Chapter 14: Don't Look Back

After spending a good hour at the beach the night before, Fitz came home and spent almost the whole night looking at different colleges online. He found that his best bet was community college and a few select art schools because he had missed the application deadlines for the majority of universities and out of the ones that he could still apply for, none of them were anywhere near Yale.

He had finally drifted off to sleep in the wee hours of the morning but he had been so tired that he slept through his alarm clock so Nancy had to wake him up for work. And even though Fitz was finishing off his work day a few hours early by running an errand for Jason, he was completely exhausted. The sky was greying, hinting at another stormy afternoon and Fitz just hoped he could get home before the rain began to fall.

He drives down the street of a residential area and makes a sharp turn into the small neighborhood where he would be delivering at when he sees two tiny white packets seep through a hole of the larger package that had contained them.

"Crap," Fitz says, veering off onto the side of the road and stopping the car. He picks up the packets and examines them, squeezing the bag and feeling his heart nearly stop when he realizes the bag is clear and the white color is due to the powdery content.

Olivia had even specifically warned him about Jason being a drug-dealer but he had either been too stupid to realize what was going on or he refused to believe it—though deep down Fitz knew it was the latter. He liked his job and the people he worked with and even though he was sketchy, Fitz hadn't thought Jason was a bad guy. But now that his suspicions were confirmed, Fitz was mad—and scared—as hell.

He struggles to keep his hands from trembling and looks around the empty street, like someone was about to come out of nowhere and catch him red-handed. I'm such an idiot, he scolds himself. Even if he told the truth, no one, particularly the cops, would ever believe him, especially with his record of delinquency.

He sits back into the driver's seat and stares out the window, wondering what he would do now. He didn't have it in him to just deliver the package, not after this. It felt like he'd be adding one more crime to the bucket load he already had. And he couldn't just confront Jason and promise not to squeal. He'd probably get fired—or worse. He knew how guys like Jason worked—the connections they had and the lengths they would go to protect their business and he didn't want to screw with that. Going to Jason with this was out of the question—as well as going to the cops. Fitz didn't want to be a snitch, he just wanted out of this operation. But what about Huck?

Huck wouldn't squeal on Fitz if Fitz confided in him, would he? They had spent so much time together and become pretty good friends and he seemed like an overall decent guy. Maybe he'd know what to do. He at least deserved to know what was going on—if he didn't already know. He had to give it a shot.

He stuffs the two little packs of coke into the larger package and hides them in his glove compartment. He then starts his car again, makes a U-turn, and heads back the way he came, back to the shop.

Jason's car was still gone but Fitz could see Huck in the back, working on a motorcycle. Fitz sucks in a huge, anxious breath and gets out of his car, slowly approaching the entrance to the shop, but when he remembers that Jason can come back at any time, he speeds up his pace.

Huck looks up at the sound of bells above the entrance, chiming as Fitz opens the door. "Hey, how'd it go?"

"Uh…can we talk?"

Huck immediately freezes at the look on Fitz's face. "What's wrong?"

"I-I couldn't deliver the package…"

"Why not?"

"I need to tell you something. Turn the music up a little louder," Fitz says, gesturing for Huck to follow him deeper into the back room.

"Why? What's going on, Fitz?"

"I don't want anyone to hear us." Fitz stops by a wooden shelf loaded with tools and takes one, fingering it casually and trying to look indifferent so that in case Jason walked in.

Huck turns up the Journey song that was playing and says, "Start talking."

Fitz sighs deeply. "I found something, man. It's pretty bad…"

Huck motions for Fitz to keep talking so he continues, "Jason is into some pretty nefarious crap—crap that neither you or I want to be involved in."

A shadow falls over Huck's face as he says evenly, "What our boss is into is none of my business—or yours."

Fitz narrows his eyes at Huck, suspecting that he sounded a little off too. "Well, it should be! We could get in serious trouble if we get caught with this stuff, Huck. I didn't sign up for this when I took this job. I just wanted to work on cars and make a little money—that's all. Isn't that what you want, too?"

