Alice
"Oh my what happened," Tracy asks as soon as I open her passenger side door.
I sit down it the seat and feel relieved that Gen is behind me. After calling Tracy I texted her to bring Gen along.
"Tracy said you needed help." Gen smiles sympathetically and pulls me into a hug.
"Please just drive I need to get out of here for a minute," I say honestly and Tracy luckily starts to leave.
Minutes later Tracy parks in front of her house and they look at me waiting for me to explain why I called. I'm glad I did call them because I know they'd listen.
"Should we be worried that I just had to pick you up from a hospital while you were sobbing all your makeup off?" Tracy asks sadly.
"But I don't wear makeup." I sigh and her eyes widen.
"Bitch you don't??" She gasps and Gen hits her arm.
"Let her talk." She lisps but giving Tracy a serious look regardless.
I explain everything that happened and pain erupts in my chest at every word.
When I finished I lean back against the car seat and it's silent for a few seconds.
"You love Nick?" Tracy asks with a smile. "But he lied to you... but you love him so we can fix this." She says patting my back and I look at Gen as she furrows her eyebrows.
"You guys made out in a playground tube?" She says quite disgusted and Tracy rolls her eyes.
"It's romantic Gen." she sighs Tracy pulls her shiny hair to one side and runs her acrylic red long nails through it in frustration.
"It's a one-way ticket to all you can have germ land. Rock walls, baby swings, and seesaws have the most germs. All three teemed with 9 million CFUsq. Which is over 52,000 times more bacteria than a typical home toilet seat." Gen says squinting at Tracy before shivering in disgust.
"Ok whatever, you guys! We need to think of a plan on how to show everyone that this was Brodie's fault and not Nick's! Because we all know Brodie has something more to do with this than Nick said. Did you let him finish explaining Alice?" Tracy asks blinking at me and I feel ashamed when I shake my head no. "Ok so let's think of a plan!" Tracy says talking fast and clapping her hands.
"I love plans!" Gen screams with her lisp and I have to cover my ears it's so screechy.
"You guys I could just say sorry to Nick." I shrug.
"But Brodie deserves to be punished! If we can prove he did something wrong then you don't have to constantly watch your back from him!" Tracy explains and I can't help but agree.
We lean back in the car seats and think deeply.
Suddenly a guy walks past Tracy's parked car and I see an evil smirk grow on her lips.
She kicks open her driver's side door and runs towards the man. Gen leans in from the back seat. "What is she doing." She asks.
I shrug. "I don't know."
We watch as Tracy talks to the guy in front of her house until she eventually comes skipping back. She sits in the car and we stare at her. "What was that?" Gen asks when Tracy says nothing.
"Oh! Yeah, that's my brother, remember how I got those marijuana brownies from him on accident that one time?" She says and we all nod reminiscing to that crazy night.
"Well, he told me where he gets his drugs. And then I asked him how many drug dealers are around here and he said only one, but he's somewhere 100 miles south of Mapletown."
"South of Mapletown? Tracy that's like a five-hour drive." Gen sighs.
"And 100 miles? Isn't that like an hour and a half to add on to that?" I say feeling a headache forming.
"Yes, but to prove Brodie wrong it's worth it," Tracy says.
"Are we really doing this? It's kind of ridiculous. And I don't want to see Nick right now." I say sadly. That last part is a lie.
"It's ridiculous, but with that being said-" Tracy starts but Gen interrupts her.
"Road trip!"
~~
"You just past another stop sign!" Gen screams and I jump from the noise.
It's currently been three hours and I'm going insane.
I'm too scared to talk let alone look at Nick.
He was sitting next to me in the van Tracy borrowed from her mom for our "trip." Our thighs kept brushing against one another but what was worse was I could tell how badly I hurt Nick. He had bags under his eyes and it looked liked he hasn't had sleep in years but it's only been two days. His hair has been ruffled like he was running his hands through it in worry constantly. The shaved stubble on his jaw was growing in. He looked like a walking disaster.
I was too busy staring at Nick that when we went over train tracks I panicked.
Nick, always the good observer, his hand goes to grab my knee. The same way he's done countless other times when I was nervous but this time was so different. He stopped halfway, hovered his hand above my leg, and then slowly pulled it back. All the while not meeting my eyes.
He looked out the window and I leaned back in my seat too far gone to apologize.
After awhile the sun was starting to set and Tracy offered to stop at a diner before we went to our hotel.
