Who Said You Can't Go Home?
Who Said You Can't Go Home?
My mind raced as I drove through back roads leading to my old neighborhood. I had the music blaring, and the windows down, letting the warm Arizona air in. Houses began coming into sight and suddenly it was like I had never left. It was if time stopped; everything looked exactly the same. I had left three years ago. The second I graduated from high school in Tempe, I was gone. I couldn't get get out of that town fast enough.
When I reached the gas station, I took a right, then a left. My car could probably do this drive by itself. My head was spinning as I drove past old friends' houses. I began thinking of what I would say to them when I saw them. They all had lives of their own now. Most were musicians, but I knew for a fact that when they had downtime, they still came back to their parents' homes in Tempe. It was inevitable. I would run into some, if not all of them, eventually.
Why was I here? Why was I back in this godforsaken town? I couldn't even answer that question. I'd had a good life after I left. I left with nothing but my car, my camera, some clothes and my bank card. I took pictures of anything and everything. I would sell my pictures around the city. But that money and the money I had only lasted so long. I guess you could say that's why I came back. I ran out of money. My camera lens had broken, and I didn't have enough money to fix it. It was a vicious cycle. I was short on money as it was, then my camera broke. I didn't have enough to fix it, and since that camera was my source of income, I couldn't make more money to get it fixed. I didn't know what to do. Going home was the first and only thing I could think of.
I pulled my car into my old driveway. My old house was a double, the other side belonging to the O'Callaghan family. I smiled as I remembered staying out all night with John and facing our parents when we would unsuccessfully sneak in early in the morning. My smile faded when I saw neither of my parents' cars in the driveway. I should have expected them to not be home. They never were when I still lived here, so why would they be now? It was early on a Monday afternoon, but Mrs. O'Callaghan's car was in their driveway. I decided to go up to the door and knock. I stared at the door nervously, as it began to open.
Mrs. O'Callaghan's familiar face stared back at mine thoughtfully until she spoke. "Gracie," her voice was sweet and soothing, just like her son's, just like I remembered it.
"H-hi Mrs. O'Callaghan," I stuttered, unsure of what to say to her.
"What brings you back home?" she asked kindly, as if I had been gone for a few days instead of a few years.
"I'm not exactly sure," I answered honestly, and with that, for some reason, I broke down.
Mrs. O'Callaghan embraced me as she guided me inside. "Tell me what's wrong, Gracie."
I had managed to calm myself down a little before speaking. "My life was so good, Mrs. O'," I said. "I couldn't have been happier to leave. The only thing I missed was the boys and their music. I was doing fine in LA. I was selling my photographs and making enough money to get by. But my camera broke and before I knew it I was out of money. I didn't know what else to do besides come home."
Mrs. O'Callaghan hugged me once more. "Gracie, honey, I know you hated it here, but maybe you should stay for awhile. I know John misses you, so do the rest of the boys, and so do I."
"What about my parents? They won't have me," I said.
"Your parents haven't changed much, Gracie. They're still hardly ever home," she replied. My parents both had jobs that required a lot of traveling. "You're welcome to stay if you want. That house is just as much yours now as it was before you left."
Just then, I heard car doors opening and closing and voices of a group of boys.
"Mrs. O'," I said. "Is that John?" She nodded. "I don't know if I can face him!"
For as long as I could remember, John and I were best friends. We were inseparable. However, towards the end of high school, our feelings for each other changed, potentially in a good way, and I hurt him a lot when I told him three days before graduation that I was leaving.
The door opened, and standing before me was John O'Callaghan. His tall, lanky frame was exactly as I remembered it. His hair was much shorter now, but it suited him. His bright green eyes were as beautiful as ever and he still had that crooked smile. But that crooked smile faded when his eyes landed on me.
"John" his mother started.
"Gracie?" he said in disbelief. Suddenly, after staring at me for almost a minute, he spun on his heel and walked back out the door. I heard him say something to the group, which I assumed consisted of Garrett, Kennedy, Jared, Pat, Eric, Tim and maybe a few new friends. I could hear their voices, but I couldn't distinguish what they were saying.
"Gracie, he'll come back inside soon," his mother told me. "I'm going to run a few errands. Just explain yourself. He might seem angry, but he'll listen, I promise."
"I-I know," I said. John had always been the best listener. It didn't matter if he hated your guts, he would still listen to what you had to say.
