after claire's night with karl out on the porch, her perspective about him had completely changed. she still had just as much fun with the boy, but now there was something underneath; something she couldn't quite pin down.
it was a blossoming love for karl, she knew. an old one that was only just now rekindling. but maybe there was something more? a conflicted dread, perhaps? she knew in just days they would separate, and after that--well, after that, she had no clue what would happen. maybe some deep part of her was afraid she'd never be with him again.
she realized just how much she was beginning to like him again, though when she thought about it, maybe she had never stopped. maybe it was always there, just put on pause for a bit, stuffed in the very back of her brain. even stifled, it had been there all along. and the more time she spent with him, the more it showed itself, the more it came into the center of her thoughts and consumed her brain entirely.
she didn't want to let it go.
but for now, she was here with him. so even with all of her confused and conflicted feelings, she tried to focus only on that.
* * *
the next two days seemed to fly by.
they played baseball out in the front yard like they had planned. there wasn't any real score-keeping, though karl and luke insisted that they had won the game:
-
"how could you even say we didn't win? did you see karl's homer? that's a winning hit right there."
claire rolled her eyes at her brother. "i'd hardly call that a homer." she said, bumping karl as she did. "if anything, it was a tie. right jess?"
"right, of course."
-
although they bickered over who was the victorious team, deep down, none of them really cared who the winners were. they had just had fun playing together.
they also made cookies one evening:
-
"uh oh guys, we weren't supposed to mix the eggs in yet . . ."
"LUKE!" they screamed.
"luke, buddy, you had ONE job." jess scolded, though she was smiling as she said it.
"i'm sorry guys! i misread! it's okay. it'll, uhh, taste fine . . . ?"
-
he wasn't entirely wrong; the baked goods had actually turned out pretty well. sure, the texture was a little off, but they weren't ruined. they ate cookies for lunch that day and shared funny videos on their phones.
late nights staying up talking were involved too:
-
"karl, please breath!" claire cried through her own laughter.
they had been joking around, and now karl was on the ground wheezing.
jess and luke couldn't stop laughing either. maybe it was because they were just so hilarious, or because the hour was nearing 2am.
-
claire felt so alive that whole week; almost like she took a break from her old life, came here, and actually lived.
it was like nothing had changed among the troublemakers. well, technically the group had changed a lot, but the important things remained the same: their closeness, their connection to each other, their joy, their humour. none of that had changed one bit.
claire didn't ever want it to end.
but alas.
"guys, are we still having a sleepover tonight?" claire asked the others at the breakfast table.
today was their very last full day there. tomorrow at noon, they would be heading back home. claire would have to say goodbye to the cabin again for the first time since four years ago.
hopefully not for quite as long this time.
"of course." jess replied. "i'm excited, it'll be super fun."
claire agreed. group sleepovers were always something she looked forward to when she was younger. especially since it meant being so close to karl . . .
"me too." claire said as she grabbed her orange juice glass and brought it to the kitchen sink. "as long as none of you snore." she added jokingly.
"i guess we'll see." karl grinned, following her into the kitchen.
claire glanced up to the rectangular window that brought sunlight into the room, allowing it to wash over the familiar kitchen. today was a perfect last day at the cabin. it was the textbook definition of an autumn day: sweater temperature, beautiful leaves on the trees, fiery oranges and reds. the view was magnificent.
"well you guys," jess said, "let's make the most out of today."
YOU ARE READING
autumn |KARL JACOBS X FEMALE OC|
Fanfiction"she realized something with a sudden clarity as she lay there. claire was falling for karl all over again." in which: claire had known karl jacobs and his family for as long as she could remember. they saw each other all the time, but it was at the...
