The Circle of Friends

VIII - College-1

VIII - College

The third weekend in July, the gang gathered at their favorite park, enjoying one last time together before college scattered them to the winds. Of the thirteen gathered, six would leave the following week for football camp.

The boys tossed the football while the girls played Frisbee at a safe distance. When the afternoon heat became unbearable, they sought refuge under the trees. Heather produced two large blankets and spread them out on the grass. A cooler resided in the back of Paul’s truck and Lori grabbed a bottle of water before collapsing next to Jason.

“You know, I can’t believe you guys are leaving next week!” Heather said suddenly, scanning those present.

“Football camp starts the last week of July,” said Jason, his hold on Lori’s hand tightening.

“That’s right!” cried Chris, tossing the football at Matt. “Football, college, and all the girls we want!”

“What?” asked Heather indignantly.

“You heard him,” said Matt, giving her a shove. “No parents or girlfriends to hold us back!”

“You just want to get laid every night!” said Paul, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend as if to forestall her protest.

“And why not?” cried Matt. “Hell, man! Just think of what we’ll find at college. There’ll be dozens, maybe hundreds of pretty girls to chase.”

“Hey!” said Heather, whacking him on the arm. “What are we, ugly ducklings?”

“Compared to what we’ll see at college, yes!” Matt teased. “It’ll be just like when we went to California, right Jason? Hell, even better!”

Jason smiled but did not answer. Beside him, Lori sat very still. She tried desperately to control her mounting fear and appear calm.

“Paul’s right. You just want to get laid!” said Heather disgustedly.

“With as many beautiful women as possible! Gees, Heather, give me a break! I’m single and don’t plan on being attached during the best years of my s*x life!”

“Me neither!” echoed Chris, holding his cola high in the air. “Here’s to several years of gratuitous s*x!”

Lori arose under the guise of getting another drink, unable to maintain her composure any longer.

“Well, you won’t be the only ones!” cried Heather. “Right, Sarah? We’ll get to pick from a bevy of eligible bachelors.”

“Oh you think so?” asked Matt.

“The guys will be hunting and so will I!” Heather arrogantly declared.

Matt and Heather continued to banter back and forth about their upcoming college conquests. Jason looked for Lori and realized she was not by the cooler. He scanned the area and noticed her some distance away by an outcropping of trees. Arms tightly crossed, she stared forlornly into the distance. Feeling concerned, Jason joined her.

“Hey,” he said as he came up behind Lori. She acknowledged his presence with a quick glance and a half-hearted smile. Jason put his arms around her and she leaned against his chest.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, softly nuzzling her neck.

She shook her head, unable to answer. Lori realized she would only begin crying if she tried to speak now.

“Lori,” he said, holding her tightly. “Is it what the guys were talking about?”

“Yes,” she said, fighting back the tears. “You’re leaving soon, and…”

Her voice trailed off and Jason sighed.

“You know I love you,” he whispered.

“Once we’re apart, it’ll be different,” she answered hoarsely. “I can’t expect you to keep your promise to me.”

“I don’t know what college will bring,” he admitted, “but I don’t plan on letting you go.”

“You let Rachel go,” she said softly.

“Lori!”

Jason spun her around to face him, his hands firm on her shoulders. Tears streamed down Lori’s cheeks and he gave her a little shake.

“You are not Rachel! Don’t you think I’m worried about all of the guys you’ll meet at college? There’ll be so many wanting you and I won’t be there to fight them off!”

Lori shook her head in denial. “I don’t want to be with anyone but you!”

“And I don’t want anyone but you!” he replied forcefully.

Jason pulled her against his body, regretting the arrival of this moment. He had put off dealing with their separation for as long as possible. Now that it was upon them, he regretted the decision that would ultimately send them to different colleges. Lori would be all by herself at Florida.

“Lori,” he said, desperate to comfort them both. “I’m just there to attend classes and play football. That’s it! Matt might want to go through the entire female population, but I’m certainly not looking for anyone else.”

She burrowed further into his arms. “You can’t promise that. We’ll never see each other!”

“Yes we will,” said Jason, stroking her hair. “I’ll come see you every couple weekends. I promise! And I’ll call you every day, no matter what.”

Holding Lori so he could view her face, Jason wiped away her tears even as he fought back his own pain. “When I leave, it won’t be forever, I promise. I’m not letting you go that easy. And I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let anyone else have you!”

His last words came out with such force that Lori gasped. She slowly nodded, brushing away the last of her tears with her hand. Jason’s expression relaxed and he smiled, hugging her once more. His gaze drifted to those gathered under the trees. Several heads were turned their direction, but he did not care. Lori was his only concern at the moment.

“Better now?” he asked.

She nodded and Jason tilted her head back far enough to kiss Lori soundly. Her eyes were slightly red from crying, but she finally smiled. Jason could feel the tension leaving her body even as his own nerves began to settle.

“We only have a few days remaining,” she said, taking a deep breath.

“Then we better make the best of it!”

