Page 21 of Running Risk
RYLEE: THEN
“Mom! Do you know where my UGA sweatshirt is?” I yell down the stairs.
I’ve been packing my suitcase after scarfing down lunch.
I leave for an overnight trip with Clayton to explore our future college.
I’ve barely gotten any sleep the past few nights because I’ve been too excited.
What better way to make sure you’re making the right decision than to go for a test run?
We get to sit in on any classes we are interested in and get a full tour around the entire campus.
“It’s in the dryer,” my mom calls back.
“Thank you!” I spin around and throw an extra shirt into my bag and mentally check off that I have everything. I don’t want to forget underwear or something. Pulling the zipper around the track, I grab my purse and tug the suitcase behind me, lifting it down the stairs.
“Here, sweetie.” My mom gives me the sweatshirt I’ve been wearing religiously for over a year.
“Thanks.” I pull it over my head, then redo my messy bun.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you? You know I’d love to see the campus that is taking my only daughter away.” Mom wraps me in a hug.
“I’ll be fine. Plus, I’ll have Clay with me the whole time. You’ll have plenty of time to visit once we’re actually attending.” I give her an extra squeeze before letting go. I can’t wait to be on my own at college, but I’ve also loved living at home with my parents.
“Text me once you’re there.” She looks out the front window and nods toward the driveway. “Looks like your ride is here.”
I squeal. This day couldn’t come soon enough. I throw the front door open, halting Clayton’s hand midair before he can knock. “Are you ready?”
He releases a breath. “Let’s do this.” He grabs my bag from my hand, bringing it to his truck and lays it on the bench in his back seat.
I skip around the truck and jump in, getting comfortable for our first of many two-hour trips to college.
Once he’s inside and turns the key in the ignition, I’m already fiddling with the radio to get music going.
He backs out, and I wave at my mom, still standing on the front porch, watching us drive toward our future.
“So, I was thinking we could go, take the tour, and eat dinner on campus before we check into the hotel across the street.”
He nods.
“Come on. Give me more than that.”
The corner of his mouth lifts into a small smile. “Sounds good.”
I scoff. My feet tap on the dash while my hands do a drumroll on my knees. “Are you anxious? Excited? Uninterested? Give me something!” I sit up, crossing my legs. “We are heading to our soon to be new home. You have to have some feelings about it. I don’t think I’ve gotten much sleep in days.”
Clayton shakes his head. “You do realize we have to be at the school bright and early for the morning classes you want to attend?”
“Yeah. What does that have to do with anything?” I cross my arms over my chest.
“You just said you haven’t gotten much sleep, so you’re overly tired which means it’s going to be a pain in the butt to wake you up in the morning.” He glances at me, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, whatever.” I look out my window as my eyes narrow and think about how right he probably is.
“Mhm.” His thumb taps on the steering wheel. “Just know, I’ll leave with or without you. You dragged me to come, and I plan to get the most out of this trip.”
My head whips around as my jaw drops. “You wouldn’t dare leave me behind.”
He smirks. “Give me a reason to, Ry.” He chuckles. “But I’ll probably just find the track and run instead of going to classes.”
I frown, feeling the crease forming between my eyebrows. “You’re an evil person, and no. You have to at least go to a few to see which courses you want to enroll in.”
He shrugs, and I wish he would get more excited, but that wouldn’t be Clay.
I fill the rest of the drive by singing along to the radio.
My last solo finishes as we pull into the parking garage near the welcome center.
All the signs point us in the direction we have to go, and we follow those along with all the other kids who are clearly still in high school too.
There are tents set up outside the building, and people with clipboards stand ready to check us in.
“Welcome to UGA. Can I get your names?” a blonde-haired girl with striking blue eyes asks us .
My face breaks into a smile. I’ve been waiting so long to be here, and it’s going to be a dream to walk around. “I’m Rylee Thompson, and this”—I grab Clay’s arm, yanking him closer toward the table—“Is Clayton Daniels.”
The girl hands us a map and our name tags, pointing us in the direction of where we will wait for the tour to start. I’m practically bouncing on the balls of my feet as I take in the old brick buildings and bulldog statues.
“Oh, look.” I point in front of Clayton toward a cafe. “We can get our morning coffees there.”
He nods without saying a word. I want to nudge his arm and tell him to get excited, but then that’s like asking a sloth to move faster.
“Can’t you picture running under all these trees along the paths? It will be nice to have shade to run under rather than the blazing sun at the track.” I peer at him, scanning his face and looking for any reaction at all.
He only nods, and I can’t help but get a little frustrated. I know it’s hard for him to be in a new environment, but I guess I pictured what this overnight trip would be like, and it was always that he was just as excited as I am. I guess I’ll have to be excited enough for the both of us.