Things End, Deal With It

nine

It's been two weeks. Two weeks since Aaron and I made up. Two weeks since I've eaten everyday. I'm pretty proud.

"So when are you leaving?" Aaron asks playing with my nails.

"Tomorrow." He rolls over and puts his face in my shoulder. He plants a kiss on my neck.

"I'm gonna miss you," he mumbles. "You're gonna be gone for like, a month." I laugh and run my fingers through his hair. He just took a shower, and it's still wet.

"It's only for two weeks."

"That's a long time." He sits up and pulls me with him. He makes me sit on his lap, and I wrap my arms around his neck. I rub my nose against his, and he smiles.

"Come with me."

"What?"

"I can ask my aunt if you can come with us."

"Seriously?" he asks, surprised. I nod.

"I'll call right now." I move off his lap to grab my phone and look for her contact. I call and ask, and like a suspected, she says yes. I text my mom if he can ride with us, and she also says yes. "You're coming with us, babe. You better pack."

"Well since we're leaving tomorrow, I think I should probably do that." Aaron swings his legs over the edge of the bed and stands up. He leaves the room and comes back a few minutes later with a black suitcase. He places it on the bed and unzips it, opening up the top. He picks up clothes from the floor and quickly puts them in a hamper. He spins around. "Are you gonna help me?"

"No. You are an almost sixteen year old boy. I'm pretty sure you are capable of packing for yourself." He makes a weird face at me, so I make one back.

"Will you do my laundry?" He slides the hamper over to the side of the bed. I look from him to the hamper, from him to the hamper.

"I don't even do my own laundry. Plus, I'm not your house wife or some kind of maid."

"Not yet." he smirks.

"On which one?"

"Both."

*

"Okay, are you sure you two are gonna sit in the back?" my mom asks, adjusting the rear view mirror.

"Yes." Mine and Aaron's hands were folded together on the middle seat; his thumb running along the side of my finger. I roll down my window and stick my arm out. Mom pulls out of the driveway, and I close my eyes. I slowly open them and watch the buildings go by.

"Hey," Aaron says softly. He squeezes my hand, and I turn to face him. "Are you tired?" I nod. Mom wanted to get to my aunt's early so we had to wake up early. Six a.m. Six a.m. is how early I had to roll out of bed. We'll get there about ten, and I don't understand why we need to be there at ten. "Come here." He lets go of my hand and turns to press his back against the car door. His left leg rests on the seat, and he tells me to lean back on him. I do as he says and soon fall asleep.

*

"Cheyenne. Cheyenne. Cheyenne." I blink a few times as my eyes adjust to the bright sunlight. "What do you want to eat?" I tilt my head to the side and see my mom turned around in her seat.

"Oh, uh, where are we?" I sit up and rub my neck. Aaron is awake, his eyes not fully open yet.

"McDonald's."

"One of those breakfast burritos, I guess. What did you get?" I ask Aaron.

"A sausage biscuit." I nod and lay my head back once again.

"Do you need a drink, honey?"

"A Sprite please." Mom orders my drink then pulls up to the drive-thru window. She rummages through her purse when the cashier tells her the total. She pulls up to the next window and takes the food.

"Have a nice day. Come again." We park in a parking space, and Aaron and I sit up. I tuck one leg underneath myself and lean forward against the drivers seat. Mom hands out the food, one thing at a time.

"Do you want to eat here or keep driving? We're almost there." I look at the digital clock in the front of the car.

"It's only nine o' four. What do you mean we're almost there?" I ask, quite confused. I see my mom blush. "What are you blushing for?" Her eyes widen at me. "I swear I didn't mean for that to sound rude. Sorry."

"Anyway, we are going to see my boyfriend." She smiles from ear to ear. I gape at her; eyes wider than hers, mouth hanging open.

"You.. have.. a boyfriend?" I close my mouth and cock my head to the side.

"Yes, dear, for about three months." I sigh. "We're going to go visit him at a hotel in Canton then tomorrow, we'll drive the rest of the way to Bristol," she explains.

"Well then we can keep driving. I'd love to meet this boyfriend of yours." I wink. Mom opens her sandwich and takes a bite. She proceeds to leave McDonald's, and we drive to Canton, us eating our food.

*

When we get there, Mom tells us that she'll be sharing a room with her boyfriend.

"So, you and Aaron have to share a room." We look at each other and wink at the same. I burst into a fit of giggles; my eyes eyes shut tight, my arms clutching my stomach. That's how you know I'm tired; a laugh a little too much.  "I'm gonna go get the room key," I hear her say over my laughing. I finally stop and take deep breaths.

"We are funny," I say and want to start laughing again, but I contain myself. Mom comes out with the room key and hands it to me.

"Room 231. Help me get the bags out of the trunk." We took all the bags from the trunk and brought them up to the room. It had one bed, which didn't surprise me because my mom didn't really care if we slept in the same bed. She did care if we had sex, which I wouldn't do, but she actually fully trusts me. "We're in room 114, the first floor. Are you guys gonna stay up here or come down with me and meet Kenny?" I stifle a laugh.

"Kenny," I mumble with a smile. "That's a funny name."

"Oh hush, are you gonna stay up here or not?"

"Yeah." I look behind me to see Aaron already laying on the bed. "I think we're gonna sleep for a bit." Mom nods. "I'll text you," I say, at the same time Mom says, "I'll call you." We laugh.

"Well, have a nice sleep." She closes the door behind her, and I lock it. I turn on the air conditioner and lay down behind Aaron. I'm pretty sure he's asleep until he rolls over and wraps an arm around me. He kisses behind my ear, and I smile.

"I love you," he pronounces slowly. "I'll love you more than you will ever know."