Thin Air (Complete EDITING)

2-Andrew

2 Andrew June 28, 2002

"Don't worry," I tell Jamie as I tug her hands, trying to pull her up into the bed of my brother's truck. "If my dad beats me home, he'll think I'm still mad at him and I went to bed early. My bedroom door's locked, and my car's in the driveway."

Dry pine needles crunch under her feet as she twists from my grasp. When I catch her forearms she giggles and tries to step back again. I playfully grunt at the poke she lands on my ribs, before dragging her to stand in the space between my dangling legs- finally win our little game of tug-of-war. "I've covered all the bases, babe. Stop resisting!"

My older brother Brandon sided with me, agreeing that our dad was unreasonable for grounding me all summer. Thankfully, he loaned me his rusty old truck to take Jamie out since his plans for the night didn't require wheels.

Brandon and I haven't always been close, but in the years since our mom died we've made an effort to understand each other better. He's kind of an oddball but overall a good guy, I guess.

"I don't know why my dad's so pissed off, anyway; it isn't like I failed Algebra. I got a D. No big deal. I'll do better when I retake it next year. Junior year doesn't even matter on your transcripts."

"It totally does, but whatever. I just don't want either of us to get in trouble." Jamie relents and tips her head back, allowing me to kiss the strawberry chapstick off her lips before hopping up to join me on the tailgate.

"You know your dad is gonna call my parents if he notices you aren't home. They think I'm with Whitney, babysitting Erin and Seth's little girl tonight," she confesses with a mischievous smile and a little bounce of her eyebrows as she scoots farther back into the bed of the truck.

Jamie's parents are crazy strict, only allowing her to stay out past ten when she's babysitting. I'm excited to put these stolen hours to use.

She pulls her shoes off and places them neatly beside her. "You better not get me in trouble, Drew. I don't want to blow this whole summer by getting grounded, too."

There aren't a lot of places for us to be alone at our age, and her parent's stupid open-door policy means no making out at her house. That's why I was so stoked when I came across a dirt road leading to this tiny opening in the woods. I think it's pretty cool, and Jamie is eating it up. She says the way the pines open up to show off the stars is romantic.

"Whatever." I roll my eyes and laugh while pinning her to the open sleeping bag I laid out to make her more comfortable. She pushes my backwards cap off and runs her hands over my short sandy hair as I lean down to kiss her again.

The radio playing in the cab of the truck clicked off a while back, and the soundtrack of the night has changed several times since then. First, it was crickets, then the soft sighs Jamie let out when my lips moved across her smooth neck, and now all I hear is the excited pounding of my own heart.

Just as things are getting good, and I start to think tonight might be the night, my phone dings, effectively interrupting the moment with a text notification.

I would love to ignore it but know I'm screwed if it's my dad. Since the number isn't saved in my phone, I flip it open and quickly scan the screen.

"heyyy drew its nic! sux that ur grounded! wnt company 2nite?"

That text is followed immediately by another. The second is a lone winking emoji.

";)"

I clear the messages, flick my phone shut, and stick it in my back pocket without a second thought.

When I hover over Jamie, she shoves me off of her and sits up, her eyes murderous. "What? Not gonna answer her?"

"Oh, come on, Jamie, you know I'd nev--"

"Really," she cuts me off. "You'd never? Like you never made out with Nicole at that party during spring break?" She throws the words at me while scurrying off of the truck bed.

When I grab her arm, spinning her to face me, a tear spills down her cheek. I swipe it away with my thumb. Seeing her cry makes my chest tight, like my heart doesn't have enough room to beat. She ducks her head to the side, dropping my hand helplessly between us.

"Jamie, please don't be like this. We were having such a good night," I beg as she turns a cold shoulder in my direction.

I blow out an defeated breath when she ignores me and slams the tailgate shut before stomping, barefoot, to the cab of the truck. I flinch when she slams that door, too. Once the sharp echoes are done repeating themselves, the stillness of the muggy night settles into the void they leave behind.

Why can't we just get along?

She's always so quick to think the worst of me. I tilt my head back, and search the dark sky for answers before reaching over the bed rail to grab my hat. Once the frustration and now deflated situation behind my zipper pass, I smooth my hair flat, slide the cap back in its place, and climb behind the wheel.

My voice is soft when she finally meets my gaze. "Jamie, you broke up with me at the rally in front of everyone. I was pissed and drunk. We were both acting stupid, but we're back together now. I should've never kissed her; I know that, and I promise not to hurt you again. Things are going to work this time. I know they are."

Her red-rimmed eyes search mine, and I hope she can tell I mean everything I just said.

"I know it's going to work this time because I love you." I didn't mean to tell her like this, in the middle of a fight, but I do love her, and she should know it.

Jamie's blue eyes go wide as she takes in my words. She draws a shaky breath in before my favorite of her smiles takes over her pretty face.

"I love you, too, Drew."

The gravity of our words sink in, and we both break out in massive grins before laughing, then lean across the console to seal our declaration with a kiss. The second our lips touch again, my phone rings with an unknown number flashing across the screen. It's probably Nicole with her shitty timing again. I move to send it to voicemail, but Jamie interrupts me, the happiness of the moment falling to pieces in a flash.

"You know what? Tonight has been a lot. I think I just want to go home, Andrew."

Shit. She never calls me Andrew.

The click of her seatbelt sounds a hell of a lot like the final nail being driven into a coffin.