Undercover (Boyxboy)

Chapter Fifteen

Harry

"Hey Ethan - why did Johnny drop his ice-cream?"

Ethan pursed his lips and looked like he was considering ignoring me. He eventually sighed and answered. "I don't know - why?"

I let a giggle burst through my lips before I could finish my joke. "Because he was hit by a bus..." I couldn't help but roar with laughter at my own slightly inappropriate joke.

Ethan, on the other hand, looked away from the road on which he was driving to give me an incredulous look. "That's not fucking funny, Harry - what the actual fuck?!"

I couldn't stop laughing and had to hold up my hand to Ethan, signalling I would be a while. We were on our way to the warehouse having left the hotel five minutes ago and I was starting to assume that I was freaking the fuck out judging by my behaviour. Just slightly though - I was rooting in the back of my head for the most ridiculous jokes to break the tension between Ethan and I. My most common 'I'm freaking out' routine.

Hugh had gone off in his car to the airport to collect my father and whoever was with him. Georgie and Tom were in the car ahead of us, leaving Ethan and I to fester in this soul-destroying journey that was full of tension and nerves.

I knew exactly what was going through Ethan's head right now; Is this the last time Harry and I will ever be in a car together? Is that the last joke Harry would ever tell me that I would get offended by? Is that the last time Harry would burp in my presence without excusing himself?

The list was endless. And to be honest, I wasn't totally innocent of those thoughts either. Which was why, when I felt another morbid thought try and make its way into my head I pulled out my Sally jokes.

I waited until Ethan had gotten over his shock and outrage at my last joke before smiling mischievously. "Hey Ethan?"

"What?" he snapped.

"Why did Sally fall off of the swing?" I held back another childish giggle.

"You know I despise this joke, Harry. Tell another one."

I was taken aback at the fact that he actually remembered that joke. It had been at least a couple of years since I'd said it - he had walked off in a huff the last time I'd told him it.

"I don't have any more jokes," I admitted as I rattled my brain but came up with nothing. I had hundreds of jokes stored in my good old brain-box but it didn't seem to want to open at this particular moment.

"Oh," was all Ethan replied.

"Yep."

Tension enveloped the car once again. I started unknowingly tapping my fingers against my knees, fidgeting in my seat every couple of seconds.

"Stop."

I jerked my eyes away from the spot on the dashboard I had been staring at. "Stop what?" I replied defensively.

"Fidgeting."

"I'm not fidgeting. You're fidgeting!" I know, I know, very bad comeback. But c'mon! I was on the way to my possible death - wittiness wasn't on my mind!

No, I had to stop thinking like that - it wouldn't be my possible death. Because I wouldn't die. Nobody was dying today - not on my watch.

"You're getting nervous."

It wasn't a question but a statement. Ethan's eyes were unwavering from the road ahead of us as the city streets turned into desolate country roads.

"Maybe," I replied. There was no use in lying - not around Ethan. That man was like a human lie-detector. I had often suggested he apply for a position on Jerry Springer if the whole spy thing didn't work out.