His mother left, and just like she said, a few minutes later he walked back in.
"Gracie," he said quitely but sternly. "What are you doing here?"
I couldn't think of anything to say, so I jumped up from my seat and attacked him in a hug. He was stiff at first, but soon relaxed and embraced me.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm so sorry for leaving."
"But why," he said softly.
"I couldn't take it here," I replied. "You know that. This town was going to be the death of me if I didn't get out soon."
"You left everything behind," he said.
"I know. I think I had to lose everything that was important to me to realize how much it really meant."
"Gracie, one thing's for sure," he said, looking me in the eyes. "You never lost me."
I looked at John, with a sort of disbelief. "How can you say that? We could have been something special, and I left you. I hurt myself, I thought I hurt you, too."
"You did," he admitted. "When you told me you were leaving, I made myself think I hated you. After you were gone, I wondered why I ever liked you, but then every memory came back and hit me in the face." I gave him a look, urging him to continue. "All those nights we spent out late, everything we did. I remember we were so close that our parents would ground us from each other. You were there for me during everything. You supported the band, but most of all you supported me. You made me understand I could do whatever I wanted. On the inside, I was a mess when you left."
"John," I whispered, tears just waiting to spill out of my eyes. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't cry, Gracie," he said, wiping a tear from my cheek.
"I can't believe that after all we'd been through, I left you. Why don't you hate me, John?"
"I could never hate you." he said with the most serious face I'd ever seen.
I put my arms around his neck, as his hands held my waist.
"Gracie?" he said my name carefully. I looked at him. "A-are you home for good?"
I stared at him. I hadn't thought that through yet. I came home, but didn't know if I was staying or leaving again.
"I want to come home. I missed it too much. I missed you too much," I said. John's face was slowly inching closer to mine.
"Promise you won't leave me again," he said.
"I promise, John. I couldn't do that to you or myself again. I need you too much," I said.
"I need you, too, Gracie. Stay with me," he said, finally closing the gap between us by carefully placing his lips on mine, as if he were asking permission to do this.
I quickly deepened the kiss, then pulled away. "I'll never leave you, John. I'm home."
i wrote this in about fifteen minutes.
i really like it!
tell me what you think! <3
***i honestly don't mean to sound bitchy, but COME ON. you guys can't seriously leave a little comment telling me whether or not you like this? please take three seconds of your time and tell me how i'm doing. please and thank you.
When I reached the gas station, I took a right, then a left. My car could probably do this drive by itself. My head was spinning as I drove past old friends' houses. I began thinking of what I would say to them when I saw them. They all had lives of their own now. Most were musicians, but I knew for a fact that when they had downtime, they still came back to their parents' homes in Tempe. It was inevitable. I would run into some, if not all of them, eventually.
Why was I here? Why was I back in this godforsaken town? I couldn't even answer that question. I'd had a good life after I left. I left with nothing but my car, my camera, some clothes and my bank card. I took pictures of anything and everything. I would sell my pictures around the city. But that money and the money I had only lasted so long. I guess you could say that's why I came back. I ran out of money. My camera lens had broken, and I didn't have enough money to fix it. It was a vicious cycle. I was short on money as it was, then my camera broke. I didn't have enough to fix it, and since that camera was my source of income, I couldn't make more money to get it fixed. I didn't know what to do. Going home was the first and only thing I could think of.
I pulled my car into my old driveway. My old house was a double, the other side belonging to the O'Callaghan family. I smiled as I remembered staying out all night with John and facing our parents when we would unsuccessfully sneak in early in the morning. My smile faded when I saw neither of my parents' cars in the driveway. I should have expected them to not be home. They never were when I still lived here, so why would they be now? It was early on a Monday afternoon, but Mrs. O'Callaghan's car was in their driveway. I decided to go up to the door and knock. I stared at the door nervously, as it began to open.
Mrs. O'Callaghan's familiar face stared back at mine thoughtfully until she spoke. "Gracie," her voice was sweet and soothing, just like her son's, just like I remembered it.
"H-hi Mrs. O'Callaghan," I stuttered, unsure of what to say to her.
"What brings you back home?" she asked kindly, as if I had been gone for a few days instead of a few years.
"I'm not exactly sure," I answered honestly, and with that, for some reason, I broke down.
Mrs. O'Callaghan embraced me as she guided me inside. "Tell me what's wrong, Gracie."
