My last day cleaning pools for the summer was the same as every other day. Alexis and I cleaned the town pool and the second pool and went to lunch like always. I had picked her up at her house because Emma needed her car. Alexis had told her mother about what had happened at Olivia's when she got home yesterday afternoon. Emma called Olivia later that evening but Olivia couldn't talk because the Police were still there. Emma told her she would come over to visit today. She was sure that Olivia could use the distraction.
Today would have been an Olivia pool cleaning day but we were staying far away from there for a while. After lunch, I drove Alexis back home. I had a ton of things to do and pack before I left for college in the morning. I would have to leave the van behind so Noah could continue cleaning pools as my employee. Mom and Dad were going to drive me, so I could only take whatever would fit in their car. When classes started, I would come home and collect the rest of my stuff along with Alexis and her stuff.
As we drove by Olivia's house, a van marked "CSI" was in the driveway. Emma and Olivia were just coming down the driveway. I stopped the van and Alexis got out and headed for Emma's car. Emma dropped her window and the two talked for a minute before she got back in the van and I drove off. Alexis turned to me and said, "There may be some problems. Olivia thinks the Police don't believe her story. They brought in the Forensic guys. She's pretty shook up. Mom's taking her to lunch."
I muttered, "Fuck. I was afraid of this. If the Police tripped her up on any part of her story, the whole thing would tumble down like a house of cards. Fuck." I punched the steering wheel in frustration.
Alexis said, "You've got shit to do. I'll keep tabs on what's going on with Olivia and let you know. We'll talk on the phone every night so you'll know too." I pulled into Alexis' driveway and she got out of her seat and came over and sat in my lap behind the steering wheel. She kissed me passionately and then said, "I'll be fine. I'll miss you terribly. Call me when you can." She kissed me again and slid out of my lap and back into the passenger seat to open her door. She stood in the driveway as I backed around and we waved and threw each other air-kisses as I drove off.
I dropped the van off at Noah's house and walked back to my parent's home. I smiled as I walked. I had done this about ten thousand times in my life. I thought back to the old-days when Noah and I were five. Parents today probably wouldn't even think about their kids walking the few blocks alone at age five.
At home, I packed my clothes in one suitcase and several boxes of other stuff and put them in the trunk. One box wouldn't fit and it went into the back passenger seat. I was ready to leave.
The next morning, we were pulling out of the driveway at 7:30 AM. We had a three hour drive and I was supposed to be on the practice field sans pads by noon. We talked some but mostly watched the scenery scroll by. It was a perfect day. The temperature was markedly cooler; signs of the changing season.
We found the apartment that Alexis and I would be renting without incident. I hadn't been there before. I was a cute little place. Dad helped me carry the boxes in from the trunk. I had marked them with the room they were going to, not that there were many. There was a kitchen with a very small bathroom. It had a shower stall, a toilet and a sink and not much room if both were in there at the same time. I pulled the curtain back on the shower and envisioned Alexis and me in there together. We'd figure it out. There was a big room that was to be a combination bedroom and living room. Entertaining would be interesting. By the time everything was unloaded, it was past 11:00 AM.
Mom did her mom thing as she began to tear up. Her baby boy was in his own apartment. I hugged her and kissed her on the cheek and she did the same. Dad came over and shook my hand and I pulled him into a man-hug. He didn't fight it. He was getting used to it. He patted me firmly on the back and pulled back. His eyes were glistening too so he turned and headed for the door. He said, "Come on Mom. Our boy has things to do and we have a long drive home." She followed him out the door but turned back and threw me an air-kiss. She closed the door behind her.
I had made arrangements for Dean, one of my team mates, to pick me up and he was already sitting in his car in the driveway. I grabbed my duffle bag and surveyed the room before I bounded down the back stairs and slid into the passenger seat. We slapped hands and punched fists and he drove off toward campus.
On the way, Dean asked about Alexis. I told him she was great. I hadn't seen Dean since the wild graduation orgy at Emma's house earlier this summer. I caught him up on the details. I thought his massive neck would snap off when I told him we were engaged. He laughed and said, "Good move 'Meat'. She is about as fine a lady as you'll ever meet." I smiled and nodded my agreement.
I said, "She'll be moving in when classes start." Dean looked a little confused based on previous knowledge. "I know. I thought she would be going to some Ivy League college but that was her dad's plan. She's going to study "Retail Merchandising" here at State. Dean grinned broadly and lifted his fist for me to punch again.
Dean said, "You lucky bastard. Alexis will be the most beautiful woman on campus and she's sleeping in your bed." I grinned at that thought. Dean parked and we went into the locker room. Other than the graduating seniors, all my old teammates were scurrying around. Most were naked. There was a jockstrap here and there but nothing more than that.
I found my locker from last year and emptied my duffle bag into it. From somewhere across the room, I heard, "MEAT. HOW THE FUCK WAS YOUR SUMMER." I turned to see who it was. I just waved at no one in particular and got dressed. The coach appeared and yelled for us to get our asses out on the field. I smiled and thought, 'Boot camp is starting again." At least I knew what to expect this year. We all piled through the locker room door together. The cleats on the concrete floor sounded like a symphony of crickets.
Two and a half hours later my ass was dragging from calisthenics and wind-sprints and whatever other insane things the coach hand thought up during the summer. We all lined up and he told us to be back on the field at 5:00 PM so we could do it all over again. We all groaned in unison.