~Raleigh's POV~
Isaac and I just sit and laugh for hours and hours, enjoying each other's company. I don't understand how someone can make me laugh and smile so much. But I'm glad he followed me. I guess we were both too scared for what? I don't know. I know what I was scared of but I don't know what he was scared of.
"What were you scared of, Isaac?" I decide to ask him and he freezes.
"What do you mean?" He asks me, confused.
"What was the reason why you didn't come for me right away? Why were you scared?"
"I was scared that I'd catch feelings for you because I have a history of catching feelings for people I can't have; people that...that hurt me. I was scared once I fell for you, you'd leave like everyone else. I was scared I wouldn't of been enough to make you stay. I know we are only friends but...that fear was real enough for me to not fight for our friendship and I'm sorry for that." Isaac explains and I'm absolutely shocked to say the least.
"Wow." I mange to get out after a few minutes.
"Yeah, pathetic, right?"
"NO! No! Absolutely not! That's actually extremely close to what I was scared about!"
"Really?!"
"Yeah! I feel a really strong connection towards you but I don't know what it is or what it means. It scares me how much I laugh and smile when I'm around you. I'm scared that if I fall, you'll leave or something tragic will happen because nothing lasts forever. Not a single thing." I explain.
"It's kinda funny that you say 'tragic'."
"And why is that funny?"
"Because I thought that if we fell in love it would be a tragedy. I originally got the idea from Casandra."
"How did you get the idea of us falling in being a tragedy from Casandra?"
"Because she said that you were my Juliet, which would mean that I would be Romeo. And since Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy, it kinda makes sense." Isaac explains and I let out a snort, which was definitely not attractive but whatever.
"If anything we are Bonnie and Clyde." I correct him and he laughs.
"How are we like Bonnie and Clyde?"
"Because Bonnie and Clyde were cooler. Plus the fact that you knew that it was my arrow that hit Casandra proves you know your gang symbols, making you a criminal most likely. Which is okay because Bonnie and Clyde were criminals too! And they-" I explain but Isaac's hand covers my mouth.
"I know who Bonnie and Clyde are. You don't have to explain their whole lives to me." Isaac says, sounding amused. Well this is embarrassing!
"Well I didn't know that!"
"It's okay." He assures me, chuckling at my embarrassment.
"So...where do you want to go?" I ask him.
"Hmm, let's just get away for a little bit. Come on." Isaac suggests as he takes my hand, pulling me along. But I manage to grab my stuff before he drags me away.
"Where are we going?"
"I just want to show you something."
"What?"
"You'll see soon."
"How soon?"
"Just be patient. Patience is a virtue, you know." Isaac reminds me, laughing a bit at my impatience. As we walk I look down at our hands together, not that it bothers me. It feels nice, right.
" Ta-da!" Isaac exclaims as he releases my hand and shows off the black off road Jeep. Damn, that's hot! I think I'm in love!
"Is this how you got to me so fast?" I ask him and he nods his head, taking out the keys and clicking the unlock button. I have to reach up a little to open the passenger door.
"Do you need help, shorty?" I hear Isaac ask, teasing my size even though I'm not that much shorter than him.
"Stop teasing me and help me!"
"I didn't hear a 'please', shorty."
"Isaac!"
"I'm still waiting."
"Please help me!" I yell at him and he chuckles, wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me up into the passenger seat. He closes the door and I drop my stuff at my feet. I try to get the harness but there's too many straps and clicky-thingys that I don't know where they all go. Isaac gets in and looks at me staring at everything and he lets out a laugh.
"Do you need help with that too?"
"Yes, please." I mutter to him and he leans over me and his natural scent of wood, rain and pine completely intoxicate me. Holy shit! It should be illegal to smell so fucking good. His fingers are warm as they touch my collarbone and my arms. It sends heat through me and I start sweating. Once he's done, he tightens everything and I bit my knuckles to keep from saying anything.
"Too tight?" Isaac asks, worry in his eyes.
"N-Nope! Let's go!"
"Okay, then." He says, buckling up too. He starts the Jeep and I jump slightly as it roars ro life. Once we get going I ask if he can turn up the AC because I am sweating and he responds with "Getting hot in all your clothes for June?"
"Listen! It was cold last night!" I defend myself. But I start to think back to last night and I shake my head trying to push the thoughts away but they don't leave. As always.
"Are you cold now?"
"No. I'm a pretty good temperature right now, thank you."
"Yeah, so whatcha want to listen to?"
