got the girls' dress sizes. There would be plenty of time to make sure things fit before the actual ceremony. I thought they should wait until after college, but I kept that thought to myself for a change.
Scott finished his second year at the community college. I was proud of him. He got a two year degree in Computer Science. He got a job with the local government. A judge saw his name on the job application, saw that he had turned his life around and decided to give him a chance. He and Erica decided to get married. They went down to the Justice of the Peace. Neither of them could afford a big wedding. So with Scott’s mom and grandma and Erica’s parents, we watched them get married.
Now the day finally arrived for Colin and Tracy’s wedding and Charlie couldn’t have been more beautiful. I know it was Tracy’s day, but not for me. Even though we hadn’t been together in almost two years, I thought of nothing more than taking the plunge with Charlie. We were the last two standing now that everybody else was going to be married. I walked down the aisle with Charlie arm in arm. I couldn’t wait to see the wedding photos. The reception was good as well. I danced with Charlie and I asked her what she wanted her wedding to be like.
“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it,” she said.
I was taken aback. Every girl dreams of the day she wants to get married, don't they? Maybe it was because she wasn’t thinking about marrying me. I didn’t discuss it anymore. Not that I had the chance. Colin was trying to get us to join his flock. Telling us about the glory of the kingdom of heaven. Scott laughed about it. I don’t think Colin liked that very much, but he tried not to show it. Colin and Tracy really wanted us to come and hear him preach when we got the chance. We all said we would. They went off on their honeymoon and the rest of us kind of did our own thing. But it was my most miserable summer ever with Colin and his church activities and two of my best friends being married. Life was lonely. Charlie was strangely absent most of that summer. I suspected she was avoiding me. However, I didn't have any proof of that.
One Sunday toward the end of summer we finally got together to hear Colin. He was a totally different person. He was commanding and powerful. We were all impressed with him. After the service he asked us all to consider dedicating our lives to Christ. He said he had never been so happy and so free since he had. Scott thought that it was bullshit even though he didn’t tell Colin that. I finally got Charlie cornered and asked her what she had been doing. She had been taking online courses and hanging out with some girls from high school. I asked her if she wanted to hang out, just the two of us, and she said she had a lot of work to do for school. I didn’t push the issue, because I didn’t want to smother her. Maybe that was it. I needed to give her some space.
I decided to leave her alone and take her advice. I was going to let her go. I started by changing my ticket to school to take a flight straight back to Oklahoma. When it was time for me to go a week before Charlie and I had planned to leave, I got Colin and Scott to take me to RDU. Colin asked if I was sure I wanted to go back without Charlie.
“Damn sure,” I heard myself say.
Scott gave me a hug. “I love you man. Call me when you get home safe.”
As the plane taxied down the runway I thought about the time I left Colin’s party and Charlie chased after me. I looked back, not expecting to see her, but just in case. The plane was in the air and I had let her go. I arrived back at school and called Colin, Scott and my mom to let them know I was okay. I almost called Charlie, but I put my phone down. Two days later I got a text from Charlie.
“What are you doing tonight?”
“Nothing. I’m already back at school,” I sent back to her.
“O TTYLT,” she replied.
I didn’t reply back, just decided to go out with some of my roommates. The next day I saw a car for sale in the paper. I don’t know why, but I decided to buy it. A guy in Lawton was selling it. I got one of my roommates to drive me there. The car was in excellent condition and the price was unbelievable. It was a Silver 1999 Toyota corolla. It belonged to an older couple and had barely any miles on it. The man that sold it just wanted to get rid of it. It had belonged to his wife, and as he put it, it was beneath his children and grandchildren to drive something so old. But it suited me just fine. I got the necessary insurance and tags for it and drove it back to campus.
School was back underway and I kept in constant contact with Scott and Colin, but I refused to talk with Charlie. I cut off all communication with her. I swore that she would have to make the first move. How wrong I was! It was going to be me who initiated communication with her. School had been in for a month and a half and it was starting to get cooler. Back home the leaves would be changing colors. Now would be the time I was usually wishing for Christmas, for an excuse to see Charlie, but not now. I was thinking about hanging around school for Christmas. But things were going to happen to change that.
