I Hate To Say This But I'm Stuck On Loving You, John O'Callaghan
PART 6
I woke up the next morning to a pounding headache. I groaned and placed my hand to the side of my head as I turned my body to look at the clock. It read 12:30.
“How are you feeling?”
I looked up to see Garrett standing next to the bed already dressed holding a cup of coffee.
“Ow, not so loud, Garrett.” I groaned as I rolled on my side so I wasn’t facing him.
He tapped me on the shoulder so I slowly turned to his arm extended handing me the cup of coffee.
“Here, drink this. It will make you feel better,” He said softly
“What the hell happened last night?” I questioned after I took a sip
Garrett suddenly looked really nervous and confused. I knew that look. He didn’t want to tell me something
“Shit Gar, what did I do?”
“Well…you told Caroline about John and she told you to talk to him and when you found him, he was with another girl so you starting drinking…a lot. Then you came and found me so I picked you up and took you home. On the car ride home you broke down and told me everything. There could have been more, but that’s all I know.”
It all started coming back to me. I remembered everything. I kind of forgot I had coffee in my mouth and ended up spitting it all over Garrett.
“Dammit. This is the second time in 24 hours. What is with you spitting up on me all of a sudden, Caitlin?” Garrett said playfully.
I laughed a little. “I’m sorry, Garrett. I’m sorry about what just happened and I’m sorry it had to be you I dumped it all on last night.”
Garrett smiled. “It’s not a big deal. I mean, what are friends for?”
“Thanks, Garrett. I’m really going to miss you.” I hugged him and bit my lip to keep myself from crying. A few tears fell, but for the most part I held myself together. I didn’t cry much and when I did I hated when people saw me. I wasn’t going to let Garrett see me cry again within a few hours.
“I’m going to miss you too.” Garrett sighed and pulled out of the hug.
We sat there silently for a little while taking in each other’s presence before a sudden wave of realization hit me. My eyes bugged out and I started to panic.
“Fucking shit fuck dammit I never called my parents last night. They are going to kill me!” I jumped out of bed a bit too fast causing a huge wave of pain to go through my knee and my head.
“And I didn’t take my medicine for my knee last night. This is just fucking fantastic.”
I frantically started to gather my stuff rushing around Garrett’s surprisingly clean room.
“Garrett, I need a ride home. How are you so calm? I hope you know that if my parents are taking me down, I’m taking you with me. It was your idea to bring me here.”
“I don’t know what you’re worrying about. You were there last night when I left your parents a message saying that you were staying with Caroline and Pat’s house.”
I dropped all of my stuff and sighed in relief. My parents knew that I was just friends with Pat and Garrett but they would flip a shit if they found out that I was staying with one of them over night. I have dozens of times before, but they didn’t know that and they never will.
“Garrett, you fucker!” I yelled then threw my balled up shirt at him.
“Well in my defense I was there and I thought you would have remembered.”
“Garrett, I was drunk. I don’t remember much. It is all kind of fuzzy.”
Suddenly my phone interrupted us. I picked it up and looked at the caller id. It read “mom.”
“Shit, it’s my mom. Be quiet. She’s not supposed to know that I’m here with you.”
“Geez, Caitlin. You’re acting like I’m the drunk one. I know the drill.”
I glared at him, then answered my phone.
“Hello?”
“It’s time for you to come home. You have physical therapy today, remember?”
I cursed to myself and grimaced.
“I’m sorry, mom. It must have slipped my mind. Garrett drove me to the Kirch’s house so I’ll have to get Caroline to drive me home. I’ll be back in about 10 minutes.”
“Okay, well hurry home or you will be late.”
“Alright, I’ll be there soon. Bye, mom”
“Bye, Caitlin.”
I hung up the phone.
“Garrett, I have physical therapy today because my schedule is all messed up. Can you drive me home?”
“I drive you pretty much everywhere. It’s no problem.”
I got all of my stuff together and we got into Garrett’s car.
“Have I ever told you how much I hate this car?” I questioned with a playful grin on my face.
“Don’t you fucking dare bad mouth Pearl!”
“Pearl? What the hell kind of name is that?” I asked trying to hold in my laughter
“A good one and at least I have my own car. I don’t have to share Pearl with anyone.”
“You win this time, Nickelsen.”
By then we were in my driveway.
“Have a swell time at physical therapy!” Garrett said enthusiastically
I got all of my stuff and flicked him off after I got out of the car. I walked into the front door and saw my mom reading the paper on the kitchen table.
