Chapter 8

“Annabel, this is my girlfriend, Jess. Jess, this is Annabel,” Ronnie, Aaron’s friend, introduced his girlfriend and me.

I could only describe Jess as a lively spirit. Her wavy blonde hair was only decorated by a colorful pin.

Ronnie and Jess kept joking about every single thing while we packed our suitcases in Aaron’s car.

“So are you and Aaron…” Jess asked.

Aaron and Ronnie had gone up to bring the last of their things. Ronnie and Aaron had insisted we bring a cooler for the trip. Since Jess and I hardly cared about that, we left them two in charge of drinks duty. 

“Friends,” I replied.

“Why?” She asked, a confused expression covering her face.

“We’re sorting some things out.”

It was me who was ‘sorting some things out’, and Aaron was being graciously patient with me. It just didn’t feel right to tell Jess the truth.

“How long have you two known each other?”

I shrugged, feeling slightly nervous with her questions about Aaron and me.

“Not long, just a few weeks.”

“I think you two would look cute together. It would be fun if you guys paired up. Ronnie and me are planning spring break at the beach,” she said, a small giggle escaping her lips. 

“Yeah? That sounds like fun,” I told her, because it really did.

Unfortunately, I already had plans. They were plans that I wasn’t looking forward too- but something that I had to do.

“I know. It would be awesome if you two could come along. Ronnie and Aaron are practically inseparable. I think you would like it,” she said.

“We’re meeting TJ over at the convention. He’s taking off later tonight with Pete,” Ronnie explained.

Even though we were going in Aaron’s car, Ronnie was going to be driving. Aaron had told me Ronnie had an unhealthy attachment with his car.  Other than initial shock, I could only laugh at that. By now, I knew how Ronnie was. 

Ronnie and Jess took up the front seats while Aaron and I sat in the back.

“Did you pack the games?” Aaron asked, as he began searching through a back pack he’d brought. Both Ronnie and he had their back packs with them.

“Yup, I did. Pete said we won’t need them though. They’ll have the games set up, along with the consoles,” Ronnie replied.

“Jess, pass Aaron my bag,” Ronnie said, pointing at Jess’s feet.

I couldn’t help but chuckle when Aaron got Ronnie’s back pack opened.

“There is no way you will need all those games,” I said.

“Hey, you never know. It’s better to come prepared. Last year, we only took five games. At the hotel- all the guys were trying to swipe them,” Ronnie said, grinning at me through the rearview mirror.

“And you let them?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Well, I was one of those guys swiping them. So, most of those games I didn’t really pay for,” he said, his grin getting bigger.

Aaron laughed, as he put his arm around my shoulder.

“Some cocky guys said they were better than Ronnie and me. We played a few matches. They bet was all the games we had with us. We only had five games combined. They had about twenty. We beat them and they didn’t want to pay up. So…” Aaron said, pointing at the games in Ronnie’s back pack.

“So Ronnie took them?” I asked.

Ronnie nodded, looking proud of himself.

“Then you didn’t swipe then. You won them fair and square,” I said.

Aaron shrugged, but it was Ronnie who started going off about people not respecting bets.

“Want some?” Aaron asked me.

He had some Reese’s Pieces. I stretched my hand out, and he squeezed it, before putting a few in my hand.

“Where did you leave the bag of snacks?” I asked him.

Right after we wrapped up the school day, Aaron and I went to shop for snacks. We were in charge of chips and candies and Ronnie was in charge of drinks.

“They’re in the back, but I have these and a few more in there,” he said, nodding toward his bag.

“You okay?”

“I am,” I replied, scooting closer to his side.

I had been wearing sunglasses, which Aaron took off.

“You looked flushed,” he said, as he ran the outside of his hand over my cheek.

The small action made my face warm up.

“You want some water or a coke?”

I shook my head as a reply. He gave me one of his boyish grins and pressed me closer to his side.

I’d already been in the middle seat, but my seat belt was stopping me from moving. I was about to take it off, when Aaron put his hand over mine.

“Leave it on,” he said, shaking his head at me.

“It’s uncomfortable,” I retorted, and once again tried removing it.

Aaron pressed his hand over mine harder.

“Nope, you’re not taking it off. Why do you want to do that?” He was scowling at me now.

There wasn’t really a reason. It just felt like it was restraining me, and I wanted to press myself closer to him. I didn’t really think he’d make a big deal about it.

My face must’ve blushed deeper than it was before. I was thankful for the loud music Ronnie had going on in the car.

Neither him nor Jess noticed Aaron and me.

I stopped trying to unbuckle my seat belt, and pulled myself away from Aaron. The moment I tried shuffling his arm off my shoulders, Aaron stopped me from moving.

I stayed still, but turned to the window on the other side.

