Life, Liberty, and Pursuit

by Susan Kaye Quinn

  At this, Clayton looked extremely interested. “Are you saying they’ve berthed thousands of sailors, marines, and airmen on the same campus housing thousands of college coeds?” A look of amazement took over his face.

  “It would appear so.” David grinned.

  “Sweet mercy.”

  David laughed. It would be easier to look out for Tea if he was on the same campus with her. Then again, she would also be on campus with thousands of young soldiers. David frowned, realizing he had no real chance of keeping an eye on Tea if she didn’t want it, which she surely did not.

  As he pondered this, the recruit in front of him finished up his call, and David stepped up to dial home. His mom answered, and he spent the first five minutes apologizing for not calling for weeks. He told her the latest about Eliza. His parents were fond of Eliza, so he didn’t mind telling them about the writing and calling, but he didn’t go into much detail. He didn’t know what his parents would make of their long-distance romance, especially his father. He had no idea what the future held for him and Eliza, and he was sure his father would not be impressed with his lack of a plan. Thankfully, Tea asked to be put on the phone.

  “Hey, cute stuff!”

  “Hey, twiggy.”

  “Don’t call me that.” She pretended to be put out.

  “I’ll stop—just as soon as you stop being a bean pole.” He smirked into the phone. It was really good to hear her voice.

  “Be nice, or I won’t tell you my brilliant plan.”

  “Does your brilliant plan include me?” He feigned horror at the thought.

  “You and Eliza.”

  He immediately stopped joking. “Okay, fabulous little sister, what are you talking about?”

  “Well …”

  “I’ve got a limited time here, Tea. Don’t make me beg.”

  “Okay, since you asked so nicely … you know how we’re all planning on driving down for your graduation?” she asked.

  “Uh, no, actually, Mom failed to mention that.” But he had suspected as much.

  “Well, they are. Prepare yourself, because Mom’s going to be all mom-ish on you,” she said, as if he didn’t know that already. “But, since I’m going to need a car while I’m at Monterey Bay, I’m going to drive separately down to Chicago.”

  “That’s your brilliant plan?” He wondered what this had to do with him or Eliza for that matter.

  “Oh, no. My brilliant plan is the part where I pick you up and drive you to Monterey Bay … with a small detour in Albuquerque, which happens to be on the way.”

  He was speechless for a few seconds. He was going to get to see Eliza. Soon. “Tea, there aren’t words to describe how awesome you are.”

  “I know.” He could hear her gloating. “I do have one condition, though.”

  His mind was spinning with the thought of seeing Eliza in—what? He quickly did the math: two weeks to graduation, one day to drive. He would be there two weeks from tomorrow if they drove straight through. He just barely registered that Tea had said something.

  “Huh? Condition?” he said.

  “I only want a little, teeny bit of time with Eliza. You can’t keep her all to yourself the entire time.”

  An entirely reasonable request, but somehow he didn’t want to give up even a moment with her. He could already tell he would be horribly greedy when he was there, images racing ahead in his mind. Still, he would agree to almost anything to have this happen.

  “Tea, my favorite sister, whatever you want is yours. Just please don’t make me suffer too much.”

  “I’m your only sister, and you know I like to make you suffer. But I won’t make Eliza suffer, so don’t worry. Well, I gotta go. Mom wants to talk to you again. See you in two weeks!”

  Two weeks. He could hardly believe it. He stumbled through the rest of his call with his mom, unsure if she was briefed on Tea’s insanely wonderful plan. His head was still whirling when he got off the phone. Clayton had already finished up his call.

  “Good news!” Clayton said. “We have spacious two-bedroom accommodations at the playland otherwise known as Fort Ord …” He trailed off as he saw David’s face. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Wrong?” David said, images of Eliza running dangerously through his head: Eliza greeting him at the door of her house; kissing him hello; pulling him inside. “Nothing’s wrong.” He shook his head. “I’m going to see Eliza. Tea is coming down with her car at graduation and driving me to Monterey Bay. And we’re stopping in Albuquerque.” It still didn’t seem real, even as the words were coming out of his mouth. He was going to see Eliza … “Hey!” David added. “You should come with us! You could meet Eliza.” After all Clayton’s efforts to help them, he could finally meet the mysterious object of David’s affections. This plan was looking better all the time.

  Clayton stared at him, no doubt trying not to laugh at the stupid grin plastered on his face.

  “So,” he said slowly, “you want me to give up my liberty weekend after graduation, drive over thirty hours in a car to get to California, when I could take a short four-hour plane ride, and all for a chance to meet your girlfriend and watch the two of you make eyes at each other?” Clayton looked skeptical.

  “Well, when you put it that way.” David frowned and wondered why he had thought Clayton would want to come along.

  He broke into a smile. “Don’t be silly, son. I wouldn’t miss it!”