It was still a couple of miles until we got there and the soft music of the car, the fact that I didn't sleep at all for the past two days and that Nick's body heat kept me warm I decided it would be best to close my eyes for a few seconds before we stopped.
By the time I open my eyes, it's dark out and the car wasn't moving anymore.
"Mmmm." I groan sadly and wrap my arms around the warmth snuggling in deeper.
"Alice." I hear a husky voice near my ear and I'm too sleepy still to pay attention.
Nick's familiar hand runs his fingers through my scalp and the feeling is so good it sends multiple shivers down my spine and leaves chills of bliss that wouldn't go away.
I feel him pull my head closer to his chest and I can hear him smelling my hair.
I quickly pull away in the darkness of the car and I pull my jacket around my chest tighter.
I didn't bring a jacket?
I gasp and look down to see Nick wrapped his coat around me and even his stupid scarf. Stupid thoughtful mean Nick being so sweet when I'm still mad at him.
I furrow my eyebrows and unzip the coat and throw it back at him.
"Where is everyone," I ask and feel the winter air hit my skin. Even though we were still in the car it wasn't on so it got cold quick.
Was Nick really just sitting here for hours freezing so I could be warm?
Nick doesn't matter right now. I cross my arms over my chest like a pouty child would.
"They're in the diner. I told them to go ahead cause I wanted you to sleep because you've said before how you don't take your medicine... and well you always sleep well with me so I assume since you stayed the night at Tracy's you couldn't sleep." He explains quite quickly.
He was not wrong though. I wrap my arms around myself because I was only wearing a t-shirt.
"I'm gonna go in," I mumble and get out of the car as quickly as possible.
As soon as I step out I feel frozen to the core. The snow was falling heavily and the winds were strong especially this late at night.
"Alice we need to talk." Nick's deep voice rumbled from behind me.
"No, we don't!" I yell over my shoulder and race inside almost slipping twice because of the ice on the road.
I get to the door and see a frowning Nick walking far behind me at a normal pace.
The warmth of the diner thawed my muscles and I relaxed. I saw Tracy, Gen, and Nelson at a table in the back and quickly sat down by them.
"Where's Nick?" Nelson asks and I shrug.
"Just behind me. He'll be here in a second." I say as Gen pushes a hot chocolate to me and I graciously take it. The cup was still hot and it felt nice against the cold tips of my fingers.
Tracy continues to talk about whatever she was talking about but I'm too distracted.
I hear the bell of the door indicating that someone came in and I just know it's Nick.
As if my eyes had a mind of their own they connect with his cold ones. His eyes were colder than I've ever seen them and he didn't break eye contact until he was sitting next to me. Oh so close.
My knee bounced and my fingers tapped the glass of the hot chocolate mug.
"Al-" Nick starts and my head snaps to look at him quickly. I want to apologize.
"Hello everyone my name is Josh and I'll be your server tonight, what can I get you all?" The waiter Josh says and we all start to order.
When he gets to me his eyes linger and I don't miss that. Neither does Nick.
I feel his arm on my waist and suddenly he pulls me against him. So fast my hand has to grab his spread out thighs to steady myself.
I roll my eyes and slip out of his hold quickly. Now was not the time for his possessiveness.
"I'll have pancakes," I say quickly. I always hated having to order. I was so shy about having to talk. Especially in front of people was not my forte.
"What kind of pancakes beautiful?" The waiter asks and my cheeks redden at having to speak more and the fact that he just called me beautiful.
I hear a sigh come from Nick and I feel the need to correct my actions but I don't I'm just too worried I mean I'm supposed to be mad at him and-
"She'll have the number 3 with no bananas and extra strawberries," Nick says effortlessly and my mouth falls open in shock because he got my whole order right.
I look down and nod. This is just too embarrassing.
When the waiter leaves Tracy starts up the conversation again and I feel a kick to my leg. Looking up I meet Gen's blue eyes as she sips her grape juice. Her eyes widen and I know she's trying to show me that this situation was weird- probably funny to her. All I do is shake my head in response.
"How'd you know?" I whisper up at Nick and he looks down at me with a soft smile.
But his smile disappears and he takes a sip of his water. I watch as his Adam's apple bobs at the motion and his throat flexes. He jaw clenching as he chews on the glassy ice.
He looks back down at me with cold eyes. "It's your favorite." Is all he says before looking at Tracy.
I continue to stare at him with furrowed eyebrows. He confused me to no end.
His eyes move and ours meet again. I look away.