Apologize

Spring Break (Part 5) Home Again

This had been the best vacation ever. I sighed, leaning my head against the car window. Tomorrow would be Monday, so we have to leave today, sadly. The seating is just like it was on the trip to the lake house. I still can't believe that that was only a week when it felt like a month. But it was only a very fun and laughter filled week. Jewl started up an awkward conversation with Ash , and even though I really wanted to listen in, I didn't. Instead, I pushed an ear bud into my left ear and scrolled through my long list of songs to find the one that I've been hooked on for the past month.

"When you're near, I hide my blushing face and trip on my shoelaces. Grace just isn't my forté, but it brings me to my knees when you say, 'Hello, how are you, my darling today?' I fall into a pile on the floor, puppy love is hard to ignore when every little thing you do, I do adore." I hummed the song "I Do Adore" by Mindy Gledhill quietly, my eyes closed, while we sped across the highway.

I felt eyes staring at me and opened my eyes. Everyone was staring at me like I was... Oh. Oops. I coughed and slunk down in my seat. It's not like I meant to start singing aloud, it just slips out sometimes. Even Paige was staring in her rear view mirror to look at me. She's never ever heard me sing, even though it seems to have run through the family because of my mum. I'm not great, no, but I'm still better than a good amount of people. At least, that's what dad tells me when he hears me singing. Dad enjoys giving out free constructive criticism.

"Wow, Sunshine. I had no idea you could sing," Ash said, breaking the awkward silence. I felt Jewl's eyes burning holes into me. That's when I realised something I should have realised way before this: I'm the girl. I'm the other girl that she thinks Ash likes, that she knows has a huge crush on Ash . But I don't have a huge crush. It's mediocre. Nothing big. But she's still jealous of me.

"I can't," I mumbled into my hands, hiding my face. Was what she said true? No, it can't be. I heard a few chuckles and some sighs from throughout the car. "What? You heard me singing, I honestly cannot sing."

"Pfft. So, who was the song for?" He asked, wiggling his eyes suggestively. I wrinkled my nose and pushed his face away. I'd have to lie.

"Not you, obviously," I answered, rolling my eyes. Ash pouted and sat back up, continuing his conversation with Jewl. My heart slowly melted. Was that an actual pout? It couldn't have been, it was too adorable. Like a child who just got told he must eat his veggies before he could have any dessert. No, snap out of it, Kayla!

I quietly put on my road trip playlist, popped in my other ear bud, layed my legs across Ash, and pulled out Son, a book I've been meaning to read for forever. I saw Ash look over at my book cover, then glance away. I scoffed and started reading.

And not even thirty minutes into reading, my stomach decided to rebel and threw all of my breakfast and some of my lunch onto the car floor. I hunched over immediately to avoid getting puke on anybody, and Ash reached quickly by pulling my hair back and rubbing my back slowly, in a soothing manner. A manner that gave me a million butterflies. Or maybe that was the aftermath of losing your lunch.

"Kayla! You're cleaning this up!" Paige shrieked, glaring at me through her rear view. I groaned, still hunched over from my incident. Ash held my hair out of my face and rubbed my back. The rancid smelling vomit was puddled on her car floor. I'm such a mess when it comes to car trips. Note to self: No reading during car trips.

"Eww, we have to deal with that smell for another hour?!" Christine and Jewl both complained. The boys were snickering. I'm still feeling like rubbish. Ash is still trying to help.

"Well.. Since you're... Complaining.. Here's some ...more," I announced before losing the rest of my lunch. Paige yelled at me, but Ash yelled right back at her. The others just gagged and begged Paige to pull over.

"Maybe you should have brought a bucket or bag!" Ash retorted to Paige . Since when did Ash retort to anyone? Except maybe to my mean and sarcastic remarks that I give him. "Let's just pull over, I'll help her clean it up." Paige groaned and pulled over to the side and Ash helped me out of the car once she turned off the ignition. The others also piled out of the car to get fresh air.

"You sure that you want to clean this up?" I ask, offering him an escape from the disgusting job. He shook his head and went to the back to grab a towel. I followed to get some rubbing alcohol that I always bring with me on trips. We got the stuff and went back to the right side of the car.

Skipping over the disgusting details of the cleaning process to save your mind from those images, we finished cleaning it up in ten minutes, sprayed some air freshener in the car, and got fixated in our seats again. My stomach growled for some food, but I ignored it and took a nap instead. I tucked my knees into my sweatshirt, pulled my arms in as well, and leaned against Ash. He was warm and gave me a sense or comfort. Something I don't find often in other people.

•••

"Okay, bye! See y'all tomorrow!" I hollered to the car as it drove off. They dropped me off first to avoid anymore incidents, which I don't blame them for. And now that I'm alone, I want to melt into the ground. When I had started to drift off, I felt Ash kiss me softly on the forehead. I almost exploded, but I managed to maintain my sleeping ruse. I had thought that that meant that Jewl was right, that he really was in love with me... But I also watched him do the same thing with Jewl when she actually did fall asleep. So maybe it's his signature thing.

Ignoring my racing thoughts, my racing heart, and my pumping adrenaline, I walked inside and gave dad a long hug.

"I missed you," I sighed. He chuckled and gave me a plate with a tamaco on it. A tamaco is a tomato cut into eighths, but you don't cut it all the way. Then you fill it with taco meat and toppings. My toppings are always sour cream, lettuce, shredded cheese, and black olives.

"Thanks, dad. How was your break?" I sat down at the table right across from him. He looked awake and energized. Completely over Shellie.

"I'm great, actually. I'm guessing you also enjoyed your vacation?" He asked. I nodded, my mouth filled with a messy bite of tamaco. "That's good. Paige told me about your accident in the car today, by the way." He laughed as my face turned redder than my supper. He knows that I have a bad history with cars.

"She told you?!" I groaned. "She'd better not spread the news, that was a terrible ride home."

It's nice to finally be able to talk with my dad again. Like a normal human being.