The Walmart Shoot Up - (Sequel To 'Follow You')

Chapter 20 - Long Time No See

Kellin's POV

Thursday

We pulled up a my parent's house in the early hours of the morning. We had dawdled around during the drive, stopping at malls and such, delaying our arrival. I wondered how my parents would react when they saw her. 

Then I was anxious. Would they even let her stay? Would they be mad at her, seeing the pain she had put me through first hand? 

I pushed those thoughts aside. They had to understand. 

On the drive, we had devised our plan for England. First we see my parents and tell them everything that's going on. Despite Jinx being nervous, she agreed to tell them all about what had happened with the gang, and why she ran away so they could understand better. Then we go back to my apartment and get my stuff. 

I dreaded going back to the apartment. But I had to; because all my belongings apart from my wallet and car were there... 

Besides, Jinx said she wouldn't come unless I at least tried to resolve things with my friends. She said she felt awful for walking out on me without saying goodbye, and that was how I would feel too if I left them hanging. 

When we pulled up, obviously there was no lights on in the house; or any other houses down the street. Jinx and I nervously got out of the car and approached the door. We didn't have a key... And I didn't know where they kept the spare one...

"Check all the usual places." Jinx said, picking up a plant pot and looking underneath it. 

We looked everywhere but we couldn't find it. Well - almost everywhere. I lifted the ashtray sitting on the railings. Behold, the glistening silver key. 

I picked it up and quietly opened the door. We walked inside. Jinx was looking around, and I was looking at her. We had memories in this house together. The walls held our secrets; they saw everything, heard everything. 

"It hasn't changed." She commented. 

"Neither have you." I replied. 

She shrugged. "I guess not." She looked me over. "But you've changed so much."

"Hmm.. Not really." I mused. "I mean, all I did was form a band."

"But you also became kind of famous." She pointed out. 

I guess I had changed a lot, on the outside at least. "I don't feel like I've changed at all... I feel like I'm still eighteen."

"I wish I was still eighteen." Jinx sighed. 

We went into the kitchen, as I followed her. She was still looking around. I opened the fridge, and found there wasn't much food, but a ton of drinks. 

"Remember when we got drunk?" I asked, laughing. 

"Course I remember." She said, punching me lightly on the shoulder, like she always used to. "I haven't forgotten anything Kellin."

"Sure about that?" I said. 

"Try me." She smirked. 

I thought for a moment. "What was the first thing you ever said to me?"

"Uh... was it, 'stop looking at me, fuckface?'"

"You mean, 'fuckhead.'" I replied smugly. 

She blew her hair out of her face and rolled her eyes. "Close enough."

After looking around downstairs, the adrenaline and rush of being back in my house wore away, leaving us both exhausted. She only slept for an hour or so on the drive, but I hadn't gotten any sleep at all. 

We decided not to wake my parents up. But that also meant we couldn't go up the stairs, because they were so creaky. 

I sat down on the couch, as I tried to remember if there was a mattress somewhere downstairs. To my surprise, Jinx curled up beside me, and rested her head on my shoulder. See? She was so misleading. It was times like these where I thought she liked me, but there was always to much fear for me to do anything. 

"I'm glad I found you." I murmured. 

"Me too. I missed having my best friend. There was no one to annoy without risking being shot in the face." She replied.

I chuckled, but there was pain in my voice too. There was that phrase again. My best friend. Why couldn't it be 'my boyfriend' instead... That would be the best label she could ever give me. 

We sat still like that for a while, before I realized she was asleep. I smiled and gently rested my head on hers. I closed my eyes and let myself fall asleep with her beside me. 

Aye, if she could do it, then so could I. 

__________

My father's face was hovered in front of mine when I woke up. I widened my eyes and jerked backward, only remembering I was on the couch, as I hit my head on the back of it.

Jinx stirred on my shoulder, but didn't wake up. I smoothed her hair back carefully and took my hand off of hers in case she woke up. I didn't want to move. But I need to explain things to my dad. I didn't want to disturb her sleep either.

"Uh, morning." He said, waving a hand in front of my face as I looked down at her again. "Can you tell me what's going on?"

"Yeah." I whispered. "But can we wait for her to wake up first?"

"Your really going to be that nice?" He asked, sighing. "You remember she walked out on you, right?"

My cheeks tinted red a little. "Don't say it as if we were a couple, dad. I know she left, but she has a reason for it, and she tried getting in contact but she couldn't." He still looked lost. "Look, dad. She was messed up it some things with her gang."

"Okay... How did you find her?" He asked suspiciously. "You better not have joined that gang or whatever."

"I didn't." I said. "All I did was go to Walmart..."

He was grinning now. "So she tried to rob Walmart again? Your mom heard something about it on the news but we never thought anything of it."

"She saw me and then we left through the fire exit after calling the police." I said.

His smile dropped and he face palmed. "So, she's running from the police now too?"

"Yeah, but who cares? She didn't do anything." I felt defensive, even though he wasn't really attacking her or anything. "The gang's a family thing, she was forced into it."

"Oh, I didn't know that." He answered.

Jinx stirred again, and then frowned, snuggling closer to my side. She wrapped her two arms around mine and let her face relax again.

My dad watched her, amused. "Are you a thing now?" He asked.

"No."

I wanted to say 'no, not yet,' but I was afraid she was pretending to be asleep, and she would hear me. That seemed to happen a lot in books, and movies.

Jinx coughed a few times, and then opened her eyes. She saw my dad and closed them again. He laughed, and spoke first.

"Hey. Long time no see."

__________

:O