Getting Home

Getting Home Part 3

We were both suddenly blinded by light.

A car was pulling into the McDonald's parking lot, its headlights throwing us both into bright relief. I caught a quick glimpse of shining, sparkly twinkling from the corner of my eye...

Coming from the blood pooled on the boy and passenger seat.

I don't know why I did it, but I stepped in front of my passenger on the ground, blocking him from the light.

The car pulled up next to us, a big long luxury car. The window rolled down, and a friendly granny face peered out at us.

"Are you okay, dear?" the little old lady asked.

"Yes, ma'am," I said, reaching down to grab hold of the boy while moving my body to block her view. "My friend here just got sick, is all. Thank you though."

"If you say so, dearie." She looked dubiously at us for a little longer, then continued on to the drive-thru on the side of the McDonalds.

I girded myself, expecting him to be heavy—but as soon as my hands found a clean part of his skin, I almost melted into a puddle. My fingertips tingled when I touched his skin, a tingling that ran up my arms, which flushed up my neck and chest, then moved down to...

He yelped in pain.

"Eek, sorry," I said. He managed to grab the seat, and working together, we got him back inside. My hand (embarrassing reluctantly) slid off his shoulder, and I closed the door.

I didn't live too far—about fifteen minutes away. The drive went by in the blink of an eye... and silently. I was still trying to process everything that had happened as he sat in the passenger seat motionless, eyes closed, possibly asleep. I didn't turn on the radio, and neither one of us spoke.

Yet, even with all the craziness that had just happened, just sitting next to this stranger, I still somehow felt... comfortable.

But who was he? Where did he come from? And what in the hell had been behind us when he first got in?

My imagination?

Our house was nothing special—just another random Chicago suburb, surrounded by houses that all looked the same. We had a decent sized yard, anyways. Lots of stray cats though.

I guess we didn't need much these days; it was just me, my mother, and my older brother Sean.

When he was home, anyways.

We pulled into the driveway, the Civic headlights splashing on the garage door. The clock on the radio had reset for some reason, but my phone showed 1:10 AM. Although, now that I got home, I had no idea what I was doing or was going to do. Call the police? Or Sean? Tell Mom, even though she was leaving on a big trip tomorrow?

And ignoring the fact that bringing a complete stranger home was probably the dumbest thing I'd ever done.

I could only imagine how Dad would have reacted.

"Thank you."

Even though it was only a husky whisper, I almost screamed from being startled from the depth of my thoughts. I looked over to see my passenger, his head lilted over to look at me, eyes peeking out from the hair hanging over them, a small, pained smile on his full lips.

God, his face is perfect.

"Oh, I—er, um... you're welcome." I was horrified to realize I was actually blushing... for a reason besides everyone looking at me. "Are you sure you're okay?"

His lips closed together, forming and pursing out a wonderful shape as he swallowed, his perfect Adam's apple smoothly sliding up and down.

"Just need... rest... sleep."

I wasn't really going to invite some stranger into my home, was I?

"If you want, you can come in my—"

He was already asleep.

I couldn't just leave him in the Civic. Or could I? Should I? I sat for a few more moments, watching him. His chest rose and fell silently, his face perfectly still as his sandy-dark brown hair lay in strands over it, his high cheekbones and smooth, sharp jaw-line perfectly complimenting each other.

I had to stop myself from reaching out to brush the hair out of his eyes.

Damn Ava, get ahold of yourself.

Even though I never had a boyfriend before, if I did, I would have hoped he looked like this. Geez.

Ultimate cringe.

I took one last look, shrugged, then got out. I didn't think I would actually just leave some dude in my car all night, but I suddenly really had to pee. Maybe get some water too, and I'd be right back out.

The house was dark inside. I used my phone flashlight to tip-toe to the bathroom, since Mom would be asleep and I didn't want to wake her up. I flipped the light switch, the bright light making me recoil from how bright it was, catching a quick glimpse of my long, sandy-blonde hair and hallowed face in the mirror... the dark circles under my eyes, and my too-skinny neck and cheeks.

Mom always bugs me to eat more, but I'm just never really hungry these days.

I stopped by my room real quick on the way back out, figuring I'd at least take him a blanket—or do the right thing, like call somebody. Yes, hello, this strange boy jumped through my window, covered in blood from a wound that heals in front of my eyes, and won't get out of my car.

Yeah, right.

My room was pretty sparse. I passed by Dad's old guitar (which was mine now) and the posters on my wall (my prized one an autographed picture from all the members of Rory's First Kiss) to the bed to grab a blanket for my passenger. I stopped at the dresser, my eyes drawn to the envelope with AVA MATHER on it laying there, and I stopped.

The envelope that held the possibility of fulfilling my dreams.

An acceptance letter to audition for America's Voice.

I took the letter, slowly sitting down on my bed, everything forgotten. My broken car window, my passenger, whatever had been behind us, everything became the farthest thing from my mind. Singing was my life; it's all I ever wanted to do. And have done—I've been singing my whole life.

It meant everything to me.

Enough that I took the only real chance I ever really had in life... taking a video on my phone of myself singing and having the courage to send it off to America's Voice auditions in Chicago.

And being accepted.

My only regret was my dad not being here to see it.

A tear slipped out, dropping onto the envelope. I lay down for a moment, willing the tears away. It almost worked... for a bit.

I fell asleep.

And woke up to a police car in the driveway.