Going the Measure - Lisa Crawmer (the beginning after the end read novel TXT) 📗

I hang up, shocked, tears already flowing like the Niagara. I grab my car keys and race out of the dorm faster than Lo Lo Jones. When I get in, I turn the ignition. It doesn’t start. Of course, my luck. I panic, not knowing what to do. Then I remember. I take out the little slip of paper and dial.

“I got hear as fast as I could. What’s the emergency?” Carson asks. He looks at me closer, seeing the tears and my make-up streaked face. “Aly? Are you okay?”

I start crying again, and he pulls me in for a hug. “ If you tell me what’s wrong, I think I could help you. Please?”

I look up at him, staring into his eyes. they’re so forgiving. “ My dad, He died, an accident at work. How could this happen? Please help me Carson.”

“Come with me.” I follow him to his car getting in. We drive quietly for awhile, me having no idea where we are going. After about a half an hour, we pull into a cemetery. We park, and he guides me to a gravestone at the back of the first block of stones. He takes out a flashlight, shining it on the name. “Ray Jones. This is my cousin, or shall I say, my brother. He passed away two years ago.”

I look at him. Her looks down, now a saddened look crossing his face. “I’m sorry, for your loss.” I fold my arms, feeling out of place, him and I having a serious talk with no jokes.

“I didn’t feel like I could make it either, without him. I know how you feel, Aly.” He looks up at me, a straight face. “Listen, I thought this was the end for me, that I would never meet someone like him. But then I met you. You are just like him: a jokester, generous, confident, always looking at the bright side, optimistic in the worst of times. That’s how I knew to take you here. I wanted him to meet you.” He stared into my eyes with that look he gives.

I hug him, not letting go until he told me to get in the car, that we were driving to my house. We didn’t say one word until I got there. The only thing that happened was that he called the University to say we would be gone for a week, family emergency.

Carson

We have been in Sebastian for for three days now, the hint of death still lurking in the air. It is the worst feeling, all of it circling around you not going away, even if you try to swat it away. Aly has, of course, not been doing well. Today, her friends are coming over. Aly must have mentioned me before, because she told me they couldn’t wait to meet her “boyfriend”. How much I wish we were.

At three, her friends came crashing in, not even knocking. When they walked up to Aly’s room, me inside, they kind of looked at me, then at Aly, the me again. The redhead whispered something to the brunette, looking at me at the same time. All I saw that she mouthed was “hot” and “muscly”. Both true. They all call Aly over, all of them conversing. Once I saw Aly roll her eyes and slightly laugh. She’s still teary-eyed. It’s only been three days though. The grief will last a lifetime.

After a while, they all turned their attention to me, sitting on Aly’s bed. Aly spoke first.

“Uh, Carson these are my friends this is-”

“Alex,” the redhead said. Then the brunette chimed in.

“Im Melissa,” she said with a smile. I looked over at the blonde. She was smiling at me, though I don’t know why.

“Oh, I’m Paige.” She waved at me with a smile bigger face.

“Nice to meet you all. Well, I’m..a..going to go get a drink, and check out the town. Is that alright everyone?” They all spoke at the same time, Aly watching them with a smirk.

“Of course it’s fine! You can do anything you want, Carson!” They all sighed like they were going to pass out.

“I’ll go with you, if that’s fine. I’m getting kind of tired of staying in my house,” Aly speaks up. She winks at me, like she’s trying to get away from the crazies, her friends. I say yes and we walk out, her friends giving me the desperate eyes, like they didn’t want me to leave. Her friends are pretty crazy.

We walk around, to the beach, around the square, down some backstreets. Then We go by her ex boyfriend’s house, Brent. What an awful name. If he comes out, I’m giving him a piece of my mind. Then I’m going to thank him for giving her to me. Aly told me about how he broke up with her, the chicken way. Thankfully, he doesn’t come out.

* * *

Today is Aly’s dad’s funeral. I had to go out and by a tuxedo because it’s not like I was planning to go to a funeral anytime soon. It’s black with a gray vest. I just wore a black tie for this. A colorful would be a little inappropriate for an vent like this. In two days, Aly and I are going back up to college, since our week of off time will be up, which stinks.

As I Aly and I walk in, everyone turns and stares at her, with sorrowful eyes. She looks away, not wanting people to see her puffy eyes. I whisper that it doesn’t matter if her eyes are pretty, that she’s still beautiful. She looks at me and barely makes a smile, then it fades, and we start walking again.

The ceremony and burial lasted around an hour. I don’t think I could attend another funeral for a long time. Aly held my hand during the whole ceremony. Every time there was a funny story, she loosened her grip. Every time there was a sad part in the speech, she almost cut my circulation off. I didn’t mind. If it helped her, I’m fine with it. The last two days, Aly and I just kind of hung out. She taught me how to surf, so the first day we did that for the whole evening. The last day, we watched some movies in her room and ate ice cream. It was pretty fun.

Aly

These last couple of weeks since my dad died, Carson and I have hung out every night. We did things that no one else at the college did. We went to the worst maintenance bowling alley in the world, the air thick with smoke because there was a bar there to. All the crazy drunks went there. We went to the Cab Shack every Tuesday, a ritual. Apparently Carson likes running now, too. The first couple of days he almost blacked out since he doesn’t run. Now he can keep up with me easily. Thursdays we go to the pool or beach because both of us don’t have classes all day. Carson is a considerately good surer too. It’s his new favorite sport and hobby. When I can’t go anywhere because of homework, he goes and practices to be better than me.

Tonight, we’re going to get some slices(pizza). We haven’t hung out all day, and usually he calls and asks. He’s up to something. This time, I agreed to him picking me up, since he all out got on his knees and begged for five minutes straight. I finally said yes. He’s got good drive, and he doesn’t stop until he gets it. Another thing I like about him, and his charm.

He picks me up on the end of the campus lawn. When I get in, he gives me
A look of satisfaction, and also like he’s hiding something. I immediately investigate.

“Carson. What is up with you? You haven’t called all day!” I converse.

“Oh, crap! I was really busy today. Which reminds me, even though I didn’t forget, I was cruising the town today, and I found something that I KNEW you would absolutely love. Then I put my own twist to it. So, here it is.” Carson pulls out a necklace that has two track shoes with wings on them.

“It’s awesome, Carson.”

“Look at the back,” he says. On the back of the track shoes was one sentence: Cute Doesn’t Win Games. I look up at him, confused. “I know. It’s not romantic. But I know you’re not a sentimental person, so I put something catchy on there! I can take it back if you want me to..”

“No! Don’t take it back. It’s great. I love it.” He puts it around my neck. I thought we would leave after it, but he still had something else on his mind.

“Aly,” he says as he takes my hands into his, “I was going to ask you a long time ago, but it didn’t feel right. But now I’m ready to ask. Will you, Aly Smith, care to go out with me, be more the friends?”

“I have been waiting for you to ask! Of course!” I hug him then look into his beautiful green eyes. “How could I say no to someone that has helped me through so much?” I lean up and kiss him.

“I love you Aly,” he whispers into my ear

We drive to Pizza Hut, surprisingly talking the whole time, instead of awkward silence. Carson runs in and grabs a seat. I laugh and sit across from him. He takes his napkin holder and makes a triangle. I have no idea what he’s doing. He tells me to make a field goal, and I give him a confused look.

“Have you not ever played paper football or something?” he asks.

“What’s that?” I ask back. He laughs hysterically and shows me how to make the football and the field goal, and