Because of You, Well, Us

Chase

Most seniors in high school long for summer. They want homework and teacher free days where they can stay outside and hang out with friends. I considered myself one of those people, and then I found out my best friend would spend the entire summer in Maine. My best friend, and also female. And whom I knew I loved. Maybe. Then summer became a three month long torture chamber where I would sometimes talk to this best friend if she had time. For the first time ever, I had a countdown over the summer, because I wanted Kate back that much.

I got to pick her up from the airport because her dad's job sent him on business until just after her flight got in, so he asked me to drive and pick her up. Plus I always suspected Kate's dad knew about the potential for something between Kate and I, and knew I would want to see her after three months. Anyone else and I probably would have said no, but I would walk the hour barefoot over broken glass to see Kate. It may sound a bit dramatic, but her role as my best friend came before anything else.

On my way out the door, I tried to flatten my hair a bit. It had always looked curly and unruly, but I was too prideful to look into any way to get it under control. I knew Kate could relate because her hair always fell in these waves over her shoulders, no matter what. Just thinking about them made me think about everything else I liked about her, and now an hour seemed like too much time and space separating me from my best friend.

Fourth grade seemed like so long ago as Kate and I came to our senior year. I had been the new kid, and just moved in during the summer. I remember sitting on a bench on the playground at recess, and having no idea what to do. Then, some girl with bright red hair came up to me out of nowhere, threw her soccer ball at me and told me to join her. I asked her how she knew I played, and she scoffed in that fourth grader way, rolled her eyes, and pointed to my shirt; a Liverpool jersey I still had, despite it getting small and faded over the years. My mom had gotten it for me for my birthday a few weeks earlier, before we had moved to Elm's View. We had stayed best friends ever since. It does help that the next day I found out she lived right next door to me, in fact, our bedroom windows faced each other.

Kate had spent the entire summer in Maine with her family. I would never admit this to anyone, but I really missed Kate. Sometimes, late at night, I'd wake up, sit at my desk, and just look at her closed curtains. Despite the potential of it being slightly pathetic, Kate and I had barely spent any time apart since the day we met in fourth grade. It didn't help that usually when we talked on the phone, we would sit at our desks and watch each other, or sometimes we would keep each other company when we did homework that way. It became also our way of staying sane on the rare occasion either of us either got grounded and our parents tried to cut us off from humanity. No matter what happened, we leaned on each other.

The thought of not knowing where she thought of going to school the next year scared the shit out of me. Kate and I had spent so much time together, going to the same school, riding the same bus, then carpooling when we could, that it would feel weird not to see her four or five times in one day. Dating in college did not mean a secure relationship, I knew that. Yet, just the thought of telling her how I felt and having her feel the same way made me feel better,

I drove down the highway with my windows down. The noise deafened me, but I liked the feel of the wind on my face, like flying. Music from a mix Kate made me a few weeks before she left blasted from the speakers, although I could barely hear it over my windows. Usually when a person made someone else a mix they listened for some sort of hidden meaning in the lyrics or themes of songs. However, Kate and I weren't like that. As far as I knew, we stayed just friends and always would be. No matter how much I wanted more to happen, I knew I had to respect Kate. I didn't detect any sort of hidden messages in this one. Others in the past had raised suspicion, but this one had mostly all of the songs from some band she had discovered.

The closer I got to the airport, the more nervous I became. I would see Kate for the first time in three months, the longest we had gone without seeing each other. When she first announced her trip, I tried to hide my disappointment and get excited for her. I figured I could use the time away from her and really try to figure out what I wanted to do about my feelings. Now the possibility had arrived, I could feel my hands shaking with nerves as I steered the car towards the airport. I guess I had my answer. I wanted to do something, and the thought terrified me.

My palms started to sweat as I walked through the parking lot into the building. I tried to calm down, but the deep breaths I always made fun of my mom for doing weren't working. If anything, they made me even more nervous. My heart pounded, and walking faster than I normally did. I knew storming the airport wouldn't make her plane land any faster, but I couldn't help myself. I had lost all control over my body.

I saw that her flight had already landed when I reached the arrivals and departure boards, a good thing since I wouldn't have to wait too terribly long for her to come. I didn't think my nervous system could handle a long wait. I scanned the crowd for her face in case she had gotten off right away, and started pacing around like a madman, but I didn't see her anywhere. I thought I had heard someone call my name, but the hair looked too light for Kate. There must have been another Chase in the airport.

I stood corrected. The girl ran over, dropped her stuff at my feet and threw her arms around me. I'd never known Kate to do that with me, but I picked her up anyway and twirled her around. A few older people around us laughed and muttered "teenage infatuation," as well as other, less polite remarks.

I paid no attention to them; all that mattered was that I had my Kate back. My only problem was, I had apparently missed the headline that my best friend had turned into a tanned and drop dead gorgeous goddess. I fell for her even harder than I already had.