“Hey,” Aaron said, putting his hand under my chin- trying to get me to look at him.

His other arm was still over my shoulders.

“Annabel?”

I turned to face him, but I didn’t say anything.

When my eyes landed on his, he was looking at me with a soft expression.

“Fine,” he said, unbuckling my seatbelt.

“Now let’s hope Ronnie’s a safe driver, or that some idiot doesn’t come crashing our way,” Aaron said, letting out a small chuckle.

His words made my heart stop. Immediately, images of the accident that happened almost a year ago came crashing down my mind.

The car crashing into Matt’s side, the way the car kept swiveling, Matt’s unmoving body covered in blood.

“Annabel!” My name being called made me snap out of my thoughts.

Aaron was facing me, shaking my shoulders, and trying to get me to talk.

“Are you okay? Why are you crying? What’s wrong?” He asked, his voice sounding so desperate and worried.

I hadn’t realized I was crying until he pointed it out.

“Hey, is something wrong?” Ronnie’s voice made me look away from Aaron. He was looking worriedly at me through the rearview mirror. Jess was trying to reach out for me. There was silence in the car, so one of them must’ve turned the music down.

“I’m fine, sorry,” I apologized. I tried to make my voice sound firm, but all that came out was a mere whisper.

“Come here,” Aaron said, taking me into his arms.

He tucked me under his arm, his hand making me press against his body. I felt his hand holding mine, trying to comfort me in some way.

“What’s wrong Annabel, tell me,” he said in a low voice, kissing the top of my head right after.

I didn’t say anything, but Aaron didn’t seem to mind. I could see that Ronnie and Jess were still confused as to what had happened to me.

When I looked at my reflection in the rearview mirror, I noticed the tears, my red eyes, and my red blotchy cheeks.

I looked troubled.

Aaron didn’t let me go for the rest of the way. Now that the images were gone from my mind, I let out a sigh of relief. I was okay. I was with Aaron.

“Let’s make a stop in the next gas station,” Aaron told Ronnie.

“Alright, but we’re still making a stop at the lounge,” Ronnie said, giving Aaron a devilish smirk.

They both laughed, probably at some inside joke.

Aaron and Ronnie had been talking. Jess even added her point of view occasionally. I was happy about that.

I just couldn’t let go of the nagging feeling that maybe they would have been better off if I hadn’t come. I wasn’t exactly the center of the party, and already I’d created an awkward situation.

It made me nervous that spending all weekend with Aaron- in an environment that was supposed to be fun- would make him notice how messed up I really was.

“We’re here!” Ronnie announced, and Jess cheered along with him.

Even though we’d only been on the road for two hours, she already wanted to take a restroom break.

“Annie and I will use the lady’s room, you two- well, do whatever guys do,” Jess said, taking my hand and dragging me away from the group.

I looked back at Aaron, who was grinning at me in that way that made me nervous but excited me at the same time. I smiled shyly at him, and continued walking with Jess holding my hand.

Once we stepped inside the room, Jess locked the door. The restroom was all in white, with a row of pink titles going around the wall. It was clean, and smelled like too much Clorox. I assumed it had just been cleaned.

“Alright, spill,” Jess said, looking at me with a determined look.

“What do you mean?” I asked her, scrunching my eyebrows in confusion.

“Something’s wrong. You had a major freak out in the car. We all noticed and I don’t think you’re going to tell anyone- except for me. Now, spill,” she said, putting a hand on her hips.

Jess was a few inches shorter than me. Other than our blonde hair- which was something that would stay forever in my mind thanks to Ronnie’s ex-girlfriend Carrie- there was nothing similar about us.

She was really thin, her body frame was slightly smaller than mine, her hair was shorter, and she had a hippy appearance. Overall, she seemed like a really nice person. It was the reason I found it so hard to find her intimidating.

“Nothing’s wrong,” I reassured her, and made my way to the sink.

I’d also been craving for a break from the car. The memories of the accident had just hit me unexpectanly. I still remembered that after the accident, it took me a while to get in a car. I was scared something might happen.

“Before I got into philosophy, I tried a few majors here and there. Psychology is very interesting. Of course, I only lasted in that department for a semester. I did learn a few things though,” she said to me, in what I imagined was her ‘convincing’ tone.

I laughed, and turned to face her- finding actual amusement in the situation.

“You’re really trying to study me after a semester with a psychology major?” I asked her.

“Annie- wait, I didn’t even ask if I could call you Annie. Can I?” She asked.

I nodded my head, chuckling a little at her words.

“Annie, I know nothing about psychology and all that stuff. I was only there a semester, thought the crazy wasn’t for me, and moved to what I now love to study. But that’s not the point. I know something’s wrong.”

Towards the end, her voice took on a serious tone. I felt compelled to say something.

