When The Rain Stops (BXB)

Chapter 43

Pizza is painful. And I don't think I've ever used words like that in a sentence before, because

Okay, wait, let me clarify. The pizza is not the painful part. We ordered from the good pizza place in the next town over. What's painful is Mom and Dad and I're all just, like, pretending me leaving isn't as uncomfortable as it probably is for them. Which I don't bring up with them, anyway, because I don't want to make this harder for them.

When I'm done, I go back to packing.

And I'm forced to listen to them in the living room talk.

It's only really when the doorbell rings, I spring up and get it before they can.

"Jackson!" Harrison says, hugging me as soon as the door opens. And for some reason, I remember his voice lower than it actually is. "How was summer?" He doesn't let me answer because he goes right up to my parents to introduce himself.

I close the door and, just, sigh.

"I've never met an accountant before," says Harrison. "So, what does your job entail?"

"Uh," Dad starts, clearly not sure what's happening, "well, I, regularly check over the accounting books, and keep track of the corporate spending."

"Cool."

"Are you, interested in going into finance?" he asks.

Harrison shakes his head. "Oh, no. I'm more of a mechanically-minded guy. Numbers 'nd I don't mix that well." He leans forward. "You should see my algebra final." He laughs, then turns to me. "You need any help packing?"

I nod. "I...most of it's done, just a few – "

"Awesome! Want me to start loading it up downstairs?" I don't even answer because Harrison starts pushing me towards my bedroom.

As soon as we're in my room, he turns me around and raises his hand for a high-five. "Welcome back bro. How was summer?"

I don't high-five him.

Slowly, he drops it. "Oh." Harrison's breath gets heavy and he scratches his side before whispering, "O-oh. Sorry."

"I don't have the godddamned energy for this right now," I whisper, grabbing my first backpack. "I'll...take these two." I point to my dresser. "The bottom shelves there go into that bag, and, uh...I'll...be back for the other stuff."

He gives me a thumbs-up, except he isn't smiling. He's looking at me like he's not convinced by what I said. But Harrison still says, "Got it."

Except when I get back, he's on the ground leafing through the school yearbook. When Harrison sees me, says, "Every single comment in here is sarcastic and condescending. I hate it." He shakes his head and adds, "This... you shouldn't keep this. You shouldn't be reminded of people who writes these kinds of things like that." He pauses. "Natalie would love it."

"She can have it, for all I care." I wipe my face with my hands. "Can, uh, can we get going?"

Harrison holds up the yearbook.

"Yeah. I just said. She can have it."

"Okay." And then in the span of two minutes, Harrison manages to clear out the rest of my dresser and have everything packed away. He rolls up my bedsheets and pillows into a giant, soft ball of sheets. "This's just a precaution. I don't know if Paige and Owen'll have sheets for you."

I don't care. I just need to leave.

"Oh, we have one stop I gotta make before we can head off, okay?"