Sequel: Back 2 Good ›
Status: Finished! Look for the sequel soon! :)
Mutiny Below
Carry Me Home
Natalia
As soon as I got out of the shower, Eric was banging on the bathroom door, hurrying me. I ignored him and continued on getting ready, drying my hair and getting dressed. When I was done, he was standing by the door.
"What took you so long?!"
"What's your rush?"
"We have to be there before 12 or we don't get free tacos!"
"Oh my God, Eric, you really are crazy."
"I'm not crazy!....Just hungry."
"Whatever you say."
"Come on, let's go! We have to go get your brother too."
"Why can't he just walk over here?"
"He's a lazy ass, that's why."
When we got to John and Jayce's, Nick was waiting on the step smoking a cigarette. He tossed it on the ground and stepped on it then got into the front seat while I got in the back.
"Nick, when you're on an oxygen tank one day, I'm going to say 'I told you so.' "
He just grinned at me, not even offering a comeback. Eric glanced over at him. "Dude, what the hell?"
"What?"
"What are you so damn happy about?"
"Nothing. I just...slept well last night."
"Right...."
Eric refocused on the road as Nick turned up the radio and I sat there confused. I knew when Nick was lying. He was like an open book to me, except for the fact that I didn't know why he was so happy.
After Eric got his beloved free tacos, we went to some music store where Nick was getting his guitar fixed. We ended up staying there awhile because the both of them were like kids in a candy store, picking up all the guitars and strumming them.
When we got back to the apartment, Nick went back to John and Jayce's while I curled up on the couch with my book that I hadn't been able to finish reading yet. Eric mentioned something about going to visit his parents so I was left alone in peace and quiet to read.
I was only about an hour in when the door opened. I thought it was Eric returning for some reason but when I looked up, I saw John standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets of his tight jeans.
"Hey."
"Hey, John. What're you doing here?"
He sort of shrugged his shoulders and took a seat on the other end of the couch.
"Where's Jayce?"
"At home. She said she doesn't feel well."
"Oh....Where's Nick?"
"I don't really know. Where's Halvo?"
"Gone to see his mommy."
"Of course."
We looked at each other awkwardly for about ten seconds before I dropped my gaze back to my book. I stared at the page in front of me but I wasn't reading. Not with John sitting right there staring at me. I had a hard time just keeping my breathing level.
"Hey, Nat?"
"Yeah?"
"You want to go do something?"
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Something besides staying here reading a book all day."
"I like reading, thank you very much."
"Oh, come on."
"What about Jayce? Don't you think you should go home and take care of her if she's sick?"
"She said she wanted to be alone today."
"Oh."
"So?"
"Sure, I guess."
He smiled and stood up while I tossed my book on the table and slipped my feet into my shoes. I followed him over to his place and we got in his car and drove to the closest movie theater. He walked much faster than me because his legs were so long so I was a little ways behind him. When I finally caught up to him at the window, he was standing with his arms crossed staring at the titles.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"What's it going to be?"
I shrugged. "I don't care. Anything's fine with me."
He rolled his eyes. "You do too care. If I pick some lame action movie, you know you wouldn't like it."
"You mean you admit your action movies are lame?"
"I didn't say that."
"You totally did."
He gave me a crooked smile before turing back to the list. "How about....that one?"
"The cartoon?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"Sure."
He went up to the window and asked for two tickets. I tried to pay for mine but he wouldn't let me. He wouldn't even let me pay for my popcorn. The theater was packed with small kids and their moms so we sat in the very back away from them all.
The movie was actually really cute but very juvenile and John made fun of it the whole time. It was dinner time by the time we got out of the theater so we went by the chinese restaurant and got some food for everyone before going back home. John dropped me off back at Eric's and I went inside to eat by myself and wait for Eric to come home.
I was just about to start reading my book again when Nick called and told me to come over. I wasn't sure I should because if Jayce was sick, then she probably wouldn't feel up to having company but he insisted.
Jayce answered the door and she didn't look sick at all. I followed her into the living room where John and Nick were laying on the couch watching tv. She sat in the chair on the opposite side of the room, leaving me to sit between John and Nick on the couch. Nick put his feet in my lap and I glared at him but he just grinned. That grin hadn't left his face the entire time I was in his presence today.
John was focused on the television set and Jayce was staring at the floor. It was mostly silent except for the noise coming from the tv. Eventually, Nick got up and announced he was going for a swim. He went to change then left the apartment, leaving me with Jayce and John which I found awkward. Jayce yawned and got up, going down the hall to her bedroom and then it was just me and John. Awkward. I curled my legs up under me and watched the basketball game silently. I felt myself getting sleepy but I didn't move and pretty soon, I was asleep.
I felt my body shift like the couch had been yanked out from underneath me but I was too tired to even open my eyes. I was aware of the arm hooked under my knees and another around my back and I felt my arms around someone's neck but I kept my eyes closed still.
"I'm just gonna take her back to Eric's."
"Just let her crash on the couch."
"She'll sleep better in her bed. I'll be right back."
I heard a door shut and then felt the hot outside air hit my body. His footsteps were quiet and I could hear his heart beating since my ear was pressed against his chest. When we reached Eric's, he kicked the door and waited for Eric to open it.
"Dude?"
John didn't answer him as he stepped into the house and carried me down the hallway to my room. He laid me down very gently then covered me up with the red blanket at the foot of the bed. He whispered a "Good night" as he shut the door and his footsteps receded down the hallway.
