Status: and we're back!
To Sweden With Love
tjugosex
I opened my eyes to find that Derick had already left the bed. The sun was just peaking through the curtains enough to wake me up.
10:37am. I jumped up out of bed and darted down the stairs.
"Why didn't you wake me?" I said, frantic. "You told me we had a lot to do today before we--"
He was sitting at the kitchen table behind a newspaper.
"What are you doing?" I questioned.
"Everything is done. The moving truck has been here and gone already. Surprised you didn't notice when you didn't trip over the boxes."
"Do they know we won't be there for another week?"
"I got everything under control. Relax."
"Relax? Relax?!"
He put his newspaper down. "El, you have nothing to worry about. I have Mats and some of the other guys going to the house to take care of everything. I told him to just drop everything off and we'd do the rest."
I took a sigh of relief. "They better not go through my stuff because I will find out."
I continued, "and our suitcases?"
"Already packed in the car. I told you, I got this."
I walked around the table and kissed him. "I'm sorry, I just get nervous when it comes to moving and then flying and--"
"And when you don't do it yourself? El, that's why you have me now. I'm making your life easier."
"Sorry, I just got used to doing everything myself."
I finally made myself a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal. I sat down across from him at the table.
"We're leaving in an hour so, say your goodbyes to your house."
I was finally leaving my first house. That house had so many bad memories in it, all because of Adam. I couldn't have seen myself living here much longer if I wasn't about to move my entire life to New York City.
My heart sank when I found the picture of Adam and me sitting on the end table. I picked it up and sat on the edge of the couch. I just stared at it. I still don't know what I did wrong to deserve what I got.
I saw Derick walk over with an empty trash can in one hand and a lighter in the other.
"Burn it," he said as he handed me the lighter. "Get rid of him forever. Let yourself be free from you past. You'll never have to see him again."
I took the lighter and lit the corner of the picture. I watched it as it started to disseminate before I tossed it inside the empty trash can.
When it finished burning, I had tears rolling down my face. Not for the reason you're thinking but because Derick has really turned my life around. He's made me see things so much clearer.
---
It was about time to leave when I heard a knock on my door.
"Carl?" I said as I opened the door.
"Is uh, Olivia here? I'm picking her up and taking her to lunch." He was trying to see around me.
I gave him a confused look. "Uh, she left early this morning. Something about going to visit some relatives somewhere."
"Where?"
"I actually don't know. They're the ones that move around a lot."
"Seriously? And you're her best friend." He was getting smart with me.
"Look, Carl. I can't stop her from doing anything. She's her own person. I honestly don't know where she went."
Derick came down the steps. "Oh hi, Carl! I was wondering who you were talking to, El. Thought you'd might be going crazy or something."
"You know what, whatever. You can keep your stupid secrets. You're all liars," he yelled as he slammed the door shut.
"What was that all about?" Derick asked as he picked up his backpack.
"I honestly don't know. He said he was here to pick up Olivia for lunch but she left early this morning?"
He shrugged. "She didn't say anything to me when she got home. She just went right to bed."
He picked up my bag and we headed out for the airport.
---
Derick brought over some water and a bag of cheez-its for me to keep my nerves down. Flying has always made me nervous.
As we were sitting there waiting for our flight to board, I saw someone. Someone I never thought I'd see again after that last incident at the house.
Derick saw I was becoming frantic about something before asking what was wrong. My leg was bouncing and I clutched my jaw tightly. "Relax, you're going to be fine," he said to me.
"Not that. That," I said as I motioned my eyes toward the direction Adam was coming from.
"Oh? Oh! I got this."
He picked up his bag and started walking toward Adam. I did the same a few seconds after him, pretending I was just going to use the restroom.
I stood in the doorway of the ladies' room with my back against the wall so they couldn't see me.
"Hey dude, you got a dollar I can use? The vending machine won't take this one?" I heard Derick say.
"Aren't you--?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get that a lot. Dollar?"
After a minute, I heard him say, "thanks man. Have a good flight." And then he walked back over to our gate.
I soon followed him after I brought myself back down to the ground.
Grabbing his hand I said "thank you."
I owe him big time now.
---
After a quick layover in Dallas, we finally arrived in San Jose. Flying made me exhausted so we decided to just head to the hotel and rest for a little while.
The hotel was just walking distance from the SAP Center, which was perfect.
The room was perfect.
I jumped onto the bed, landing in the middle.
Poor Derick was left lugging our bags into our room.
"Why do you bring so much stuff?" He exclaimed to me as he dropped some bags.
"You're the one who decided to have two trips in one," I sat up on my elbows. "Now shut the door and get over here."
He walked over to the bed and sat down next to me.
"You gonna move over?" He laughed.
"Nope," I snickered.
---
That nap was very much needed. I feel a lot better now. I looked around to see where Derick went. He was sitting in the chair in front of the window, scrolling on his tablet.
"Whatcha doin?"
"Just looking for some place to eat," he looked up from what he was doing. "How do you feel about pizza?"
"Is that a real question?" I kidded. "Although, that isn't good for your beach body."
"I like my curvy figure, thank you."
We got ready and headed down the street to Grande Pizzeria. It smelled incredible when we walked in. We ordered two medium pizzas: one Hawaiian and one cheese.
After dinner, we decided to take a walk along the beach, just in time for the sunset. Walking hand in hand, the sand coming between our toes, it was picture-perfect. Like something you'd see in the movies.
