Revolution of the Heart

Chapter 3-The Old and the New

I'm sitting on my butt at the end of the parking lot when Nash drives up in his silver BMW. I whistle when he rolls down the passenger side window. "New car?" I ask, standing up and opening the passenger side door.

"Heck yeah!" he hollers. "Have you ever known me to pass up an opportunity for a new car?"

"Nope, I haven't," I chuckle. I buckle my seat belt, and he takes off toward the house.

An awkward silence fills the car. "So, how have you been?" he asks to fill the silence.

"Fine. Nothing too special." Lie. He doesn't know. No one else knows. Not even Gavin or Genevieve. "What about you? You have to have done something to get this new car."

"Oh, you know, A little bit of this. A little bit of that," he says mysteriously. We laugh.

"Seriously, what have you been up to?"

"You know I graduated high school early, and college too. So, I had a head start on my career. As a journalist. The New York Times hired me! My dream career. Now if only I could be promoted to editor my life would be perfect. Well, also if I had someone to share it with, ya know?" He has the same southern accent as Gen. I used to find it irresistible, and I had the biggest crush on him. Then, when I was a freshman and he was a senior-three years ago-we started going out. We lasted one year until he went to college. I dumped him since I knew he had higher dreams and expectations then I did, and I knew I would hold him back. Besides, he was going on the bigger and better things, and he didn't need a loser girlfriend who was only in high school. Somehow, he has deluded himself into thinking he still wants me.

"You'll find someone," I respond with a forced, razor thin smile.

"The thing is, I think I already have," he says without looking away from the road, face straight.

"And who might that be?" I already know the answer yet foolishly asking anyway, and I mentally kick myself for being so stupid.

"You." I suck in a deep breath and turn, as much as I can in the seat, to face him.

"Nash, we're over. We have been for for like three years."

"You've been counting?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant that we haven't been, you know, together in a long time. It's not going to change. We both need to move on. You have so much potential and so much to give, and I have nothing in return. It wouldn't feel right," I gush. He gives out a frustrated sigh, and pulls into his driveway. Neither of us make a move to get out of the car.

"That doesn't matter to me, Ar! You do have alot to give! Just being you is enough. It always was, and I don't understand why you don't think it is. You are wonderful, and perfect, and I love being around you. Why can't that be enough for you? It is for me! Even though we haven't seen each other, really, since you, uh, dumped me, but I still feel things for you. You have no idea how hard it is for me to feel this again and have you shut me down, again!" He runs his hands through his perfect bleached blond hair, and gazes at me intensely with his beautiful green eyes. "Have I ever told you that you have amazing blue eyes?" I nod bitterly.

"You have on numerous occasions. Yet my response is still the same. I'm not good enough for you. You are a young writer for the Times, and I am a loser! No one likes me. Genevieve and Gavin are my only friends!"

"I'm your friend," he murmurs.

"But you don't live here. You aren't in high school anymore."

"I can live here if that's what you want. I'd do anything for you." I gape at him.