Come Pick Me Up

"How do you not like Ryan Adams?"

"I don't know ok I just don't."

"But your last name is Adams!" Andrea threw her hands up in the air, clearly frustrated.

"So? Your last name is Halvorsen and  you work here, not at the auto shop."

"Dad doesn't want me hanging out with more guys. He says that hanging out with my cousin's band already puts him on edge." Hopefully she forgot about the whole Ryan Adams- "Hey don't change the subject! Why don't you like Ryan?"

"Does everyone in this town like Ryan Adams?"

"Pretty much." She shrugged. 

I had to go to the back room to stock up on the Ryan Adams albums. I think forty percent of our customers buy Ryan Adams CDs. I went to the back room and reached for the box labeled 'Adams, Ryan'. It was stacked on the shelf which was about a head above me. I went on my toes and grabbed it. As you can imagine, it didn't end well. Fell right on my arse and had some collector's edition Nirvana albums hit my face.

"Oh my god! Julia, are you okay?!" Andrea rushed over to me and pushed aside all the CDs

"Just bloody brilliant." I muttered. The a small stinging pressure on my left cheek. But I'll be fine… for the most part.

"Why don't you head home? I can take care of the rest and close the shop." She lifted my up on my feet then proceeded to pick up the fallen albums.

"Thanks, Andrea. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" I strapped my bag onto my shoulder. Bad idea. It was throbbing too. I slowly walked out the store, wincing the whole way through.

"How was work?" A voice startled me. I looked up to see Garrett with a sandwich in his hand.

"Could've been worse." I sighed and grabbed the sandwich from his hand.

"There's that optimism I'm looking for." He laughed as we made our way over to his car, which was conveniently parked two spots away from the mall exit. I thanked god then hopped in the car, hoping Garrett won't notice the trouble I got into today.

"You know you don't have to pick me up from work all the time. I can take the bus or just ask Kennedy to." I took another bite of the sandwich. Ever since my first day of work, he'd walk me to the store then when my shift was over, he'd have a sandwich from Panera waiting for me right outside.

"Oh but I want to."

"You just want to see that girl you're always texting."

"No." His cheeks reddened. "Sarah's not the only reason."

"Ah so it is a reason!" I pointed accusingly at him. His whole face turned red and so did his neck. "Aw that's so cute! Garrett fancies Sarah! Garrett fancies Sarah!" I repeated over and over again like a little school girl.

"Shut up. No I don't." He looked over at me to say something more but then his mouth just hung open. "What happened to your cheek?"

Damn it."It's nothing. I'm alright."

"It's turning purple!"

"I said I'm alright, Garrett."

"No come on. There's a drug store on the way. We can buy a cooling patch there." 

"Garrett, I'm fine!" I repeated. This boy is persistent.

"That thing is the size of a golf ball!"

"I've had worse."

"Worse?! Oh my god woman what kind of things do you get yourself into?!"

"Pull over."

"What?"

"Have you gone deaf too?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "I said pull over." He did as I said and we were now parked in a field. I waited for a moment to speak again, letting Garrett calm down a bit. "Garrett look at me." His blue eyes met mine. I took his hand of the steering wheel and held it in my hands. "I'm alright. This little mark here," I pointed at the bruise. "It's gonna go away. I'll be alright. I'm a big girl."

He looked down at our intertwined hands and sighed. "Sorry. I tend to over react a lot don't I?" He chuckled.

"Just a tad bit." I pinched my fingers in the air. We both laughed quietly. His hand slipped from mine then he stroked my bruise gently with his fingers. He leaned in then kissed it gently. In my whole twenty one years, I've never been kissed like that by a boy.

Garrett started driving again. Silence hung in the air. "What's with the face?"

"I'm not making a face."

"I take it you don't get kissed very often."

"Conplete opposite actually." I laughed. "Just not like that."

"Not even your first kiss?"

"It was horrible. Jeff Martin was expecting a proper snog from me and was thoroughly disappointed when he found out that he was my first. Didn't talk to me for weeks, and when he finally did, he told me that I can't even have eye contact with him cause he said he knew lasses like me and how we get attached , and that he was scared that I'd scare off other girls from wanting to snog him. Not only that, but he also told me not to tell anyone. When my best friend at the time found out, she was bloody furious that I didn't tell her. Almost tore us apart."

"Well Jeff Martin's an idiot." He stated.

"Real bloody twat." I agreed. He finally pulled up in front of the complex and we got out of the car. I bust opened the door and yelled at the top of my lungs "I'm home!"

