Destined

by Heather D'Agostino

  “No, I’m thinking I might in the morning. Avery’s expecting me tonight,” I shrugged.

  “Well maybe we can have breakfast together tomorrow,” he looked at me with a questioning stare.

  “Yeah, maybe,” I shrugged again.

  The truth was, I just wasn’t ready to see her. As long as I didn’t hang around, I could pretend that everything was fine. No worrying about what the future held. Right now as far as I was concerned, the future sucked. I wanted to live in the here and now, and that meant meeting Avery for drinks at the small bar in the next town.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow Dad. I need to get settled,” I sighed as I headed for the door.

  “Alright baby, I’ll see you tomorrow,” he mumbled to my back as I stepped out the door and headed for my car.

  ooooooooo

  When I pulled up to ‘Dave’s’, I climbed out and glanced around the parking lot. Avery’s truck was over in the corner of the lot. She always was worried about someone denting or scratching the paint. “Some things never change,” I muttered I wandered toward the door.

  When I pulled the door open, the smell of cheap beer and cigarette’s assailed me. I coughed slightly and scanned the bar looking for my best friend. Avery Southerland had been my best friend since we were five. We met on the first day of kindergarten and were inseparable all the way through high school. She knew everything about me, and I her. We shared so many important moments in our lives together. It was almost like we were sisters.

  “Oh my god!” a squeal came from across the room. Before I knew it, Avery was launching herself at me. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  “Tell me about it,” I groaned. “I thought I left this place behind.”

  “Come on Leah, it’s not that bad,” Avery giggled as I began to notice the alcohol induced state she was in.

  “Yeah, I guess once you’ve had a few beers, it’s really not,” I shook my head at her.

  “Nope,” she popped the P as she began to loosen her grip on me. “Hey Joe,” she glanced over her shoulder at the bartender “get the golden girl a beer huh?”

  The bartender nodded before turning to reach into the cooler. He pulled a Bud Light out, and popped the top before sliding it across the bar in my direction.

  “You couldn’t resist could you?” I shook my head at her.

  Golden girl has been my nickname since I broke the high school record in the 400 meters at the age of twelve. The fact that I was teased mercilessly about being perfect growing up, made it that much worse. I was far from perfect, but no one seemed to notice. I made okay grades, listened to my parents most of time, and relentlessly pursued my dream of making it to the Olympics one day, but was far from perfect. The boys named me Golden Girl because they thought that I was untouchable, that I was too uptight, and prude to be anything else. To say that I hated the name was an understatement. There was only one guy I let call me that…Nick Sutter.

  “So do you ever get tired of doing the right thing?” Nick snickered as he watched me pick up a piece of paper and toss it in the trash?”

  “What are you talking about?” I rolled my eyes. “Like you care about anything.”

  Nick’s little brother, Cameron, was in my grade. Cam and I both ran on the school’s track team, so I saw Nick daily when he picked Cam up. He teased me relentlessly, but he was hot.

  “If you’re able to do the right thing, you should,” I glared at him.

  “Well I guess so…if you’re perfect,” he groaned and turned away from me.

  “What’s that’s supposed to mean?” I whipped around.

  “Figure it out Golden Girl,” he shrugged before heading back to his car.

  As much as the name bothered me, when it came from Nick’s mouth it didn’t. That was first time he ever talked to me, and if I knew what was going to happen, I probably would have stayed away. Nick Sutter almost ended me. He was the one person I was hoping I would not run into again.

  “Earth to Leah,” Avery tapped my shoulder.

  “Sorry,” I shook my head. “It’s been a long day.”

  “I bet,” Avery sighed. “Have you seen him yet?”

  “Who?” I brought the bottle to my lips hoping that she wasn’t going to force me to say his name.

  “Don’t play dumb with me,” she shoved me in the shoulder causing me to spill a small amount of beer.

  “No I haven’t, and I’m hoping that I won’t,” I sighed as I looked down at the ground. She knew how bad things ended with us. She knew how much I cried over him, how hard it was to leave like I did. Why was she bringing it up now?

  “When do you start work at the high school?” she cocked her head at me.

  Happy to have a subject change, I took a large swallow before turning to face her, “Monday.”

  “Well at least you’ve got one day to settle in,” she laughed. “We better enjoy the night.”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” I agreed. Monday was going to come soon enough, and I had no desire to do anything other than get trashed tonight. “I didn’t mean to wait until the last minute, but I had to get the ankle cleared to train on.”

