JC peered at her through his car window. It was dark out and he doubted that she saw him. She looked amazing... even better than before, if that were even possible. He pressed his finger against the glass and traced her outline. What if he hadn't left... what if he had stayed...
Hazel had noticed the small, dark car that drove by more than once, but she tried to ignore it. Besides, her mind was on the broken gutter... and rain was on its way.
She looked up into the porch and saw a pair of blue eyes looking back at her. "Benny, go back inside while mommy fixes the gutter."
The little boy scampered back inside, giggling the whole way. Hazel looked at the roll of tape in her hands and sighed. She wrapped it around the leak and then stood back to look at her work. It would have to do until Ben got back from Chicago.
"JC, how many more times are we going to have to drive by?" Chris asked impatiently after they had gone around the block five times.
"Just once more..." JC begged, his forehead and hands still pressed against the window. "I need to see her once more before we go."
Just as Chris was rounding the block for the sixth time, a loud boom sounded out and he slammed on the brakes. "Oh, shit!" he yelled as he glared over in JC's direction. "Thanks to you and your need to STALK, we've got a flat tire! Thanks a LOT."
"Look, Chris... whether you were driving me around or not..."
"No way! These tires are brand new! There must have been something on the road..." He pulled over to the curb and went to open the door.
"What are you doing?!" JC asked, grabbing his arm.
Chris raised an eyebrow as he jerked away. "I'm getting out to check out the damage. Is that okay with you?"
"No! She'll see you!" JC cried, desperately trying to keep him in the car.
"See me? We're around the corner! She's probably inside already. Just calm down! Everything will be fine," he assured his very stressed out friend. He opened the door and stepped out.
Hazel had heard a loud noise from around the corner and went to investigate. Sure enough, there was that little car parked by the curb. She felt the need to go and help. a man get out, she decided to approach him. He obviously needed a phone or something.
JC watched as Chris walked around the car, looking for the culprit tire. Chris' face scrunched up when he reached the back, right hand tire.
"We're stuck here," he announced, flopping back in his seat and shutting the door. "Hey, JC, man... did you bring your cell phone?"
JC's eyes widened. "You don't have your PHONE?"
"No! Don't YOU?"
"No!"
Suddenly there was a knock on Chris' window. JC's blood ran cold when he saw her face through the tinted glass. She would see him and then she would know... she would know... He begin panicking, running his fingers through his hair and fighting the urge to scream. He wish he could just... disappear...
"Shh! Calm down! I'll handle this!" Chris hissed. "Just... hide your face or something."
"Hide my FACE?"
"DO IT!"
He pressed a button and the window went down. JC got an idea. He opened his door and got out, beginning to search the ground.
"J! What are you doing!"
The pretty face in front of Chris smiled at him. "Do you guys need any help?" she asked. "I was just in my yard and I heard a loud noise and... What's your friend doing?"
"He's... he's..." Chris stuttered. "What ARE you doing J.... Jason?"
JC coughed. "I'm looking for my contact," he said in a low voice. "It fell out when I opened the door."
"When did you open the door?" Chris looked at him, confused.
JC could have hit him. Was he trying to HELP? "When I was looking at the tire," he said between clenched teeth.
Hazel looked at JC's back. "Really? I didn't see your door open..."
JC cursed himself. Could he GET any dumber? "Well..."
"Here, let me help you find your contact."
"No!" Chris spoke up, carefully opening his door and squeezing out. "He's fine. We just need to use a phone or something."
"Sure..." Hazel said, still focused on the man on the other side of the car. He seemed so familiar... She just HAD to see his face. "I'm sorry," she said to Chris. "I didn't catch your name."
"It's Chris," he answered, sticking out his hand so she could shake it.
"I'm Hazel."
JC coughed, feeling tears well up in his eyes. How he had missed her voice... how he had missed HER. He pushed a way a few more pebbles, still pretending to look for his missing contact. As long as she didn't see him... everything would be okay.
Hazel moved around Chris and peered at the man who was on his knees in the dirt. "Hi," she said. "You're Jason... right?"
Before JC could think about responding, Chris butted in, "I'm really sorry to rush you... but we're kind of in a hurry."
"Oh!" Hazel said, turning away from JC. "It's no problem. I understand."
JC sighed... that was close. But how he wanted to see her face close up... he just HAD to look... so he did. But it was only for a second. A second too long.
"Josh? Is that you?"
Chapter 2
What Might Have Been
JC {Fiction}
My Fiction
I'll Never Stop {Fiction}
Email me: irishgirl982@yahoo.com