The Story of Us

by AuthorStephanieHenry

  “We’re all meeting up at the country club, 6pm” the text reads.

  I don’t text back, but Craig looks at me skeptically. “It’s just an old friend,” I explain, putting my phone back into my pocket without responding.”

  “An old friend.” It’s not a question, but a statement. He doesn’t look angry, but I can tell he’s curious. He wants me to elaborate.

  “Yeah. Jenny,” I tell him answering the unspoken question. I gesture towards the cheerleading picture he had been looking at earlier.

  “Ah. When are you seeing them?”

  “Who said I was seeing them?”

  “You’re all back here for break, right? They’re your old friends. Why wouldn’t you see them?”

  It’s not that I don’t want to see my old friends, but I know Craig won’t mix well with them. I’ve been living in this little bubble with him and I almost don’t want to burst it. Announcing our relationship publicly will change everything. If Drew had a bad-boy reputation, my friends must view Craig as the devil himself. But he took me to hang out with his friends, so it’s not like I can leave him out of this. “They want to meet up tonight,” I tell him.

  “Okay, so you’re going right?”

  “You won’t mind?”

  “Why would you even ask me that? Do you really think I would keep you from your friends? You don’t need my permission. Go, hang out.”

  “You could come with me?” I offer, even though I know I’m making a mistake by asking.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” he asks, as if reading my mind or sensing my hesitation.

  “Yeah.” I can’t very well say no. And I do want him there. It’s just that I doubt my friends will.

  Chapter 14

  This would be easier if Hailey were here. But I said goodbye to her earlier and she’s probably in Michigan visiting her dad by now. I walk up to the country club and squeeze Craig’s hand tightly once before turning a corner and seeing my old high school friends.

  They immediately burst into screams and attack me with hugs. I feel my hand loosen from Craig’s and I’m jostled away, into the world of Regan Prep. Mel, Jenny, Sarah, Olivia, Katie and Liz all talk at once, so I can’t make out a solid sentence from either one of them. I do, however, hear bits and pieces of the sentences thrown at me from every direction: “Can you believe it?”, “Missed you so much!”, “When did that…”, “You’ll never guess who…”, “It’s crazy how time…”

  I don’t even try to piece it all together. Instead, I just smile and pretend to understand all of it, while my eyes wander over to Craig. He’s shaking hands with the guys and smiling politely. They’re not totally snubbing him, so I guess that’s a good sign. I make my way back over to him and grab his hand in mine. I see the confusion on my old friends’ faces, but they quickly brush it off and pretend as if they don’t notice at all. We all sit around talking and only now that everyone’s calmed down am I able to understand the bits and pieces of information that was thrown at me minutes ago. They ask about Hailey and Drew and I tell them everything that I can. Of course, I don’t mention Hailey’s fears that she’s confided in me about Drew’s unusual behavior recently and that she thinks he might be seeing someone else. Instead, I tell them that they’re perfect and happy and still together. I ask all about their schools, every single one of them attending Ivy Leagues. I listen as they talk about their professors, their relationships, their dorm-mates. It feels good to catch up with the gang. Eventually it’s Brian who asks the question no one else had the courage to ask.

  “So, Val… you and Craig…” He motions a finger back and forth between us, “I mean, are you two together?” He directs his question to me only, even though Craig is right next to me.

  “Yeah,” I simply reply, hoping it’ll end there. It doesn’t.

  Brian’s eyes grow wide and he continues on, “Seriously?”

  “Seriously,” I say a little more sternly. Everyone around us is quiet.

  “Wow. Okay. It’s just weird is all.”

  Craig doesn’t say a word and neither does anyone else. I’m getting angry that I even have to defend my relationship to Brian or any of them, although I knew with certainty that this would happen. I sigh in frustration. “How is it weird, Brian? You mean weird like the time you asked Sarah out and she rejected you in front of the whole football team?” Sarah fidgets and looks away. I feel bad for putting her on the spot too, but my anger at Brian wins out. “Or weird like the fact that you’re nineteen and have never had a girlfriend of your own?”

