The Journey[BoyxBoy]

Chapter Fourteen:

Spencer’s P.O.V.

                Billy was right. We were leaving early. I understood it was a six and a half hour drive but leaving at five seemed a little extreme.

                We got into Roger’s car (Aunt Niccole’s boyfriend lent us his truck because it was going to be a tight fit with all of us in her car). I didn’t say anything to my grandparent or Aunt Niccole before we left. I was still angry and disgusted by their lie. Billy just sighed and gave an apologetic look whenever I nodded in response to one of their questions. I was frustrated that he was too blind to see their obvious lie, but it wasn’t his fault. I had to keep reminding myself of that.

                The car was silent. Grandpa was driving which made Aunt Niccole, Billy, and I nervous in the back. Grandma was in the passenger seat, quietly humming to herself. It was unusual to see them not talking amongst themselves. A trickle of doubt seeped through my mind that they may be telling the truth but I quickly discarded that absurd idea. My faith was too strong to be taken down by such doubt. Billy readjusted himself so that he was in my arms. Minutes later, I heard his snores, signaling that he drifted to sleep. That noise resounded peace within me and I quickly fell asleep.

                Much to my displeasure, only an hour had passed since I fell asleep. Billy was still fast asleep in my arms. Seeing the innocent look on his sleeping face made me smile. I couldn’t wait for my mom to meet him. She would adore him. If only this car would go faster. I sighed in frustration and looked out the window. Startled, I realized this route was familiar. It was the same route, I had taken. My stomach clenched in uneasy fear. I had pushed those memories, along with those of my father’s, deep down. Now they were back up, clearly as if they were yesterday. A frown was deeply implanted on my face. That part of my life should have been erased. It shouldn’t have been brought up so easily. I squeezed Billy’s hand that I must have found in my slumber. I closed my eyes and tried to block out those memories.

                I had come so far since making the journey to here. I learned to trust someone, actually multiple people. I was deeply in love with Billy. My life was a hundred per cent different. I actually had a future now. In Gulf Hills, it was too difficult to imagine but in Ripley, the world seemed to be in the palm of my hands. Now, I seemed to have taken a step forward and twenty steps back. I felt like that same scared, little kid again. My nerves were on edge, almost as in fear of my dad or the police catching me. I hadn’t realized I felt that way before because it was all I had ever known but now that I knew life could be different it seemed worse. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

“Spencer, are you okay?” Aunt Niccole asked, looking over at me worried. I nodded, forgetting my earlier anger. I closed back my eyes, looking for my earlier peace. It never came. The ride seemed to take an eternity. My only escapes were when I fell asleep but that only lasted for ten minutes or so. Billy slept the whole time, lucky for him.

                I saw roughly about where I slept some nights. I saw the city that I stayed the night in. I shuddered, thinking about that night. I wondered if Billy would have thought differently of me if I told him about what I did that night. He probably would which is why I will never tell him. I wasn’t that guy anymore, I kept telling myself. I felt like I was trying to convince myself of that because now I wasn’t so sure.