Chapter Twelve
"Why is it every friggin' time we go somewhere, you guys drag us shopping?" Sebastian pouts as we walk to where our trolley will pick us up. Funny, last time we went shopping at the beach, he'd been so busy trying to suck up to her that he didn't complain once.
"Because we're girls and we like to shop and you guys love us so you'll deal with it," Aspen replies to him.
"Absolutely. And you love me so you'll deal with my complaining, too," he adds and then they start making moon eyes or whatever at each other. It's like a cartoon with little heart bubbles floating over their head.
It's ridiculous.
"Save that stuff for somewhere else, okay? I already feel a little woozy," Priscilla says.
"Word," I add, because I want her to know we're on the same page. Which is probably as bad as Sebastian and Aspen, but at least it's in my head.
"You're just jealous 'cause we're the shit," Bastian tosses out and I know it's meant to be a joke, but I’m sort of jealous. Which just makes me feel like a jerk.
"Whatever."
We got these trolley passes so we can get off and on at any stop, to explore whatever we want. The first stop is, of course, shopping because we pretty much let the girls get away with anything.
We get to the stop right as the red trolley pulls up. Sebastian and Aspen jump on and I step out of the way so Priscilla can get on first. I mean, I woke up with her all curled up against me so I figure I should at least be a gentleman. Though I was one last night, too, as much as I wish I hadn't been.
When we climb on, Priscilla and I sit in seats in front of them.
"This is so cool!" Aspen says. "I think I like Chicago better than New York."
"No way. New York is incredible. Remember when we went to check out apartments..."
I block out Priscilla talking to her. Aspen's parents and Courtney and Phil brought Sebastian and Aspen out a few months ago to get things sorted out. Priscilla's parents let her go with Aspen, of course, even though they had realtors who do that stuff for them. And probably did. I never took the time to ask. Sebastian and Courtney tried to get me to go with them since it would be my place too, but I hadn't wanted to blow the money. It's not like my parents would have helped. It's also not as if I would have let Phil and Courtney spot my ticket like they'd wanted to.
So yeah, I'm the only one who hasn't been to New York. I was the only one who didn't make that trip with them. I'm so tired of being that guy.
"So what? We just jump off this thing when we're ready, or what?" Sebastian's comment pulls me back into the conversation.
"What the hell are you talking about, man?" I turn to look at him.
"It's the Hop On, Hop Off tour. So we just jump off, or what?"
I look at Priscilla. We both look at Aspen, then all six eyes from Sebastian before we crack up laughing. My stomach starts to hurt I'm laughing so hard. I really wish I could stop so I can tell him what an idiot he is, but it just keeps going.
"What's so funny?" Sebastian looks back and forth between us.
It makes us laugh harder and then another thought pops into my head. These are my favorite times. Yeah, I know guys aren't supposed to think like that or maybe we're not supposed to say it. Or hell, maybe it's neither and it's just that we don't but none of that matters. What does matter is I'm never as happy as I am with them. I never feel like I can be me—even though I'm not sure I like who that person is, but, yeah, it's going to suck to not be by them. To not laugh at Sebastian or have Aspen do something nice for me or have Priscilla to keep me in line when I need it.
This is my crew. My people. And I hate that I have to leave them.
I hate that I don't think I can make myself stay.
"Do you really think people just jump off a moving trolley whenever they want? I mean, what if they're kids, or old people?" I finally manage to get out between laughs. "I mean, I'm not saying people haven't done it, but you seriously thought that's what it meant?"
"What the hell else is a hop on, hop off ticket?"
Aspen touches his leg. "You're so cute when you're being ridiculous," she says, which makes him pout and the rest of us laugh harder.
Finally when we're able to calm down, Priscilla explains to him that it means we can hop on at any stop or hop off on any stop.
Me? I just sit back and enjoy being happy.
***
We go to Magnificent Mile first, which really is Michigan Avenue. Boulevard. Something like that. The girls definitely think it's magnificent. I'm pretty sure I couldn't afford a hotdog here. We go to clothes stores and shoe stores and even freaking furniture stores as we walk down the eight block money pit.
Sebastian and I hang in the back most of the time, letting them do their thing. We give each other shit and pretend to try on clothes and even get kicked out of one of the stores.
