~Gin's POV~
I wake suddenly, jerking my head up. Where am I? Then I realize that I'm definitely not in my own house. I shiver at the slight breeze coming through the window ajar on the left side of the room. The cold is almost counteracted by warm breaths of air dispersing over my bare arm.
My gaze drifts to the ever-ruffled, blonde head of hair sleeping deeply next to me. I smile and watch him for a minute. I hope I look as beautiful as he does when I sleep. Most likely, my hair is a mess and I have drool on the pillow.
Slowly, my reason for being here dawns on me. I rub the sleep out of my eyes, as if trying to erase the events from my memory. I mentally tell myself I'm not going to think about it now and rest my head on the cool pillowcase, next to Jesse. I face him, my lips so close to his. His lips, so soft and pink, hold amazing stories, amazing kisses, if I could make it past his shell.
The rhythmic breathing of a rem cycle ceases and his eyes open...beautiful eyes.
"Hey," his voice cracks slightly. "You're awake."
"Good call." I smile and he grins for a second. Then he drifts off to sleep once more. I also close my eyes and fall blissfully into a deep slumber, laced with dreams of cars, a happy reunion with Austin, school, and Jesse's ruffled hair.
I don't wake again until mid-morning. As soon as I fully regain my senses, I realize what I have to do today. The room is empty of Jess so I have a little privacy. Reaching for the phone on the bedside table, I call the only one person I need to. Austin.
"Hi, This is Virginia O'Day. I need to reach Captain Braddock?.. Oh, ok....Well, could you give him a message? Yes, tell him Virginia O'Day is calling for Austin O'Day. His father has passed away and if possible, he needs to be home by Tuesday. Thank you." My lip trembles as I say these words, but my anxiety passes as soon as I stop talking. I hang up the phone, stretch, and walk out the door of Jesse's room, looking for signs of life. I meet Brian on the stairs and he puts an arm around my shoulder.
"How you doin' kid?" He says with a grin.
I playfully punch him "Kid, eh, kid? I'm a lil' better, old man. I've called the one person that I need to. I thought about it last night on the beach, and it's best to....to not have a wake and a traditional funeral. We're pretty much the only relatives that would come to his funeral. He was an only child and both his parents are gone. I think we'll just, well, bury him. I really need to get home. I haven't even talked to the police, but I'm sure they've hounded Jack and the staff to death!"
He nods, but I know he doesn't have a clue who those people are. "You know what you need?"
"What?" I ask.
With this he slings me over his shoulder and runs down the stairs. I start to yell for help.
"Jesse!" When I don't see him around, I yell for anyone. " Leon! Vince! Oh V! Help, Come on V!" Vince is laughing uncontrollably as Brian starts to tickle me. He throws me on the coach and Vince joins in. Leon just sits there smiling.
"Mia! MIIIAAAA!!!" I yell desperately, giggling like a five year old. She runs in from the kitchen, sees what's happening and grabs me from their clutches. Breathing hard, and still laughing, I manage to get out a thanks. "Do you have any water guns?" I whisper to her as she leads me towards the kitchen.
"Yeah. I'm sure we do. Hmm, where did I.... Ohh!! I remember. Wait here!" She goes out back and returns a minute later with a cardboard box full of squirt guns and supersoakers. Obviously the team are professionals.
"I want the one with the backpack thingie. Ooh and a little one to put in my shorts. All the secret agents have an extra!" I smile excitedly. We fill ours with water and a couple extras. "Where's Letty?"
"I think she's outside. She said she was going to check on her engine coolant or something. Jess is with her. And Dom went to the.oh never mind, he's back." Mia corrects herself as she hears the front door open and close. Immediately she chucks the water guns into the box and I run to sit on it.
"Mia, what are you doin' in here?"
"Nothing Dom. Hey tell Letty to come here for a minute."
"Why can't you tell her?"
"Please Dom?" Mia bats her eyelashes and pouts.
"Fine, " Dom grumbles. "Hey Let!" He yells out the back. "Mia wants you in the kitchen." Dom walks back into the living room where the guys are congregated around the TV.
"What Mi?" She asks, hanging off the doorframe.
"Shh, come here." Mia giggles and hands her a supersoaker. "Alright on three..One...Two...Three."
We all start running into the living room and pounding the guys with water. "Ahhhhhh!!" Leon and Vince try and grab the guns from Mia and me but we hold on tight. My gun has so much water in the backpack that I won't have to refill for a while. Letty is chasing Dom out the door with a supersoaker in each hand. That's when I remember Jesse. He's outside, missing all.....the...Frickin......FUN! Suddenly I turn and run from my squirting Brian and go out the back door. Sneaking around the edge of the house, I see his feet sticking out from under Letty's Nissan. I kick one gently with my bare foot. He doesn't move. I kick him again, hiding the gun behind my back.