Bad idea. There Kennedy was just in his skivies with Andrea, fast asleep with her head resting on his shoulder. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "H-hi Jules. What are you doing here? You and Garrett had dinner already?"

"Yeah, the usual sandwich from Panera..." I raised an eyebrow at him. Andrea stirred and encircled her arm around his sides. "Getting friendly with my boss, are ya?"

"It's not as- it's not what it looks like." He said quietly as not to wake up the sleeping girl.

"I've heard that one before." Garrett said from behind me. "How did you and Julia's boss get aquainted?"

"We- uh- we were lab partners junior year. Also she and Gabi were sort of in the same group as Rachael, but they weren't very close. We never talked much back then but she came over to pick up the- uh rest of Gabi's stuff and we just sort of got talking again." He took a deep breath. "We've just been erm- hanging out a lot recently. She's really cool. Not like any of Gabi's old friends. No offense, Gare."

"None taken." He chuckled.

"This world is too fucking small." I muttered. Great. Just bloody brilliant. 

Andrea stirred again, this time opening her eyes and stretching. "Mm what time is it, Ken?"

He quickly glanced at the clock. "Almost 10."

She seemed like she was going to fall back asleep on his shoulder but then she took one look at Garrett and I, and straighten her stance. "Oh hey, Julia. What are you doing here?"

"Funny you should ask that, considering I've been staying here for the past 3 weeks." I crossed my arms under my chest. Okay that came off real bitchy. But how else was I supposed to react? I'm not mad at her really. Just... surpised.

"You're- oh! You're Kennedy's Julia! I don't know how I didn't put that together. I just thought that you were Garrett's friend or something. I didn't think you were that same Julia that Kennedy wouldn't shut up about." She laughed nervously. "This world is too fucking small."

"That's what she said." We all turned to Garrett. "I mean uh- she really did say that. Like a minute ago while you were alseep. No-not like we watched you sleep- nooooo. It's just you were sleeping on Kennedy- his shoulder I mean- your head was on his shoulder. So-so so you know we couldn't help but look." 

She shifted uncomfortabley. I realized that Garrett and I were just standing there and staring like a bunch of idiots. "I should get going. I'll see you, Ken."

"I'll call you, alright?" He grabbed her hand as she stood up. Her cheeks heated up, much like how Garrett's would all the time, and nodded. She brushed past us in a hurry and showed herself out the door. Kennedy opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off.

"Don't even start with me, Kennedy." I stomped over to the bathroom and locked the door. Seeing as I didn't have an actual room here and is just borrowing Garrett's, I didn't have much of a selection of rooms.

"Jules, please just let me explain!" The door was banging. I tried to ignore it as much as I can. "Jules, please don't be like that! It's not what you think!"

"Julia, please just open the door." Different voice pleaded. It was gentle and calm. He couldve been asking me to donate my heart in that voice and I would gladly give all my organs. I cracked open the door and let the guy come in. "You alright?"

"Yeah. Just a lot to take in you know?"

"Trust me, I'm just as surprised as you are. I didn't even know they hung out."

"I know but I thought I was his best mate, Garrett. We told each other everything. The first time he jacked off and felt all guilty about it, he came running to me!" I sat down on the lid of the toilet seat.

"TMI." He rubbed my arm. "Talk to him. It might not be as bad as you think it is."

"Only cause you said so." I grumbled. "Let him in." I kept a straight face as Garrett left and Kennedy walked in.

"Took you and Garrett a while to get back. Andie was here for almost an hour and she got here around 8:30."

"Garrett and I like to take the scenic route." I paused. "Didn't get here soon enough I see." 

"I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. I'll stop hanging out with her." His face fell. It took me back to when we were kids and I used to cry whenever he would stop playing with a toy just because I really wanted to play with it. I was like his little sister in that way but he would be like my little brother whenever he would sulk about it and I would end up giving him the toy back and he would be happy again. But we are adults now and this isn't a toy.

"I just don't want you to muck up my relationship with her. She happens to be my boss and she's also a great girl."

"I care about her too you know." He ran his hand through his hair. "Too much even. I won't hurt her like that." He looked at me with sincere eyes. If I wasn't mistaken, Kennedy was developing feelings for this girl and he didn't even know it. A small smile creeped onto my lips at the thought.

"You can hang out with her if you want to. It's not like you would ever need my permission in the first place." I laughed softly.

"Oh thank you! Thank you! You're amazing, you know that?" He bent over and gave me a hug.

"Yeah, yeah. Now go phone her." I watched as a grin plastered onto his face. "Come on sod off now before I change my mind!"