Hear You Me

Delilah,

Remember our senior year of high school when I wanted to go to California for spring break and you didn’t want to go because you had scholarship applications and who knows what else to do? I talked you into it anyway and we had a blast. That’s one of my favorite memories of ours. You and I road tripping around Cali was the best week of my life. I’ll never forget the joy on your face when we stopped by Stanford’s campus and you realized that was where you were going to spend the next four years – or at least where you were supposed to spend the next four years. You were so excited and I still feel terrible that you had to transfer to ASU because of me. That’s not what I wrote this letter for though. I wrote this letter and told that story because I wanted to remind you to not let work get in the way of play. You should be on summer break now, or at least close to it, and I want you to have an adventure this summer. Don’t let something fun pass you by because you’re worried about your studies. It’s summer! Have fun! I’m sure you’re wondering what kind of adventure you can possible have but eventually one will pop up and I want you to take it. Grab the bull by the horns! Don’t worry, I won’t bring up the story about the mechanical bull – that was embarrassing enough for the both of us and I plan on keeping our pinky promise of never talking about it again. Ever. Anyway, when the chance for the adventure arises take it. You won’t regret it.

All my love,
Holland

Joel couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he glanced at the clock. He had the perfect surprise planned for Delilah. He hadn’t seen her in two weeks because she was busy studying for finals and then busy taking those finals. He missed her and had thought of the perfect plan to celebrate her completing her junior year of college. This Century was going on tour in two weeks and Joel wanted Delilah to go with them. He knew tour would help him heal even more and figured it would help Delilah heal too – plus he didn’t think he could go the entire summer without her by his side.

“Joel, are here?” Lila called out as she entered the house.

“Yeah, I’m in the kitchen,” Joel called out and then smirked when she walked in the room. “It’s rude to just walk into people’s houses without knocking, you know.”

“First of all, your door was unlocked. Second of all, it’s you. I think we’re past the whole knocking thing,” Delilah retorted.

“Touché,” Joel laughed. “So, how were finals?”

“Good now that they’re done. I don’t think I’ve ever studied that much in my life. I’m a little worried to see what my grade will be in my Criminal Justice class though.”

“I’m sure you rocked it.”

“Thanks. So why did you ask me to come over?”

“Why do you make it sound like a bad thing? Can’t a guy just want to see his best friend whom he hasn’t seen in two weeks,” Joel pouted with a fake look of hurt on his face.

Delilah rolled her eyes. “I didn’t realize we were friends.”

“Just for saying that I’m not giving you your surprise.”

“What?! You got me a surprise? Never mind, I take back my mean comment.”

“Of course you do,” Joel chuckled.

“So what is it?” Delilah asked with growing impatience.

“You’ll have to find it.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re sending me on a scavenger hunt to find my surprise?”

“Yep,” Joel smiled. “We’re going to play the hot and cold game.”

“This better be an awesome surprise,” Delilah grumbled.

Delilah had been walking around Joel’s house for about five minutes while he yelled out “hot” or “cold” depending on where she was. She had finally figured out that her surprised was somewhere in his living room.

“Hot! Hot, hot, hot! You’re burning up!” Joel yelled as Delilah put her hand on the doorknob of Joel’s closet.

Delilah turned the knob and saw a suitcase sitting there.

“A suitcase? This is my surprise?” Delilah asked with confusion apparent in her voice.

“Look at the piece of paper on top.”

Delilah did as she was told and unfolded the paper that was on top of the suitcase. It was a map with a route drawn on it in red pen and a note in Joel’s handwriting on the bottom.

“Pack this bag and meet me here at 8 in two weeks. You’re going on tour with TC,” Delilah read and then looked up at Joel. “What?”

“Exactly what it says…you’re going on tour with us. I talked to the rest of the guys and they’re more than fine with you coming with us. Tim said you could sell merch for us,” Joel said with a smile on his face but the smile quickly disappeared when Delilah just stood there staring at him, not saying anything. “Lila…can you say something? Anything?”

“I…I just…Joel, I don’t know,” Delilah sighed.

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“Joel, I’d love to go on tour with you guys but I just can’t. I have so much to do.”

“It’s summer, Lila,” Joel argued.

“I know, but I was thinking about getting an internship or a job or…”

“Come on, it’ll be an adventure.”

Delilah opened her mouth to once again argue but the letter she had received from Holland just a few days earlier popped into her head. Holland had told her to have an adventure and now the perfect opportunity was staring her in the face.

“Fine,” Delilah took a deep breath. “I’ll go with you guys.”

“Seriously?” Joel asked with a smile on his face.

“Yeah, seriously.”

“Yes! You won’t regret this, I promise,” Joel said as he wrapped Delilah in a hug.

Delilah still wasn’t sure why she agreed to spend the whole summer in a smelly van traveling around the country when she could be making money or gaining experience but she knew she would do anything Joel asked – as hard as she tried, she just couldn’t say no to him.