On Edge • Lauren/You

• S E V E N T E E N •

"Dinah get up, you've slept more than all of us. You have to show us where to go." I heard Shawn yawn and shake her awake while I watched Ally put some spices and canned food up.

We had to quickly do something and settle in cause if we didn't, it'd turn bad. We didn't have enough food to keep traveling, let alone keep up with the wishful thinking act. Shawn was right in that sense but I still had a feeling we needed to keep moving. Nothing lasts forever and we've been proved that multiple times.

As Shawn continued to try and wake up our dead asleep friend I felt my stomach rumble. I kept back a burp that contained nothing but fucking air while I rubbed Ringo's head softly. I looked around to see a hot yet very dead silent California and I breathed in deep. We were a long way from home.

"Bitch!" I heard Normani yell and Dinah snapped her eyes open.

"What?!" She huffed when she noticed us looking at her.

"It's almost evening time, the plan was to check your neighborhood out before nightfall." Hailee mumbled tiredly and I wrapped my arms around my dog.

"We're too far away wait till you see exit 9B-"

"And if the sign is damaged?" Shawn quite quickly snapped back and her eyes opened enough to glare into his soul.

"Once you see the South Coast Plaza you get the fuck off the highway and basically turn back around. I'll show your impatient ass when we're there."

I closed my eyes as I felt Ringo swallowing against my arm and I listened to the ongoing conversations. I rubbed his soft head and sighed when I opened my eyes- his eyebrows were white along with his snout. Poor baby was getting old and I didn't know what I was gonna do when he decided to finally go. He was all I had left of Camila.

"Oh God, just keep going down the road with your pushy ass." Dinah yawned loudly and Shawn sat back in his seat with a huff.

"Where am I going again-"

"I said right there, Shawn." She mumbled tiredly and he turned off slowly.

She then opened her eyes even more when she saw the nearby mall. Weaving through the stopped cars I had made a mental note to collect some more gas. Shawn started to slow down near the large street and Dinah nodded.

"Uh get on that turn ramp." She mumbled and he followed instructions without any questions.

"Mhm, keep going." Dinah mumbled and I knew it was starting to hit home.

She was finally in her own hometown and there was a huge chance she wasn't going to reunite with her family. Everything she's ever known was done with, it wasn't her home anymore. So as her eyes took more and more in, I started to scoot even closer to her for comfort. Shawn followed Dinah's quiet instructions and her eyes were taking every half foot of the scene before her. Familiar streets blocked off or scarred with black stains due to fires that had been started. Buildings with broken glass and torn off doors all the while we neared closer towards the neighborhoods.

Suburban houses coming into view while the rest of the town faded away and that's when I heard it. Silence. It was quiet everywhere we went but it was eerie. I looked up at Dinah who was as tense as a scared cat. Her eyes wide waiting for something more to happen and Shawn started to slow down since Dinah hadn't instructed him any further. They had come up to a broken down metal fence in the neighborhood where an arch hung over it. The gated community was quiet and Dinah match the silence of it all. The houses were somewhat close by to each other while other houses on other streets were more spread out.