We Could Make It Right

“You’re not telling me where we’re going, aren’t you ?” I finally asked. I didn’t expect him to respond. I try my hardest to not ever be naïve – but curiosity was taking over me like a fever would a young child.

I felt distanced from Garrett – the whole group for that matter except for Vee considering I lived with her and her family. The avoidance, the silent afternoon’s, it made me realize how little I knew of what was going on in their lives. How was I to know that Jared got his new 6-string, or Pat broke up with his long-time girlfriend ? Fuck, even Garrett getting his permit ?

The car came to a sudden stop as we approached a red light. Hands still gripped tightly onto the wheel, he took a breather. For the slightest second, he turned his head and faced me with his deep blue eyes.

“Do you trust me ?”

“Garrett, what kind of question is that ?”

“Good, I’ll take that as a yes… ‘cause you’re gonna need to trust me”

“Am I going to regret letting you know that I trust you?”

“I hope not” he chuckled.

“I’ll just take that as the incentive that you’re not telling me anything”

“Well said.”

I scoffed as I shook my head. While doing so, catching a glimpse of Garrett’s ‘accomplished’ reaction.

“Fuck you, Garrett.” I feigned defeated, leaning my head, heavy on my hand as it moved to the ledge of the window.

“She swears!?” his eyes gleamed, an innocent little smile became the focal point on his meek little face. Eyes still glued to the asphalt ahead, almost as if the trip we were taking was endless.

More and more buildings came into sight. Something I was actually quite thankful for considering now I knew Garrett wasn’t keeping me hostage in his own car. The complex that Aunt Madelynn took me to during my first few days here was in clear sight.

Oh nostalgia.

“Shut up, you know I’m no princess” I finally said.

He drove into a parking space, conveniently at least fifteen steps away from the entrance. A shopping trip ? A shopping trip before my birthday?

“Katie, it’s not a shopping trip, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“What are we doing then ?”

“We are doing nothing. However, I am and it’s a surprise”

He rolled down the windows and took his keys out of ignition. Leaving me no time for questions. Seconds later, the driver’s door opened and silence. Silence, was all I heard.

“So what you’re just going to leave me here ?” I yelled out the window. All passer-by’s staring at us like we were stupid little kids. One woman in particular rolling her eyes at us.
His hands caved over his mouth and his cheekbones slowly rose. He was enjoying this, I could tell.

“There’s gum in the disc compartment if you want it!”

+

“Dude, you’re not seriously doing this are you ?” Joey, one of Trey’s friends asked as he scanned the goods one by one. Whenever Trey and I had a combined practice, past and present girl-friends were present. All I could think of was how fun it must be to be a checkout boy at a Wal-Mart.

“I mean, if you wanted to give your girlfriend a massive sugar rush, why didn’t you just take her to some type of candy-land ?" I get that he doubts me buying this stuff. Last time I bought all of this, it was a few months ago and I was still with Rach.

“Joe, you of all people should know that I don’t have a girlfriend..”

“Yeah you do man,” he looked at me as if I didn’t even know my own relationship status. His eyebrow slowly raised. “What happened to Rachael..?” he quickly asked as his supervisor walked past. His supervisor is probably the most upfront bitch anyone would ever meet.

“We broke up…months ago.”
Subtle. That’s how it came out of my mouth. I took out my wallet from the back pocket of my faded jeans. And handed Joe a $20.00 note even though what I bought only costed $10 or less. “Keep the change, man.”

I started walking off. This was actually taking longer than I expected and the last thing I want is for Katie to be complaining that I took forever for no apparent reason.

“If you’re not with Rach then who’s the sweet shit for!?” He yelled from his post. The family that was after me in line started staring at both Joe & I. The father covered his 6 year old daughter’s ears from the profanity, the mother shaking her head.

“Katelynn, my future girl!” I yelled back at him, steps away from the exit - having all the people staring at us strangely for doing so amongst all the noise currently filling the space.

That was it.

Did I really say that ?

Anyone could’ve heard me.

Fuck it…I’m young.

+

He walked out the doors sooner rather than later. I did take a few pieces of gum. Although I do question how long it’s been sitting in here. If it was meant to be mint ..it sure didn’t taste like mint.

