Hazel's Hitchhiker

43: Las Cruces, New Mexico

Hazel

Once we were all packed up and ready, I finally took a look at my phone only to realize that it was nearly three in the afternoon. Damn, did we really waste an entire day out on this field? Friday was almost over and of course, it would be Saturday. We were really going to come down to the wire when it came to time as we had to be there by Sunday. Right now, I couldn't worry about that. All I wanted to do was be fully recovered from my hangover and enjoy the rest of the day. With everything ready to go, Hannah gave me one of the biggest hugs my body had ever experienced.

"It was good seeing you, sis." She stated while we still hugged.

"Yeah, I'm glad I got to see you. Good luck with everything." A tear left my eye knowing it would be a while before the two of us actually would get to see each other again. The chances of seeing my parents much sooner before my sister was much higher.

"Don't be a stranger," she commanded while putting an end to the hug. "I'm serious now. Don't be afraid to call, or text, or even send an email once in a while. Let me know how things are going at school. I want to hear everything about Austin."

"For sure." With that, she patted my back and got in her car. She was gone. It felt like a part of me went missing that day. A part of me that I never knew I had. What the hell kind of road trip was this?

The next couple of hours on our way to Las Cruces were pretty quiet. I ended up driving with Joey as the passenger with Amber and Phillip doing their thing. It's no joke when I say that neither of us said a word to each other. I didn't even have the heart to listen to Dave Ramsey.

Things changed once we reached Las Cruces. Both of our faces lit up when we saw how simple and beautiful this desert town was. It felt like a nice piece of art seeing the mountain that stood by the town. Seeing all of this had me wishing that Joey's mom was with us. She would've loved seeing the beauty of this town. She would've wanted to paint this. That woman would've seen something special in this town. Maybe in the future.

"Looks like we're here," I stated once we reached New Mexico State University.

Seeing this college was truly a unique experience. It had this unique western vibe to it. For a moment, I almost thought that I was in Mexico. We followed Amber and Phillip and found parking next to them as we followed them to their dorm at Juniper Hall. From what it seemed like, the two new lovebirds were literally the only ones on campus so far. How were they allowed to move in early?

Regardless, it must be nice to be the only two people on campus and in love. Walking into the lobby felt like we were in a hotel lobby. Were there any RA's here yet? Walking into the dorm room felt like your average college dorm room. It had yet to be set up and there was a section of the room that contained all of Amber's stuff. Apparently, she had been busy in the last few days.

With Joey in the bathroom, Amber found a seat on one of the beds and Phillip followed her sitting with her. The dude was not hesitant to give her a kiss which led to a brief make-out session. If we weren't there with them, it's likely that they would've gotten it on and do that dirty deed. Yes, there was no shyness when it came to being physical.

"Get a room," joked Joey once he walked out of the bathroom.

In response, Phillip found himself chuckling and poked his girl's stomach. "You guys down to watch a movie in the lobby?" he asked.

Joey

Down? Hell, I was more than down to watch a movie? That's what I desperately needed after these long few days in which it felt like we would never reach Austin. It would be nice to hang with my boy Phillip and just chill. It seemed like we never really got to chill over the summer.

Amber got everything set up in the lobby. We would be watching the movie Elf. One of the many movies that Phillip had downloaded on his phone. Once everything was set up, my good buddy returned with several bags of popcorn and several cans of soda.

"I thought of getting some Corona or some shit," he began. "But after what happened with Hazel last night, we should for sure play it safe. Making pancakes ain't that easy you know."

Hazel found herself blushing in embarrassment while we all laughed at that statement.

"My boyfriend is just giving you shit dude," claimed Amber who poked her boyfriend's nose.

About twenty minutes later, the popcorn was ready and we began watching the movie on the big screen. Will Ferrell was a hell of a lot funnier on the big screen. It almost made me wish I had seen this movie when it first came out to theaters. But whatever, I would've been too young to remember that experience if had happened. And with Phillip and Amber sitting together on one couch, Hazel and I sat together on the other couch.

"Bye Buddy, don't forget to write," expressed one of the animated characters saying goodbye to Will's character.

Both girls awed in the adorableness. As the movie continued, Hazel found herself laughing more than I did at the movie. Most of my reactions were chuckles. Maybe it had to do with the fact that I was doing everything possible not to eat any popcorn. If I did, I would annoy Hazel with my loud chewing and she wouldn't be able to enjoy the movie. It was important that she enjoy this experience tonight. She needed it.

Things got a little weird once Buddy the Elf went on that date with Jovie. Hazel probably didn't realize it, but she placed her hand on my thigh which caused an electric tingle throughout my spine. She was completely focused on the scene with a large smile taking over her face. In a daring move, I placed my own hand on her thigh and In response, our fingers began to intertwine for a good ten minutes. This girl couldn't let go. Hell, her head even placed itself against my shoulder. Did she not realize what she was doing. In the end, it didn't matter. This experience felt nice.

Thanks, buddy for reading! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to write a comment and vote!

Have you ever seen the movie Elf?

Thoughts on Joey and Hazel holding hands?