2013 (It's Not Quite The End)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

“This is a waste of time.”

“What’s a waste of time?” I asked Matt.

“We’ve taken hours a day just driving around the county looking for people when we have found absolutely nothing. What’s the point anymore?”

I chuckled and looked at him sitting in the passenger seat of our neighbor’s pick-up truck. He had a sour look on his face as he stared forward to the outer world. I understood what he meant though. This was our third day of taking a few hours to drive around finding only a barren world. It’s easy to give up faith, but we might as well hope because we have nothing better to do.

“You’re being kind of a buzz kill,” I replied. “Think about it; it’s Christmas tomorrow! And we are surrounded by friends and-”

“What about the ham and mashed potatoes!” Matt interrupted in a bitter tone. “I’m not going to get that tomorrow, ain’t I?”

“There are frozen pizzas in the garage freezer and I’ll make those tomorrow. You like pizza”

He let out a long sigh and slammed his head back into the headrest. I slammed on the brakes and looked at him.

“Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?” I asked him with a smile. 

“No,” he grumbled as his arms crossed his chest.

“Okay. Well, if you’re not grouchy then…” I started to put my hands on the steering wheel, but instead I did something that I knew would make him laugh.

I tickled him.

“Stop! Stop! STOP!” he yelled, but did he really think that I was going to stop? I finally got to hear his loud,  obnoxious, and annoying laugh that everyone else hated but I thought that it was the cutest thing ever. I absolutely loved it.

I continued to tickle him as his feet started to kick the dashboard. I started to giggle at his struggle to escape. “A.J.! A.J. stop!” he shouted between bursts of laughter. “A.J.!!!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop,” I said as I brought my hands back into my lap. He took a few deep breaths and then glared at me.

“That was mean.” I could tell he was trying to keep a straight face.

“I thought it was pretty funny,” I retorted.

“Nope.”

“Yes.”

“Nope.”

“Yes.”

“Maybe it was a little funny,” he admitted.

“A little? It was absolutely hilarious! I almost died of laughter!”

“No, I think that was me.”

I laughed and so did he. There was some sort of special chemistry about us. Sure, we fight sometimes but don’t all couples? A lot of people say that we are too young only being 8th graders, but he was more than my boyfriend; he was my best friend. Sometimes I can’t believe we’ve been together almost a year and a half. Some call it young love, puppy love, or even stupid love. I call it perfection. 

“Are you ready to go back?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Everyone is probably getting worried.”

“Probably.”

I didn’t particularly want to go back. I liked being able to spend time with Matt. It seems whenever we are back at the house, everyone has to be loud and causing mayhem. Tyler and Zach already broke a few lamps and a window because they were playing hockey in the house. It seems as if everything is getting out of hand but I’m the only one who has realized it.