Huck & Rachel🌸

 

Did he have to plea? In the midst of all the drunken lull there on the beach late in the night, Huck wanted to heave as he played along. Somebody needed to be there for the rescue, but of course, Rachel was by Sheila's side as if she would be content with a green can of Bubbly soda.

He staggered over to the campfire and took her soda for a sip. Of course, he wanted to spew it out, but he held it in his mouth for the longest time thinking, he needed to make this work.

"Come on, we need to get home," he wanted to be cool about it, but he could see he wasn't as he leaned onto her shoulder with one arm around her, hoping she took her cue. Naturally, those doe-like eyes of hers stared at him as if he must be kidding, but finally she went with it and it felt like a slow walk off the stage of the after-party. Finally, he stood up and walked properly. 

"I knew you weren't drunk," She pursed her lips as if he was just being a nescience.

"Yeah, you figure things out pretty easily, but you did want to go to Disneyland, didn't you?" He smiled as he grabbed the keys from his hoodie. 

She looked at him as if he was just a thief after all. And then she laughed. 

Oh, it was like breaking away. He didn't really know how to do this any other way.

"But won't Cobie notice?" Rachel asked as she buckled up for the ride in the jeep.

"We will see, won't we," Huck wasn't messing around. They were getting out of the shoreline parking lot.

"But, but I could have packed a few things," she told him as they left town.

"You've got your phone and your bag, don't you?" He looked over at her as if it would be enough.

She nodded. He told her to look in the back seat. He'd brought a duffle bag with a few things, like jeans, clean undies and of course, sneakers. 

"See, I'm not a total ass." Huck shrugged.

"When did I ever say that?" She scowled back.

"I just figured you listened to Cobie too much." Huck was calming down. It was going to be good to get away from the surf shop and of course, Cobie.

"Is he really your brother?" She let the question linger.

Huck stared at the road ahead. Traffic was light, perhaps just steady. At least it wasn't that far to go.

"I don't really know." Huck finally admitted. "Sometimes," he nodded. "If I'm doing as he says, other times if things aren't going like he wants then I'm just that kid whose mother stole his dad away from him."

"About that?" Rachel winced.

"What?" He took his eyes off the road at the stoplight and looked over at her.

"Where are they?" She wanted to know.

He broke an open grin. He knew she loved a mystery, but it really wasn't that much to tell. "Oh, they sailed away one day. Destination unknown."

"What kind of story is that?" She didn't believe him.

"That's the truth."

He knew it was just as unsettling to her as it was to him.