Happy New Year? Chapter 4

Once inside George took a seat on the couch next to the dying fire as Jenny packed up her belongings and her memories of her family. Since Jenny had no idea where her grandparents kept their luggage when she made it to her parent’s bedroom she dumped out her mom’s suitcase. On top of her pile of clothes landed a letter in a manila envelope. Just wanting to get out of the house Jenny put it in her pocket for later. Jenny stuffed the suitcase full of mementos. She grabbed her suitcase, making sure to stuff Erik’s teddy bear and game inside. Pulling the necklace box out of her pocket she put it in a safe place inside the suitcase. Before they left Jenny made sure to grab whatever food she could from the kitchen. Filling the remaining area of her mom’s suitcase and a cooler she was finally ready. Taking a deep breath Jenny decided to take one last look around the house, leaving her luggage in the kitchen.

First she walked through the room Johnny and Erik were supposed to be staying in. Johnny’s suitcase looked as if it had exploded, his clothes were erupting everywhere from the bed on which it sat. Erik’s suitcase sat untouched. Slowly Jenny walked over and opened the suitcase. “Erik, I miss you so much. The way you smile at me, it makes me feel like I’m the only person that matters in the whole world. When you hug me, it makes the world right again.” Jenny caressed Erik’s suitcase, finding the zipper on the front open. Curious Jenny reached in and pulled out a notebook. “What’s this?” Opening the small notebook slips of paper fell out. Each had a name on it. “What?” Looking at the first page in the notebook Jenny saw her own name engraved in the paper. Turning the pages she began to read what looked like letters, letters to God. Asking Him for more time, praying for Jenny’s salvation, whatever that is.

“Jenny?” George yelled from the hallway, coming towards the guest rooms. “We need to get going, now…”

Closing the notebook and picking up as many of the slips of paper as she could, Jenny stuffed the notebook in her coat pocket. “Just a few more minutes and I’ll be ready. I need to check a few more rooms for some things.”

Turning the corner George popped his head into the bedroom finding Jenny standing quickly. “Well, hurry it up! In the bigger cities the police are ordering people to stay in their homes and are escorting people to their homes. If we’re going to get to your hometown we need to leave now.”

Jenny stood speechless. “I can’t choose where to stay…what if they come back and they’re stuck up here while we’re back at home? Then it makes it even harder to see them!”

“Come on, we have to go now. I saw a van in the driveway, do you have the keys for it?”

Jenny stood shaking her head. “Then where are they?”

“Umm, I don’t know, my mom’s purse? It’s either in the living room or her bedroom.”

“Ok, I’ll check the living room, you check the bedroom. Then grab your stuff and lets get out of here.” George took off down the hallway back towards the living room. Jenny walked slowly to her parent’s bedroom. Not finding her mother’s purse anywhere she sat down on the edge of the bed. “Mom, what’s going on? I’m scared. Erik’s gone, he’s the first guy I’ve ever loved. I miss him so much!” A tear rolled down her cheek as a huge thump came from the other side of the house. Jenny stood to her feet and ran towards where she thought the sound came from.

“What the heck was that?” Jenny asked as George stood in the living room holding her mom’s purse.

“I’m not sure, it came from out front.” George said as jenny walked towards the front windows. Across the street a young couple was shooting off fireworks.

“Do they really need to be doing that?” Jenny said walking to the kitchen to grab her luggage.

“What? Those idiots. They stole those from my house! I wanna kill those guys!” George said.

“Come on, let’s go.” Jenny said stepping out the back door. George pulled himself away from the front window, traded Jenny a suitcase for the purse to find the keys.

“You want to drive?” Jenny asked.

“No, I have no idea where Geareasa is.”

“Geneseo? It’s really easy once you get on the interstate.”

“No, you drive.” George said throwing the luggage in the trunk. Slamming the door George plopped into the passenger’s seat.

“Is there a reason you don’t want to drive?” Jenny said pulling the door shut behind her.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Well, we’re stuck with each other for now, so you better start telling me a little more about yourself. So what’s your reasoning?” Jenny sat staring at George, a moment of heated silence wasn’t helping the situation at all.
"Fine, I lost my license, that’s why I can’t drive." George said.

"Alright then.” Jenny said turning the key as the van roared to life.