4 Nerds Want Lemons

35

Chapter 35

Tomlin

***

The plane was full of travelers resting into cushioned seats. Babies cried and moms cooed at them. The waitress asked for drink orders. The captain said his speech. My dad next to me talked to me about the different culture of the country we were going to and all the while I cried under my sunglasses.

"Dad, I really don't want to listen to this shit. I'm too depressed to try and be excited." I pushed his hand on my arm away.

"This is for your own good."

I rolled my eyes under my shades. "By now they've found the note." I whined.

He pulled me into a hug. "I'm sure they have. I bet that's them right there." He pointed out the window. I looked in the direction he pointed too. Sure as shit they were at the airport standing at the windows.

"That's it, I'm getting off this plane." I unbuckled and ran to the back of the plane, I was at the doors as it was closing and I could see all four of them fighting with airport security.

They looked up and saw me trying to get off the plane too. But the door was shutting and we were moving. I saw them fade and waved as the plane's security pushed me down and made sure I stayed put the entire hellish plane ride to another country.

I didn't talk to my dad for an entire month after getting to Georgia. I didn't know what was in store for me, but I knew one day I would make it back to my guys.

***

Ryland

3 hours earlier

***

I had a foreboding feeling in my stomach that made my insides hurt all the way to Tomlin's house after school. The guys were deadly silent when we parked and Mister Lemons car wasn't in the driveway. Things began to get even worse when we noticed that the living room and kitchen were empty. He wasn't here anywhere. After a good search turned up no sign of Tomlin. Darius noticed a letter that had my name on it on the kitchen counter.

"Ryland," I read out loud to them. "My son is the most important person in the world to me. I understand that you boys think you love him. He thinks he loves you as well. But Ryland, you and I both want what's best for him. And right now what's best is if he's with me. You're welcome to stay in my house as long as you'd like. What you are not welcome to is my son. See you in a year, or not-Mister Lemons."

I was shocked. I handed the letter to Jay and ran out to the truck with everyone following behind me. We all piled in and drove to the airport to try to stop this from happening. We were too late. The plane was already pulling away. It didn't stop us from trying. And it didn't stop us from seeing Tomlin being man handled by the security on the plane with them hog tying him down.

"No," Sammy yelled. "Stop hurting him." I grabbed him, pulling him into my chest glad I couldn't see that shit show anymore now that the door was closed tightly.

"Fuck." Darius yelled, grabbing his short dark hair in his fingers.

"What now?" Jay shouted as we were being cuffed and escorted out.

"We calm down. Everyone needs to calm down. This is when we buck up and practice and wait. That's what we do. We wait because this isn't what he wants obviously. Which means it's not over. It's just on pause."

"It's on pause." Jay breathed out taking deep breaths.

Yeah, that's what this was. We were on a pause and some day he would be back with us.

A year.

We could do this.

It was just a year......