Fire Always Burns - By Krista Lakes Page 0,2
on cake and punch while the adults congratulated Mr. West.
The store was Mr. West's pride and joy. Ray spent every waking moment he could in the store. I could easily see why Barb was ending their marriage. Ever since he had bought it, she had been second fiddle to a hardware store. Luke and Tyler both pretty much grew up in the store, playing with screwdrivers and hammers instead of GI Joes. As soon as Luke was old enough, he started helping his dad run the store. I knew Luke wanted more of an active role in managing the store now that he was older, but it was clear that Mr. West still saw him as a kid.
Luke had earned an associate's degree from the local community college and was taking online classes to work towards a degree in business. He wanted to run the store more efficiently, but his dad refused to change anything about the store. I knew times were getting rough, and the slipping economy didn't help. Luke had some great ideas to bring in more business, but Ray was stubborn and didn't want to change. It was a point of contention between the two of them, but Luke still held out hope he could change his dad's mind.
"Alright, here are the parts. Your dad already paid for them, so you are good to go," Andrew said carrying a large package out from the back room.
"Thanks. How are Ray and Luke doing today?" I asked, picking the package up and heading to the door. Andrew held it open for me and followed me to the car to help me get it in the backseat.
"They left for the city about an hour ago. Both nervous as hell. I have a bad feeling about today," he said grimly as he held the car door open for me.
"Me too. Thanks for the package. Dad thanks you too," I closed the car door to the back seat. "I've got to get to work. I'll see you in a little while," I said sliding into the driver's side door. Andrew waved and headed back into the shop, turning to watch me drive away. He waved again as I turned onto the main road, his smile fading as I turned.
Andrew. We've been friends for as long as I can remember. I lived on the top of the mountain and his house was only a couple of miles downhill from me. In our mountain community, that pretty much made us next door neighbors, so growing up we were always together. Our friendship was cemented the first day of kindergarten when he shared his crayons with me because I forgot mine. He even let me use the blue one and didn't get mad when it broke. "Now I just have two!" little Andrew had told me. It was an easy and perfect friendship, the two of us always together. Things felt natural when I was with him. I felt like me when I was with him.
Andrew was the first boy I ever kissed. It was the day after my 13th birthday and boys were starting to become interesting instead of gross. We were walking home from the bus stop together, when he told me I was pretty. No one but my dad had ever said that to me, so I turned and kissed him on the lips, trying to replicate the kisses I'd seen in movies. It had felt so awkward, and yet somehow so right to kiss him. Kissing looked so easy, so natural in all the movies, but in real life it was a disaster. He had just stood there, not doing anything but turning bright red. We walked the rest of the way home in silence.
When I tell people that Andrew and I never kissed again after that, they often don't believe me. It seems strange to them that two high school kids would never act on their raging hormones and at least have made out. My college roommate had laughed when I told her none of us ever messed around with one another. She never understood that I had made a promise in high school to never date any of my closest friends. It was probably why we were all still friends.
The road curved and I hugged it a little too tight, hearing the parts slide on the seat behind me. Some days I missed high school. No, that wasn't right. I didn't miss high school, I missed my friends and