Chapter Thirty Three-2

This meant more to him than words could express. Not just the fact he had more than enough money to get him through his travels. But this money, this college fund ... this meant his parents truly supported him. No more disappointed looks. No more wondering if his parents spoke about his awful decision behind his back. They were giving him the full chance to live his dream. Without words, Jesse threw both arms around his parents and hugged them close. "Thank you so much." Pulling away, Jesse gave them all one more smile before Denise said, "You should probably get going. I know you have a lot of things to see. And I expect all sorts of pictures and postcards." "Don't forget to stop by Lizzie's," Everett reminded him, a slight warning in his voice. "She'll track you down and beat you up if you don't." Jesse laughed, replying, "I don't doubt it. No worries, I'll head over there." Everett nodded, then shook his head. "I'm really going to miss you, Jess." Wishing that his brother could see the smile on his face, Jesse replied, "I'm really going to miss you, too." With that, Jesse rounded his car and hopped into the drivers seat. Starting the engine, he chanced one more look out the passenger window. His mom and dad stood side by side, Peter's arm around Denise. Everett stood with Cole in his arms, settled on one hip and a smile on his face. Even though it was hard to put the car in gear and push down on the gas pedal, Jesse didn't feel guilt; something he would have felt had he left earlier. His family was whole again. His parents were content, Everett found himself again, and Cole would never have to worry about having an older brother who didn't love him to pieces. Yeah, he thought. Everything is going to be okay. ********** "So today is the day, huh?" Jesse grinned lazily at Lizzie, nodding. "Yep. I'm really excited. Kind of scared, but mostly stoked." Lightly punching him in the shoulder, Lizzie gave him a huge hug. "You are going to have such an amazing adventure. I'm so excited for you." "Thanks, Lizzie." The two sat in the quiet on her front porch for a minute, letting the moment settle between them. It would be a long time before they saw each other again. Their lives, momentarily entwined, were being separated once more. For both of them, the feeling was a touch hard to swallow. They were losing their best friend. Maybe not completely; they could still talk over text and skype and Jesse would send her pictures. It just wouldn't be the same. Lizzie sighed and hopped up. "Give me one more lift?" Jesse grinned and shook his head, standing as well. "You have your own car - you remember that, right?" She shrugged. "Yeah. But it's the last time for a while." Find smile on his face, Jesse followed Lizzie off the porch and to his car. "Where to?" He wondered, throwing on his seatbelt and starting the car. He backed out of Lizzie's driveway and started down the street. "There's a community yard sale going on and I wanted to check it out," she replies with a grin of her own. "Last time there was some reason neat stuff; I'm hoping the same is true this time as well." It only took a few minutes to get to the yard sale and Jesse could honestly say he was happy he came down with Lizzie. People had tables set up everywhere, all sorts of displays with jewelry and other various items set up. He and Lizzie took their time, walking through the items, inspecting anything that remotely looked interesting. Jesse and Lizzie split up, taking two different tables in opposite directions. Jesse picked through the random stuff, looking for a good find when he spotted it. Beneath a old bonnet style hat, sat a vintage camera. Flicking aside the hat, Jesse picked up the device, wiping a bit of the grime off. He looked through the lens, despite knowing very little about photography. The world he could see through that small opening made his heart swell. Swiveling around with the camera up to his eye, Jesse looked for Lizzie. He spotted her two tables away looking at a pair of vintage style sunglasses. On impulse, he tapped the shutter button and nearly dropped the camera in surprise when it made a noise and seconds later, a small square Polaroid slipped out. Gently taking the picture between his fingers, Jesse tugged the photo loose and took a peek at it. He grinned and looked down to the table. A bag sat near where he found the camera and he opened it. Once he saw it's contents, Jesse knew exactly what he had to do. ******* "Find anything good?" Jesse found Lizzie fifteen minutes later with a bag, a pair of sunglasses and a book in hand, looking thoroughly pleased. "I found some really good stuff," she replied with a smile. Looking around, she sighed. "I think I'm going to pop over to grab a bite to eat then head home. You wanna come?" It was tempting, but the general feeling of Jesse's mind pushed him the direction of his car. So he shook his head. "I should really get going," he told her quietly, giving her a smile. Lizzie nodded, a sad smile crossing her face. "I figured," came the weak reply. "I know you gotta get going. I'm just gonna miss you. That's all." With a similar and knowing smile, Jesse pulled her in for a tight hug. "I'm really going to miss you. You have a ride home, right?" Lizzie quickly confirmed that she did. Promise me something?" He added, pulling away to look her in the eye. After she nodded, he continued, "Just keep an eye on Everett, okay?" Lizzie rolled her eyes and wrapped him. "Well, duh. He's my boyfriend. I'm always going to look out for him," she told him, voice going soft towards the end. And of course he knew those things. But to hear Lizzie say it out loud, just one more time, put his mind at ease. Without further ado, not wanting to stretch it out, Jesse bid Lizzie goodbye with one more hug before rushing to his car. He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, a brown haired girl watching him go in the rear view mirror. Jesse merged to the highway, inhaling deep. One hand stretched out to the passengers seat, tracing the camera sitting there. Everything is going to be just fine. And with the smiles of his family facing him and a picture of his best friend on the dashboard, Jesse knew that it would be.