The Summer I Fell

drive

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By the time Jeremiah had arrived, Jewel's hair had quit dripping water down her back. She could hear the sound of the car door closing, covering her upper half with her arm. He carried a shirt in his hand, walking toward her shadow. He waited in the car as she slipped the shirt over herself, the fabric just barely grazing the upper half of her thighs. She climbed into the car when she was done, an awkward cloud of tension hovering over the two of them.
"Ready?" He asked, watching as she shook her head. It was unusual for her to be so quiet, as well as look so uncomfortable beside him. He pulled the car back onto the road, silence filling the car as his eyes glanced toward her. He watched as she crossed her legs, pulling down on the shirt in a sad attempt to cover more of herself.
"Did I do something?" He asked abruptly, Jewel's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him.
"What?" She questioned, Jeremiah's eyes flicking back to the road for just a moment.
"You've been giving me the cold shoulder since last night." He spoke, watching as the girl shook her head.
"No, I haven't." She denied, Jeremiah growing frustrated with her dismissal.
"Yes, you have. You barely talked to me today, you told me you regretted what we did, and now you're randomly naked and calling me in the middle of the night to pick you up after you kinda went off on me earlier." He explained, Jewel running her hand through her damp hair.
"I'm just tired. I want to get home, Jeremiah." She lied, Jeremiah turning his head toward her upon hearing his full name leave her lips.
"Bullshit. You never use my full name." He fought, Jewel's eyes closing as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Just drop it." She argued, feeling him slow the car a moment later. Jeremiah pulled the car into the grass, shifting it into park a moment later.
"The car's not moving until you tell me." He spoke, Jewel a little thrown off by his behavior.
"Go, Jere!" She spoke, her voice raising at him yet another time this summer.
"No. Not until you tell me why you're so mad at me." He retaliated, pushing Jewel passed her limit.
"Fine! I lose my virginity to you just to find out you made out with Belly that same night?" She exclaimed, the outburst a little surprising for the both of them. His lips parted as he heard her words, in shock to know that she was a virgin before him as well as the fact that she suddenly knew about the kiss he shared with Belly the night before. He could see tears lining her eyes, Jewel trying everything in her power to keep her eyes on anything but him.
"Jewel." Jeremiah spoke softly, watching as she shook her head.
"Just drive." She told him, her voice quiet now in a stark contrast to just a moment ago.
"Just let me explain." He attempted, seeing Jewel hold her hand up to stop him.
"Drive, Jeremiah." She repeated, hearing his disappointed sigh before he shifted the car in drive yet again. Silence overtook the vehicle yet again, staying that way for the remainder of the ride home.