Read Covering the Carolinas for Free Online Page B

minute to relax, but not before Tinleigh
and Carleigh enter my room and park their butts on my bed.
    “ So we were thinking, since you won’t be here
most weekends, let’s use these few days before classes start to do
what we would typically do on the weekends. Whatcha think?”
Tinleigh says.
    “ Y’all, what if he’s there?” I ask.
    “ Look, we’ve been here two years and have been
able to avoid him like the plague. These next two years won’t be
any different, but are you sure you want to keep avoiding him?”
Tinleigh asks.
    “ Yes, I want to act like I’ve never met him.
Regardless of what has happened between us, I know this is what’s
best for him. You can check any local paper and know he’s living
his dream. Honestly, I can’t believe I was so stupid that week. I’m
the perfect example of what happens when you react before you
think.”
    “ Sis, we know as well as anyone that it’s not
like you sleep around, but you sure weren’t new to that rodeo. That
time you just were falling hard and didn’t think about the
consequences.”
    “ I know. Thanks for always being there, and I
have to say we truly have the best parents in the world. I mean,
who lets their daughter go off to college while they babysit three
days a week?”
    “ You’re right. Our parents are awesome, but
you’re pretty awesome yourself. I just want you to be sure that
avoiding GC is what you truly want, and not what your brain is
telling you.”
    “ It’s what I have to do regardless of what we shared. I did
what was best for the star basketball player. He’s living his
dream, and now I’m living mine. I’m here for one reason only, and
that’s to get a degree. I don’t even think I’ll have time to find
him if I wanted to. I’ll only be here three days a week. The only
way I’d even look in his direction is if he came looking for
me.”
    “ He’s had a few chances to ask us, but we’ve
done everything to stay away from him. I just hope that if you run
into each other that you tell him,” Carleigh says
unsurely.
    “ Car, he has his basketball scholarship and
the papers say the pros might be sending scouts out to see him.
Even if I do decide to tell him, it won’t be during a five minute
conversation. I could just see it now. He’d run so fast, forget
basketball, they’d give him a track scholarship instead.” We all
start to laugh.

Chapter 11
    GUNNISON
    Several guys from the team meet up at the Coastal
Ale House. This place reminds me of the Taproom at home. After
ordering a beer at the bar, I make my way to a high top to watch
major league baseball.
    As several of the guys start to get a little
rowdy, I notice a group of girls walk in… Summer. She spots me as
soon as she walks in the door, and the look on her face says one
thing. I’m hers. I flash a
smile back and walk toward her.
    “ Well if it isn’t GC Del Valle. I missed you
this summer,” she says as she wraps her arms around me. As she
looks up to me, I lean over and press my lips to hers briefly. “So
are we picking up where we left off?” She winks, and I kiss her
once more. I lace my fingers through hers and tell her friends to
join us. “I believe we are, Summer.”
    As the afternoon ends, we pay our tabs and head back
toward our apartment. Summer goes with the girls, but I know I’ll
see her later. There’s a party at Garden City, and there’s no way
we’re going to miss a party at the beach.
    MARLEIGH
    As we get ready to go out tonight, I go into my room
and Facetime my parents, but it’s the perfect little face on the
other side that makes my heart warm.
    “ Hey, little man! What did you and Pap do
today?”
    “ We went to the creek fishin’! I got a big
‘un. He was dis big.” I act completely shocked as he shows me with
his arms the size of the fish.
    “ WOW! That big?” He nods his head yes. “I sure
do miss you!”
    “ I miss you too, Mommy. Mimi says you home in
this many,” he says holding up five fingers.
    “ You