HIM Page 2

  I toss him my keys from my pocket. He pops the hood. Both of their faces light up again as they dive underneath. I've taken great care of my car, and she's clean as a whistle. Ernie was there during the restoration of Eleanor. My father and Ernie gave it that name from the movie Gone in Sixty Seconds, even though my car is not silver like the one in the film. They were so proud of the work and time spent on this car; I'm still surprised that it was given to me.

  I break from my thoughts just as I am lifted into the air and swung around in a circle. I scream before being set back down to earth.

  It's Jason, Ernie's son. He is two years older than I am. That makes him twenty-six years old now. We grew up together and were best friends throughout our childhood. I was three grades behind him. When Junior High and High School hit, we drifted apart. He became more interested in girls and partying in High School.

  Since I've been away, we've talked here and there, but I haven't seen him in a while, not even when I'd come home during the holidays. Jason looks a tad different than I remember. He no longer has his Troy Bolton hair from the theatrical production High School Musical. Now, Jason is clean-cut, sporting the latest men's hairstyle, and is no longer a string bean. He's still cute, quite handsome now.

  "Alicat, it is so good to see you! I see you haven't changed since I saw you last," Jason says while looking me over before giving me a huge bear hug.

  I forgot that I pulled out some old clothes from my closet. I'm not wearing what I usually wear nowadays.

  "Oh my Gosh, Jay, it's so good to see you!"

  I ignore the comment about my current attire.

  "I heard you graduated on top of your class and were offered a professional job right out of college?"

  "Yea, I did. The city has so much to offer. I love it!" I beam.

  The city does have a lot to offer, and I do love my job. However, I miss the countryside, cars, seeing these guys, and my dad. Even though my dad isn't here, these guys—Ernie and his family—are like my own family.

  "Where are you working these days?" I make small talk as I kick the gravel underneath my boots.

  I am trying not to look over at the hot shirtless guy bent over under the hood of my car.

  "Here. I am still working for your da—" he looks at me with pain in his eyes.

  "I'm so sorry about your dad, Ali," he says softly. "We all miss him a lot around here. He was such an amazing man and like a second father to me."

  "Thanks. I miss him too," I reply, trying to hold back my tears.

  I do miss my dad, something fierce. Being here is tough, but, at the same time, almost therapeutic. It's weird being at my father's shop without him here. I can still feel his presence. I'm glad to see that it's still running smoothly without a hitch. I know my father wouldn’t want it any other way.

  "What are you up to tonight? We need to catch up. It's been a long time," Jason smiles.

  "I don't know. I’ll probably be hanging out at my dad's and watching TV."

  "I'm having a small get together with some friends if you want to drop by. I'm sure the gang would like to see you. Please try to make it. It will mean a lot to me," Jason begs.

  The gang? Am I the only one who left this place? Maybe they came back to attend my dad's funeral, but I don't remember seeing them there. I was sort of off in my own world yesterday; I must not have noticed them.

  "Yeah, that sounds like fun. At your parents, then?" I ask.

  He laughs and says, "No, I live with a few buddies out past highway fifteen. I will text you the address. Come by around eight."

  "Okay, sounds good," I reply.

  It will be good for me to hang out with Jason and the others who I haven't seen in so long. It will be way better than being alone at my dad's place, thinking about the fact that he is gone. It will be a nice change of scenery and a worthwhile distraction. I've missed Jason.

  Chapter Three

  I see a bunch of guys walking out the garage. A few of them are carrying lunchboxes and thermals. They look so young. There are a few older gentlemen, but most look around my age.

  How could I not have known about all these young workers? Did my father not tell me, or was I that consumed in my new life to pay attention to his?

  "It's lunchtime!" one of them blurts out.

  A few of the guys head over with Ernie and Luke to where my car is parked One of them comes over by Jason and me and jumps up to throw him into a headlock.

  "Dude, don't mess with my hair," Jason demands, with a broad smile while fixing it in the way any girl would.

  "We going to Mary's today?"

