Free Bird - Morgan Wallen

One

"Hell yeah it is." He cracks open the beer and chugs it quickly, belching loudly after tossing the empty can to the ground.

"Your Chevy still roomy?"

"The bed is." He says. "You up for star watchin'?"

"Always." She smiles back, grabbing their clothes before she makes her way to his truck.

+++

the following spring

"Don't you ever just want to leave?" Dani asks as her and Morgan lay outside on the grass of her backyard. "Like just get out of here, this town, and go?"

"Kinda." He shrugs back. "This is home so it's hard to just up and go." She sighs and nods. "I can't believe that we're almost done with high school."

"Yeah. Seems like yesterday we were getting drunk out by Clinch."

"C'mon now, you're talkin' like we're old."

"We might as well be. We're graduatin' soon."

"Hey, did you ever get into University of Tennessee?"

"Did I not tell you?" He shakes his head. "Shit." She stands and heads into the house. She returns shortly and hands him a folded paper. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you, I just got that the other day."

"It's no problem." He smiles at her. "You're gonna be a Volunteer!"

"What about you? Have you heard anything from 'em?"

He shakes his head. "No, not yet." He can't tell her that he hurt his arm and now he can't go to Uof T on his grades alone, plus he can't afford it anyway.

That scholarship was his ticket out of here.

"I'm sure you'll hear from them soon." Dani smiles, laying back down next to him, her head on his chest as he rubs her back. "You're real special and you're gonna do some great things." She whispers, her eyes shut. He says nothing as he runs his fingers through her hair.

"Hey, I'm gonna get goin'."

"You okay?" She asks, leaning on her elbow.

"Yeah, my momma just needed me home 'round eleven."

"Oh, okay." He's never had a curfew when he been out with her. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah." He nods, leaning over to kiss her before he stands and walks away. She watches him drive away.

Dani spends the night tossing and turning until she picks up her phone and calls him. "Hello?" Morgan yawns into the receiver.

"Hey, just checking in on you, making sure you're alright."

"Yeah I'm fine." The one game that she misses, he tears his rotator cuff and it just ruins what could've been. "Just stressed about the future."

"Well I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine, darlin'." He mumbles. "Are you okay?"