If Only It Were That Simple

Chapter 27- Pick Up

Connor-

I watch as Nikki walks out of the station alone. Benny and Lorrie trailing behind, stopping at the door. Nikki keeps walking. I flash the headlights of the truck so she can find it. She silently heads over and climbs in. "What's keeping them Nikki?" I ask her, she says nothing as she sits in the back with Jacob. Looking silently out the window. I watch the two and their animated conversation as they head to the car. I try not to laugh and hide my smile. Benny keeps walking as Lorrie pauses to answer a call. He pauses to wait, but she motions him to keep going, he doesn't. They both stand in the parking lot while she answers her phone. They head to the car Lorrie still talking rapidly on the phone. Benny opens the passenger door for her. Benny climbs into the back seat of the truck scowling at Lorrie's phone.

"Okay, fifteen minutes from the house, and we've got to get gas. I'll try to be there in half an hour." Lorrie says, "See you then." She hangs up the phone turning to face Benny, the rest of us buckle up as well. And well, I start the car seeing as I'm already buckled in. "Benny you know it's not my fault. I don't know why you're mad at me."

"Why can't you find someone else?" He asks her.

"For who? Me or him?" She asks.

"Both." Benny answers.

"I do tutor other kids, we need this gig. He's not that bad."

"What about for him?"

"Finding a tutor that tutors in every class for 90 an hour is impossible."

Johnny. After figuring out who they were arguing about, I could totally understand why Benny doesn't want Lorrie working with him. He's a classic jerk.

"Nik, are you okay?" Benny reaches across Jacob to put his hand on her shoulder. "You're awfully quiet." Nikki jerks back and puts herself more in the corner of the car. She's surprisingly still on the seat. Benny pulls back a look of hurt flashes across his face before he puts the back of his head against the window, "Nik, what's going on?"

She says nothing as I pull into the parking spot at the station and head inside. I come back out with two gas jugs full of gas. Along with the night store employee. We put them into the bed of the truck and I hand over a few bills before getting back into the car and driving away.

"How much do I owe you?" Benny asks pulling out his wallet.

"Nothing, it's on the house." I answer, "My uncle's station. I was just paying for the last time I got gas." I stop the car in the Scott's drive. Nikki darts out and into the garage just as a red jeep wrangler pulls up in front of the house. Benny helps me with the gas and begins filling their old car. Jacob helps Lorrie out and grabs her crutches from the back.

"Hey Johnny." Lorrie greets him politely, "I was surprised to hear from you." They head to the garage together as the rain, or in this case, sleet and snow starts to fall.

"Dang it!" Johnny says, "Wait one second." Johnny tells Lorrie motioning for her to stay put. "I have put my tarp over my car. My father will kill me if the car gets damaged." He pulls up his hood and races out. He quickly covers his car, "Do you have a free minute?" He asks her returning soaked to the skin covered in ice.

"Yes, of course, come on in." She says heading to the door. Benny heads to the door after putting the gas cans back into my truck. He rushes to open the door for Lorrie and help her up the steps to the door. She smiles at her brother and Johnny follows her inside.

"Do you and Jacob want to come in?" Benny asks, "We've got an extra tarp to cover your truck. You can warm up inside. Head out when the weather's better."

"Jacob?" I ask my brother who nods eagerly, Benny grabs a tarp from the box in the garage, And we head out to cover my truck. Then we all head inside, just as covered in snow and ice as Johnny.

"Lorrie!" Benny yells into the house. Her crutches sound against the hardwood floors as she hurries into what I'm guessing is their extravagant mudroom.

"What's wrong?" She asks worriedly.

"Where's Nik?" He ask looking over her shoulder to see if their sister was there.

"Probably in her room or mine." Lorrie answers, "I haven't seen her since I got in. Why?"

Benny makes no attempt to answer, "Make some hot coco, I'll be right back." He heads into another part of the house. Lorrie works silently and surprisingly efficiently around the kitchen. Six clear glass mugs sitting by her pot on the stove. She heads to the fridge and freezer unit and pulls out a bar of chocolate and vanilla ice cream. She scoops the ice cream into the pot and stirs in half the chocolate and a bag of chocolate chips. She saves half the bar for later.

"Jacob," Lorrie acknowledges us, "Do you see the cabinet by the China cabinet?"

"Yeah?" He asks.

"Would you be an angel and grab the candy canes out of that cabinet?" She asks turning back to the pot on the stove.