"Oh, what a beautiful Sunday morning," said Mrs. Richardson. "Oh, Kevin, I’ll miss you so much. Don’t forget to write."
"I’ll miss you too, mom. I’ll write as much as I can."
"You better! Good-bye, Brian. Don’t forget to write to me too."
"I won’t, Aunt Ann. Bye."
"Well I must go to work," she said giving her son one last hug.
Kevin watched as she got in her car and drove away.
"Okay," said Brian. "Let’s go to the airport. Traffic’s heavy so it’s a good thing we’re going early." He got in his Beemer with Andrea and Kevin. Mister and Mrs. Littrell followed them on the way there. When they got their everyone said their good-byes and gave their hugs and kisses. Brian got his, Andrea’s, and Kevin’s luggage from his parents' car.
Mrs. Littrell got in his BMW. "Do you want me to drop it off at your house or keep it in our driveway until you get back?"
"Keep it at your guys’ house, mom. It’ll be safer there."
"Okay. Good-bye, honey."
"Bye, mom. I’ll call you. Bye, dad."
"Brian, next time you come home we’re gonna play a real game of basketball!"
"You’re on, old man! I love you guys," he said, waving, as the three of them walked into the airport. His parents drove away in both vehicles.
As they walked in they saw A.J., Nick, and Howie in the lobby sitting in a row of connected chairs. Nick and Howie were looking at a magazine while A.J. was slouched a few seats down from them, with his head down, quietly fiddling with the bottom of his shirt. Brian hated to see him so depressed.
"Poor A.J.," Andrea whispered to Brian, making sure A.J. didn’t hear her. "I can’t believe Patricia hasn’t talked to him since then. Especially after what you told her. Did she even attempt to talk to him?"
"Not that I know of. I’m gonna talk to him."
"Okay." Her and Kevin went and sat with Howie and Nick.
Brian went up to A.J. "Can we talk?"
"Sure," he replied as they sat in another row of seats for privacy.
"I was at Patricia’s house last night."
"Brian, I know you’re trying to help and all but-"
"I know why she left you."
"I already know what I did wrong."
"Actually, it isn’t so much you as it is her."
"What did she do? Did she cheat on me? What?" He was now angered, thinking of the things she may have done.
"Woah, woah, woah. Bone, chill. It’s nothing like that."
"Then what is it?"
"Awww, damn."
"What?" A.J. was now becoming impatient.
"I swore to her I wouldn’t tell anyone, especially you."
"She swore to me that she wouldn’t leave me and she broke that promise. Now, Brian, please tell me. I know you believe in trust between friends and you don’t want to break her trust, but I have to know. Please."
He could see in his eyes that he was desperate to know, and ready to crack at any moment. "All right, I’ll tell you. She admitted to being afraid of you leaving her for another girl."
"Why would I do that?"
"C’mon, A.J. You know your flirting can go a little overboard."
"Then why didn’t she say something? I would’ve stopped in a heartbeat."
"She didn’t think you would. That’s why she made jokes so much, to hide her feelings. She thought that after you two had sex she wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore, but realized that’s not why she should be happy you guys did that. Being so insecure, she started to question whether she loved you or not."
"So she never loved me?" he asked in a hurt tone.
"I never said that. Patricia got so frustrated with herself, she took it out on you. She feels terrible."
"If she felt so terrible she would’ve at least called me. One of the last things she told me was that she might be pregnant. You don’t leave someone hanging like that, you just don’t. And to think I spent the rest of my time home in misery. I never felt that bad since…Christie."
"A.J., you two were thirteen. That car accident wasn’t either of your guys’ faults. You can’t let Patricia bring you down like Christie’s accident."
"But how can I not feel bad?"
"Think of it this way," said Brian. "Neither you or Christie could help her death. Patricia could’ve fixed her accident, but she didn’t. It’s not your fault, it’s hers and she knows it now."
All of a sudden someone burst through the doors of the airport. "A.J!"
"What the…Patricia? You have a lot of nerve-"
"A.J., I’m pregnant."
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