Other times, we sit back and watch them. It's probably not something guys talk about too often, but sometimes we just like to sit back and watch girls. They're so different than us, all soft and smooth and... I don't know, girlie. Yeah, I know it sounds stupid, but seeing her makes me remember what it's like to touch her. I totally want to do it again.
When lunch time comes around the girls want Italian. We find a little place to eat that's out of the way. I offer to buy Priscilla's lunch for her and she lets me without hesitation. I wonder if she knows I need that, or if it's a coincidence. I have a feeling it's the first one. It's crazy how she can realize things I would never be able to tell her.
After lunch we find another trolley stop and ride down to one of the old neighborhoods with all the really cool architecture.
"Wait, wait. Look at this one." I make them stop for the millionth time.
Sebastian elbows me. "I don't get it. It looks like all the rest of them to me."
"Yeah, I guess. It's still cool though." I'm definitely not an expert on the subject, but it's always been interesting how things are put together. I can't stop myself from wondering what lingers behind the walls, how it was planned and built.
"It's gorgeous." Priscilla looks up at the towering building sort of in awe. I don't know if it's for me or if she's really interested, but I'm actually thankful for it and jealous at the same time. I want her to look at me in awe, which is probably one of the dumbest things I've ever thought.
"It's badass. I like how the covers meet together." I get close to her and point as though she doesn't know what I'm talking about.
She steps closer to me too. So close I can feel her heat as we gaze up.
"You guys aren't going to start making out, are you?" Sebastian cuts in. "Ouch!" He stumbles backward when Aspen hits him.
"Bastian!"
"What? I'm just sayin'." He winks at me.
I don't know what he thinks he's winking at. We obviously weren't going to kiss and if we were, he totally ruined the mood.
He stands there like he's thinking for a second and I actually cringe when he opens his mouth again. You never know what's going to come out of Sebastian's big-ass mouth.
"Actually, that's a good idea. You know you guys want to. Kiss, fall in love, come to New York with us. Happily Ever After. The end."
"Stupido," Priscilla calls him.
"Has anyone ever told you that you have a huge mouth?" Aspen adds.
"It's a joke. He won't kiss her. I think he's lost his touch."
He just smiles all wide like he's proud of himself and I have the urge to sock him. Okay, maybe that's partially an excuse to touch her again, but I turn to pull Priscilla to me, shocked when she beats me to it. She's grabbing my face and her lips slam into mine. It's almost like our first kiss, all messy and unskilled, but we find our rhythm quickly. We start moving together the way we're supposed to and, like always, she goes straight to my head. All too soon she's pulling away. She looks at Sebastian and flips him off.
I'm thinking we need to teach him another lesson in case he missed it the first time, but instead I wink at him. "Please, man. You don't lose skills as good as mine. I could teach you a lesson or two."
For the first time, Sebastian is speechless. He's looking back and forth between me and Priscilla and finally he yells, "Hell yeah!" And then the dumbass attacks me. He tries to jump on my back, but I dodge him. His arm hooks around my neck and freaking ruffles my hair like we're five and I shove him off. It's then I realize I'm laughing my ass off and he's laughing and the girls are laughing.
It's awesome.
We start down the street again, Sebastian still talking crap and still trying to beat me up. When the girls aren't paying attention I look at him and say, "That doesn't mean I'm staying in New York."
He gives me another huge smile. "Whatever you say, man. Whatever you say."
***
Our next stop is the Chicago History Museum. Not that I'm a museum kind of guy, but it's another one of those things a guy will do for a girl. Priscilla loves history and I know she really wants to go.
This is probably going to make me sound like an idiot, but I had no idea museums were this big. Or maybe not all of them are, but I swear it's like the size of my hometown. There are different rooms for different kinds of exhibits and of course she wants to go into all of them.
So we do.
I kind of enjoy it, too.
Aspen and Sebastian go off on their own. I'm assuming it's because Aspen knows she can control him better when it's just the two of them. Or maybe it's because they've been leaving us alone together a lot on this trip. Whatever the reason, they're somewhere and we're here and we're going to meet up with them in a little while.
We're there for a few hours and they have some kind of special going on about magic. Magicians walk the hallways, performing magic tricks. They've stopped Priscilla a couple times and showed off their skills. It's so funny to watch her. It's almost like she's a kid. She gets these smirky little smiles on her face like she's up to no good. Other times it's huge, stretching across her face.