Disclaimer: Characters and past storylines are property of Marvel and Fox. I lay claim to nothing but the compilation of the words. No copyright infringement is intended. I don't own Jack and Diane, either.
Author's Note: I have wanted to get to this part since before I even started the story! I just had no idea how to get there! Well, I am finally getting to put down some of my originally planned storyline, and I am estatic. Can't you tell? Anyway, here is Chapter Seven! I hope that you like it!
The entire ride to the mall is spent listening to music, and you dodging John's attempts to tickle you from the back seat. Bobby says that he would try something like that with Rogue, if she weren't driving. Rogue laughs, and makes a comment.
"If all goes according to plan, I won't be driving home," she says, and looks at you. You raise an eyebrow, and she motions her head toward the back seat. When you realize that she is referring to John, you shake your head.
"John, with a Mercedes, on the open road," you list off, sarcastically. "Not the best combination in the world." John reaches a hand toward you from either side of the seat, and you shriek, as he makes contact with your skin.
"There," he says, with a smirk. "Now, who's jumpy?" He whispers the last part to you from the right side of your seat, where no one else can hear him.
You whip your hand up, and, without looking, end up smacking him in the face.
"Oh, my God!" you say, as you feel your hand make contact with his nose. "I am so sorry!" You flip in your seat, as much as your seatbelt will allow you to, and look at your friend. He is lightly touching the tip of his nose, but isn't making any sounds to signal that you have hurt him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he says, wriggling his nose around a little. "Just surprised me, is all."
"Man," Bobby laughs. "You guys are going to inadvertently kill each other pretty soon."
"Well, I'll volunteer to be the prey," John says, staring straight at you. You don't know if he wants a response or not, so you just send him a sarcastic smile.
"Cynical," you mutter, rolling your eyes, playfully. As you return your gaze to the road ahead, all that keeps running through your mind is the kiss that you received just minutes ago. Well, it has been about twenty minutes, but, it still feels as though your lips made contact with John's just thirty seconds ago. The mystery behind it all falls on just why he did what he did; you didn't even know that he liked you. After all, you had only known each other for less than a week, and he had been as cold as ice to you for a good deal of the time.
"Funny," you think to yourself, with a smile. "I always thought that that would be Bobby's area." You laugh a little. "What a contradiction."
"What are you laughing at, (you)?" Rogue asks, the first words to come out of her mouth in a while.
You look at her, as she darts her head, quickly, from the road, to you, to back to the road.
"Nothing," you laugh.
"No," Rogue argues, a sarcastic smile forming across her lips. "Tell me."
"Keep your eyes on the road," you order, as you close your eyes, and lean back, against the seat. You yawn, silently, and, unintentionally, attract attention.
"You're not going to fall asleep on us, are you, (you)?" Bobby asks, causing you to open your eyes, and look back at him. He has his head tilted to the right side, with an eyebrow raised, quizzically.
You yawn, again, and shake your head from side to side. "I don't think that John would let me fall asleep, Bobby."
"Damn right," comes John's response, which is one that you expected.
"See?" You smile at Bobby, and return to your previous position, resting against the seat.
"Oh, John," Rogue says, snapping her fingers, as best she can, through her gloves. "I wanted to remind you that the Professor said, and I quote him, word for word, 'don't show off today'. Got it?"
You expect to hear John jump in, with a sarcastic comment, or a witty quote of his own. When no response comes, you lean forward in your seat, and look in the rear view mirror. You see John, leaning back in his seat, staring at his lighter, a sad smile crossing his face.
"Hey," you say, gently. "What's the matter, John?" You reach your right arm over the seat, your body still facing forward, and spread out your hand. In a few seconds, you feel John's hand, as it gently surrounds yours.
"I had a bit of an accident the last time that I was at the mall," he informs you, sadly. "Something that I actually really don't like to think about."
"Accident?" Bobby says, with a laugh. "You nearly burned the guy into ashes!"
"And I said I don't like to think about it, Drake!" John yells, his tone scaring you a little. You've never heard him yell at anyone before, let alone at his best friend.
You start to pull your hand back a little, not wanting to irritate him by holding on. When he feels you hand, pulling away from his, he looks back up at you.
