Ghost Town

Thoroughly Embarrassed

Cole could drive the roads of that small town with his eyes closed. Pot holes and all.  Everly sat in the passenger seat, rubbing her arm every few minutes. Her honey colored eyes fixated on the countless passing trees and fields. Cole rounded the corner and pulled up in front of Everly's childhood home. He put the Chevy truck in park, looking over at her sitting so innocently beside him. A pang of guilt hitting his heart just like the baseball had hit her. 

"There is going to be another party tonight. Same place." He sounded hopeful that she might catch his drift and accompany him. Or at least come with Noelle. 

"I think I am going to stay in tonight. Spend time with my mom." Everly offered up a soft smile. 

"Oh okay. Well, if you change your mind, I'll have some Miller Lite with your name on it." Cole chuckled, his blue eyes catching hers. 

"Thanks." With that, Everly hopped out of the pickup and shut the door, making her way up the little sidewalk to the front door. She was greeted by her mother peering out the very large front window through the curtains, trying to be inconspicuous. 

"You're home early." Mrs. Jay replied, settling in her chair. She put down a novel, acting like she had been reading it all along. 

"And you're very bad at being nosy." Everly pointed out. Her mother feigned an expression of surprise, as if to say 'who me?'. Everly shook her head, her tousled brown hair falling against her shoulders. She made her way in to the kitchen to grab a water out of the fridge. 

"Have plans for dinner?" Mrs. Jay inquired, eyeing her daughter across the room. 

"No, ma'am. Just spending time with my lovely mother is all." Everly smiled, taking a long sip of the ice cold water. It slid down her throat and she relished in the feeling. 

"Oh, honey. I'm sorry. I made plans to go out with the girls tonight. You will jut have to find something or someone else to do." Her mother winked. 

Everly turned about fifty shades of red. "Mom! I cannot believe you just said that." 

"What? You can't tell me that you don't still have some sort of feeling toward Colden Rainey. I saw the way he looked at you. And the way he was looking in those jeans." 

"Okay, I am done with this conversation. I'm going upstairs to change back in to some sweats. You have fun with the girls, mom." Thoroughly embarrassed, Everly walked up the stairs to her old bedroom. Once she reached the bed, she fell back on the lavender comforter with a huge sigh. She tossed around some things in her head for a few minutes to the point that she was giving herself a headache. Hosting a huge event that goes off flawlessly was a piece of cake. Her feelings and making a decision was like starting something from scratch for the first time while blind folded, being chased by bears, and having no clue what to do. She reached for her phone just about the time it began to ring. 

"Hey." Everly hit the green telephone on the screen, answering the call. 

"Hey, party up at the field again. I'll pick you up at 8pm."

"Noelle, I..." But the silence on the other end indicated that it was too late to make a big fuss. It also made up her mind for her. Everly went in to her closet to find something to wear. It was like she was eighteen all over again, picking out an outfit to keep Cole on his toes. She settled on a pair of black leggings and a mustard color sweater that hung off her shoulder. An orange halter bralette would peak out over her still tanned shoulders. A pair of black boots rounding out the look. If she was going to this party, she was going to make a statement. That kiss earlier might've been a fluke, but she was going to be in control of her feelings and what was happening. 

She had a little bit before Noelle was going to pick her up, so she decided to close her eyes and get some rest before going out. She wasn't eighteen anymore. No one ever told her that a night out would result in being in bed the entire next day nursing the hangover. There was no hair of the dog over here. Everly curled up under the comforter, laying her head on the matching pillow cases. Her brown hair pooling around her like the halo of an angel. She would close her eyes for just a few and wake up refreshed and ready to go.