Jason lifted Lori into his arms and she let out a cry of laughter as he carried her to where their friends awaited. Dropping to his knees, he gently placed her on the blanket. The others paused to observe their return, but no one commented on Lori and Jason’s private moment. This came as a relief to Lori, who had not intended to become emotional in front of so many people. At least she knew where Jason stood on the matter. They would still say goodbye, but it would not be the end.

Wednesday night was Jason’s last evening before departing for Tallahassee and Florida State.

He had come over early on Tuesday and spent the entire day alone with Lori. In much better spirits, they enjoyed their last full day together immensely. Any pangs of regret they felt remained hidden from one another.

Lori came over Wednesday evening to help him pack and spend a few more hours with Jason. He was leaving for Tallahassee very early the following morning. His father would follow Jason in his truck, carrying a desk and several other large items. The pickup already loaded, Jason continued placing boxes in his car. He appreciated Lori’s presence, but wished the time could have been spent on an activity other than packing.

By ten o’clock, he had everything stowed securely in his BMW. Jason knew he needed to get some sleep for the long drive tomorrow, but he felt reluctant to say goodbye to Lori. It would be a long time before Jason saw her again. He sensed she had put on a good front tonight for his benefit and it distressed him to leave Lori in this manner. Walking out to her car, they stood in the driveway and held one another, unable to speak. Jason could feel her tremble in his arms and Lori took several deep breaths. He wished they could have made love, even just once. Jason still wanted to be first, however long the wait.

“Please don’t cry,” he said, fighting to keep himself under control. “I don’t think I could handle that right now.”

“I’m gonna miss you,” she said, holding her voice steady.

“I’ll miss you!” said Jason, stroking her hair. “I’ll call you every day. I’ll call you tomorrow night after I get settled in my room!”

Lori eased her grip on his neck. Meeting his eyes at last, she remembered the first time she had gazed into those steel blue eyes in the boy’s locker room. It had soothed her pain then, and she willed it to calm her now. Lori nodded solemnly and Jason gave her another quick kiss.

“And I’ll come see you as soon as you get to college. You’ll only be two hours away,” he told her. “Two and a half tops!”

She managed a weak smile. “Then I guess I’ll see you in about three weeks or so.”

“Yes! So this isn’t goodbye, okay?”

“Okay,” she reluctantly agreed, bravely straightening her shoulders.

“I love you,” he said, gently rubbing her back.

“I love you.”

They kissed one more time. Immediately Lori whirled around and opened her car door. She slid behind the wheel and slammed the door with great force. Starting the engine, she noticed Jason gesturing. Almost reluctantly, she rolled down the window.

“Three weeks. That’s it!” he said, leaning in to give her a quick peck on the cheek. He patted the roof of her car and stepped aside.

Lori could feel the tears as they fell from her eyes and backed quickly out of the driveway. Glancing back at the house, she saw Jason wave, but it was all she could do to hold fast to the steering wheel. Shifting into second, she slammed her foot on the accelerator and sped away into the night.

Only when she reached the safety of her parent’s garage did Lori permit herself to break down completely.

The next morning, Jason arose before six o’clock. He had hardly slept at all and dreaded the long drive to Tallahassee. The only advantage to feeling drowsy and exhausted lay in the fact it numbed his senses.

His mother fixed breakfast and he attempted to eat the food on his plate. Six in the morning simply did not agree with him, although his father was alert and rather talkative. Jason managed to grunt his way through the morning, unwilling to engage in stimulating conversation. The day had barely begun and already he longed for its end.

He was putting one final bag in his car when the sound of squealing tires caught Jason’s attention. Looking up, he saw Lori’s car pull up to the curb. She leapt from her Mustang, hair still wet from swimming and a sweat jacket over her swimsuit. He closed his car door and went to meet her. Bounding up to Jason, Lori placed her hands on either side of his head and pulled him in for a kiss. Startled but pleased, Jason returned the gesture, his arms wrapping around Lori. She broke away and regarded him anxiously.

“I’m sorry. Last night isn’t how I wanted to say goodbye,” she said, smiling faintly as she ran her fingers through his hair. “I wanted to tell you to work hard at football camp and show them just what a great quarterback they’ve got now! I’ll be waiting to see you in three weeks.”

“Oh, Lori,” exclaimed Jason, holding her close. He kissed her neck, delighted she had returned this morning. “Just don’t you let any of those college boys charm their way into your heart.”

“Never,” she whispered.

Jason heard the front door open. Releasing Lori, he held her hand as they walked toward the house. His mother awaited the couple on the front porch, a cooler in her hands and a smile on her face.

“Good morning!” she called to Lori.

“Morning!” she answered as they reached the porch.

Jason took the cooler from his mother’s hands and placed it in his car. His mother winked at Lori.

“I think they’re just about ready to go,” she said, turning as the door opened once more. Jason’s father appeared, keys in hand.

“Well, good morning!” he said with surprise. Andrew turned to his wife. “Is he ready?”

She nodded. “Just needs to say goodbye.”

Jason returned and his father slapped him on the shoulder. “Ready when you are, champ!”

He hugged his mother first and told her goodbye. When it came to Lori though, he caught his breath, unable to speak. She squeezed him tightly, holding her feelings in check.

“Just return to me,” she whispered.