Huck chuckles but Fitz knows it isn't humorous as he says in a low voice, "I have a mother, a father, two grandparents, three sisters, and two brothers at home—none of who have jobs. Working on cars alone pays just a little over minimum wage. I'd be lucky to be able to pay off my gas bill and rent money for the house. But delivering these packages...just the money I make from the tips, not including what Jason pays me on the side for it, is enough to pay off most my bills. I'm not like you, making a little money on the side so that you can go take your girlfriend out on dates while your rent is already paid and you have food waiting for you at home. I use the money I earn to support my family. This isn't just a summer job to me, this is…my life," Huck finishes and a look of despair that Fitz had never seen before falls upon his face.

Fitz is left speechless, torn between condemning Huck for going along with the sham and consoling him. After a few moments, Huck shakes his head. "I'm not proud of the fact that this is the way I have to make money but what I am proud of is that I can take care of my family—and that's all that matters."

Fitz stutters as he says, "I-I don't know what to do."

"What you need to do is act like this conversation never happened, get out there, and deliver that package before Jason comes back or the customer gets suspicious," Huck tells him, ready to walk away.

Fitz shakes his head and says slowly, fearing what could come next, "I don't think I can."

Huck raises his eyebrows at Fitz and crosses his arms over his chest but not in a particularly threatening way. "Well, then, we have a problem."

"How can you expect me to do this?" Fitz asks earnestly, but immediately regrets it when he thinks about what Huck said about his family.

"Just stop being a bitch about it. You're not even delivering as many packages as I do. I spend my Saturdays doing this. You're telling me you can't handle it a few times a week?"

Fitz shrugs. "I guess I can't…"

Huck stares at Fitz for a moment, looking like a disappointed parent or mentor before groaning and asking, "Where's the package?"

"It's in my car. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to deliver it since you suddenly can't handle the task," Huck says irritably, starting towards the front.

Fitz jogs up to him, blocking his path. "Wait! What are you…I mean, are you going to—"

"Tell Jason about this?" Huck guess and Fitz nods slowly. "No—not this time. But you're going to have to make up your mind eventually. You're either in or out, Fitz. And I don't mean that just with the packages. As much as I'd love to collect tips for your deliveries, too, it's not going to work if Jason specifically tells you to go make a run and he'll know something's up if you start acting weird about it. So, you either decide to get with the program or you quit. If you do quit, I won't tell anyone why as long as you keep your mouth shut as to why as well—and when I say keep your mouth shut, I mean don't tell a single soul," Huck says, and Fitz knows by the look in his eyes that he means his family, and even more so Olivia who he told pretty much everything. He would never forgive himself if danger came to any of them because of this. As much as he loved the repair part of the job, it wasn't worth it if the people he cared about the most in the world might end up hurt in the process.

"Fine—then I quit."

Huck nods calmly, unsurprised by his decision but visibly disappointed. "You have a good reason?"

"Tell him…the work was too strenuous and I injured myself so I'm doing something else." They both knew that Huck was the better liar of the two and that if Fitz had to tell Jason himself why he quit, he just might crack.

"Can you play that down?"

Fitz nods. "Yes."

"Alright. Now give me the package and get out of here before he gets back because I won't be able to save your ass if that happens."

When Fitz got home, he grabbed a bottle of water, headed to his room and called Stephen to see how he was holding up but also to take his mind off of what he had just dealt with. It was handled—he wouldn't ever have to deliver a 'package' ever again and Huck wouldn't snitch on him. It was over—there was no reason to worry.

He was lying on his bed, staring out his window at the stormy mess that was raging outside. There was something strangely peaceful and mesmerizing about the scenery, like a thousand years could pass and he wouldn't even realize it. But maybe what also captivated Fitz about the downpour outside was that it in a way matched the current state of his mind.

He sighs and is about to reach for his sketch pad to draw out his feelings when his phone rings.

