Going Alone

“What are you doing?” Jack asked, walking into my room the next morning.

“Packing. What does it look like?”

“Why?”

I sighed, exasperated, “I don’t want to be here anymore, Jack.”

“Just because of that fight?”

“No.” I said, “Yes... Kind of.”

“Mae, come on, stop.”

I threw another shirt into the suitcase, “Jack, I’m going home.”

“Mae.” He whined, “You’re leaving five days early.”

“Jack, just let me be. I want to go home.”

“Tell me why.” He said, plopping onto my bed.

“Because. Because Alex is a douche bag and it would just be awkward.”

“You don’t have to hang out with Alex.”

“Then what would I do? Lay out in the sun? I’m pregnant, Jack. I can’t do a lot.”

“You can do whatever you want.”

I slapped his hand away from my suitcase, “I’m going home, that’s what I want.”

Jack sighed, frustrated.

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“Flight 104 to John F. Kennedy International is now boarding.”

I turned to Jack, “Bye.”

He wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me, “I’m going to miss you.”

“Jack, I’m only flying across the country.” I joked.

“Call me when you land?” He asked.

I nodded and wiped at my eye, “Yeah.”

He bent down and kissed my protruding stomach, “Bye baby.”

“Jack, stop.” I said, pushing him away gently.

“So, you’ll call me?”

I sucked in my lips and nodded, “Yeah. I have to go.”

“Bye.” He hugged me once more.

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“Finally, it took forever!”

“Sorry.” I said, “I just wanted to get home first.”

“I miss you already.”

“Jack, it’s been less than a day.”

“So? I miss you all the time.”

“Ugh, it sounds like we’re dating.”

The line was silent for a moment, then Jack let out a strained laugh, “That’s just dumb.”

I paused for a moment, “Um, yeah. So, what are you doing today?”

“Well, after everyone found out you left, we went to do a mini concert.”

“That’s cool. How did everyone take it?”

“Well, Zack and Rian were kind of bummed, but Alex… he didn’t really care.”

“Asshole.” I rolled my eyes.

“Oh, shit! I have to go.”

“By-” I stopped when the line went dead.

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“Mae? What are you doing here? Where’s your California tan?” Larry asked.

“Uh, well, I flew back early. And I didn’t really go out in the sun.”

“You’re telling me you were there for three days and you didn’t go tan?”

“No. And I was there for two.”

“Why do short?”

“Alex is a dick.”

“Alex?”

“Oh, um, my baby daddy.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” He sighed, “Now get to work.”

“Thanks for your sympathy.” I rolled my eyes, laughing.

“Well, the chips aren’t going to stock themselves.” He said, gently pushing my out of the break room, “We’ll talk on your break.”