Tic Toc

Seven

Chris
Utah
Salt Lake City

"Are you serious?... Where?... Ma'am you're sure?..."

I hovered near Ricky as he talked on the phone. We had finally made it into a city and we're about to walk into a hotel when his phone rang. Being tired, he almost didn't answer it. He remembered then all the programs he signed me up for.
Now my mind was racing.
"Ricky!" I whispered at him as I pulled on his sleeve.
He shooed me away and searched for something to write with. I handed him a sharpie and he began to scribbles in his notebook. I got out of the car, unable to stay still any longer. When I'm restless or worried, I clean. It's what I've always done. So out of habit, I began looking the car over. Wiped off a smudge here, some dust there. By the time Ricky emerged, I was drawing faces in the window.

"What was that all about?" I demanded.
He had a grin on his face as he held up the notebook.

"He's in Nevada!" He exclaimed. "Someone seen the billboard..."

His words faded. My heart stopped in my chest. It couldn't be true.
Could it?
Until this moment, I didn't truly believe I would find him. I swore to give it my damnedest, but I didn't believe.
We drove through Nevada!
"Chris!" He shook me by my shoulders. "He had just gotten off a plane in Nevada, there's no reason he's not still there."

Suddenly I was sitting in the car. If I was being honest I was in shock.

"We'll see if we can't get a plane to Vegas-"

"Vegas?" It was the first thing I registered.

He looked at me as he started the car, smiling.
"It's gonna be okay, Chris."

For the first time, I let myself hope.
All I could do for awhile was sit there. I didn't think. I didn't register much of what was happening. Buildings whipped by. The other cars were a blur. Ricky turned on the radio and put it on the lowest volume. Just to have some noise I guess. Faintly, I could here him tapping on the steering wheel.
We turned.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Airport. I said that already."

"Oh yeah." He had said that. "Sorry."

He laughed, the biggest smile on his face I've seen in a long time.

"You're in shock." He said.

"If you say so, Rick." I wasn't entirely sure what I was saying.

I felt so disconnected from myself. We turned again, and then one more time. Suddenly we were in the airport parking lot.

"What about the car?" I asked as we got out. It was paid for in full.

"We'll get it later."
I followed Ricky through the door and was quicky taken aback. The noise could not compare that of the riot at the watch seminar. People were yelling and crowding the desk where the travel agents sat. Security was attempting to defuse the situation but it only escalated.

"Excuse me," Ricky stopped one of the passing workers. "What's going on?"

The worker sighed and rolled her eyes as if everyone should know.

"Every airspace across the country is closed. The details are confidential. Blah blah blah. Find another way."

Ricky tried to ask another question, but the worker turned and walked away. My heart dropped into my stomach. It would take days to get to Vegas if we drove. My love could be gone by then.

"Okay... Well... We'll have to drive." Ricky said.
We started for the door.

"Drive? Ricky! That's gonna take forever. What if he doesn't live there? What if he leaves?" I demanded.

"What if he does live there? What if the airport has his information if he doesn't? Even better, do you have another idea?"

He stared at me and I stared at him. Gritting my teeth, I shook my head.

"Alright then. There's one more expemption we haven't used."

Alex
Pennsylvania
Hotel

Hi there! You haven't heard from me yet. Unless you count that little fit awhile back. I sure don't.
(Let's pretend that didn't happen.)
So I guess you wanna know what I'm doing right now; everyone told you. So in short, I'm sitting on the bed tying all of Remington's shoes together.
But I suppose I should tell you the deep in thought version.

There are reasons we do what we do. A reason why I call him Remington. A reason why we don't talk about that thing that happened. A reason why I'm sitting here pretending like I didn't do what I did and I didn't say what I said. There was never any baby toy over my crib. I never saw what mom–
So I sit here and tie Remington's shoes together. All of them. We wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. Not unless we were going barefoot. Not that I didn't want to go anywhere.
I just had to do something. Anything. Anything to make a big enough sent in the conversation to erase the one before.
The shower stopped and a few minutes later Remington came out wearing only pajama pants.

"What do you want for dinner Moonchi– what did you do?"

He folded his arms over his chest and mocked sternness. He wasn't honestly mad. I smiled up at him innocently. He took in his three pairs of shoes all tied together in a pile.

"Moonchild. What is this?" He pretended to scold me. I pretended to be scared.
If we pretended  enough, it'll seem real.

"It looks like you're in trouble you little goober!"

He tackled me and aimed for my stomach. I squirmed and laughed as he started ticking me. There was a this, his shoes falling in the floor.

"Are you gonna be good?" He threatened.

"Nope!" I shook my head.

He put me in a headlock and tousled my hair.

"What about now?"
I shook my head again, unable to speak.

Off the bed we went and he tossed me over his shoulder, dangling me upside down. He pretended to lose his grip and drop me a few inches.

"How about now?"
"Yes!" I laughed uncontrollably.
"Yes?"
"Yes!"

He set me down on the bed gently. Smiling, he turned to finish getting dressed.
It was a big enough dent. This afternoon never happened. It was locked in the vault that would never be opened.

Hi! I apologize for the long delay. I've been sick lately.
But also!
How come no one has asked about Alex? Is her relation to rem obvious or no?
Tell me what you think is going on!
∞ NightWriter ∞