I had been out all day talking on my phone constantly to Colin and hadn’t been able to get a hold of Scott. He had sent me a text and said he had something to tell me, but he wanted to talk about it. Colin said he didn’t know what he meant by this, but the sound in his voice said otherwise. By the time I got home my phone was dead. I plugged it in and lay down on my bed and fell asleep. The next day I woke up and it was still off, so I turned it on. I had multiple messages. I listened to them. They were from my mom. It was urgent. She wanted me to call her right away.
“Mom what’s going on?” I was still half asleep.
“Honey, I have some horrible news. Your friend Colin Green was killed last night.”
“Are you sure? What happened?” I asked desperately.
“He was trying to talk to some young men who were arguing, telling them violence wasn’t the answer. One of them pulled a gun out. He jumped in front of the gunman. He saved the boy, but your friend bled to death.”
“ Do you know when the funeral is going to be?” I said robotically, trying to sound as if I were keeping it together.
“I’m not sure. I will let you know as soon as I can,” my mom said.
Devastated, I hung up the phone. Our circle was broken One of us was gone. I picked up my phone to call Charlie. No, I couldn’t tell her this over the phone. I sat down on my bed and began to cry. There was a knock on my door. I didn’t want to get up, but I had to. At this point I don’t even know if I can finish telling the story. I may not be able to tell it completely right from here.
Mike got up, opened the door, and peered out into the hall with alarm and surprise on his face. Scott stared in at him. Wearing his Scott smile , he walked past Mike. He looked around the empty corridor and then closed the door.
“I take it you’ve already heard about the accident,” Scott said.
“I can’t believe it,” Mike whispered.
“So what are you going to do now?” Scott asked.
“I better go tell Charlie. The sooner the better,” Mike said.
The car roared to life. Mike looked at the gas needle: half a tank.
“Look's like you had better stop for gas. Are you planning on driving to Illinois and then North Carolina?” Scott asked.
“I can do it. Shouldn’t be more than a couple of days if we stop to rest.”
“Suit yourself,” Scott said as he leaned back.
Mike drove for hours. He was too upset to be exhausted, but his eyes were red and he hadn’t stopped crying for most of the time. He went to Charlie’s dormitory and stopped in the men’s room on the first floor to try and wash the signs of grief from his face, to no avail.
“I don’t want to tell her. Do I have to be the one to tell her?” he said.
“It would be better coming from you than from me,” Scott said, putting his hand on Mike’s shoulder.
Mike felt a chill as he stared at himself in the mirror. He glanced at the door as a guy came in and waved at him. When he saw Mike’s face he asked if he was okay.
“Yeah, I just have to deliver some bad news,” M
ike said.
He went to the dorm room that he had visited when he stayed in Chicago with Charlie. When he knocked a small bespectacled girl opened the door. He asked for Charlie Parker. The girl said she didn’t know him.
“Charlotte Parker?” he said.
She said this was her first year, and no one by that name stayed in this room.
“Hey buddy. Are you okay?” the girl asked, looking at his red eyes.
“He’ll be fine,” Scott said.
Then one of Charlie’s roommates recognized him in the hall.
“Hey Mike! Are you looking for Charlie?”
“Do you know where she is?” Mike asked.
“Yeah, in the library. You want me to take you?” she asked.
“Too public,” Scott whispered.
“No, I have something very personal to tell her. I need you to bring her to your dorm room.”
Her friend took them to Charlie’s new dorm room and went to get Charlie. Charlie wasn’t happy about being taken away from her studies, but finally agreed. They opened the dorm room. Her face twisted in suspicion.
“What is this? What’s going on?” she asked.
“Be gentle,” Scott whispered.
“Please Charlie, sit down,” Mike gently asked her.
“Why, what’s wrong?” Charlie asked apprehensively.
He broke the news about the shooting death of one of the best friends either of them had ever known. She collapsed onto the bed with deep sobs that racked her
A Ride With Friends Page 8