“Why did you just show up in Garrett’s car?” My mom asked putting the paper down and raising her left eyebrow.
Shit.
“How are you feeling?”
I looked up to see Garrett standing next to the bed already dressed holding a cup of coffee.
“Ow, not so loud, Garrett.” I groaned as I rolled on my side so I wasn’t facing him.
He tapped me on the shoulder so I slowly turned to his arm extended handing me the cup of coffee.
“Here, drink this. It will make you feel better,” He said softly
“What the hell happened last night?” I questioned after I took a sip
Garrett suddenly looked really nervous and confused. I knew that look. He didn’t want to tell me something
“Shit Gar, what did I do?”
“Well…you told Caroline about John and she told you to talk to him and when you found him, he was with another girl so you starting drinking…a lot. Then you came and found me so I picked you up and took you home. On the car ride home you broke down and told me everything. There could have been more, but that’s all I know.”
It all started coming back to me. I remembered everything. I kind of forgot I had coffee in my mouth and ended up spitting it all over Garrett.
“Dammit. This is the second time in 24 hours. What is with you spitting up on me all of a sudden, Caitlin?” Garrett said playfully.
I laughed a little. “I’m sorry, Garrett. I’m sorry about what just happened and I’m sorry it had to be you I dumped it all on last night.”
Garrett smiled. “It’s not a big deal. I mean, what are friends for?”
“Thanks, Garrett. I’m really going to miss you.” I hugged him and bit my lip to keep myself from crying. A few tears fell, but for the most part I held myself together. I didn’t cry much and when I did I hated when people saw me. I wasn’t going to let Garrett see me cry again within a few hours.
“I’m going to miss you too.” Garrett sighed and pulled out of the hug.
We sat there silently for a little while taking in each other’s presence before a sudden wave of realization hit me. My eyes bugged out and I started to panic.
“Fucking shit fuck dammit I never called my parents last night. They are going to kill me!” I jumped out of bed a bit too fast causing a huge wave of pain to go through my knee and my head.
“And I didn’t take my medicine for my knee last night. This is just fucking fantastic.”
I frantically started to gather my stuff rushing around Garrett’s surprisingly clean room.
“Garrett, I need a ride home. How are you so calm? I hope you know that if my parents are taking me down, I’m taking you with me. It was your idea to bring me here.”
“I don’t know what you’re worrying about. You were there last night when I left your parents a message saying that you were staying with Caroline and Pat’s house.”
I dropped all of my stuff and sighed in relief. My parents knew that I was just friends with Pat and Garrett but they would flip a shit if they found out that I was staying with one of them over night. I have dozens of times before, but they didn’t know that and they never will.
“Garrett, you fucker!” I yelled then threw my balled up shirt at him.
“Well in my defense I was there and I thought you would have remembered.”
“Garrett, I was drunk. I don’t remember much. It is all kind of fuzzy.”
Suddenly my phone interrupted us. I picked it up and looked at the caller id. It read “mom.”
“Shit, it’s my mom. Be quiet. She’s not supposed to know that I’m here with you.”
“Geez, Caitlin. You’re acting like I’m the drunk one. I know the drill.”
I glared at him, then answered my phone.
“Hello?”
“It’s time for you to come home. You have physical therapy today, remember?”
I cursed to myself and grimaced.
“I’m sorry, mom. It must have slipped my mind. Garrett drove me to the Kirch’s house so I’ll have to get Caroline to drive me home. I’ll be back in about 10 minutes.”
“Okay, well hurry home or you will be late.”
“Alright, I’ll be there soon. Bye, mom”
“Bye, Caitlin.”
I hung up the phone.
“Garrett, I have physical therapy today because my schedule is all messed up. Can you drive me home?”
“I drive you pretty much everywhere. It’s no problem.”
I got all of my stuff together and we got into Garrett’s car.
“Have I ever told you how much I hate this car?” I questioned with a playful grin on my face.
“Don’t you fucking dare bad mouth Pearl!”
“Pearl? What the hell kind of name is that?” I asked trying to hold in my laughter
“A good one and at least I have my own car. I don’t have to share Pearl with anyone.”
“You win this time, Nickelsen.”
By then we were in my driveway.
“Have a swell time at physical therapy!” Garrett said enthusiastically
I got all of my stuff and flicked him off after I got out of the car. I walked into the front door and saw my mom reading the paper on the kitchen table.
“Why did you just show up in Garrett’s car?” My mom asked putting the paper down and raising her left eyebrow.
Shit.