Love Me Anyway

(7) Senior Year is Ending

March

It was the weekend of Bucky's 19th birthday. Earlier that week he was sworn in. Vivian decided to kill two birds with one stone. She planned a dinner party for both occasions.

She invited the Hartleys to the dinner party. Vivian wasn't aware that Alexis avoided Bucky at all costs. She told her dad that he and Jenni could go but she wasn't going.

Vivian hugged and kissed Hudson's cheek. "Where is Alexis?" Vivian said

"She isn't coming." He said

He didn't realize Bucky was behind her till she moved. "Im sorry James.." Hudson said

"Its fine. She has made it clear that she wants nothing to do with me. She even convinced Fury to cancel the whole senior show." Bucky said then he walked off.

When the party was over he was upstairs in his room. He saw that her bedroom light was on. With a sigh he found their messages on his phone.

"Alexis..why are you being like this?"

*read at 935pm*

No response came in from her. He looked down and shook his head.

"Guess I will just go on to bed then." He said to himself.

Spring break was just two weeks later. He and his friends took off to Cabo for two weeks for their last spring break vacation.

April

It was two weeks before Senior Prom. All the guys were doing cute prom proposals to the girls. All the girls were getting asked except Alexis. Bucky asked Frankie Baker to senior prom with a bag of gummi bears and hershey's kisses.

Alexis slammed her locker and walked off. He didnt realize she was standing at her locker. When he saw her walking off in tears he realized she saw the whole thing.

The night of prom Bucky kept scanning the room. He thought that she would just come alone if she wasn't asked. But she never showed up to prom.

Alexis was home binging Grey's Anatomy on Netflix. She posted a picture of her tv with the caption "How I am spending my senior prom at home with Grey's."

Bucky seen it the next morning with a sleeping Frankie beside him. "Lex.." he thought to himself.

That afternoon after reading through all of her college packets. She decided to attend college at Texas A&M University. Hudson wasn't happy with her decison. Bucky got his boot camp orders the day before he was shipping out to Fort Hood in July for boot camp.

Bucky was still bound and determined to get to the NFL somehow. He was hoping once he was done with the military that could try out.

May-Graduation

It was finally graduation day. The principal asked all those that were enlisted in the armed forces to stand up. When he did Steve and Sam stood up beside him. They were the only two of his friends that were going to do it with him.

The gym erupted with applause and whistles. After a few more teachers gave speeches. Fury said "Now time for our a valedvictorian speech. Please welcome Alexis Preslynn Hartley to the stage."

Alexis walked up to the stage. She lowered the mic then began.

"Students,faculty,staff and family. We are here the day we have all been waiting for..graduation day. The day where our new chapters begin. Life is now at a fork in the road. And no matter what path you choose its all up to you to make the right choices. As we leave here today remember to take all the life lessons we have learned up till now. Stay true to who you are and never give up when life knocks you down. But most importantly remember that life is unpredictable there will be ups and downs. And there will be obstacles  that stand in your way. Sometimes those are there to show you that you either need to fight harder or move on to something else. So go out there have fun with cause you only get this one life to make the best of it."

Everyone was on their feet clapping as she walked off the stage. Bucky tried to find her after the ceremony was over but she already made her way home.

July

It was the night of Bucky's going away. And once again Alexis didn't show up. Before Hudson left to go home he hugged Bucky. "You are going to be fine. You are tough just like all of the Barnes." He said

"Thanks Hudson." Bucky said as he hugged him back.

"She also said to give this to you." Hudson said as he hands him a envelope.

"Oh..thanks." he said as he took it.

Bucky waited till after the party was over to read it.

He laid in his bed and opened it up.

"Bucky,
This is goodbye. I hope that whatever it is that is so important to you is everything you wanted. I hope it was worth all the fight you put in. I did start to like you but you scared the living hell out of me. I couldnt fully trust you to let you in. And I guess maybe that is a good thing because like you said we werent a match. Good luck with everything Buck. -Alexis P Hartley"

Bucky wiped some tears away. "Good luck to you too." He whispered as he folded it back up.

The next morning James and Winnie drove him to the airport. They said their goodbyes to their last son to leave the nest. Once he got on the plane and they took off he put his headphones in. He pressed shuffle on his Pandora app and the first song that started play was "Love Me Anyway."

"Not funny Pandora." He whispered as he hit next.

Two weeks after he left for boot camp. Alexis was in her car making her way to Texas.