"Dani! C'mon the sun is setting!" Morgan gently shakes his girlfriend awake, she fell asleep on the plaid couch in the den of his home. "It's the first sunset of the summer!" She groans as she sits up, rubbing her blue eyes sleepily. "I got everything in the truck! Let's go, we're loosing time!" She slowly stands just to bother him, it works. Morgan grabs her and tosses her over his shoulder, the young couple laugh loudly as they head outside. He puts her down in the cab of his red two door 1978 Chevy C/K 10 truck, runs to the other side then starts it up. Dani smiles over at the boy as he speeds off to their spot in the woods.

This summer is going to be their best summer yet. They're high school seniors now so this is their last summer to be reckless.

Morgan has butterflies in his belly as they pull up to a small river access off the Clinch River, no one knows about this spot so it's perfect for swimming. "I'll get the stuff." Dani nods as she hops out of the truck. "C'mon now!"

Morgan takes off to the riverbank, dropping two folding chairs and a couple of towels down on the ground, alongside a cooler. "What's in there?"

"I got some snacks and beer."

"Did your old man buy you that?"

"Nah, I sweet talked the lady from that liquor store off Louthan." He winks at her, making her roll her eyes.

"That mouth is gonna get you in trouble one day, Wallen."

"Hasn't yet." He chuckles as he sets up the chairs, putting the cooler between them. "I can't wait to get in that water." He grins, kicking his sneakers off followed by his t-shirt and jeans. "C'mon darlin'!" He shouts as he runs to the river, leaping from the shore into the water.

Dani laughs and strips her shorts, t-shirt, and slip-ons off, leaving her in her underwear, then joins him. "Holy shit, it's cold!" She gasps, splashing water at Morgan when he laughs at her. "Shut up!"

"C'mon now, darlin, I've got whiskey in the cooler. It'll warm you right on up." They smile at each other as he holds his hand out and pulls her close. Dani wraps her arms and legs around his neck and waist, pressing a kiss to his lips. "This summer is going to be great."

+++

It's nearing midnight and the two of them are intoxicated, she's a bubbly drunk and he's reckless. "I can't wait to move somewhere where the summers last forever," she says. "where it's warm all the time."

"Where are you going to college?" He asks, trying to focus on the conversation instead of the urge to attempt a backflip off his truck.

"Hoping for University of Tennessee." She says holding up crossed fingers. "They'll probably decline me, though."

"Now, why do you say that?"

"I dunno. My momma used to tell me that I wasn't smart enough for them and that I shouldn't even bother with college." She shrugs.

"She's lyin'. You know that, Ella." She blushes at the nickname, he usually calls her that to cheer her up, it always works. "They're thinkin' about offerin' me a baseball scholarship."

"No way! You'd do so great there!"

"They're sendin recruits tobsome of the games this year." She leans over and kisses him softly. "You'll be there too, right?"

"Have I ever missed one of your games?" She asks, laughing. "Ouch, babe." He shakes his head. "I'm messin' with you." She reaches down and grabs another beer. "You need to relax, it's summer!"

"Hell yeah it is." He cracks open the beer and chugs it quickly, belching loudly after tossing the empty can to the ground.

"Your Chevy still roomy?"

"The bed is." He says. "You up for star watchin'?"

"Always." She smiles back, grabbing their clothes before she makes her way to his truck.

+++

the following spring

"Don't you ever just want to leave?" Dani asks as her and Morgan lay outside on the grass of her backyard. "Like just get out of here, this town, and go?"

"Kinda." He shrugs back. "This is home so it's hard to just up and go." She sighs and nods. "I can't believe that we're almost done with high school."

"Yeah. Seems like yesterday we were getting drunk out by Clinch."

"C'mon now, you're talkin' like we're old."

"We might as well be. We're graduatin' soon."

"Hey, did you ever get into University of Tennessee?"

"Did I not tell you?" He shakes his head. "Shit." She stands and heads into the house. She returns shortly and hands him a folded paper. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you, I just got that the other day."

"It's no problem." He smiles at her. "You're gonna be a Volunteer!"

"What about you? Have you heard anything from 'em?"

He shakes his head. "No, not yet." He can't tell her that he hurt his arm and now he can't go to Uof T on his grades alone, plus he can't afford it anyway.

That scholarship was his ticket out of here.

"I'm sure you'll hear from them soon." Dani smiles, laying back down next to him, her head on his chest as he rubs her back. "You're real special and you're gonna do some great things." She whispers, her eyes shut. He says nothing as he runs his fingers through her hair.

"Hey, I'm gonna get goin'."

"You okay?" She asks, leaning on her elbow.

"Yeah, my momma just needed me home 'round eleven."

"Oh, okay." He's never had a curfew when he been out with her. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah." He nods, leaning over to kiss her before he stands and walks away. She watches him drive away.

Dani spends the night tossing and turning until she picks up her phone and calls him. "Hello?" Morgan yawns into the receiver.

