Ticking Clocks

Chapter 6

"Straightner?" Alyssa asked.

"Check," I replied.

"Curling iron?"

"Check."

"Suitcase with shoes?"

"You packed a suitcase with just shoes?" Chase scoffed from the couch.

"Not just mine. Sophia's, too. And your guys'," Alyssa replied.

"You took my shoes without asking?" Chase asked.

"Stop being annoying," I said to him. He smirked at me and then went back to the soccer match he was watching.

"Where was I?" Alyssa asked. "Oh, yeah. Suitcase with shoes?" she asked.

"Check," I answered.

"Make-up bag? Bathroom necessities?" she listed.

"Check and check," I replied.

"Dictionaries of all the languages in Europe?" Eli asked.

"We don't need them. We have Chase, remember? Stupid is a universal language and he's fluent," I replied, snickering. He chucked a pillow at my head and I laughed, throwing my hands up to block it.

"I can't believe our flight to Portugal is tomorrow," Alyssa said, scanning over the many bags that were in mine and Brooke's apartment. We decided to keep everything in one place, because for the past few days, since Brooke was hospitalized, we all ended up staying together instead of going back to our separate apartments.

In total, we had eight bags. Our limit was ten, but didn't want to be bogged down by too many suitcases to keep track of. Eight bags was manageable. Although, Alyssa thought otherwise. But Alyssa was a packrat.

"I still think we should take another suitcase. What about all of our gifts?" Alyssa said, tapping her finger uncertainly on her chin.

"We'll buy a suitcase from Europe if we need it. I'm pretty sure we'll be disposing of a lot of things while we're there, anyway," Derek said.

"Out with the old, in with the new," Chase added. Alyssa still didn't look convinced, but she didn't say anything else.

"Are you guys done yet? We have to go see Brooke before visiting hours are over. And if we stay too late again, I'm pretty sure the hospital will ban us," Eli said.

He was probably right about this. For the past few days, we had spent almost all day at the hospital with Brooke, to give her company before we left. We stayed until the nurses had to keep coming into the room and tell us to leave. And even then we wouldn't leave. Needless to say, we were getting on the hospital staff's nerves.

"Yeah, we're done," I said, standing up and brushing off my jeans.

"Finally," Chase mumbled, turning the television off. Derek stood and grabbed his keys and we followed him out of the apartment.

"Can I drive?" Alyssa asked Derek, falling in step with him as we walked into the parking lot outside our apartment complex.

"Umm, can you drive a stick?" Derek replied in an incredibly condescending voice.

"Yes. I can," Alyssa said defiantly.

"No you can't. You don't even know what a stick is," Derek said. Alyssa shoved his arm.

"I do, too! My dad has one," she said.

"Obviously," Chase mumbled.

It took us a few seconds to understand the underlying meaning. When we got it, we started pushing Chase around. He laughed.