Sequel: Through Fire ›
From the Ashes
The Beginning of the End
My phone reads 6:00 AM, on the dot, when I hear Kaitlin's car pull into the drive outside my window. On any normal day, I would be asleep at this very moment. Or, I would be bringing all the fury of hell upon whom/what has caused me to be conscious at 6 in the morning. But it was the last day of school, and Kaitlin and I always wake up really early to do our hair together, do our makeup together, make breakfast together, and generally pump each other up for this momentous day. I pad through the house to go let Kait in, and I meet my mother at the door on her way out for work.
"I'll see you tonight, sweetheart, do well on your finals today. Last day as a junior!" she fist-bumps me excitedly as she scurries out the door, but not before saying a quick hello/goodbye to Kaitlin as she passes her on her way in. Kait's still in her pj's, and her hair is a tangled mess, but she is bright and cheery with excitement. She lugs a duffel bag in after her, filled with clothing, makeup, and hair products.
"Last day of hell!" she shouts, tugging her bag to my room as I trail in her wake.
"I'm sooooo, so so excited," I say with a little dance, and I swear my heart has been palpitating nonstop with the constant thought of my summer to come. "Kait, I have big news," I tell her once we're in my room. She emerges from her duffel bag with a straightener, shooting me a curious look.
"What's that?" she asks with a grin, seeing the look on my face that I can't wipe off. I start pulling out possible clothing choices for the day as I try and contain myself.
"Well... It turns out- to be able to work on our project thoroughly, of course, -that I've been invited to go to Roman's camp for the summer." Kaitlin stops dead where she leans to plug the straightener in, staring at me with wide, shocked eyes.
"You've... got to be... kidding me," she whispers before a huge smile erupts over her face. I shake my head calmly with a shrug. "Oh my GOD, you're gonna have the best summer in the history of your life!" she screeches, hitting my leg with both hands in rapid excitement, her words turning to squeals.
"Ow! God damn it, stop!" I laugh, swatting her off of me as she freaks out. She calms down after she gets it all out of her system, and I tell her about how it was his idea, and he was coming over tonight to talk about plans with my mom and his mom. She makes a face at me as she runs the straightener through her hair.
"You are the luckiest person alive, I am insanely jealous! Do you think I'll fit in your bag...?"
"HA! Maybe if we squeeze you in. I'll make Roman carry you for me."
"Oh yes. Tell him just to keep your bag in his room, where he undoubtedly will sleep naked. And that's when I'll pounce!" I double over laughing, holding my curling rod away from my body in my mirth.
"Oh my god, Kait!"
We chat on about how amazing my summer is going to be, spending it with Roman, and Kaitlin insists that I borrow some of her cuter clothes for the trip. Our conversation moves to the kitchen after we finish our hair, and we chatter on having a blast in our pj's as Kait makes some toast while I cook up scrambled eggs. We settle onto the island table to eat our last day of school breakfast feast and watch the dawn arise from the kitchen window.
"I really do wish I could take you with me, that's the only thing that's gonna suck about this summer..." I say sadly, leaning my head over on her shoulder as I poke at my eggs with a fork. Kaitlin plops her head onto mine.
"I know... What am I gonna do without you this year," she says in a pouty voice, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.
"We don't even have service there," I whine, sticking my lip out, "I'm going to be lost if I can't text you if something happens!"
"Oh damn it, you're right! That's it. I'm going with you."
"Please, please do just that," I say as I chuckle and hang on to the arm that's in front of my face.
"This will have to be the year that I get that summer job, since you're not gonna be around," she chimes thoughtfully as I slide off her shoulder.
"Makin' the bacon, huh?"
"Hell yes. To pay for all the clothes I want," she adds with a grin.
We clean up breakfast, and my phone goes off on my pillow as we walk into my room. Kaitlin hunches over it to peer at the screen as she shimmies out of her sweatpants.
