The Polaroid's on the Wall

Chapter 27: Clementine Marrios

TJ POV:

In the morning, I woke up to the chirping birds and the guitar melody of a song by The Beatles playing on the record player. Chris was sat in the drivers seat humming along to the tune whilst he had a black pen in hand, circling a couple things on the map.

I watched him for a moment, last night coming back to me and making me feel more shy than I'd care to admit. I decided not to make him aware I was awake for a bit but I was caught out when Chris said.

'I know you're up sleepyhead,'

Blushing, I pushed the duvet off me and climbed next to him in the front, 'Hey,'

'Good morning,' he kissed my cheek which only made me more embarrassed so I opened up my phone only to see more messages from my mom.

Mom❤️: TJ I'm really worried
Mom❤️: Sweetheart, I just want you to come home
Mom❤️: I love you
Mom❤️: It's been a whole day
Mom❤️: Honey
Mom❤️: Being gone won't change anything
Mom❤️: Talk to me please

I turned it off immediately again. I couldn't face her right now, I want to focus on having fun with Chris.

'You wanna get changed then we'll go to the next place?' He asked, hiding the map from me.

'Yeah ok,' I rummaged in the back and picked up a t-shirt, 'What happened to this?'

'You happened,'

Oh right, now I remember, 'I'm sorry-'

'Don't, it's all good,' Chris took the top and looked at it, 'It'll come out,'

We stuffed it back in the bag and I got a different one to put on as well as the other things. I packed away the record player.

Once on the road, Chris started a conversation, 'We still have our salads, we didn't eat last night. Did you want to find a gas station anyway to get a drink?'

We ran out of water last night, that's what we'd been drinking until now.

'I don't mind, I'm not particularly thirsty,'

'Ok,'

We drove a little longer.

'Hey TJ?'

'Yeah?'

'I didn't...you know...overstep, last night?' Chris asked hesitantly.

I turned to him, 'No, of course not, why?'

'I just wanted to make sure,' he nodded, 'You only turned sixteen last week,'

My eyes widened, 'Fuck,'

'What?'

I can't believe I didn't realise, 'I literally forgot about my own birthday,'

Chris giggled, 'Seriously?'

'Yeah oh my god,' now I was somehow excited, 'Sixteen as well!'

'You've joined me,'

'Only for a bit,'

'How come you started school a year late again?'

I get asked that a lot, 'Because I was born in the summer, I'd only just turned five a couple weeks before I was supposed to start kindergarten. They asked my parents if they could put me a year back because I'd do better in the other classes. So they did so I'm the oldest in 8th grade. I'm technically a ninth grader.'