Everyone Pretends They're Happy

College went too quickly for my liking. I wasn’t ready to go back home and face Garrett. I’d talked to Loretta about it and the advice she gave me ‘just go home and let him talk to you. You cant avoid each other forever, its better just to get it over with.’ she was right.
I stood and waited in the same spot for my car to show. I watched as people ran past me, excited to get home and get on with whatever they were going to do. Most likely a student party no doubt. I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed. The sun was getting hotter and there was no shade at all. I paced the parking lot a few times and checked my watch over and over.
No one showed up.
No one came for me.
All five of them forgot about me and left me to melt in the sun.
I was angry, to say the least. And annoyed. I knew I wasn’t a main priority of theirs but the least they could do was remember I’m living with them and didn’t have my car to drive me home.
I didn’t call any of them, I was too stubborn to do that, plus I was far too angry to talk to anyone. Instead, I decided to walk. I wasn’t entirely sure where I was walking to, so I tried to memorize the roads I’d been driven down so I didn’t get lost. I did take a few wrong turns that led me into a bunch of houses that I’d never seen before but I just turned back around and kept on walking.
I got back home about an hour later. My feet hurt, I was beyond hot and what made it worse was no one had called to see where I was. My car was perfectly parked in the drive where it always was.
I stormed up to the front door and pushed it open to reveal all the guys-but Garrett-sitting watching TV.
‘‘Oh shit.’’ John said turning to face me. ‘‘Did you walk home?’’ He asked, jumping up from his seat and darting over to me.
‘‘No, someone drove me.’’ I snapped. He jumped back a little from my outburst. ‘‘Of course I walked, John! I don’t know anyone else in the place and not one of you lot remembered to pick me up, how else was I going to get home?!’’ I yelled. They all turned to face me, guilt etched to their features.
‘‘We’re sorry, we thought Garrett was going to get you.’’ John said apologetically.
I shrugged, ‘‘Well I’m here now, so what does it matter?’’ I walked away from them and up to my room. I just wanted to sleep to be honest, I was too exhausted to care. I reached my room and pushed my door open to see Garrett sitting there talking into my webcam.
‘‘What’s going on?’’ I asked, storming towards him. I looked at my screen to see my mom grinning into her webcam at me.
‘‘I’m gonna have to go now, Ms S.’’ Garrett said to my mom.
‘‘OK son, good luck.’’ She beamed and held up her thumbs. I cringed in embarrassment and sat on my bed. I watched Garrett as he turned off my laptop and turned to face me. He bobbed his knee up and down a few times and sighed.
‘‘Thanks for the ride home.’’ I muttered looking down into my lap.
Garrett stopped bobbing his knee and gasped. ‘‘I asked Kennedy to pick you up! I swear!’’ He said in defence.
‘‘Yeah, well no one showed. I had to walk. Got lost a few times, the sun almost killed me.’’ I ranted throwing my arms in the air for dramatics.
‘‘I’m so sorry, Evie. I really did ask him to pick you up.’’ Garrett told me. I looked up to see pleading eyes.
‘‘Well, like I said to John, what does it matter, I’m here now.’’ I huffed. ‘‘Anyway, why are you in here? And why were you talking to my mom?’’ I asked him…well, demanded from him.
He looked at me sheepishly and cleared his throat. ‘‘I wanted to talk to someone you knew. To try and understand why you were so…defensive about things. Your mom didn’t really tell me anything. She said she noticed that you changed when you split up with Tyler…’’ my heart raced when Garrett said his name, my hands started to sweat and I felt myself going light headed. ‘‘but she didn’t know why. She said you didn’t explain to her what happened, just that you locked yourself away for a few days and you came out a different person. I also told her that I like you, and that I wanted to find the best way to prove that to you…and she told me to be myself.’’ Garrett explained and took hold of my hands. ‘‘So that’s why I’m going to say now, that I’m beyond sorry for not coming to get you today, I’m sorry if I’ve pushed you to far about New York, but I really like you, Evie. I want to get to know you so much more, and I want to be with you. So I’m going to be dorky and just say…will you be my girlfriend?’’ I smiled at his words. It seemed so childish, yet so right to ask me in those words. It felt like there was no one I wanted to spend my time with if they weren’t Garrett and I didn’t want to pass up my chance of happiness.
‘‘Yes.’’ I replied. I couldn’t stop the grin forming on my lips. Garrett’s matched and he pulled me into him and wrapped his arms around me.
‘‘I promise I wont force anything out of you until you’re ready.’’ He whispered into my ear.