Ghosts Of The Past [BoyxBoy] ✓

22. Rain

It is a rainy day. The sky is dark and there aren't many people out on the streets. I look out the window of my apartment. Today is the day. Aron and I are going to drive all the way to Alabama to confront my old teacher. I'm nervous in an excited kind of way. I feel like I'm ready to show that bastard Neil that he didn't break me. Not completely, at least. I play with the sleeve of my black hoodie as I think over the possibilities of what could happen and how we are even supposed to pull this off in the first place. I don't even know if he still works at my old school anymore. For all I know he could've moved. Well, I'll take the risk. Anything is better than this terrified feeling always lurking on my shoulders. I have to do something. Now. 

Aron will be here in ten minutes. If I want to say goodbye to my mom, I have to do it now. 

I walk into the kitchen where my mom is sat in her pink bath robe eating a strawberry pop tart.

"Hey, mom." I mumble as I lean against the door, watching her. 

"Hi, sweetie." She says with her mouth full. 

I don't know why, but I'm going to miss her. Aron and I have no idea how long we'll be gone for. And technically we also.. still have school. There's no way I can tell her without her losing her shit on me. But I can't just leave...

"Is something wrong, dweetie?" She looks up from her breakfast.

I contemplate that. No. Actually.. for once, it seems like things are going to be alright. 

"Aron's picking me up for school today." I say. 

"Oh, okay." She smiles. Her eyes are curious. 

I quickly turn away and go into my room to grab my bag. 

It's a normal sized backpack, though it's much fuller than it would be on a normal school day. In fact, most schooldays I don't even bring a backpack. 

Before I leave, I grab a piece of paper and quickly write my mom a note.

Hi mom, 

In case you're worried, I haven't been kidnapped. I'm just going on a little road trip with Aron. We don't know how long it'll take so..

Anyway. Bye.

I look at the stupid note. Wow, that's very enlightening. I leave the dumb piece of paper on the bed. I grab my backpack and walk out of the apartment. 

Just as I've made my way down the stairs I see Aron's shiny red car pull up. For once, he has his hood up as the rain pours down. 

I run into the car, trying to avoid getting wet. 

"How did it go?" He asks. 

"I couldn't tell her. She probably would've tried to stop me anyway. I left her a note. How about you?" 

"Well, this wouldn't be the first time that I'm gone for a couple of days. I'm sure my dad won't even notice." Aron stomps on the pedal and drives away. 

"So, do you have a map?" Aron asks.

I pull out my phone. 

"I mean a real one." 

"You want a real map? What on earth for?"

"Have you seen this car? Does it look like the kind of car that deserves to be told where to go by a robot?" Aron says. 

I stare at the guy in disbelief. 

"You're ridiculous." 

"I'm not, I have morals." 

I shake my head. 

"Fine, lets go to a convenience store then."

Ten minutes later, Aron and I rush back into the car, map and drinks in hand. 

I open the ivory colored map and stare at it blankly. 

"Okay, now what?" 

Aron grabs a colored pen from the glove box. 

"We're here right now." He circles LA on the map. 

"And this is where we're going." Aron circles another place on the map. "Which means the fastest way to go there is.. following this road." He draws a line between the two circles. Wow, he really seems to know what he's doing. Pretty impressive. 

I look at Aron's serious face and I get the instant urge to kiss him. Just that second my phone starts to ring.

I look at my screen. 

Incoming call:
Chase

I sigh. Why can't that guy just leave me alone? 

I turn off my phone and throw it in the glove box. 

"Who was it?" Aron asks as he lays the map in my lap. 

"No one.'" I turn on the radio. 

Aron starts the car and we're off. 

***

It's been nine hours now and we seem to be on the right way. The closer we get, the less buildings. We're literally headed to the middle of nowhere. It stopped raining, though it's still pretty gloomy out.

I see Aron blink slowly as he drives through the streets. He seems pretty tired. 

"Why don't I drive? You've been driving for hours." 

"Don't worry about that. I can make it." Aron says before yawning. 

"It's a thirty hour trip, you can't make that alone."

"I told you, don't worry." 

"What is your problem! Why won't you let me drive?" His stubbornness is really annoying me now.

"Because, you don't need to! I told you I can do it alon—" 

"Fine, forget it!" I snap and turn towards the window. 

Aron sighs frustrated. 

We sit there in silence as Aron drives through the open road. 

After about an hour I notice the car swaying slightly and we're losing speed. 

I turn to Aron. His eyes are almost closed.

I frown. 

Suddenly, a huge red truck comes from the other side of the road. Aron doesn't even see it. The car gets closer and closer to the truck as Aron's eyes close. 

"ARON!" I scream. 

His eyes snap open and he yanks the wheel in the other direction as he sees the truck. It honks loudly. 

Our car races down into the bushes and almost slams into a tree. Aron manages to hit the break before it does. He holds his arm across my chest to stop me from banging into the dashboard.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I scream. I shove his hand away from me. 

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just tryna keep your head from bursting open!" He screams back.

"I don't need your help with that. You almost got us fucking killed! You should've let me drive!" 

"I already told you, you don't need to!" 

"Jesus Christ! Why are you so fucking stubborn! Can't you see how dangerous this was?" 

"You think I don't know that?!" He yells back. 

We just stare at each other angrily for a while. 

Then he reaches into his pocket to grab a smoke. 

"Unbelievable." I say before getting out of the car. 

I slam the door and walk into the green shrubs.