Can't Live It Down

It was dark by the time Casey got home. Her shoes were covered in mud and her clothes were just as dirty. She had walked home because she decided anything would be better then calling her mom. Her mom would've just told her, I told you so, Casey. Boys are pointless. and that wouldn't have made her feel any better at all.

Her hair had frizzed up from the down pour that started just as soon as she hit the wooded short cut. The trees leaves kept her slightly dry, but wet enough that her muddy clothes also clung to her body.

"Damn it..." her body itched from the clinging fabric as she reached the corner that turned into her road just as a car pulled up beside her.

She stopped and recognized the color and sighed as a figure appeared beside her and the car sped off and pulled into one of the dirt road belonging to one of the houses in front of them.

Silence.

"I'm sorry about Rain. I should have known she was up to something," as sympathetic as his voice was, Casey still said nothing back. Both of their houses lights were off except for his porch light. His dad had probably already crawled back into bed back with his mother. "Casey. Stop."

They stopped walking and turned to each other. "What do you want me to say, Jake? You know damn well it wasn't your fault."

He laughed a little and smiled a half smile, tilting his head to the side. "I know...you're soaked."

Casey rolled her eyes, "Duh."

"Your parents are going to kill you."

"What's new? They're always telling me to do something. Clean this, dress this way, don't do that, Casey!" She mocked her mothers tone exactly and Jake laughed.

He put his hand gently on her shoulder and pushed her towards his house. It was a gesture that wasn't as new to her as it should have been. She was used to this when they were younger. If she was dirty, they knew she had extra clothes at his house just in case so she didn't have to go home like that.

"I know you don't have spare clothes here anymore, but I have clothes and you're small enough. You can wear those and we can wash yours."

Casey nodded as he opened his front door. The smell of cookies and old furniture poked at her senses. She hadn't been in his house since elementary school and the smell that she was so used to before seemed so unfamiliar.

His room had changed over time. It was dark blue still but it had posters of models and cars on the walls. His family was a farm family, but every so often he was able to see a car show or get posters in the town. They both knew that farm kids weren't that bad.

"Here, wear these." he tossed her a pair of shorts and a black t-shirt to change into and left the room.

She took a moment to take in his room before he realized he had the same old dinosaur sheets and she laughed, before changing into his clothes and bundling up hers and taking them to their laundry room.

"Thanks."

His footsteps sounded behind her and she turned around to look at him. It was weird seeing him in the light. It was a dim light but a light none the less.

"You have dirt on your nose." before she could reach up to wipe it off, he grabbed a slightly wet wash cloth and swiped it across her nose.

"Jake..." she wasn't exactly sure why she had said his name and she wasn't sure what she saw pass through his eyes. She even wasn't sure how she ended up sitting on the dryer with her arms around him. And she really wasn't sure how their lips managed to meet at the same exact time.