I had managed to calm myself down a little before speaking. "My life was so good, Mrs. O'," I said. "I couldn't have been happier to leave. The only thing I missed was the boys and their music. I was doing fine in LA. I was selling my photographs and making enough money to get by. But my camera broke and before I knew it I was out of money. I didn't know what else to do besides come home."
Mrs. O'Callaghan hugged me once more. "Gracie, honey, I know you hated it here, but maybe you should stay for awhile. I know John misses you, so do the rest of the boys, and so do I."
"What about my parents? They won't have me," I said.
"Your parents haven't changed much, Gracie. They're still hardly ever home," she replied. My parents both had jobs that required a lot of traveling. "You're welcome to stay if you want. That house is just as much yours now as it was before you left."
Just then, I heard car doors opening and closing and voices of a group of boys.
"Mrs. O'," I said. "Is that John?" She nodded. "I don't know if I can face him!"
For as long as I could remember, John and I were best friends. We were inseparable. However, towards the end of high school, our feelings for each other changed, potentially in a good way, and I hurt him a lot when I told him three days before graduation that I was leaving.
The door opened, and standing before me was John O'Callaghan. His tall, lanky frame was exactly as I remembered it. His hair was much shorter now, but it suited him. His bright green eyes were as beautiful as ever and he still had that crooked smile. But that crooked smile faded when his eyes landed on me.
"John" his mother started.
"Gracie?" he said in disbelief. Suddenly, after staring at me for almost a minute, he spun on his heel and walked back out the door. I heard him say something to the group, which I assumed consisted of Garrett, Kennedy, Jared, Pat, Eric, Tim and maybe a few new friends. I could hear their voices, but I couldn't distinguish what they were saying.
"Gracie, he'll come back inside soon," his mother told me. "I'm going to run a few errands. Just explain yourself. He might seem angry, but he'll listen, I promise."
"I-I know," I said. John had always been the best listener. It didn't matter if he hated your guts, he would still listen to what you had to say.
His mother left, and just like she said, a few minutes later he walked back in.
"Gracie," he said quitely but sternly. "What are you doing here?"
I couldn't think of anything to say, so I jumped up from my seat and attacked him in a hug. He was stiff at first, but soon relaxed and embraced me.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm so sorry for leaving."
"But why," he said softly.
"I couldn't take it here," I replied. "You know that. This town was going to be the death of me if I didn't get out soon."
"You left everything behind," he said.
"I know. I think I had to lose everything that was important to me to realize how much it really meant."
"Gracie, one thing's for sure," he said, looking me in the eyes. "You never lost me."
I looked at John, with a sort of disbelief. "How can you say that? We could have been something special, and I left you. I hurt myself, I thought I hurt you, too."
"You did," he admitted. "When you told me you were leaving, I made myself think I hated you. After you were gone, I wondered why I ever liked you, but then every memory came back and hit me in the face." I gave him a look, urging him to continue. "All those nights we spent out late, everything we did. I remember we were so close that our parents would ground us from each other. You were there for me during everything. You supported the band, but most of all you supported me. You made me understand I could do whatever I wanted. On the inside, I was a mess when you left."
"John," I whispered, tears just waiting to spill out of my eyes. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't cry, Gracie," he said, wiping a tear from my cheek.
"I can't believe that after all we'd been through, I left you. Why don't you hate me, John?"
"I could never hate you." he said with the most serious face I'd ever seen.
I put my arms around his neck, as his hands held my waist.
"Gracie?" he said my name carefully. I looked at him. "A-are you home for good?"
I stared at him. I hadn't thought that through yet. I came home, but didn't know if I was staying or leaving again.
"I want to come home. I missed it too much. I missed you too much," I said. John's face was slowly inching closer to mine.
"Promise you won't leave me again," he said.
"I promise, John. I couldn't do that to you or myself again. I need you too much," I said.
"I need you, too, Gracie. Stay with me," he said, finally closing the gap between us by carefully placing his lips on mine, as if he were asking permission to do this.
I quickly deepened the kiss, then pulled away. "I'll never leave you, John. I'm home."
i wrote this in about fifteen minutes.
i really like it!
tell me what you think! <3
***i honestly don't mean to sound bitchy, but COME ON. you guys can't seriously leave a little comment telling me whether or not you like this? please take three seconds of your time and tell me how i'm doing. please and thank you.