  "Where else would we go, man," exclaims Jason.

  They still go to Mary's Cafe every day for lunch. I love this. My dad and Mary's daughter had a little crush on each other and spent a lot of time canoodling while I was in High School.

  "This is Rob's daughter Ali. You may remember her from High School," Jason tells the guy who joined us.

  "Yea, I remember her. You were a few years behind us, right?" he claims.

  I do not remember him at all. I should, shouldn't I? High School ended only six years ago, but I've been too focused on college and my job. I have blocked out a lot.

  "Hey, you should come to Mary's with us. It will be like old times," Jason smiles.

  "I'm there, and I'm hungry," I shout.

  Mary's Cafe is a small restaurant that has been around for as long as I can remember. I would frequently dine there with my dad. The best home-cooked meals come out of that little place.

  Walking across the street with Jason and a few of the other guys, I cannot help but look around for Luke. He and Ernie are no longer near my car. Ernie goes home every day for lunch and spends that time with his wife. I assume he is still doing so, as he is nowhere around.

  I overhear Jason and some of the other guys’ talking. They're discussing the party at his house tonight plus what alcohol they're planning to bring and what females might be there.

  We reach Mary's Cafe across the street and down a block from my dad's shop. I notice that she has a new sign hung outside her restaurant, while fake red shutters still hug the two large windows.

  As I walk inside Mary's Café, the aroma hits me like a ton of bricks. Oh, how I've missed this smell of pure taste bud fantasy. It feels great to be back. I feel instantly at home. The inside still looks the same. There are old wooden benches with tables on one side and wooden tables in the back. The wooden counter, with malt shop stools from the fifties, rests alongside it near the kitchen.

  Jason and the others head toward the tables at the back. About five of them and I crowd around before sitting down. I notice that Luke is sitting by himself at one of the booths near the window. He is wearing a shirt. However, it's not a regular shirt, the sleeves are missing, and you can see down the sides of his rock-hard body. I take a seat within his view but still blocked by one of my dad's workers. Therefore, he cannot see me. I think, anyway.

  A loud screech overpowers my ears at that very moment. The lady behind the screech is Mary, who comes hurling around the corner.

  "Allison Garrett!"

  I stand up and walk towards her. She is wearing a long yellow dress and a white food-stained apron. Her gray hair is pulled back in a bun, and she is wearing her black cat eyeglasses. She looks exactly how I remember her. She throws her arms around me. It is the warmest hug anyone has given me since I've been home.

  "Mary!" I mumble.

  When our hug parts, her hands are still locked in my arms. She looks me up and down.

  “Allison, you're so beautiful and all grown up!" Mary projects joyfully. "It's so good to see you, my dear. We've missed seeing your friendly face around these parts."

  "I've missed being home and your amazing cooking, of course," I say with a huge smile.

  She hugs me again while squealing. I sit back down in my seat while she hands us each a menu. The menu looks a little different from before, but it still has her usuals. I skim over the front and flip to the back. I run
my hand down to where it says sandwiches and locate Robby's Delight. My eyes begin to fill with water, and my heart sinks into my chest.

  My dad came here so much and had Mary make him a specialty sandwich every time. She added it to the menu and named it after him. The Robby's Delight is a lot like your everyday club sandwich; the only difference is the addition of dijon mustard and pickle.

  "What can I get you ruffians and Allison to drink?" Mary chuckles.

  As everyone gives their drink order, I cannot help but look over at Luke. He is scrolling through his phone while sipping on what I can only imagine is perhaps coffee or tea. A plate with a half-eaten slice of pie sits in front of him. His profile is flawless. He is no longer wearing his backward cap, which means he is respectful. That is more than I can say for my group. The boys are still wearing their hats, bandanas, or welding caps.

  Luke looks so mysterious, sitting all alone. His hair is a tad messy, but it looks great how it lays flat all over the place.

  "Allison? Allison? ALLISON?" Mary shouts.

  "Yea?" I say, put on the spot.