10:37am. I jumped up out of bed and darted down the stairs.
"Why didn't you wake me?" I said, frantic. "You told me we had a lot to do today before we--"
He was sitting at the kitchen table behind a newspaper.
"What are you doing?" I questioned.
"Everything is done. The moving truck has been here and gone already. Surprised you didn't notice when you didn't trip over the boxes."
"Do they know we won't be there for another week?"
"I got everything under control. Relax."
"Relax? Relax?!"
He put his newspaper down. "El, you have nothing to worry about. I have Mats and some of the other guys going to the house to take care of everything. I told him to just drop everything off and we'd do the rest."
I took a sigh of relief. "They better not go through my stuff because I will find out."
I continued, "and our suitcases?"
"Already packed in the car. I told you, I got this."
I walked around the table and kissed him. "I'm sorry, I just get nervous when it comes to moving and then flying and--"
"And when you don't do it yourself? El, that's why you have me now. I'm making your life easier."
"Sorry, I just got used to doing everything myself."
I finally made myself a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal. I sat down across from him at the table.
"We're leaving in an hour so, say your goodbyes to your house."
I was finally leaving my first house. That house had so many bad memories in it, all because of Adam. I couldn't have seen myself living here much longer if I wasn't about to move my entire life to New York City.
My heart sank when I found the picture of Adam and me sitting on the end table. I picked it up and sat on the edge of the couch. I just stared at it. I still don't know what I did wrong to deserve what I got.
I saw Derick walk over with an empty trash can in one hand and a lighter in the other.
"Burn it," he said as he handed me the lighter. "Get rid of him forever. Let yourself be free from you past. You'll never have to see him again."
I took the lighter and lit the corner of the picture. I watched it as it started to disseminate before I tossed it inside the empty trash can.
When it finished burning, I had tears rolling down my face. Not for the reason you're thinking but because Derick has really turned my life around. He's made me see things so much clearer.
---
It was about time to leave when I heard a knock on my door.
"Carl?" I said as I opened the door.
"Is uh, Olivia here? I'm picking her up and taking her to lunch." He was trying to see around me.
I gave him a confused look. "Uh, she left early this morning. Something about going to visit some relatives somewhere."
"Where?"
"I actually don't know. They're the ones that move around a lot."
"Seriously? And you're her best friend." He was getting smart with me.
"Look, Carl. I can't stop her from doing anything. She's her own person. I honestly don't know where she went."
Derick came down the steps. "Oh hi, Carl! I was wondering who you were talking to, El. Thought you'd might be going crazy or something."
"You know what, whatever. You can keep your stupid secrets. You're all liars," he yelled as he slammed the door shut.
"What was that all about?" Derick asked as he picked up his backpack.
"I honestly don't know. He said he was here to pick up Olivia for lunch but she left early this morning?"
He shrugged. "She didn't say anything to me when she got home. She just went right to bed."
He picked up my bag and we headed out for the airport.
---
Derick brought over some water and a bag of cheez-its for me to keep my nerves down. Flying has always made me nervous.
As we were sitting there waiting for our flight to board, I saw someone. Someone I never thought I'd see again after that last incident at the house.
Derick saw I was becoming frantic about something before asking what was wrong. My leg was bouncing and I clutched my jaw tightly. "Relax, you're going to be fine," he said to me.
"Not that. That," I said as I motioned my eyes toward the direction Adam was coming from.
"Oh? Oh! I got this."
He picked up his bag and started walking toward Adam. I did the same a few seconds after him, pretending I was just going to use the restroom.
I stood in the doorway of the ladies' room with my back against the wall so they couldn't see me.
"Hey dude, you got a dollar I can use? The vending machine won't take this one?" I heard Derick say.
"Aren't you--?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get that a lot. Dollar?"
After a minute, I heard him say, "thanks man. Have a good flight." And then he walked back over to our gate.
I soon followed him after I brought myself back down to the ground.
Grabbing his hand I said "thank you."
I owe him big time now.
---
After a quick layover in Dallas, we finally arrived in San Jose. Flying made me exhausted so we decided to just head to the hotel and rest for a little while.
The hotel was just walking distance from the SAP Center, which was perfect.
The room was perfect.
I jumped onto the bed, landing in the middle.
Poor Derick was left lugging our bags into our room.
"Why do you bring so much stuff?" He exclaimed to me as he dropped some bags.
"You're the one who decided to have two trips in one," I sat up on my elbows. "Now shut the door and get over here."
He walked over to the bed and sat down next to me.
"You gonna move over?" He laughed.
"Nope," I snickered.
---
That nap was very much needed. I feel a lot better now. I looked around to see where Derick went. He was sitting in the chair in front of the window, scrolling on his tablet.
"Whatcha doin?"
"Just looking for some place to eat," he looked up from what he was doing. "How do you feel about pizza?"
"Is that a real question?" I kidded. "Although, that isn't good for your beach body."
"I like my curvy figure, thank you."
We got ready and headed down the street to Grande Pizzeria. It smelled incredible when we walked in. We ordered two medium pizzas: one Hawaiian and one cheese.
After dinner, we decided to take a walk along the beach, just in time for the sunset. Walking hand in hand, the sand coming between our toes, it was picture-perfect. Like something you'd see in the movies.