I Hate To Say This But I'm Stuck On Loving You, John O'Callaghan
PART 9
I watched the white truck drive off until I couldn’t see it anymore. Did that really just happen? I placed my fingertips lightly on my lips thinking about what just happened. I had been kissed before, but not like that. The second John placed his lips to mine the sparks started to fly. It may sound cliché and unoriginal, but the only word to describe it was magical. I was just standing there smiling like an idiot. Honestly, I was surprised I wasn’t jumping up and down. Suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Pat.
“Are you coming in?”
“Yeah, I just had to get the uh mail.”
I couldn’t tell Pat. Yes, he was one of my best friends, but he didn’t know everything like Garrett and Caroline. I wanted to tell him, just not now.
“You’re not holding any mail?” Pat questioned
“That’s…right…I was just going to go get it.” I said then walked over to my mail box and pulled it out.
Pat looked confused, but to my luck he didn’t ask any questions about that, but he did ask about John.
“What happened to John?”
I bit my lip and tried to hide the huge smile appearing on my face.
“He had to go home. His mom needed him for something.” I said shuffling looking through the mail checking to see if there was anything for me. Just like always, none of it was.
“Oh, okay then. Well, come inside. We’re ordering a pizza.”
“Sorry, Pat. I think I’m going to have to pass on the pizza. I have other plans.”
“What other possible plans could you have? We’re your only friends.”
I hit him playfully “I have plans with your cousin, dumbass. She’s only in town for a little while and I want to make the most of it.”
That was partially true. I did want to make the best of the time with Caroline while she was in Tempe, but I hadn’t necessarily made plans with her…yet.
“Fine, but you owe me. We haven’t hung out in like 2 days! That’s like a new record or something.”
“Tomorrow, Pat. I promise.”
With that Pat turned around and started walking back to the house. I would follow him in so I could put the mail away, but I had to call Caroline first and I didn’t want any of the guys to hear. I pulled out my cell phone and started scrolling through my contacts until I found Caroline. I pressed the “call” button and after about 4 rings she picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Caroline. I have some important stuff to tell you. Do you think I could spend the night over there?”
“Well, I have a friend that I met at the party spending the night and I would have to ask my aunt and uncle, but I’m pretty sure they would be cool with it. You know how much they love you.”
“Alright, I’ll go get my stuff together and ask my mom for the keys.”
Normally my mom wouldn’t just give me the car like that, but she would be pleased to see that I was hanging out with one of my girl friends.
“Oh, and what was that ‘important stuff’ you had to tell me?”
I smiled “Well, it’s actually about John. I’ll have to tell you all about it in full detail when I get there, okay?”
Suddenly the happy tone to Caroline’s voice was gone and she sighed and said “Well, I guess I’ll see you in about 20 minutes, bye.”
Then just like that she hung up. That was kind of odd. Well, not really. Ever since that incident with me and John happened last night I’ve started to get the feeling that Caroline didn’t like him. When Caroline doesn’t like someone, it is kind of obvious. It was probably just because she was being protective like she always is. That is one of her many traits that I love half of the time and hate the other half. I walked in the front door, placed the mail on the kitchen table, and went to look for my mom. I found her in the study, on the computer, like always.
“Hey mom, can I borrow the car for the night?”
She didn’t even look up from the computer screen. “For what?”
“Well, Caroline is only in town for the weekend and I was wondering if I could go spend the night at the Kirch’s house.”
My mom stopped what she was doing and she was suddenly interested.
“To see Caroline? Of course! You know, honey, you need to bring her to our house more often. I would rather have her here than those boys.”
“Yeah, I know mom, but it is kind of hard when she lives in San Diego.”
“You know what I mean. Anyway, here are the keys. Remember, always go the speed limit, no more than one person in the car, and no driving past midnight. I will call you some time tomorrow to tell you what time you need to be home.” My mom said as she handed me the keys.
