Right In Front of Me (Finished)

Chapter 38: Perfection at its Finest

Greyson walks with me down the empty hall, hand in hand. I stop abruptly. "Grey?" I ask with wide eyes. "Yeah, love-muffin?" He replies. I give him a look. "I'm never gonna say that again." He chuckles. "I should hope not." I reply. After a moment, I ask, "What are we gonna do?" He looks questioningly at me. "What do you mean?" He smiles. "Where are we going? What are we gonna do?" I repeat. He shakes his head, "Live day by day. That's all anyone can do." I process this, say, "How will we survive next year? There's no Big Summer Makeover Project for us to get attention walking in on that first day. What are we going to do, Greyson?" He unclamps his hand from mine and puts both hands in the wavy hair behind my ears and he kisses my forehead. "Be ourselves. What are we gonna do? We will be us. You. Me. Us. That's all we'll ever need. Alright?"
I nod.
I smile lovingly at him. It's just so crazy that the annoying popular kid who lived eight feet away from me could be my right now, my only sure thing. I never thought the greatest friendship I'd ever have would also be with the weaver of my best memories, my best romance. Nothing will ever feel as perfect as when I'm in this crazy kid's presence. When my lips are on his, I am infinite. We are infinite.
"What?" He asks, grinning goofily, ripping me out of my loving thoughts. I shake my head, then nod and say, "Nothing. I'm just amazed at how this all happened, how this all turned out." He tilts his head in confusion. "Like how?"
"It's just how in the beginning this would have been such a strange situation to me. Last year, that version of me would never be dating you. But I... I could never imagine anything more perfect." We just look at each other, now in the daylight, having walked to the front entrance of Rockwood High.
Hallie comes over right then and says, "Hey, you guys ready?" We look at each other. "Yeah. We're ready. For anything and everything." I say. Hayden yells from his Jeep, "Hurry up, we gotta beat the traffic!" He hauls Hallie duffel bag into the open case on the ground. "Yeah, I just have to call my mom, letting her know that we're leaving." Greyson says. dialing into his phone then turning around. He walks in a circle as he laughs into the phone. I grab my bag off of the pavement and drop it into the case. I drop Greyson's duffel in the case as well. Hayden's is already in there.
        "All good. My mom's at your house, hanging with my dad and your parents. I love how close they've gotten," Greyson says to me, sliding his phone back in his pocket. "I know, right?" I respond. Hayden joins Hallie at her side, kissing her temple. I really love the idea of them being together. It may have taken me a while to get used to them, but now I can't imagine them apart. "Shall we embark on yet another wild adventure?" Hallie says. "You mean like when Avalon oh-so geniously suggested that we spend a night in the city?" Hayden points out. We start laughing and reminiscing in the memories of that night. "Remember when Hallie made out with that dude with the tattoos?" I say. It falls silent. "Hallie did what?" Greyson asks, smirking. "Weren't we dating then?" He chuckles. "Maybe, maybe not..." Hallie says giving me a playful blame face. I hold my hands up in surrender. "Sorry, I forgot he didn't know." We continue to talk about that night when Greyson intervenes, saying, "Hey, I wasn't there for that adventure! Can we talk about something I was there for?" I nod, "Sure thing. Remember when Greyson's voice cracked when he was asking Hallie out on the bridge and he played sappy French music. He even wore a bow tie!" We all laugh. "Hey! Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up!" Greyson exclaims. "Hey, it was cute!" Hallie defends him. "Yeah, you hear that Avalon? It was cute!" Hayden snorts at the thought of Greyson in a bow tie. "Cute, hilarious, yes- but still cute." Hallie adds. We burst out laughing. "Hey, let's not pick on Greyson, pick on Hayden!" Greyson says, turning it around on Hayden.
"Whoa, what did I do, man?" Hayden asks. "Do you not remember tripping in the murder mystery dinner parking lot?"
"I did no such thing!" Hayden defends himself.
"Is that why you guys were laughing so hard?" I ask.
"I DIDN'T TRIP!"
"Yes you did, I got it on video. Ask Taylor, I sent it to her!" Hallie counters.
"Alright, whatever." Hayden gives up, climbing into the driver's seat of the Jeep, as we have made our way over to it during our conversation.
The rest of us climb in, Hallie next to Hayden in the front, me behind her. Greyson settles in next to me. The doors are all removed since the weather is no longer freezing. We begin to drive away when Hayden abruptly halts. He jumps out yelling, "The bags!" We all die laughing. He straps the case to the top of the Jeep, then hops back in.
"Ready now?" Greyson jokes.
Here we are. The original group taking a beach trip right after the last day of school to celebrate the kick-off of the summer, the end of our Junior year, and looking forward to our Senior year.
"Yes. We're ready." Hayden says, winking.
I take Greyson's hand, resting my head on his shoulder as the vehicle bumps along and out of the school parking lot.
"Whooo!" Hallie yells.
"Freedom!" Hayden screams.
I giggle. The last thing I remember before drifting into thought and predictions of this summer and upcoming school year was Hayden kissing my head and stroking my intertwined hand with his thumb. "I love you." He whispered. Hallie and Hayden were occupied in conversation, so they didn't here us. Greyson has never said that. But now that I really know who I am, and now that I know there really is hope in high school relationship, along with the knowledge with what love is, I can reply correctly. This is love. This is my life, and my hope. This will last as long as it needs to, and it needs to never end. Now I know.
"I love you too, Greyson."
I shut my eyes, smiling.
This is it, what I was waiting for.
What I searched for my whole life.
I searched in clothes and makeup and guys who never right for me.
But this is it.
My perfection.


~~~THE END~~~