"NICK, HEY YOU DOIN' OKAY?"
SHE SETS HER COKE CUP DOWN AND LEANS TOWARDS NICK, WHO'S SLUMPED LIMPLY OVER A BENCH. "NICK?" BRENDA ASKS, BECOMING CONCERNED. SHE GLANCES UP AT THE STREET WHICH LAY AHEAD OF THEM. THEY'D BEEN WAITING AT THE BUS STOP FOR ALMOST HALF AN HOUR, AND THERE WAS STILL NO SIGN OF A BUS.
"HUH, WHA....?" NICK GRUMBLES, COMING TO AND TRYING TO STAND UP STRAIGHT. HE WOBBLES AND BRENDA HAS TO HELP HOLD HIM UP.
"NICK, SIT." SHE COMMANDS AS THEY PLOP DOWN ON THE BENCH. NICK FLOPS ON TO HER SHOULDER, HIS BODY GOING COMPLETELY LIMP. HIS BREATHING BECOMES HAGGARD FOR A MOMENT, THEN HE SLOWLY EXHALES. NICK OPENS HIS EYES WIDE AND LOOKS UP AT BRENDA WITH HIS EYES CROSSED AND A SMILE ON HIS FACE. IF BRENDA DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER, SHE'D THINK NICK WAS AN OVER-SIZED 2-YEAR OLD, BASED ON THE LOOK HE WAS SUDDENLY GIVING HER.
"BWEN-DA?" HE SAYS BABYISHLY, HIS SPEECH SLURRED.
"HMMM?" SHE REPLIES, STARTING TO WORRY.
"I WUV YOU." HE SLURS, WRAPPING HIS ARMS AROUND HER HEAD AND ROCKING BACK AND FORTH. HE STOPS AND LOOKS AT HER, THE TOOTHY GRIN STILL ON HIS FACE. "GIMME SUGARS?" HE WHIMPERS, PUCKERING UP.
"NICK, ARE YOU OKAY?" BRENDA ASKS AGAIN, PULLING FROM NICK'S GRASP AND STANDING UP. SHE FEELS NICK'S HEAD FOR FEVER. "OH, SHEEZ, YOU'RE BURNING UP!" SHE EXCLAIMS, PULLING SOME TYLENOL FROM HER BAG. "HERE, TAKE THIS." SHE INSTRUCTS, HANDING HIM THE TYLENOL AND HIS SODA TO SWALLOW IT DOWN WITH.
"NO!" NICK PROTESTS, SWINGING AT HER HAND. HE CROSSES HIS ARMS IN FRONT OF HIS CHEST AND POUTS, "GIMME SUGARS FIRST." BRENDA DECIDES IT'S BEST TO PLAY ALONG SO SHE LEANS OVER, SETS THE TYLENOL AND SODA DOWN, AND GIVES HIM A PECK ON THE CHEEK. NICK JUST GIGGLES.
"NOW, NICKY GIVE BWENDA SUGARS." NICK GURGLES, JUMPING UP FROM THE BENCH. BEFORE BRENDA CAN REACT, NICK GRABS HER HEAD AND KISSES HER FOREHEAD. BREATHING HEAVILY, HE PULLS AWAY, LOOKING DEEPLY INTO HER CONCERNED EYES.
"BWENDA PERDY." HE WHISPERS AND KISSES HER FOREHEAD AGAIN. "WILL BWENDA MARRY NICKY?" HE ASKS WHEN HE PULLS AWAY AGAIN. SHE JUST NODS, NUMB WITH SHOCK AND WORRY. NICK SMILES BIG AND LEADS HER BACK OVER TO THE BENCH. HE TAKES HIS TYLENOL LIKE HE PROMISED, THEN NUZZLES ON BRENDA'S NECK AND FALLS ASLEEP.
BRENDA SIGHS WITH RELIEF ONCE HE DOZES OFF. STILL IN SHOCK OVER WHAT JUST HAPPENED, SHE CHECKS NICK'S HEAD FOR TRACES OF THE FEVER THAT BROUGHT THE INCIDENT ON. THOUGH IT'S STILL THERE, SHE CAN TELL THE TYLENOL IS
DOING IT'S JOB. SHE SIGHS AGAIN.
"SHOULD I ASK HIM ABOUT THIS WHEN HE COMES TO?" SHE ASKS HERSELF, LOOKING AT NICK WHO'S STILL NUZZLED ON HER NECK. ONCE MORE, SHE SIGHS. "NAH." SHE SAYS TO HERSELF, SITTING BACK IN THE BENCH. "AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, IT NEVER HAPPENED."
KEVIN CRINGES, THEN WHISPERS, "YOU CAN SLEEP TOO... IF YOU CAN." HE LOOKS OVER THE BACKSEAT AND ROLLS HIS EYES. "I DON'T MIND IF YOU DO." HE LOOKS UP AT LAURA FROM THE STEERING WHEEL, HIS PIERCING GREEN EYES BURNING INTO HERS. LAURA CAN'T HELP BUT GULP.
"N-NO," LAURA STAMMERS, "I'LL STAY UP AND KEEP YOU COMPANY."
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO." KEVIN REPLIES, KEEPING HIS EYES ON THE ROAD. HE GLANCES AT THE CLOCK. "IT'S LATE. YOU NEED TO GET SOME SLEEP."
"DO YOU NOT WANT ME TO STAY UP WITH YOU?" LAURA ASKS, CRUSHED.
"I.....I DIDN'T SAY THAT." KEVIN STUTTERS, NOT LOOKING AT LAURA. SHE WATCHES AS COLOR SLOWLY CREEPS UP HIS NECK AND IT SUDDENLY BECOMES OBVIOUS TO LAURA THAT KEVIN IS FEELING....AWKWARD?
"OH WELL," LAURA SIGHS, THROWING IN THE TOWEL, "I AM KINDA SLEEPY." SHE PRETENDS TO YAWN AND LAYS HER HEAD OVER ON THE SEAT. "GOODNIGHT." SHE SIGHS.
"GOODNIGHT." KEVIN REPLIES. LAURA'S HEART QUICKLY MELTS WITH THOSE WORDS. AND SHE CAN'T HELP BUT SMILE WHEN, WHILE TAKING A QUICK PEEK AT KEV BEFORE DOZING OFF, SHE SEES HIM GLANCING INTENTLY AT HER, SMILING.
"YEAH, BUT WE HAVE TO GET TO ORLANDO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, JUST IN CASE WE CATCH B-ROK AND ESTHER THERE." A.J ANSWERS, PUTTING HIS FOOT DOWN ON THE
GAS.
"WELL, AREN'T YOU CONCERNED YOU'LL GET A TICKET DRIVING AS FAST AS YOU ARE?" DIANA ASKS, A BEWILDERED LOOK ON HER FACE.
"ARE YOU KIDDING?" A.J. LAUGHS, MAKING ANOTHER TURN. "I'VE NEVER GOTTEN A TICKET IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!"
AS IF THAT WAS A CUE, RED AND BLUE LIGHTS BEGIN TO FLASH IN THE REAR WINDOW AS A COP DIRECTS THEM TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. A.J.'S MOUTH DROPS OPEN, AND HE NUMBLY STOPS THE VEHICLE AND KILLS THE ENGINE.
"AH, WELL," DIANA MOCKS, LIGHTLY SLUGGING THE SIDE OF A.J.'S ARM AS THE OFFICER APPROACHES HIS WINDOW. "I GUESS THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING."
