The Country Boy and The City Girl

Daniella's POV

It had been a week since I went to school now. We had already taken final exams and everyone just sat in class and talked with their friends. So after that day in English class, I drove home and faked being sick with strep. I had enough practice over the years to even fool my doctor mother.

"Is there anything I can get you?" she asked with a weak smile. I pulled the covers up under my neck and shook my head.

"Just sleep," I sighed. She nodded and left as I put in my earbuds and turned up Franz Ferdinand on my iMusic.

Prom was in two days. Graduation was in four. I really didn't want to go despite my mother forcing me to. She had already bought me the glitter ombré dress and she wasn't about to waste all of that money. And I didn't want to do that to her either...

Mac and I were supposed to get manicures together today, but those plans were made before we stopped talking. I wasn't about to hold my breath for her to show up at my door with a smile.

She had new friends now. She met them in some social club at school. They seemed like nice people, just not my kind of crowd. Amber was the club president too which also screamed red flag for me to join in. So I lost her. And there was nothing I could do about it... More tears trickled down my face and rolled onto my pillows. Such a mess. I had made such a mess of things. I just wanted it to all be over with and go to college to start fresh. I was so upset nowadays that I didn't even get excited when I got my acceptance letter to the University of Kentucky on scholarship for my ACT scores. It was all just one big blur.

My phone buzzed on the bedside table. I let it ring until it went to voicemail and stopped. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. But after awhile, I looked at my missed calls and saw a name that I never would have guessed.

Kent.

Jason's POV

"So you're a cop?" I asked as Cassie handed me a cup of coffee in her office. "But you're only twenty."

"Sort of. Dad's been training me since I was little. Guess you could say I'm a law enforcement prodigy," she explained nonchalantly. "Doesn't keep me from being a tad rebellious at times..."

I was still super confused. "But you didn't have me arrested for underage drinking?"

"Shhh," she put a finger to her lips. "The big guys don't know that. I get it. I was seventeen not too long ago too. I had my bad days. Although, I didn't know you were seventeen when I kissed you..."

"But you said I told you my life story when I was drunk?"

She inhaled sharply through her teeth. "Yeah...you failed to mention anything outside of your girlfriend and staying the night with her one time. Never did you mention you went to high school still."

Crap. I totally forgot about school. Now that I knew I needed Daniella back, I had to get home. Cassie told me it had been weeks since the day I said my uncle died, which scared the crap out of me too. What I thought had been a couple days turned out to be longer, the black outs just must have covered it up. I guess I walked for a long time before finding her at that bar...

"Don't freak out on me, kid," she chuckled. "It's only three years difference. I'm not a cougar or anything.....but I did technically abduct you from that bar so that is kinda bad..." I sat the coffee mug back on the desk.

"You were trying to help a stranger out...but...Since when is a policewoman so chill about things like this?" I asked. "Just pickin' up a drunk teenager from a bar and giving him a place to sleep and stuff. I could have been a hoodlum or a thug. Normal cops don't do that."

She laughed loud and shook her head. "You definitely are not a thug, country boy." She put on a charming smile and sat on the desk in front of my chair. "I'm not a normal cop. You should have known that by now. And as for helping you, I didn't know anything for sure." She intertwined her fingers together and looked down at them, deep in thought. "But I wish someone would have helped me when I was seventeen and got into trouble...I just thought I'd make it right for someone else this time."

I half smiled and looked up at her. "Thanks....for everything."

"No problem, Jase...Do me a favor though?"

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Go live the rest of your high school life. Make it count."

I smiled and nodded as my mind began to think about a plan. "You think you could get me home in a couple days? I got a girl and a Prom tux waiting for me back home."

She reached over her desk and grabbed her keys. "Let's get some shut eye for the night and we'll start in the morning."