  “Train?” her eyes flashed wide. “What do you mean to train?”

  “I want to run with the kids,” I shrugged. “How can I coach them and tell them what to do, if I’m not doing it myself. Besides,” I rolled my eyes “maybe we’ll be on the same level with me having a bum leg.”

  “Oh Leah, I don’t know what to say to that,” she wiped her hand across her eyes.

  “Don’t say anything. I know I’m never going to be what I once was. My life’s changed in so many ways over the last year. I know things are going to be different,” I shrugged.

  “Different for you maybe, not for the rest of us. Those of us that stayed behind are still doing the same things we were when we graduated,” she raised one shoulder and rolled her eyes. “We just have different titles now. I mean…I’m still at my mom’s flower shop, only now I do more than sweep.”

  “I guess you’re right,” I chuckled. “Pittsford sucks…that’s why I wanted to get away from here. This town sucks you in and won’t let you leave. It’s obvious that I was never meant to get away from it.”

  “What are you talking about?” Avery narrowed her eyes at me.

  “Well…look at me. I had everything I wanted. I got away from here, was on my way to the big leagues, then…BAM! I’m right back here stuck doing the one thing I said I’d never do. I guess I was just never meant to leave.”

  The bitterness in my voice was growing with the number of beers I had been consuming. Coaching was never in the plans. Nick had been the one with the coaching dreams. He was completely content with staying in Pittsford for the rest of his life. He had everything planned out. We were going to get married, have a family, and he was going to coach football. Everything had been going according to plan until Coach Stallings showed up at the Conference meet.

  “Hey Leah,” Coach Wilson shouted across the field motioning me to come in his direction. He was standing beside another man with graying hair.

  “What’s up Coach,” I panted as I jogged over and came to stop in front of him.

  “I’d like you to meet someone,” he gestured to the man beside him. “This is Tom Stallings, he’s a scout. He heard about you and came to watch,” he grinned proudly as he watched us shake hands.

  “It’s nice to meet you sir,” I nodded as a confused look began to spread across my features.

  Mr. Stallings leaned in closer, “I’m sure you want to know why I’m here to see you, Miss Carmichael.” His smile widened even more, “You’ve made quite a mark in the record books. I saw where you applied to the University of Georgia. Is college really what you want to do?”

  “Are you scouting for scholarships?” I gasped. “I mean…to run… for the Dawgs?”

  “Not exactly,” he chuckled.

  This confused me even more, “I don’t understand.”

  “I’m scouting for the Olympic tri
als. I need someone to pick up the anchor in our relay team. Your name was at the top of our list. You could leave next week, and get to our training facility in Atlanta to start training with our coaching staff.”

  My head began to spin as I replayed the words. Leave next week? I still had three months of school left. If I any chance of graduating, I had to finish school.

  “What about graduating?” I gasped.

  “We have on site tutors. They’d help you and you’d graduate like a homeschooled child would.”

  “I really need to think about this. Can I have some time?” I swallowed. What was I saying? This was my dream… my ticket out… my chance to follow my dream.

  “I gotta go,” I placed my beer back on the bar and stood.

  “Are you sure?” Avery touched my arm and gave me that look that said she felt sorry for me.

  “Yeah…I’ll see you at home?” I raised my brows.

  “Nah…I’m coming with you. I’ve had enough, and we need to get you settled in. I’ve got plenty of time to drink. Besides…I’m sure you’re not in the mood to run in to anyone else we know, right?”

  “Who do you think we would run into?” I narrowed my eyes in her direction.

  “No one,” she mumbled under her breath.

  “Avery…you are a lot of things, but a good liar is not one of them. Does he still come around here?” I swallowed pushing the uneasiness away.

  “Use to,” she nodded. “Not so much anymore.”

  I blew out a puff of air and groaned, “Thanks for the warning.”

  “You can’t avoid him, you know that, right?” she glanced at me.

  “Yep, but I can stay away from his hangouts. Mark this place in the never come back column, Avery. Anymore places I need to stay away from?” I peered out of the corner of my eye.

  “Nah,” she shook her head.

  She was hiding something, but I was too tired to dig into it now. Morning would come soon enough, and I would figure it out then. Right now, I just wanted to get to my new home, climb into bed, and pray that the man who haunted my dreams would stay away for just one night.