"Jesus, it's pouring out there." Jared pressed his face against the window of the car. "I dunno if we're gonna be able to make it."
Connor frowned from behind the wheel, squinting his eyes to try and see through the downpour of rain. "Looks like we might have to stop for the night, call Evan and tell him we're gonna try and find a place to pull over."
Jared pulled out his phone, dialing Evan's number. A loud crack of thunder rang through the air, followed by lightning. The lightning gave Jared enough light to see how flooded the roads were.
Evan picked up, "Hey Jared."
"Hey Ev." Jared replied.
"When are you guys getting here?"
"Yeah, about that." Jared glanced out at the rain. "The roads are so flooded, we need to stop for the night, it's getting dangerous."
"Oh! No problem." Evan's voice was choppy over the phone. "Just make sure you guys are safe."
"Will do." With that, Jared hung up the phone. It was Evan's idea that Jared and Connor drive together to his place, since they both went to same college. However, Jared hardly even knew Connor. Sure, they went to same high school, but their only connection had ever really been Evan.
"There's a motel at the next exit." Connor said, tapping his fingers on the wheel. Jared merely nodded.
The music Connor had put on at the start of the drive was still playing, it was some kind of rock that Jared had never heard of. Jared noticed that as he drove, Connor tapped his fingers to the beat.
It was unusual seeing Connor so... docile. It had always seemed to Jared that Connor had been a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any minute, but that wasn't what Jared experienced on the drive. If anything it just seemed like Connor was just not the type to make small talk.
"Well at least we'll still make it for the party tomorrow." Jared smiled at Connor.
"Yeah." Connor shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Not a big partier?" Jared asked.
"Not really." Connor said. "In fact, I was surprised Evan was having such a big party for his birthday."
"Well, honestly I think it's more Zoe's friends than his." Jared joked.
"Yeah, well, I prefer to do my drinking with just a few close people." Connor told him. Jared wondered who Connor considered his close friends.
Connor pulled the car into a dingy looking motel. The large neon sign in the front had most of the letters missing from "Wayside Motel", but the sign below it said that they still had vacancy.
Jared quickly sprinted from the car to the front desk, trying not to get completely soaked. He failed, of course, because the rain was coming at him in all directions. Connor followed closely behind him.
As the entered the motel, the motel clerk was sprawled out across her chair, feet up on the desk. She frowned as she noticed them walk in.
"How can I help you?" She sighed.
"Can we get a room for the night with two beds please." Connor asked, digging into his pocket for his wallet. Jared stayed silent, maybe he wouldn't have to pay if he just didn't say anything...
"We only have one room left." The clerk rolled her eyes. "It has one bed." Jared noticed Connor seemed to freeze.
"You don't have anything else?" Connor began to worry at his lip.
"Nope." The clerk informed him. "Do you want it or not?"
Connor hesitated, "Yes."
"That'll be $85 for the night then."