  I hear someone say “Ouch” in the mix of the group around us. But it doesn’t seem to faze Brian at all. “I mean weird as in, you’re one of the hottest girls I know and you’re dating one of the losers from that shady public school. Not just one of the losers like Drew, but the biggest loser. Craig Morgan, seriously Val?” His face twists in disgust.

  I see Craig’s jaw tighten, but still he doesn’t say a word.

  “You’re such a snob, Brian,” I bite back, as I go to stand up. “And you have no idea what you’re talking about. The only loser I see here is you.”

  Olivia speaks up, to my surprise, “yeah, what the hell Brian?” she shoots him a dirty look. Then she turns her gaze to me, softening her expression, “Please don’t go, Val. We’ve all missed you and it’s gonna be a while until we’re all able to get together again.”

  “I’ve missed you guys too, but I am with Craig. I love him,” I state, as I witness the shocked expressions from my friends. I need you guys to accept that. And if you can’t, then I don’t see why I should stay.”

  Olivia shakes her head in understanding, along with a few others. “We do. We will,” she assures me.

  Brian doesn’t say anything, but he does look away when I look at him. I have a feeling he’ll let it go for now.

  I sit back down next to Craig who never made a move to leave. He looks calm and collected on the outside, but I can tell it’s a charade. As far as my friends can see, he’s fine. But I see the darkness in his eyes. I see the way his jaw is still slightly hardened and the way he’s clenching his fists together tightly, but not enough that his knuckles are white. He’s not pissed, but he’s still angry, although I can tell he’s trying to let it go for my sake.

  The rest of the night carries on like normal. As normal as the country club could be with Craig at my side. There’s still some tension between Brian and Craig, but nothing escalates. I can tell the other guys don’t like Craig much either, but although they seem cold, none of them say anything to him. I’m sure Craig could hold his own here. I’ve known these guys my whole life and they’re not exactly street smart. They’d hold their own in verbal arguments easily. Intellectually, I’d have to admit, they’d probably win. These guys are pre-law and pre-med, after all. They’re definitely smart. But if anything escalated to an actual fight, I have no doubt in my mind that Craig would not be intimidated by them. It’d be an easy fight and an easy win. I’m just glad that things are settled for now, because the last thing I want is my boyfriend physically injuring my friends.

  It’s not until after we say our goodbyes and make our way out to leave that I realize I have no idea what Craig is thinking. We walk the halls of the country club in silence, making our way to the exit. I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when it dawns on me that Craig hasn’t reached for me at all. And although we’re now alone, he hasn’t spoken a word. I stop dead in my tracks and he just keeps walking. It takes him a few moments to realize I’m no longer beside him and he turns around to look for me. I cross my arms over my chest, hugging myself, and wait for him to walk back to me. He does. When he gets close enough, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him close to me. “I’m sorry,” I whisper in his ear. He doesn’t say anything.

  After a moment, he pulls back away from me. “Your friends are assholes,” he says matter-of-factly.

  I don’t say anything in response.

  “Except for the tall brunette,” he admits, referri
ng to Olivia. “Obviously she was okay.”

  I nod in agreement.

  And that’s the end of the conversation about my friends.

  After the country club, we go our separate ways. I could ask Craig to stay the night again, but he still doesn’t know that my parents aren’t coming home at all during break. And I’m not sure he’d stay even if I asked him to. There’s a tension between us that wasn’t there before the country club. He doesn’t seem mad exactly, just more distant. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, but I don’t exactly feel cheery.

