Behind These Bars

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen
The next day I woke up around nine o'clock. Today was the day of my date with Jason and I couldn't wait. Getting out of bed, I walked downstairs to the kitchen and made myself a four star meal, also known as cereal. I went and sat down at the dining room table. After I finished eating I got up to put my bowl in the sink when I saw the calendar.
Picking up a pen I crossed out the last six days. When I got to today's date, I had to pause. Today signified the one-month anniversary of when I got out of juvie. To me it didn't seem like it had been that long ago. It seems like just last week I had been on a strict schedule that I didn't get to decide. One thing was for sure though; I was glad that I wasn't there anymore and I definitely didn't plan on going back.
Honestly, I was proud of myself. In the past month I had become the girl I used to be. I didn't feel the need to act out to be noticed by my mom. People noticed me for being me and that was all I could ask for. Who knows, maybe my mom and I will learn to get along. I know that I am willing to try with her if she will try with me.
Walking away from the calendar, I went into the living room and turned on the TV. I sat down at the couch and began to watch Criminal Minds. It was amazing how much I missed watching TV while I was in juvenile custody. People don't realize how much you miss out on while you're locked up. Simple tasks such as getting dressed and bathing became unnecessarily hard.
Sitting on the couch, I was in the middle of my eighth episode of Criminal Minds when I felt my phone vibrate. Reaching into the back pocket of my shorts, I grabbed my phone and unlocked it. "Dress warm for tonight, xoxo---Jason." I couldn't help but smile at the text. It was still hard for me to believe that Jason Worthington was interested in me of all people.
I picked up my phone and responded, "Okay, I will. Can't wait for tonight." Standing up from the couch, I stretched my muscles. Then I went upstairs to my room to decide what to wear. Jason's text told me to dress warm so that must mean that we are going to be outside. I wonder what we are going to be doing.
After getting my shower, I went into my closet to choose my outfit. After looking for a few minutes, I decided on some leggings, an oversized long college t-shirt, and a hoodie. I laid out a pair of black boots and began to work on my hair and make-up. After about an hour, I was completely ready.
I had just finished packing my bag for the date when the doorbell rang. Looking at my phone, it was exactly six o'clock. Walking downstairs, I went to the front door, took a deep breath, and opened the door....only to find no one there. "Um, hello?" Looking around, I didn't see anyone anywhere. Stepping out on the porch, I heard something crunch underneath my foot.
Reaching down, I picked up an envelope. Opening the envelope, I found a letter inside that said, 'Follow the petals and see where the night takes you. ---J.' Looking up from the envelope I realized that there was a trail of flower petals leading down from my driveway. Then, I followed the petals like the letter told me.
While following the petals, I couldn't help but wonder where Jason was planning on taking me. After walking about another five minutes, I realized where I was. The sign read, 'Wake Forest Municipal Park.' When I was younger I used to always walk to this park by myself to play with other kids. Walking into the park under the cover of the trees brought back memories from my childhood.
Walking past the swing sets in the playground I saw Jason standing by the trees near the back of the playground. Moving closer to him I saw that he had an entire picnic laid out. "Hey," Jason said walking closer to me. Handing me a bouquet of roses, Jason took my hand and led me over to the blanket he had set out. "This is all so beautiful Jason," I said. He smiled at me as we sat down. "You haven't even gotten to the best part yet," he responded. "And what would that be?" He pulled out two glasses and two plates as he said, "The food of course." I rolled my eyes at him. He was such a guy sometimes.
Throughout our meal we had been talking about anything and everything, from our favorite colors, to school, to our childhood; we talked about it all. Jason told me about his childhood and how his parents had always been gone throughout his entire life. I told him about how my mother and I had never got along that well but I was willing to work with her now.
During the entire date I kept noticing the bruise on Jason's arm. It had faded some but it still looked nasty and painful. Couple this with the fact that Jason always seems nervous when I ask about it, I was beginning to think it was from more than baseball. "Jason, where is that bruise really from," I asked. I could see him physically gulp.