Comin' Home

“I haven’t even been to my own grandfather’s grave yet,” Harper realized sadly out of the blue one afternoon.

Nick, who was busy on his computer, hadn’t really heard her. “Hm?” he mumbled, still typing away.

She shook her head, trying to get rid of the image of her grandfather, but it didn’t do any good. “I think I’m going to go visit my grandpa’s grave today,” she told him, louder this time, trying to get his attention.

This time, he looked up and smiled. “I think that’s a good idea. Do you want me to come with?”

She shook her head. “I should probably do this one on my own. Thanks though,” she told him, getting up and kissing him on the forehead. “I’ll be back in a little bit, maybe we can go to dinner tonight?” she suggested. She and Nick hadn’t gotten much alone time the whole time they had been in Arizona so far, and she thought it’d do them both some good.

“Sounds great, Love. Call if you need anything.”

She nodded, and then left Halvo’s house. Luckily, Halvo lived close to the graveyard which was close to her own home. She remembered vividly trips she and Kennedy would take when they were younger, visiting the graveyard to see if they would see any ghosts.

As she walked down the sidewalk in Halvo’s upper-class neighborhood, she realized she should have changed her clothes and her shoes and went for a run. “Next time,” she said to herself.

In theory, it shouldn’t have taken her more than twenty or twenty five minutes to get to the graveyard. It was all of the distractions along the way that screwed her. First, it was the longing glances at Kenny’s house, where she wondered if he was home. Then, it was the staring at her own home as she passed, wondering how many visits her parents had made to the grave, if any. After she passed both houses and she reached the actual graveyard though, it was her old school that caught her eye. From the entrance to the graveyard, she could see the middle school and high school, along with the various sports fields and the track, where Harper had spent most of her time as a teen. She made a mental note to go for a run tomorrow.

After she had reminisced, Harper headed inside the graveyard. Luckily, she knew where her grandma was buried and she knew her grandpa was buried next to her, so it didn’t take her long to find the tombstone.

When she reached it, she lost it. She fell to the ground in a heap, crying her eyes out. “I miss you so much,” she finally squeaked out. Even though Harper was a big girl who understood the concept of death fully, it had just hit her as she was sitting in front of her grandfather’s grave that he really was gone and he wasn’t coming back.

After all of her tears were gone and Harper felt like she couldn’t physically cry anymore, she composed herself and started to talk to her grandfather as if he were right there with her. She told him how terrible her parents were being and she confessed that she didn’t know what she was going to do when she finally saw Kenny again; something she felt was going to happen sooner rather than later. She told him how much she missed him and how much she could use him around. When she felt like she didn’t have anymore to say, she promised him that she would come back in tomorrow. She got up, brushed off her clothes, and went to leave.

As she was walking back to Halvo’s house, she decided to make a stop at her old school. She knew there was a playground for the little kids to play on at recess, and she felt like sitting on a swing and acting like she was a kid again. When she got there, she realized she wasn’t alone.

It took her a few minutes to notice, really. She just assumed it was some high school kid practicing for soccer tryouts. She sat down on the swing facing the field and pushed her self back and forth, enjoying the wind blowing in her face. She was watching the soccer player, running around on the field; he was so graceful and he was obviously very good. He kept maneuvering his way over the field, kicking balls into the net with such precision. As Harper watched, she started to feel as if she had seen this boy before, this amazing soccer player.

Just as he kicked the last ball he had into the net, which was the only thing blocking her from his view, she felt as if she had just been hit with the soccer ball itself. “Oh my God,” she breathed. And just like that, almost as if he heard her, he looked up and noticed her for the first time.

She didn’t stick around long enough to see the confusion on his face, or the questioning, or even possibly, the anger. She snatched her purse up off the ground and fled, running just as fast as she used to in high school.

She could faintly hear him calling after her in question, wondering if it was her. It didn’t take a genius to know that it was, in fact, Harper fleeing from him. If nothing else, the running really did her in.