He smiles at the caller ID as the image calms his nerves. "Hi, Livvie," he answers.

"Hey, babe. I was wondering if you wanted to come over. I know it's raining and you probably want to stay home but I was thinking that, if you're up for it, we could have some fun in the treehouse…" she says seductively in that sweet voice of hers. He feels his dick twitch in his pants but when he glances back outside, he has second thoughts.

He groans in frustration. "I don't know, Liv…"

"My parents aren't home—and they won't be back for several hours." That's all Fitz needed to hear before he was putting his jacket and shoes on, grabbing his keys, and rushing out into the rain with hardly any explanation to Nancy. And by the end of the next half hour, he and Olivia were on the floor of her treehouse, naked, and out of breath from a long and hot love-making session.

"That was amazing," Fitz says with a satisfied smile on his face. This was the fourth time they had had sex and the experience only continued to get increasingly better, along with Olivia's appetite for him.

She climbs on top of him and presses her lips to his neck and trails kisses down to his chest. She stops with one slow and wet kiss before looking back up at him with a huge grin. "I want to go again but this time can I be on top?" She asks, looking up at him like she was asking if she could go on a carnival ride—though, in a way, it would be a ride of sorts.

He smirks back at her and nods. He places his hands on her hips, helping her get into position as she adjusts herself on top of his manhood and she rides him with all the tenacity she has in her as he urges her on. All Fitz felt was pleasure in that moment and looking up at her, watching her face contort in that way it did whenever she was close to coming made him forget any and all worries he had.

With one final thrust, she collapses on top of him, out of breath and stamina, but appearing fully content and satisfied. She pulls off of him and rolls over onto his other side. "I could do this all day."

"We might not be able to do that. But we can definitely do it for the next few hours," he says, pecking her cheek.

She smiles and sits up. "Are you hungry? I brought some snacks."

"Actually, yeah, I am," Fitz says, realizing that he hadn't really had any lunch. As she takes the food out of a bag she brought up, Fitz gets up and puts on his sweatpants, feeling a chill run over his body even though the weather wasn't quite cold and completely closes the window that was slightly propped open, stopping the droplets off water that were trickling in. He turns back to see that Olivia putting her panties back on and his jacket, which was so huge on her that it nearly swallowed up her whole body. But he couldn't deny how cute and extremely sexy she looked in it, especially since she hadn't zipped it up, and one or both of her breasts would poke out depending on how she shifted.

He sits back down next to her and he figures that she must've read his mind as she offers a large glass bottle to him since he was thirsty. He takes it in his hands and asks, "Wine?"

She shakes her head and smiles with the edge of her mouth. "Apple cider."

He smirks. "Even better." He takes a long big chug then hands the bottle back to her and she does the same. She sets the food off to the side of him—it was mostly fruit and crackers but it was enough to satisfy his hunger for now.

"So…I wanted to talk to you about something," he says leaning back against the cool, wooden log wall and running his hand gently across her thigh as she leans back into him.

"Yeah?" She asks, a hint of worry in her voice.

He kisses the back of her neck soothingly. "It's not a big deal, I just wanted you to know that I'm starting to look at different universities and schools. I want to go to college soon…maybe even this fall."

She's quiet for a good few seconds before saying, "This isn't because of what my father said, is it? Because no one's pressuring you to do anything, Fitz…"

"Yeah, I know that, but I need to get my life on track and I think getting a little more education is a good start to doing that—do you think it's a bad idea?" He asks, trying not to succumb to the wave of doubt that was threatening to take over.

She faces him, making eye contact. "No, no, I think it's a great idea. I love that you want to push forward and take that route, as long as you're doing it for the right reasons. Not because of what my parents said or what they think, not because you feel like you'll never be enough in their eyes if you don't but because you really want to."

"I do. I'm doing this for me," he assures her and she nods with a grin. "Then I'm glad. And it is a big deal"

He smiles back at her as she asks, "So, what have you found so far?"