  I wake up with the same solemn mood I went to bed in. I wonder if Craig thinks differently of me after hanging out with my friends. I wonder if he’s back to thinking that I’m nothing more than a spoiled princess. I wonder if he’s changed his mind about us altogether. After lying in bed thinking for what seems like hours, I finally get up and get ready. I check my texts – none. Instead of sitting around all day, I decide to go shopping. I know it sounds crazy, to go shopping on Christmas Eve. But it’s actually one of my favorite things to do. The mall is decorated extravagantly and it’s not as crowded as you’d think. It’s filled with mostly men, doing some quick last minute shopping for the women in their lives. I decide to treat myself to a mani/pedi, which is beyond relaxing. Then I pick up a couple outfits for myself. Since I probably won’t get a Christmas gift from my parents tomorrow, I figure I deserve it. It’s a lonely day and I wish Hailey were here with me. But, I make the best of it. I shop through store after store trying to figure out what I could get Craig for Christmas, even if he is upset with me. But nothing seems good enough. Finally I wander into a jewelry store. I know Craig’s not exactly the fine jewelry type, but I look anyway. I ask to see a watch that looks fancy but not too much so. Still, it doesn’t seem like enough. When the guy tells me I can personalize it by inscribing the back, I decide to purchase it.

  When I get home, I put my shopping bags straight into my closet without even bothering to go through them. My feet hurt from walking the mall for hours. I decide to run a bubble bath, something I haven’t done since I was a kid. I undress and put my hair up in a high bun. It feels wonderful to sit back in the hot water and relax. I reach for my phone to check it for the millionth time today. Still nothing. Not one text. Not from my parents on vacation. Not from Hailey in Michigan. Not from my boyfriend three blocks away. I toss it into the basket of towels on the other side of the room and I sink down further into the water. I put my headphones on and lose myself to the music pouring into my ears.

  When the water starts to feel cold, I take my headphones out, preparing to get out of the tub. That’s when I hear it – the unmistakable sound of someone downstairs. I slept here all by myself last night and wasn’t scared at all, but right now I’m downright terrified. Someone is in my house. I slowly climb out of the water and wrap myself in a towel. I try to open the bathroom door discreetly but it creaks with such a loud sound, I’m sure it doesn’t go unnoticed. I pause and listen. Nothing. Maybe I imagined it? Then a moment later, I hear footsteps coming up the stairs. Shit. Shit. Shit. I grab the heavy stone sculpture of an angel from the table in the hall, thankful that my mom put out a few Christmas decorations before they left on their vacation. What am I going to do, hit the intruder over the head like they do in movies? I honestly don’t think I could. I hear the footsteps reach the top of the stairs and pause. Here’s my chance. I want to dart out into the hall, statue over my head, ready to strike, but I don’t. I only want to do that. I don’t actually have the courage to. So instead, I hide behind the door and peek through the open door jam, trying to make out the figure of a person standing in the hall.

  “Craig?”

  “Hey,” he says peeking around the open door, looking for me.

  “You scared the life out of me!” I accuse, coming out of the bathroom with the heavy statue in my hand.

  He notices the statue first, I can tell, but then his eyes dart towards the towel wrapped around me and the skin left bare around it. He raises his eyebrows, as if to make a snarky comment, but then he stops himself and I see his expression soften. “Come here,” he says softly.

  I walk over to him and he takes the statue out of my hands, places it down, and wraps his arms around me. “I’m sorry I scared you. And I’m sorry for being so distant last night.”

  “What are you doing here? How did you get in?”

  “I knocked on the door, but no one answered. It was unlocked so I came in. I yelled out but no one answered.”

  “You broke into my house?”

  “It’s really not breaking in if the doors unlocked.”

  I relax into him as he holds me, no longer caring how or why he’s here, but just that he’s here.

  “Your heart is beating so fast. I scared you that bad?”

  “Uh huh. I snuggle in closer to him as he holds me.

  “Are your parents still gone? What’s going on, princess?”

  I let go and take a step back, making sure to hold the towel securely. “They’re on vacation,” I finally admit.

  His brows scrunch together. “On vacation? When do they come back? Did you stay here alone last night?”

  “January twenty-second. And yes.”

  “They’re gone for a month?” he asks incredulously. “They won’t be home for Christmas?” Now he sounds angry.

  I know I should be flattered that he’s mad on my behalf, but instead I’m just embarrassed and ashamed. “It’s not a big deal.” I shrug, trying to dismiss the subject.

