Finding Charley (Full Circle) (5 page)

Tori has
now turned the Christmas music to Hank’s style music.  It’s almost as if everyone knows where the party is because every athlete on campus is on Kluft second floor except… Joe. 
I wonder where he is?

As soon as the thought enters, I see those piercing blue eyes walking down the hallway.  I begin to shake my head no, but he completely ignores me.  He heads straight for me and begins to grab my hand when Georgia puts in her two cents.

“Uh, no, you don’t!  She’s done with you.”   She takes her time so the words aren’t slurred.

“No. She’s. Not.  I need to make this right before tomorrow mornin
g.  Now, if you’ll excuse us.”

I can feel my heart rate increase, and the pool of tears build.  This was supposed to be a night without this mess, and yet again, Dylan seems to be in control.

Joe looks at me with pleading eyes, and I nod yes.  I glance back over my shoulder at Georgia.  We have a secret code.  Come and get me in five.

I walk with him in
to my room and close the door.

“Please don’t cry, Squirrel.”  He tries to brush away the tears, but I push away his hand instead.

“Keep your hands off me. Got it?”

“Yeah, please tell me you thought about what I told you?  Tell me you forgive me.  I can’t leave for a month knowing that I ruined the best relationship I’ve ever had other than with Gran.  I can’t lose you.  I’ll take whatever you can give.”

“Joe, right now I really want to forgive you, but I would rather be angry.  What you did is unforgiveable.  You’re no better than Dylan!  I just can’t right now.”

His eyes begin to glisten, and I know I’ve hurt him.  That’s what I want.  I want to hurt him as much as he has hurt me.

“Squirrel, even though you didn’t give me the answer I wanted, I believe there is hope in your words.  I hope you have a great break, and when you decide I’m worthy of being forgiven, call me no matter what time.”

He takes a step away from me and walks out the door.  As it closes, tears stream down my face, and I’m completely sober now.

Within seconds, Georgia is in my room.  She has two glasses in her hands.  We sit in the floor and get sloppy drunk, while I relive every moment of my past: the good, the bad, and the totally fucked up.

At some point, the music dies down and people retire to their rooms.  I stumble into my bed with my ugly sweater acting as pajamas and go to sleep because I have no fight in me at this point.  Tomorrow is another day.

Chapter 6

Holy shit!  My head feels like it’s throbbing, and my ringing phone sounds like needles penetrating my skull. 
Hungover.  That is what it is and why I’m not a fan.  I do believe this is the only time in my life that I haven’t wanted Luke Bryan to crash my party because undoubtedly I partied too much last night. As I reach for my phone, I feel like my arm weighs two tons and I’m totally off balance.  I know that ringtone and who’s on the other side.  It makes me smile, which takes all efforts at this point in the day.

“Hey, Cash Money,” I say groggily.

“Char-coal, are you hungover?” he questions.

“Uh huh, I feel like shit on the bottom of a horse’s hoof.”

He begins to laugh. “Well, that’s one way to put it.  You gonna be able to drive home today?”

“I sure hope so.  We’ve got a lot to talk about, and, oh gosh, hold on.”  I throw my phone onto the bed and make a mad dash to the bathroom.  I barely make it to the porcelain throne before spilling all the contents from my stomach. 
Better.  Much better.
  I wash my hands and take a few deep breaths before returning to my room to finish my conversation.  “Sorry.”

“You feel better?”

“Yup, still got a headache that won’t quit, but what I wouldn’t kill for a Cajun filet biscuit about now.”

“And Bo Rounds?
Sweet tea? Bo Berry Biscuits?  Do you want me to keep goin’?”  Cash snickers.

“My mouth is watering thanks to you!  If I ever decide to do this again, remind me not to!  I don’t know why people think this is fun.  But, hell, mine was just ‘
cause Joe showed up again.”

“Whoa!  What did you say?  Hold on and let me get this straight.  Joe showed up, and you got drunk?  What the hell, Char?  I’m not there!”

