What Did I Ever Do To You?, chapter 5
*Holly's POV*
"Hey, Holly, do you mind helping me with my suitcase again?" Jack asked me as the plane had landed, and everyone was getting up out of their seats and retrieving luggage.
"Sure, no problem," I said happily, and jumped up to help him. Jack was a lot like me in fact - he reminded me a little of Billie. More outgoing and just funny, but there was this saracastic attitude about him, and he was always making jokes, that I don't know where it came from. But it was nice.
"Need help with yours?" Jack asked me after we had pulled down his bag. He was smiling.
"Sure," I said, just to keep him around longer. It's not like my bags were big, but there was a lot of them. He had about two, while I had four.
"OK, let's even this out. Our bags are around the same size, right?" Jack said, as we laid my bags on top of each other on the seats.
"Yeah..." I said, not sure what he was getting at.
"So, I take one bag, also with my two, so I have three bags to carry, and you have three bags to carry. Alright?" Jack said again, still smiling, then picking up my heaviest bag, throwing it over his shoulder, walked down the narrow plane corridor.
"You didn't have to take the heaviest one!" I called after him, but it was no use. I grabbed my remaining 3 bags and took off after him.
When I caught up to him, he smiled at me. I had run all the way through the terminal to catch up with him, which made my face all red and flushed.
"You sounded like a math teacher back there," I said, smiling back at him.
"Well, math has always been my best subject..." Jack trailed off, smiling, and buffing out his chest, looking like he was proud.
"You're so full of yourself." I said dismissively, with a laugh, and turned to where we were supposed to go.
"Yeah, sometimes, but I'm lovable," Jack said, smiling. You know, I don't think he ever stops smiling. Which made me smile. Again.
When we reached the entrance (or exit, in our case), we walked outside and some guy about 2 years older than us came up to Jack and started hugging him.
"Hey, bro!" the guy said. I figured that this man was Jack's brother, although that wasn't hard to figure out.
"Holly, this is my brother, Robbie," Jack said, I nodded toward Robbie and smiled.
"Oh, I guess I'd better give you back your bag. Where's your ride?" Jack asked expectantly, staying rooted to his spot, although Robbie was urging him on.
"Come on, Jackie, she can take care of herself, we're gonna be late-" Robbie said, but Jack cut him off.
"No, I want to make sure she gets to the University safely." Jack said, looking to me.
"Well, I.... uh, was just going to, uhm, take the bus there..." I started, but was interrupted by Jack.
"Oh no you're not! Robbie has room for us in his car! You're coming with us! I'll take that again..." Jack said, taking back my bag that he had been holding in the terminal. Robbie looked shocked.
"Look, man, if you're just looking to nail her, you can do it after you two've gotten settled in..."
But Jack looked absolutely appalled at this thought.
"Rob! No, she shouldn't be out in the streets! She's coming with us!" Jack said, and took my hand, leading me to wherever Robbie's car was, Robbie behind us, looked very mad at Jack. I chanced a look to Robbie, but he just smiled at me. I smiled feebly back.
***
*Mike's POV*
"Billie, man, we're gonna get pulled over!" I said as Billie was still speeding on the highway home.
"I don't see any cops around," Billie said, with anger in his voice.
"What's up with you?" I asked.
"Nothing," Billie said to me, but he didn't answer me the rest of the way home.
When we got back to his house, he spoke to me for the first time in 20 minutes.
"Want a beer, Mike? My mom's sleeping."
"Uh, sure," I said as I sat on the couch and turned on the TV. There was nothing on, so I just turned it off again as Billie handed me my beer.
"Uh, Billie, thanks and all, but I, uh, gotta go home now," I said getting up and moving toward the door. Billie didn't say a word, just turned on the TV.
"Ok then, go." He finally said after I had been standing in the same spot for 2 minutes. I opened the door and walked back to my lonely house.
I thought for a minute what he could be so uptight about, then it hit me like a brick. Holly! He's always told me what a huge crush he's had on her! I've never told him, I'm not stupid enough to start a fight over our best friend. But, he must really be missing her. I do too. Way too much, like I'm going to die of heartbreak like in those cheesy romance movies Holly sometimes made us watch.
When I got to my house, it was empty. I went straight up to my room, turned off the light, and just sat on my bed in the dark, thinking.