"Oooo! It's lover boy!" she croons, pulling out a white flowing skirt from her bag. I cock my head curiously in mid de-clothing, and I snatch up the phone to flip it open. The name Roman Spade floats on the screen.
Mornin, partner :) Pick you up for school?
Kaitlin drills me with questions as I try and stop my heart from hammering.
"He's just asking me if I want a ride to school, shush!" I laugh, rubbing my thumbs across the keys lightly as I think of a reply.
"What! Noooo! I'm sorry to twat block you baby doll, but I'm giving you a ride, he's stealing you away for the whole summer!" I die laughing at her select choice of... mildly inappropriate wording, which makes it all the funnier.
Kaitlin has dibs, maybe tomorrow? OH WAIT :D
I let Kaitlin see what I had sent after she whines to know, and she giggles at my screen.
So fuckin clever :P is the Roman-y reply I receive from that.
By 7:30, Kaitlin and I are all dressed up in summery clothes of celebration, and on our way to the car. She pops in her newly declared "summer jam" as I settle into the 'Stang's driver's seat and rev the engine. "Starships" by Niki Minaj starts pounding out of the speakers as I back out of the driveway, and soon we are off to the nearest coffee shop to start the end of a long school year, and the beginning of a new and fantastic summer.
Pulling into the student parking lot at a reasonable time of 7:52, since morning homeroom starts at 8:15, I snag a spot close to the school doors. The sun is already shining brightly over the lot, filled sparsely with a few cars belonging to those who enjoy coming to school early. Kait and I linger in the car, finishing up a text here, checking our make up in the mirror there, A Day to Remember pounding out of the speakers as we savor the last time we had to drive to school as juniors. Kaitlin finally takes the lead in getting out of the car, skirt swishing as she strolls over to the back of her 'Stang, wiggling her eyebrows at me as she bends over like a pin-up gal to open the trunk.
"Come here!" she beckons. I beam evilly as I move from leaning against the vehicle. Both of us gaze down into the trunk of her car, the precious cargo's plastic surfaces glinting in the sunlight. Beside a blue cooler that I know is filled with water balloons lie two mega-duty super soakers, and a few brightly colored pistols. Kaitlin looks expectantly at me as she bites her lip in a devilish way. I poke at the super soakers.
"I'll see you tonight, sweetheart, do well on your finals today. Last day as a junior!" she fist-bumps me excitedly as she scurries out the door, but not before saying a quick hello/goodbye to Kaitlin as she passes her on her way in. Kait's still in her pj's, and her hair is a tangled mess, but she is bright and cheery with excitement. She lugs a duffel bag in after her, filled with clothing, makeup, and hair products.
"Last day of hell!" she shouts, tugging her bag to my room as I trail in her wake.
"I'm sooooo, so so excited," I say with a little dance, and I swear my heart has been palpitating nonstop with the constant thought of my summer to come. "Kait, I have big news," I tell her once we're in my room. She emerges from her duffel bag with a straightener, shooting me a curious look.
"What's that?" she asks with a grin, seeing the look on my face that I can't wipe off. I start pulling out possible clothing choices for the day as I try and contain myself.
"Well... It turns out- to be able to work on our project thoroughly, of course, -that I've been invited to go to Roman's camp for the summer." Kaitlin stops dead where she leans to plug the straightener in, staring at me with wide, shocked eyes.
"You've... got to be... kidding me," she whispers before a huge smile erupts over her face. I shake my head calmly with a shrug. "Oh my GOD, you're gonna have the best summer in the history of your life!" she screeches, hitting my leg with both hands in rapid excitement, her words turning to squeals.
"Ow! God damn it, stop!" I laugh, swatting her off of me as she freaks out. She calms down after she gets it all out of her system, and I tell her about how it was his idea, and he was coming over tonight to talk about plans with my mom and his mom. She makes a face at me as she runs the straightener through her hair.
"You are the luckiest person alive, I am insanely jealous! Do you think I'll fit in your bag...?"
