SEVEN YEARS LATER
Jake came up to Melanie's porch and knocked on the screen door. "I'm leavin' Momma," said Melanie, going out the door to meet Jake. Melanie shut the door and took Jake's hand. They got in Jake's rickety red truck and he started up the engine. "Where we going?" asked Melanie. "It's a surprise," said Jake with a smile. He stopped the truck by the pier and shut it off. He didn't move, just sat there for a minute. Melanie stared at him. Jake leaned in towards her. They were so close she could feel his warm breath on her face. They kissed gently, and Jake took off Melanie's jean jacket. They stopped kissing for a minute, and looked deep into each other's eyes. Jake climbed into the back of the truck and motioned for Melanie to follow him. They held each other tight and began to kiss again. Melanie's hands ran up Jake's chest, and she unbuttoned his red shirt, taking it off..
Jake brought Melanie home and stopped the truck in front of her house. He gave her a kiss on the mouth and she got out of the car, smiling at his as she shut the car door and went into the house. Jake watched her and made sure she got into the house, then drove away slowly. She didn't say anything to her mom as she went down the hall to her room and shut the door. Climbing into bed, she lay awake in the dark all night, thinking about what had happened.
The next few days were a little awkward between Jake and Melanie. Jake didn't come to Melanie's house every day to come and see her like he usually did. They didn't hang out with Bobby Ray and Eldon and Wade like they always did. No more pranks. They had grown up. No more cow tipping, no more stealing steaks, no more Silly String.
Eldon, Bobby Ray, Wade, and Jake were sitting in the diner drinking sodas when Melanie came in. "Hey Mel," Eldon and Wade said casually. Jake smiled shyly at Melanie. "Hey Mel," he said. She smiled back, sitting down between Bobby Ray and Jake. "Hi," she said. Bobby Ray could tell that something was a little weird with Jake and Melanie, but he didn't say anything, just shared a glance between Wade and Eldon.
The next week, Jake came to pick up Melanie. He thought she was acting a little weird. They didn't really talk on the way down to the pier until they got there. When they got there, they got out of the car and sat down on the pier, dangling their feet and splashing in the water like they had done when they were younger. "You okay Mel?" he asked. She nodded, "Yeah." "You sure?" he asked, pressing a little. She shook her head. "No." "What is it?" he asked. She took a deep breath and looked at him. "I'm pregnant," she said. Jake was silent, he didn't know what to say. "So now what?" he asked. Melanie shook her head and began to sob. "I don't know," she said. "I'm going to leave Alabama. I'm going to New York," she said. "Stay here Mel," he said, a little coaxing. "I can't Jake," she said, starting to cry a little more. He stopped her from crying and took her in his arms. "Don't cry Mel. I'm sorry, it's going to be alright," said Jake, hugging and rocking her in his arms. She nodded and tried to stop crying. He let go of her and she wiped her face, sniffling a little. She took her feet out of the water and walked away from Jake, sitting on a nearby boulder. Her jeans rolled up; she had grass all up and down her legs and on her feet. She was hiding her head in her hands. Jake came up and sat down beside her. He was silent for a minute, unsure of how to approach her. "I'm sorry Mel, I didn't mean to make you upset," he said. She got up again and walked away from him, making her way down the road and past the car. "Where are you going?" he asked. She didn't answer. She walked down the road slowly, heading for her house. Jake stood there and watched her walk away, until the distance between their bodies was so great that he could no longer see Melanie.
Reality came back to him after she was gone. It occurred to him to follow Melanie, and he got in his truck and drove to her house.
Jake came up to Melanie's porch and knocked on the screen door. "I'm leavin' Momma," said Melanie, going out the door to meet Jake. Melanie shut the door and took Jake's hand. They got in Jake's rickety red truck and he started up the engine. "Where we going?" asked Melanie. "It's a surprise," said Jake with a smile. He stopped the truck by the pier and shut it off. He didn't move, just sat there for a minute. Melanie stared at him. Jake leaned in towards her. They were so close she could feel his warm breath on her face. They kissed gently, and Jake took off Melanie's jean jacket. They stopped kissing for a minute, and looked deep into each other's eyes. Jake climbed into the back of the truck and motioned for Melanie to follow him. They held each other tight and began to kiss again. Melanie's hands ran up Jake's chest, and she unbuttoned his red shirt, taking it off..
Jake brought Melanie home and stopped the truck in front of her house. He gave her a kiss on the mouth and she got out of the car, smiling at his as she shut the car door and went into the house. Jake watched her and made sure she got into the house, then drove away slowly. She didn't say anything to her mom as she went down the hall to her room and shut the door. Climbing into bed, she lay awake in the dark all night, thinking about what had happened.
The next few days were a little awkward between Jake and Melanie. Jake didn't come to Melanie's house every day to come and see her like he usually did. They didn't hang out with Bobby Ray and Eldon and Wade like they always did. No more pranks. They had grown up. No more cow tipping, no more stealing steaks, no more Silly String.
Eldon, Bobby Ray, Wade, and Jake were sitting in the diner drinking sodas when Melanie came in. "Hey Mel," Eldon and Wade said casually. Jake smiled shyly at Melanie. "Hey Mel," he said. She smiled back, sitting down between Bobby Ray and Jake. "Hi," she said. Bobby Ray could tell that something was a little weird with Jake and Melanie, but he didn't say anything, just shared a glance between Wade and Eldon.
The next week, Jake came to pick up Melanie. He thought she was acting a little weird. They didn't really talk on the way down to the pier until they got there. When they got there, they got out of the car and sat down on the pier, dangling their feet and splashing in the water like they had done when they were younger. "You okay Mel?" he asked. She nodded, "Yeah." "You sure?" he asked, pressing a little. She shook her head. "No." "What is it?" he asked. She took a deep breath and looked at him. "I'm pregnant," she said. Jake was silent, he didn't know what to say. "So now what?" he asked. Melanie shook her head and began to sob. "I don't know," she said. "I'm going to leave Alabama. I'm going to New York," she said. "Stay here Mel," he said, a little coaxing. "I can't Jake," she said, starting to cry a little more. He stopped her from crying and took her in his arms. "Don't cry Mel. I'm sorry, it's going to be alright," said Jake, hugging and rocking her in his arms. She nodded and tried to stop crying. He let go of her and she wiped her face, sniffling a little. She took her feet out of the water and walked away from Jake, sitting on a nearby boulder. Her jeans rolled up; she had grass all up and down her legs and on her feet. She was hiding her head in her hands. Jake came up and sat down beside her. He was silent for a minute, unsure of how to approach her. "I'm sorry Mel, I didn't mean to make you upset," he said. She got up again and walked away from him, making her way down the road and past the car. "Where are you going?" he asked. She didn't answer. She walked down the road slowly, heading for her house. Jake stood there and watched her walk away, until the distance between their bodies was so great that he could no longer see Melanie.
Reality came back to him after she was gone. It occurred to him to follow Melanie, and he got in his truck and drove to her house.