Away From Everything We Fear

Lacey:

We went through the house, but everything was a blur as I focused only on him. We paused to kiss in the hallway. John tried to pull away slowly but I bit his lip and pulled him close again. He let out a small laugh against my lips. I didn’t want to let him go, but he pulled away.

“I need to tell the guys not to worry about me, okay?”

I nodded reluctantly and let him lead me through the party searching for his band mates. My eyes landed on Jared and Kennedy who were sitting on the couch talking to group of people. I was happy that they were fitting in so well. We didn’t see Pat or Garrett. I followed John to where Jared and Kennedy were.

Kennedy looked fine, but Jared looked at us with glazed over eyes. “John and Lacey!” He said excitedly. “Where have you two been all my life?”

John pushed Jared’s hand away with a laugh. Turning to Kennedy he said, “Lacey and I are gonna get out of here. You guys should probably leave soon too. I mean, being trashed in this expensive place like this probably won’t turn out too good.”

Kennedy nodded in agreement and his eyes flickered down to our hands and then to me and then back to John. He tried to keep the smile from spreading on his face, but he couldn’t help it. “You guys look really good together.”

John shoved Kennedy’s arm playfully. “Come on, Kenny, none of that sentimental shit.”

I felt a shiver go through my body at his words. I hoped John hadn’t felt it. My reaction towards cuss words was starting to get really annoying especially when John seemed to do it all the time.

“Lacey?” I twisted around while still holding John’s hand at the sound of my voice, but as soon as I saw who had called me I let go of his hand.

“Cam?” I said staring up at my ex-boyfriend, but his eyes weren’t on me anymore. They were on John.

“Who this?” He asked still not looking at me.

Even thought Cam had asked the question to me he had directed it towards John which is why John answered. “I’m John, a friend of Lacey’s.”

Cam finally looked at me. “It doesn’t look like you’re just friends.”

I started to feel nerves stirring up at the attention we were attracting. Everyone knew about Cam and I’s break up, but apparently I was the last one to know the real reason why. When Cam told me he thought we should take a break it was really so he could screw around while on vacation in the Hamptons. So, I didn’t care one bit that he was now accusing John and I of being something more.

“Yes, just friends.” I told him angrily. “And so what if we were more than that?”

“Nothing.” Cam eyed John up and down. “But by the looks of it I’d say you downgraded.”

I didn’t know how to respond so I stayed quiet. I don’t know why, but his words didn’t make me angry. They made me ashamed and then I felt bad for being ashamed of John. I couldn’t help it though. These expectations that I had grown up with made me that way.

John looked down at me curiously. Because I hadn’t sad anything, Cam let out a laugh and then began to walk away, but John called out to him.

“Hey fucker, yes you. I don’t know where you get off insulting someone like Lacey, but like she said before, we’re just friends. So how about you spend more time thinking about how you can treat a girl right rather than perfecting your natural ability of being a shit-faced prick.”

Cam turned around slowly with clenched fists, “Dude, you don’t even belong here.”

John laughed, “This isn’t high school. I couldn’t give a shit where you think I belong, because I know where I’m from and I know where I’m going. I don’t need all this fucking expensive shit to define my life.”

Cam took a step closer. “How about I show you where you belong?” He threatened.

John took a step closer and had a good few inches on Cam. “I’d like to see you try.”

“What the hell? You both need to fucking calm down.” I looked up to see my best friend Chloe breaking up the scene.

“Cam, stop being so butt sore and leave Lacey alone. You broke up with her remember,” she practically spat at Cam. “And you!” She said turning to John. “Do not cuss so much in front of Lacey; she hates it. Also, and don’t take this the wrong way, but I think it’d be best if you guys got out of here.”

Chloe gave me a hug, “Uh, I’m sorry Cam’s such an ass… and I’m sorry for cussing just now, but he is. But seriously, I think you’ve gotten enough attention tonight. I hate to see you hurt so go take John somewhere and just forget all this, kay?”

I nodded and we pressed our heads together like we always did. “Thanks Chlois. I don’t know what why I’m acting so weird.”

Chloe backed away from me and looked at me seriously, “I do, but it doesn’t matter right now. Don’t keep John waiting. Oh and by the way, he’s really hot!” She whisper-shouted in my ear.

I laughed and pushed her away, “Bye Chloe.” I said sternly.

“Well, he is!” She said with a laugh before walking away.

I turned around to look at John with wide puppy dog eyes. “Can we please get out of here?” I begged.

As we made our way out of the house, I couldn’t believe that I had once liked Cam.

I pulled on his hand just wanting to be away from there. I could tell that everything Cam had said didn’t bother John at all, but it bothered me a lot no matter how hard I tried to not feel anything. I started to pick up the pace, my heels clicking on the ground. We got outside and he stopped her. The guys weren’t far behind us and soon they were all surrounding us.

I looked up at them tiredly, “Look, I’m sorry. I should have never brought you guys here. It was stupid.”

“Are you kidding?” Pat said excitedly. “I had so much fun. Did you know that house had built in arcade? Fucking amazing!”

I let out a small laugh and pulled out her phone, the light illuminating my face. I could tell she was still upset.

