Bumpy Road

Chapter 3

Kathy's POV:

An insufferable light was irritating my tired eyes. I made the mistake of opening them because the piercing light instantly blinded me when I did. I groaned loudly and placed my hand over my eyes to shield them from the brightness. I turned over in my bed and looked at the small clock on the nightstand and saw that it was 11:50 a.m.

My brain started to function more properly at that, and I instantly got up and looked around the room in a panic. My eyes were adjusting to the light, so I couldn't see anything clearly at first. I started rubbing my eyes, but I rubbed them so hard that I started seeing swirls and patterns with different colours instead of my surroundings. After my vision was finally cleared, I looked around me once more and saw Jesse's backside as it was arched over a suitcase as he rummaged through it.

"Jesse?"

At the sound of my voice, I noticed Jesse's muscles tense up as he stayed quiet as if ignoring me. Looks like the tables have turned. Now, I was the one being ignored by Jesse.

I tried again. "Jesse."

"I see you're up," he replied casually.

"Um, yeah."

Jesse stood up, refusing to make eye contact with me. "I'm going out."

"Wait!" I called out to him before he could walk out of the room. Jesse looked over his shoulder, waiting for me to continue. "Where's Cleo?"

"She went to check on the car with Zack."

"Oh, err... okay," I responded awkwardly as a tucked a piece of my messy hair behind my ear.

Jesse stared at me for a moment as if he was considering something. He must have decided what he wanted to say because he said, "Cleo left something on your suitcase for you." And with that, he left the room.

I raised an eyebrow at his words. I turned to look at my suitcase.

There lay on my bag was a piece of paper and a lollipop.

I got out of bed and sat back down on the floor in front of my suitcase and read the letter.

"I suck. I'm sorry.

From your sucky friend,
Cleo <3"

I looked at the letter, then at the lollipop, and I started laughing to myself. Cleo left a pun for me. People suck on lollipops. Cleo said she sucks. She left a lollipop for me to indicate that she sucks like a lollipop. I started laughing to myself again.

I love Cleo.

I feel like a sucky friend, too.

I grabbed my purse and the hotel keys and left the hotel in a hurry.
__________________________

I was back in my hotel room sitting on the bed with a little blue box in front of me. I licked the envelope and sealed it.

I smiled at the object in front of me. Once I decided that I was ready, I grabbed my items and left the room.

I stood in front of the door and knocked.

I heard footsteps getting closer and closer to the door. When they stopped, I heard the creak of the door and was suddenly face to face with Cleo.

We stared at one another for a moment, not saying anything to each other.

Cleo was the first one to speak. "Kathy—"

I interrupted her hastily. "Let me speak first."

Cleo nodded.

I realised that I didn't have anything to say, so instead I handed over the little box and card over to Cleo.