Run Away With Me

Caffeine, Trust, and Pixie Dust

We had already been driving for three hours and the sun was beginning to rise. We still had 11 hours to go and I would need coffee to keep me going. I pulled into the next town I could find and drove around until I saw a sign for Starbucks. I went through the drive through and ordered two coffees for me and Jack along with a couple of their breakfast sandwiches.

I parked in a free spot in front of the coffee shop. I was going to wait a few more hours to wake Jack, but I really have to pee.

"Jack, wake up." I shook his shoulder slightly and he stirred. "Jack," I whined. I really don't want to just leave him in the car, asleep, while I use the bathroom. "I have coffee." I tried desperately. This got him to turn over at least. He was still on his side but facing me. He opened one eye, to see if I was lying, I'm sure, and then slowly opened the other so he was staring at me.

"You have my attention."

"And breakfast."

"There's those magic words." He sat up and stretched as much as he could in the small space, his hands bumping into the roof. "Thanks for the food and coffee. What time is it?" He asked then took a bear sized bite of his sandwich.

"Almost 7. We're already to Utah. I tried waking you up when we were out of Colorado but you wouldn't budge. We'll be in California in a little over 10 hours. I really have to go to the bathroom. Are you going to wait here?"

"Uh," he rubbed his eyes with the butt of his hand. "Nah, I'll go in. I gotta pee too." He opened his door and I followed after.

He opened the door to Starbucks and let me walk in before him. "Such a gentleman." I mocked with a curtsy.

"Yeah, yeah. Just go pee already."

"And I get to go first? Wow, on a roll."

He rolled his eyes and walked away from me, but not without a smile on his face.

I came out no more than three minutes later, and I find Jack at the counter, hanging off of the pastry display case.

"No, that color really brings out your eyes." He oozed but his face was plain as day bored.

"You're so full of it!" She swatted his shoulder and smiled a big toothy grin, obviously not catching on to his signs of disinterest.

"No, he's totally right! Your eyes really do pop against your apron." I smiled and wrapped a hand around Jack's bicep. "Babe, did you order our drinks already?" I asked sweetly.

"Uh, sorry, I got distracted." Jack must have caught the baristas smug grin too, because he quickly changed tactics. "I couldn't decide whether to buy you the scone or the muffin and I just wanted it to be as sweet as you, babe." He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer, nuzzling his nose against my cheek. "What do you think, ma'am? Which one of these is as sweet as my darling girlfriend here?"

Awkward silence.

"You're right. We will take one of each, a tall white mocha and a tall caramel Frappuccino. To go."

Jack paid for everything, used the bathroom and we both enjoyed a tight-lipped grimace as the girl behind the counter practically threw our food and drinks at us before leaving.

"Damn, Miss Maddie has game. You don't like when I flirt with other girls? Don't worry, I will only flirt with you from now on." He opened the drivers' side for me and shut it after I got in.

After he got in, I said "Oh, please. You were so no flirting. She was but you looked beyond bored. And besides, I told you I wanted to be bold and crazy and do things out of my comfort zone- "

"Well, check every box." He toasted his new coffee against mine. "Why exactly did I buy more coffee when you got us coffee before going in there to us the bathroom?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't drink these. I would put money on her spitting in our drinks."

Jack stopped short of taking a sip and traded it for the one in the cup holder. "Do you want me to drive? You've been going all night."

"I'm ok for now. Thanks though." I smiled politely at him and pulled the car out of the lot.

After a few minutes of driving, merging back onto the freeway, and thick silence, Jack asked, "What's on your mind?"

Focusing on getting into the carpool lane, I answered "If I will keep up this personality when I go to college in the fall." I've grown accustomed to Jack and his questioning. Since I asked him to join me in January, it has been like I've been interrogated. He wants to know everything and non-answers are not allowed.

"As much as I support being whoever you want to be and freedom from expectations, you can't change who you are. Maybe for a little while but not permanently. Deep down, people are who they are. What are you running from?"

"Are you joking?" I scoffed and looked at him sideways. "Everything. You can't deny that I was a loser in high school. I had no friends, I had no social life, I studied 365 days a year. I'm surprised you knew my name."

"Me too."

"Thanks." I said dryly and roll my eyes.

"It was a joke. Come on, obviously I knew your name we have gone to school together our entire lives. It's hard to not know your name. But you can't just put on new clothes and pretend to be social all of a sudden."

"Why do you think you're here? You are going to be like my own personal Yoda to having a life."

"And what do I get out of this again?"

"You never asked for anything besides honesty. What would you like? You still have one wish." I smile, referencing his mystery request from six months ago.

He was quiet for a while. Long enough for me to wonder if he had fallen back asleep. I asked him nearly every day for the last six months what I blindly agreed to, but no budge.

"I want you to listen to me. No matter what I say, I want you to trust that what I'm doing is for the best."

"Ok."

"Ok? That's it? No haggling, no fighting, nothing?"

"No, because isn't that essentially why I brought you along in the first place? So you can teach me how to let loose and enjoy not thinking about anything? If you want complete control, you can have it. Just don't kill me." I shrugged.

"Why are you being so open with me? I know I asked you to, sure, but aren't girls supposed to be all secretive and hidden messages and psycho?"

"First of all, you're an ass. Second of all, how are you supposed to know what I want if I don't tell you?"

"Is this a joke? Am I being punk'd?" He frantically looked around the car.

"Shut up. I made a promise to you six months ago. I won't lie to you, I will be 100% honest this entire trip, if you ask me something, I will answer you truthfully. I plan to stick to that promise."

"I thought you said no plans?" He teased with a smug look on his face.

This might be a long trip...