Disclaimer. Don't own HSM or the Luke Bryan song that I jacked the plot from.
He watched in utter defeat as the bus ticket burned changing quickly from paper to ashes in a matter of moments. The bright embers making him squint slightly. He should've been on that bus right now, heading to South Carolina where his future was waiting. Everything he wanted had been handed to him, captain of the football team, dating the most beautiful girl in school, and a scholarship to play for USC. And it was all unattainable now. He wondered deep down how he had let this happen. He could already see the disappointing looks he was going to receive. He was the small town hero. The favorite son. The one who was going prove that he could make something of himself. He didn't want it to be like this. No one had. But nothing, not even the evening Georgia sun could melt what had went wrong. He thought about her by the fall everyone would know, she'd be showing then and he would eventually take her as his bride. Just another shotgun wedding, but he'd be right there by her side through everything, not just because it was the right thing to do, but because he loved her. He loved her a hell out a lot more than he loved football. He cared more about her more than his he cared about his future. Truth be told, he loved her more than he loved himself. He stood slowly, looking up into the hazy Georgia sunset, exhaling loudly he climbed on the old John Deere tractor that sat adjacent to the family's ancient barn. He pulled his Baseball hat further down trying to block out the sun, before glancing out to the land that stretched for acres in front of him. He closed his eyes and silently wished that his old tractor had wings and the cotton row he sat on was an airstrip that led straight out of here, he could leave and be gone, but that would be just one more thing done wrong. He sighed once more wiping his eyes and any traces of tears that remained before cranking the tractor and trudging slowly back to the brick farmhouse on the hill above him.