Vagabonding.1 [COMPLETE]

12. Side-Trip

We eventually settled into a quaint gas station that was lost in the sea of sand. Surge then pulled the car next to the gas pump to fill the tank as I was given the task to get snacks and even steal if necessary.

"I can't do that," I said as I looked at him, he has to be joking. "What if I get caught?"

"You're a shape shifter, you can get away with any look, remember? I'm sure you can learn how to swipe a water bottle or two," Surge raised his eyes as he began to pump gas into the car. "And get used to it, this is common stuff in our group. Can't believe I'm spending my last five bucks on this gas... Hopefully it's in good will, just as the ancestors say."

I patted my incredibly flat pockets, letting my shoulders slump heavily, "Can't we offer to work for a bit of cash? Maybe they can help us."

"You're joking, right?" Surge said as he turned back his attention to the gas pump, "This is 2014, no one's going to hire you just like that anymore. Everyone's too worried about lawsuits to be nice. Man up, go in and get your stuff while I get the car ready. Just don't take longer than a minute to do the deed."

I groaned and made my way into the convenience store when I noticed the man at the cashier eying me strangely before I quickly ducked my way to the back, picking up a random candy bar along the way. On my quick trip to the end of the shop, I realized that chips were horrible to steal because of their noise, and while candy was easy enough to pocket, it made for a poor 'food' choice. The room temperature drinks were the easiest to pick up, but they're often placed right at the front near the cashier. I circled a few times, picking up the junk food I really needed into my pockets before picking up some larger items to take to the front. I created a cheap illusion of purchases when I actually had my pockets well and stuffed.

I awkwardly fumbled and dropped the large amount that I had onto the counter before I reached in my back pocket to prepare the fact that I could pretend that I was getting money when really, it was in the 'van', or so that's the story I told him.

"My friend must have kept it in the car, can you hold these for me?" I asked. The man began to say no but I cut him off and spoke again, "It'll only take a second." I poked my head out the door before I spotted Surge waving me over from inside of the car. "Actually, I changed my mind, I don't think I want any of these. Sorry about the mess!"

I galloped—yes, I galloped because fully running would drop all the things I had on me—and got into the car as we peeled out of there. I looked at the spoils and realized that I had collected a nice sizeable amount of delicious snacks but nothing really healthy.

"You didn't get water?" Surge asked as he looked over at my lap to see the amount that I had collected.

"It was impossible to do, the guy was watching me like a hawk," I said as I rummaged my fingers through the candy and brightly colored sodas.

"No, in your mind it feels like they're watching you," Surge interrupted with an air of arrogance. "To be honest, they're too into themselves to realize that they're getting robbed right under their noses. Now, I know this is a new millennium but, let's just say it still helps that you look like an adorable, helpless, gullible white boy who isn't cut out for this world. No one suspects the golden child."

"I really look like that?" I said as I pulled down the visor from the car and slid the panel screen to see myself in the mirror.

"Oh! Of course not!" he said heavily in sarcasm before letting out a hefty laugh, "You're the type of guy who might believe that gullible is in the dictionary!"

"Don't be stupid, of course I know it's in the dictionary," I said.

"Is it really?" Surge questioned with eyebrows raised.

I rolled my eyes, closing the visor back to its original position and looked out the window.

As we drove, Surge turned on the radio to a station that was playing classical jazz. Eventually after a good amount of miles, Surge let out of stiff exhale as he became a bit more hopeful.

"I remember that rock," Surge said with more security in his voice as he pointed at a speck in the desert, "We're close to a local regular city, it should be nearing forty miles or so."

Oddly, there was no desert here and for a moment, I thought we drove so far that we were on the other side of the world due to my overly active imagination. We were starting to notice lush vegetation in sparse locations, trees could be seen off in the distance being their happy selves.

The car ride felt like forever, my body felt cramped and it ached from sitting for so long. The conversation dies as quickly as it starts, mind games, pointless complaining, never-ending quests to pee without leaving the vehicle. I even had to keep away the impulse to just snooze because sleeping in a moving car gives me a horrible feeling. No matter how many days or countless hours that passed, I could never get used to relaxing properly.

Surge showed no complaints as we made our way out, the twilight of the sky creating a beautiful view of greenery, a mostly blue sky being tinted orange and pink by the colorful clouds and the sound of cracking knuckles on the steering wheel.

"This is what being on a road trip must feel like," I said as I attempted to stretch my arms above my head. "I kind of hate it, but I kind of love it."

"Except that, you know, this is for the rest of your life. You have to remember that it's not fun and games once you're of age. Life gets rough and the world spits on your face and makes you 'say uncle' until you cry. It's not a road trip, this is a reality every day for the rest of your days."

He's not being negative, it's the harsh truth but, "Just because you have it rough all the time doesn't mean you can't indulge in a bit of fun once in a while."

Surge shook his head and smiled at me, I was still too young and childish in his eyes despite the three year age gap between us. I was the innocent one, right? I was the one who was baby-blue-eyed at the world, right?

As the road trip continued, the silence began to play tricks on my mind.

My eyes were starting to see things that weren't there in the first place. I saw flashes of my old life temporarily and stilled my breath. I didn't like who I was. I regret trying to get back my memories, but I don't have the choice other than to remember who I was for the sake of my brother. But sometimes, temptation to stray off path kicks in.

"Can't we just keep running away forever?" I asked with a whine.

"Run from what? There's nothing to hide from to begin with," Surge turned to look at me in slight confusion, "You're off the system's charts, remember?"

Even with that security, I still wanted to run away because for the first time since this mess, I felt like something was stalking us.

"There's no way anyone's following us," Surge stated, "I would have been able to see that coming. I'm psychic, remember? You're just being paranoid."

That's right, I reminded myself, he could see everything before it could happen supposedly. Like when I was in the restaurant, he could sense me. There was nothing to fear. He even said we were going to get out of jail safely, how bad could it be?

We drove down until the sunset from the burning twilit sun that was burying itself into the horizon. We rinsed and repeated the previous night's activity of siting in the car, trying to sleep, falling into a horrible position and getting cricks in our necks before sauntering on towards another day. This pattern continued for days, mind you, and I was patient to keep up with him as we made our way to a rather woodsy area in the middle of nowhere during the midday haze.