Once she was far enough away and almost outside of Halvo’s house, she stopped. She was completely out of breath, both from seeing Kennedy for the first time in four years and from the frantic running she had just endured. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to do now that Kennedy knew she was here, but one thing was for sure: Harper was going to have to talk to him soon.

She groaned and decided to not stay outside any longer. She ventured into Halvo’s house, where Nick was still sitting in the living room with his computer, Halvo now sitting beside him. “Hey guys,” she said so that they knew she was there. “I’m going to get a shower.”
Both boys nodded, but weren’t really paying much attention to her.

She didn’t care; she needed to calm down and clear her head. She had no idea what to do with this Kennedy situation now that she actually had to face it head on.

***

“Nick, I do not care. Seriously. Italian, fast food, a diner! Just pick something so we can eat, please,” she begged her boyfriend. Harper realized she hadn’t eaten all day really, and it was killing her now. She was going to eat her own arm if Nick didn’t choose somewhere to eat soon.

“Okay, jeeze. What about some Italian?”
“Yes! Great! Let’s go,” she said grumpily, dragging him out of the house. She head been ready for a half hour and she just wanted to get a good meal and spend time with her boyfriend, especially after the day she had.

To top it all off, it took a half hour to get to the closest Italian restaurant. By the time they actually arrived and got seated, it was close to nine o’clock. Harper ordered quickly and Nick did too, sensing her impatience with him already.

“Why are you being so bitchy?” Nick asked, genuinely curious.

For a minute, Harper thought about actually telling him that she ran into Kennedy. But then he’d probably just tell her she was being ridiculous again and she didn’t feel like hearing it. “I’m just starved that’s all. You know how I get,” she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

He nodded and took a drink of his Pepsi. “I don’t suppose you’ve written anymore lately, have you?” the redhead changed the subject.

Shaking her head, Harper said, “No. Any and all creativity I once had is long gone.” She sighed, placing her chin on her hand while her elbow rested on the table. “I don’t think I’ll ever finish that stupid book.”

“Don’t say that; you’re just in a rut. You’ll get your muse back eventually. I know you will.” He smiled at her and grabbed her hand across the table, squeezing it in reassurance. Harper wanted to vomit at the small action because all she could think of was Kennedy.

Once their food arrived, Harper scarfed hers down in record timing and then actually attempted to make conversation with her boyfriend. She finally loosened up when they talked about their plans for the summer and about how psyched Nick was for various tours coming up.

When they both finished and decided dessert wasn’t necessary, they got up to leave. Of course, Harper’s luck was not on her side much like it hadn’t been for her whole stay in Arizona so far. Because when she and Nick got to the entry way of the restaurant, who else did they run into but Kennedy and some girl.

With the way my luck’s going, Harper thought to herself sarcastically, I should just play the lottery or something.

“Harper?” Kennedy announced in disbelief. “I thought that was you running earlier.”

She mentally smacked herself for running away like she did. I’m such an idiot.

“Kennedy, bro, how you been?” Nick interjected, trying to keep things smooth.

“I’m good,” he said, not taking his eyes off of Harper.

“We’ve gotta go,” Harper said quickly, avoiding eye contact. Instead, she grabbed Nick’s hand and pushed by both Kennedy and the girl he was with. She didn’t stop when she was outside, either. She dropped Nick’s hand and practically ran over to the car. She didn’t stop until she was seated safely in the driver’s seat, waiting patiently for Nick to get inside.

Both of them were quiet at first. Nick sighed and said, “What was that, Harper?”

She shook her head. “I freaked out, I guess. I don’t know, Nick. I really don’t.”
When Nick didn’t say anymore, Harper started the car and drove away. They didn’t talk the entire way home. When they got to Halvo’s, Nick went inside and screwed around with Justin and his guitar. He didn’t say anything to Harper for the rest of the night, which was fine with her. She went downstairs and lay down on the bed.

Just as she expected, Arizona was treating her terribly; she couldn’t wait to go home.