Nebraska
1.
“We had to be in fucking Nebraska in the middle of fucking June, didn’t we?” Alex huffed in between breaths.
“What?” Jack shouted over the pound of the hail against the roof of the bus.
“NEBRASKA!” Alex screamed. “FUCKING NEBRASKA!”
The bus came to a stop in front of a gas station 40 miles outside of Omaha. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed as Alex, Rian, Zack, and Jack ran from the bus doors to the doors of the gas station through the heavy wind and rain.
“That rig out there belong to you boys?” the man behind the counter asked once everyone was inside.
“Yeah,” Rian said. “The radio’s busted on our bus though. Do you happen to know how bad the weather’s supposed to get?”
The man behind the counter held up a small radio and turned the volume knob up. “You boys drove to the wrong town. Tornado’s headed right this way.”
Alex slid a hand through his hair. “I fucking told you guys it was going to be a disaster trying to drive in this shit.”
“Alex, calm down –” Zack tried to say.
“Calm down?! I’ll fucking calm down when we don’t have a tornado to worry about and we can get back on the road!”
The man behind the counter walked toward Alex and put a hand on his shoulder. Alex flinched.
Lightning struck again. “Your friend’s right. Right now you should just try to keep calm. You boys can come back to the office, there’s no windows in there.”
A thunderclap shook the double doors next to Jack, prompting him to follow. “After you, man.”
Jack caught up to Alex. “Hey,” he whispered. “It’s gonna be fine.” Jack reached for Alex’s hand and squeezed gently.
Just as everyone entered the office, the loudest boom of thunder they’d heard all night reverberated in everyone’s ears. Alex’s breathing hitched and his heart started racing. He squeezed tightly onto Jack’s hand, still clutched in his own.
The gas station worker shut the office door behind everyone once they were all inside. Rian and Zack sat next to him on one side of the office while Jack led Alex to another side and sat him against the back of a large desk. Jack smoothed his thumb over Alex’s hand and started singing the first thing that came to his mind.
“Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper ‘I love you’
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me…”
“Jack,” Alex said, an obvious shake in his voice. “what the fuck are you singing?”
“I don’t know, I just remember my mom would play this song sometimes after she and my dad would fight,” he said.
Alex nodded, wiping a tear from his cheek. Jack kept going.
“Say nighty-night and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you’ll miss me
While I’m alone, blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me…”
Alex let loose on some of the grip he held on Jack’s hand. Jack scooted closer to Alex.
“Stars fading, but I linger on, dear
Still craving your kiss
I’m longing to linger til dawn, dear
Just saying this…”
Alex pressed his lips to Jack’s before he could let another note slip from his mouth. Jack tasted the salt from Alex’s tears as he kissed him back, wrapping his arms around him and trying to communicate to Alex “it’ll be okay” without actually having to say anything else.
Alex pulled away from Jack and leaned into his chest. Jack could feel Alex’s heartbeat racing. He wondered if Alex could feel his heartbeat pumping on overdrive, too.
“You gonna be okay?” Jack asked.
“Keep singing,” Alex said. Jack smiled and kissed his forehead. Alex closed his eyes and listened, ignoring the sounds of the incoming tornado in favor of Jack’s voice.
“Sweet dreams til sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me…”
“What?” Jack shouted over the pound of the hail against the roof of the bus.
“NEBRASKA!” Alex screamed. “FUCKING NEBRASKA!”
The bus came to a stop in front of a gas station 40 miles outside of Omaha. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed as Alex, Rian, Zack, and Jack ran from the bus doors to the doors of the gas station through the heavy wind and rain.
“That rig out there belong to you boys?” the man behind the counter asked once everyone was inside.
“Yeah,” Rian said. “The radio’s busted on our bus though. Do you happen to know how bad the weather’s supposed to get?”
The man behind the counter held up a small radio and turned the volume knob up. “You boys drove to the wrong town. Tornado’s headed right this way.”
Alex slid a hand through his hair. “I fucking told you guys it was going to be a disaster trying to drive in this shit.”
“Alex, calm down –” Zack tried to say.
“Calm down?! I’ll fucking calm down when we don’t have a tornado to worry about and we can get back on the road!”
The man behind the counter walked toward Alex and put a hand on his shoulder. Alex flinched.
Lightning struck again. “Your friend’s right. Right now you should just try to keep calm. You boys can come back to the office, there’s no windows in there.”
A thunderclap shook the double doors next to Jack, prompting him to follow. “After you, man.”
Jack caught up to Alex. “Hey,” he whispered. “It’s gonna be fine.” Jack reached for Alex’s hand and squeezed gently.
Just as everyone entered the office, the loudest boom of thunder they’d heard all night reverberated in everyone’s ears. Alex’s breathing hitched and his heart started racing. He squeezed tightly onto Jack’s hand, still clutched in his own.
The gas station worker shut the office door behind everyone once they were all inside. Rian and Zack sat next to him on one side of the office while Jack led Alex to another side and sat him against the back of a large desk. Jack smoothed his thumb over Alex’s hand and started singing the first thing that came to his mind.
“Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper ‘I love you’
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me…”
“Jack,” Alex said, an obvious shake in his voice. “what the fuck are you singing?”
“I don’t know, I just remember my mom would play this song sometimes after she and my dad would fight,” he said.
Alex nodded, wiping a tear from his cheek. Jack kept going.
“Say nighty-night and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you’ll miss me
While I’m alone, blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me…”
Alex let loose on some of the grip he held on Jack’s hand. Jack scooted closer to Alex.
“Stars fading, but I linger on, dear
Still craving your kiss
I’m longing to linger til dawn, dear
Just saying this…”
Alex pressed his lips to Jack’s before he could let another note slip from his mouth. Jack tasted the salt from Alex’s tears as he kissed him back, wrapping his arms around him and trying to communicate to Alex “it’ll be okay” without actually having to say anything else.
Alex pulled away from Jack and leaned into his chest. Jack could feel Alex’s heartbeat racing. He wondered if Alex could feel his heartbeat pumping on overdrive, too.
“You gonna be okay?” Jack asked.
“Keep singing,” Alex said. Jack smiled and kissed his forehead. Alex closed his eyes and listened, ignoring the sounds of the incoming tornado in favor of Jack’s voice.
“Sweet dreams til sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me…”
♠ ♠ ♠
This isn't even anything close to my best writing, this is just something I rushed through. Thanks for reading and leave a comment! <3(Also, shoutout to the wonderful Charlotte for the banner!)