My Way Home is Through You

-*Two months later*-

“I got in! I got in!” I said and ran down the stairs, almost losing my footing. “Mom, I got in!”

“What’s going on?” she looked at me confused as I entered the kitchen, clutching onto a piece of paper.

“I got into NYU!” I said and grinned.

“Sweetie that’s amazing!” she hurried over to me and wrapped her arms around my body and squeezed.

“Mom can’t…breathe,” I laughed when she let go.

“Can I go over to Ollie’s? I’ll be home before dinner.” I asked.

“Alright dear,” she gave me another hug and kissed my cheek.

“See you later mom,” I said and left the room. The butterflies in my stomach were going crazy. I couldn’t believe I got accepted. I slipped on my shows and ran out the door, and for the hundredth time this month it was raining. Hey, they do say April Showers bring May flowers.

I protected the piece of paper in my hands and ran over to my car. I quickly got in and started the vehicle. As I got closer to Olivia’s house, I began hoping that she was home and not with Bob. I was in luck when I pulled into her driveway Bob’s vehicle wasn’t in the driveway. I pulled in and parked, after pocketing my keys I got out and ran to her front door, glad that the front porch was covered. I knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

When the door finally opened, it was Jason standing in front of me. My breath caught in my throat, and I had to bring myself back to earth. “Um hi, is Ollie home?” I asked awkwardly.

“No she just left, she’s at Bob’s,” he said and scratched the back of his head.

“Oh okay, well I guess I’ll call her later,” I said and turned on my heel.

“Hey…Mackenzie, right?” he asked. I turned again and faced him.

“Y-Yeah,” I stuttered.

“I was just heading out, would you like to come for coffee?” he asked and showed me that he had his jacket in his hand.

“Um sure, I would like that,” I smiled at him, he returned the gesture.

“I think we should take you vehicle, seeing as you blocked mine in,” he pointed.

“Right,” I blushed.

We both ran out into the rain to my vehicle, quickly getting in. I started the car, and the heat came on.

“So where exactly are we going?” I asked as I gripped the steering wheel.

“Just drive, I’ll tell you which was to turn,” he said and smiled again. I realized I was staring and quickly looked away as my cheeks began to burn. “Go right, after you back up.”

I back out of the driveway and drove in the direction he told me. After a while and two lefts, three stop lights, and one right, we were at our destination. It was just a small hole-in-the-wall café, but Jason promised it had the best coffee and crescents you ever tasted.

“So why did you want to see Ollie anyways?” Jason asked as he lead the way, he placed his hand on the small of my back as he held the door. My cheeks burned once again and I was glad that I was in front of him.

“I just got my letter from NYU,” I said.

“And…” Jason urged me on as we waited in line.

“I got in!” I smiled and looked up at him.

“Awesome, I’m sure you’re going to love it there. I know I do,” he said. The line we were standing in was short, and after a short while we were already at the cash.

“What can I get for you today?” the cashier asked. He looked to be a guy around my age, he had blonde hair and black-rimmed glasses, he was fairly tall and his name tag said Derek.

“I’ll get a large coffee, black, two sugar and two crescents. What do you want, Mackenzie?” Jason looked at me.

“A small black coffee,” I said and reached for some change I had in my pocket.

“No, my treat,” Jason said. I tried to protest but he shook his head and handed Derek the money. We moved over to the waiting area to make room for the customers behind us. As Derek prepared our coffee and retrieved the crescents he made small talk. I answered and laughed as he joked around.

He finished up and handed us our coffees. Jason grabbed the coffees as fast as he could and turned on his heel and started walking away. “Guess I got to go,” I said and grabbed the crescents. Derek smiled at me and said goodbye before I left he passed me a piece of paper.

As I made my way in the direction that Jason went, I opened the paper and discovered that it was Derek’s number. I blushed and pocketed the paper. I placed the crescents on the table that Jason was sitting at and sat down. The table was at a secluded part of the café.

“He was flirting with you,” Jason pointed out.

“I realized that after he handed me his number,” and said and showed Jason the paper. He grabbed it and crumpled it up.

“Hey, what if I wanted to call him,” I laughed and tried to look hurt.

