Breaking Their Hold

I slumped in the front seat of Matt’s Mustang, staring dejectedly out the window at the passing scenery. I was leaving California, and I’d never wanted to do anything less.

“Stop looking like a wounded puppy,” Matt said, breaking the silence.

I glanced at him and managed a weak smile. “Sorry. I’m just dreading this immensely.”

“You can come back after graduation,” he said in an attempt to comfort me.

“That’s over two months away!”

“It’s not like we’re never going to call or anything.”

“Can’t one of you come back with me?” I asked pleadingly.

“No,” Matt replied. “I know how rarely you hear that word. Do I need to explain what it means?”

I flipped him off.

“No, thanks. But you may have a taker in this car.” Matt’s eyes flicked up to the rearview, where he could see Brian crammed into the miniscule backseat, his expression glum.

“I would take her up on it if this car wasn’t like a fucking sardine can,” Brian grumbled, shifting around and hitting his head on the roof of the car. “Ow.” He rubbed his head.

I caught a flash of disapproval in Matt’s hazel eyes. I didn’t know why he was so against me being with Brian, but I made a mental note to make him tell me during our first long-distance conversation.

The airport loomed into view and my heart sank. Matt took one hand off the wheel and reached for my hand, giving it a squeeze. We found a parking space. Matt and Brian both hopped out of the car, neither noticing at first that I hadn’t moved. Matt popped the trunk and went to retrieve my luggage. Brian opened the passenger-side door.

“C’mon,” he coaxed gently.

“I don’t wanna.”

He chuckled. “I know you don’t want to, but you have to.”

I sighed and reluctantly climbed from the car. Brian wrapped his arms around me and kissed me lightly. Slamming the trunk shut, Matt cleared his throat pointedly.

“Don’t worry, Dad,” Brian drawled sarcastically. “I’m not molesting your little girl.”

Matt rolled his eyes and started for the interior of the airport. Hand in hand, Brian and I followed.

“We still have about fifteen minutes,” Matt said, stopping next to a bench. He looked at me. I had my head on Brian’s shoulder and tears in my eyes. “Um…I’m just going to find a bathroom.”

I flashed him a grateful smile. He set down my bag and vanished in the crowd. Brian sat down on the bench and pulled me on to his lap. I snuggled as close to him as was possible. “I’m going to miss you.”

He stroked my hair. “I’ll call you so often you’ll get tired of me.”

I snorted. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

He caught my chin between his thumb and index and tilted my face up. The kiss was slow and deep and passionate. My hand fisted on his shirt. I clung to him, refusing to let go until the final call for my flight, when Matt reappeared and urged me, not unkindly, to get on the plane.

“Bye.” I hugged Matt.

“Bye,” he echoed.

I turned to Brian. He didn’t say anything, simply kissed me again. “Call me as soon as you get home,” he said softly.

I nodded, picked up my carry-on, and ran to the gate where my flight was boarding.

*****

“Hey, Jordan!” Jaimi greeted brightly Monday morning.

“Hey,” I mumbled.

“How was your spring break?” Tori questioned, twisting the dial of the combination lock on her locker.

I lifted a shoulder. “It was okay.”

“Did you have to work the whole time?” Jaimi inquired sympathetically.

“Yeah. Everyone else had places to go, so I got to cover for all the people with lives.”

“That sucks,” Tori stated. “I wish you could’ve come with us.”

Tyler, Sam, and Evan approached then. I avoided Tyler’s eyes, focusing on shoving my bookbag in my locker.

“Hey, Jordan,” he said, studying my profile. “Did you have a good spring break?”

“She worked the whole time,” Jaimi piped up.

“Oh, that blows,” Evan commented, and Sam nodded in agreement.

“The extra money will be nice, though,” I said, taking out my books and closing my locker. In my pants pocket, I felt my cell buzz. “I’m going ahead to class. See you guys at break.”

Jaimi, Tori, Sam, and Evan barely noticed my departure. However, Tyler’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

I reached the classroom and, just as I’d hoped, it was deserted. I quickly dug out my cell and flipped it open. “Hello?”

“Hi, sunshine.”

“Jimmy! Hi."

“Is it as bad as you feared?”

“It’s worse.”

“I know what you mean. I miss my sunshine.”

“I miss my mad scientist.”

“Do you want to talk to your boyfriend?”

“Does he want to talk to me?”

“He’s practically begging like a well-trained puppy.”

“Fuck you, man,” I heard Brian say in the background.

I giggled. “Yeah. Throw the dog a bone.”

“I think that’s what he wants to do to you.”

“He already has. Many times.”

Jimmy gasped dramatically. “No fair! I wanted to give you a treat and you wouldn’t accept mine.”

“Jimmy, give Brian the phone.”

“Screw Brian. He can use his own phone.”

“But you know when he calls, I’m totally hanging up on you to talk to him.”

“Don’t you love me anymore, sunshine?”

“I do love you, Jimmy, but you’d totally hang up on me to talk to the girl that sucks your dick, right?”

“Hmm…” Jimmy pretended to think about it. “Yeah, I probably would.”

“Alright then.” My cell beeped, alerting me to an incoming call. “Gotta go.”

“Okay. Love you, sunshine.”

“Love you, too.” I switched over. “Hey, Bri.”

“Good morning, beautiful.”

“I wish you were here. I wanted to spend the ten minutes before class making out with my boyfriend.”

Brian laughed softly. “That would’ve been a bad idea.”

“Why? You don’t want to kiss me?”

“You know I do. But kisses aren’t enough. I’d have to take you somewhere and have my way with you.”

“Eh, I’ve never been late in my life. I think I can handle a few smears on my perfect record.”

“This is a bad conversation to have just before class. Now I’m going to be thinking about it all day and I won’t get anything done.”

“I know what you mean.”

There was a moment of silence, then Brian said, “I miss you, Jordan.”

“I miss you, too, Bri.”

“I’ve gotta go. Can you skip out of Athletics this afternoon?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll call you at two.”

“I look forward to it.” I put my phone back in my pocket just as my classmates began filing into the room.

Tyler slipped into the seat behind me. “Coming to class early? Gee, I wonder what that’s all about.”

I ignored him.

“You sure have a nice tan. Are you sure you worked all spring break?”

I gritted my teeth.

“You know what I think you did?”

I didn’t respond.

Tyler chuckled. “You know. And I’m right. But I won’t say anything, if you’ll do me a favor.”

I closed my eyes, mentally willing myself not to punch him in the face.

“Go to Prom with me.”

I twisted around in my seat to stare at him. “What?”

“Go to Prom with me. Unless you want everyone to know where you really were last week?”

I glared. “I thought we were done pretending. Why do you want me to go to Prom with you?”

“Because you’ll be the queen.”

“And?”

“And I’ll be the king. We have to go together. It’s, like, the natural order of things.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine. But I’m not riding with you.”

“I can live with that.” He leaned back in his seat with a smug, triumphant expression on his face.