The Story of Us

Cover design by Molly Phipps at We Got
You Covered

THE STORY OF US © 2014 by Stephanie
Henry

All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, distrusted, or transmitted in any
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electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written
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embodied in the critical reviews and certain other non-commercial
permitted by copyright law.

This novel is fiction. That means all
of its content including: characters, names, places, and brands,
are products of the authors imagination or used in a fictional
matter. Any similarities to actual people, living or dead, places
or events are purely accidental.

The Story of Us

Stephanie Henry

This isn’t a bad story,
but it’s not an entirely good story either. This is the story of
us. Of me, really. And of the guy who changed my life. But, not in
the he-swept-me-off-my-feet-and-then-everything-was-alright kind of
way. No. He walked into my life like a thunderstorm would the sky,
stirring things up and shaking me to my core. He was unsettled and
uncontrolled, definitely not the safe bet. But just like a good
thunderstorm, he was also wholly beautiful. His presence couldn’t
be ignored. He awoke something within me that I didn’t even know
was there. And after you’ve seen the sky in a thunderstorm’s
aftermath, the everyday ordinary blue just looks a little too dull
in comparison.

Chapter 1

“Hurry up, Hailey!” I yell from the
doorway to my best friend. “I want to get out of here before my dad
comes home!” I re-organize the bins and boxes in the back of
Hailey’s car while I wait. Although it’s nearly afternoon now, the
sun is nowhere to be found. It’s a dark and dreary day, one that
promises rain in the near future. The slight breeze in the air
brings the smell of a late summer storm. I inhale deeply, greedily
cherishing it.

Hailey walks out of my childhood house
with the last box of my belongings in her hands. “You’re still not
getting along, huh? I thought he’d accept your decision by now.” I
can’t see her face over the box but I can hear the sympathy in her
voice.

“Ugh. No. If anything, it’s gotten
worse.”

She places the box in the back of her
car where I’ve made just enough room.

My father keeps trying to convince me
that an Ivy League college is where I belong. It doesn’t matter to
him that it’s too late to enroll somewhere else even if I wanted
to. He’s certain that he could pull some strings, throw a lot of
money at someone to fix the problem that is his daughter. He thinks
I must be certifiably insane to want to attend a state
school.

“I’ve explained it to him a million
times over the summer. I don’t want to be at some stuck-up school
where I’ll end up with some stuck-up roommate and have to make
friends with some… some…” I search for the words.

“Stuck-up students?” Hailey offers
with a smirk.

“Well, yeah,” I admit. “I mean I know
not everyone there would be stuck-up, but still. I don’t know those
people. I know you. We planned on rooming together since we started
our freshman year of high school, maybe even before then. I don’t
remember. It’s always been a given. I can’t imagine us not going to
the same college.”

“I know,” Hailey says seriously. “I
can’t either. But you know, when we promised to room together way
back then, neither one of us thought we’d be going to a state
college. We talked about Harvard and Yale. We had these enormous
dreams. You know I’d understand if you wanted to go somewhere
else.”

“No. Stop. I have to
defend my decision every single day to my dad. Don’t make me start
defending myself to you too. I
want
to room with you. And you want to go to the same
college as Drew. Drew received a full scholarship to WSC so that’s
where we’re going. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with state
colleges. We dreamed that big because it’s what was expected of us.
Our parents drilled Ivy League into our heads from the moment we
entered junior high. And as much as I love to spend my parent’s
money,” I joke, “it’s just really not worth it. We’ll get the same
experiences at WSC, I’ll be closer to my family, and you’ll be
closer to your mom. It just makes sense all around.”

“I know. I just feel guilty that
you’re sacrificing your college experience just so that I can be
with my boyfriend. I can’t help but feel like I’m being
selfish.”

“You’re not being selfish
because it’s not your choice. Where I go to college is
my
choice. You’re not
making me go. It’s my decision. I’m a big girl. If I felt like I
was sacrificing anything, I would tell you to kiss my ass as I
walked away.”

Hailey laughs because she knows I’m
kidding. “Okay. Sorry to bring it up again. I know you have a hard
enough time trying to justify it to your dad. I don’t need to add
to it.”

“Speaking of, let’s get out of here
before he comes home… because if I have to sit here and rehash this
whole conversation all over again with him, I just might request
another roommate after all.”

Hailey chuckles while closing the back
door, then jumps into the driver’s seat, ready to take off. I pause
for a moment, looking at my house. Or rather, my parent’s house
now, since technically I’ll have a new address. I know I’ll be back
here, but somehow this feels like the end. Next time, it’ll just be
to visit. I’ll be a visitor in my own house. Er, my parent’s house.
I shouldn’t be feeling so sentimental about leaving, especially
since I spent most of my childhood at Hailey’s house anyway. But I
can’t help it. Even though my parents worked a lot and I’d opt for
staying over a friend’s house instead of being lonely here, there
were still moments when we were all here together. Happy moments.
Moments that define my time in this house. Not daily occurrences,
but moments nonetheless. I take a deep breath as I repress the
gloomy feeling that starts to overwhelm me, and then I jump into
Hailey’s car. This is supposed to be a happy time – best friends,
on the road to our future, completely independent for the first
time ever. I find a good song on the radio and blast it to lift my
sullen mood. Hailey laughs and we both start singing loudly and
very off-key as we pull out of the long driveway and head down the
street on our way to the place we’ll call home for the next four
years.