I went right back to sleep. I had plently of time to freak out when I woke up.
As soon as I got out of the shower, Eric was banging on the bathroom door, hurrying me. I ignored him and continued on getting ready, drying my hair and getting dressed. When I was done, he was standing by the door.
"What took you so long?!"
"What's your rush?"
"We have to be there before 12 or we don't get free tacos!"
"Oh my God, Eric, you really are crazy."
"I'm not crazy!....Just hungry."
"Whatever you say."
"Come on, let's go! We have to go get your brother too."
"Why can't he just walk over here?"
"He's a lazy ass, that's why."
When we got to John and Jayce's, Nick was waiting on the step smoking a cigarette. He tossed it on the ground and stepped on it then got into the front seat while I got in the back.
"Nick, when you're on an oxygen tank one day, I'm going to say 'I told you so.' "
He just grinned at me, not even offering a comeback. Eric glanced over at him. "Dude, what the hell?"
"What?"
"What are you so damn happy about?"
"Nothing. I just...slept well last night."
"Right...."
Eric refocused on the road as Nick turned up the radio and I sat there confused. I knew when Nick was lying. He was like an open book to me, except for the fact that I didn't know why he was so happy.
After Eric got his beloved free tacos, we went to some music store where Nick was getting his guitar fixed. We ended up staying there awhile because the both of them were like kids in a candy store, picking up all the guitars and strumming them.
When we got back to the apartment, Nick went back to John and Jayce's while I curled up on the couch with my book that I hadn't been able to finish reading yet. Eric mentioned something about going to visit his parents so I was left alone in peace and quiet to read.
I was only about an hour in when the door opened. I thought it was Eric returning for some reason but when I looked up, I saw John standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets of his tight jeans.
"Hey."
"Hey, John. What're you doing here?"
He sort of shrugged his shoulders and took a seat on the other end of the couch.
"Where's Jayce?"
"At home. She said she doesn't feel well."
"Oh....Where's Nick?"
"I don't really know. Where's Halvo?"
"Gone to see his mommy."
"Of course."
We looked at each other awkwardly for about ten seconds before I dropped my gaze back to my book. I stared at the page in front of me but I wasn't reading. Not with John sitting right there staring at me. I had a hard time just keeping my breathing level.
"Hey, Nat?"
"Yeah?"
"You want to go do something?"
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Something besides staying here reading a book all day."
"I like reading, thank you very much."
"Oh, come on."
"What about Jayce? Don't you think you should go home and take care of her if she's sick?"
"She said she wanted to be alone today."
"Oh."
"So?"
"Sure, I guess."
He smiled and stood up while I tossed my book on the table and slipped my feet into my shoes. I followed him over to his place and we got in his car and drove to the closest movie theater. He walked much faster than me because his legs were so long so I was a little ways behind him. When I finally caught up to him at the window, he was standing with his arms crossed staring at the titles.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"What's it going to be?"
I shrugged. "I don't care. Anything's fine with me."
He rolled his eyes. "You do too care. If I pick some lame action movie, you know you wouldn't like it."
"You mean you admit your action movies are lame?"
"I didn't say that."
"You totally did."
He gave me a crooked smile before turing back to the list. "How about....that one?"
"The cartoon?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"Sure."
He went up to the window and asked for two tickets. I tried to pay for mine but he wouldn't let me. He wouldn't even let me pay for my popcorn. The theater was packed with small kids and their moms so we sat in the very back away from them all.
The movie was actually really cute but very juvenile and John made fun of it the whole time. It was dinner time by the time we got out of the theater so we went by the chinese restaurant and got some food for everyone before going back home. John dropped me off back at Eric's and I went inside to eat by myself and wait for Eric to come home.
I was just about to start reading my book again when Nick called and told me to come over. I wasn't sure I should because if Jayce was sick, then she probably wouldn't feel up to having company but he insisted.
Jayce answered the door and she didn't look sick at all. I followed her into the living room where John and Nick were laying on the couch watching tv. She sat in the chair on the opposite side of the room, leaving me to sit between John and Nick on the couch. Nick put his feet in my lap and I glared at him but he just grinned. That grin hadn't left his face the entire time I was in his presence today.
John was focused on the television set and Jayce was staring at the floor. It was mostly silent except for the noise coming from the tv. Eventually, Nick got up and announced he was going for a swim. He went to change then left the apartment, leaving me with Jayce and John which I found awkward. Jayce yawned and got up, going down the hall to her bedroom and then it was just me and John. Awkward. I curled my legs up under me and watched the basketball game silently. I felt myself getting sleepy but I didn't move and pretty soon, I was asleep.
I felt my body shift like the couch had been yanked out from underneath me but I was too tired to even open my eyes. I was aware of the arm hooked under my knees and another around my back and I felt my arms around someone's neck but I kept my eyes closed still.
"I'm just gonna take her back to Eric's."
"Just let her crash on the couch."
"She'll sleep better in her bed. I'll be right back."
I heard a door shut and then felt the hot outside air hit my body. His footsteps were quiet and I could hear his heart beating since my ear was pressed against his chest. When we reached Eric's, he kicked the door and waited for Eric to open it.
"Dude?"
John didn't answer him as he stepped into the house and carried me down the hallway to my room. He laid me down very gently then covered me up with the red blanket at the foot of the bed. He whispered a "Good night" as he shut the door and his footsteps receded down the hallway.
I went right back to sleep. I had plently of time to freak out when I woke up.