A Wonderful Surprise

Nick closed the door after pulled his only suitcase out from the room. He then started to make his way to the living room downstairs, where some of his other belongings had placed before. As Nick done placing his suitcase, he went to the kitchen where Halvo had prepared coffee and French toast for breakfast.

`What time is the departure?` Halvo started a conversation as he handed Nick his cup of coffee.

`It’ll be twelve-thirty,` Nick answered. `Thank you so much for your hospitality. I had a lot of fun here.`

`My pleasure, Nick. It’s great to have you here for music and fun. I hope we’ll have more things to come once I visit your hometown.` Halvo grinned. The both boys then started eating their breakfast silently. It was literally silent until Halvo asked Nick in sudden. `Anyway, how’s your relationship with Mary?`

Nick almost chocked to hear the question as he quickly got himself a bottle of mineral water near him. Nick glared at grinning Halvo who was waiting for his answer. `Uhm, I don’t know. I have a feeling we’re good but—I don’t know.` Answered him unsurely.

`What did she say when you’re coming to her house?`

Nick told Halvo exactly the same sentences Mary had told him back in her house. He couldn’t help but keep thinking about that, wondering if Mary would appear in the airport to say goodbye to him or not. Sure he was hoping Mary would be there; but remembering how mad Mary was to him, he knew he should’ve prepared for the worst.

`Oh,` Halvo responded to Nick as he kept his eyes on his phone screen. `The other guys will be here in 10 minutes. I guess we can start to put your stuffs to my car now.`



`Mary? You’re coming?!`

Garrett was the latest one to arrive at John’s house, the meeting point before this gang went to Halvo’s house to pick Nick to the airport. Garrett obviously surprised when he saw Mary sitting on the porch waiting for him. The last time they talked, Mary said she probably wouldn’t go to the airport for Nick.

`I guess I have changed my mind,` Mary shrugged her shoulders. She stood up and opened the front door to call the other guys who were hanging inside. `Why are you coming late?`

`I watched movies ‘til dawn and slept in front of the TV. Then I woke up right when you’re calling me. You actually ruined my sleep but when I wanted to yell, I suddenly remembered that I couldn’t mad at you and I had to pick that boy to the airport.`

Mary rolled her eyes to Garrett. She actually didn’t understand why Garrett didn’t like to say Nick’s name. She could just count with her finger for how many times Garrett would say ‘Nick’ and it’d be less than 10 times.

`Why did you finally change your mind?` Garrett changed the topic.

`Uhm, I just changed my mind.` Mary said randomly. She then got up and walked inside to call the other guys, telling that Garrett was there already.

`So you forgive him?` Garrett asked again once Mary came from inside. He saw that girl rolled her eyes annoyingly at him without even answered his question.

`Kayla told me to come. Well, she successfully convinced me to forgive him and be civil to him. I actually didn’t agree with her. But as you said earlier, you all want him to leave with good feeling, not with a problem left behind. So yeah-`

`He’ll be so happy to find you there.`

`I know.` Mary said shortly as she went away following the other guys to get inside the car. Garrett followed and sat beside her in the backseat with Kennedy.

`Is everyone here already?` Asked John as he started the car’s engine. Kayla started to count the people and told her boyfriend to go as she was sure that everyone was there already. John turned the radio’s volume up as he started to ride to Halvo’s house.

Almost everyone was cheering and talking inside the car. They could make some topics or just sing to the radio. Garrett was one of the loudest singers there but it changed when he glanced at Mary who was looking outside the window, alone with her earphone plugged on. She silently hummed to her own song, banging her head or tapping the window really slowly. Mary seemed like she was ignoring the other things around her as she didn’t respond to Garrett’s call. The Nickelsen boy needed to tap her shoulder for several times before she finally put down her earphone and looked at him.

`What’s going on?` Garrett asked in concern. Mary simply shook her head as she asked if she needed to get out from the car or not, realizing they’re arrived at Halvo’s house already.

`Nope, Halvo just needs to lock his front door and we’ll go right away. Are you sure you’re okay?` Garrett asked her again. He glanced to the window as he found Nick looking through the same window, seemed surprise to know who’s inside the car. `Wow, he seems surprised.`

`Huh?` Mary looked out and watched Nick making his way to Halvo’s car. She saw Nick glanced back at her direction once or twice before he accidentally hit the car’s door. Mary couldn’t help but giggle at that accident as then she grinned to Garrett, gesturing that everything was okay with her.



`It’s really nice to have you here, Nick,` John said nicely to the ginger boy. `Come back soon, okay? We’d like to hear your new music with Eric.`

`Thank you, John. Sure, I’ll be back here to show you guys something more from us,` he grinned. Nick listened to some more ‘you’re so fun to hang with’ or ‘I’d like to visit you in Braintree someday’ from the gang and he couldn’t help but smile to their hospitality.

