Falling on Dead Ears

Travis slumped down on the couch out of breath, bruised, broken, and defeated. He’d searched all day for the group and nothing. Calling them didn’t help either, they just ignored him or answered the phone taunting him that they had Ellie and he didn’t. They always talked too loud to hear anything in the background either, leaving him clueless.

The second the front door swung open he was on his feet rushing to the group, looking for the smallest member.

“Where is she?” Andy smiled.

“We took her home. She had a curfew.” He stated walking past him. Travis turned watching them.

“Where were you guys?” He pressed watching them.

“You know.” Jim shrugged, smiling as he sat in the recliner. “Here and There.” He smirked. Travis glared.

“You didn’t hurt her did you?” He snapped. The group stopped staring at him. “No offense but we always hurt each other with out meaning to…” He stated, they all nodded.

“Nah she got home safe.” Special smirked. Travis nodded as his heart sank. “I told you one day Murphy’s Law was going to catch up to you.” He added as they all watched Travis sit down slowly. “Today was that day.”

“Why couldn’t it be tomorrow?” Travis whispered. He’d had the perfect things planned out for them. Now it’d be a miracle if Ellie ever spoke to him again. Lifting his gaze to the room he looked around. “Where’s Jolene?” he asked confused by the missing woman. The group shrugged trying to hide smiles and smirks.

Jolene waved her hands around as Ellie stood by the back of the van nervously. She was trying to explain what exactly had happened today to the small girl. It wasn’t working in Jolene’s favor not knowing all the words she needed.

“Okay.” Jolene hid her hands so she wouldn’t be tempted to use them. Instantly Ellie’s eyes went to Jolene’s moving lips. “So what happened is this. Travis really likes you,” The flush crossing Ellie’s cheeks could be seen from space if Jolene could clearly see it in the dark Texas night. “He had the whole day pretty much planned out. We,” Jolene paused with a smile. “Thought it was weird he planned the day out. So we figured we’d ruin it.” Ellie blinked startled. “Just to gauge how much he really likes you. The whole time we were on the boat he was on the raft behind it, he’d jumped on to it as the boat was leaving the dock.” The fear and shock in Ellie’s face couldn’t be missed by a blind man. “Then we ran away with you to the track and he wouldn’t stop calling, we kept taunting him. We went to the one place we figured he’d forget to look because it’s right under his nose. He didn’t look there, we were right.” Jolene nodded. The track was less than ten minutes away. Travis had checked everything farther and everything he figured the group would take Ellie to. The track wasn’t even in the back of his mind as he looked. “So he’s been looking all day and the guys just went in to tell him you went home. Now we’re going to bring you in and watch his depressed sad little mug light up like Christmas, okay?” Ellie blinked a few times before nodding weakly.

“I hate you guys.” Travis whispered leaning back in his recliner and covering his face with a pillow. The group smiled as the door opened and Jolene tip toed in with Ellie following her in a less sneaky manor.

Waving Jolene pointed at Travis’s down cast form. The black rain cloud hanging over his head was evident. Biting the inside of her lip Ellie smiled faintly.

*****

I watched as Jolene waved a hand at me and gently nudged me towards him. What caught my eye was the older man in, what looked to be, the kitchen arch way glaring at me slightly. Biting my lip I walked to Travis and sat on the arm of the chair.

‘What are you doing?’ Special asked confused. Smiling I waved my hand. He turned looking at Jolene laughing.

‘You’re really going to wait to see if he notices?’ she asked. I shrugged and looked back at Travis shifting. ‘It’s going to be a while...’ With the Travis removed the pillow and froze. Waving I smiled at his frozen form. His beautiful hazel brown eyes wide with shock as his mouth floundered.

‘I thought you went home…’ Shrugging I smiled at him. His head instantly turned. ‘Shut up dad!’ My eyes lifted to the elderly man still glaring at me. Letting my gaze fall to my hands I shifted nervously. He looked at me like they always did.

Travis’s hand slid onto my knee catching my attention. Looking up at him he smiled at me and nodded his head towards the backdoor. Blinking confused I watched him stand and move to the door, waiting for me.

Following I glanced back at the room, still staring at the older man. Glancing at my toes I stepped out of the open door and waited for Travis.

Warm arms draped around my shoulders as his body pressed to mine. My heart instantly jumped into my throat and began beating wildly, making it feel as if it was pressing to my gag reflex.

He shuffled along the dark deck, pushing me along as he wrapped his arms tighter around me the second I shivered.

