The Son of a Preacher

Chapter seven: Growing up *Edited*

Lucas,1984,Huntsville, Alabama

I stare out the classroom window at a bright and sunny sky, wishing the last bell would hurry up and ring so my history class would finally be over. Today is Caleb's sixteenth birthday, his parents held him back a year when he was younger to teach him the "ways" of God. In the last few months, he's been spending less private time with me, and more time with his "friends." I think his daddy has started to scare him, ever since Thanksgiving he's been distant. I'm scared that I'm going to lose him like after school today, I was hoping to do something special for him. Instead, we're hanging out with his friends. If I didn't love him as much as I did, I would honestly just skip and go to the clubhouse by myself.

The bell finally rings, after what feels like forever, and I spring up out of my chair running to the entrance. I look around frantically, trying to spot my city boy in the rushing crowd. When I finally place him my face splits into a huge grin, but then that grin turns into a deep frown. Right next to him is Hope, a girl who is even prettier than Lily, at least according to all the jocks. I didn't see it, she has frizzy red hair, pasty lifeless skin, and dull murky green eyes. She's giggling at Caleb and touching his arm, in her short little cheerleading uniform. I feel anger form in the pit of my stomach as I stomp over to them, wanting to smash my lips to his but too scared at what would happen.

" Hey there Caleb, are you ready to go?" I ask impatiently.

" Yeah, I'm just saying goodbye to Hope here." He says smiling that gorgeous smile of his at her.

" Well hurry it up, we have better things we need to do!" I snap trying hold back my anger.

" I'm sorry, am I interrupting your birthday plans," Hope says not really looking all that sorry to me.

" Yeah, but it's perfectly fine, I'll talk to you later." He says smiling even bigger this time.

" Okay, bye Caleb, happy birthday." She says walking away while batting her eyes at him. What a desperate harlot, I think bitterly.

" Lucas, you didn't have to be so rude." He says annoyed.

" Well, you didn't have to be so flirty!" I snap.

" I wasn't flirting, I was being nice and stop acting like a jealous girlfriend in public." He says whispering the last part.

" Whatever, let's go hang out with your idiot friends," I say with an eye roll.

We meet them at the pizza parlor, where there already being loud and rowdy except Greg of course. I sit by Greg since he's the only boy I can stand out of Caleb's friends. I'm surprised that a boy as nice and funny as Greg can be friends with people like Jack. I tried liking Jack, I really did, but that boy has no redeeming qualities. He's not even nice to look at like Caleb's other friends, he has the face of a pug and the ugliest mullet I've ever seen.

" Look it's the birthday boy!" Fred shouts.

" Yeah, the birthday boy who we're gonna help get laid!" Jack shouts gleefully.

" Laid?" I ask, fear creeping into the pit of my stomach.

" Yeah, have you seen the way Hope's been looking at Caleb," Kyle says with a whistle.

" Yeah, Caleb's lucky she's so hot!" Fred exclaims.

" So you in or not, Caleb?" Jack asks rather excited.

" I think it's a bad idea if my father found out he would kill me," Caleb says, rejecting the proposal. As soon as those words are out of his mouth, it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off of me. I know we kissed before, but lately, with his distance I didn't know what to expect from him anymore.