FicWad

"Is this it?"

You stand behind Charlie as he maneuvered the bus expertly into your apartment complex, the small handful of buildings filled with rooms, one of which you and Jeffrey shared. Yikes. You sighed. "Yes, unfortunately."

Pete came up behind you, kissing your ear. "Just say no," he whispered, your spine tingling.

"I can't, I have to face him sometime," you answer back. Pete looked at you sadly.

"Do you want me to come in and punch him in the face? I can't do that as well as you can, though," he said with a hint of laughter.

You smack him.

"No, I'll be okay. Unless he and Jessica are-"

"Don't say it," Patrick said, coming up from behind you. He gave you a hug and you hugged him back. You'd only been on the bus from last night till four today (the time it was now), but still, it felt like you'd been there days. Patrick and Joe had finally come out of their quarters with their girls, who had been dropped off at one of the nearby malls around noon and promised to be picked up again around nine (when they closed).

"I don't want her to go," Dirty said with a grin, "she's fun." He gave you a hug as well, and released you to check his off the hook-ringing cell phone.

Charlie parked the bus into at least five parking spots wide and turned the ignition off. He got up and you all stood around the table: you, Charlie, Pete, Dirty (checking his voicemail), Patrick, Andy. A tear formed and fell down the side of your face again.

Silently, you all exchanged cell phone numbers. You added Pete's in with extra caution, making sure every digit was the right one. He walked you off the bus, away from it, and near one of the buildings, taking you into the shade under one of the numerous oak trees and out of sight from the bus. As he leaned against the tree, you inhaled and exhaled. You didn't want it to end.

"Neither do I," he said, reading her mind again.

You smile sadly and give him an extra-big hug, from which he wouldn't let you go. As you took in everything about that day-his face, his eyes, his smile, the way his hair was fluffy instead of gelled and everything else, the sunshine, and the way the clouds were slightly becoming overcast.

You didn't want to let go.

But, eventually, you both had to release each other. As you pulled away, Pete moved some of the hair from your face, and looking into your eyes, kissed you again. It felt like you were melting, like that Popsicle in the bright Florida sunshine.

"I guess I gotta go now," you said with a sigh. Pete matched yours, but he sat in the grass under the tree.

"No."

You smile. "Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"NO!"

"YESSSS!" You tackled him and kissed him again. As you both pulled away, you said breathlessly, "Call me when you come back to town. I have to go now, or I'm going to do something in public that I wouldn't want to do. Or actually, call me anytime." You kiss him again and stand up, not looking behind you.

"Kathleen!"

You turn around and stare at the tree. But nobody was there.

You looked at the parking lot. The bus was gone.

Had someone really called your name? Ack, you need water.