Head on Collision

Jack’s POV

I was woken up by someone poking my cheek. i batted it away without opening my eyes. The poking resumed. I opened my eyes to tell who ever it was to fuck off but i was greeted by a face really really close to mine. A big toothless grin, wide green eyes, behind black rimmed glasses. I was being woken up by a little girl.

“Abigail!” A woman’s voice called out. “Leave them alone!”

I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes and the little girl leaned back a little, sitting down on her butt.

“Abigail!” the voice called again and the little girl looked over to the lady who I guessed was her mum.

“Mummy! They’re ‘wake,” Abigail told her mum proudly.

The lady swopped in and picked up the little girl.

“I’m so sorry about that,” mum said shifting her daughter to her hip. “She remembered you boys from yesterday. So she wanted to say hi. I guess you guys being asleep didn't matter to her all that much.”

Her eyes moved over me and I followed her gaze to Alex who was, surprisingly still asleep. i noticed the marks on his lower back above the waistband of his jeans. Thank god we had put them back on.

“Um big night?” the mum asked. She looked like she was embarrassed.

“Long story,” i told her, sitting up properly and stretching my arms over my head.

“I’ll leave you boys to it,” she smiled now. “Say bye bye to the nice man Abby.”

“Bye bye man boy,” she grinned, sticking here tongue through the gap in the front of her mouth.

“Bye bye Abigail!” i smiled after her.

As they turned and walk away i slumped back next to Alex. i turned to look at him. His shoulders were shaking. He was laughing.

“Were you awake that whole time?” I asked.

Alex rolled onto his back and kept laughing at me.

“Only since like, the first scream of ‘Abigail,” he grinned.

“You asshole!” I slapped his shoulder and he laughed again.

“Hey!” he exclaimed and sat up next to me; laughing.

His laughter slowly died off. It was like last night was coming back to him. It’s the weirdest feeling when you wake p and its like you’re in this bubble where everything perfect and normal and wonderful but then just like that everything comes back. All the shit. All the unhappiness or drama from the day before.
“Good morning,” i whispered; leaning into him.

“Morning,” he smiled a little and looked out at the ocean.

“I wonder what time it is,” I stretched my arms above my head again.

“my phone died some time yesterday,” he shrugged.

“I left mine in the car,” i moved until i was standing up. “I was kind of scared to check it yesterday. Now I’m even more scared to.”

i held out my hands to Alex to help him up. He slid his hand into mine and pulled him to his feet and immediately into a hug.

“I’m not ready to go back,’ Alex mumbled against my neck. “Can’t we stay in this bubble forever?”

“I wish we could baby,” i replied honestly. “But I’m sure our parents are worried.”

I let Alex go and stooped to pick up the blanket we’d been sleeping under.

“I also think i have sand in place i really shouldn't have sand,” i dusted off my butt, and my arms and the rest of me. But i knew i needed a shower.

I took Alex’s hand again and pulled him up the sand towards the car.

“I think I’ll drive some of the way back yeah?” I said, dusting my feet off now.

“Yeah,” Alex unlocked the car and laid into the passenger seat. I walked around to the drivers seat and picked up my phone from where i had left it in the cup holder all day yesterday.

“Okay,” i clicked a button to illuminate my screen. “I have 12 missed called in total, and 19 texts. I scrolled through them. Should i read my mums, your mums, dads first, or should i go straight to Rian and Zacks?” i held out the phone to Alex who slumped down in his seat.

“I can’t believe how many people called and texted,” Alex scrolled up and down through the messages. “Can i call my mum?”

“Of course.”

Alex clicked dial and his mums contact and i backed out of the parking space.

“Hey mum, It’s me,” he started. “Yeah. I’m fine i promise. I just needed to get away.”

I pulled into the drive way of a Jack in the box and steered into the drive through queue.

“We just went to the beach mum,” Alex continued. “South Carolina.”

i heard Isobel’s voce come thorugh the phone and Alex had to pull the phone away from his ear.

“Yes mum i know,” he sighed. “Jack’s with me. He. He’s been amazing. I’m sorry. Yeah we’re just getting breakfast and we’ll be home soon.”

i looked at him like he was crazy. Soon meant 10 hours.

“I love you too mum,” Alex whispered. i dumped the takeout bags in his lap and he slapped my shoulder. “Bye. bye.”

“I guess she wasn't pleased,” i asked sarcastically.

“You could say that,” he answered as he opened one of the bags. “What’d you buy anyway?”

“One of basically everything on the breakfast menu,” I shrugged and dug through to pull out a hash brown.

“I’ll just text everyone, saying we’ll be home soon,” Alex’s thumbs moved across the keypad of my sidekick.

“Are you ready to go home?” i asked him. “Honestly?”

“Not really,” Alex replied. “But i really need to see my mum. and everyone for that matter.”

“Then to home?”

“Home.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

10 hours passes a lot more quickly when you're asleep for most of it. We’re stopped and swapped three times along the drive this time. I saw the sign welcoming us to Baltimore.

“Almost there!” i grinned and looked over to Alex; his grip on the steering wheel making his knuckles white.

“You okay?” i asked and his posture relaxed.

“Yeah.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“No tell me,” i insisted.

We stopped at a red light and Alex looked over to me.

“Nothing's wrong,” he smiled. “I promise. Just, thank you Jack for this. Thank you for running away with me.”

I looked at him unsurely.

“Okay,” i finally smiled. “Thats not a problem. It was fun. I’m probably grounded for life; but it was fun.”

Alex turned into my street and pulled into my driveway.

“Here we are,” Alex pushed the gear stick to park and turned to face me.

I leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the mouth.

“I love you,” I told him

“I love you too Jack.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow at school yeah?”

“Maybe,” Alex shrugged. “I’ll text you later. After i talk to my mum.”

“Alright,” I kissed him again. “Ill talk to you later.”

“Okay.”

“See you babe.”

“Bye Jack.”

I climbed out, slinging the backpack of unworn clothes over my shoulder. I waved as Alex back down the drive way and drove away toward his place. I could help but feel a little uneasy about his goodbye.