“Don’t get your panties in a tangle just yet!  I got piss-ass drunk with Georgia right by my side after he left.  I’m good.  Now, I’m gonna get off here and try to act like I’m not hungover.  I’ll text you before I leave, but just so you know, the Kluft girls are going to Hank’s tonight and I know them well enough to know that I’m gonna have to have a damn good excuse not to go.”

“Char, do what you want to, but be careful.  Call and let me know what you decide.  ‘
Cause I wanna go hunting this afternoon if you’re not coming home.”

“Don’t let that stop ya.  You know it wouldn’t me.”  I smirk because he knows that is one hundred percent the truth.

“Call me, Char.  Love you.”

“Love you.”

I hang up the phone and fall back onto the bed.  A shower can wait until this morning nap is complete, and I pray I wake up minus a headache.

My nap is interrupted by a light knocking on my door.  I roll out of bed and realize that my body isn’t having an out-of-body experience anymore, and the headache is now a dull constant as opposed to a constant throb.  I twist the
knob and find Georgia standing there with her hair looking a hot mess.  If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’d been rolling around in the sheets with someone, but that is not Georgia’s style.  She has high standards, and one-night stands are not included.

We don’t speak. She just enters and makes herself comfortable on my bed after grabbing a Choice Cherry Gold and a box of Cheez-Its.

“So, Char, do you remember last night? I mean, I hope you remember what happened before we got piss-ass drunk.  I’m sorry for that, but you needed it.”

“Yeah, I remember Joe, if that’s what you mean.  I’ve got a question, though. Why did you let him take me in here alone?  I just didn’t think you would do that.”

“I wanted to stop him, but the look on his face and those eyes told me more than I ever wanted to know.  Plus, I figured that if he was on our territory he wouldn’t do anything.   I was giving him five minutes, and then I was gonna beat down the door if he didn’t let me in.  Instead, he excused himself like a gentleman.”

Gentleman
. That word struck a nerve.  It wasn’t long ago that I used the same term to describe Joe.  A gentleman… my ass.

“Char, I know you have been through a lot, but I want to know what you have planned over break.  If you aren’t doing much, maybe we can meet up or something?”

“Girl, ‘Bama is a haul from here, but let’s see what we can figure out.  Oh, and I think I’m going to try to head out before long.  What about you?”

“I think I’m going to Hank’s tonight and then on the road first thing in the morning.”  Georgia puts back the Cheez-
Its onto the shelf before making her way to get ready.

I stand and gaze at myself in the mirror.  I look like death warmed over.  Maybe a
hot shower will do the trick.

Once I take care of the three
S’s
and put myself together, I begin to take on the task of packing.  The question is, if I’m going home for a month, what do I need?  What’s at home?  I’m not packing up this room to bring it back in four weeks.  I decide to take the necessities and worry about the rest when I get home.  Worst case scenario involves Piper and me shopping at Northlake.

As I’m packing, I come across the squirrel charm that Joe gave me at homecoming.  I hold it tight within my grip and pray that he is good and this is just a test for all of us.

I place it inside the zipper compartment of my cosmetic bag and toss the bag over my shoulder.  I walk into the hallway and begin to make my way to the car when Caroline walks out of her room.

“Where do you think you’re goin’?” she asks with her hands on her hips.

“To put my bag in the car.  I’m not leaving just yet.”

“Well, you know tonight’s Hank’s, and I can’t believe you’d leave without going.  It’s going to be epic.  Last night at Hank’s before break.  Please tell me you aren’t gonna miss it?”

“Well, I had planned on missing it. I…”  Caroline quickly interrupts me.

“Listen, Char. I know life’s been kinda shitty lately, but it’s our last night before we all leave.  Let’s go let our hair down.  Y’all don’t have practice or class. It’ll just be fun with the girls.  Who knows, you might meet some hot baseball guy?” she says as she nudges me.

“Whatever.  I’ll think about it, but I’m just getting ready to go home.”

“Okay, but it will be fun.  I promise.”

