Home Again

            

*Since y'all not talking to me anymore lol, what do you think of this guy, Reece King, as Junior?

*Btw this chapter actually has the original text (inspiration for this story) from the book's cover. See if you spot it right away.

~

Clover packed and Junior watched.

First her clothes, then her shoes, her accessories, toiletries, and finally her other necessities vanished into her traveling bags. After a while of watching the room around him disappear little by little, he closed his eyes. Maybe if he didn't watch, it would be easier.

Through closed eyes, hunched back and a firm grip on the bridge of his nose, Junior spoke, "Is there anything I could say..." the statement was too selfish to finish. It was her father for Christ sake. Fathers were generally important to normal people.

But Clover wasn't normal. Because she loved him, she wasn't.

Clover had ignored his comment, deeming it too difficult to answer. They didn't speak again until the train station.

He stood before her, slumped posture and hands in pockets. He couldn't look at her yet. "Stay warm over there in..."

"Brinswick." She finished.

"Right, right," he studied nothing in particular off into the distance. In reality he was squinting his eyes, trying not to cry.

The pair jumped as the train's whistle sounded. Clover involuntarily landed in Junior's arms. He made the mistake of looking down into her eyes as she looked up into his.

"It's gonna hurt so bad when you're gone," he said.

"Junior please..."

"I feel it already growing in my chest. Like something's tearin' out of me or waiting for somethin' to go in," he continued. He saw as tears formed in her eyes, spilling down over her pretty, brown cheeks. He caressed them, savoring their smoothness. "I love you."

Clover looked as if she struggled to say something but was too overcome with emotion to say it.

"You may not think so, but I mean it. I mean it like never before."

Clover struggled to compose herself. Finally winning, she removed Junior's hand from her face, holding it in her own hand instead. She took a deep breath. "Junior I love you. But I have to go," she said. "I don't know when I'll be back. I'll write you-"

"I don't fucking want any letters," he tightly gripped the sides of her coat, letting his emotion show.

Clover was startled and hurt by his burst of emotion. The air turned icy as she heaved it into her chest, willing herself to go through with this. "I'll write you," she continued, ignoring his desperately squeezing hands. "I have to go now, Junior."

Junior was at the point of hyperventilation yet managed to say, "Should I wait for you to come home again?"

Clover wavered, then whispered, "...goodbye, Junior." She kissed him on the cheek. She turned away from him and headed to her train as she fought back tears. It wasn't fair to make him wait.

"Hold on!" He grabbed her wrist. She looked at him.

"I'll wait for you. I promise."

Clover turned her body completely and rushed to embrace him. They shared a deep kiss as the train gave its final blow. Steam filled the platform and Clover ran to catch her train.

Junior waited for her to wave from the inside and waited until he could no longer make out her figure in the fog. He stuck his now trembling hands into his pockets, turned and began to walk away.

He didn't make it two steps.

"Hello, son," came the towering figure of his father. Thomas was about eye level with his son but still managed to look down at him.

"What do you want?" Junior said, now shaking from anger.

"I want you to come home," Thomas said. Then from the shadows and fog appeared roughly half a dozen men, closing in around the lone youth.

"What are you doing?" Junior asked.

"I'm seeing to the return of my son. Now let's go."

Junior was too drained to resist. He knew it would be of no use going against that many men. He tucked his hands into his pockets and fell into step with his disappearing father.

~

Why can't Tommy just let his son be happy? smh

Anyhoo, comment, like, and vote por favor

And feel free to message me from time to time so I know y'all are still breathing lols

(I graduate in two months! Yippeeeee)