"It doesn't matter to me." I tell Isaac with a shrug. I can feel the air shift to uncomfortable and I don't know why. Like why is it suddenly uncomfortable between the two of us?
"Okay, I'll just put on the radio." He says and I nod my head. I tap my fingers, lip sync and bob my head to different songs that come on. Pretty soon I'm comfortable enough with Isaac that I start dancing and singing along to some of the songs. Isaac just laughs but he soon joins. This is what makes our friendship so great, we can just be ourselves with each other, even if it's singing and dancing in the car (in this case off road Jeep). These little things are what make memories.
"Save me! Can't take it! I don't belong in this club!" I yell and and Isaac laughs at me but starts singing along.
"One dance! No chance!" He yells back and we go on like this for awhile.
~~~~~~~
"Let's stop for a break." Isaac suggests and I nod my head in agreement. Isaac gets out and helps me out then tosses me hand sanitizer and toilet paper from the back. He waits on the hood, though, holding his gun. A little over reactive but you never know who's going to pop up. I go into the woods until he's out of sight but still within hearing range. I do my business, clean up and head back. I toss Isaac the hand sanitizer and the toilet paper and I take my gun out from it's spot on my lower back. I hop onto the hood and wait with my gun twirling between my fingers.
"Ready to hit the road, Bonnie?" I hear Isaac ask me as he walks over to me. I smirk and jump down, he catches me and settles me on the ground.
"Why Clyde, have you forgotten already? I must eat, I am positively famished! You don't want your little lover to die, now do you?" I respond, a smirk still on my lips.
"'Lover', eh? Hmm, in that case my honey, what do you want to eat?" Isaac asks, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me closer to him.
"Well, I had packed some stuff now that I think about it. I should've ate some of it when I was starving yesterday but I hunted and that rabbit was pretty good."
"Wow. What else did you pack?"
"I'll show you, come on." I tell him as I take his hand and lead him to my side. Isaac automatically lifts me up so I grab my quiver, bow and bag. Once I have everything I jump into Isaac's waiting arms again and he places me gently onto the ground. We sit in front of the Jeep on the cool grass.
"Okay, here we go." I tell him and I start to pull everything out, naming it all as I go.
"First-Aid Kit, special pants and pancho thing that either keeps me warm and dry or nice and cool; very helpful. I also have a compass, oooh maps! I forgot I had these! Lots of water, my filter straw thing, THERE ARE THE SNACKS!" I exclaim as I pull out a few Cliff Bars and jerky.
"Which kind?" I ask Isaac, offering him a Cliff Bar. He chooses a mint one and I smile, handing him a jerky too. I choose the chocolate chip one and I take a bite. We continue to go through my bag and when we are done, I keep a water out for each of us and the maps along with the compass.
"Jeez, you got enough weapons?" Isaac asks me and I laugh.
"I have more."
"WHERE?!" He demands, shocked. I just smirk and pull out my knife from my left side black boot, then I pull the gun out from my right side. Once he gets a good look, I slip them back in. I take my jacket off so I'm in my camo cotton top and I untuck it from my pants. I lift it up so he can see me slide the gun in my hand between fabric on my lower back (basically the fabric at the top of my leggings). He looks shocked so I reach into my bra and pull out what I call my E.S (Electric Shocker).
"YOU KEEP A FUCKING TASER IN YOUR BRA?!" Isaac exclaims and I wince. I never liked the word "taser". I put it back and put my jacket back on.
"I call it an E.S or Electric Shocker because I don't like the word, 'taser'." I explain and he just stares at me like I'm crazy but that's okay.
"I'm not done!" I remind him when he tries to walk away from me. This dude legitimately sighs and sits back down.
"The amount of weapons you carry around scares me."
"As it should. Just remember the important thing, I know how to use all of them effectively."
"Got it."
"Good." I say and then I pull out each of my knives from their hiding spot on each wrist pocket on my jacket.
"Jesus! Maybe we are Bonnie and Clyde!" Isaac mutters to himself and I laugh, putting them back.
"Bonnie and Clyde were bank robbers, until Clyde shot an officer in the head when he was trying to get them to stop. Or at least that's what happened in the 1960-something movie. Then they kinda went downhill from there, including killing people and losing people. They were ambushed and Bonnie and Clyde were shot to death, is that our future?" I ask him as I turn on my side to look at him, propping up with my elbow and he does the same thing.
"I don't want to rob any banks honey, but my dear Bonnie, I'm not good for you."
