Destined to Explode

Leaving Baltimore was harder than I thought it would be.
After only being there about a month, I never expected the drive to the airport to fill my stomach with such dread that I almost turned the car around and forgot the trip to the place I’d called home for the past three years of my life, altogether.
Alex and Rian had joined me for the short ride, I having stayed at their house the previous night, so my car wasn’t parked up in a shitty car lot until my arrival back.
I’d thought taking a plane would be more convenient than the thirteen hour drive I normally partook in to clear the distance, but all in all, it just meant that I had less time to mentally prepare myself for the emotions that were sure to surge once I reached the capital again.
Rian scurries off to find Starbucks once I’ve checked my bag, Alex pulling me along to collapse on seats near my gate without having to go through any security, complaining profusely about having to be up so early, even though it was his idea in the first place - Jack or May would have happily travelled with me to take my car back - and it’s a kiss that finally shuts him up.

“Well, hey, I didn’t realise this was for public show as well.” He smirks, leaning forward to connect us again, grinning when I push him away, my eyebrows raised in question as he continues to smile in my direction.

“What?”

“I thought, with you being so hesitant about us, that you’d wanna confine this to home and shit. Not the middle of Baltimore airport.”

I scoff, shaking my head, even though I’m still smiling, “Who said there even was an ‘us’, huh?” I poke his chest, with a smirk, “Someone never made this official.”

“Why should I be the one to do it, eh? You’re the one so desperate to label.”

I scowl as he bites his tongue, eyes creasing as he stops himself from laughing, “You’re an evil man, Gaskarth.”

“Oh fucking fine, your argument wins. Poppy, be my other half?” He sighs dramatically, acting like I’d just bitched him out for hours over the subject, even though I was willing to drop it and not bring it up again, after all, I’d been joking to begin with.

“The better half?”

“If you’ll just stop dragging this shit out, you can be whatever kind of half you want, OK?”

“Well…” I drag out the syllable, watching as Alex’s brow creases, turning into a mocking frown, “I suppose I could, at least until I get a better offer.”

“Better offer, my ass.”

-----

After only a day in Chicago, I can’t wait to be back in Baltimore again.
I thought it’d be nice to be in the city I’d spent what seems like a decade in, but it just brings back really shit memories of the amount of time I’d spent miserable walking around the familiar streets.
Marky tries to keep me busy, taking me pretty much everywhere with him, including meetings with printers, apparently so I can give personal input now I’m finally back in headquarters, but I know it’s just to distract me while I’ve got nothing better to do.
People around the office were constantly asking me to do stuff, menial jobs that they could have easily done themselves - like collecting printing and checking over order forms - things that I’d stopped doing after my two month training period.

By Tuesday, I’ve managed to organise everything so I can head home the next day, things like the transference of all my stuff to a storage unit in Baltimore until I find somewhere that can handle all my furniture, all my GK stuff being sent to my house so I can run my part of the company from home, my address change - everything except a plane ticket.

Wednesday morning, I’ve repacked the clothing that had managed to be slung around Marky’s spare room in my few days staying with him, and get to the airport early, hoping and praying that if I constantly check, there will be a ticket available to get me back to Maryland.

To get me back home.