Post by smile♥ on Mar 6, 2009 0:36:47 GMT -5
"Its a love story, baby just say yes," -- Taylor Swift 'Love Story'
9
9
It had been a few days, but she finally realized she needed to get over it. She needed to push herself out of the haze she had been walking around in and actually see things. Her friends probably hated her since she had pretty much ignored everyone but Marshall the whole time.
After a long, hot shower, she took the time to actually put on a little make-up. She never wore a lot anyway, just eyeliner and mascara, but lately she had been taking a detour around that as well. She even took the time to blow dry her hair and straighten it instead of throwing it up in a messy bun or ponytail. She smiled at herself in the mirror as she gave her simple outfit of blue jean capris and two tank tops layered over each other a once over before grabbing her house key and cell phone and heading out the door.
"Well you sure look good this morning," Marshall greeted her as he stood there, leaning against the door frame with his arms across his chest.
"I feel good this morning."
"I noticed. You haven't been like this in a long time, T.K." He told her and she gave him a nod.
"I know."
"So what are you up to today?" he asked curiously as the two of them took a seat on the front steps of his house, side by side.
"I thought I'd take a look at the used car lot... See if anything catches my eye."
"Want some company?"
"I'd love that," she gave him a smile as she watched him hop up and run inside to grab his keys.
- - - -
"Do you think that people can be in love with an illusion?" She asked over the wind as the two of them sped along the lonely two-lane highway.
He gave a little shrug and looked at her with those hazel green eyes.
"Like, they can just think they're in love with something, and then they realize that they're really not and in fact they don't even know why they loved said thing?"
"I don't know.. I think that people fall in love with people for a reason, even if it is to realize that they weren't in love with them at all."
"I never said I was talking about people," she told him. She was talking about people though. Herself and Teddy in fact.
He had finally called her and told her everything. Told her that he went to Macon to fix things with Jessica. Somehow he had realized that he did love Tessa... As a friend. He always would, and he wanted to be friends with her because she was such a great person to be around, but he was in-love with Jessica. It had sent her into another fit of tears, until about three o'clock in the morning when she was pacing the floor in an attempt to make herself tired so she could get some sleep.
She sat in her desk chair, looking out her window at Marshall's house. The glow of his tv sent flashes of blue light throughout the room, but he wasn't watching tv, he was gazing back at her. He waved, and she waved back, and that was it.
"So, Teddy's not staying in Macon after all, huh?" Marshall laughed.
"No they're staying here. She got a new job thats much closer. So they can spend more time together."
"Thats good. At least they're giving it a chance, ya know? Trying to work things out."
She nodded. She had accepted that it was for the best. "Yeah, it is."
- - - -
She pulled up to his house in her new, but used, teal Ford Ranger. She wasn't usually a truck kind of girl, but Marshall insisted that she looked adorable behind the wheel, and she had fallen in love with it - and the ridiculously affordable price - so she bought it.
Teddy's SUV was in the driveway. She hadn't expected that. She had written him a letter, because she felt that it might be a little bit easier to deal with that way. He opened the door after one knock.
"Hey, come on in," he gave her a kind smile and she suggested they sit outside instead. "Ok."
She he took a seat on the railing as she sat in a white plastic lawn chair in front of him. "So, I came here to leave this letter to read because I thought you weren't getting back until tomorrow. But I guess I'll just have to tell you what it says."
He let out a laugh, "Ok."
"So... Um... When you left... I didn't know you had, and I heard it from these two old ladies and they were gossiping about me too and I was so upset. It was stupid to get upset over two old ladies gossiping, I know, but still... I didn't believe them, but then I started thinking...
So I called you. No answer. I called again, no answer. And I realized. It was exactly the same thing as when I moved to Vermont with Jason. I wanted to make it work with him, so I felt like I needed to leave you behind. And I didn't want to be left behind. I realized how you felt."
"I hadn't even thought about that," he told her. "But I guess subconciously thats what I was doing."
"Maybe. So then you called me finally. I was so mad that I missed it and had to listen to you on voicemail. And then when I heard the message and I was so upset. I cried a lot, it was kind of ridiculous really. But then, I realized that I hadn't been in-love with you. Sure, I love you. You're an amazing person I never want to live without, but I was in-love with this illusion... This schoolgirl crush.
And I guess what I'm trying to say is... Maybe this is how its supposed to be. You and me. Teddy and Tessa. Best friends."
He gave her a nod and a smile, "I think so." they hugged each other for a long while, until he finally spoke again. "So are you going to stop giving Marshall the run around? That boy is love sick over you."
She couldn't help the warm feeling she got all over her body when she thought about Marshall. She always had those feelings for him, but she always denied them for one silly reason or another.
"I just needed to apologize for the ridiculously cheesy, annoying, slightly immature, and overly dramatic way I've acted this whole time."
"Its ok. I won't hold it against you... This time." He laughed as she playfully punched him in the shoulder before saying her goodbyes. There was one last thing she had to do tonight.
- - - -
Everyone was there. It was perfect, once again. Their circle of friends had only grown bigger, and while there had been some objections at first, she had come to accept it. People grow up, people change, and people realize.
She was the last to arrive. Everyone was coupled off. Hailey and Brady shared a blanket with Sammy, Lauren and Cooper flipped through wedding magazines in matching folding chairs, Ty and Megan were holding hands as they laid on their backs, looking up at the sky, and Teddy and Jessica were teasing each other like a newlywed couple should.
But Marshall was standing on the outside, looking in on his friends as they laughed and carried on without a care in the world.
"Hey," she said softly as she came to stand next to him.
"Hey," suddenly everything about him changed. His previous worried look was now one of happiness as she gave him a hug.
"So I've been looking everywhere for you, ya know."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, I've been needing to tell you something," she told him as she kept her arms around his waist.
"Oh yeah? What?"
"This," she laughed as she stood on her toes to reach his lips with hers.
"Well thats an interesting thing you had to tell me," he laughed as they continued to stand there like that.
"So what do you say?" She asked. He gave her a smile as he leaned in for another kiss, and it felt right. Like everything was right with the world.
"Its about time!" Cooper called loudly, breaking them apart. Everyone had apparently been watching the show, waiting for their kiss to happen.
Everyone began to laugh as they joined their group of friends on their own blanket. It was perfect. She couldn't think of anywhere she'd rather be than that empty baseball field in the middle of the night with the people she loved the most.
The end.