  * * *

  The last week and a half seemed to fly by, and at the same time, the hours crawled on their knees begging for the agony to end. Since her phone call with David, Eliza had been thinking furiously, trying to find a way they could be together. The thinking made time blur, but finding no solution increased her suffering—and not having Friday phone call relief had made it worse. Addison had come over last Friday, bringing an armload of movies for them to pick through, so at least she wasn’t alone when the phone call didn’t come. Addison was a great friend, smart and always knowing just what to do—which was why Eliza had asked her to meet for dinner tonight. The rumbling thoughts in her head needed sorting, and she needed Addison’s sage advice.

  The summer heat continued to burn, with even the tumbleweeds finally giving up and letting loose down the highway, trying to escape the oppressiveness of it. Addison’s car was getting a workout, driving them both everywhere since the air conditioning died in Eliza’s wreck of a car. Eliza needed to put gas in Addison’s the next time they were out.

  They had worked late at camp today, helping out in the after-hours supervision, and were going straight to dinner at a Thai place Eliza wanted to try. Addison obliged her mailbox obsession by stopping at her house first. Thankfully, an envelope was waiting for her, so she didn’t feel so guilty about the detour.

  The Thai place was dark, but smelled wonderful. They placed their orders and settled into one of the red vinyl booths, awaiting their noodle bowls. Addison was wearing a serious and thoughtful expression today. Eliza was about to launch into the speech she had planned, when Addison spoke first.

  “Eliza, there’s something I want to talk to you about,” she said. A sudden dread filled Eliza. Addison was going to ask her to talk to Nicolas again, try to patch things up. She wanted to, but they simply didn’t cross paths anymore. She was busy with camp. He was always playing baseball or working at the automotive shop. But she knew the day of reckoning was coming soon.

  She tried to forestall Addison’s complaints. “I’ve been meaning to talk to Nicolas. I promise I will. Just let me find the right time, okay?”

  Addison smiled, shaking her head. “Well, good. But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.” Oh, no. It was something worse than Nicolas. Eliza had a nervous twitch in her stomach.

  Addison took a deep breath. “Eliza, it’s your life, and I would never tell you how to li
ve it. I just wanted to tell you something that I’ve kind of noticed about you, and I don’t think you, well, see about yourself.” The nerves were about to kill Eliza now. Her straightforward, no-nonsense friend Addison was hedging. It must be awful. Was it something to do with David?

  She gulped. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.” Her internal feeling of terror must have reached her face, because Addison was instantly contrite.

  “No, no, Eliza, it’s not like that.” She reached over to pat Eliza’s hand, which was quivering on the table. Why was she so incredibly on edge? Maybe it had more to do with what she wanted to tell Addison, than the other way around.

  “This summer,” Addison said, “while you’ve been working at camp with me, I’ve noticed something. You’re really great with the kids, Eliza. You seem happy when you’re working with them. I know you’re still thinking about what to major in. I think you should be a teacher. You’d be great at it.”

  The air went out of her in relief. That was it? “Addison, why would you worry about telling me that?”

  “I know you’ve been wrapped up in David.” She glanced at the letter that was waiting unopened on the table. Eliza was planning on sharing it with her, as long as there wasn’t anything too steamy, like the time he detailed one of his heated dreams of her. A few of the things David wrote tended to get her heart racing, and it wouldn’t do to read that aloud in the Thai restaurant.

  “However,” Addison continued, “you still have a life to consider, you know, outside of boys.” She smiled. “I don’t want you to forget that. And besides, I really think you’d make a great teacher. The kids adore you and your books.” Addison was not a fan of literature, preferring current events in her search for journalistic truth, but she was right about the kids. Everything was new in their eyes, and their excitement was infectious. Having a chance to teach them something new, to broaden their minds and their world, sounded really satisfying to her.

  “I do like it more than I expected,” she said. “Um, that’s part of why I wanted to talk to you.” Addison’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, and Eliza dreaded the look that would come next. “I’m thinking about not going to Princeton.”

  Addison’s eyes flew wide, and she jumped to the next conclusion, because her friend was no dummy. “You want to be with David.” She didn’t bother to make it a question. Eliza nodded, and felt herself shrink away from the bald statement. She knew it was wrong to give up Princeton, just to follow a boy, but she couldn’t convince her heart. And the war raging between her heart and her head was tearing her apart.

  “Your mom is going to kill you,” Addison said. But she looked thoughtful, not angry, and Eliza was so relieved she let out a long low breath. She needed Addison to help her think this through. Eliza had worked for years to get into Princeton—it had influenced every decision she made, every class she took, and every test she aced. She had a full scholarship, and it was her mom’s source of endless pride in her. Her mom wouldn’t just be upset—Eliza didn’t think she would ever forgive her. And to do it just to follow a boy to the West Coast was the ultimate in bad decision making. She would be doing exactly what her mom did wrong, giving up her future because of a boy.

  But when she thought of going to Princeton in the fall, of moving further away from David, with years of separation looming ahead of them—she didn’t know if she could bear it. The years and miles would separate them, and he would meet someone or forget why he loved her. And then she would lose him—and she knew that she would regret that for the rest of her life.

  Addison brought her out of her agonized thoughts, saying, “You really love him, don’t you?” All the pain spilled out in tears as Eliza nodded and hid her face in her hands. She was hopelessly, pathetically in love with him, and that was the entire problem. She struggled to compose herself, wiping the tears away with one of the paper napkins lying on the table. Addison handed her another one. “You know, I think Monterey Bay has a really great Education Department.” Addison gave her a small smile.

