Grapes Bridges and Stars

Chapter 1

As I put my things in my locker, I started to crave sweet, cold lemonade and a good book. It was spring and it was getting hotter. I was burning up. The air conditioning in our school was not working. I walked out of the school and got into my 1976 Camaro. Before I could even start the engine, my best friend, Lorise, knocked on the passenger door window for me to let her in.

"Liberty it is so hot! I wish Principal Marine would get the air conditioner fixed." She said fanning herself. "Supposedly, the school doesn't have enough money to fix them." I explained. She turned my air conditioner up on full blast. "Then they need to cancel school until they get them fixed." Lorise just didn't want to go to school.

Lorise, like myself, was a senior at Westview High. She was really pretty, super sweet, and very smart. She wanted to be a lawyer, but she wasn't very fond of school. I believed she would end up being a housewife to a rich man. We'd been best friends since sixth grade.

"I'm going to Robert's today." She smiled. Unlike pretty popular girls at our school who dated cute, athletic boys, Lorise had Robert. He wore big glasses, knew just about every subject, was awful at sports and was a terrible flirt. He wasn't ugly, but he wasn't gorgeous or anything either. Lorise loved him though.

"What are you gonna do? Study the history of Guatemala?" I teased. She gave me a death glare. "No! We're going to watch a movie." 

I didn't have a boyfriend. I didn't even want one. I loved writing. There was a small waterfall I went to during spring and summer to sit and write. It's so beautiful and peaceful and it helps pour my thoughts onto paper. Since it had been too hot, I went to the coffee shop on DebbleBerry. It, too, was peaceful and quiet. 

"Well, while you're with your love, I'll be with mine at the coffee shop," I told her.

"You're always reading and writing! Every time I call, you're either writing or about to. The only time you don't write is when you're hanging with me." 

Lorise said with a little frustration.

This was true. I always wrote, but writing for me was my escape from everything. Without it, I would've been in a nuthouse. 

"Go ahead and write. All the writing you do you should become an author," she said getting out of my car. 

I started the engine and drove off. I arrived at the coffee shop in 7 minutes. I walked into the shop and Mrs. Ivy greeted me. Mrs. Ivy always made my day no matter what was going on. 

"Hey sugar, what'll it be today?" I called her Grammy because she reminded me of what a grandma would be like. My grandmothers died before I was born. One of them, my mom's mom, gave me a silver necklace with a diamond in the middle. They say she left it for me when she was dying. It kind of felt like I was keeping a memory I didn't know I had. I wore it every day. 

"Your special lemonade," I said getting excited just thinking about it. She turned to make it. As she did that, I searched for my money. I couldn't find my wallet though. 

"Grammy, nevermind. I can't find my wallet." I said to her when she turned around. She smiled and pushed the cup toward me. "No Grammy, I can't take this."

"Oh hush!" She waved me off.

"Grammy-" she put her hand up for me to stop talking. I took the cup with no more protest. 

Her lemonade was homemade and delicious! It was the best lemonade in life. 

I started looking for a book. I was mostly looking for a poetry book. I saw a book on love poems. As I reached for the book, a hand touched mine. The touch made my heart quicken.  

"I'm sorry, I didn't notice you grabbing for the same book." I heard a nice, smooth voice behind me say. I turned to look at the guy. He looked sorry but at the same time pleased.

"It's fine," I smiled, "accidents happen." He smiled back. Whoa, that was an amazing smile. 

"I'm Bryson Johnson." He stuck out his hand. "Liberty Bell." I shook it. I had probably been smiling like the Cheshire Cat. 

"Liberty," he repeated admiringly, "that's a pretty name." My heart jumped everywhere. I looked at his eyes and noticed how beautiful they were. Light brown. They complemented his caramel skin tone.

"So you've met my grandson, Bryson," Grammy said with excitement. Bryson handed me the copy of the book I wanted. 

"I believe you wanted this?" He asked. He was very charming. "I believe I did." I smile shyly. 

"Y'all go to the same school?" Grammy asked. "No, I don't think so. I would've noticed such a pretty thing around." Bryson said. I could hardly breathe evenly.

"What school do you go to dear?" Grammy asked me. "Westview high." I could tell Bryson was past high school. 

"I go to Clark Atlanta. I'm about to graduate." He was much older than me. Maybe 4 or 5 years. 

"What are you studying?" I became curious. "Psychology and literature."

"Really? That's amazing! I was thinking about literature. Are the classes hard?" I could tell he liked my interest. "Depends on the person. I'd say you would probably pick up on it fast." I smiled at his observation. "Here let's sit down." We sat at a round table with one chair on each side.

"What college were you thinking about going to?" He asked. Because I had done so well in school, I had a scholarship to Columbia University. I didn't really want to go to college though. 

"I have a scholarship to Columbia."

"Going for literature?" He asked. I nodded. We talked a bit about college life and what he'd learned about writing. We also talked about our own writing. 

"I'd like to see some of your writing if that's okay with you. It sounds like you're pretty passionate," he said. This shocked me. No ones ever asked to see my writing. Not even Lorise or my parents. 

"Sure, but I'd like to see some of yours too," I said. 

"I'd love to show you." 

"Good, I can come here tomorrow at three," I suggested. "Perfect." Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Grammy smiling.     

"I'm happy I met you, Liberty." He said and it sounded so sincere. He stood and took my hand, but this time he kissed it. I smiled and just stood there. I couldn't move. I just watched as he hugged his grandmother goodbye and left. I still stood in a daze.