"Be My Bad Boy!"

Chapter 23 ♡ H O M E

I woke up in the afternoon. The sunlight spilled through the van windows. Warmth had enclosed me, and when my eyes peeked open, another blanket had been piled on me in the midst of my sleep. I gazed tiredly out the passenger side window.

When I stepped out there was another car parked by the van. It was the beat up Chevron we drove earlier this week. Sandy stood next to it, talking to Rufus and Jane. When I sat up, Jane's eye caught mine, and she said something to Rufus.

Then they all looked at me.

The first thing I noticed was the absence of Gage's presence.

It amazed me how I was probably the last thing on his mind, but he was the first in mine.

It amazed me how I felt that a room could be filled with hundreds of people, but if he weren't there, it'd be empty.

I had opened the door, and Jane walked over to me. "Are you feeling okay?" She asked with an abundance of concern.

My voice was hoarse when I said yes.

We walked together and joined Rufus and Sandy. Sandy explained to me he was taking me home. My bags were already packed and ready in the car.

I didn't argue. I only nodded.

Rufus gave me a warm hug goodbye, and Jane did as well. I didn't say anything to them, instead i got into the car and watched as Sandy walked around and got inside too. The engine was started, and I watched as we backed away from the campsite.

I stared out the window as the dirt became dirt paths, and dirt paths became roads. The morning was bright and the sun was making itself comfortable in the sky. My bag was next to my feet.

I noticed my Polaroid on the dashboard, I reached over and put it in my bag. As I glanced at the dashboard again, I noticed there was a picture. Had he taken a picture with my camera?

Curiously, as Sandy kept his hands on the wheel, I reached over and took the picture.

A girl with her hair in a messy bun, and blankets snugly placed on top of her slept in some sort of vehicle. The lighting was soft and the angle was calm. The picture even caught the dust floating in the air around her.

I bit my lip. It was me.

From the looks of it, it was me, perhaps a few hours ago, asleep.

Sandy said calmly, "You looked relaxed in your sleep."

I was quiet.

He shrugged, "I thought it looked nice."

I nodded. "It's nice."

"Gage told us."

I looked at him as he drove. He looked older than me, even though I was a year older. It was hard to believe he was only sixteen. But here he was.

His hair was a mess, it looked like he just rolled out of bed, which he quite possibly did. I don't know how long the drive was to get the car to the campsite, or how late he slept, if he slept at all.

"About what?" I asked.

"Everything."

Oh.

I tilted my head and looked out the passenger side window. We were in the freeway, cars whizzed by in the morning commute.

"About the list. And everything that happened last night."

Oh.

"Do you hate me?" I asked, looking at his hands again on the steering wheel. His knuckles were bruised and badly scraped. As my eyes traveled the length of his face I saw there was a bruise on his jaw.

He laughed, "I don't blame you." That didn't answer my question, but oh well.

"Not me, but you blame my condition, right? It's not my fault it's my illness." I said bitterly, "That's the reason for my actions- it's not me. Its my mentality. ." I trailed off.

"No one thinks you're at fault."

I stopped pressing a pity party. There was no point, instead I turned the attention to his beaten down attributes, "What happened to your knuckles?"

His grasp around the steering wheel became tighter, his knuckles turning white.

The side of his lip twitched upwards into an eerie half smile. One word. "Gage."

"Why were you fighting?" I asked, sitting up. Emotions were flooding through me. Did Sandy get into a fight for me? Did he tussle Gage up after what he said to me?

 "He's pretty upset that i'm driving you home." I'm not sure if that was the answer I was looking for.

I sat back, puzzled, and quiet.

We traveled like that for the rest of the time, in silence. About four hours passed until we finally got to our town.

Once we stopped the car in front of my house, I looked at him. "What are we going to say?"

He gave me a half smile, "Play along. No matter what."

I looked at him wearily and followed him to the door of my house. I put the key in and went in.

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Sorry that the last two chapters have been slightly short! You'll get more- I promise.

XX

-S