“Thanks, mom.” I gave her a quick one armed hug and ran upstairs so I could get my stuff together. I pulled my black “music=life” bag off my door knob and put a pair of clothes to wear to bed, my laptop, my chargers, and my knee medicine. It didn’t take that long and when I was finally done I grabbed my phone and iPod off of my night stand and went out the front door. I went to the car and I opened the passenger door and put my stuff in there then walked around the front of the car to the driver’s side. I hooked my iPod up to my radio and soon enough I was driving down the road listening to All Time Low. After about 10 minutes or so I was in the Kirch’s driveway. I got all of my stuff out and just walked in the front door.
“Honey, I’m home!” I yelled.
I loved that point of a friendship where you could do that kind of thing.
“We’re in the guest room!” I heard Caroline’s muffled voice from upstairs. I grabbed all of my stuff and made my way through the familiar house to the guest room. I walked in and saw Caroline and the girl I saw with Garrett last night both on separate laptops scrolling away. Caroline noticed I was there and jumped up and gave me a hug.
“Okay, so Caitlin this is Kelly,” she said pointing to other girl.
“We’ve already met, kind of. I’m really sorry about last night,” I said nervously.
“It’s not a big deal. Everybody has their bad nights every once in a while and you’re in my…English class right?”
“Ms. Wilson, 7th period?” I asked
“Yup.” This Kelly girl seemed nice. I approve of her and Garrett, assuming that goes anywhere.
“Oh, well it’s nice to finally meet you.” I said and smiled.
“So, Caitlin, tell me about what happened with John.” Caroline said his name in an especially vicious tone.
I explained to her the whole thing about Panera and how I had decided to take the initiative to finally talk to him alone.
“And then, he kissed me…” I trailed off
“He kissed you!?” They both said simultaneously. I assumed that Caroline had filled Kelly in already. It wasn’t that big of a deal. I assumed she would find out about it tonight anyway.
“Yeah, and then he just kind of drove off…” I said a bit quieter.
“God dammit that boy needs to stop messing with you. One day I am going to kick his ass so hard he won’t be able to walk for a week.”
“Caroline, you are overreacting. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“But it is! That boy is playing you. I don’t want you making the same mistakes I did.”
“What do you mean by ‘same mistakes I did.’?”
Caroline took a deep breath
“John and I used to date, okay?”
“Are you coming in?”
“Yeah, I just had to get the uh mail.”
I couldn’t tell Pat. Yes, he was one of my best friends, but he didn’t know everything like Garrett and Caroline. I wanted to tell him, just not now.
“You’re not holding any mail?” Pat questioned
“That’s…right…I was just going to go get it.” I said then walked over to my mail box and pulled it out.
Pat looked confused, but to my luck he didn’t ask any questions about that, but he did ask about John.
“What happened to John?”
I bit my lip and tried to hide the huge smile appearing on my face.
“He had to go home. His mom needed him for something.” I said shuffling looking through the mail checking to see if there was anything for me. Just like always, none of it was.
“Oh, okay then. Well, come inside. We’re ordering a pizza.”
“Sorry, Pat. I think I’m going to have to pass on the pizza. I have other plans.”
“What other possible plans could you have? We’re your only friends.”
I hit him playfully “I have plans with your cousin, dumbass. She’s only in town for a little while and I want to make the most of it.”
That was partially true. I did want to make the best of the time with Caroline while she was in Tempe, but I hadn’t necessarily made plans with her…yet.
“Fine, but you owe me. We haven’t hung out in like 2 days! That’s like a new record or something.”
“Tomorrow, Pat. I promise.”
With that Pat turned around and started walking back to the house. I would follow him in so I could put the mail away, but I had to call Caroline first and I didn’t want any of the guys to hear. I pulled out my cell phone and started scrolling through my contacts until I found Caroline. I pressed the “call” button and after about 4 rings she picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Caroline. I have some important stuff to tell you. Do you think I could spend the night over there?”
“Well, I have a friend that I met at the party spending the night and I would have to ask my aunt and uncle, but I’m pretty sure they would be cool with it. You know how much they love you.”