Soon enough, the sound of the keys jingling came closer.

“Didn’t miss me too much did you ?” he smirked, handing me the bag of whatever it was that he bought.

“Conceited much ? how old is this gum by the way, its tasteless.”

“Well didn’t Vee teach you ‘bitch’ pretty quickly ?

“Yeah, well if you live with her, it kinda grows’ on you”

Soon, the keys were in ignition and we were slowly leaving the parking lot. The thought of asking Garrett where we were going was still stuck in my head, but I decided not to bother since he wouldn’t tell me for God knows what. The skies were starting to become dull, as the car went further and further, it darkened. I wasn’t sure because I didn’t and wouldn’t look at the time to see whether it was because it was late or not, I was just too tired and mostly just waiting to turn 16 already.

I don’t know how long it was until we stopped. I don’t even remember being this far away from home at all in the first place. I remember Garrett having to stop once because of gas, but not this.

I woke up, Garrett was still in the car. He wasn’t looking at his phone (for someone like him, I found amusing), he must’ve been passed that stage. Instead, he had an earphone stuck in one of his ears, while he stared interspace.

“Oh good, you’re awake!” Garrett started to speak once he saw me move.

“H-How long was I sleeping ?,”

“Just the entire trip, I was trying to ask you what it was that you wanted more than anything
for your birthday – got no answer, assumed you were mad. Got to a red light, saw you were fast asleep”

“Jesus that’s embarrassing…I didn’t snore, did I ?,”

“Little sounds every now and again, no snores” he said. The only thing I could see was darkness, the only thing I heard was Garrett’s voice.

“Where the hell are we, Garrett? I think that you at least owe me that”

“You’re right, I do owe you that” he said switching on the interior light.

“Where are we Garrett?” I started to become just a little bit frantic.

“Just relax little girl, I’m not holding you hostage” he chuckled. The surroundings were vaguely familiar. Could it have been the park? No way it was.

“Well isn’t that a relief and a half?”

“Does it this place remind you of anything yet ?” he diverted the subject.

“This is where I first told anyone that I was missing my family” I told him truthfully. It definitely true – I was (and still kinda am) too afraid to let my guard down.

“Just to remind you…it’s fine to miss family, y’know ? – I was the first person? Whatever..C’mon” I could tell he wasn’t comfortable with that kind of information. I can’t help but wonder if Garrett was one to routinely give his trust like that…was I the lucky one that didn’t see the awkward side of him as much as the others would’ve ?

Before I could even respond, he switched off the interior light and took his keys from ignition. I briefly saw through the window Garrett was approaching my side.

“M’Lady” he opened the door and took my hand. His hand took a firm grip, almost as if it was something he wanted to do.

“Thank you, good sir” I played along with his little charade. I stepped onto the ground that felt very much like dirt and grass.

“Here, put this on,”

“..It’s a sweatband ?” I questioned the material. It was soft, through the light emited from the moonlight, I recognized it as the white & red one that he often wore when he did P.E.

“Put it on! I promise I won’t let you trip over anything,”

“So this is meant to be a blindfold ?”

“Kinda.”

“What if I refuse to put it on ?”

“You won’t get what we came here to do! We’ll just drive all that way back to your home and maybe…just maybe with any luck, not get into as much trouble as we probably will”

“Good enough for me Gare” I took the stretchy material from the boy. Because it was dark, it made it easier not to see a thing; which would probably benefit Garrett more than it would me.

“Do you trust me ?” he gripped his hands on my shoulders.

He started to guide me down some type of path. It wasn’t even, the terrain was all over the place. A few times, I was certain he was leading us down death row. I finally heard the sound of crickets in the distance, to me , this was one of the most greatest signs. Now I knew that Garrett (for sure) wasn’t going to kill me.

“Sit”

“Are you sure Garrett?”

“Don’t’ worry Katie, you won’t get your clothes muddy”

“If these get any dirt on it, you’re the one explaining to Vee what happened to her shorts okay? – My word against yours? Alright?”

“Deal, watch your head” he said, crouching, bringing me lower. “Okay.. now sit”

“I’m not a dog”

“Woof” he responded. I heard a little bit of a laugh, then a thump, which only meant it was Garrett sitting down.