"There are a few art schools I'm interested in, but I think my best bet would be to try community college—that way I can get a more well-balanced education and I can be closer to you, too. There are a few good ones in New Haven."

"You could do that. You can start out at community and then transfer in two years…maybe to Yale," she says with a hopeful smile.

He chuckles. "Yeah, God-willing…" He sighs. "I've never been really been all that academically-inclined. It's already stressing me out and I haven't even started."

"I know, but if you put your mind to it you can do it. You're a fighter, Fitz, you can handle it. And I'll be with you every step of the way. We'll help each other."

"I doubt you'll need my help, Ms. Smartypants," he jokes.

She shakes her head. "Have you seen me draw or paint or do anything artistic? Remember when I tried to draw a stick figure of you and you ended up looking like a muppet?"

He laughs. "Yeah, it was pretty terrible…"

She elbows him. "So, I was thinking, you could help me with my artsy humanities courses and I could help you with your science courses. We could tutor each other."

He nods. "Deal."

They kiss on it and then lay back down, listening to the wild but therapeutic sounds of raindrops outside. Olivia's breathing is slow and even against him with her heart beating in a constant rhythm with his, and Fitz thought that she had drifted off to sleep for a few minutes until he suddenly heard hears her say, "Let's run away."

"What?" He asks, thinking he misheard her.

She looks up at him with a soft but devious smile. "Run away with me—for a few days."

He hardly hesitates before saying, "Okay. Where are we going?"

She shrugs. "Anywhere—anywhere we want, like…New York," she exclaims, her eyes lighting up in wonder. "Let's just drive and not look back. For a few days, let's not be Olivia, the brilliant girl who got into Yale, and Fitz, the boy stressed and worried about the future. Let's just be Olivia and Fitz. Let's just be…"

"I've never been to New York before," he says dreamily.

"Then let's go. Let's spend your birthday in the city."

He laughs nervously. "So, we just take off? How long will we be gone for?"

"Three, maybe four days. We can be back by Sunday," she tells him, but a look of uncertain comes over her face. "Well, unless it'll interfere too much with work."

He tenses up at the thought of work and the interaction he had with Huck that afternoon. He couldn't tell Olivia what happened but he could still tell her some of the truth. "Actually…I quit today," he says coolly, like he was just mentioning the weather.

She cocks an eyebrow in surprise. "Why?"

He shrugs. "It just…wasn't for me. I stopped enjoying working there," he explains simply.

She looks at him apologetically. "Oh. Do you want to talk about it?"

He shakes his head and smiles reassuringly at her. "Nah, I much rather talk about New York. That's a lot more interesting than some dusty, grimy auto-repair shop. Let's see—I can tell my aunt that I'm staying at Stephen's or Charlie's for some miscellaneous reason. I don't think she'll mind too much as long as I call periodically."

Olivia nods. "Abby left today for a camping trip she goes on with her family every summer…but my parents don't know that. I'll say I decided to go with them this year—we can leave tomorrow. That actually gives us five days if we get back late on Sunday."

"Then let's do it. Let's go on a road trip." She smiles back at him and then goes back to laying her head on his chest and staring out the window.

"You know this is a little crazy, right?" he says after a while.

"When did you become the rational one?" She asks simply, making him chuckle. "I just wanted to do something spontaneous. I really never get the chance…" She says, and listening closely, he could hear the hint of sadness in her voice. He used to envy the fact that she had everything in her life laid out for her and that if she just followed the pre-destined path, everything would work out. But lately he had realized that one of the things that makes life worth living are the things done a whim—the things that aren't planned out—but people like Olivia—people with parents like Olivia's didn't always have that luxury. So, he doesn't object or question her any further. He just wraps his arms around her, balances his chin on top of her head, and closes his eyes, imagining all the places they'll see and go to.

So, Olitz is leaving for the road…ideas on how that will go? How about things with Huck and Jason? Other thoughts? Thanks for reading!