Alone, Together - A Julian Casablancas fanfic

Chapter 22 - Ask Me Anything

Clem stared out the window as they left the skyline of Boston behind. Her mind was racing after talking to her parents for the first time in days. She realized just how much she missed them and how homesick she was for Harrison. She missed seeing her friends and hearing their voices. She missed all the teasing of Aleks she did with Morgan, albeit playfully. She was still glad to be on this journey, but she missed home terribly.

Julian caught on to her down vibes, wanting to make things better. Breaking her racing train of thought, which was on the verge of crashing, he reached over the center console and grabbed her hand, intertwining his fingers in hers.

"You okay, Clemmie?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I guess."

"I need more than just an 'I guess'. Are you sure?"

She looked over at him and he could see that she wasn't really okay. "Okay, not really. I didn't realize how much I'd miss home until I talked to my parents today."

"First time away from home like this?"

She nodded. "It's really weird too."

"I know it is, but, like I've said before, you have me to keep you company. And look at all this!" He let her hand go and panned it out over the Maine horizon, because he was driving with the other one, then returned it to its rightful spot.

"This is beautiful, and it's all new to you! I know it's hard being away, but it's only been what, three days now? It's too soon to say that you're comfortable with being out here and doing this. So just, and I'm asking you, please enjoy this while you can. Take all the pictures you can for Aleks and Morgan. Soak up as much new and exciting stuff as possible. Look forward to Summerfest, which is coming up in like a month or so. I want you to enjoy this time and know that Harrison's not going anywhere."

She smiled. Perhaps she was overthinking this "being away" thing. She had a great guy and a great new world, and she was almost willing to throw it away by letting her mind draw away from it. "I'll give it a shot. Thanks, Jules."

"Hey, why else do you think I'm here?"

He took his hand back so he could focus on driving again. She continued to watch the trees go by as he turned the radio on, which happened to be playing Nirvana.

He's the one,
Who likes all our pretty songs,
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun.

But he don't know what it means
He don't know what it means
When I say:

Clem had heard of Nirvana, but never really listened to them, before she met Julian. He sang along with every song, and she joined in. Singing that loudly and that freely was an emotional release, almost like a spiritual experience. He put in his "Nevermind" disc and they sang along to every song on it.

So far, this was her favorite part of the trip. She enjoyed opportunities to sing like this, and especially with Julian. She thought he had a great singing voice, a bit raspy but great nonetheless. He brought his guitar and she couldn't wait for him to play it for her.

Once again, Clem and Julian decided to camp out for the night, this time in the woods somewhere in the middle of New Hampshire. They had spent all day driving, coming from Boston and seeing most of Maine. Far from civilization, it was just them alone in each other's company.

This was what Clem lived for. Sure, she was missing home like crazy. But sitting in the cool, crisp evening air of the woods beside a campfire made all her worries go away. She laid back in her spot on the grass and stared up at the sky and the tops of the tall trees. She watched the smoke cloud float up into the sky, wondering if her friends and family were looking at the same sky.

Julian came over and helped her up once he was done with dinner. He made a pot of spaghetti and marinara sauce using the fire and some water they bought from a convenient store earlier that day.

After all the spaghetti was eaten and the pot was cleaned, Clem returned to her spot and closed her eyes. A few moments later, she felt Julian lay down beside her, taking her hand in his.

"Enjoying just lying here, Clemmie?" he whispered.

She nodded. "Yeah, it's great. It's really clearing my head. I guess this is camping?"

"Yeah, it is. You've never been camping before."

"No. My family and I never went when I was younger. I wanted to go but I never got the chance. You?"

"I went with my mom and stepdad when I was younger, about 10 I think. That was when I caught my first fish. I wanted to keep him but my mom said it wasn't normal to keep a trout as a pet."

Clem laughed at her boyfriend's dorkiness. "Jules, can I ask you something?"

"Ask me anything, Clem. I'm always open."

"How's your relationship with your stepdad? I know I've met him before, but you never really talk about him."

"I think Sam is pretty cool. He helped me become the guy I am today, musically. He introduced me to The Doors and stuff like that. Other than that, not really a whole lot to say. Does that answer your question?"

"Yeah." They continued to lie in the same spot for the next hour or so after the stars first came out. The air was filled with the sounds of crickets, birds, and Julian's breathing, and it was like music to Clem's ears.