Lyrical Love Letter

The next morning the gang of friends were all unusually quiet in contrast with their loud brash entrance the day before. The motel owner, who did not know who had attempted to break into his snack machine, settled for glaring at the entire lot of them as they parted. Rooms left disheveled, janitors closets trashed, attempted robbery on a vending machine--these friends would not be welcomed back.

But even then friends were growing curious of one another. Matt had woken each of the rooms in turn, suggested they pack, and then piled back into the cars by 10:00 am. But the friends had spoken little. Juliette and Alex appeared to be, well, normal as much as they could be anyway--that alone had everyone curious. Jonnie and Zack who slid back into the Chevy classic looked more nervous than anything else. Rian and Kara were, well, Rian and Kara; they were perfect and adorable and nothing had changed as far as they went. But even Kara and Rian sensed something in the air and remained relatively quiet. Jack and Missy were switching between nervousness, scared into silence, and ignorant young love depending on who they were around.
And then there was Matt who in that moment couldn't have been more happy and relieved that his girlfriend had not accompanied the friends. He didn't even want to think about what would have happened between them when so much had happened to the other couples. And of course there was Declan, who didn't care about what anyone else had done the night before. Frankly he was relieved that his sister and Alex had worked things out--threatening Alex would have taken to much energy and Declan had grown fond of Alex over the passing months.

"So," Matt began as Declan stuck the key in the ignition and revved the engine while they waited for Juliette to be ready. "I hope you didn't do anything last night that your Grandmother wouldn't approve of."

Jack and Missy sat guilted into silence, not being able to find words to excuse themselves as they each fidgeted. Matt was grinning but on behalf of Alex and their guilty conscious he 'tsked' them all the same.

"Shut up, Matt." Missy grumbled flushing red. It didn't matter what the scenario was, Missy Taylor always had the last word in any conversation or else she felt as though she'd loss some sort of unspoken last word competition. Alex called her difficult and ridiculous but she didn't care in the least.

"Ooh very convincing come back." Declan cackled as Juliette's Impala finally began to creep forward before cutting Declan off and revving her engine only then did she tear out of the parking lot, Declan’s silver sports car tailing her bumper all the way.

“So,” Declan began, “When are you two going to grow a pair and face Alex? I mean, the dude isn’t all that intimidating its not like he could actually hurt you.” The Jock smirked as Missy glared at him from the review mirror, her chin held high defiantly.

“I’m not afraid of Alex.” She snapped in a huff.

“Yeah I’m so sure,” Declan teased, his oaken eyes dancing with amusement. “I’m sure that’s exactly why you two have been creeping around like something out of a spy movie and why when you’re in his company you two look like guilty fools.”

“Alex is my best friend,” Jack spoke up, his voice unsure. “I’d rather him not hate me—not that’d it matter to you any.”

“Alex could never hate you,” Missy assured batting her mascara coated eyelashes at him as she let her head fall to his shoulder.

“I don’t know screwing his younger cousin, who is like a sister to him, might raise a little friction out of the guy.”

“You’re not helping Declan,” Missy growled kicking the back of Declan’s seat in warning.

“Hey, listen, I’m not here to sugar coat reality. You go to Kara to hear that shit, you talk to me because you want to hear the truth—there it is.”

“Is there a point to this?” Matt prompted smirking slightly as he glanced at Declan whose eyes were carefully trained on the road before him.

“Look, all I’m saying is that hiding it is going to make it a thousand times worst, alright? I mean granted he’s going to be pissed and probably threaten you but you two are best friends and he’ll get over it.”

“Even if I am ‘screwing his younger cousin who is like a sister to him’,” Jack retorted.

“Yes,” Declan stated simply, “Although I would highly suggest leaving that part out.”

“So where were you two last night?” Matt questioned. “I mean we booked all the available rooms and you two weren’t anywhere.”

The two teenagers looked at each other smirking before they faced their interested friends.

“We plead the fifth,” It was a night that would be remembered but it was a night that no one would able to guess for the two. It was a night of secrets and laughs and thrills. The night had been theirs and it always would be.

______________________________________________________________________

“What’s up with you two?” Juliette questioned from the drivers seat, her hands twisting the steering wheel absently. “You haven’t said like two words since we left.” Her oaken eyes gazed at her best friend curiously. It had been a long time since Jonnie Posen had been silent—and there was always a reason behind it.

Juliette’s simple questioned had gained the curiosity of Alex, as well as Rian and Kara who all turned to glance at the two.

“What?” Zack asked slightly paranoid. There was no way they all knew what happened…right?

“Nothing is up with us,” Jonnie replied at the same time and then shot Zack a look for looking so suspicious. The expression in Rian’s face changed as he eyed the bassist.

“What?” Zack demanded when Rian’s gaze persisted.

Kara snickered, “Zack you’re acting so guilty right now. I mean, gees, I didn’t know you were that bad of a liar.”

“I didn’t lie,” Zack pointed out

“You’re not answering Sunny’s question either,” Alex reminded him. Zack stared at each of the familiar faces of his friends before he turned to look out the window silently. There was at least another 200 miles between them and Zack would be damned if the cat got out of the bag in these kinds of closed quarters…Closed quarters like a closet, a janitors closet. Zack closed his eyes, cursing himself.

“Why the hell do you all care what I do in my free time?” Jonnie questioned defensively. “You want me to tell you when I used the bathroom, when I take a shit?”

“Nooo thank you,” Rian said quickly completely turned off by where the conversation had taken a turn.

“You’re such a lady, J.” Alex stated dryly turning back around. He reached for Juliette’s hand, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb absently.

Kara just shook her head, torn between amused and disgusted, before she gave her attention to Rian as he hung his arm around her shoulder, holding her to him. But Juliette was the only one who hadn’t adverted their attention else where. She was gazing at Jonnie through her rearview mirror a look of deep suspicion and knowing on her face. Jonnie gave her the finger before crossing her arms over her chest and stared at her beat up old Nike’s.

Jonnie knew one thing for sure, California was still to far away and throwing herself out of the moving muscle car didn’t seem like such a bad idea lately.