The Road Trip

14

Lauren P.O.V

"Lisa?! Oh my God!" I yelled. The other three women jumped on top of the car and Lisa tried to, kicking the animal in the face.

"Help me up! Help me up!" Lisa yelled. Mani and I grabbed her hands and pulled her up just as the dog grabbed a hold of her ankle.

"AHHHHHHH FUCK!" Lisa yelled.

"OH SHIT!" China yelled, making a throw up sound.

"Lisa!" Mani said, sounding scared. The dog tried to snatch her damn ankle off it looked like.

"GET IT OFF OF ME!" She yelled. Z jumped off the car, the four way tool she was using to get the tire off in hand.

"Z no!" Mani yelled. Zendaya ran around the car and started beating the dog in the head, making it yelp. After it had let Lisa go, Mani and I pulled her up on the car to examine her wound. Z was still hitting the animal after I had already heard the squish of its brain.

"Okay Z! Okay!" China said.

"We need to hurry up and get outta here. Lisa needs help and if that was a damn wolf, they roll in packs and more are coming. Z, hurry and get the tire on." I said. She looked at me, sweating and swearing under her breath. Lisa was sitting in Normani's lap, crying and trying to stop her ankle from bleeding.

"You can see the fucking bone!" Lisa said. China looked at her ankle and her eyes got big. She leaned over on the side of the car and threw up.

"Get the fuck off the car! I gotta crank it up!" Zendaya yelled.

"Okay, Lauren. We have to move Lisa. You get down first and I'll slide her into your arms, okay?" Mani said. I nodded yes but Lisa scoffed.

"It.. it's okay. I can... I can get down... I can.." She trailed off. In Mani's phone light, she was sweating really bad and looked like she was gonna pass out any second.

"Oh my-" China said, still throwing up.

"China, get down!" Zendaya yelled angrily.

"Fuck-" Was all the younger girl got out before she continued to upchuck.

"Mani, Lisa is going into shock." I said.

"Lets just get her in the car and wrap her leg until we can find a hospital, okay?" She said, her voice sounding shaky. We eventually got Lisa down and in the passenger seat, ripping a sleeve off of one of my shirts to wrap around her ankle. China was in the backseat, her eyes closed, and breathing heavily. Normani was sitting in the driver's seat, gripping the steering wheel tightly, glancing around at our surroundings. I was outside helping Zendaya fix the tire.

"Lauren, what stupid shit have you done? This wasn't just a road trip was it? What's really going on?" She asked me, putting the other tire on.

"I don't know what you're talking about Z." I said, scratching my neck.

"You do. I asked You once before, remember? You stole money from that guy at the club, and we don't even know if he's alive! You're talking about bets, but that's not it." She said.

"Z, it's not a problem. Really, I'm not doing anything else." I lied.

"Okay. Good. We're going home." She said.

"What?! No! We can't yet!" I yelled.

"Oh? Why not Jauregui?" Z asked.

"Look, I have to get to L.A. I have a guy waiting there who's gonna resupply me. I have to pay for college somehow." I admitted.

"All done." She said, taking the jack from under the car.

"Don't be like that Z."

"Fuck you Jauregui! I'm telling them! And we're going HOME." Z said.

"Oh, well look at you, taking charge. I say we aren't. Now what?" I said, stepping toward the taller girl. She gulped hard but didn't say anything. The window rolled down and Mani glared at me.

"Get in the car and let's go! I can hear them howling!" Mani yelled.

"Keep your mouth shut Zendaya, I mean it." I said, turning and getting in the car, the tall woman whispering profanities at me.
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"Her ankle bone is broken. We've wrapped it and put a cast over it, she won't be able to walk on it for some time. The cast will have to be on for 4 to 8 weeks. We've also given her a rabies shot just in case." The doctor explained to us.

"This is such bullshit!" Lisa yelled, laying on the bed angrily. China was leaning against Mani and Z was sitting in a chair across the room, her arms folded, in deep thought.

"We don't live here. We're on a road trip from New York. She can still go right?" I asked him.

"My advice would be to get her home so she could rest. I'm sorry to ruin your trip. I'll draw up some prescriptions for pain and get her release papers and bill ready, then you can be on your way." The doctor said, leaving the room.

"Tell them Lauren." Zendaya said softly from the other side of the room.

"Tell us what?" Lisa asked. Mani and China were staring at me now too, looks of confusion on their faces.

"I... I don't want you guys to hate me! I'm just doing what I have to do to survive and get through college! I'm not some trust fund baby, okay? My parents didn't put aside money for me, I had to get financial aid and work a 9 to 5!" I said.

"Lauren, I work at a library. China is a cook at a restaurant. Normani works at a studio. We know about nine to fives." Zendaya said.

"I talked to this guy named Ace. He goes to the school too." I started.

"I know him. We have a class together." China said, wrapping an arm around Mani.

"Yeah, white boy with blonde hair. Anyway, he.. sells drugs. I was at a party one night and saw him, asked him if I could sell for him. He agreed. I was tired of cleaning toilets and shit man!" I said, grabbing at my hair.

"Wait a minute. You sell drugs?! And you didn't give me any?!" Lisa said.

"Keep your damn voice down! That isn't the salient point here, Lisa!" Mani said angrily.

"His dad runs a casino and Ace got into gambling, said it makes more money. He has guys in different states that bet on illegal fights and stuff. I was.. betting on those fights." I said softly. Nobody spoke so I continued.

"The.. real reason I wanted to go on this trip is because, I'm meeting one of Ace's suppliers there to bring back some bricks and weed, and Ace offered to pay me 30 grand if I did it. So I did." I said. Mani smacked her lips and walked out of the room. China looked at her feet and stuffed her hands in her pockets.

"You didn't care about if we got shot at, robbed, or damn near killed by animals! You were only thinking about yourself! You didn't wanna have a good time! You wanted money!" Lisa yelled.

"I NEED money, okay!? I'm not some stupid, air headed, trust fund baby who can buy any and everything she wants Lisa!" I yelled.

"You put our lives in jeopardy Lauren. We got shot at because of you." China said angrily, glaring at me.

"China-"

"No Lauren! We could've gotten seriously hurt and you didn't even care! I understand working a dead end job to get by, I cook lasagna and rotel all day at that stupid restaurant! But I'd rather do that, than risk hurting ANY of you because I love you guys! Yes, even you, you self centered asshole!" China yelled, leaving the room too.

"I'm so sor-"

"Whatever Lauren." Lisa interrupted me. I slid down the wall behind me and put my head in my lap, tears welling in my eyes.
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