Leading You Home

First

"Every now and then, the stars align. Boy and girl meet by the great design. Could it be that you and me are the lucky ones?"

_____

The Earth is coming back to life.

Flowers are blooming, sunshine is shining, and muddy puddles are drying up. It had been a rough and wet spring, but the rain clouds are satisfied with their damage and are finally beginning to wring out. Harsh wind whip through my open windows and I struggle to see out of my wild hair, but I don't care. The sun is warm on my skin and the air is fresh in my lungs. The Earth has come back to life.

Spotting an upcoming stop sign, I ease on the brakes of my '74 lime green Volkswagen Beetle. There are no cars coming from any direction so I could continue, but my phone starts to sing. Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry fills the car. It's sitting in the passenger seat where I tossed it earlier. Reaching for it, I glance at the screen. It's Mom.

"Georgia?" I hear faintly.

I look up and see Bradley walking down the sidewalk toward my car. His hands are in his pockets and his blond hair looks lighter in the glistening sun.

"Hi," I greet, thankful for a reason to hit decline.

Bradley is my best friends' ex-boyfriend. They've been on and off since the ninth grade and lucky me has sat on the sidelines witnessing the whole thing. It's like watching a romantic comedy play out right in front of you but every time you think it's the end, the movie starts to skip and you have to start it over. That's what they always call it, anyway. It's going to be different this time. We just need to start over. I'm smart enough to know that they're fooling each other when they claim to be in love. A pair that has been broken up seventy-two times (she's counted) can't be in love.

"When did you get your license?" Bradley asks, resting his forearms on my open window.

"Last year."

He checks out the car and chuckles. I instantly become protective of my little Beetle, ready to defend it if Bradley chooses to judge. Instead of making fun, he says, "Nice wheels."

I place my hands on the steering wheel and lightly run my hands over it. "Got this baby over the summer," I brag, sounding like a proud mother. It was actually a huge accomplishment, the Volkswagen. I saved up all my money from my summer job at Panera and bought this beauty. Love her to death.

My phone buzzes in my lap. It's a text from Mom. Come home now.

I throw my phone back in the passenger seat and look up at Bradley. Squinting my eyes at the sun, I ask, "Want some gum?"

He shrugs. "Sure."

I retrieve a package of unopened Juicy Fruit gum from the center glove compartment and put the whole thing in his palm. He frowns.

"Please don't decline. I hate that kind," I tell him, glaring at the yellow package, remembering my Grandma's face when she gave it to me as a gift last weekend. She expected me to lash out because I got a small worthless pack of gum when my little sister got a beautiful new dress and my older sister got a gorgeous diamond necklace.

Little does she know, I don't wear dresses or diamond necklaces.

"Cool." Bradley starts to open the package as I spot another unlucky item in the glove compartment. I reach in and hand a box of Lucky Strikes to the boy hanging in through my car window. His eyebrows furrow as the corner of his lips turn up into a knowing grin.