“Alright, I’ll go get my stuff together and ask my mom for the keys.”
Normally my mom wouldn’t just give me the car like that, but she would be pleased to see that I was hanging out with one of my girl friends.
“Oh, and what was that ‘important stuff’ you had to tell me?”
I smiled “Well, it’s actually about John. I’ll have to tell you all about it in full detail when I get there, okay?”
Suddenly the happy tone to Caroline’s voice was gone and she sighed and said “Well, I guess I’ll see you in about 20 minutes, bye.”
Then just like that she hung up. That was kind of odd. Well, not really. Ever since that incident with me and John happened last night I’ve started to get the feeling that Caroline didn’t like him. When Caroline doesn’t like someone, it is kind of obvious. It was probably just because she was being protective like she always is. That is one of her many traits that I love half of the time and hate the other half. I walked in the front door, placed the mail on the kitchen table, and went to look for my mom. I found her in the study, on the computer, like always.
“Hey mom, can I borrow the car for the night?”
She didn’t even look up from the computer screen. “For what?”
“Well, Caroline is only in town for the weekend and I was wondering if I could go spend the night at the Kirch’s house.”
My mom stopped what she was doing and she was suddenly interested.
“To see Caroline? Of course! You know, honey, you need to bring her to our house more often. I would rather have her here than those boys.”
“Yeah, I know mom, but it is kind of hard when she lives in San Diego.”
“You know what I mean. Anyway, here are the keys. Remember, always go the speed limit, no more than one person in the car, and no driving past midnight. I will call you some time tomorrow to tell you what time you need to be home.” My mom said as she handed me the keys.
“Thanks, mom.” I gave her a quick one armed hug and ran upstairs so I could get my stuff together. I pulled my black “music=life” bag off my door knob and put a pair of clothes to wear to bed, my laptop, my chargers, and my knee medicine. It didn’t take that long and when I was finally done I grabbed my phone and iPod off of my night stand and went out the front door. I went to the car and I opened the passenger door and put my stuff in there then walked around the front of the car to the driver’s side. I hooked my iPod up to my radio and soon enough I was driving down the road listening to All Time Low. After about 10 minutes or so I was in the Kirch’s driveway. I got all of my stuff out and just walked in the front door.
“Honey, I’m home!” I yelled.
I loved that point of a friendship where you could do that kind of thing.
“We’re in the guest room!” I heard Caroline’s muffled voice from upstairs. I grabbed all of my stuff and made my way through the familiar house to the guest room. I walked in and saw Caroline and the girl I saw with Garrett last night both on separate laptops scrolling away. Caroline noticed I was there and jumped up and gave me a hug.
“Okay, so Caitlin this is Kelly,” she said pointing to other girl.
“We’ve already met, kind of. I’m really sorry about last night,” I said nervously.
“It’s not a big deal. Everybody has their bad nights every once in a while and you’re in my…English class right?”
“Ms. Wilson, 7th period?” I asked
“Yup.” This Kelly girl seemed nice. I approve of her and Garrett, assuming that goes anywhere.
“Oh, well it’s nice to finally meet you.” I said and smiled.
“So, Caitlin, tell me about what happened with John.” Caroline said his name in an especially vicious tone.
I explained to her the whole thing about Panera and how I had decided to take the initiative to finally talk to him alone.
“And then, he kissed me…” I trailed off
“He kissed you!?” They both said simultaneously. I assumed that Caroline had filled Kelly in already. It wasn’t that big of a deal. I assumed she would find out about it tonight anyway.
“Yeah, and then he just kind of drove off…” I said a bit quieter.
“God dammit that boy needs to stop messing with you. One day I am going to kick his ass so hard he won’t be able to walk for a week.”
“Caroline, you are overreacting. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“But it is! That boy is playing you. I don’t want you making the same mistakes I did.”
“What do you mean by ‘same mistakes I did.’?”
Caroline took a deep breath
“John and I used to date, okay?”