Don't let the Bed Bugs Bite ~ A Janiel Fanfiction

Chapter Five

I trail along with the exhausted bodies that surround me. It's about 10:30pm and although in theory it doesn't seem late, we all flew for five and a half hours and who knows what these people are doing with their lives. Walking out into the terminal and through security, I notice how many people are greeted by their loved ones, no one is here to greet me. I thought going out on my crazy whim would somehow miraculously change everything. Really it was a stupid idea, I'm in Boston, no hotel booked, no idea where Daniel is and I have no idea where in the hell to find him. The first place I can think of to go is to my Mom's, we've had some hard times over the years and she's been a crappy mother for most, but she's still my Mom and I know she will let me stay.

I'm debating whether to catch an Uber and turn up unexpectedly or to ring her and ask her to pick me up. I feel I should at least let her know I'm coming, it's only polite. Grabbing my phone, I press on the contact I haven't pressed on for quite a while.

"Joey! It's been so long..." Joey's mother exclaimed.

"Hey Mom, listen I just landed in Boston, do you think you could come pick me up?"

"You're in Boston? That's so exciting! What are you doing here?"

"I'll explain later, please just come and pick me up."

"Sure thing honey, I'll be there in forty minutes, I love you."

"I love you too, thanks Mom." I hang up and sigh in relief, I want to avoid as much awkward as I can, but I don't think I'll be able to.

Waiting for Mom to arrive is like watching paint dry, it just doesn't happen straight away. Even though the airport is relatively busy, I own a phone and I managed to shove a book in my suitcase (despite packing quickly), I still feel bored. Maybe it's the anticipation that resides in the pit of my stomach and the fear of what everything will turn out to be that I can't handle anything relatively less exciting. I'm on edge and I feel like there is a fire coursing through my veins, giving me this new drive. I keep having to reread the same sentence over and over because it's just not seeping in, every little movement that surrounds me distracts me; the thought of Daniel distracts me.

After what seems like the longest forty minutes of my life, my Mom arrives. A delicate smile rests on her lips as she opens her arms wide. The awkward is about to begin. Reluctantly I accept her embrace and I realise I've actually missed her a lot, I just haven't acknowledged it. I inhale her scent and surprisingly it's not tainted with alcohol, maybe she's finally changed. When I release the gentle smile still plays on her lips as she brings a hand up to my jaw, a twinkle flashing in her eyes.

"I've missed you so much," she whispers tenderly.

I can't shove the smile off of my face even if I tried, I really have missed her despite all of the crap she's put me through. Without saying anything I hug her again, words are a little impossible at the moment, but I don't think they're necessary to get the message across. Pulling from our embrace once again I grip onto my bag and release a calming sigh, "let's go Mom, we can speak in the car."

She nods gently and I begin to follow her out of the airport to the car. It's the same old car she's had since I was a kid; a blue Ute with a rusty bumper bar. When my parents were still together and young, my Dad used to pick her up and take her on dates, he gave her the car when he left, said she needed it more than him, needed a lot of things more than him. On the odd occasion when I was a kid, and my Mom didn't spend all of the money on alcohol, we would drive down to the beach and spend the whole entire day there, playing in the waves and being coated with sand that would cling to your body like glue. We would stay late into the evening to watch the sunset; Nicole and I would sit in the back trailer and slowly watch the sun go down as Mom and Dad would stay in the car or sit on the beach. Nicole and I had many deep conversations on the back of that car, I miss her, hopefully she's around so I can see her. This car brings back many memories; some I wish to forget.