She slaps my shoulder as we make our way downstairs, “She’s always liked you. Come on, she’s making breakfast.”
“OMG! Can you believe prom is only two weeks away? This is so awesome!”
Melanie’s energetic announcement echoes throughout out the hall; I’m pretty sure Mr. Cerillo heard it from three classrooms down. I glance over to Taylor who’s eerily quiet today.
“Hey, man, you alright?”
He shrugs his shoulder, “I asked Raya to go to prom with me and she said no.”
Melanie shouts, “What, why?”
“She said she’s not going to prom.”
A sudden look of shock and utter betrayal is plastered all over Melanie’s face. She squints her eyes and displays a look of determination.
“I’m going to ask her why. She needs to come! It’s the best part of high school. Shhh…here she comes. Be quiet, you two.”
Taylor and I glance at each other and respond with silence.
Raya approaches us, hugs Melanie, and averts her eyes from Taylor. At that moment, Taylor grunts and walks away without saying a word. Raya blows a small breath and pinches her nose.
“Raya, how could you say no to him? You know he really likes you. And you two were going so well. What happened?”
Raya walks over to her locker and grabs her books for next class, “Look Melanie. I can’t go to prom. I’m sorry, I can’t go.”
“Why not? I can drive you to and from and have you home the next morning.”
“It’s not that. Look, it’s a long story. I just can’t go.”
Melanie’s persistent attitude threatens to escape, “But—”
“Mel, she can’t go, so just drop it.” My stern voice startles her into silence and her pissed off look burns into me.
“I just want us to be there and have a good time. It’s a moment we should all experience and cherish. I don’t want you to miss out on it, that’s all.”
Raya hugs her, “I know, Melanie. Trust me, I wish I could, but I can’t go.”
They let go of each other’s embrace and Melanie smiles, “Okay, but you can at least help me with the hair and makeup. You did such a good job for Halloween and I need your expertise.”
The girls giggle softly and walk off to their next class, but just as they are about to turn the corner, Raya turns back to look at me and smiles.
I sit in the driver’s seat and run my hands on the smooth leather cushions. I place the key inside the ignition and twist as the engine purrs to life. The smooth and visual dashboard display lightens up as all of the apps flash. I run my fingers along the “Ford” logo on the steering wheel and grin with excitement. Touching the display to turn on the Pandora Radio App, I select The Cars playlist, and immediately one of my favorite songs, Drive begins to play.
I wave to my parents who are standing in the driveway, watching as I lay eyes on my new graduation gift. My mom’s smile beams so bright and my father’s look of pride and admiration send chills down my spine. I managed to become Valedictorian and got accepted to all of my top choice colleges, with a full scholarship. My parents have always expressed their love and pride in all of my work and school activities. They’ve supported me ever since the beginning and will continue to do so. How could I be so lucky to have them?
Listening to The Cars sends images to my mind—images of her. I look at the time on the dash. She’s probably at work now. But that won’t stop me from seeing her.
I shift the Mustang into reverse and head to Barnes & Noble for a surprise visit. The warm sun and cool June air flutters through my hair as I open the sunroof. With prom next weekend and her birthday coming up the week after that, I know her plans of escape are in effect. I still haven’t a clue about how to change her mind to stay. How can I without jeopardizing her secret? But, I know I can’t watch her leave. Now that I know about her plans, will she even say good-bye? Or will she run in the night? Maybe I should talk to her mother? Yes, that’s a good idea. She’ll help Raya come to her senses. Without it, I don’t know if I can help her.
Creating a plan of my own, I arrive at the bookstore fifteen minutes later. Her shift should be over in thirty minutes. I can just drive her home. I make my way inside the store and head over to the café area to grab a quick drink.
With drink in hand, I make my way through the bookstore. I’ll probably find her on the floor, reading her next craze. Time and time again, she’s told me about her “book boyfriends”—from Alexander Burnham, to Remington Tate, to Mr. Darcy—and how she gets lost in their worlds.
I find her in the fiction literature/romance section, stocking the shelves and glancing at the novels, probably searching for her newest boyfriend. As she reads the back cover, her eyes widen and her smile grows with such rare joy. Her long hair falls into her face, so she combs it behind her ear as she continues reading.
I step up a little closer behind her and she turns around to see me and smiles.
“I had a feeling you were there.”