Love Lasts Read online

  Out of all of my siblings, Kevin and I have always gotten along the best. We were best friends when we were little, and although we’ve grown out of that, we’re still pretty close. I sit down on the floor next to him and start to put on my own black tennis shoes.

  “Are you taking somebody’s shift?” I ask Kevin. He only nods, but when I continue to look at him for more information, he finally says, “Luke’s.” I try to hide my relief and secretly thank the universe for saving me from that stress.

  “Are things still weird between you two?” Kevin asks. I glance around to make sure our parents aren’t in ear shot because I really don’t want them to know about this.

  “Yeah, he tried to talk to me at school the other day, but Lin saved me from that.” Kevin knows about Luke’s obsession with me, but he also knows I don’t like Luke at all.

  “You know I could talk to him and tell him to back off,” Kevin says. His deep voice and standoffish personality makes him pretty intimidating, so I almost want to say yes. But I probably shouldn’t make things any more awkward at work than they already are.

  “It’s okay. I don’t want to make it worse.” I shrug and change the subject. “Does that mean we can ride together, though?” I ask. Typically, we have different shifts and have to drive separately. But since we’re going in at the same time, we might as well ride together and save the Earth a little bit.

  Kevin agrees.

  He plays rap music using his aux cord in the car, and the bass makes my seat vibrate. Looking out the window, everything passes quickly, but it sticks in my mind. Nonsense graffiti covers a grey electrical box near the railroad tracks. A man in athletic shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt jogs down the sidewalk. Cars pull up next to gas pumps at the gas station on the corner. Someone runs a red light, causing a few cars to honk obnoxiously. Three young boys play soccer in their front yard. A yellow Ford truck sits on a pedestal in the car lot.

  We pull into the movie theater parking lot early, but we get out of the car and head inside anyway.

  A mother drags her crying daughter outside when I open one of the front doors, and she ignores me entirely. Kevin ignores them both and walks inside the opened door, so I follow him to prepare for the shift ahead.

  Two and a half hours later, the first two sets of movies are over, and it’s finally time for a break. Between the four of us behind concession, me and two of my coworkers get to go on break first. Amanda, Cindy, and I walk to the back stockroom to clock out before leaving on our break.

  They both take off their aprons and hats and walk to the computer. While Cindy uses it first, Amanda adjusts her sleeve that covers a large tattoo on her arm and starts to redo her blonde hair into a long braid.

  “Where do you want to eat?” She asks Cindy. I watch the two of them from afar. While they both seem to like me, they’re both in their twenties and have the same friend group, so I’m like a child to them.

  “I don’t know why, but some Arby’s french fries sound really good,” Cindy suggests.

  “Arby’s it is then,” Amanda says. She quickly clocks out, and they both head for the door. At the last second, Cindy turns around.

  “Do you want anything?” She asks me, and I shake my head.

  “No thanks. I’m too poor right now,” I say and smile.

  “Me too.” She laughs and follows Amanda out the door. I take off my butter-stained apron and clock out on the computer before checking the schedule for the rest of the weekend. I work tomorrow afternoon, and luckily, Luke works in the morning. And I have Sunday off, which means I’ll probably sleep all day and only get up to eat. Fun.

  I walk back behind concession to grab myself a free bag of popcorn and then walk over to the podium where Kevin stands.

  “Are you going on break?” I ask him. He shuffles through some papers and puts them in a binder.

  “No, not tonight.”

  “Okay.” I turn around and head upstairs to the break room.

  In the break room, crumbs and mysterious stains cover the plastic table and floor, and the folding chairs are far from comfortable. One of the lights flickers on and off, and a dingy old television sits on a cart in one corner for when new employees have to watch the introductory videos. It could easily be the setting of a murder mystery, and yet, none of us care to change it or clean it much.

  I swipe a few crumbs off a seat and sit down with my bag of popcorn. I let out a sigh. My feet instantly stop aching, and I’m so grateful to be able to sit down, even if it’s only for thirty minutes.

