Where Gravel Roads Lead Home

3

3“Girl Almighty” – One Direction

Vanessa thought she might never move again. Every muscle in her body hurt from five straight days of tumbling and stunting. She lay spread out in an X on her bed, wishing that a little fairy would bring her ice packs and pain relievers. Being pissed off at Luke was the only reason she hadn't passed out yet. That, and the fact that her mother had forced her to run errands, do all of her laundry, put away her clothes, and have family dinner when she got home. Tyrant. While Luke's promise of a breakfast Frosty had helped, she still couldn't let it go. Not because of him- because of her. She needed a distraction, so she reached for her phone again and texted Kim.

V: Are you dying? Because I'm dying.

K: Well, I was sleeping.

V: Wake up.

K: Obviously.

V: Everything hurts.

K: If you go to sleep, you'll feel better.

V: I know… I was just too mad at Luke to sleep.

K: You're too hard on him sometimes.

V: You're not allowed to take his side!

K: Then let me go back to sleep. Maybe I'll be more sympathetic in the morning.

V: Fine!

K: Night!

Everyone just has to have a soft spot for Luke. She knew she wasn't even really mad anymore, but she didn't think a little commiseration was too much to ask. After the whole Jess-and-Zack-Hook-Up debacle, Vanessa was sort of missing that in her friends. Just thinking of Jess made her teeth grind together. Thank god she won't be at school. She'd be going to the Christian Academy one town over for junior and senior year. It didn't stop them from seeing each other and passive-aggressively pretending they didn't at the limited number of Gem City attractions, but that was easier than sitting next to one another in class everyday. Zack would still be at GCH, though. That thought, even after surviving the end of the past year without too much of an issue, still made her stomach turn. Now I'll really never sleep. She groaned into her pillow, but brightened when she realized it was much earlier in Phoenix.

V: You up?

C: Ya, what's going on?

Vanessa just pressed call instead.

“Hiya,” Courtney answered.

“What are you doing?”

“Listening to music and organizing my school supplies.”

“Of course you are.”

“How was camp?”

“Freaking brutal. All of my extremities are going to fall off.”

“That sounds traumatic.”

“And then Luke didn't show up to pick me up when I got home.”

“Really? Isn't that sort of… unlike him? I don't know, I guess I haven't met him.”

“Yeah. I guess. I don't know.” It freaked me out to be in that parking lot, she wanted to say, wishing that wasn't the reason behind her lingering anger. She hated that it still bothered her, what happened there with Zack, and she hated it even more that she needed Luke. And that she never told Courtney everything about what had happened. It would have been nice for someone else to understand. “What's going on with you? Anything exciting happening?”

“Well, you know me. Just livin' it up. Parties, raves, the whole nine yards.”

“You should come back to visit. You haven't been here in forever, and we'd have so much fun.”

“That's actually the best idea I've heard in a long time. Maybe next summer?”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

“Only a school year away.”

“Don't be a pessimist. We can talk more about it later, but ask your mom. For real. I want something to look forward to.”

“Done and done. Get some sleep.”

“Later, Court.”

The idea of Courtney coming to visit, even if far away, was enough to get her mind out of that parking lot and into memories of life when it was simpler.