Nick, Halvo, John and the rest of the gang were in the airport already after stopping by a diner near the airport to get Kennedy and Garrett some brunch for them. They still got a little time to have a last really nice conversation with Nick which was filled by those we-will-be-missing-you and hope-you-can-get-back-soon expressions from some of the guys. Nick just smiled and thanked his new friends. He sipped his coffee again and again as he actually tried to make some glances to that girl across him.

Mary sat there in silent, eating her croissant like it’s the last thing she’d eat in this world. She didn’t look excited or happy—just plain, like she had no emotions at all. And no one but Garrett and Nick noticed that, they were too busy chatting with everyone else. Mary wasn’t feeling like she wanted to talk with anyone, though, so she let everyone ignored her that way.

To: Mary

Is everything okay? :|

Mary glanced to Nick who was looking at her with a sheepish smile. She then rolled her eyes and went back to her croissant, ignoring the message Nick just sent to her. It seemed like Nick understand that Mary didn’t want to talk to anyone at the moment because he went back to his coffee and continued his talk with Halvo and John. But it didn’t mean Nick stopped to try to talk to Mary. Right before they left the diner to the airport, Nick sent another message to the girl.

To: Mary

Do you forgive me? Or do you hate me more for asking you if you’re okay? Can we talk, please?

Mary sighed after she read Nick’s message. She put her phone back in her purse without replying it and went back to her iPod.

`What did he say?` Garrett finally asked after tugging her shirt. He didn’t get Mary talked to him, though, Mary took out her phone and gave it to him. Garrett then opened her inbox like there’s no privacy between them and read Nick’s message all the way.

`Whoa, he sent a lot of love messages to you!` Garrett suddenly shouted. He at first was just reading the message Nick sent at the diner but he, without any bad purpose, scrolled into some older messages and found those messaged he supposed to not read.

`Fuck you, Garrett!` Mary cursed—it’s the only sentence she said along the ride. She glared at the other guys who were looking at the best friends before taking her phone away from Garrett.

`Hey, I’m sorry!` Garrett tried to apologize but Mary didn’t even bother him. Garrett pouted to her and started to make her annoyed just to make Mary looked at him. `I’m sorry, really.` Garrett said slowly once she glanced at him with an annoyed look.

`Yeah, stop disturbing me, Gare.`

`We’re here, guys,` John announced not long after that. Everyone went out from the van to gather with Nick and Halvo. This was now the time for very last good bye.

Nick Santino already put his belongings on a trolley, he was ready to go, fly back to his hometown in Massachusetts. He now started to shake his friends’ hands—followed by some hugs from some of them. It was so easy to say goodbye to Kayla, Kennedy, Jared, even Pat, John and Halvo. But there’s something different when Nick finally came to Garrett. The Nickelsen boy just looked at him—his eyes showed something Nick didn’t understand. Garrett just shook his hand, casually said that it’s glad to have him in Tempe. He didn’t talk about how he actually hated Nick for taking Mary from him or something around that. It made Nick relieved a bit. Nick’s big challenge now was to talk to Mary.

`Hey,` Nick started. There’s a nervous tone when he’s talking. `Thanks for your time when I was around. Thanks for everything.`

There’s no answer from Mary.

`Look, I’m so sorry for every wrong thing I’ve done to you. I don’t know any good way to apologize, but I just hope you could forgive me, Mary.` Nick scratched the back of his head before he looked up and met Mary’s eyes. `Like what you said back at your home—I’m forgiven if you came to the airport. And here you are. So—I’m forgiven, right?` He tried to grin innocently.

Mary got her face more relaxed. Her eyes met Nick’s as she slowly nodded. She knew she couldn’t stay mad because it’d make Nick feel guiltier. She remembered Garrett and Kayla’s words to let Nick leave with a good feeling, not a guilty or sad because of the problem he had while in Arizona.

`You are forgiven. But please don’t ever try to call or text me.` Mary murmured. That was enough to make Nick smiled, but he stayed in his position, afraid to make any movement like it’d make him lose Mary’s nice-enough attitude.

Nick glanced to Garrett. That boy was watching every moves Nick made with Mary. Nick could see how protective Garrett was to Mary, and he had to admit that it’s really sweet of Garrett. Nick could feel his own little smile; he looked at Mary with that smile, making Mary a little bit confused.

`He’s really sweet, you know. I have to admit you guys are great together,` Nick said as he glanced over Garrett behind Mary. `I hope he won’t ever hurt you like I did.`

Nick took a look at his watch and he was sure it’s time for him to go. He went to his trolley and said the last good bye to the gang, making his way to the check-in room. For the last time, Nick looked at Mary and smiled to her, who was blushing, surely because of what Nick said about Garrett.

`Are you okay?` Garrett put his arm on Mary’s shoulder. `What did he say?` Garrett asked again, didn’t feel satisfied about Mary’s nod as an answer.

`Nothing, let’s go home now.` Said Mary, trying her best to hide her blushing cheeks from Garrett. She felt really warm when Garrett started to make his way to their van without even letting Mary go from his embrace.

When was the last time I felt this warm when he’s around? I guess it’s been a really long time ago.