Faking Perfect

             The whole ride there was in complete silence other than the loud blaring of country music. Neither of us made an attempt to start a conversation. Neither of us sang along to the radio. One huge thing that Kyle and I have in common is our stubbornness.

                “Grab that camera and I’ll go get the screen. We have to go to a nursing home to take a few families pictures.” Kyle said when we got into the shop, breaking the silence. “Meet me in the van we have a two hour ride.” And with that, he disappeared into the back room.

                Within minutes we were in the new van (since the last one we crashed) another silence dropped on us. I had shoved my headphones in because this van had horrible radio reception. I was bobbing my head along the Trace Atkins when they were ripped form my ears “Why are you ignoring me” Kyle snarled.

                “Me?” I scoffed glaring at him. “You’re the one who yelled at me yesterday and has been giving me the silent treatment! I tried to talk to you when we got in the car and you ignored me!” I yelled looking away from him and outside my window.

                “I’m sorry…” he muttered. I hardly heard it.

                “Whatever let’s just get this God awful day over” I mumbled continuing to look out the window.

                All of the sudden Kyle pulled off to the side of the road. “We are settling this before I move this car” he chuckled thinking about his ‘master’ plan.

                “Fine. Move, and I’ll drive.” I mutter getting out and moving to the driver’s side. All the sudden the doors lock and I’m outside in the hot. “My foot hurts let me back in” I whined.

                “Get in the passenger seat” I obeyed only because my leg is killing me. “Okay… So about yesterday morning in my room I’m sorry for yelling at you and scaring you.” He said sincerely I looked out the window. He carefully touched my chin to make me look at him, I shied away and he cringed. I’ve always been this way, afraid to be touched, because my parents would start out with friendly and loving gestures that turned into punching…

                “Can we just go?” I asked softly. It’s not like I don’t know Kyle won’t hit me. He won’t; I’m sure of it…  But it’s still an old fear and he knows it. “Please?”

                “My apology still holds…” he whispered taking his hand away to turn up the music.

                ‘You find out who your friends are. Somebody's gonna drop everything, run out and crank up their car. Hit the gas, get there fast. Never stop to think 'what's in it for me?' or 'it's way too far'. They just show on up with their big old heart. You find out who your friends are.’   Find Out Who Your Friends Are busted through the speakers making me internally groan and change the station.

                Then ‘Chicks Dig It’ by Chris Cagle surrounded my ears as my phone rang. I quickly turned down the radio to answer my beloved phone.

                “Hey babe” Noah said through the phone in a casual voice. He and I have been dating for two days… Aren’t pet names a bit much?

                “Hey Noah” I laugh going the casual way. Kyle starts to turn up the radio but I slap his hand and put a finger to my lips making a ‘shh’ motion.

                “How are you and Richards doing?” he asks suggestively. I know he and Kyle are enemies but does he have to talk about him like he has a disease.

                “I’m fine and so is Kyle” I’m the only one aloud to call Kyle, Richards. I have been since we were little.  It’s just my thing; even though Noah has only been here for a few years he still knows this.

                “So it’s Kyle now?” he snarls a little too defensive. I shift in my seat uncomfortably.

                “Listen I got to go we are almost there…” I whisper trying not to let Kyle in on our conversation.

                “Okay talk to you later Jackie, Love you” my breath hitched and I could have sworn I saw Kyle gasp a little and swerve, but I can’t go jumping to conclusions. Love, love, love, love, love it may not be too early for pet names but it is WAY too early for the ‘L’ word.

                “Okay well see you later” I quickly hung up my phone and set it on the middle console. “So are we almost there?” I say awkwardly… I can’t believe Noah said the ‘L’ word. I need to text Mark….

                                ‘Hey… Umm Noah just called and he said something you might want to hear… -J’ I send quickly looking back up at Kyle.

                                ‘What did he say? I bet it isn’t that bad? Where are you and Kyle; Greg was gonna come by and help at the shop but you guys weren’t there so he started filming some things around town for the mayor…’ I got a text back almost instantly.

                “Hey we are almost there so go ahead and take your pain pills so we can get through the day without you complaining about your leg” he chuckled trying to lighten the mood. It didn’t work.

                “Thanks… Umm can we talk about this later? The whole… You know thing.” I say awkwardly. God can this day get any weirder and more uncomfortable?

                I have got to stop asking for the world to challenge me… Later I told Mark all about what happened with Noah and he just laughed. When I asked why he said he would tell me later.

                Throughout the day I have been told from old ladies, “Oh my lord look how pretty you are… That boyfriend of yours is very helpful and handsome.” Which I try to come back with, “He’s not my boyfriend… I have another guy that I’m dating”… Then it turns into them bickering about ‘how our generation can’t see good old love when it almost hits them in the face’

                Eventually the families were satisfied with their pictures and the ladies running the home asked us to join them for lunch which Kyle and I couldn’t pass up. Free food!! “So how did those guys treat you?”  I asked Kyle once we got our food and found an empty table.

                “They kept telling me how I can’t see good old true love when it’s right in front of me” he laughed shoving a piece of pizza in his mouth. Odd, the ladies said it to me too. “So what did Mark have to say?” he questioned glancing up at me.

                “How did you know I was talking to Mark?” I questioned paranoid; did he see what me and Mark wrote?

                “Well for starters when we first got here your phone when off and it was his voice saying his name like you have for all of us when we text you so yeah dead giveaway” he laughed taking another bite of his pizza.

                “Just saying that Greg went to the shop to help take pictures for the mayor but when we weren’t there he just did it himself” I shrugged continuing to eat my own pizza.

                After a few minutes of silence Kyle says, “What’s going on between you and Noah?” he almost sounded mad…

                Random?! …                        

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   Hey guys so this is another chapter!! 

   What does Mark need to tell her?

   Why did Noah say the "L" word so fast?

All these answers and maybe some to ones you guys are asking in chapters to come!!

As always, thanks for reading!!