Tangled in Love

Chapter 14

Nolan forced his bag into the tight space of the cab's trunk, along with the other belongings his family had brought, then forcefully slammed the cover down with all the power he could muster.

He made his way toward the front of the car and balanced himself along the edge of the cement ground, sliding himself into the cab once the lock had clicked open. As he seated comfortably on the leather chairs, his mother tried to start a conversation. "So," she stated. When he didn't reply, she uncertainly asked, "Nolan?"

"What?" he answered with a dull voice, wanting to be left alone.

"Where do you think Maya is going to college?"

Nolan glued his eyes ahead, not wanting to respond to his mother's - he assumed - mocking question. He didn't dare look behind him as he felt spots of pink appearing on his cheek, filling his complexion with embarrassment. As he squirmed in his seat from the intense look she shot his back, he heard a soft sigh from his father. "She'll probably go to a community college," his dad answered with a groggy chuckle.

Nolan could feel the red pervading through to the rest of his face, and when he opened his mouth, he couldn't contain himself. "Shut up!"

"Sweetie, you never used to act like this until you met her. She's not good for you," his mother added, trying to lecture Nolan on his terrible attitude he had towards her and her husband. Nolan, however, wasn't in the mood to be whacked at with words, choosing to continue looking forward and focus more on the number of cars passing him than his monotone parent's voice. He growled subtly, feeling his throat vibrate as he pulled himself deeper into the black car seat. He greatly despised his parents' stupid decision to move and tried to zone out their words, but a new voice cut it short.

"Ooo, Nolan has a girlfriend! Nolan has a girlfriend!" his brother teased, making his angry face heat up into a deep blush. As Nolan's eyes flickered slightly to the mirror at the front of the taxi-cab, glaring his vision up without raising his head, he saw a smirk playing on his brother's pink lips.

"No! He had a girlfriend!" his other brother mocked, before kicking the back of Nolan's seat. Nolan tightly clenched his fist so hard it became white, trying to hold in the urge to punch them.

Before he could erupt, his father ordered them to settle down, sensing Nolan's mood. It seemed like his father was trying to make things more causal and less strange when he joked, "So the two good boys who haven't had a relationship will be sitting together on the flight." Nolan heard him shift in his seat, turning his attention to Nolan's bent back. "And your mother and I will also be sitting together, so that means you're gonna sit all by yourself, kiddo!"

"Are you guys excited to go back to Germany?" his mother asked, starting a series of responses of which Nolan zoned out on. His parents and siblings continued to talk, creating background noise for Nolan's imagination about Maya, but suddenly, the smoothly moving ride came to an abrupt stop, nearly throwing the five of them off of their seats.

"Here we are!" the driver announced, turning back to look at Nolan's parents. "That'll be thirty two fifty."

As Nolan's mother swiped her company's blue credit card, Nolan threw the door open and dragged himself out of the car. His hands awkwardly by his sides, he shoved them in his pockets and shuffled across the ground, occasionally attacking the floor with his feet to ease his boredom.

He pulled his feet to a stop as he leaned against the taxi-cab, scanning his surroundings for something interesting to observe as his parents pulled their luggage from the back of the car. He quickly glanced at the large transparent doors opening mechanically as people dressed in causal attire with roller suitcases in their hands marched through them while talking to those they were familiar with.