"Hey, just checking in on you, making sure you're alright."

"Yeah I'm fine." The one game that she misses, he tears his rotator cuff and it just ruins what could've been. "Just stressed about the future."

"Well I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine, darlin'." He mumbles. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, kinda missin' you."

"C'mon over then, you know how to get to my room."

"I can't just sneak out."

"Hey, I've snuck out of your room plenty of times without your dad knowing. I think you can do this."

"You're such a bad influence, Wallen." She rolls her eyes. "Okay, fine. I'll be over in ten minutes."

"Okay baby, be careful."

"Will do darlin'." She hangs up and steps into her slip ons before grabbing her purse and keys. She locks her bedroom door then heads to the window, clenching her jaw as she steps out onto the roof then makes her way down the trellis on the front porch. She lands on the ground safely then runs to her 1985 Ford Bronco XLT. She sighs as she starts it up, heading to Morgan's house.

She parks her car next to his truck and hops out. Dani heads to the south side of the house and climbs her way to his open bedroom window, swearing under her breath as she sits on a flat part of the roof. "This damn boy." She tosses her purse through the window before she steps in, tripping over a pair of boots in front of the window. "Shit."

There's a hand on her arm, saving her from falling. "You gotta be quiet, little lady." She has to bite her lip from laughing. She turns and gives Morgan a tight hug followed by a hot kiss. She pushes him down to sit on his bed, one of her hands going to the waistband of his plaid pajama pants, the other touching the cross necklace around his neck. He pushes her hair out of her face to the other side of her neck, keeping it out of her eyes. "You gotta keep it down." He whispers as one hand covers her mouth with the other up her shirt. He looks over at his small digital clock on his desk, it's a quarter past three.

"Shut up and fuck me."

+++

"Where the hell have you been?" Dani's father shouts at her the next morning.

"I-it wasn't-"

"How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from that boy?"

"Dad, it's-"

"He's nothin but a damn hillbilly!"

"I'm sorry." She says, putting her purse on the kitchen counter. He's stunned but how quick she apologized, she usually puts up a fight.

"Okay." He nods, taking a deep breath. "Anyway, so graduation is next month. You nervous?" He asks as he sits at the small table.

"Kind of." She shrugs. "Are you hungry? I can make some pancakes for you."

"Sure darlin'." He nods, scratching his chin through his thick beard. "I gotta go in at ten today and I'll get home 'round eleven tonight."

"Long day, I can make you some supper for you too." Since her mom left, she's taken over cooking and taking care of her dad.

"That'd be great." He smiles. "Gotta get my uniform outta the wash." He leaves the table. She tosses together a quick meal and packs it in his cooler then turns to the stove to make him breakfast. He's a corrections officer at the prison and they're short staffed so he got the wonky hours so he can help his only child out with college tuition. "Alrighty darlin', I gotta get going." He says, picking up his cooler and a stack of pancakes.

"Be careful today, see you tonight." She gives her dad a kiss on the cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too, baby." She cleans up the kitchen then heads to her bedroom to take a nap.

+++

Daniella stirs as she feels her bed shift behind her, "wha-?"

"Shh." Morgan whispers, cuddling behind her, holding her tight against his frame. "Just go back to sleep." She does just that, her fingers wrapping around his, comfortably. Morgan lays awake, fiddling with the ends of her light brown almost blonde hair, smiling to himself.

He's been thinking about his future and he doesn't want to be the reason why Dani won't go to college, she's stubborn and would do that. He's just not going to tell her what happened, he's been able to hide his bummed shoulder for over a month now, he can hide this too. His baseball career is over, possibly for good.

"You're thinkin' awful hard." Her soft voice says.

"Huh? Oh, just thinkin' about graduation next month." He responds, sighing slightly. His girl is going off without him, expanding her wings outside of Sneedville, Tennessee, without him, not knowing if she's even coming back. "Thinkin about you."

"What about me?"

"You being a college girl, free bird. I'm so happy for you." He kisses her temple. "And I'm proud of you."

She chuckles as she sits up. "Let's go swimming."

"Now?"

"Yeah, It's a nice day today."

"Sure, I'll grab some towels."

"I'll drive." She says as she sits up, grabbing her two piece.

+++

a few months later

"I can't believe you!" Dani shouts at Morgan. "You didn't tell me!?" He's spent his day helping her move into her dorm and he finally told her he isn't joining her.

"I couldn't-"

"You lied to me then!?"

"Not really-"

"Oh, so when I asked if you had heard anythin' from 'em you said no but they actually didn't want you playin for them no more?" He looks down at his boots. "I'm sorry that you hurt yourself and that you can't play no more-"

"Yeah thanks." He rolls his eyes. "But I got a job with that grumpy old man Johnson. I start tomorrow, he's paying me fifteen an hour."

"Hope that works out for you." She huffs.

Morgan gives her one last hug before he leaves. "See you 'round, Dani."

"Bye, Morgan." She says back stiffly, her heart aching as she watches him close the door behind him.