Page 43 of Another Love, Another Time
We are down by the playground away from our parents, close enough that they can see us, but far enough away that they can’t hear us. I have a feeling this is going to get dirty quickly. One of the new guys goes, and a few of us drink.
Now, it’s River’s turn. I think she can sense Melissa trying to dig for details as well. “Never have I ever peed in a pool.” She looks straight at Melissa, waiting for her to take a drink, knowing she did when we were younger. All three of us were in the pool when it happened.
Melissa slowly raises her drink to her lips, giving River the death stare. One of the guys River goes to school with takes a drink as well. His friends push him around, giving him crap.
A few other people go, and then it goes back to Melissa. “Never have I ever had I had sex.” She’s looking at both River and me, of course, we don’t drink. There is something in Melissa’s eyes that I can’t quite read. Logan and a few of the other guys drink. One of the guys doesn’t drink, and his friends make fun of him. I have never felt that pressure from any of my friends. Quite afew of them have lost their virginity, but I’m waiting until River is ready.
I look over at River and grab her hand. Then, I say, “Hey, guys, we’re out.” I know River won’t protest, so we head back to the fire. Our parents are all sitting around the fire and talking. We sit down and soak up the warmth. River ignores all the parents’ greetings; she’s still mad at them.
I feel someone staring at me. I look around, and when I catch Melissa looking at me, I’m left with an uneasy feeling.
Chapter 11
River, Age 17
We are currently in the house our parents rented and getting ready to visit one of our top schools—Florida! Our parents came with us. Obviously, they made a trip out of it, bringing the whole family. We had all already visited Mizzou since we live so close.
Auggie and I were both interested in going to Florida. Logan, Auggie, and I have always talked about going to the same school, but we have to see what kind of offers we will get to pay for our school. All our families will heavily rely on scholarship money. If we can all get full rides to the same school, that would be awesome.
All of us wrote down our top three choices. After we wrote them down, we tallied the choices. Mizzou was number one for all of us. Second was Florida, and there was no agreement on the third option. I was also interested in going to OSU in Oklahoma. I’ve always loved watching their softball program. Auggie is open to going to Iowa since he has family there, and Logan has some interest in Alabama or Texas.
We’re crossing our fingers that all three of us will receive full rides to the same place. We would definitely take them in a heartbeat.
Melissa tried to weasel herself a spot on this trip, but I talked to my dad. I told them that if they invited her and her family, I wouldn’t go. The main focus of the trip is to take a tour of the school and explore the city where we may live. The last thing I want to worry about is Melissa.
I talked to my dad about it and let him know how serious I was. He then reasoned with my mom. My mom wasn’t happy. She had to come up with some excuse for why they didn’t have any room in the vehicle since we planned to drive. To be honest, I don’t really care as long as I don’t have to spend time with Melissa.
My dad comes through the front door, and I start, “Dad, what time are we leaving for the tour at the school?”
“Your mom said in about thirty minutes. Are you going to be ready?”
“Yes, Dad. I just need to put on some deodorant, and I’ll be ready to go.”
It’s a few hours later, and we have toured the campus’s two gyms, football stadium, dining hall, library, and bookstore. We also got some souvenirs. We toured Heitz Hall, which has a lot of chain restaurants and a Starbucks. It even has a bowling alley. We also saw gators in some of the ponds around campus. I’m used to seeing bunnies, moles, and skunks. I can’t imagine waking up and seeing a gator, but they are the Florida Gators.
We are getting ready to tour one of the residence halls. I think the guy giving the tour said it was called “Hume East.” We have walked through the common areas, study area, mailbox area, and laundry room. I’m not going to lie; it’s really nice. I can tell Auggie and Logan like it, too.
The rooms are nice. It’s a suite-style layout. Each person gets a roommate and shares a bathroom with two other students. There are two sinks in the room, so someone doesn’t have to wait until a roommate gets out of the shower to brush their teeth.
I walk over to Logan and Auggie, who are talking to each other, leaving our parents with the group.
“What do you guys think? Compared to Mizzou?” I begin.
Auggie answers, “I like the fact that it stays warm here all the time.”
“The girls are really pretty,” Logan adds, grinning.
I roll my eyes. “I mean, what did you think about the locations we toured?”
“That stadium was huge!” Auggie stretches his arms out.
“That’s what she said,” Logan jokes, and we both laugh at him.
I continue, “It’s hard because I want to stay close to our families, but at the same time, I love this school. It seems like they have a lot we can do than what we saw at Mizzou. I mean, our parents can always come down and visit. What interest have they shown in scholarships for you two? They offered me some, but not everything.”
“Same,” Auggie answers for both of them.
“I love it, but if someone offers me something better, I would be stupid not to take it.” I frown. “I’m really shooting for a full ride. With all our stats, we should all be able to get a full ride somewhere. I just hope we are all able to go to the same place.”
