Maybe This Time // Hayes Grier

chapter 16

↠Hayes
After B was able to live out her dream of flying at night, we both got caught up on our classes missed, and I dreaded the 46 days until she left for Europe.

She said her first stop was London, where she would stay for a week and 3 days. From there she would take a short train rides to a few tourist stops closer by. Then she would go to Paris, where she will spend two weeks. Then to Versailles for two days, with many stops in between her ending location; Prague.

Of course I am excited for her, she gets to live out a dream that I'm not apart of. And I think that's okay too, she gets time with herself to do something many only dream about. The only thing about this so called dream is that I've never heard about it. I've never heard her even mention traveling to me or Europe at all. But maybe she wanted it to be a shock to me, which it was, and that's what I will tell myself so it won't hurt more than it already does.

My phone rings next to me, I answer and here B's voice immediately. "I'm so glad I've taken French sense the 7th grade. Because I've heard that in Europe they are really mean to you if you can't speak what they do; even though they can speak English."

"Well," I say, "in Georgia would you rather be speaking English or French?"

I think she knows where in going with this, "English."

"And wouldn't you be a little hostile if someone came up to you an started speaking fluent French even though you're in America?"

"Okay I see your point," she admits.

I put my bare feet up on my desk still holding my phone to my ear. She's always preferred talking on the phone simply because you can hear the recipients voice. I can't really disagree fully. I'll talk to B on the phone, and Sky with a few select others. But everyone else: text only. I just don't have the energy or compassion to talk to someone I don't have much interest in talking to.

Of course she could be that way too and I may not know it because we've really only talked on the phone.

"Hey B," I say.

"Yeah?"

"Do you talk on the phone to everyone or just me?" I ask.

"I like to talk to most people on the phone because I can hear their emotions and it's a lot harder for them to lie to me. I'll talk on the phone to make plans with anyone that is willing to talk on the phone with me, sense that is very rare these days. Or, I'll talk just to have a conversation. But, you're pretty much the only one that will talk to me that isn't some relative that's older than me."

I like what she says. "I miss you."

"Well," she says and I thrive for that 'I miss you too'. "It's mid-april, we get to spend a week together towards the end of May before I leave, think you can last for a month without me?"

"No," I say. Honestly I think I'll be a little drained without seeing her in person for another month. Also adding the week sense she came here.

"What if I come there for the day?"

"You never have gas," I tell her.

"Obviously I'll get some for my hour long trip that I will take just so I can see your eyes."

I smile, "please make that trip."

I hear her get up from what I imagine would be her desk, then I hear her keys rattle. "I'm on my way."

***

I sit with my legs crossed across from her, she does the same. A bowl of popcorn sits in between us even though a movie isn't on. She was in the mood for popcorn, I made popcorn.

And after I made the popcorn we have spent the last twenty minutes throwing individual corns in each other's mouths. I have caught just about every one she has thrown, and B has only caught about 2 out of about 36.

"So," I wipe my hands off on my shorts. She takes a handful of popcorn and puts it in her mouth. "Your book comes out in July. But you'll be out of the country in July. How will that work?"

"I'll have the checks sent to my parents house and a release party will be thrown once I get back. Everyone wins." 

I don't, I think. I want to tell her I don't want her to leave but that would be extremely selfish of me. Of course I want her to be happy, but I want her to be happy with me: here. I think we could have an amazing summer, just the two of us back in North Carolina. Make memories back at home before she goes to New York. I want that so much.

Then she gets me out of my mind, "Hayes."

I look at her and smile just a bit. "You're gonna have an amazing time."

"I want you to come with me."

My eyes slowly bug out of my head as she says her words. I lick my lips and blink a few times like I'm making sure I'm awake, because damn the last thing I would want is for this to be a dream.

"What?"

"I want you to come with me," she repeats in such a calm voice like she's been planning to tell me this the entire time. "Hayes," she scoots closer to me. "I know it's a lot to ask of you. But I already have hotel rooms so you wouldn't have to pay for that and all you would have to do is pay for the flights and such. And this is a super lot to ask of you, I know, but I would I really love for you to come with me and I know you, like, never spend your money so you have a bunch saved up and-"

I cut off her words that were running together, "I wanna do it."

She looks up from her hands that are folded together in her lap. Her eyes been and a smile, maybe the biggest I've never seen her smile, happens. She looks as I've just given her the cure for cancer. "Really?"

"I know I'll have to figure some things out but who wants to travel alone?" When I said yes, I spoke before my mind had caught up. But it wasn't a mistake, I would love to go with her. And our amazing summer and memories don't have to be in North Carolina, I just want them to be with her.

"Yes!" B yells and jumps up into my lap and wraps her legs around me. "Yes," she whispers right before she pushes her lips to mine, that are still in a smile.