Chapter 16

                                    

                                          
                   
                          
So it's finally my second go at this whole field date with Alicia. Same time, same place, same food and same plan except this time I intend on making it perfect. There will be no telling of bad news, just tons of making out. 
                          
            Sticking to my schedule I pick Alicia up at 5:00 P.M. and about an hour later we arrive at the field. 6:30 P.M. the picnic is set and we eat. 8:00 P.M. the sky is getting dark and the candles are set down beside us. Everything is going well so far, starting the same way the first time I tried this date. The only thing that I need to change is the ending of this date. 
                          
            I make a move on Alicia, leaning in close for a kiss. When our lips touch it was a little awkward at first since we did just get back together. We pull away and just stare at each other awkwardly, blushing at each other. After we let the silence pass, we just laugh a little until it dies out into nothing again.
                          
            "How about we try that kiss again?" Alicia says, giggling.
                          
            "Okay," I say, leaning in closer. "Let me just warm up." 
                          
            I make weird hand gestures in front of my face as if I'm trying to get ready for the scene on the stage of a play. I let out a puff of air and I shake my hands, stretching my limbs. Alicia giggles at me as I make my weird movements and finally, she puts a hand on my arm and leans in. My stomach fills with butterflies and my body feels like electricity is running through it as soon as she touches my skin. I lean in and we kiss. 
                          
            I've missed her. I've missed the feeling of her lips on mine. When I lost her, I craved her every single day. Now that I have her again, I cannot lose her. Sam, you cannot lose this girl. See the way she makes you feel, the fireworks that set off in your head? Do you feel the butterflies fluttering in your stomach? Do you feel your heart beating faster the longer the kiss goes on? You cannot lose that again. You need to grasp onto her as hard as you can and you need to love her with all you have. The girl loves you and you love her. Start acting that way.
                          
            I know that it's weird that I talk to myself in third person sometimes but that just shows how dramatic I can be. I'm sorry that you can't handle my dramatic-ness. Also, this has been on my mind for a while now. Have you noticed that I always end up kissing someone on these little party games? Like what's up with that? Anyways, let's get back to the kiss. It was great.
                          
            "I've missed you." I say to Alicia, taking her hands into mine.
                          
            "I missed you too," Alicia says to me, smiling. "Like a lot."
                          
            "I'm sorry I ever hurt you." I say as I look down at the ground, pouting.
                          
            "And don't you ever do it again!" She says, taking my chin and kissing me once again.
                          
            I pull away and I say, "I promise." 
                          
            We cuddle under the stars for a little while after that until it got too chilly outside, but before we get everything packed up and into the car Alicia stops me. 
                          
            "I have a present for you." She says, quickly grabbing her bag and messing around with the contents of it.
                          
            "What is it?" I ask her, very interested.
                          
            "You'll love it, I swear! Close your eyes." She says, holding the mysterious gift in the bag to prevent me from seeing.
                          
            I close my eyes and I hold out my hands. She places something on my hand, something really light. I think it may be a piece of paper.
                          
            "Okay, open your eyes." She tells me.
                          
            I open my eyes to see a driving ticket and a note. The note reads, 
                          
            "Dear Sam,
                          
This gift is from me to you. I told you not to hurt her.
                          
            Sincerely,
                          
Officer Johnson."
                          
            "Great." I say, laughing to myself.
                          
            "He's just looking out for me." She says, placing a hand on my arm.
                          
            "I know, but it just teaches me not to hurt you ever again." I say as I lean in to kiss her once again.
                          
*
                          
            It's a beautiful spring day and the school atmosphere has become quite different. All the students of the school, especially seniors, are already excited to get out and enjoy the summer before another stressful year of school. Yes, there are three more months left before final exams and the end of my high school experience. I'm excited, I'll tell you that. The thing I'm most excited for is spending the summer with Alicia and going on mini adventures with her. It's the first time I'm ever going to spend a summer in a relationship, so I'll cherish it forever. The not so fun part is getting things ready for the next phase of our lives, university.
                          
            Jennifer already received her acceptance letter to the University of Saskatchewan. She's going there to study to become a veterinarian. I saw it coming since she's always loved animals, especially cats. It's crazy though, knowing that she'll have to live so far away from home. I just hope that I won't drift from her; I would miss her too much. As for me, I'm still waiting on my acceptance letter to the University Of British Columbia School Of Nursing. I'll check as soon as I get home for my Spring Break. 
                          
            I'm unhappy to announce that Alicia will not be spending Spring Break with me. She is going off to Toronto with her family. I mean I guess it would be good to get some alone time since we're practically with each other all the time since we started dating, ruling out the month that we broke up. But even then we were still seeing each other. 
                          
            After school that day, as soon as I arrive home I check the mail on the kitchen counter. In the pile were only tons of bills for my parents to pay and nothing else. I'm a little disappointed, how long will I have to wait until I'm told whether I got accepted or not? I walk to my room all sad and I call Alicia. She leaves tomorrow so I just want to talk to her before she's off on vacation with her parents. 
                          
            "Hey!" Alicia answers excitedly. 
                          
            "Hey babe," I say sadly while taking off my socks with my free hand. "I didn't get a letter."
                          
            "Are you sure?" She says, sounding sad for me. 
                          
            "Yeah, I checked in the letter pile."
                          
            "Don't worry so much about it, it's probably being sent as we speak!"
                          
            I put the phone between my shoulder and my left cheek as I put shorts on; I like to be comfy at home. "I hope so. Have you gotten a letter yet? You did apply, right?"
                          
            She hesitates for a second and then she says, "I didn't get a letter yet."
                          
            "Aw babe, you'll for sure get in." I say as I plop down on my desk chair, my phone in my left hand.
                          
            "Thanks, I really hope so too." 
                          
            Then there it was, on my desk, a letter from the university. 
                          
            "Babe, I was wrong. The letter is right here on my desk. My mom must've put it here while I was away!" I say excitedly as I rush to open the letter setting the phone on speaker and on the desk. 
                          
            "Well okay, tell me what it says!" She says excitedly over the phone.
                          
            I open the letter and I read. I wasn't really paying attention the first time so I read it again a second time. Don't you hate that? When you're reading something and then you suddenly start thinking about other things while you're reading so you look over the words but you're not really paying attention. Then at the end of the page you realize you don't even know what just happened and then you have to read it again. Yeah, that happens a lot with me. Anyways, I got in.
                          
            "I got in! Babe, I got in!" I scream in joy probably damaging Alicia's hearing.
                          
            "Congratulations!" She screams through the phone.
                          
            I start to jump around happily and I couldn't stop smiling at the news. This is great! My plan is going according to plan so far. Now, there is no more time to slack off! I have to do great.