Joma: Learning to live.

Part 2 The Journey Chapter 6

We are about an hour into the journey and Joe has already fallen asleep. His feet keep slipping off my legs so I'm practically holding them.

I look out of the window into the road with the cars zooming past when I remember that I didn't finish my vlog last night, so I get my camera out of my coat pocket and delete the clips. While doing that I notice that I haven't vlogged at all today so I then go onto my Twitter and tweet that it's been really hectic around the house and I don't feel like vlogging today.

I feel a vibrating through the seat and notice it's Joe's phone. He hasn't woken up so I grab his phone from his pocket and read who is calling. I feel like I should wake him up but I don't I just read the name Emily. I presume it's just a friend that wants a chat so I decline the call. And put his phone down. But the suspicion of who Emily is grows on me; I press the on button and put in his password (Don't worry he knows I know it's the date we met.) I then find Emily in contacts and press on her profile. Her picture is of what I'm presuming is her and Joe at a party or club.

The last person Joe texted was Emily too. (I know I'm being nosy but Joe won't mind.) I open the text.

Can we meet up tonight? xxx sent: 7:24am Emily

No sorry I'm off to Australia tonight.Plus Emma will be at the apartment. x sent 7:28am Joe

Okay how long will I have to wait until I see my beautiful boy again?! xxxx sent 7:29am Emily

Possibly 4 weeks. And I'm not your boy. x sent 7:33am Joe

Just because I send a kiss at the end of the text doesn't mean I like you. sent 7:33am Joe

:( xxxxxx sent 7:36am Emily

I finish reading the recent texts and I'm really annoyed with that girl Emily or what ever her name is trying to hit on my boyfriend. I wonder if she knows Joe is dating me? She must do he mentioned me. 

Joe moves. And I'm not sure if he is waking up so immediately I lock phone and put it down.

He grunts and takes of his headphones while stretching. "How long have we been driving?" He asks sitting up.

"Just over two hours." I say debating if I should ask him about Emily. But he did stand up for himself and he would have known that I had been on his phone.

"Oh okay I hope this time goes fast I'm getting cramps." He says while switching to the middle seat so he can lean against me.

"We'll stop soon." I say brushing his hair with my fingers.

I look up at the rear view mirror to see my dad looking at us with a smile.

"You guys remind me of how me and Charlotte were, when we were young." Dad says referring to mum. 

"Awh that's really sweet." Joe says while looking for his phone.

"It's there." I say pointing under his bum.

"Oh cheers." He opened his phone and found that Emily called. "Did you hear my phone ring?"

I played it cool. "Oh yeah a girl called Emily I declined it because you were still asleep."

"You should have woken me up! That was important!"

"Sorry I didn't know. If it was so important what was it about"

"None of your business is it?"

"Jooee!" Dad drowns.

"Sorry..." He says feeling guilty.

"I know you have been arguing about stupid little things recently but don't do it while I'm around!" Dad argues.

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

Joe and I say in sync.

At this point Joe isn't leaning on me anymore, he is sat up tossing his phone to each hand, not looking at me. The car falls silent.

"Lets get out here I say." Pointing to a services sign.

As soon as we find a space in the parking lot Joe is out of the car immediately and wonders off. Dad gets some petrol and I go and get some coffee from Costa. I got myself and Joe a Latte and dad a Mocha.

When I get back to the car dad is sat fiddling with the radio and Joe still isn't back. I put the coffees into the cup holders and tell dad which is which.

"Have you see where Joe went?" I ask.

"No, go and find him. We're only a hour away, and I want to go." Dad replies.

So I do what I was told and go to find Joe following the direction he went.

I'm looking around the cafe and the car park but I don't see him, so I carry on walking until I get to the back of the building where there is a hill with a footpath. I look down the hill where I see Joe sitting on a bench with his hood up looking at the floor.

I walk down the footpath towards him expecting him to look up at me but he doesn't notice.

When I approach the bench he takes down his hood and looks at me. "Hey." I say sitting down next to him.

"Hi."

"Listen we need to stop arguing about such little things because every time we do I feel like we are getting further apart." I tell him.

"It's not you it's just what your dad said and that we do argue a lot." He replies.

"Yeah I know but just don't worry about it. He's never been to sure about us being together so he just gets really protective over me."

Joe says nothing.

"But if we want this relationship to keep going then we shouldn't have secrets." I say.

"I don't have any secrets." Joe says looking at his feet.

"I read the texts Emily had been sending you."

I can see anger build up in him and that he will start arguing with me in a minute so I quickly say something positive. "But I'm glad that you stood up for yourself that's what someone should do."

"Thanks, I'm really sorry. Emily is just a girl I met at a club and we kind of became friends but then I met you and she thought I still liked her and well she still thinks I like her."

"Don't worry. Lets head back to the car, and if my dad says anything to you just take no notice."

We both stand up from the bench and walk up the hill not saying anything. "This can't be awkward from now on yeah?" I say stopping.

"Yeah..." Joe says. He squats down with his arms out. I jump on to his back and he stands up and starts running towards the car.

I rest my chin on his shoulder and whisper into his ear "I love you..."