  He pauses, searching my eyes, but I turn my face away because for some unfathomable reason, I think I might cry. I don’t want to cry and I certainly don’t feel that sad. I mean, yeah, I was upset about my parents being gone for Christmas, but I’ve accepted it. But the way Craig is looking at me with so much pity right now… its making me upset. But if he sees me cry, it’ll just deepen his pity for me, so I try my hardest to keep it together. This is exactly why I didn’t want anyone to know. I hate the pity looks. Poor Val, her parents don’t care enough to want to spend her winter break with her after she’s been out of the house for four months. Poor Val is going to be all alone on Christmas. Poor Val. Ugh. I can’t stand it. I walk past him and into my room. “I need to change,” is all I say before I shut the door.

  Behind the closed door, I let the pools of tears behind my eyes finally spill over. I silently let myself cry for a minute and then I try to collect myself to get dressed. When I’m decent, I still don’t open the door right away. I take the bun out of my hair, letting it flow freely. Then, I swipe under my eyes and blink away the rest of the unshed tears. I’m grateful that Craig gave me the few moments I needed, instead of insisting that I open the door. He doesn’t call out to me, not even once. He just waits patiently. So much so that I actually wonder if he left. But when I open the door, he’s sitting there in the hall, arms resting over his knees.

  “Sorry,” I tell him.

  He doesn’t acknowledge it. He stands up and says, “I came over to see if you’d want to have dinner at my place, with my family.”

  “Is that really why you came here or is that a pity invite because I’m here alone?”

  “My sister found out about you. Naturally she told my parents, who insist that you come over for dinner tonight. You can call them and ask if you don’t believe me.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay, you want to call my parents?”

  “No.” I smirk. As skeptical as I am, I certainly don’t want to call his parents. “I meant okay, I’ll come.”

  Chapter 15

  I’ve been to Craig’s house before. I slept on his living room couch… with him, actually… but in a completely innocent way. It was the night Hailey and Drew first admitted their feelings for each other. It was at one of Craig’s famous house parties. At the end of the night, Craig kicked everyone out except for me, Hailey, and Drew. Hailey and Drew slept upstairs in Craig’s sister’s room. Craig, being Craig, wouldn’t give me his bed unless I slept in it with him, pla
tonically of course. But I was smarter than that. I knew Craig would try something so I refused. I opted for sleeping on the couch, since he made it clear that his parent’s room was off limits. He kept trying to convince me to just allow the both of us to sleep in his bed. But I wouldn’t oblige. I insisted that he should be a gentlemen and give his bed to me, to sleep in by myself, and he should sleep on the couch alone. It was a recurring argument that resulted in us both sleeping on the couch, go figure. When I walk into the house, the memories resurface and I smile over at Craig, who seems to know exactly what I’m thinking. Nothing happened between us that night, of course. But the memory of waking up next to him, of being that close to him, for the first time, causes me to blush in front of his parents.

  “You must be Valerie,” a middle-aged woman with dark hair says, extending her arms out for a hug.

  Before I can respond, a teenage girl with the same dark hair yells out, “Don’t hug me!” She doesn’t look mad, but rather just yells it as a warning.

  “I’m Craig’s mother,” the dark-haired woman says, not acknowledging the younger one’s command. “Call me Kathy.”

  “Nice to meet you Kathy.” I give her a warm smile.

  “I’m Lexie. Don’t hug me,” the teenager says.

  “I won’t hug you, Lexie, but it’s very nice to meet you,” I tell her. I can see her physically relax, now that she’s assured that I won’t hug her. “You must be Craig’s sister?”

  “Yes,” she smiles.

  “And I’m Rick, but we’ve already met,” Craig’s dad says kindly, stepping in with his hand held out. I remember him from the Lady Antebellum concert that Craig surprised me with on my birthday.

  “We have. Thanks again for that night,” I tell him.

  He dismisses it with a wave of his hand. “That was all Craig’s doing. I knew you must have been something to him. He’s never asked me to get him into any concert before, and I’ve worked security for many of his favorites.”