Strawberry Fields Forever

“Can‘t you just pretend to be normal? Like, just for one minute?”

Katy Harrington watched her boyfriend adjust his tie in the bathroom mirror.

“I am normal. I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Swinging her legs back and forth to lightly kick the edge of the counter she sat on, Katy shook her head. “I mean be the old you, Kris.”

He didn’t even make eye contact with his girlfriend of nearly 5 years. “I haven’t changed.”

“You’re blowing off our plans again for your team.”

“Because you want to go for a walk, and I have a press conference with the team. There’s a huge difference.”

“I don’t see the huge difference. You’re always at team stuff, I’m sure the entire city wouldn’t shut down if you blew one of them off for lunch with your girlfriend.”

Kris grabbed a bottle of hair gel from off the bathroom counter, pouring some into the palm of his hand. “You didn’t ask me to lunch, you asked me to go for a walk.”

“It’s the same thing, Kris.” She scowled as he used the gel to slick back his long dark hair. “You know I hate when you do your hair like that.”

Washing the excess gel from his hands, Kris rolled his eyes. “You seem to hate a lot about me recently.”

Katy watched as he left the small bathroom, leaving her still sitting on the counter. She didn’t bother to follow him into the bedroom of their shared apartment, angrily picking the polish off of her nails seemed much more exciting.

“I should be back around dinner.” Kris called from down the hall. Katy slipped off the counter, making her way down the hall until she was leaning in the doorway of their messy bedroom. “You sure you don’t want to come?” He asked when he noticed her.

“You sure you don’t want to come?”

“Katy, don’t be immature.”

“You never used to have a problem with that.”

“We’re not getting into this right now.”

Katy rolled her hazel eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. “Fine with me, Kristopher.” She spat.

Kris let out a frustrated sigh. “Please at least think about coming? The team loves you.”

“You should probably get going, you’re going to be late.”

“Alright. Will you at least think about showing up?”

“I’ll think about it.” Katy reluctantly agreed.

He kissed her forehead lightly, before heading passed her towards the front door. “I’ll see you later.”

“You know exactly where I’ll be.”

______________

Final exam of grade 12 had been written, and all of the stresses of high school were finally over. Katy had her backpack loosely slung over one shoulder as she made her way across campus to the large football field.

After moving to Quebec only a couple years prior, her parents had thought it’d be better to send her to a private English school rather than thrust her into an entirely French public school when she could barely speak a word of it.

The late June sun was attracted to the navy blue blazer she was wearing as part of her school uniform. She peeled it off as she approached the figure sprawled out in the middle of the football field. “Finally done high school!” She sang, collapsing onto the freshly cut turf next to the boy.

He laughed, sitting up and looking at the small brunette girl.

“We need to celebrate.”

“I agree.”

“Strawberries?”

“I think that sounds absolutely perfect, Kris.”

Standing up, he reached down to help Katy up before they made their way across the football field with heir hands intertwined and swinging between them. Kris’ car took them across town to a strawberry field that was surprisingly empty considering the warm weather.
Still in her school uniform, Katy loosened her tie and rolled up the sleeves of her button down dress shirt. The hoped out of Kris car and made their way to the centre of one of the never-ending rows of strawberries. They both sat down in the dirt, Katy no longer caring about keeping her school kilt clean.

She pulled a yellow bottle out of her backpack, cracking the seal.

“I thought you told me you were saving that?”

Katy smiled, looking into the bottle at the soapy liquid. “I was.”

“Finishing high school really that big of a deal?”

Katy fished into the bottle to pull out the flimsy yellow plastic rod. “You have no idea.”

Kris couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his lips as he watched the soapy bubbles float away. “Don’t hog it all.” He laughed, reaching for the bottle.

“I guarantee you,” Katy spoke watching Kris dip the wand into the bottle, “that every one else is out right now getting drunk. And we’re sitting in a strawberry field blowing bubbles.”

After blowing a couple bubbles into the air, he handed the bottle back to Katy. “So? You say that as if there’s something wrong with that.”

Katy laughed, leaning forward lightly kissing Kris. “You’re so immature.”

“You love it.”

“I do. Never ever change.”

______________

Around 4:30 Katy finally decided to leave her and Kris’ apartment. She drove by the arena, debating to herself whether she should show up at Kris’ hockey event, but never stopped her car.

As if on instinct, she found herself pulling onto the highway that brought her out to the country surrounding Pittsburgh. She hadn’t lived their all that long, it had taken awhile for Kris to convince her to leave Montreal and live with him, and she still wasn’t too familiar with the layout of the city. But she was almost confident that she could navigate to the isolated field with her eyes closed.

The field was off of a dirt road that looked as if no one ever came down this way. When the road reached a dead end, she hopped out of her car, and continued her walk towards the strawberry field. It looked almost identical to the one back in Montreal she always visited with Kris.

She took a seat in one of the rows of the plants, pulling her knees up to her chest, and resting her chin atop them. She stared out across the field, losing complete track of time. She had left her phone in her car, but felt no desire to go back just to see how long she had been there.

The sound of a car caught her attention, and she turned around just in time to see a black BMW pull up and park behind her own car. Kris got out of the car, carrying a bag with him as he walked towards Katy.

He didn’t say a word until he had reached her and sat down on the ground next to her.

“I left early.” He told her, setting the bag down in her lap. “You were right, they didn’t really need me there.”

Katy just nodded, glancing down at the bag in her lap.

“Usually when guys screw up, they buy flowers or chocolate. But I figured after blowing you off too many times to count, I needed something that would actually mean something.” Kris motioned for Katy to open the plastic bag.

Reaching inside, she let out a light laugh as she pulled out the yellow bottle. She twisted off the lid, and took out the wand to blow a couple bubbles towards Kris.

“So does this mean I’m forgiven?”

“Forgiven.” Katy smiled, blowing more bubbles towards Kris.

He reached out popping some of the bubbles that came close to him.

“Hey! That is no way to get me to forgive you!” She stuck her tongue out at him, swatting his hand away from the new bubbles she had just blown.

“You’re so immature.” Kris joked as Katy gave him her best fake glare.

“And you love it.”

“I do. Never change. Ever.”