  When I pull out my phone, three new notifications are on my lock screen. Someone named Dane Sutton liked my recent selfie, followed me, and wants to send me a direct message. Confused but interested, I click on the message to open it, and all it says is Oh hey with a rose emoji. I squint at the message to make sure I’m reading it right and click his profile. I’ve never seen him before, but he sure is cute. I tap my thumb nail on my lip, as I scroll through his profile.

  A few things are apparent right off the bat. His Instagram bio says he’s in the Air Force but also that he’s a senior in high school. He posts a lot of pretty photos with lyrical captions, and he’s one of those guys that holds fish and wears cowboy boots in a photo. I can’t quite figure him out.

  I click back to his message and decide the only thing to do is to message him back. My heart starts beating faster, but I type a simple hi haha with a smiley face. I hit send and put my phone down on the table.

  I cover my cheeks with my hands and stare blankly at the wall in front of me. This is so unusual. I never in a million years would’ve expected a real, normal-looking boy to “slide into my DMs.” I honestly didn't think that was a real thing that happened, but even if it was, it surely wasn’t meant to happen to me. My phone vibrates with a new message.

  You’re beautiful, and I love your eyes. A smile creeps onto my face, and I cover it with my hand. I type back slowly.

  Aw, thank you. Are the photos on your profile your own? I set my phone down again but keep the conversation open. Three dots appear on his side of the conversation, as he replies.

  Yes, I’m a bit of an adventurist. We message each other back and forth a few more times, noting that he wants to travel all over the world, he goes to Center Grove High School, and he is, in fact, a senior. I wonder if me being younger than him will be a turnoff, but then I get another message from him.

  I’d love to get to know you more. Here’s my number. The same smile is still plastered on my face, and my heart starts beating faster. Right then, Amanda and Cindy walk into the break room, each holding a paper bag of food, and they instantly notice my cheesy smile.

  “What’s going on?” Cindy asks slowly. The smell of french fries seeps into the air, and my mouth salivates. She and Amanda both sit down and watch me carefully. My mouth twitches from nerves, so I bite my lip.

  “Some random guy has been sending me messages on Instagram for the past fifteen minutes, and he just gave me his number,” I say. The air becomes warmer, and I place my cold hand onto my forehead.

  “Who is it?” Amanda asks. I click on Dane’s profile and slide my phone across the table. I dart between their faces to see if I can spot a reaction, and they both raise their eyebrows. Cindy smiles.

  “He’s pretty cute. I mean, for you at least,” she says. I take no offense, knowing she only means that he’s cute for someone my age. Amanda nods but continues looking at a photo, even when Cindy is done.

  “We went to the same high school, but I don’t recognize him. I must’ve already graduated by the time he was a freshman.,” Amanda says and slides my phone back to me. “So what are you two talking about?” I click back on our conversation and summarize the messages so far.

  “He seems nice,” I add.

  “No, he seems like an upgrade,” Cindy says, “And that’s exactly what you need after this whole Luke debacle.” Amanda mumbles an agreement while taking a bite out of her sandwich. My phone vibrates with a new message, but this time it’
s not from Instagram. I click the message, change the contact name to “Dane Sutton,” and then read his message.

  I’d love to take you on a date. I hear Columbus, Indiana is a really cool place, so we could go on a road trip out there, spend the day, and come back. How about tomorrow?

  The room’s heat beats against my skin, and I embarrassingly start to sweat a little. I chew on my bottom lip, while Amanda and Cindy both stare at me.

  “Well? What did he say?” One of them asks. I blink quickly and look up at them with a big smile on my face.

  “He wants to take me on a date,” I say. Cindy tilts her head.

  “Already?”

  “Well, tomorrow. He said he would take me to Columbus, Indiana, but I’ve never even heard of that city. Do you think he means Ohio?” I ask. Nerves explode in the pit of my stomach.

