Polaroids and Postcards | ✔️

Chapter 28: A Wish Left Unsaid

"Life is short and the world is wide." - Simon Raven

•••

I did end up sleeping in the car that night, despite Della's demanding my compliance with her plan of apologizing to Bucky. She should've known by that point that her fussing was hopeless. I wasn't about to apologize to a freaking cartoony beaver who was unironically wearing his own merch. The fact that a beaver even had merch was beyond my realm of comprehension, but I tried not to dwell on it as I marched outside to our car. It would be a long night, but at that point, I was so tired, I didn't care anymore.

Della returned a few minutes later with arms full of Bucky merch and beaver-themed snacks. She hovered just outside the passenger door, leaning over to peer at me just through the window. She tried to look disgruntled with me, frowning a little in disapproval at my recent behavior, but I didn't stir from the driver's seat.

"Hey, can you open the door?" her muffled voice sounded far away.

It was in that moment that I felt a twinge of an old memory flicker in my mind's eye from when I was a kid. It was a game that Grant and I always played together-a perfectly ridiculous and childish game. I nearly laughed out loud as the memory came back because it had been so long since I'd thought of it. After thinking it over, the irresistible tingle of mischief swept over me... and I slyly grinned at Della.

"Jason, did you hear me? Open the door," she repeated herself, showing me the bags of purchases she was holding in explanation.

I simply stared back and grinned, cheekily... and then promptly locked the door.

To my surprise, she nearly dropped her armfuls of snacks in shock and began to shout at me.

"JASON LOVETT, YOU'D BETTER OPEN THIS CAR DOOR RIGHT NOW!!"

I burst out into cackles of glee as Della Rae, Miss Happy-Go-Lucky, had a mini temper-tantrum next to the car. She kept shouting for me to unlock the door and then even began stomping her feet, pacing back and forth, and bouncing up and down in frustration at me.

With each new addition to her fit-throwing display, I laughed even harder than before until I was doubled over onto the steering wheel and gasping for air. I had no clue she would react that way! It was so much better than I had envisioned.

When she had given up, Della rested her head on the side of the Beetle, her arms still full of the junk she bought. "Jason. PLEASE," she huffed. "I'm tired. Please."

I smirked a little & cracked the window about half an inch. "You have to promise to give me something in return," I responded in a singsong voice, remembering the words Grant & I would both throw at each other in this same instance.

Della's ears perked up. "What, then?" she huffed.

I shrugged. "I dunno yet. I get to decide what I want later, but you have to promise to give it, regardless. Think of it as granting me a wish."

Della groaned, "Fine! Why didn't you say so in the first place? Now OPEN THE-"

Before she could say another word, I leaned across to the passenger door and pushed it open. Della collapsed into the seat and spilled the contents of the bags all into the floor and my lap. She began to giggle hysterically as if this was the funniest thing in the whole entire world.

Feeling proud of myself for getting such a variety of reactions out of her, I picked up one of the packages that found its way into my lap.

"Beaver Nuggets?" I read, incredulously. I raised an eyebrow at her in disdain.

"Don't hate on the nuggets, fam," she snorted, "They taste like golden dew that dripped from the honeycomb of the heavens."

"Descriptive," I surmised, tearing the bag open with a large amount of plastic squeaking.

"Hey, those are mine!" she whined, snatching at them. "Don't eat them."

"Excuse me, you dragged me into that beaver-hole of a nightmare in there. I never said I wanted to come. So to make up for it, I should get to try this magical mammal madness first..."

"Is that your wish?"

"Um... no?"

She seized the bag from me before I could defend myself. "Then no nuggets for you."

••••••••••••

Hey, guys! I know this is a short, mostly-fluff update, but I feel terrible for not writing more since this semester of uni started! I hope you guys enjoy this little tidbit with Jason & Della again.

I'll try to update again soon! Xx