That Feeling

• Lucy Coutts, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2022

Everyone knows that feeling. That feeling when you meet someone, and suddenly, there's butterflies in you're stomach. Your heart starts racing and then before you know, you've fallen. We all know the feeling.

But that's not the feeling I'm talking about. I'm talking about that feeling when it's late in the afternoon on a warm summer's day. After a lot of complaining, you finally managed to persuade your parents to let you take the car, even though you should be allowed to because TECHNICALLY, you're 17. The summer playlist is blasting through the speakers. 'The Nights', by Aviici, or maybe even the only song of Calvin Harris' that anyone can remember, 'Summer'.

You pick up Ellie first. She's been your best friend for as long as you can remember, so it's only natural she gets shotgun. The twins, Jess and Tommy, climb into the back, laughing as loud as ever. Noah runs out onto the street, a bag of the usual junk food in one hand, a huge speaker in the other. He's five minutes late coming out of his house, but no one cares, because they've all got that feeling.

No one really knows where you're going. You just drive. The windows are wound down, and the further out of town you get, the louder the music gets, and unfortunately, the louder everyone's terrible singing gets. Ke$ha merges into Nicki Minaj and then back to Ke$ha. 'Timber' will forever be a classic.

As the sun is starting to set, you pull the car off the deserted highway into the next little truck stop. It's nothing, just a picnic table looking out into the west. Jess pulls a blanket out from under her seat, and your whole group laughs as she wraps it around her head and trips over a rock. She's fine.

Noah's got Jason Derulo playing out of his speaker, and in between unpacking food, you jump up onto the table and belt out a couple lines. Somehow, Ellie knows all the words to 'Trumpets'.

And then, just as the sun is dipping below the horizon and saying goodbye to the world, you all sit on the blanket on the table, arms around each other. The music is down quiet, and there are faint sounds of birds in the distance. No one says anything. Ellie, Jess, Tommy, Noah and you just sit there in silence, enjoying each other's company and enjoying the world.

That's the feeling I'm talking about. Not the mushy, gooey, lovey feeling, but the feeling of security, knowing you have a group of the best friends ever, and because no one knows what's going to happen in the future, you're just enjoying the here and now. Everyone knows that feeling.