"What!" he asks annoyed, rolling out from under the car. "Oh, its you." He smiles. "What's up?"
"Oh not much, I just wanted to.." I'm cut off by Dom's yelling. He runs around the side of the house, soaked and Letty is running after him, laughing evilly.
"Jesse! They've got water guns! Watch out! ROLL UNDER THE CAR!"
It's too late for Jess. As he's trying to understand what Dom's saying, I pull his leg and roll him into the open. Then I shoot him with a cold spray of water. He gets up to run and I follow him down the street and back up, which by this time he's soaked. He finally realizes this and turns on me. I'm almost out of water anyway. I shed the backpack, just holding the gun, which has just enough left in it for another good soak. Jess grabs it from my wet hands and holds me close to him, but I'm facing away. The gun is pointed at my temple.
"You wouldn't!" I say.
"Oh wouldn't I?" He asks. I can tell he's grinning. Suddenly I turn around, and we're so close. If he leaned down a little, our lips would be touching. I can see his eyes closing and he leans in to kiss me. I feel something between my back my pants, remembering the extra gun. Whipping it around, I squirt him directly in the mouth. His yelp of surprise is priceless. I laugh and run away, but the first cold spray of water hits my back and I stop dead for a minute. I can't let him get away with that! Turning on my heel I go back over to him. I stand on tiptoe, about to kiss him, when I'm shot in the stomach.
"I'm gonna make you work for it!..Or at least.. RUN FOR IT!"
My mind races. Where could I run to that he wouldn't want to get soaked..HIS CAR! My eyes light up as I realize. I skid across his hood, and jump into the passenger side of his Jetta. I can see he understands I've beaten him.
He follows me to his car, drops the water gun, and gets in the driver's side himself. He peels out of the driveway, headed for the beach. "We've got to get your car back from the beach." He explains.
It doesn't take too long to get there and he gets out of the car when I do. He walks to my car door with me and before I get in, he grabs my waist, pulling me close. Jesse's definitely not a forceful guy, so it's a little surprising. "Now, you're not pulling any tricks this time." He says and kisses me. His lips are so sweet, just a hint salty and the kiss ends way too soon. Teasing him is too fun, so I grab his beanie, put it on me, and jump in my car before he can protest. We head our separate ways.
I wake suddenly, jerking my head up. Where am I? Then I realize that I'm definitely not in my own house. I shiver at the slight breeze coming through the window ajar on the left side of the room. The cold is almost counteracted by warm breaths of air dispersing over my bare arm.
My gaze drifts to the ever-ruffled, blonde head of hair sleeping deeply next to me. I smile and watch him for a minute. I hope I look as beautiful as he does when I sleep. Most likely, my hair is a mess and I have drool on the pillow.
Slowly, my reason for being here dawns on me. I rub the sleep out of my eyes, as if trying to erase the events from my memory. I mentally tell myself I'm not going to think about it now and rest my head on the cool pillowcase, next to Jesse. I face him, my lips so close to his. His lips, so soft and pink, hold amazing stories, amazing kisses, if I could make it past his shell.
The rhythmic breathing of a rem cycle ceases and his eyes open...beautiful eyes.
"Hey," his voice cracks slightly. "You're awake."
"Good call." I smile and he grins for a second. Then he drifts off to sleep once more. I also close my eyes and fall blissfully into a deep slumber, laced with dreams of cars, a happy reunion with Austin, school, and Jesse's ruffled hair.
I don't wake again until mid-morning. As soon as I fully regain my senses, I realize what I have to do today. The room is empty of Jess so I have a little privacy. Reaching for the phone on the bedside table, I call the only one person I need to. Austin.
"Hi, This is Virginia O'Day. I need to reach Captain Braddock?.. Oh, ok....Well, could you give him a message? Yes, tell him Virginia O'Day is calling for Austin O'Day. His father has passed away and if possible, he needs to be home by Tuesday. Thank you." My lip trembles as I say these words, but my anxiety passes as soon as I stop talking. I hang up the phone, stretch, and walk out the door of Jesse's room, looking for signs of life. I meet Brian on the stairs and he puts an arm around my shoulder.
"How you doin' kid?" He says with a grin.
I playfully punch him "Kid, eh, kid? I'm a lil' better, old man. I've called the one person that I need to. I thought about it last night on the beach, and it's best to....to not have a wake and a traditional funeral. We're pretty much the only relatives that would come to his funeral. He was an only child and both his parents are gone. I think we'll just, well, bury him. I really need to get home. I haven't even talked to the police, but I'm sure they've hounded Jack and the staff to death!"