  "What would you like to drink, dear?"

  "A raspberry tea, please."

  The guys all burst out laughing and rip on me a little bit for being off in a daze, a daze over a guy I just met an hour or so ago. I have so many questions in my mind about him. Why is he so intriguing to me? I haven't let a guy intrigue me in a long time. I've been too busy reaching my goals to give my time to one.

  Why is he sitting by himself?

  Mary brings out our drinks and begins to take our orders. I start.

  "I will get the Robby's Delight, please," I say to Mary.

  Mary, Jason, and the guys all stop talking. It becomes silent as all eyes are on me. I look around in the awkward silence.

  "Sweet potato fries with no tomato."

  "A side of barbecue sauce for your fries, dear?" Mary asks with sympathetic eyes.

  "You remember!" I gleam with a smile.

  I look over at Luke again and realize that his seat is now vacant. A few bucks lie on the table. He must have gone back to the shop.

  Chapter Four

  I pull down the long driveway, and my dad's house comes into view; I cannot help but see it in a different light. I have pulled up to this house a million times. It looks much different today. As the sunbeams overhead, the place looks so serene. Goosebumps travel up my body as I stare at this beautiful little farmhouse.

  I get out of my car and make my way over to the old barn my dad used as his shop. I unlatch the hinge and slide open the doors. I look around and see that everything is neatly organized. All my dad's tools hung so nicely. His silly signs are hanging all around, and his crazy stereo that plays everything from CDs, tapes, and even albums.

  I run my hand down his workbench that reaches along one whole side of the barn. It is covered with brown heavy-duty construction paper for easy cleanup, and you can still see all my doodles from when I would be out here doing my homework.

  I continue walking around the barn. I see an engine hoist with what resembles a big block that has been taken apart halfway. The back end of a Ford Pinto is sitting a few feet from it and my dad's favorite piece of equipment, a car lift. A 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass on top and a 1978 Ford F150 underneath. They were vehicles from my father's youth. The Cutlass was his first car. It's in immaculate shape, and everything is original except for a new paint job. A few other classic trucks and cars litter the barn along with his rusty but trusty plow truck.

  My pocket begins to vibrate, and a ding sound follows. I pull my phone out and open a text from Jason.

  2242 old hwy. 15. Be there or be square, Alicat!

  I almost forgot about the party at Jason's tonight. I text him back before heading into the house to get ready.

  I will be there!

  I walk into the house. It's so quiet in here. My dad's awful old-time country music isn't blaring throughout the house. I take off my boots and head to the shower. I should take a bath instead since I need to shave my legs. It's hot out, so I think I will wear shorts tonight.

  I start to blow dry my hair after I successfully shaving my legs. I have no clue how to wear my hair tonight. I decide to straighten it and put a few curls at the end. I apply some foundation, brown eyeshadow to accent my green eyes, black eyeliner, and the mascara everyone is going gaga over, that makes your lashes look longer and fuller. I step back from the mirror to apply a light brown matte lip gloss then head to my room.

  I grab my suitcase and plop it on my bed. I go through what I brought from home, realizing that I mainly packed business casual clothes. I dress in business attire for work, and when I go out with colleagues, I dress in a business casual fashion. My wardrobe is for the working girl, not the country gal.

  I turn to my closet for ideas. I will be out in the woods at a house party, no need for business casual. I pull out a light green crew neck sweater. I pull it over my head and flip my hair out from under it. I forgot the neckline is extended, causing one side to slip slightly off my shoulder. I remember I used to love wearing this sweatshirt.

  I head over to my dresser and grab a pair of whitewashed jean shorts and grey socks. I slide on my shorts. Woah, I don't remember these being so short. My ass cheeks are just shy of spilling out underneath them. However, it doesn't matter much to me. I glance at myself in the mirror, and the sweater/shorts combination looks cute.

  I check my phone, and the time is seven-fifteen. My stomach starts to fill with butterflies. I can't understand why I am so nervous. I used to attend parties when I lived here, granted not as many as Jason. I was busy studying and helping my dad with my car. I guess I am just nervous to see everyone.

