Ever After -Completed-

Can't You Stay

I guess this is the right idea...in my mind I mean...I really don't know.
Okay, writing in 3...2...1...
*as she procrastinates more*
*procrastinates half of thirty minutes* *looks at clock* *swears* *starts randomly*

><Collin><

"In America you can drive, in a lot of places, for miles and miles on flat roads," Josh whispered in my ear, scaring me out of my daze. I had been sleepily watching the city pass by us, lights changing the inside of the car flashes of different colors as we went by. I had been positive that I-excluding Ian, who was driving-was the only one still awake in the car. Matt and Mike were dozing in the seats ahead of us, blissfully unaware of the mustaches Josh had drawn on their faces. For the moment, at least. Seeing he had my attention now, Josh continued, "The only thing you see is corn or hay, and the gray in front of you. It's eerie, how few people live there."

I was intrigued, having only visited the states before the border closed. "I thought the states had loads of people?"

"They do," he confirmed, "but more space than needed. Everyone's pressed into the big cities; New York, San Francisco, with a few in suburbs and even less in some small towns. The Midwest is devoid of just about any life, least of all humans. Have you never been?"

"Only a few times, when I was younger. What's it like?"

He unbuckled so that he wouldn't have to lean so far to talk to me, sitting in the unoccupied middle seat. "Beautiful, in a lot of places. Kind of like when you get outside of all of this," he motioned towards the window, at the city beside and surrounding us. "The major cities are neat, too, lots of gambling places and restaurants. Then again, you can pretty much find the latter anywhere in the U.S.-it's like it's a law or something. There's buildings taller than ours and people who are, and it seems impossible, even ruder. They also think we're very strange, with our bagged milk and such."

I laughed bit my lip to stop a laugh, not wanting to wake everyone else up. "It seems to me like they're the weird ones."

"Oh, they are." 

We stopped in front of Matt's house. Josh stepped in front of his seat, unbuckled Matt and slid the door open, pushing his band mate out. He barely fought back, groggily waving goodbye and stumbling into his home. 

Mike was next, then Ian. Josh switched to the driver's seat, yelling a quick goodbye that probably woke at least one neighbor. 

Five minutes or so later, the car jerked to a stop. The headlights aimed at the front door, illuminating my path. I dragged the car's middle door open, the loud growl as it slid enough to wake me. 

The diver's side door banged closed. Josh jogged to my side, grabbing my hand gently. "I might as well walk you to your door, in case a monster tries to attack you out here."

I rolled my eyes, trying to fight back a smile. "In this five foot walk? I don't think so." Even as I said it, we were standing on the porch. 

He took my other hand, facing me. With a smile, I let go and walked inside, the door almost closing before he slipped in. "And I should be there to protect you, in case of any murderers."

Actual shivers went down my spine at the thought. There was no way that Josh could have known, of course. I didn't tell him about that night, and of course Meg would never feel any inclination to. He seemed to notice. I see, through the dark, the outline of his head move to look down at me, but Josh said nothing. Thank God-that was the sort of story you saved for the wedding night, as Meg would say. 

Not that we would get married. Ever. Probably. I wouldn't get my hopes up.

When we finally got to my room, Josh seemed out of excuses. He leaned bowed slowly, seeming hesitant to leave.

A girl could take a hint. I grabbed some pajamas from my wardrobe, folding them in my arms. "You can stay,if you want," I offered. "Meg's room is just over there, and we can watch a movie until you're tired."

"Or until you are, I might take a while." He said readily. At my questioning look, he added, "I have insomnia. So, you no, sleep is kinda," he tilted his hand, palm down.  

I nodded, having overheard Ian and Mike say something like this. For the longest time after her mother died, especially during her father's trial, Meg had had to take sleeping pills because the insomnia got to a point where she didn't sleep at all. Not even during the day. 

I went into my bathroom and quickly changed, brushed my teeth, and put my hair up. I usually at least braided it before going to sleep because otherwise I would get the worst bed head. Meg liked ask if the Sharknado had come through while I was asleep, which was a pretty accurate description of how it looked. 

Josh wasn't in my room when I reentered. I poked my head into the hallway, seeing a light on in Meg's room. "Josh?" I called. 

He came out sheepishly. "Sorry, I just...wandered, I guess. She has a lot of quotes in this room. And other things, too."

I nodded, coming over to join him. "Meg's a collector. When we were younger she'd keep those tin bins that candy comes in and put random stuff inside-fortune cookie papers, shells, foreign money. Anything she might want to have to remember a day by someday. I guess it was her way of coping, you know?" I touched the books on her shelves, most of them covered in a mat black cover. She would always go out of her way to find ones that had them, even if they were ridiculously expensive. I suppose they did look good.

"Coping?" Josh tore his eyes away from the center of the wall, where a big quote was placed. Every other seemed to branch out from this center one, overlapping the edges but not enough to cover it.

I picked at my thumb, trying not to show my fuck, what did I just do? moment to him. "Just, you know, normal teenager stuff." I hated lying, I really did, but Meg's secrets weren't mine to tell. Changing the subject, I nodded of the quote he had been looking at. "She loves Masterpiece Theatre," I said, "This masterpiece is only mine, entirely guilty by design. Her favorite one. Mine, too."

Josh smiled; though I knew he had detected my lie, he didn't press it. "I'm glad to have pleased you, madam," he joked.

I wrinkled my nose. "Ew, gross. Don't ever say that again."

He nodded, swinging his arms towards the door. "Noted. Do you want to go watch that movie now?"

Was that cute? I hope it was cute. Probably not, but it was long so GIVE THIS GIRL A TREAT.