He nods, but I know he doesn't have a clue who those people are. "You know what you need?"
"What?" I ask.
With this he slings me over his shoulder and runs down the stairs. I start to yell for help.
"Jesse!" When I don't see him around, I yell for anyone. " Leon! Vince! Oh V! Help, Come on V!" Vince is laughing uncontrollably as Brian starts to tickle me. He throws me on the coach and Vince joins in. Leon just sits there smiling.
"Mia! MIIIAAAA!!!" I yell desperately, giggling like a five year old. She runs in from the kitchen, sees what's happening and grabs me from their clutches. Breathing hard, and still laughing, I manage to get out a thanks. "Do you have any water guns?" I whisper to her as she leads me towards the kitchen.
"Yeah. I'm sure we do. Hmm, where did I.... Ohh!! I remember. Wait here!" She goes out back and returns a minute later with a cardboard box full of squirt guns and supersoakers. Obviously the team are professionals.
"I want the one with the backpack thingie. Ooh and a little one to put in my shorts. All the secret agents have an extra!" I smile excitedly. We fill ours with water and a couple extras. "Where's Letty?"
"I think she's outside. She said she was going to check on her engine coolant or something. Jess is with her. And Dom went to the.oh never mind, he's back." Mia corrects herself as she hears the front door open and close. Immediately she chucks the water guns into the box and I run to sit on it.
"Mia, what are you doin' in here?"
"Nothing Dom. Hey tell Letty to come here for a minute."
"Why can't you tell her?"
"Please Dom?" Mia bats her eyelashes and pouts.
"Fine, " Dom grumbles. "Hey Let!" He yells out the back. "Mia wants you in the kitchen." Dom walks back into the living room where the guys are congregated around the TV.
"What Mi?" She asks, hanging off the doorframe.
"Shh, come here." Mia giggles and hands her a supersoaker. "Alright on three..One...Two...Three."
We all start running into the living room and pounding the guys with water. "Ahhhhhh!!" Leon and Vince try and grab the guns from Mia and me but we hold on tight. My gun has so much water in the backpack that I won't have to refill for a while. Letty is chasing Dom out the door with a supersoaker in each hand. That's when I remember Jesse. He's outside, missing all.....the...Frickin......FUN! Suddenly I turn and run from my squirting Brian and go out the back door. Sneaking around the edge of the house, I see his feet sticking out from under Letty's Nissan. I kick one gently with my bare foot. He doesn't move. I kick him again, hiding the gun behind my back.
"What!" he asks annoyed, rolling out from under the car. "Oh, its you." He smiles. "What's up?"
"Oh not much, I just wanted to.." I'm cut off by Dom's yelling. He runs around the side of the house, soaked and Letty is running after him, laughing evilly.
"Jesse! They've got water guns! Watch out! ROLL UNDER THE CAR!"
It's too late for Jess. As he's trying to understand what Dom's saying, I pull his leg and roll him into the open. Then I shoot him with a cold spray of water. He gets up to run and I follow him down the street and back up, which by this time he's soaked. He finally realizes this and turns on me. I'm almost out of water anyway. I shed the backpack, just holding the gun, which has just enough left in it for another good soak. Jess grabs it from my wet hands and holds me close to him, but I'm facing away. The gun is pointed at my temple.
"You wouldn't!" I say.
"Oh wouldn't I?" He asks. I can tell he's grinning. Suddenly I turn around, and we're so close. If he leaned down a little, our lips would be touching. I can see his eyes closing and he leans in to kiss me. I feel something between my back my pants, remembering the extra gun. Whipping it around, I squirt him directly in the mouth. His yelp of surprise is priceless. I laugh and run away, but the first cold spray of water hits my back and I stop dead for a minute. I can't let him get away with that! Turning on my heel I go back over to him. I stand on tiptoe, about to kiss him, when I'm shot in the stomach.
"I'm gonna make you work for it!..Or at least.. RUN FOR IT!"
My mind races. Where could I run to that he wouldn't want to get soaked..HIS CAR! My eyes light up as I realize. I skid across his hood, and jump into the passenger side of his Jetta. I can see he understands I've beaten him.
He follows me to his car, drops the water gun, and gets in the driver's side himself. He peels out of the driveway, headed for the beach. "We've got to get your car back from the beach." He explains.
It doesn't take too long to get there and he gets out of the car when I do. He walks to my car door with me and before I get in, he grabs my waist, pulling me close. Jesse's definitely not a forceful guy, so it's a little surprising. "Now, you're not pulling any tricks this time." He says and kisses me. His lips are so sweet, just a hint salty and the kiss ends way too soon. Teasing him is too fun, so I grab his beanie, put it on me, and jump in my car before he can protest. We head our separate ways.