"Sorry, Bobby," John mutters. "I didn't mean to yell."
"You freaked (you) out a little bit, I think," Rogue informs him, quickly gesturing her thumb in your general direction.
"Sorry, (you)," he apologizes, timidly.
"That's not like John," you think to yourself. "Something must be going on in his head."
Looking in the mirror again, you see John, with the same sad expression lining his face.
"Don't worry about it, boy," you assure him, with a smile. "You didn't really scare me." While you keep a smile on your face, you shudder inside, knowing that you are lying through your teeth; you are getting more and more worried about your friend with each and every passing minute.
John smiles, making you feel a little bit better, though not by much. It would take a full explanation and just shy of a miracle to make you feel completely at ease once again, and you just don't foresee that coming at any point in the near future.
The majority of the rest of the drive is spent with everyone talking about the day's news, mainly the Mutant Registration Act, which seems to be a growing possibility with each passing day. Another day, another debate, another Bill sent off to Congress. However, just when things would seem to be at their bleakest, Professor Xavier would make a new political ally, and that would set everyone's mind at ease a little. A new ally meant yet another set of eyes and ears up the chain of command, and that meant that gears could be in motion to peacefully reaching a common ground on the issue.
When topics of conversation have worn thin, Rogue suggests that you turn the radio back on, which had been shut off some time during your conversation surrounding politics. You push the power button, and get nothing but static. As you skip throught the different stations, you come across classical music, which can be alright to you at times, then some country, which you have no desire to leave it on. You keep going, until you reach a station playing the song Jack and Diane by John Cougar Mellencamp.
"Oh!" Rogue screams. "Touch that dial, (you), and I will touch you!"
You can't help but laugh. "I wasn't planning on it, Rogue!" Honestly, you weren't going to change the station. "Anyway, it's not even a dial! It's a button!" Rogue laughs, and you begin to sing along with the song.
The song was a classic to you, but not in the usual way; it held a special place for you, since it was a world that you were never raised in, one where a person could be carefree, and teenagers could experience life. You had spent the last three years locked away from the world, so the lyrics were a way for your mind to run wild with ideas of what life could still be like, and what you now planned on making it.
"What is it with you guys and these old 80's songs?" John asks, looking at Bobby.
"Hey, man," Bobby defends himself, throwing his hands up in a surrender pose. "You don't see me singing!"
"Shut up!" you and Rogue scream, at the same time, causing you both to laugh.
You feel a shift from behind you, and you feel John kick your seat. You begin to turn around, but are stopped, as you hear John's voice coming, once again, from your right.
"You like to give orders, don't you?" he whispers, with a smirk.
"Only when I have to," you laugh. You are ready to say something else, but don't get the chance; One of Rogue's high pitched shrieks scare you half to death.
"Don't, Bobby!" she screams. "I'm driving!"
"What did you do, now, Drake?" John asks, looking at Bobby.
Bobby shrugs. "I don't know." His smile is enough to tell the whole story, and you just know that he tried to tickle her.
"Right," you say, with a laugh. A thought suddenly springs into your head, and you drop your arms, letting them slide onto either side of your seat. When you feel John's hands surrounding yours once again, you sigh.
"You actually want me to hold your hands?" he whispers, again, from your right.
"I want to keep track of your hands!" you inform him with a laugh.
"Well, then, I have no arguements." He squeezes your hands a little, very lightly, and you relax back against the seat. Five days, and you are already worried about where his hands are going to end up.
You hear Bobby whisper something to Rogue, but don't pay much attention. You are too tired to worry about what is going on around you. Soon, you drift off, the last thing you remember being the feeling of John's lips, as they lightly brushed against the palm of your right hand.
Author's Note: You really need to get more sleep, don't you? Well, it was a little shorter than yesterday's chapters, and a little bit slower. I just couldn't leve with assumptions about what happened on the car ride, and I hate awkward silences! I didn't get to the part that had I wanted, and had hoped to get to, but, hey, at least I got somewhere, right? As always, I await your thoughts! Another, more interesting chapter with be up tomorrow! Thanks for reading! Until the next chapter...