Going the Measure by Lisa Crawmer (big screen ebook reader txt) 📖

we play that until the pizza arrives. The pizza is mushroom, even though I hate that kind. I’m a very picky eater. He eats the whole thing, me eating only to pieces. It was really fun, us laughing and having a good time. He might not think he has charm, but he does, and class too. Even if a relationship doesn’t work with him, I know we will always be friends.

Carson

Today marks a whole week of Aly and I dating. It’s been the best week of college, and maybe even my life! We have hung out and went to the pool so much that I have probably gained weight, and my hair started to turn green from the chlorine. We taught each other a whole bunch of things. Today, though, someone approached me that I hoped wouldn’t. Amber Dykstra, one of the biggest partyers and relationship enders in my dorm building, came up to me. What a nightmare.

“Hey Carson, you sure are looking hot today,” she says with a grin that she has obviously mastered and used on many other people.

“Um, I’m doing good. What, about you?” I reply. She flips her hair like I’m supposed to flutter my eyes at it. I keep my cool.

“Well, the dorm is having a huge party tonight. Do you want to come? I would love it if you did.”

“Sure. I’ll see if Aly and I are hanging out.” Amber stares at me like I just said the Lord’s name in vain. Then she gave me her grin again.

“I guess Aly can come if she wants.” She flips her hair, smiles, then walks away with her keys jingling around her neck. I think she’s up to something. I’ll check out the party anyway. I shrug my shoulders and walk off, going to find Aly. I think we have something planned, but maybe we could do it a different night, like tomorrow. The thing is, Aly hates Amber. That’s her enemy. She would kill me if I went there. Especially with Amber.

On the way to classes, I see Aly across the courtyard. I say her name and she walks over with her usual bubbly attitude. She starts talking about annoying her roommate is when I intervene.

“Aly, um, we can’t hang out tonight. There’s this party that I got invited to..”

“Why can’t I come?” She gives a suspicious look.

“Oh, it’s only for my dorm building. So, I would let you come, but you can’t.”

“Ok, that’s fine. Call me when it’s over so we can hang out after or something.” We walk together to class. When we walk in, Amber gives me a thumbs up to see if I can or not. I hide a thumbs up back. Aly sees her and gives her a dirty look. They will never be friends.

* * *
For the party, I put on some jeans and a Fox t-shirt. They’re the only clothes that are clean. I’ve never had to wash my own clothes. It’s a nightmare. I go out to the beta house for our dorm. The place is overflowed with people. Obviously, there’s a keg. Good thing I don’t drink. Amber had been waiting for me. Now I know something’s up. She runs at me and hugs me, I nervously hug back.

At the party, there is live music, a dance floor, and golf cart races. This is the craziest party I’ve ever been to. As I walk around, Amber is right on my heels, sneaking up on me and dancing with me. I’ve been here for an hour. Three more to go. I wonder what Aly’s doing. She’s probably at her dorm, watching T.V., waiting for me to leave so we can hang out. I wish she could’ve come.

Aly

When is this party over? I say to myself. It’s twelve o’clock and Carson still hasn’t called.
I can’t believe I’m sitting here watching T.V. all by myself while Carson is probably having the time of his life. Suddenly, my roommate walks in. I ask her where she’s been, smelling the alcohol on her breathe from where I’m sitting.

“Oh, I just went to the BEST PARTY EVER!” she replies with a slur.

“Where was this party?” I ask.

“You know, the one down the street? I saw Carson there. He was with some girl.” That’s it, I say to myself. I’ve been sitting here by myself for HOURS while he’s been with some other girl? He’s dead when I get there and what Ashley said is true.

When I arrive, The music was unbearable. Everywhere I step there’s spilled beer. Drunk college kids are dancing and drinking. They must not have class tomorrow. Lucky them. I ask some kid if I can go in, and he says yes, and then says other things that I would rather not say. So I slapped him. Then I go inside. I walk past a game of beer pong, a well known game in Sebastian. A girl just owned some guy in it, so he is extremely drunk. When I step into the main room where the live band and dancing is, some guy comes up and asks me to dance. I say sure, but just for a second.

After awhile, I walk away and another girl starts dancing with the guy. I start looking around. Then I finally see Carson. He’s standing by himself. I start toward him, then stop when Amber walks up to him and says something. Amber turns her head and sees me, then says something else to him. Suddenly, she leans up and kisses him for quite awhile. I don’t even say anything, I just stare. When Carson pushes her away, he looks over and sees me. I feel a tears roll down my cheeks. I shake my head and start toward the door. I can here him calling my name, but I don’t turn around. Finally, I feel his hand rest on my shoulder. I still down turn around.

“Aly, I can explain-,” He starts.

“There’s nothing you need to explain. There’s nothing that needs to be said here.” I start towards the door again, hoping I can get out of here. I barely hear his voice calling my name over the loud music. I break into a run and get in my car, starting it up and flying out of there. Why didn’t he just break up with me? I say to my self over and over, tears and mascara staining my face. I’ve never cried over a break-up, but he’s my first boyfriend that has treated me well. Until tonight. I’m going faster than ever, clearly over the speed limit, breaking seventy in a fifty-five.

As I near the exit to town, I see lights coming close, but I can’t see through the curtain of tears covering my eyes. It looks like a street lamp, but surely there wouldn't be out here on a highway. Especially in the middle of the road. Before I can figure it out, the light hits me and I black out.

Carson

I’m sitting at my dorm, all out of tears, so it’s just sobbing, when I get the call. I shoot up and run down the stairs, out of the building, to the parking lot to my car. I turn the key and gas it straight to the hospital praying that no police are patrolling this road. Luckily, none weren't. When I pole up, I put my car in park and run in, leaving my car unlocked. It’d be pretty sad if someone stole my car at a hospital, but it’s still possible. It takes me a half an hour to figure out the room and get a visitor’s pass. Now I have to wait for her to wake up, which will probably take a while. Her mom is here with me. I’ve been comforting her since I got here. We’re in Aly’s room when she finally wakes up. I was about to fall asleep.

Aly looks over and sees me and gives her mom the look that women give each other that says for them to leave. After her mom leaves she stares at me for a little bit. Finally, she speaks. “Carson, tell me the whole thing. Honest story only.”

I tell her how Amber asked me to go and set me up so that she could break us up and that it’s all my fault. The tears start to come, but I keep talking. It takes me ten minutes to finish. After it, she looks at me again.

“Carson. I believe you. I shouldn’t have gotten mad. I saw that you pushed her away, but I was mad that you said that I couldn’t go. Then you just said that that’s what Amber told you. That-” She starts.

“I know, she is one, but let’s not worry about her. We need to figure this out. So are any of your injuries bad?”

“Well, I broke my leg and a rib. Oh, and forgot some stuff. By the way, where’s my dad? My mom’s here. Weird.” I hang my mouth open, not knowing what to say. I decide that her mom should tell her instead of me. I call her mom in and she tells Aly. They start to cry just like they did the first time. So Aly forgot quite a bit of things. Apparently, her head went through the windshield
* * *

After Aly could finally leave the hospital, we went right back to what our usual schedule. It took a couple of weeks to get her back in shape to run again. We drank our smoothies and did some aerobics at the indoor pool for therapy for her leg. She hated it, but she had no choice but to follow the doctor’s orders.

We’re at the hospital now, checking out her brain trauma and seeing if they could do anything about it. The doctor gave her medicine and walked out to tend to other patients.

“Thanks for coming today Carson,” she says.

“Don’t mention it.” I kiss her and we head back to the college, geared up for more adventures to come.


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Publication Date: 05-03-2012

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