Yeah Boy, and Doll Face

Yeah Boy, and Doll Face| 13

I didn't ever want to let go of his hand. It was soft and warm and strong. It made me feel safe and calmer, which I guess is what he wanted. It was almost time to tell them I wasn't going to make it home. 

I tapped my fingers against his hand and chewed on the inside of my cheek. Vic loooked at me. I have an idea, he mouthed. I nodded and he squeezed my hand reasurringly. I squeezed back and finally let go of his hand. Mine felt immediately cold, all of the warmth from him leaked out into the cool air. 

I felt the bus moving and I assumed that we were heading to where Gage had left our cars by the way we were driving so slowly and why we were still in the lot.  I tapped on Vic's shoulder. "W-what's th-the p-p-plan?" 

"Follow my lead." He grinned and headed to the back where Gage was sleeping and Ellie was talking to Tony in his bunk. At least I think they were talking. The curtain was closed... I didn't really want to open it up. I felt awkward, but I followed him. 

"Hey Gage!" Vic called and Gage startled awake from his place on someone's bunk. I wasn't sure whose it was. 

He groaned. "What?" 

"Me, you, Remy, and Ellie. We need to talk." Gage groaned again. 

"Now?"

"Yes now!" Gage gave an exasperated sigh but got out of the bunk. Vic walked to Tony's bunk and ripped away the curtain. Tony and Ellie were just talking and sitting facing each other with their knees touching. It was cute.

I thought of how much I would miss Ellie's awkward turtle cuteness. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. No! I forced away those thoughts. I need this. I need to get away from everything for a good while.  

"El, let's have a chat shall we." Vic and Gage scooted past me and out of the bus where we had stopped. We were stopped by Gage's truck. 

I helped Ellie out of the bunk and we walked outside together. "What's this about?" She whispered. Vic and Gage were already talking. Gage looked ticked. "YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE AWAY MY BABY SISTER FROM US! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" His arms were waving around and he was red in the face. Vic was as calm and cool as ever.

Ellie looked at me. "What does he mean you're leaving?"  

I took a breath and mustered up all the confidence I had. "Yes, I am. Please don't be mad. Don't blame yourself or anyone from Pierce the Veil." I loved having confidence for once. I had no stutter. But I did have to speak a little slower to process it out well. 

Ellie didn't say anything. She just looked at me with a blank look and sighed. She walked past me to Gage who looked ready to kill anything. She pulled him away and started to talk to him a couple of feet away from Vic. Vic came to stand next to me and watch as Ellie worked her magic charm on Gage. 

As Gage and Ellie talked, Vic looked at me. "You know, that went better than I thought it would. I thought he would start a fight." 

I nodded. "W-what'd you say?" 

"I told him that you were old enough to take of yourself and that you wanted to stay with me and the guys. I told him that it wasn't his choice to decide where you wanted to go. He got pretty mad but not as mad as I thought." 

I took a second to think about that for a minute. That was true. Gage needed to stop babying me. I needed to stop letting myself be babied. I nodded. "Thank you. B-but was th-that seriously your pl-plan?" I thought he would come up with something better.

He grinned. "Yep!" He said cheerfully, and we both looked back at my brother and best friend. Gage nodded and pouted. Ellie was a sassy ghetto, waving her arms, pointing her finger, and the look she was giving him would've made even Vic cringe. Then he sighed and walked away and into his truck. Ellie came over to us and grinned.

"Well, he says he's sorry and he guesses he shouldn't have reacted that badly. He also said some really bad stuff about your band, Vic." She put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Sorry."

"What kind of stuff did he say?" He looked a little upset, biting his lips and looking at the ground.

"He said explicit stuff that I don't want to say." Ellie shrugged. 

"Oh"

"Yeah." She spend on before it could get awkward. "Remy, you know... you probably, um, shouldn't come home... for a while. I could... uh, drop off your stuff somewhere we can meet, maybe? No? Okay, um. Sorry, I just, you know, it'll be really awkward when you get home. He really yell at you and being the amazing friend I am," she flipped her hair playfully, "I don't want that to happen." I laughed. "And you gotta promise me, no, nevermind. Scratch that. No you have to pinky swear to me that you'll text or call me at least five times a day, even if you're busy. You have to. If you don't, I will hunt you down and jump you." She sniffed. I felt really guilty. I would really miss my Awkward Turtle. 

"Don't worry." I knew I wouldn't stutter, because I was putting my heart into this swear, which sounds really stupid but whatever. "I won't break it. Thank you." 

She held out a pinky and I twisted mine in hers. "Ha, now you can't break that swear!" She hugged me. 

We broke apart when we heard a playful exasperated sigh. "I swear, I did not know you would be this childish as to making pinky promises." 

Ellie punched Vic lightly in the shoulder. "Don't be a douche! We were hugging it out!" She grinned slyly. "Were you feeling left out? Do you want a hug too?" She tackled Vic with a quick hug. I felt really weird then, like.. I didn't want her to hug Vic. I wanted to be the one to hug him, hold him, just be close to a hero. Soon though, I'd be closer to four. 

"I swear if you do not take care off Remy, I swear to Bob---"

"Bob?" Vic cut in.

"Yes Bob! Problem?" Vic held out his arms. "Nope. No Problem here." 

"Anyways... I swear to Bob if you do not take care off Remy I will hunt you down, and kill you, very slowly and torturing and painfully. I will enjoy every bit of it, even if it means getting locked up in a padded room." Vic nodded. 

"I won't ever do anything douche-like, I swear it." He put his arm around me and I felt my heart skip a beat.

"Whatever. But thank you anyways, for everything." She gave him a meaningful look then turned around, and got in the passenger seat of the truck that held my angry brother. 

I knew I would miss them, but this was good for me. It was a fresh new start. Watching that stupid, battered truck drive away into the distance with one of my heros beside me, was a moment of celebration. Like at midnight on New Years you celebrate for a new start, this was my New Years.