Page 46 of The One I Need
That’s why he’s here? “How did you find out about my trip?”
“Wes,” he says as I head back into my bedroom, toiletry bag in hand. “He said when he talked to you yesterday that you were going to Vegas with someone we don’t know, and you wouldn’t say who it was.”
“Oh. Well, then, you’re all caught up.”
I go back to putting all of the clothes I laid out into my suitcase. When I look back up at Shane, he’s staring at me like I’ve grown a second head.
“What the fuck, man?” he says. “Why won’t you tell us who you’re seeing?”
“I’m not seeing anyone.”
“Why are you lying?”
I look Shane square in the eye. “I’m not seeing anyone. At least in that way.”
“Then tell me. Why the secrecy?”
He’s right. I hid Izzy at first because something just told me I needed to. I think my subconscious was trying to protect me in case she kicked me to the curb. But now that I know she’s going to be part of my life, and that I know there’s nothing that’s going to happen between us, I might as well come clean.
But not yet. When I get home I will. I’ll show them all the pictures, tell them everything about how we met, my elaborate plan to try to get her to date me, and how she ultimately friend-zoned me. I’ll even tell them that they can up their proposal count to thirty-four.
I just want one more adventure with her before we leave our bubble that I’ve come to love so much.
“I promise I’ll tell you when I get home,” I say. “But I want you to know, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
Shane nods. “I know you will be. You just haven’t been acting like yourself, and you’re the one thing in my life that I can count on.”
“Aw, you’re getting sentimental.”
His face goes back to the scowl. “Fuck you.”
“When you say that, I know you really mean you love me. I love you too, brother.”
Shane is unfazed by my words, a byproduct of nearly thirty years of friendship. “Promise me one thing?”
“Yes, I will bring you back a tacky T-shirt as a souvenir. Elvis or Blue Man Group?”
Shane doesn’t laugh. Instead he puts on his mean “dad” look. “I need you to promise me you won’t come back married.”
I laugh, but I also understand his concern. “I promise.”
* * *
I love being a teacher.I don’t know what I’d do if I wasn’t. But there is nothing quite like the feeling of driving away, the windows of your car rolled down, the wind blowing through your hair, as you pull away after the last day of school.
It’s a freedom that can’t be replicated.
Instead of turning right to head to The Joint, where the rest of the teachers are going for a celebratory drink, I turn left to head toward the highway. It worked out that I was going to get done with my day in time to pick up Izzy and then head straight to the airport. As long as there are no delays, we’ll be in Vegas just in time to get in a few rounds at the poker table.
Just as I turn onto Route 65, a call comes through the Bluetooth with the iconic song, “Fancy.” Which means my mom is calling. Suzanne Price loves her some Reba.
“Hey, Mom,” I say.
“Another year down! You did it!”
I laugh as she makes some sort of congratulatory sounds through the phone. This is a yearly tradition. It started in person as we were both teaching, though she was in middle school and I was down in elementary. Since she retired, she’s kept it up through phone calls. It’s my official start to summer.
“I did,” I say. “I’m going to miss this group. They might have driven me crazy by the end of the year, but they were good kids.”
