Since I Don't Have You
Prologue
"Hello. Boone? You awake?"
The voice of his sister, Shannon penetrated the daydream.
"Umm. Yeah…"
He rubbed his eyes.
"My eyes are open aren't they?"
He tried his best to focus. He didn't want Shannon to think that something was wrong. No need to make her worried. He would keep this to himself.
"Where…" Boone began to clear his voice.
"Just outside Los Angeles" Shannon smiled.
Damn! Even though they weren't related by blood she had the ability to read his mind like she was his freaking twin or something!
With his eyes still focused on what was passing by his window, he tried to breath in the atmosphere of all things L.A. but all he could think about was her. Claire. Her name bounced back and forth in his brain. Claire. If he closed his eyes he could almost see her sitting on the beach, writing in her diary. He sadly wondered if she had ever written anything about him in there.
He guessed that she hadn't. Not out of self-pity or anything. He was just realistic. Why would she had written anything about him when he had barely spoken a word to her the on the Island? He'd never had the opportunity.
There it was again… The thought... "What if"? What if he had just taken the time? Then he wouldn't be feeling so helpless right now. He hated that feeling. He had felt it when they had been stranded on the Island after the plane crashed. He knew that he wasn't the "boy scout" type, he couldn't hunt like Locke. He wasn't a doctor like Jack and he wasn't as smart as Sawyer. He and his sister had both been useless. They weren't accustomed solving things without their mobile phones. He had even tried that on the Island. To use his phone. To no use.
"Boone. Could you please STOP being so boring! This whole "I'm sad" - look is killing me!"
Shannon boxed his shoulder
"Come on! We're home. America. Fast food! Baseball. Cable TV."
Shannon's face lighted up with a smile.
"I thought you didn't like fast food. Always said that it was to much calories in it"
Boone gave her a look that she was very much used to. She didn't buy it and she never had. Although his "holier than thou" attitude sometimes made her cry, this time she wouldn't let him win. She gave him a "whatever" look and said:
"I would kill for a cheeseburger right now"
She gave it a thought.
"I could eat a good damn horse" she added.
Boone understood. The food selection on the Island hadn't had the widest range to choose from. If they were lucky, Locke would have hunted a boar (with or without his help) or Jin had caught some fish. If they weren't lucky they had to eat fruit. He hadn't allowed himself to fantasize about food on the island but now when he was in the real world again he could feel the craving for a pizza…or two.
"You know what Shannon? I think you're right"
He gave her one of his smiles.
"I'm sorry if I haven't been the best company"
Her face told him that he hadn't.
"I'll make it up to you tomorrow. Dinner at 8, my place?"
Shannon nodded.
"Sounds good"
She leaned towards him and gave him a quick hug. For a second he closed his eyes and thought of someone else…
Then he snapped out of it.
The cab stopped next to his apartment building. Shannon waved goodbye and the cab continued to drive to the friend she would stay with until she figured out what to do next. Boone guessed that Shannon would have a fun night out with her friends, partying and making up for lost time. Boone would have done the same if somehow he wasn't changed. The Island had changed his perspective on things in life. He knew that he couldn't continue this "care-free" lifestyle.
Knowing that, he took the key out of his jeans and turned the key to his apartment door.