"HA! Maybe if we squeeze you in. I'll make Roman carry you for me."
"Oh yes. Tell him just to keep your bag in his room, where he undoubtedly will sleep naked. And that's when I'll pounce!" I double over laughing, holding my curling rod away from my body in my mirth.
"Oh my god, Kait!"
We chat on about how amazing my summer is going to be, spending it with Roman, and Kaitlin insists that I borrow some of her cuter clothes for the trip. Our conversation moves to the kitchen after we finish our hair, and we chatter on having a blast in our pj's as Kait makes some toast while I cook up scrambled eggs. We settle onto the island table to eat our last day of school breakfast feast and watch the dawn arise from the kitchen window.
"I really do wish I could take you with me, that's the only thing that's gonna suck about this summer..." I say sadly, leaning my head over on her shoulder as I poke at my eggs with a fork. Kaitlin plops her head onto mine.
"I know... What am I gonna do without you this year," she says in a pouty voice, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.
"We don't even have service there," I whine, sticking my lip out, "I'm going to be lost if I can't text you if something happens!"
"Oh damn it, you're right! That's it. I'm going with you."
"Please, please do just that," I say as I chuckle and hang on to the arm that's in front of my face.
"This will have to be the year that I get that summer job, since you're not gonna be around," she chimes thoughtfully as I slide off her shoulder.
"Makin' the bacon, huh?"
"Hell yes. To pay for all the clothes I want," she adds with a grin.
We clean up breakfast, and my phone goes off on my pillow as we walk into my room. Kaitlin hunches over it to peer at the screen as she shimmies out of her sweatpants.
"Oooo! It's lover boy!" she croons, pulling out a white flowing skirt from her bag. I cock my head curiously in mid de-clothing, and I snatch up the phone to flip it open. The name Roman Spade floats on the screen.
Mornin, partner :) Pick you up for school?
Kaitlin drills me with questions as I try and stop my heart from hammering.
"He's just asking me if I want a ride to school, shush!" I laugh, rubbing my thumbs across the keys lightly as I think of a reply.
"What! Noooo! I'm sorry to twat block you baby doll, but I'm giving you a ride, he's stealing you away for the whole summer!" I die laughing at her select choice of... mildly inappropriate wording, which makes it all the funnier.
Kaitlin has dibs, maybe tomorrow? OH WAIT :D
I let Kaitlin see what I had sent after she whines to know, and she giggles at my screen.
So fuckin clever :P is the Roman-y reply I receive from that.
By 7:30, Kaitlin and I are all dressed up in summery clothes of celebration, and on our way to the car. She pops in her newly declared "summer jam" as I settle into the 'Stang's driver's seat and rev the engine. "Starships" by Niki Minaj starts pounding out of the speakers as I back out of the driveway, and soon we are off to the nearest coffee shop to start the end of a long school year, and the beginning of a new and fantastic summer.
Pulling into the student parking lot at a reasonable time of 7:52, since morning homeroom starts at 8:15, I snag a spot close to the school doors. The sun is already shining brightly over the lot, filled sparsely with a few cars belonging to those who enjoy coming to school early. Kait and I linger in the car, finishing up a text here, checking our make up in the mirror there, A Day to Remember pounding out of the speakers as we savor the last time we had to drive to school as juniors. Kaitlin finally takes the lead in getting out of the car, skirt swishing as she strolls over to the back of her 'Stang, wiggling her eyebrows at me as she bends over like a pin-up gal to open the trunk.
"Come here!" she beckons. I beam evilly as I move from leaning against the vehicle. Both of us gaze down into the trunk of her car, the precious cargo's plastic surfaces glinting in the sunlight. Beside a blue cooler that I know is filled with water balloons lie two mega-duty super soakers, and a few brightly colored pistols. Kaitlin looks expectantly at me as she bites her lip in a devilish way. I poke at the super soakers.