REM // Van McCann

56. I'm Sure It's Nice

Saturday

The weather finally cleared up. It was overcast when I woke up but the clouds were supposed to burn off by the afternoon. The nice thing about weekend getaways was that you didn't have to pack much. I can make do with a duffel bag.

Before going over to Clara's, I went to fill the car with petrol and stopped at a bakery to get some pasties. It was only about an hour to get there—maybe more with traffic but the last thing I wanted was for either of us to get hangry and spoil the mood. Better to be safe than sorry.

I wasn't surprised when Clara told me her parents didn't initially approve of the weekend getaway. Clara must have a way with words because she eventually convinced them to let her go which was a relief because I had booked the place without thinking what her parents would think. It would've been a bummer to have to go by myself.

This time, I parked in the driveway and got out of the car, making my way towards the front door. I rang the bell and her dad answered the door.

"Hello Van, nice to see you again," he greeted me.

"Good morning Mr. Jones," I said politely, not sure if he was still upset about Clara going with me.

"Just give her a few more minutes. She's still packing. In the meantime, would you like some coffee or tea?" I shook my head.

"I had some earlier but thank you for offering. Is it alright if I head up and help her?" I asked.

"I'm sure she could use the help. She's been running around all morning!"

I made my way up slowly. It's been a while since I've been upstairs but I still remember her room which was at the end of the hall. When I reached her doorway, her back was to me and she was placing her folded clothes inside a bag. She didn't like the way it fit so she began taking things out. A bag of toiletries, a pair of shoes, and her knickers. Not wanting to be caught watching, I knocked lightly on the door which caused her to jump.

"I didn't realize you're here already!" she exclaimed.

"Do you need help packing?" I offered, taking one step in. Clara looked at the pile on her bed and tried to hide her knickers from me by blocking my view.

"I'm fine. Thanks for offering."

She no doubt stuffed her knickers in first so I couldn't see and placed the rest of the items back in. Her duffel bag was so full that she had to hold the two sides together in order to zip it shut. It'll be a miracle if it doesn't burst open.

"You do know we're only staying one night, right?" I teased, pointing at her bag.

"You never know," she replied, grabbing her bag.

"I've got it," I said, taking it from her. I placed the strap on my shoulder. "Is there anything else you need to take down? I'll go put this in the boot of the car."

"Yeah, that's everything."

I went down to the car to put her bag away and came back in, making sure everything was good. Clara checked one more time that she got everything and said goodbye to her parents. They told us to have fun and to stay out of trouble. The "stay out of trouble" part seemed to be aimed at me but maybe I was just imagining things. Once I made eye contact with her dad, I realized it was a warning for me. If anything happens to their daughter, I'm dead. I began to feel uneasy but relaxed once we got back to the car.

"Have you had anything to eat yet?" I asked.

"No, I was too busy packing," she sighed, putting on her seatbelt.

"I bought pasties earlier. If you're starving, you can eat mine. I ate earlier so don't worry." I handed her the pasties and a bottle of water and she thanked me.