Harassenger: Backseat Admirer ✔️

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"Thanks for letting me have the vent." Mick and I were on our way to Destin, Florida for Holt's honeymoon, Trixie following close behind in her new mustang, revving her engine every time she got.

"Not for long. I'll give you thirty minutes before I put it back on me." I assured him.

"Whatever."

I turned to look at his solemn face when I realized he didn't have his seatbelt on. Does he really want to go through the window if we get into a wreck?

"Put your seatbelt on." I grabbed onto the leather strap, dangling it in his face.

"No."

"I'll break check you." I told him.

"No you won't."

Quickly, my foot left the gas and onto the breaks, breaking on the highway in the middle of traffic. His head urged forward but his hands got the dashboard. He was enthralled, but knew he was in the wrong. Sometimes you have to punish someone for them to learn their lesson.

After my threat became a reality, he did as I asked, clicking on the seatbelt. He squirmed around a little, messing around in my glove compartment.

"What's this? I didn't know to went to the games. You seem too cool for that." Somehow through the pile of old trash he found an old bumper sticker given out during the senior homecoming football game. I had gone for Holt, and even if they lost by one field goal, it was a good game.

"I didn't often. And I wasn't too cool for that; I was just busy studying on Friday nights." I shrugged.

"So what's this?" Folded under the bumper sticker was my father's obituary from three years ago. He died in an accident, coincidentally. I guess it was ironic I kept it in my car.

"Put that back." Immediately, he put it back, closing the glove compartment, realizing he had intruded.

I felt bad that I snapped at him, so to smooth things over, I spoke.

"It's my dad's obituary. He passed away a few years ago." I said.

Silence passed, and he cleared his throat to speak again.

"I know I should say sorry, and I am, but I know it wouldn't serve a purpose. Death isn't something you can heal with a simple sorry. I don't know many people who have died, but my mom's not in the picture so it's almost the same thing. What was it like when he passed?" It wasn't something I was used to talking about, but I felt a sense of respect and protection when speaking to Mick.

"It was hard, mostly because it was spur of the moment. He wasn't sick and there was no warning to let me know he was going to die. You never want to see someone die in the prime of his life. The day of the funeral was a blur. I remember him lying there so lifelike, and I waited thinking he was going to wake up. And then I watched as the paul bearers took him away. All I can say is for anyone who has been in a funeral home, it's a weird experience, and after seeing someone lying there you can't help but think this life isn't the only one there is. It's a feeling you get being there; it's weird."

"I'm sorry I looked through your stuff, but thanks for telling me your story regardless."

"No worries, but can we talk about something else?"

"Right, of course. Uhm, so is working at your family's gym your dream job?"

I couldn't help but laugh.

"No, I don't have a dream job, but it pays the bills. I want to get my business license and someday own the gym for myself. What about you?" I asked.

"I'm an engineer. I have a dream lined up for me out of state and will have to leave at the end of the summer. I hate leaving, but like you, it pays the bills." He was leaving? Why did that suddenly make me feel icky?

"No one holding you back, not even your father?" I asked.

"Definitely not my father. If anything, he's pushing me to leave for the money, and pushing me away from him in the process. So no, there's no one, no siblings...no girlfriend."

"Why do I sense there was a bad breakup?"

"No bad breakup, honest. How about you?"

"Besides Ronnie in high school, there's been no one." Ronnie was a nerd, and he was very family oriented, too much sometimes I was put on the back burner.

"Ronnie Multz? Gross. What happened there?"

"Well, I can't even say we dated, but we had a...thing. His parents were super protective and judgemental, and he couldn't defend our relationship. They would talk down to him like it was nothing. I never wanted him to start a fight with his family, but I only asked that he take the fork out of his chest that they continued to stick."

"So, what about Holt? Do you think he would defend you?" It was a good question, and something I had thought of before.

"He's defended me in other ways; he defends the people closest to him, so I think, if we ever would have gotten together, he would have."

"Ah." He said.

"It's too late for that, I suppose. He's married and celebrating his new life. I should be supportive and forget about my feelings, right?" I don't know who I directed the question to, but it was a question I begged to be answered for a long time.

"Don't ask me. I'm the last person you should ask about relationships." He laughed, picking with the lint in the cup holder, occupying himself. That boy could not sit still for anything in the world.

"Well you're a boy, aren't you? You're supposed to be able to control your feelings so tell me how to control mine."

"Natt, I'm a guy, so I'm not good at this. All I can say is that I wouldn't have watched my best friend marry someone if I liked her. I wouldn't have showed up to the wedding and I wouldn't have cared if it ruined the friendship. But that's me, and I think it's too late for you to hold any grudges with him. I guess you should forget about him and let yourself move on." It's easier said than done. In Mick's defense, I did ask him what he thought.

"Thank you for, at the very least, being honest with me. You know, you're not such a bad guy sometimes." I admitted.

"Sometimes?"

"Yeah, sometimes." I smirked.

"I'll take it." He smirked back, not afraid to show his boyish dimples.

An hour later, I took the curve on an exit, leading toward our destination, mentally preparing myself for the dull vacation I was about to endure.

I would much rather be cuddling up in my nice queen bed, but I didn't have that luxury. Most normal human beings would love to be at the beach soaking up the Florida sun, and yet I found myself wanting the exact opposite.

"We're in Destin." I breathed, mentally preparing myself for what's to come.