"Well, Clyde too bad I'm not a good listener, remember?" I ask and he just groans, laying back on his back.
"Romeo and Juliet commit suicide because they can't live without each other and Bonnie and Clyde were shot to death because they enjoyed the thrill together. I sure hope that we don't die." Isaac reminds me after a minute or two and I look at him, taking his hand (which makes him look at me) and say to him, "Our story is our own. It may end in tragedy or it may end with happiness. We don't know. We may fall in love, we may not. But this story is ours."
"This is ours. We'll write it all down when the time comes." Isaac promises me, taking my hand and giving it a kiss.
"What should our story be called?" I ask, looking up at the blue sky with the bright sun and only a few white clouds.
"We'll figure it out when it's not the beginning of it."
"Yeah, sounds good." I agree and we sit in silence, looking up at the sky, feeling the light breeze against our skin. We are in our own little peaceful world, not thinking about all the shit around us. Right now, we were outside of reality and it didn't bother either of us. I feel his soft hand, take mine and hold it. Of course I didn't mind one bit. Why? Because it's nice to make sure that I'm not imagining this perfect moment; his hand reminds me that I'm not alone.
"Should we take a look at those maps now?" I ask Isaac after about ten minutes.
"No, not yet; give me a little bit longer." I hear him quietly say and I turn to see his eyes closed. I wonder if he's trying to fall asleep or think clearly. I nod my head and look back up at the sky. I watch the clouds move gracefully across the bright blue sky. I try to make out shapes of the clouds and I end up smiling a little bit at my own imagination.
"What are you smiling about?" Isaac asks me and I turn to see him looking at me.
"Just the clouds; I'm seeing all the different things the clouds are. Like that one looks like a turtle."
"That does not look like a turtle!"
"What are you talking about?! Yes, it does!"
"Raleigh, no it doesn't. I promise you."
"What does it look like then?!"
"A tortoise." Isaac corrects and I stare at him, trying to stop myself from screaming at him or attacking him.
"I want to slap you so hard right now." I mutter to him.
"Do it. I'd enjoy that very much."
"Shut up! Get your head out of the dark and kinky gutter!"
"How can I when you are saying things like that, my dear?"
"If you aren't going to call me by my name, you're going to have to pick a better nickname than 'my dear'! What am I?! Your grandmother?!"
"You call your grandmother, 'my dear'?!"
"No because I don't have one." I admit in a mutter.
"Me either. Well actually I don't know if I do. My parents never told me before they...they died."
"Oh, I'm sorry. If you don't mind me asking, how did they die?"
"They were each murdered. I had watched their deaths and it's been hard coming to terms with it. Oh wow, that's a bit much; sorry for over sharing."
"I'll always be thankful for mine; I love them more than anything. They've always been supportive of me and I know how lucky I am to have that. At school I knew a few people who didn't have supportive parents. I miss school, I know that's a weird thing to say but I had to finish my high school online, with my two best friends. I didn't get a graduation and I've been too distracted with everything to do college online too. Plus I don't even know what I want to do. Oh boy, now I am over sharing."
"That's okay." Isaac promises, chuckling a bit and I smile. I'm glad I'm not annoying him with all of my talking.
"Did you go to college?" I ask him and he shakes his head.
"I finished high school online as well and I started my degree for being a PA because I didn't want to do the full doctor thing. That's way too many years and money."
"Why didn't you finish?"
"I guess life got in the way."
"Well when we find a place, we can both finish. Or in my case, I can actually start. Oh never mind...you...um...aren't staying with me. Sorry, I forgot." I mumble and I blush a bit, embarrassed.
"No, it's okay. I don't really know if I want to go back. Casandra wants me to bring you back and have you join too but I don't think I can do that."
"REALLY?! SHE WANTS ME?!"
"Yeah, but like I said, I don't think I can bring you back with me."
"Why not?"
"Well to start you said so yourself, you are ready for a new life; a place far from here. Also...there are people there who...wouldn't accept you, I guess that's correct. Not to mention, it's not what you'd...like fit in with." Isaac explains and I scoff.
"I'd still be away from my life, I would still be starting a new life. Also you act like I care if people accept me. The story of my life is that they don't. Why fit in when I was born to stand out? I'm not one of those girls who go around trying to please everyone. I don't give a fuck who likes me and who doesn't! I don't care who approves or 'accepts' me!"
"Raleigh, I'm doing you a favor; I promise. You don't want to be a part of that."
"You don't know what I want or what I don't! Who are you to decide what I want?!"