  LOWERING MY MUSIC AS IF it will help me see the fire numbers on the side of the road better, I come upon 2242. I take a left and head down a long driveway. This one is even longer than my dad's. I can hear music and people hooting and hollering as I pull closer to Jason's house. A large bonfire blazes in an equally large yard; behind it is your basic rambler home. There is a basement with the main floor. A two-stall garage is situated not far from the house.

  I pull up behind a line of cars. I thought Jason said it was going to be a small gathering. It looks like a full-blown frat party. I should know never to trust Jason when he says it's going to be a small party. They're always sublime with a lot of people and booze.

  I flip down my visor to check over my hair and makeup. I look down at my purse in the passenger seat and start to grab it. I put it back down, realizing I don't need to carry my purse around with me. It's better to keep it in the car just in case I lose it at the party. I step out of my vehicle, locking the doors, slide my keys into my front pocket, and my phone into my back pocket.

  I make my way up the rest of the driveway. When I pass the fire, I don't see many people there. I head over to the house; only one light is on. I wonder where everyone is. I see a few people coming out from behind the garage.

  "Ali?" I hear someone call my name.

  I see a tall, skinny, blonde girl walking towards me.

  "Hi," I say back. She makes the most annoying screech and runs up to hug me.

  It's a girl from High School named Bridget, who was always at every party. She always needed every guy's attention and had the hots for Jason.

  "OMG, girl! You look amazing! How are you?" she screams in excitement.

  "I am well. Thank you. How have you been?" I reply, and no sooner than that, her posse of equally annoying girls join her.

  "Hey, Ali." Hi, Ali," they say, smirking.

  Here are the same groups of girls together like in High School, who were nice to me, yet mean at the same time. Every girl wanted to be them, and guys wanted to, well, you know. Bridget, Nikki, and Mindy still look the same as they did back in High School, and they still seem to have that stuck up bitchy attitude.

  "Jason is around here somewhere. Come with us. Some of the guys are bullshitting in the garage. Everyone is above it. There is a pool table, beer pon
g, and beer!" Bridget says, sounding like she is forecasting the weather.

  I smile and follow them to the garage. I notice the driveway goes a short distance past the garage then turns. I cannot see much past that; the sun is starting to set, and the sky is becoming darker. I walk through the group of people with Bridget, Nikki, and Mindy as they say hi to everyone. I am not surprised to see the guys hugging them or grabbing their ass. I do not see Jason amongst these people nor recognize them. He must be down in the garage area.

  Nikki hands me a drink.

  "What is this?" I ask.

  "Jeremiah Weed and Pink Lemonade," she replies.

  I've never heard of Jeremiah Weed, so I ask the girls about it.

  "What's Jeremiah Weed?"

  The girls giggle as they look at each other.

  "It's a sweet tea whiskey," chimes Mindy.

  "So delicious," Bridget says as she smiles, taking a sip from her cup.

  I look down at the light brown colored liquid in my cup. I've been drinking Moscato and Chardonnay for the past four years. I'm positive hard liquor is going to kick my ass tonight. I take a sip and find it surprisingly impressive; I cannot taste the whiskey as its light and tastes precisely like sweet tea. These will go down rather easily.

  The girls walk off and mingle amongst the piles of men that have staggered around. I skim the room again looking for Jason. Since I can't see him, I make my way back to the stairs to head down to the garage. Someone grabs my arm, and I turn around. I realize that it's the guy who works for my dad who put Jason in a headlock earlier today.

  "Hey. Remember me? I never got a chance to introduce myself. I'm Austin," he says as he sways back and forth.

  "Hey, Austin! Nice to meet you. Again," I reply with a smile.

  "Are you looking for Jason? I'm pretty sure he went back into the house with a girl not too long ago," he laughs.

  I giggle.

  "Yeah, I am, and I see Jason hasn't changed at all."