlyn comes home for Christmas Eve. We spend as much time together as possible. Christmas night she goes back home and I spend some time with Momma when she gets home from work that night. I spend the rest of the winter break split between trying to find THE college I want to go to if I don’t stay home and spending lots of time with Cole.
Valentine’s Day is coming up and I really want to get Cole something special. I hope to get him something that screams Cole. I haven’t come up with any ideas, but I’m sure I’ll think of something. School is dragging by and I really just want to be done. I am going this Friday to look at the school that Jozlyn is at even though I told
Cole we could stay here. I promised Momma I would at least go take a tour. I know that if I fall in love with something there that I will want to go though. When I go on the tour I will just do that tour and be done. I won’t site see, and definitely not go to the library. If I fall in love with the library I might as well hang it up. Valentine’s Day comes and I had no money to get Cole something special. So I made him a scrapbook of pictures and little reminders of what we have experienced together. I hope that he likes it. I meet him at school and give his present wrapped in red shinny wrapper and red ribbons. He seems surprised and opens it up.
“Oh this is cool. Did you draw this picture of the water tower?”
“Yeah,” I say bashfully.
“Nice, so what’s this for?” He is kidding right?
“….Valentine’s day….” I say quietly.
“That’s not today is it?” He says. I thought for sure that he would know. He is always so romantic.
“Yes.” I say and smile and give him a hug. He is so forgetful sometimes. He grabs his stuff from the car and stuffs something in his pocket. I smile and we walk in to school together. When we get in he takes off to his home room with out another word. Something isn’t right, but I leave it alone. I go throughout the day trying not to think of Cole and his mood this morning. It’s hard not to. The day comes and goes with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Cole comes over that night and he stays with me. We watch movies, talk, and fall asleep on the couch in each other’s arms.
The next day I get excused from school to go to the college tour. It’s great and I’d love to go there. I fell in love with the library unfortunately, but I don’t know a library that I couldn’t fall in love with. The smells and the multitude of books are amazing. The school even has a male and female lion on campus. I’d love to go there, but I want to stay closer to home for Cole. I put in my application anyway just to see what happens. I finish early so I go ahead and head back to school. No one will be expecting me to come back with such little time left in the day, but I have nothing else to do. I don’t want to go home just to sit and stare at the ceiling. I make it in right before the afternoon break so only one more class for the day. After checking in, I head to the vending machines to get a bite to eat and a tea. I turn into the room that has all of the vending machines in it and see a guy and a girl all over each other. My heart stops then rushes forward like it has nothing else to do but speed in the direction of immediate and utter destruction. Quinn has her arms wrapped completely around Cole and he is holding her like he has held me before. I stop as Quinn looks over Cole’s shoulder and smiles, looks me straight in the eye, and then kisses Cole in front of me. I turn and run out of the room. I hear laughter, more than likely Quinns, then I hear Cole call for me.