"Who am I?! I am someone who cares about you! And because I care about you, I can not do that to you!" Isaac yells at me, both of us sitting up now and our hands no longer touching. Instead they are each at our sides as we glare at each other.
"What is so terrible about it?! Huh?!" I demand.
"A lot of things that I don't want to put you through! I will not allow you to go through that! Just because I don't want to be away from you!" Isaac admits and then covers his mouth. My jaw drops and I stare at him because of his statement. The words echo in my head over and over again. He doesn't want to be away from me?! Then why is he going back?!
"Then why don't you go with me? We can run away together. Just the two of us on an adventure and writing our story, remember? Why can't it be just us against the world?" I ask Isaac, taking his hand. He sighs and looks away from me.
"Many reasons."
"Like what?"
"When did you change your mind about me? What happened to being scared?"
"I stopped being scared about losing you in the future when I lost you in the present. That's when I knew even if I had only a little time, it would still be worth it." I admit, shaking my head and looking away but still holding his hand in my lap.
"I'm scared to lose you, which is why I can't bring you with me." Isaac whispers but he picks up my left hand and places a kiss on it. Then he holds it with his right hand, like we were before. We both lay back on our backs and look back up.
"How are you going to lose me?"
"It's dangerous and a lot can go wrong. A lot of the times, it does. I can't risk you to that; if I did, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if...if something happened to you."
"Don't you know who I am? I can take care of myself." I remind him in a gentle voice.
"I know but...I just want you to be safe and away from here. I want you to be happy and I know that you can't be happy here and you know it too." Isaac reminds me and I sigh because he's right. I can't be happy here, even if I go with Isaac. It's too close and it's memories that I want to forget. Plus I can't heal in a place that hurts me.
"I'm going to miss you." I tell him, sitting crisscrossed but I still hold onto his hand.
"I'm going to miss you too." He tells me, sitting up and kissing my hand again. I think it is the sweetest thing ever. I absolutely love it.
"Okay let's look at the maps!" I suggest and I start to get up but Isaac gets up quicker to help me up. What a gentleman. I giggle as he helps me up and holds onto my hand as we grab the maps. Then he suddenly picks me up and sets me on the hood of the Jeep. How he managed to get me up here is beyond me but he climbs up too, making it look effortless. What a show off. Don't lie, you love it. You love how his muscles just bulge as he pushes his body up and how you wish-STOP RIGHT THERE!
"How about I drive you to the Pittsburgh airport so you can buy a ticket to wherever you want to go?" Isaac suggests and I nod my head but I don't know where I want to go and he knows that. Maybe I'll just pick a random town in another state. That's probably what he wants me to do anyways. Or maybe I'll just stay in a city. There's pros and cons to each.
"Okay, we are multiple hours away from Pittsburgh so we better hit the road which is...not too far from our location. Perfect!" Isaac tells me and I nod my head, only half listening because I'm too busy listing the pros and cons for the city life as well as the small town life.
"Raleigh? Are you okay?" I hear Isaac ask me and I snap out of my thoughts, looking at him.
"What? Oh...um, yeah! I'm great!"
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely!"
"Okay, let's go." Isaac orders, jumping off, holding the maps and I stand up, I look down at Isaac and his eyes hold worry but encouragement. I sigh and jump into his arms, knowing I'm not actually okay. I enjoy this way more than I should. It isn't right but it feels right.
Isaac helps me into the Jeep and fastens my harness. Then he hands me the maps and I take a sip of water when he walks around, feeling hot again from his fingers brushing against my skin, setting fire to it. Sheesh, I need to pull it together! GET A GRIP WOMAN!
"Ready?" He asks me and I nod my head. He starts the Jeep, turning on the radio and I am ready. I'm ready to have our Jeep concerts and deep conversations. I'm ready to laugh until I can't breathe. I'm ready to make memories. By making memories, I know I am making myself ready to say goodbye to Isaac.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~3,850 words~
Hello everyone! How is everyone doing? I hope all of you are still staying safe! Please wash your hands and try to avoid the public as much as you can! If you don't know who Bonnie & Clyde are, I recommend that you look them up; it's fascinating! I even watched the 1960-something black and white movie. Thank you for still reading my book! I really appreciate it! I love you all!
What did you think will happen next?
How do you feel about this chapter?
What do you think about Raleigh and Isaac's relationship?
Do you think Isaac has grandparents?
What state do you think Raleigh will choose?
What state would you choose?
PLEASE VOTE AND COMMENT!💜