In Your Eyes

Five Years…

The grocery store was crowded and Claire Standish was pushing a cart through an aisle. She was having company come over for dinner the next night and needed to figure out what she was going to cook. If someone had asked her a few years ago if she knew how to cook, she would tell them she didn’t. But after taking a few cooking classes in college, she could cook. She was always learning how to cook new dishes. She often tried recipes she had seen in magazines or tv. She never asked her mother for help since she knew her mom never cooked. She couldn’t even remember when her mother cooked last. Looking down at the list, she tried to figure out what she was going to need from that aisle when something stopped the cart from moving. Looking up, she smiled.
    “And where have you been?” Claire asked as she put the list down on top of her purse. Nothing she needed in this aisle. Standing in front of the cart was her fiancé John Bender. Smiling, he put a box of cereal in the cart and looked at her.
    “Looking for my favorite cereal.” Walking around the cart, he kissed her forehead and they made their way around the store. After that fateful Saturday detention five years ago, she knew they had something. There was one big obstacle in her way; her rich friends. But she often wondered if they were really her friends. On Monday, everything changed. She started to hang out with Brian, Allison and John Bender. She had gotten so much grief over it but by the end of that week, she knew who her friends really were.
    “You’re quiet.” John noted as they made their way towards the cash registers. Pulling herself from her thoughts, she looked up at him.
    “Just thinking, that’s all.” She looked up at her boyfriend and smiled. The last five years hadn’t been an easy one for them. Both their families had issues with the both of them dating and even her mother had wanted her daughter to break up with him but she didn’t. What did her drunk mother know? They both decided that they were going to go to college together and she had helped John with his admissions. They both knew it was going to be a long road ahead of them and both worked hard to keep their grades up. The holidays weren’t easy to go home to and often stayed with relatives of Claire’s. She was thankful most weren’t like her mother. They were set to graduate in the spring and had an apartment to call their own. “I’m glad you got that haircut.” Reaching over, she touched his short hair and he frowned a bit. She knew he didn’t like not having his long hair but now that they were almost finished with college, it was time to grow up a bit.
Finally reaching the registers, John stood in front of the cart and started to put the food onto the conveyor belt. They didn’t speak much as the lady started ringing up their purchase. Claire handed John some money and helped put the bags in the cart when she heard a voice. Pausing for a moment, she looked around and saw the origin of the voice. Reaching over, she tapped her boyfriend on the arm and he looked at her. She nodded with her head and watched as his expression changed.
    “Should I go over and say hello?” John gave her that signature smirk of his and she shook her head.
    “No John. Let’s go.” Claire tried to move the cart but he had his foot on the bottom of it. He let go of the cart and started walking over. She was torn of just staying there and following him and in the end, she pushed the cart over and stayed not to far behind him.
    “Mr. Vernon! It’s been a while.” John had said, making his way over to the man putting his bags in the car. Five years hadn’t down the school principal any justice. He seemed older and from what she heard last, he was going to be retiring soon. Getting closer, she could tell that Mr. Vernon had no idea who he was talking to.  “Mr. Vernon, it hurts that you don’t remember me. You once told me in five years that I’d be in jail and here I am.” It only took a moment for Mr. Vernon to recognize who he was talking to.
    “Mr. Bender, nice to see things have changed.” She could see the tension between the two men. She cleared her throat.
    “John…?” She spoke quietly, a bit fearful for what was going to happen. She knew her boyfriend had a bit of a temper and knew that he wasn't good with authority figures. He looked over at her for a moment and then back to the older man.
    “Guess I’m not as worthless as you thought I was, hm?” Turning away from Mr. Vernon, he looked at Claire. “Let’s go.” He walked away and just left Claire and Mr. Vernon to themselves.
    “It was nice to see you Mr. Vernon and most people are willing to change if they are up for it. We were.” Turning around, she pushed the cart out of the store and to the parking lot. John was a bit ahead of her but she knew he needed his space. After putting the groceries in the car, she was sitting in the passenger seat as he drove. Noticing the white of his knuckles as he clutched the steering wheel. “John…it doesn't matter what he thinks now. We’ve all come a long way and proved a lot.” He pulled the car into the parking lot of their apartment building and let out a sigh once he was in a space.
    “I know Claire but it’s hard to get those words out of my head. You heard him that Saturday. He was so sure I was going to end up in jail.”
    “But here you are John. We’re both about to graduate in a few months and we’ll be ready. We are not the same people we were in that detention. We proved him wrong and that’s all that matters.” Looking over at her, he smiled and leaned over to give her a kiss.
    “You’re right.”
    “I know I am. Let’s get up to the apartment. The food is going to go bad.”