“Really Mackenzie?” he laughed. “You’re at a café, alone with a college guy. Do you really want to call him?”

“Nah, I mean what must I be thinking,” I laughed and tore off a piece of the crescent I had in my hand and ate it. “Wow, you weren’t lying.”

“Told you,” Jason smiled and took a bite of his crescent as well.

“So what made you want to apply at NYU?” Jason asked me and took a drink of his coffee.

“The city,” I smiled and ate more of my crescent. “I mean it’s beautiful, everything about it. Everything seems so alive.”

“It is amazing,” Jason said.

Jason and I continued to talk, eat and drink our coffee. It seemed that we were never going to run out of things to talk about.

“Mackenzie?” I heard a voice from behind me and I turned around, meeting the eyes of one angry looking Benji.

“Benji, hi,” I said sheepishly.

“I’m going to get us some more coffee,” Jason said and got up, grabbing our coffee mugs and heading in the direction of the cash.

“Who is that?” Benji asked.

“That’s Jason, Ollie’s brother,” I said, ignoring the defensive tone in Benji’s voice.

“How old is he?” he asked.

“It’s none of your business, Benji,” I said and turned around.

“That’s probably why you hand around with Ollie all the time, to see Jason,” Benji growled.

“Not that it’s any of your business. I went to tell Ollie something, she was with Bob and Jason asked me out for coffee, I agreed and here we are, as friends,” I said.

“Well you two looked pretty cozy,” he said and was just about to leave.

Just then Jason returned with the coffees and sat down, “does your friend want to join us?”

“No, I don’t. I was just leaving,” He turned on his heel and walked away.

“I’ll be right back, Jason,” I said quickly and got up to follow Benji. Of all the coffee places in New Jersey, Benji had to pick this one to walk into.

“Benji, stop, I want to talk to you,” I said and jogged to catch up to him. He had already made it down the street. I couldn’t believe he was walking in the rain.

“What are you freaking out about? Jason is just a friend!” I said and grabbed his arm to turn him around.

“I’m sure your just friends,” he said with venom in his voice.

“Calm down Benji! We are just friends. If you must know, I met him for five minutes two months ago, he goes to school in New York, he’s almost 20, now way that anything is likely going to happen you can calm-“ suddenly I felt the pressure of Benji’s lips pressed onto mine. I could feel the desperation and the hesitation as he kissed me, and suddenly I found that I was kissing him back.

“Mackenzie?” I heard Jason’s voice in the background. I pulled away from Benji and turned around. My cheeks were burning.

“Um Jason, hi,” I said, not really knowing what to do.

“I think you should bring me home now,” he said and turned around and walked back to the car, getting just as wet as I was.

“Um, I’ll see you at school Monday,” I said awkwardly to Benji and looked at him one more time and turned on my heel and ran towards the car.

I got into the car and turned it on. I turned on the heat and let it warmed my chilled body. Jason didn’t say anything as I pulled out of my parking spot and started down the road.

I pulled into his driveway and turned off the car. I looked at him as he stared out of the window.

“Well I was going to ask you out again, but considering what I saw, you already have your hands full,” he said and finally looked at me.

“Jason, that’s not what it looked like,” I said in complete desperation. I did not want Jason thinking that I was some kind of floozy that went around kissing any guy.

“Well it kind of looked like you were kissing some guy,” he said.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I should’ve warned you that I ruin any good thing that happens to me.”

“So you did like me?” he asked.

“Yes, no, I don’t know,” I said and ran my hands through my hair.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Jason asked.

“I mean, I’m still not over this one guy Gerard, and then Benji came along, and now here you are. I’m just so confused,” I said. My hands we shaking as I gripped the steering wheel and looked straight out of the front windshield.

“I’m sorry Mackenzie. Obviously you’re not ready for any type of relationship right now,” he said. “But I’m going to ask you to call me, sometime soon. I don’t want whatever we have to end just yet. I really do like you.” I nodded slowly. “I’ll see you around Mac,” he said as he got out of my car and ran to the front door. He waved and I took this as my cue to leave. I drove home in silence, trying to figure out what just took place.