  “No, there’s a Columbus, Indiana. I’ve been there, but it’s kind of far away. I’m not sure you should go so far away with a stranger on your first date,” Cindy says. I nod. That makes sense, even though I know Cindy is usually overly protective of me like a mother hen.

  “So, what do I say?” I ask, looking back down at the text message. I move my thumb up and down the screen, causing the text message to move up and down too.

  “Well, do you want to go?” Amanda asks. I think for a second.

  “Yeah, I kind of do.”

  “Well, then maybe you should go,” Amanda says. Cindy rubs her face.

  “I mean, yeah, you should go if you want to go. But if you do, then you should share your location with someone so they know where you are at all times. And if it starts to feel awkward or uncomfortable, then you call me, and I’ll come pick you up. Okay?” Cindy says.

  “Okay.” I smile again and text Dane back.

  Sounds like fun. Then, reality hits me square in the face.

  “I have to work tomorrow,” I say out loud and look up to see Amanda and Cindy both staring at me.

  “Okay, reschedule for Sunday,” Cindy says.

  “Oh, right,” I say and text Dane again.

  What about Sunday though? I have to work tomorrow. I wait only a few seconds before a message comes back.

  Perfect.

  ✦✦✦

  When Kevin and I drive home from work, the roads are quiet and empty. The streetlights lead us forward. I shake my foot back and forth, as I look out the window and think about how I’m going to talk to my parents about this.

  My father is the kind of father who had to give me formal permission to start dating guys, and this only happened freshman year. And my parents are the kind of parents who wouldn’t let me stay the night at my girl friend’s house in middle school because she had three older brothers. And they wouldn’t let me go to a new friend’s house because it was in a bad area of town. Since I’ve gotten my license and started driving, my privileges have expanded, but I worry this will push the boundaries a bit too much. And I worry if I reject Dane once, he’ll give up, and that will be over before it even gets a chance to start.

  My mind races, as Kevin pulls into our driveway. Looking up towards the house, lights flash on and off behind the curtains in the living room. They must be watching a movie. My heart beats fast. Kevin and I walk inside, and our parents only wave a hello, continuing to watch their movie. I guess I won’t be talking to them about this tonight. Tomorrow will have to do.

  I race upstairs, making sure I don’t get roped into staying downstairs to watch a movie with them, and I find Jessica already asleep in her bed. I change out of my smelly clothes and hop into bed. Dane and I’s conversation ended when I had to go back to work, and the whole ride home, I purposefully left my phone in my pocket. A little suspense is good for guys I hear. Now that I’m comfortably and safely in my own space, I open our conversation and reply to Dane.

  Just got off work. I’ll have to ask my parents for permission to go out with you on Sunday. I know that’s lame, but they’re strict. Dane starts replying almost immediately, and a message comes through a minute later.

  I totally understand. No worries. I hope they say yes! I smile at my phone screen and text back.

  Me too. That seems too short, though, so I send another. So how did you find my Instagram account anyways?

  We must have mutual friends. You go to Perry, right? Dane texts back.

  Yeah.

  I go to C9, so I meet Perry kids all the time. C9 is the technical school where students can go for half a day while still attending regular classes at their high school the rest of the day. It’s mostly for students who want to learn a trade, and I think Luke might actually go there for something. Now I wonder if they know each other.

  Oh cool. What do you go for? I text Dane back. He responds quickly.

  Aviation. It’s good practice for when I join the Air Force.

  Oh, right. Well that’s cool. I don’t know what else to say, so I decide to end the conversation with another text. Hey, it’s been a long day, so I’m going to head to bed. But I’ll talk to you tomorrow for sure. A minute later, a new message comes through.

  Okay. Goodnight, Penelope. Sleep well. I put my phone on my desk and lay on my back with my eyes closed, but I struggle to fall asleep. This feels so unreal. Based on Dane’s Instagram photos, he seems to be out of my league, but somehow, I’ve managed to attract his attention. Hopefully, we can go out, and he’ll still like me when he sees me in person. I guess I’ll find out.

