The Boy That Hates Books

Off-Road Motel

There's something so pure about love, yet something so dirty. It's been corrupted in ways that can never be undone. It has broken people, burned people.

Kirsten and Trent were no exception. Their love was buried in lies so deep, webs so tightly woven. But I can promise you this. Their love is fearless. Their love is reckless and tainted and passionate.

It is one of the few first loves, that are also the last.

I pulled open the car door, juggling the bottle of hair dye in my other hand. I'd never dyed my hair before, Mum said it made your hair go dry and basically killed it slowly. I used to tell her, "Well we're all dying anyway, so what's the big deal?" I don't know why I said that because it didn't really make any sense. I guess I just wanted a lame excuse to dye my hair, and now I'd got one.

Blue eyes met mine, as I hopped up into the passenger seat beaming.

"I swear you're like a little kid sometimes." He muttered, starting the engine.

We stopped off to get some gas, before making our way back onto the quiet road. I had no idea where we were, but it reminded me of a derelict town in a dystopian novel. Or like we'd just driven our way into a zombie apocalypse.

"You know what Miles?" I bit my tongue. Wow, it felt strange saying his name aloud, but I loved it all the same.

When he'd told me, I was so shocked and happy that I kind of just stared at him dumbfounded for a while. There was something about his name that just... clicked. And after so long not knowing it, I felt like I'd won the little game he was playing. It was all part of this charm he had, this rugged, 'you go by my rules' personality.

He was the best kind of douche.

"What?" He replied, smiling slightly. I could tell he liked hearing me say his name, just like I did when he said mine.

"I'd be happy if my dad lived here. Somewhere lonely and dull." I bit my tongue.

"Yeah, but you do realise that probably won't be the case." He warned me, knowing that I needed to hear it.

"Yeah. I know." I didn't want to say what I already knew was coming. What I feared the most about going to see the father who'd never been one to me.

"You are probably going to hate me for this, but I don't think we should go looking for him tonight. It's almost 2 am and I fear for our lives if I carry on driving this car for any longer."

"Okay." I sighed, anxiety tightening my chest. "Where are we going to go?"

"We can find a motel?" He raised his eyebrows, eyes glinting.

"Yeah okay." I nodded, chest tightening.

That was all we needed to say, as the lost hours of sleep caught up to us and the fatigue was welcomed by our bodies. I felt my eyes slipping shut, unaware of how much time had passed.

My mind wandered restlessly during my broken hours of sleep, Nala's words circling my head like a merry-go-round. Everything made sense now, how overprotective Mum always was. She told me it was because of Nala, but really it was because of her own messed up life.

"Wake up sleepy head."

And there was his voice. The voice of the one person I had left.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, opening them to see a small building through the window of the truck. It was dimly lit by street lamps, and had a rusty sign hanging at the front that read 'Off-Road Motel.'

Pushing open the car door, I sat and watched Miles admire the run down building in front of him, before stepping out into the cold air.

"Well, I like the name." Miles pointed out, dragging the duffel bag out of the back seat and dumping it on the floor.