"Hey, Holly, do you mind helping me with my suitcase again?" Jack asked me as the plane had landed, and everyone was getting up out of their seats and retrieving luggage.
"Sure, no problem," I said happily, and jumped up to help him. Jack was a lot like me in fact - he reminded me a little of Billie. More outgoing and just funny, but there was this saracastic attitude about him, and he was always making jokes, that I don't know where it came from. But it was nice.
"Need help with yours?" Jack asked me after we had pulled down his bag. He was smiling.
"Sure," I said, just to keep him around longer. It's not like my bags were big, but there was a lot of them. He had about two, while I had four.
"OK, let's even this out. Our bags are around the same size, right?" Jack said, as we laid my bags on top of each other on the seats.
"Yeah..." I said, not sure what he was getting at.
"So, I take one bag, also with my two, so I have three bags to carry, and you have three bags to carry. Alright?" Jack said again, still smiling, then picking up my heaviest bag, throwing it over his shoulder, walked down the narrow plane corridor.
"You didn't have to take the heaviest one!" I called after him, but it was no use. I grabbed my remaining 3 bags and took off after him.
When I caught up to him, he smiled at me. I had run all the way through the terminal to catch up with him, which made my face all red and flushed.
"You sounded like a math teacher back there," I said, smiling back at him.
"Well, math has always been my best subject..." Jack trailed off, smiling, and buffing out his chest, looking like he was proud.
"You're so full of yourself." I said dismissively, with a laugh, and turned to where we were supposed to go.
"Yeah, sometimes, but I'm lovable," Jack said, smiling. You know, I don't think he ever stops smiling. Which made me smile. Again.
When we reached the entrance (or exit, in our case), we walked outside and some guy about 2 years older than us came up to Jack and started hugging him.
"Hey, bro!" the guy said. I figured that this man was Jack's brother, although that wasn't hard to figure out.
"Holly, this is my brother, Robbie," Jack said, I nodded toward Robbie and smiled.
"Oh, I guess I'd better give you back your bag. Where's your ride?" Jack asked expectantly, staying rooted to his spot, although Robbie was urging him on.
"Come on, Jackie, she can take care of herself, we're gonna be late-" Robbie said, but Jack cut him off.
"No, I want to make sure she gets to the University safely." Jack said, looking to me.
"Well, I.... uh, was just going to, uhm, take the bus there..." I started, but was interrupted by Jack.
"Oh no you're not! Robbie has room for us in his car! You're coming with us! I'll take that again..." Jack said, taking back my bag that he had been holding in the terminal. Robbie looked shocked.
"Look, man, if you're just looking to nail her, you can do it after you two've gotten settled in..."
But Jack looked absolutely appalled at this thought.
"Rob! No, she shouldn't be out in the streets! She's coming with us!" Jack said, and took my hand, leading me to wherever Robbie's car was, Robbie behind us, looked very mad at Jack. I chanced a look to Robbie, but he just smiled at me. I smiled feebly back.
***
*Mike's POV*
"Billie, man, we're gonna get pulled over!" I said as Billie was still speeding on the highway home.
"I don't see any cops around," Billie said, with anger in his voice.
"What's up with you?" I asked.
"Nothing," Billie said to me, but he didn't answer me the rest of the way home.
When we got back to his house, he spoke to me for the first time in 20 minutes.
"Want a beer, Mike? My mom's sleeping."
"Uh, sure," I said as I sat on the couch and turned on the TV. There was nothing on, so I just turned it off again as Billie handed me my beer.
"Uh, Billie, thanks and all, but I, uh, gotta go home now," I said getting up and moving toward the door. Billie didn't say a word, just turned on the TV.
"Ok then, go." He finally said after I had been standing in the same spot for 2 minutes. I opened the door and walked back to my lonely house.
I thought for a minute what he could be so uptight about, then it hit me like a brick. Holly! He's always told me what a huge crush he's had on her! I've never told him, I'm not stupid enough to start a fight over our best friend. But, he must really be missing her. I do too. Way too much, like I'm going to die of heartbreak like in those cheesy romance movies Holly sometimes made us watch.
When I got to my house, it was empty. I went straight up to my room, turned off the light, and just sat on my bed in the dark, thinking.
