The Boy I Hate

Thirty Three.

"Being a hostess is actually kind of hard," I mused, nudging my mother's shoulder. "Who knew?"

"I knew," she retorted.

I looked out into my backyard fondly, watching everyone I cared about mingle. Margie and Lily dancing together in the grass, Elizabeth recruiting Teresa to take a picture of her, Bobby and Richard arm wrestling, and my dad chatting Charlie's ear off about something or another. The boy gave me a little look that said save me. I shook my head at him and giggled.

I was throwing a little off-to-college get together with my closest friends. The word around town was that people lost touch after high school, and while I hoped that wasn't true, I'd been holding on to every moment I could. I'd become something of a suburban mom - always taking pictures and handing out compliments.

After all, we'd all be going our separate ways in coming weeks.

Lily - a year younger than the rest of us - would be staying in Sugar Port. Lucky for her, Margie was headed only an hour away, to VSU. The couple was going strong. I forced Charlie into double dates with them so often it was as if we're one big couple. A quartet of sorts.

Who knew where Elizabeth was headed. I tried to ask her about it, but she always said something about the wind and wherever it blew her.

Bobby planned to get a job at the mine on the west of Sugar Port. It was what his father did, and it turned out he looked up to him quite a lot. He mentioned to me once that he wanted to stay in town to watch after Lily (even though - lord knew - she didn't need it).

Richard, as he'd always planned, would be the star batter for VSU. Him and Margie had made plans to hang out there. He'd been training all summer. At least, that's what he usually said he was doing when I asked him to hang out. I had a theory that was just his cover for still not being all that comfortable with me as a friend. I couldn't blame him. I just wished it didn't have to be this way. I hoped maybe one day it wouldn't be. After all, I was able to get him here today. It took a lot of guilt tripping, but there he was.

Charlie and I would be headed to New York tomorrow. We spent the whole summer researching the school, hyping ourselves up. Well, that wasn't all we did. We also managed to have quite the summer romance.

Sadly, my party was nearing an end. The sun was going down, people needed to get home, and I needed to rest before the long drive in the morning.

It was time to say my goodbyes; for real.

I started with Margie - my oldest girlfriend. I swore to her that I'd be back every holiday. I knew I could never completely lose touch with her. She'd been my right-hand-woman far too long to be replaced. Lily and Elizabeth jumped into our conversation. I hugged all three of my girls, wishing I didn't have to let go. We told a couple jokes, shed a couple tears, but eventually the trio was walking away.

Farewell was harder than I anticipated.

Next came Bobby - the brother I never had. He hugged me tightly, and I squirmed in his grasp. He laughed, "my little Mabel is growing up." I reminded him that we were the same age. We shared a goodbye, but then it was time for him to talk with Charlie. I could only imagine how emotional that goodbye would be.

The only one left was Richard. He shuffled his feet to me somewhat nervously, a new look on him. I gave him a hug, despite how awkward it seemed. Richard White was so much of my high school experience, and if I was closing that chapter, it was important that I closed it with him.

He wished me luck, "I hope New York treats you well."

I joked, "it probably won't, but I'll love it anyway."

We both laughed. It was bittersweet.

Being exes with someone is weird, I realized. That person knows so much of you that nobody else ever will. Some of your fondest memories are theirs too.

I gave him another hug. "Thank you for a good two years."

He gave me a crooked smile.

Then Charlie came in, wrapping an arm around my shoulder - not possessively, but matter-of-factly. He sent Richard a nod. That was what they did now; nod. Richard nods back.

"See you around, Man."

"Back at you."

Then he left.

My parents already left to their rooms. Now, it was just me, Charlie, and the few little tears running along my cheeks. "Why are you crying, Mae?" He kissed my tears away. The lights I'd strung up through the yard twinkled above us like stars. He looked so handsome in this light.

I huffed, "it's the end of an era."

"I know," he nodded, kissing my forehead. "I know. I think I can cheer you up, though."

I smiled flirtatiously, tugging on his jacket. "How so?"

"Follow me," he whispered gently in my ear.

I did, holding his hand and letting him guide me through my backyard. He brought me around the house and to my car. My parents bought it for me that summer, saying it was finally time I got one for college. Charlie stopped in his tracks, and turned to me with a grin. I accidentally crashed into his chest, but we leaned into it. He perched himself on my car's hood, holding my hips. I laughed at his antics. "You brought me to the front yard to seduce me?"

He kissed my neck. "That's a lovely idea, but actually..." He stepped away from me, opened the back door of my car, and pulled a folded piece of fabric out. "I didn't have time to wrap it."

I jumped with excitement, "a gift?" I took the fabric from his grasp, unfolded it, and held it out to myself. My heart sung at the sight. It was his jersey - his new NYU jersey. "Is it yours or mine?"

He smiled. "I asked for two. So, you know, you can wear this one."

I held it up to my chest with a grin. It was such a nice and lovely gift from such a nice and lovely boyfriend. A giddy feeling rose in my chest when I thought about wearing it around campus. Like when fraternity boys letter their girlfriends. It was a way for me to let everyone know that I was with Charles Turner. That I was his girlfriend. I put it on over my clothes. "I love it, Charlie!"

He got a little closer, pushing me back against the car. "You love it?"

"I do," I brought a hand to the back of his neck to pull his face closer to mine.

He dipped his head closer to mine, pressing our noses together. "Do you love me?"

I could hear my heart beat in my ears when I said, "I do."

Our lips brushed when he said, "me too."

So there I was - kissing the boy I loved