“I was in an accident almost a year ago. Right now in the car, Aaron and I were talking… He made a joke about accidents. I got a little freaked out,” I told her.

Jess gasped, and came to my side in an instant.

“Are you okay? Oh my God! I could slap Aaron. That was really inconsiderate of him. I’m going to go-” I interrupted her before she could finish that sentence.

“He doesn’t know about the accident,” I told her, while grabbing her arm to stop her from leaving the restroom.

“Oh,” she said, now looking in deep thought.

“Were you okay? What happened?” She asked, pressing for more.

The rest- it was something I wasn’t ready to talk about.

“It was serious, but I’m fine. I just had a few scratches,” I replied, giving her a small smile. I was hoping that would be enough to calm her down.

“You should tell Aaron about it. He got scared right now. He kept shaking you and you didn’t respond. You scared us all,” she said, and she put her arms around me.

I wasn’t really used to touchy people, other than Aaron who was always hugging me.

But, something told me that it was how Jess was. Something about her- it was just really soothing.

“C’mon. Let’s use the loo and go back to our boos,” she said, smiling at me teasingly.

“You two sure took your sweet time,” Ronnie said, when we joined them inside the small convenience store that was next to the gas station.

“Well, at least we washed our hands,” Jess said, while handing Ronnie some hand sanitizer.

I giggled at them two, and turned to face Aaron.

“Like them?” He asked, pointing at the aviator glasses he had on.

“Eh,” I said, titling my hand in a ‘so and so’ gesture.

He grinned, and took them off.

“Convenience store sun glasses are the best for road trips. If they break or get lost- I won’t mind that I spent ten bucks on them,” he commented, with a shrug.

“I was kidding. They look really good on you. Put them on.”

“Oh really?” He asked, and he put them back on.

“Yes really,” I replied, fixing his hair.

I really messed it up more, but it somehow made him look more appealing.

“How good?”

He put his hands on my waist, pressing my closer to him.

“Really, really good,” I whispered in his ear, before biting his earlobe playfully.

He chuckled at me, and squeezed my waist, before letting me go.

“I’ll take them then. A compliment from you is hard to get.”

I hadn’t noticed the red basket on the ground. It was full with beef jerky, slim jims, assorted candy, and bags of chips.

“I give you compliments all the time,” I told him, as I lowered myself to pick up the basket.

He took it from my hands, while shaking his head at me.

“I’ll carry the basket, and no- you don’t, my beautiful Annabel.” He pressed his lips against my forehead, before walking away.

I was left standing in the small aisle, too stunned to move. I felt warmth creeping into my face, and my heart beat had picked up. It happened every time Aaron said something like that to me.

“Annie!” Jess’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“You ready?” She asked, nodding toward Ronnie and Aaron who were paying for all the things they got.

“Are there any Dr. Pepper’s in the cooler?” I asked her.

“Yup, you want one?” She asked me.

“I do. I was going to buy one, but I forgot to tell Aaron,” I said, as we made our way back to the boys.

“Yeah, that isn’t the only thing you forgot to tell him,” Jess said, in a reprimanding tone.

She pinched my cheeks lightly, before running over to Ronnie.

I had the icy cold Dr. Pepper in my hands. Both Ronnie and Aaron were munching on the things they’d bought. I didn’t think they had to buy anymore chips.

We already had plenty of snacks, which were tucked safely in the trunk of the car.

“Those snacks are for the hotel. I get hungry in the middle of the night,” Ronnie had said when I brought it up.

“You want some?” Aaron asked me.

He was eating some beef jerky, but he also had a bag of chips open.

“Yes please,” I said, making Aaron smile at me for some reason.

I used to wonder all the time how he was able to eat so much fattening food and never gain any weight. He was in such good shape.

Whenever he took off his shirt, I took my time admiring his slim stomach, which showed the outline of his abs. His arms were what I liked the most. I assumed it was because they were the perfect size. Anytime he hugged me- I felt safe.

It didn’t take long to learn how he was able to stay fit. He worked out- a lot. Whether it was running, swimming, with equipment- he did it all. His insomnia took a toll on him sometimes.

One day when I slept over at his apartment, I remembered that he’d gone to bed with me.

He was holding on to me, and it was easy to drift off to sleep. My dreams woke me up in the middle of the night. The bed was empty, but I could hear an ambient noise coming from the living room.

Aaron was there, working out to the peaceful music.

I came back from my thoughts, to find Aaron staring at me amusedly.

“What?” I asked, feeling self-conscious.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked. The corners of his lips tugged up in a smile.

“You,” I replied casually.

It was one of the few times I had the pleasure of seeing him blush.

His cheeks and ears turned a light pink, and it was one of the most adorable sights I’d ever witnessed.

