“No need to get technical, Char. I’m familiar with the parts of the male anatomy.”
“I just wanted to be clear. If I said balls, you might try to eat a football or something.” I shrugged. “Who knows why on earth USC would let you in…”
“The admissions committee at UCLA must have been drunk when they read your personal statement. That’s the only explanation as to why they’d let you in.”
“God, I’m so happy I’ll never have to see you again.”
“Don’t worry, Char. I’m sure I’ll still haunt you in your dreams.”
“Those would be nightmares, Damien.”
“Well, don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be able to find someone out in California to dry your tears and tuck you in at night.”
“Promise me something, Damien,” I say, leaning over slightly on the bench. “When we get to Los Angeles, pretend like I never existed. I don’t want you to think of me, seek me out, or wonder if I’m doing better than you. Because I will—that’s a fact. And the moment we leave this town, you don’t exist anymore.”
He rolls his eyes. “Piece of cake, Char. I’m tired of having to worry about you anyway.” He tosses a candy wrapper into a trashcan nearby and begins to walk away. “Here’s to never seeing you again.”
“Bye, Damien!” I call out as he walks away and I turn back to my notebook on my lap. Fuming and even more desperate to count down the days until I leave, I open up my page and continue writing, vowing to the paper and myself that I would never think about Damien Shaw again.
But you know what they say…
Never say never.