Fix You ~Completed~

Act Fifty-Nine

"No, I am not a fan of Star Trek. It's Star Wars or bust, my friend," Gale clarified, giving me a sharp finger wiggle while Tom Jones belted out of the speakers in the car. I had to bite back my laughter, thinking back to the night Eddie and I came home from a night spent bowling to find Gale binge watching the original Star Trek series. As much as he tried to deny it, there was just something about that corny show he loved. "Wipe that smirk off your face, Lem, before I ask you something equally embarrassing."

I shrugged innocently, crossing my arms over my chest. "Not possible, Ale. You and your dirty little Star Trek secret cannot be topped. End of story."

"Well, I can ask you about that night I found you and Eddie practically making out in the kitchen while you were supposed to be making cookies," Gale argued, clicking his tongue as though to say Check mate!

"Gale, we were not making out!" Eddie scowled from the driver's seat, whipping his blinker on abruptly as he moved into the right line on the highway. I scooted to the edge of my seat just as we reached a sign claiming we had exactly thirty miles left until we would reach our first destination. Since San Francisco was so far from our hometown, we'd be stopping halfway for the night. The sun was already getting low in the sky and Eddie insisted he was not comfortable driving tired or at night. "Don't be such a middle schooler."

"You two were rubbing foreheads while Eddie was pulling that cliché move where he pretends to teach Clem the proper way to knead cookie dough. Your meaty hands were all over Clem's and you looked ready to maul him, so don't try denying it, Ed!" our ginger friend giggled, looking at my directly with a little grin. The two of us were in the backseat while Eddie was up front, all alone, driving. We'd been switching periodically; sometimes I'd be sitting alone back here while the guys were up front, sometimes I'd get to sit with Eddie. Ed refused to let Ale drive since, apparently, he was a pretty scary driver, and I admitted to him that I hadn't driven since I was in high school. If I was honest, I didn't even recall the last time I had driven.

The smirk seemed to reach Eddie, who was now sighing deeply and holding up his middle finger for Gale.

"You guys are so cute," the boy beside me chuckled, thwacking my arm. "It's been six months since that garbage human kicked the bucket. Lem has been a free agent for half a year. Perfect time to make your move, Eddie."

"Gale, so help me-"

"Are we staying a motel tonight or will we sleep in the car?" I interrupted quickly, hiding my blush by turning sharply towards the window and gaping at the beautiful vegetation that lined the pavement we were currently booking down. Eddie never went above the speed limit, yet it still felt like we were zooming through the air like a rocket.

At my question, both my friends burst out laughing. "Clemmy, of course we'll stay in a motel," Eddie promised, turning his head ever so slightly so that he could peek at me from the corner of his eye. "Unless you really want to stay in the car?"

"Oh, no! I-I just asked because when I went on trips with my parents, we slept in the car a few times on the way to our destination. That was when I was really little, though, so it was kind of fun," I explained, forcing a tiny smile. It was the exact opposite of fun, if I'm being honest. All my memories of my parents leave a bad taste in my mouth, so this really shouldn't surprise anyone.

Gale stuck his elbow in my ribs. "Back on the game, why don't you ever talk about your parents? Like, you never called them after Kyla died. That would have been a perfect time for reconciliation."

The last half hour of the drive had been spent playing Twenty Questions with Gale. It had actually turned out to be One-Hundred and Twenty Questions because Gale never ran out of things to ask about.

"Um, I don't know," I mumbled, glancing down at my lap. My parents had been a topic easily avoided around my friends. I didn't have anecdotes to share and that was because they didn't care to be part of my life. Neither of my friends pushed it too hard. "The last time we spoke was last autumn. I guess we're still in a Cold War."

"A Cold War? Ooh, that really sucks," Gale sighed apologetically, removing his elbow from my stomach. I shrugged indifferently. "What caused the fight again?"

"It all started 'cause I came out to them."

"I thought your parents were chill with you being gay?"

"Oh, they were! They just didn't approve of who I was spending my life with. They hated Kyla," I explained with a short laugh. "Um, Eddie, what's your favorite mo-"

"No! Don't change the subject, you little weasel," Gale begged, holding his hands out to stop me. "And his favorite movie is Gone Girl, of course, because he's a murder mystery junkie. Now, back on the topic, your parents are cool with you being you but they just didn't want Kyla in your life?"

I sighed deeply. "That's right. Can we move on? We have already been over this and we were having loads of fun until we got on this subject."

"Yeah, let's talk about something else, Asher. It's not funny to make Clem so uncomfortable," Eddie agreed quickly, bringing the car back into the other lane since the car in front of us was going nearly ten miles under the speed limit. I caught a quick glance of the driver; it was a terrified looking teenager, clutching the steering wheel so tightly I swear her hands were about to pop right off her wrists. "Let's do... favorite songs, everyone?"

"Obviously "Raise Your Glass" by Pink, because I have taste," Gale sassed, giving me a warm smile. He didn't mean to overstep. The guys never meant to, although they always seemed to end up doing it anyhow. It was fine. I didn't mind them caring so much. Honestly, I welcomed it.

"Mine would either be "You Get My Love" by Pink."

When Eddie met my eyes in the rearview mirror, I nearly died of embarrassment. Over the past six months, Eddie had been teaching me how to play piano. The only song I could play through was "You Get My Love," which he had dubbed as Our Song since we liked to sing it together. I got so into it when I performed it, mostly because it would always remind me of when Eddie played it for me in the middle of the night, admitting that it reminded him of me.

It wasn't as if we were hiding the way we felt. Ed and I were on the same page when it came to our relationship; we both wanted something from each other and were more than willing to wait.

Most self-help books suggested I waited a year before jumping into a new relationship after my ordeal with Kyla, but I didn't know if I could last another six months. Eddie and I had known each other for quite a while and I felt confident he'd never do anything to compromise any of the progress I'd made since Kyla exited my world. He honestly loved me the same way I honestly loved him and we were good for each other in the way Kyla and I never would be.

"What about you, Eddie-Bear?" Gale hummed after a thirty second silent interval.

"Oh, um," Eddie stammered, laughing quietly. "I guess I'd have to say... "Revenge" by Pink and Eminem."

"Are we just going for a theme here? Our favorite songs can only be by Pink?" I joked, just as the singer in question came on the stereo. The playlist the guys and I had spent two months compiling was currently being streamed from Eddie's phone up front. Each of us had a copy stored on our devices, just in case anyone's battery drained. Pink's "I Am Here," probably one of her greatest road trip worthy songs about living life, was now thrumming inside the car, forcing the biggest smile to my face.

Up front, Eddie nodded. "Pretty much. There is just no other option, Clemmy."

We passed by another sign. Fifteen miles of road and we were free.

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Happy Fourth of July! 🌞