“I can’t believe it’s only eleven. I know that what happened back there was a mess, but I don’t want this night to be over.” I admitted.

“Dude, just go with her.” Kennedy said with a smirk.



John:

I couldn’t believe she drove a fucking white-silver Audi, but I tried to keep my cool as I sat on the leather seats. This car was amazing and it took all I had to not obsess over it. The only thing I didn’t understand was the leather seats. Why the hell would anyone in their right mind do that in Arizona? The seats had to be like fire during the day.

“So…” She began. “Where are we going?”

“Well, I know when ever I’m upset my mommy gives me ice cream.” I said in childish voice.

She looked at me with a laugh. “Ice cream it is. But I’m not upset.”

“Sure.” I said simply making a small smile spread across her lips.

We fell into a comfortable silence. It wasn’t long before we pulled into a small local ice cream shop. I wasn’t big on all the fancy flavors so I just got plain vanilla.

I watched Lacey’s eyes flash quickly from all the different flavors. She looked at me with worry in her eyes. “I’m so indecisive. I can’t choose. Seriously, I am the worst at making decisions.” She looked down into the class, her eyes lingering on one flavor for a few seconds and then switching to another. She bit her lip. I couldn’t help but laugh at how adorable she was. The employee had already scooped mine into a cone and she had still yet to decide.

“Do not laugh at me John… John.” She tried to say it sternly, but the lack of my last name made her demand falter. She cocked her head to the side and opened her eyes wide. “What’s your last name John?”

“O’Callaghan.”

“Well then, John O’Callaghan do not laugh at me.” She crossed her arms in mock seriousness.

I couldn’t help but laugh at her behavior. She was just like a little kid. In exasperation she let out a sigh.

“I’ll just have a single scoop of that strawberry cheesecake ice cream in a sugar cone, please.” She turned to me while the employee scooped her ice cream. “There I made my choice, happy? Now hopefully I don’t regret it.”

“I think you’ll be fine.” I told her as we went to sit at the small tables after paying for the surprisingly cheap ice cream cones.

“Um, we actually closed ten minutes ago.” The employee told us. I forgot to turn off the open sign and lock the doors before you two came in.”

Lacey stood up. “Oh, okay that’s fine. Thanks for serving us.” She told him nicely. As soon as we got outside she turned to me seriously. “Okay, we can eat in my car, but you have to promise not to get ice cream anywhere.”

I nodded.

“Pinky promise?” She asked with an extended pinky. I looked down at her tiny finger, about to lace my pinky with hers when she pulled it back quickly. “Nevermind. Just promise, kay?” I looked at her face to see that she was blushing.

I looked down at her and held up three fingers. “I promise. Scout’s honor.”

A laugh escaped her lips and she turned around quickly and got in her car. I got into the passenger seat and looked over at her. She turned the key to where the radio could play. Classical music came out and I looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

Her cheeks became a light shade of pink. “Oh, this is my dad’s car and he likes to listen to this stuff. I-I can’t change it.”

I shook my head. “No, it’s okay. You can leave it.” We sat back and listened to the music. The entire situation was just really chill and I liked it a lot.

Suddenly, she yelped. Without warning she leaned over and licked my quickly melting ice cream. She sat back in her seat. “I am about to have a heart attack. I told you not to get any on the seat.”

I chuckled at how jumpy she seemed to be. “Well, if you really mean that you should probably check your own ice cream.”

Her eyes landed on her ice cream cone. Rather than quickly licking it like she did mine. She squeezed her eyes shut and held it over the console of the car as if she was scared to get it on her. I grabbed her hand and pulled the ice cream to my lips licking it so that it was no longer in danger of melting. Her eyes popped open to look at our hands.

She let out a nervous giggle. “Well, that was stupid.” I didn’t say anything, but just looked at her. “What?” She asked.

“What’s your last name, Lacey?”

“Oh, it’s Mc--mmph.” She said, but it came out muffled because she was licking her ice cream. She licked it down to the cone before talking again. “Whoops, sorry. It’s McCulloch, Lacey McCulloch. Like the court case?”

I stared at her blankly.

“Aw, come on!” She said in frustration, but I could detect the hint of sarcasm in her words. “You have to know that court case. It is one of my all time favorites.” She grinned. “Just kidding. I don’t even remember what McCulloch vs. Maryland was about anyways even though I swear every single history teacher I’ve ever had likes to ask me what it’s about. As if I’d know. You’d think I’d have it memorized by now.”

I had finished my ice cream cone by now just listening to her talk. She liked to ramble. It was cute. She wasn’t even eating her ice cream anymore. So I offered to finish it for her. She looked at me gratefully and watched me finish it.

I looked back over at her once it was done to see a different look on her face. There was a look in her eyes that told me she wanted me. I leaned toward her connecting our lips. They pressed together in tender softness, our lips parted and our breath mingled. I let my tongue slide into hers massaging it. She put her tongue in my mouth and ran it across my bottom teeth.

We pulled apart out of breath.

She bit her lips and looked up at me through her long eyelashes. She giggled make her entire face glow.

“You taste like strawberry cheesecake.”

I couldn’t explain the way she tasted, but I liked it a lot.