I adjusted my legs as so I could sit down. Against my legs, it felt like a blanket. There was a rustling of a packet, it could easily have been food, hands down. I removed the sweatband from my face and placed it on the material below me.

“What is this?” I stared in complete amazement. A make-shift tent, if you will. A blanket for a floor, four poles and a tarpaulin sheet on top, inside; snacks, sweets & a few pillows.

“You did all this for me?!” I asked, still in complete awe.

“Yeah –It was nothing, really”

“Bullshit nothing! Thank you so much Garrett!” emotion started getting the better of me. Emotion, gratitude and then emotion all over again. I just couldn’t control myself, automatically, I gave him a hug. The longest hug I’ve ever given anyone, ever.

“This is so amazing” I said, resting my head on the pillow that sat on the blanket.

“How did you even find this place? it’s so beautiful”

“It wasn’t that long ago, actually..” he started to speak. He lay down on the pillow to my right, opening up a packet of Doritos and after two chips at once. “I came down to the park one weekend…two weeks ago, I think it was, just to think”

“Like..” he continued. “You know those days when you just overthink so many things? And it just gets to you?”

“I get what you mean.”

I grabbed a few doritos and held them in the palm of my left hand, picking at them with the right. Garrett stopped for a bit of a breather, leaving me adjusting myself to get comfortable on the blanket. Just as he was about to speak, I soon faced him, lying on my side.

“So, I went for a little hike…I didn’t exactly have a location in mind – I just started walking and then I ended up here and I stayed for a couple of hours…and it was just so breathtaking so..uh, here we are because I thought that maybe you’d enjoy it too”

I let out a little giggle, slightly trying to comprehend what he told me. I did understand him, I guess I was just trying to decipher.

I turned around and just looked straight ahead of me. The night-sky full of lights, the only real light coming from the moon. The landscaping around the tent was gorgeous – the oversized rocks, the dirt underneath the tent, the trees, everything – it was just phenomenal.

“I ended up stumbling on the topic of things we can and can’t control. I realized that life falls into both of those categories. It’s just so unpredictable – you could be here one day, gone the next – y’know?”

“Yeah..” I sighed.

“I mean, Katie, what if we never took the chances that we did – would we go happy or would we just live the most incomplete life ever? I don’t really believe in fate…but it was fate that made us friends in the first place isn’t it?”

“I disagree, Garrett,” I took a cupcake from the tray that sat infront of me, desperately calling my name.

“Oh ?”

“Yeah, I mean, it easily could have been a coincidence, Garrett. But to me fate…fate has done crazy things to me. Fate…was it fate that my mother isn’t around anymore? Was it fate that sent me to America in the first place?”

“What do you think this is, Katelynn? What do you, personally think this was?” he asked, a bit of tension & confusion, all at the same time between the two of us.

“It easily could’ve been a coincidence—but, me personally, Garrett? I'm gonna have to agree with you, this ..this was fate, this was meant to be!” I smiled at him.

“Our friendship was fate—I wouldn’t think of it any other way. I mean, like you said…who knows what’ll happen tomorrow. Everything we do Garrett, it’s all dependant on the choices we make today.” I concluded, taking a deep breath.

He laid down on his side, his head resting on his hand, staring. Was there something on my face? Did I get icing or cheese from the Doritos on my face…both?

“What are you looking at psychology boy?” I dipped my finger in the cupcake icing, gently dabbing it on his nose – making him wince.

He moved his index finger over to the icing and scraped it off. Once all the icing got onto his finger, he stuck it in his mouth.

“Y’know, I’m not exactly a chocolate icing kinda guy.”

“Are you serious, Garrett?”

“Yeah—I’m more into strawberry” he smirked.

“Seriously though,Gare…what are you looking at?”

“You – you’ve got icing on your face!” he softly brushed his thumb over my cheek. His face slowly moving in closer.

“Garrett– I-I—” I tried to speak, instead getting interrupted.

His soft lips crashed onto mine. A weight soon shifted above me. I pulled him in closer, sparing no gap. He pulled apart for the slightest second – a smile on his face, his blue orbs staring deeply into mine.

“Happy Birthday Katelynn Reeves.”