Tender (Book 1 - Complete)

Chapter 2 - Jamie

Gravel grinds beneath the tires as Drew maneuvers his monster truck through the cluster of trees. I'm riding shotgun as Dillon, Clarice and Penny all chatter away in the backseat, Clarice shooting off girly screams any time we hit a large bump. That's just her though. She's an odd mix of female: she loves risky endeavors, but beware of the lioness that comes out if she were to break a nail in the process.

I scan the forest around us, loving the crisp quality of air this far into the trees. With the windows down, the cold breeze whipping around the inside of the vehicle, I feel free and alive. We haven't seen a road for the past half an hour, and the thrill of getting lost out here has my heart pumping with shots of adrenaline.

This is home to me. Being out in nature, enjoying the scenery and quiet. This is what I crave. School is overwhelming and suffocating—which is something that hasn't bothered me too much until this year. I'm not sure if it's just senioritis kicking in, urging me to get away as adulthood skips around in my very near future, or if it has something to do with Lynn being back in town.

That girl, as much as I'd like to just shove those memories into non-existence, I can't. I see her everywhere and it's driving me crazy. The day she left, she took something with her. It wasn't my heart, necessarily. It was never like that for us. We were always just friends. But we were close, and to have someone walk out of your life without even a simple 'goodbye' can scar a person. It's as if she took a chunk of me with her—my personality, my essence, something—because I haven't been the same guy since she left.

To say I'm a little pissed would be an understatement. To be honest, the idea of sparking up a friendship with her again churns my gut in the most uncomfortable way. I don't trust her and I'm not willing to give her a chance to crush me again.

So instead, I abandon thoughts of her by finding healthy ways of turning off my brain. So far, thrill-seeking seems to do the trick. When Lynn left, I sank into a dangerously dark place. Drugs and parties became my emotional suppressant, but when my mom started to notice the changes, she forced me to get my butt into gear. Thinking back, I'm embarrassed by my own stupidity. I mean, I was in eighth grade! What kid is so troubled at the age of fourteen that drugs become a necessity?

So after almost six months of therapy, I found new friends and gave up being a drug junkie in exchange for being an adrenaline junkie, and honestly, it's done wonders to my mental health. Had I really known who I was five years ago, pills never would have needed to control me. Sadly, my mom still doesn't quite approve of my life changes, scolding me for constantly risking my life. But since I'm not technically doing anything wrong or illegal, there's not much she can do.

Now, rather than being a deadbeat dope addict, I'm a closet country music loving, red bull drinking, say 'no' to skinny jeans kinda guy. (Side note: the skinny jeans preference does not apply to ladies. I love a girl in tight pants.)

In addition to these spectacular qualities, I'm also awesomely typical. I don't stand out as the school's heartthrob—even though, in my opinion, Benjamin Randolph doesn't either. I'm no star athlete—mainly because my kind of sports aren't high school appropriate. And I don't have ladies flocking after me every waking hour—thank the Lord. Though, there is a particular lady that I wouldn't mind getting a tad more attention from.

So, in short, I'm just an average guy. Jamie Gallagher: high school senior, and omelet-making extraordinaire. Don't argue me on that—it's the truth. My omelets are spectacular. Actually, speaking of omelets, I'm famished.

"Food!" Clarice suddenly belts from the backseat, her voice strained and weak as she feigns starvation. "Must. Have. Food!"

Apparently, our minds are on the same wave-length. I turn in my seat to face her, nodding in agreement.