  The sound of guns shooting wakes me up the next morning, and I open my eyes to see Jessica playing Fortnite on the PlayStation in our room. I groan and cover myself with my blanket when I remember what I have to do today. My stomach instantly fills with nervous energy, so I tell myself I have to get it over with sooner rather than later.

  When I get out of bed and walk downstairs, Mom is making herself avocado toast‒a new health trend I suspect‒so I greet her and start to make myself a bowl of cereal.

  “How was work last night?” Mom asks.

  “It was pretty good. Not too busy,” I say. I open my mouth to talk again but can’t figure out the right words to say, so I close it. Should I tell her I know him, or should I admit we met on Instagram? My stomach growls, so I finish making myself breakfast and sit down to eat. Mom sits down at the table too, so it’s now or never.

  “So, I was wondering if I could hang out with this boy tomorrow,” I say and quickly shove a spoonful of cereal into my mouth. Mom narrows her eyes at me.

  “What boy? Does he go to your school?” She asks. I swallow loudly.

  “No,” I admit, “We met on Instagram.” Her face contorts into a look of confusion and surprise, and my cheeks warm up. My dad, who’s sitting in the living room, turns around to look at us with a similar expression. He stands and joins us in the kitchen.

  “What are you two talking about?” He asks, even though I know he could hear us from where he was sitting. Mom looks at me, and I look back at her like a deer in headlights. She quickly comes to my rescue.

  “She was asking me if she could go out with some boy tomorrow,” Mom tells Dad. They both look at me now.

  “Who is this guy?” Dad asks.

  “His name is Dane. He’s a senior at Center Grove High School. He’s joining the Air Force in June, and he likes photography,” I state. Saying what I know about him out loud makes me realize that maybe I don’t know him well enough to go out with him. My parents look to each other, and I can almost read their minds.

  “When and where is this supposed to be happening?” Dad asks, and my gut twists.

  “He wants to take me to Columbus, Indiana to show me around,” I say and prepare myself for the looks of disapproval and borderline disappointment. Dad laughs. Mom shakes her head.

  “Do you know how far away that is? We’ve never even been there before, so I don’t think we’d be comfortable allowing you to go there with this boy you’ve never met before,” Dad says.

  “Yeah,” Mom chimes in, “For all you know, he could be an ax-murderer.” I sigh and ro
ll my eyes, which thankfully, Dad doesn’t catch.

  “Really? Don’t say that,” Dad says and looks back at me, “I just don’t think we would be very responsible parents to let our sixteen year old daughter be in the hands of some boy we don’t even know. He could drive you to wherever he wants, do whatever he wants‒I don’t even want to think about it. Do you understand where we’re coming from?” I nod my head, even though I know they’re blowing it way out of proportion.

  “Okay, great,” Dad says and walks further into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. Mom takes a bite out of her toast, and I look down at my cereal that is becoming soggier by the second. I eat one spoonful and pull out my phone to break the news to Dane. No adventures and no dating for me.

  After sending him my deepest apologies, I wait for a response. My phone vibrates only a few seconds later.

  What if we stay in town instead? My heart, which had finally begun to calm down, now starts beating fast again. I text him back.

  What do you have in mind? He replies quickly.

  Good old fashioned dinner and a movie? I smile and reply: Let me ask. I put my phone down and look up to my parents who are both still wandering through the kitchen.

  “What if we go to the movies instead?” I ask them. They both turn towards me and then look at each other.

  “That sounds a lot more reasonable,” Mom says, but Dad continues to look at her with a blank face.

  “I guess,” he finally says, “But you have to drive yourself.” I smile and text Dane back immediately.

  We’re on.

  CHAPTER 3

  It’s nine a.m., and I’m freaking out.

  My date with Dane starts in three hours, and as soon as I woke up, my heart knew it. My stomach aches with nerves, making me nauseous, and I wish it would stop. This is my first real date, and I don’t know what to expect. Should I wear something nice or be casual? Is he going to hold my hand or try to kiss me? Maybe I should cancel.