It's a Match! Read Online Free PDF

mirror had a huge crack down the middle of it and the sink was virtually rotting. It smelled far worse than stale cigarettes. It was like sour milk, but the air was thick. He held his breath as he brushed his teeth as quickly as possible.    
    Cole returned to find Sutton lying on one of the beds. He lay down on the other bed.  
    “Hey C—I’m going to miss you.”
    “I’m gonna miss you too, bud.”
    “Remember the day we walked around Berkeley and you got a jay-walking ticket?”
    Cole laughed at the memory. “Of course. Most ridiculous ticket ever. That sucker cost me three-hundred dollars.”
    “Oh, you mean the three-hundred dollars I lent you that you never paid back?”
    “Yes, that three-hundred dollars.”
    “I’m going to collect someday.”
    “Well, I’m going to be super rich when I get drafted to the 49ers. I’ll pay you back with interest. Promise,” Cole said.  
    “Don’t worry about it. It was worth it for the sheer entertainment of you arguing with the police officer. You kept repeating, ‘This is Berkeley. Don’t you have anything better to do?’”  
    “Yeah, way to stand up for me by the way. You just stood there laughing.”
    “Come on, you would’ve done the same,” Sutton replied.
“When has arguing with cops and telling them how to do their job ever gotten someone out of a ticket?”
    “Good point. But hey, I was sixteen. Sixteen-year-old boys aren’t exactly known for their infinite wisdom.”
    “Oh, now that you’re eighteen, you’re the wisest old man around, huh?”
    “Maybe the second-wisest, because that decrepit old man at the desk seemed incredibly wise,” Cole said, staring at the small opening in the curtains and outside to the dark night sky.
    “Well, he’s easily two hundred years old, so he should certainly be wise by now.”
    “Certainly. Hey, did you ever end up calling that homeless Jamba Juice guy?” Cole asked, cracking up.  
    “Oh. My. God. I totally forgot about that!” Sutton exclaimed.  
    “I gave that guy my free smoothie every single day I worked there.”
    “And then you saw him driving by in an Escalade. You were so upset,” Sutton added, seemingly very entertained by the memory.  
    “Well, yeah. I mean, I only got one free smoothie a shift. And he obviously had no need for it. Then you stopped by to meet up with me there one day and he hit on you and gave you his number. So funny.”
    “Funny is one word for it. And no, to answer your question, I never called.”
    “That’s a shame. You two could probably be really happy by now. Panhandling by day and cuddling up in your mansion by night. And going on endless joy rides in his Escalade.”
    Sutton threw a pillow at Cole. “Gross.”
    “Aw, I think you guys would be adorable. And I probably would’ve gotten past my anger at some point. But he would need to buy me tons and tons of smoothies to make up for the deceit.”
    “Well, duh.”
    The two continued reminiscing for hours, until they finally both passed out mid-conversation. When Cole awoke, Sutton was dressed and packing up her toiletries. “Hey sleepy-head. We should get going. We still both have long drives ahead.”
    “Want to find a coffee shop somewhere first?” Cole asked, groggily.
    “Absolutely.”  
    “Are you ready for this?”
    “What? Coffee?” Sutton asked, sounding confused.  
    “No, silly.”
    “Then for what?”
    “You know, life,” Cole replied.  
    “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

SUTTON STARTED THE car and selected the Road Trip #1 playlist on her stereo. She watched Cole drive away and her eyes began to fill with tears. She was feeling mixed emotions once again. Fear, sadness, excitement and happiness, all wrapped into one. Finally, she wiped her face with her sweatshirt sleeve and began to back out of the parking spot.  
    As Sutton merged onto the freeway, she began to think about her parents. She was still angry but, more, she was hurt. Anger didn’t really sit well with Sutton,