  Eliza laughed, but it sounded like a strangled snort. “Addison, how can I not go to Princeton? My mom will never understand. And how can I be sure it’s the right thing to do? I mean, I shouldn’t pick a college just because my boyfriend’s there, right?”

  Addison rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s what Nicolas did. And apparently Carter as well.” Eliza was shocked. It had never occurred to her that Nicolas had applied to Princeton just to be with her, but it was obvious in retrospect. She really had to talk to him soon.

  “But that only shows how wrong it is,” Eliza said. She would be no better than her lovesick but oblivious friend and a pathetic stalker. Her heart was sinking back into the black mire where it had been stuck all week.

  “No, it shows that they were willing to go to great lengths to be with you, Eliza. There’s nothing wrong with that. Well, in the case of Carter, there was something seriously wrong with that—but there is something horribly wrong with him. But you and David love each other, so it’s a completely different story. If there were ever two people that were meant to be together, it’s you two.” She was thoughtful again. “But if you really want to be sure, you should visit CSU Monterey Bay. Come out with me, take a tour, and see if it’s really someplace you would like to go.”

  The idea of coming with Addison to visit the school suddenly made an incredible amount of sense. Eliza had already checked it out on-line, and she was certain she could get in. But if she visited … well, she would visit any college she was planning on attending, right? It only made sense that she would tour first, before she made any big decisions.

  “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? Addison, you always know the right thing to do!”

  “Now, wait a minute, this isn’t my decision,” Addison hedged. “You have to decide. The fact that I would love for you to be roommates with Tea and me should in no way influence your decision.” She grinned. Eliza’s head spun. Rooming with Tea and Addy? This was looking better all the time. At that moment, their number was called, and Addison went up to the counter, bringing back their noodle bowls. She was serious again when she returned.

  “Are you going to tell David?” Addison glanced at the letter again.

  “No,” Eliza said quickly, picking up her chopsticks. “I don’t want to tell him until I’m sure. And I want to wait until I visit to make any decisions. Wait. When are you going to leave?” It occurred to her that David might already be in California when she came out to tour the school.

  “Two weeks from Friday, so you don’t have much time, and you need to talk to Nicolas before you go.” Addison shook her chopsticks at Eliza. Two weeks from Friday—she was sure David would be in California by then. That put an entirely new spin on the tour. It looked like an absolute necessity now. Two and a half weeks was practically around the corner.

  “What am I going to do about my mom?” Eliza asked, despairing again. “I can’t tell her about this over the phone!”

  “Well, you can’t go to California without telling her you’re leaving. Is she coming back to town soon?”

  Mia and Johnny had been gone most of the summer, only stopping back once for a couple of days, and then they were off to the next gig in another city. “I’ll call her tonight. I think they’re going to be back next week. How in the world am I going to explain this to her, Addy?”

  “I have no idea.” Addison dug into her noodle bowl. Eliza sighed and picked up her letter from David. She opened it and quickly scanned it for embarrassing phrases or implied acts, but what she saw made her jaw drop. Addison froze, noodles halfway to her mouth. “What’s wrong?”

  “David’s coming here.”

  Chapter 18

  When Clayton Met Tea

  Eliza thought the whirlwind in her mind would stop once she had talked with Addison, but instead it turned into a full-fledged tornado. Her mom would be back into town Thurs
day, she needed to talk to Nicolas about Princeton, and all the while her mind kept wandering to images of David arriving at her front porch. His letters were filled with anticipation of his visit, and they made her heart flutter every time.

  She hadn’t told him about touring Monterey Bay or about Princeton. She wanted to talk to him in person, just like her mom, and besides, she needed to make up her mind first. Otherwise, she would be hopelessly lost. If he said to come to Monterey Bay, she didn’t think she could say no. Even worse, if he told her to go to Princeton, she thought it might crush her.

  Ugh. First things, first—she needed to talk to Nicolas.

  The summer sun was low on the horizon, sending deep shadows across the ball field. The field lights were still off, letting the gloom creep in. She hung back in the shadows, watching Nicolas coach. They had spent the entire summer not talking. He smiled, encouraging the kids as they finished up their game. If he knew she was here, that sweet smile would become a hard-set line.

  When the game was over, he dismissed the last of his players and was busy with his clipboard. When he looked up, scanning for stray equipment, he saw her.

  “Hi, Nicolas.” His eyebrows jumped up and then fell down into a frown.

  “Eliza.” It was more of a statement than a greeting.

  “I wanted to thank you for what you did with Carter. That was pretty great.” His frown quickly sank into anger, so she sped up. “But that’s not why I came. Can we talk?” She half expected him to turn away from her in disgust.

  “Yeah, okay.” His shoulders slumped.

  “Can we go get ice cream? I’m buying.” She tried a half-hearted smile, but he looked askance at her, like she was trying to trap him. “Or,” she hesitated, “we could stay here?” This was even harder than she thought.