An hour and a half later, we arrive on
campus and Hailey immediately finds Drew. Drew’s mom is here too,
helping him unpack and get settled. There’s a lot of parents here,
helping their kids. Hailey’s mom will be here later tonight, when
she gets out of work. My parents, however, have promised a
welcome-to-college dinner soon. It’ll be at a very expensive
restaurant, I’m sure. And I doubt they’ll even step foot on campus,
never mind see my dorm room. I know I sound bitter, but I’m
actually not. I’ve accepted my parents’ shortcomings a long time
ago. I know that they’re better at their day jobs than as actual
parents. They spend long hours at their respective offices. They’ve
never baked me cupcakes and brought them into school on my
birthday. They’ve never actually brought me back-to-school
shopping, although they’ve always given me money to go with Hailey
and her mom. They’ve never been to one of my cheerleading
competitions. They’re just not like other parents. But, it’s not as
bad as it sounds. They show they care in other ways. My mom sticks
up for me whenever my dad gets too strict. When he thinks I should
be studying and getting better grades instead of joining the
cheerleading squad or hanging out with friends, it’s my mom who
reminds him that I’m a teenager and should be allowed to act like
it. If they miss something important, like a school play or a
cheerleading competition or junior high graduation, my dad sneaks a
few $20s into my backpack, which is his way of saying ‘I’m sorry,’
without actually having to say it. Both of my parents have always
been extremely career driven. When I was younger, I spent a lot of
time at my grandmother’s house. I was eleven when she passed.
Coincidently, my friendship with Hailey grew deeper and I started
spending a lot of time at her house. She’s more like a sister to me
than a best friend, which is why we planned on rooming together in
college. It was a no-brainer.

“Valerie! How are you?” Ms. Delmont,
Hailey’s boyfriend’s mom, greets me as we walk up to the
campus.

“I’m good, excited actually,” I tell
her. “How are you?”

“Proud. Sad. You know, the typical
dilemma of a mom sending her boy off to college. I’m glad to see
Drew enrolled. I’ll just miss him is all.”

My smile fades a bit. “Yeah. That’s
understandable.”

I hadn’t thought of how hard this must
be for her. Drew and his mom had been separated for most of his
childhood. They only re-connected last year when he found her, by
pure chance, with the help of Hailey. I often get jealous of Drew
and Hailey’s relationship, how deeply in love they are with one
another. Sometimes I think I’d give anything for that kind of love.
But then, I remind myself of all they’ve been through. Both of them
have had to deal with more family drama than anyone should ever
have to. When I think of everything they’ve had to endure, suddenly
I’m not so jealous anymore. I’ll take my life over either of theirs
any day, true love found or not. Still, I can’t help but dream
about a day when someone will love me like Drew loves my best
friend. Don’t get me wrong, I’m truly happy for them. But, everyone
wants to feel that kind of love for themselves.

“Well, I’ll live,” Ms. Delmont states,
bringing me back to reality. “I’ll miss my boy, but I wouldn’t have
it any other way. College is where he’s supposed to be.”

I just smile in understanding as she
walks over to talk to Hailey. I give them privacy to talk and head
out to help Drew unpack our things. It’s times like this when I’m
thankful that at least one of us has a boyfriend. At least we have
help with the heavy lifting.

“Okay, I’m guessing this isn’t
Hailey’s,” he teases, holding up a pink furry lamp.

“Hey! It could be!” I argue
defensively.

He doesn’t say a thing, but gives me a
knowing look.

“Okay, whatever it’s mine. What’s so
bad about this? It’s a cute lamp!”

He raises his eyebrows in
contradiction as he responds, “Sure, if you’re twelve.”

I grab the pink zebra-striped lamp out
of his hands and add it to the box I’m picking up. Drew and I give
each other a hard time, but really he’s not so bad. He’s perfect
for Hailey and she’s truly happy with him. He treats her right and
doesn’t try to intervene or take away from our girl time, so he
gets the best friend stamp of approval. The only thing that’s
changed with Hailey is how serious she’s become. She used to be
more giggly and fun. Not that she’s not fun now, but she’s just
more… mature. I’m not sure if it’s a side effect of falling in love
or from her family situation though. A little over a year ago,
Hailey found out that her dad was having an affair. It was a
complicated one that lasted over a decade and left a lasting impact
on the whole family. Like I said, not jealous of their family
situations at all. So, maybe it was the divorce that caused her to
become more somber. Then again, maybe it’s just all part of growing
up. For the most part, Hailey’s still Hailey. But sometimes I miss
the more carefree, laid-back, engaging Hailey. Maybe then I
wouldn’t have to be on the WSC cheerleading squad all by myself. I
still can’t believe she chose not to try out. She’s a better
cheerleader than I am, so I know she would have made the team. But
she says she’s just not into it anymore. I tried my hardest to talk
her into it, because honestly, cheerleading won’t be the same
without her, but she wouldn’t budge.

“Val,” Drew calls, “Can you give me a
hand with this one?”

He’s trying to pick up a long
rectangular box and can’t grab it at both ends, so I grab the end
furthest from him and help him carry it up to my dorm. When we
reach our door, Ms. Delmont is just coming out.

“I’m going to take off, Drew, leave
you to help the girls and settle in. Don’t hesitate to call if you
need me, for anything. Seriously, even if it’s in the middle of the
night. You know I’m always here for you.”