Lost in the Shadows

21

"Danielle," Wes whispered shaking me lightly forcing my eyes to sleepily open. I instantly squinted due to the morning sun peaking up the horizon. "We fell asleep here last night," he told me. Which was an incorrect statement, he fell asleep last night, I didn't want to wake him and decided to join him.

I sat up alongside him dangling my legs on the side of the tailgate. The sun crept up from the horizon illuminating the sky in a blinding bright beautiful orange, which reflected onto the crops transforming them into gold. As the sun peaked over the shadowed hills in the distance, the rays began penetrating through the clouds, which resembled a spotlight. The fog glistened like glitter as the sun glimmered onto it, making me realize that this was all bigger that us. "I've never seen anything like this," Wes whispered into the damp dewy air.

We listened to the birds chirp and waited until we could feel the heat of the suns rays on our skin. However, it wasn't until we heard the rooster crow that we decided we should head inside before my parents wake up to realize we slept in the bed of my truck all night.

As we approached the front door, I could already smell the grits and eggs. "Well, good morning you two. I saw y'all out watching the sunrise, I remember waking up early and doing that, but I'm getting old now and need my beauty sleep," she laughed throwing butter into the pot.

I nodded wanting her to believe that we really did wake up early just to watch the sunrise, because it beat the alternative of getting into an argument. "Where's Joe," I asked sitting at the dinner table beside Wes.

"Oh, Mr. Peters called him over to fix his tractor, so he's over there. I will also have to leave soon, I have to go grocery shopping for thanksgiving tonight," she chuckled at her procrastination.

We ate our grits as we talked about last night, my mom had already left leaving us at the table alone. "Being here is probably the most fun I've had in a very long time," Wes confessed as he took a sip of his orange juice.

"Me too," I smiled taking my plate and putting it into the sink. "Thank you again for getting the tickets."

"Hell, I'll do it again if your mom keeps making food like this," he told me scrapping his bowl until nothing, not even a drop was left. "Let's go check to see if that asshole is awake yet." I laughed grabbing my keys and taking us to my truck. "Can I please drive," he begged, I said no at first but I caved in once he gave me his puppy dog face and pouty lips.

Once again we drove down the road listening to the radio and enjoying the crisp breeze that wasn't quite cold, but a perfect chill. As we drove by Wes slowed down and started laughing so hard he had to clench his stomach. My stomach fluttered at the sight, it was almost as if all the weight he's been on his shoulders have finally been lifted.

I began laughing as we watching Buck try to sweep up the rubber bands, but failing miserably. He grew agitated and threw the broom across the yard. However, once he saw his truck, he ran over to it and started hugging it almost in tears. To me, the sticky note truck wasn't even the biggest of his problems, it's the fact that it's going to take him hours to get all of that toilet paper off his house and out of the bushes. Other cars started passing too with pointing fingers and laughter as they pulled out their cellphones to take pictures of the crying boy. Little does he know that he's about to be the talk of the town.

We drove by one last time to soak in all of our victory. "That's hilarious," I laughed watching Buck pick off every individual pink sticky note off the drivers door of his truck. "Do you think he'll know it was us?"

"I sure hope so," Wes responded.

Later that night my mom prepared our Thanksgiving dinner with Turkey, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole, and stuffing. "Thank you so much for having me over for Thanksgiving," Wes thanked as we sat at the dinner table together.