I reached closer to him, and pressed my lips against his cheek.

“Annabel,” he murmured my name, as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

This time, I’d been wearing my seatbelt- courtesy of Aaron who chose safety first.

I did frown at him because while I was forced to wear the seatbelt, he wasn’t wearing one.

“Prick!” The loud insult made me jump awake.

I hadn’t realized I’d fallen asleep.

“Ugh, Ronnie you are so annoying,” Jess said. She slapped Ronnie’s shoulder- hard.

The slap resounded in the car, and I was both shocked and slightly scared of her.

“Jess, I am going to spank you when we make the next stop,” Ronnie said, looking at Jess disapprovingly.

 “What’s going on?” I whispered up at Aaron- who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying Jess and Ronnie’s banter.

“It turns out that Jess is a crazy psycho,” Aaron whispered loudly.

Jess’s scowl was now directed at Aaron, who only laughed at her expression.

“I’ll get you next Aaron. Better yet, I’ll let Annabel get you,” Jess threatened Aaron, and proceeded to smile sweetly at me.

“Annabel, I would NOT mind if you torture the douchebag sitting next to you. You know, tussle him a bit- just enough to rough him up,” Jess said to me, continuing her overly sweet voice.

She glared at Aaron one last time. I tried not to laugh. I knew Jess was playing, but it was funny to see her trying to beat Ronnie up.

“What really happened?” I asked aloud.

“Ronnie and Aaron don’t think I should drive because I’m a girl,” Jess said, while crossing her arms.

“What?” I asked, now feeling slightly offended by the comment.

“That’s mean and sexist,” I commented, while frowning up at Aaron.

I tried pulling away from him, but I couldn’t. His arm, which had been slung over my shoulders, was now wrapped tightly around my waist.

“Jess is lying. Ronnie and I don’t want her to drive because she’s a maniac,” Aaron said.

“And because she’s a girl,” Ronnie added.

When he said that, Jess slapped his arm once again. I only heard a groan from Ronnie, but he didn’t counter back with another mocking comment.  

“I’ve only been on a car with her once. Well this is the second time. But the first time I was in a car with her, she was driving. She’s terrible and I’m not going through that torture again. Besides, it’s my car. I get to decide,” Aaron said.

While the three of them continued to argue about Jess being- or not being- a terrible driver, I sat quietly in Aaron’s arms.

“I want to drive,” I stated.

“You do?” Aaron asked, looking at me questionably.

“Yup, I do,” I said, already taking off my seatbelt.

“No way- I’m driving this baby. It’s too good a chance to let it go. Maybe next time Anna,” Ronnie said, sounding really sure of himself.

We were all very aware that Aaron’s black sleek car was- impressive.

“Do you really want to drive?” Aaron asked me.

His intense gaze was on me. Even though he was asking me for something so simple- it felt like it was so much more.

I nodded my head. I wasn’t really interested in driving. I really only wanted to know if what Jess had said was true.

“Stop the car,” Aaron told Ronnie.

“Dude! C’mon. You told me I’d get to drive your ride. Annabel, you’re okay in driving later on, right?” Ronnie said, looking at me desperately.

I tried to keep my face neutral, but Ronnie’s expression made me want to laugh. He really didn’t want to hand the wheel over.

“Annabel wants to drive. Pull over,” Aaron repeated.

“At least one of us gets to drive,” Jess said, grudgingly.

“I would never let you drive my car Jess. I’m not sure how you passed your license test. You’re a terrible driver,” Aaron said, chuckling at his own comment.

“Whatever,” Jess replied, but she gave me a thumbs up.

“Ronnie,” Aaron repeated, like he was scowling a five year old.

“You- suck!” Ronnie yelled, beginning to pull over on the road.

“Baby, that phrase made you sound like a whiny girl,” Jess told Ronnie, disapprovingly.

“I’m joking. I don’t really want to drive. And Jess- maybe, just maybe- you’re a terrible driver...?” I told her.

Ronnie was fist pumping because he didn’t have to give away driving rights. Aaron was laughing, either at Jess’s seething face or at my comment. Jess, well, she was ticked off.

“Aaron, I do NOT mind if you give Annabel a spanking for being a traitor,” Jess told Aaron. Now her overly sweet voice was directed at him, while she stuck her tongue out at me.

I was trying not to laugh at Jess’s expense. She seemed really unhappy with not being allowed to drive.

“I wouldn’t mind that either,” Aaron whispered in my ear.

My blush and shocked expression were probably really obvious.

“I’m kidding,” Aaron said, as he ran his fingers over my cheeks- that were feeling too warm.

“For now at least,” he added, giving me a light kiss on the edge of my lips.

Comment and vote if you'd like! Thank you so much for reading:D