Turning I glanced up at him, a wide smile on his features as he watched me. Smiling back I stepped back slightly, his hands laced together behind my head as I watched a weak smile replace the large one.

‘Did they treat you alright?’ Nodding I smiled at him. ‘Did you have fun?’ he tried, still smiling. Nodding I couldn’t help but beam at him. I did have fun. The group had done some crazy things, they’d even got me to do a few stupid things, but it was fun. ‘Where’d they take you?’ slowly my hands began to moved. ‘The track?!’ He looked almost out ragged. ‘I totally forgot about the track.’ The butt of his hand slammed into his forehead. Gasping I grabbed his forearm before he could do it again.

‘Sorry.’ Shrugging I held his hand between both of mine and let my hands play with his long, calloused fingers. My eyes wandered down the red shirt he was wearing to the bright white DC logo on it.

His fingers suddenly began moving on their own making me jump. Darting my eyes up to his face I could see the laughter he was holding in.

‘Enjoying my fingers?’ flushing I glanced away. The touch of his hand running over my bare shoulder caused me to shiver and step closer to him. My eyes rolled up to meet his gaze, wondering how he would react. ‘Cold?’ Nodding weakly I smiled as he wrapped his arms around me. ‘how ‘bout we get you some cloths then? A bikini and shorts is good for the day but…’ he bobbed his head from side to side, pulling his lips back as he faked debated with himself. ‘not so much at night.’ He finished his breath hitting my face in a large gust as I watched him. His heart was pounding in his chest, just under his shirt and my hand faintly.

Pressing closer I could feel him take in a deep breath as he watched me a bit startled. Biting my bottom lip I stood up on my toes as his breath began hitting my face quicker. The pulse in my ears was blocking out all my senses as I gently pressed my lips to his rough chapped one.

The grip he had on my waist tightened as he leaned down pressing his lips back to mine, my hands gripping his shirt tightly at the pure feeling of electricity flowing through my body.

Travis’s head snapped up before I felt the vibrations on the deck. He turned to look at the person and frowned. Stepping back from Travis I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear nervously at the sight of the person. Had it been any of his friends I’m sure I wouldn’t have cared, but it was the older man…more than likely his dad.

Watching the deck I stepped back at Travis seem to tense while he through his arms around. Just by the looks on each one of their faces and their tense body language and rash hand movements told me they were yelling at each other.

Stepping back I stumbled, air rushing around me as my hands moved to grab something. Squeezing my eyes shut I stopped with a heavy jerk. Staring up at Travis his shoulders relaxed.

‘You okay?’ nodding he pulled me up right as he sat on the steps. ‘Don’t scare me like that.’ Nodding I looked down at my hands and back at the older man glaring at us. Tapping Travis’s shoulder I moved my hand quickly. ‘Slow down.’ He stated moving his hands as he spoke. Repeating the movements I licked my lips and glanced back at the still glaring man. ‘Do you have to?’ Travis stood up a few steps down from me. Nodding I kept my gaze from falling on the other man. It was like being back in my hometown. Being called a lair and having people talk about me behind my back.

Glancing back up at Travis I waved, his hand caught mine.

‘I’ll walk you.’ Shaking my head I patted his chest and simply pointed at the lit house just a few over. Trying to tell him it wasn’t far. ‘I’ll walk you.’ He repeated. Sighing I nodded defeated. As long as I got away from that man I’d be fine.

Wandering down the beach side by side I took interest in the rock Travis was kicking along. The silence for once in my life was deafening. I wanted to hear him talk, to know what was going through his head.

Waving as we got to my Aunt’s deck steps I smiled at him weakly, getting a weak smile in return. Stepping up a few steps I stopped as he gently took my hand in his. Turning back to him, I smiled weakly again at his downcast looking face.

‘I’m sorry about my dad.’ He sighed. Shrugging I tried to let him know it was OK. ‘No it’s not, he’s being a jerk. It’s probably cause I didn’t want to hang out with him all day but he was still a jerk.’ His head fell as he seemingly stopped talking.

Tipping his head up, I held his face between both my hands and simply smiled.

‘Can I kiss you again?’ Biting the inside of my lip I couldn’t help but lean in and press my lips to his. His hands held my hips as he stepped closer, with out tripping on the steps.

Pulling away I smiled at him as he gave me a goofy grin.

‘Wanna hang out tomorrow?’ Nodding I leaned back in gently kissing him before heading into the house. My aunt stood there, arms crossed, foot taping, and glaring at me