I look at Caroline like she’s an idiot.  “Caroline, hun, Hank’s is always fun.  I just want to get home and release all this stress with my Marlin 30/30.  There’s a doe, buck, or even a tin can calling my name!”

I walk past her, down the stairs to my car, and pop the trunk.  Using a few extra minutes, I think about what I want to do.  I want to go home, but a night out would be great.  When I think about that, I think about last night.  That was not fabulous like I had planned.  Maybe I should stay around. Heck, who wants to have their last night of the semester end in tears, heartache, and the worst hangover of their
life?  I think a night at Hank’s is just the cure.

Taking my bag, I unzip it and remove my cosmetic bag and walk back upstairs.  I’m going to have a good time with the girls tonight, and no guys are going to ruin it.

Chapter 7

Tucking my bag underneath my arm, I make my way back up the stoop and onto Kluft second floor.  The girls are chillin’ in the hallway, and Caroline is grinning from ear to ear.

“Not a word, Caroline.  Not a word.”

“I didn’t say a thing,” she say
s in her sweet Southern drawl.

“Yeah, whatever.
  You are dying to say I told ya so!”

“What can I say? I love when redneck meets ghetto fabulous.”

Tori chimes in, “Ya know, Char, if you can come up with shit like that, they’re going to hire you for one of those damn Budweiser commercials.  Then, we’ll say we knew you when.”  I just shake my head.

I take a moment to send Cash, Piper, and Tessa a quick text telling them that I will be home tomorrow.  The Kluft girls spend the remainder of the day watching chick flicks, eating leftover pizza, and preparing for an epic night at Hank’s.  I’m hoping to make this a night I don’t
forget, so no alcohol for me.

I glance in my closet. 
What to wear?  What to wear? 
Heck, it’s Hank’s. It’s not like it really matters, and I have no one to impress.  I pull a pair of Miss Me jeans, a solid purple tank, and my Ariats.  I brush through my hair and apply a little mascara, blush, and lip gloss, and I’m ready to leave.

“Dang, Char, you’re gonna kill them tonight,” Anna says as I walk out of my room.

I stop and look her way.  She can’t be serious.  “Um, what are you talking about?  I’m just dressed like I always do at home.”

Hayden begins to laugh, and it can’t be good.  “Well, no wonder Cash doesn’t want anyone to get near you, ‘cause if I looked that good in a pair of jeans and a plain tank, I’d shake my money maker f
or all it’s worth!” She winks.

“Seriously, Hayden?
  I just grabbed something from the closet.  I’m not trying to impress anyone tonight.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.  Those baseball guys are gonna be all over you tonight.  Just watch.”

We turn up the music, and everyone partakes in a few more beverages before we pile into the Love Machine and make our way toward Hank’s.

As usual, we roll in on two wheels, and nothing about this place has changed since our last visit.  It’s amazing how a run-down place that smells like skunked beer and cigarettes could be our second home.  It’s our escape from reality, like our sanctuary away from class, parents, drama, and the world outside these four walls.

I take a minute and check the rearview mirror. Smile. There’s nothing in the pearly whites, and then I slide out of the driver’s seat onto the gravel.  I pat my pocket, making sure I have my ID.

Georgia makes it about halfway across the road before the pavement grows a foot and she’s face-first on the
ground.  She starts to laugh hysterically, and I pull her up by her arms.  Good thing this isn’t a high-traffic road.  She better slow her roll, or she’s gonna be passed out before long.

We push through the glass door and past the bouncer who eyes me from head to toe as we make our way into Hank’s.  Of course, we form our usual beeline to the bathroom and the stall with no door.

“All right, ladies, what’s the plan tonight?  Who’s getting a piece before they go home for a month?” Hayden questions.  She scans all of us, and most have their hands raised, but Georgia and me.  “Char, I hate to break it to you, but if you don’t get a piece, it’s your own damn fault.  Georgia, we know you well enough to know that you’re gonna have those hips rockin’ the dance floor with one guy all night long.”

I just shake my head.  Sometimes being sober isn’t fun.  Hell, it never is, but tonight’s about cutting lose and staying in control.