No matter how much she runs, Laura is stuck in an endless loop of her past. With a transfer of school and a curly-haired boy who seems to be wherever she goes, it's a matter of time she realizes that her universe ceases at the sight of him-and runni...
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IT WAS THE SECOND TIME WE HIT THE ROAD TOGETHER, AND NOTHING WAS GOING ANY BETTER THAN THE LAST. One could argue that things might've been going further south—only resulting in a colourful string of curses, exasperated sighs, and frenzied eyes. Maybe that was all we brought to the table, chaos and truckloads of wit. The mistakes were easily spotted: hitting the road late afternoon, not checking the weather beforehand, booking a car which could possibly be a carrier of a dead-something, with the way it smelled.
We all hoped it was a rat. I wasn't sure we were prepared for being caught driving with a dead body of a human.
"Maybe third time's the charm, guys," Chloe had nervously stated, eyes fixed on the dark clouds in the sky. The weather looked terrible, pitch black with a hint of the colour of smoke at just 7 P.M. "Maybe third time's it for us..."
Raymond had other problems. "We're low on snacks again."
Xavier, who was sitting in the driver's seat, fumed, "Are you fucking serious? We're low on gas—that's what's important! And there's a storm stirring up that could possibly be the end of us all."
"I know it's not the mood right now," Leo paused, but continued anyway. "But that was poetry, man."
The rearview mirror barely survived the glare Xavier drilled into it. His gaze was easily readable: I would run this car into the nearest tree, but I do not wish to go to hell with you guys by my side.
My senses were held by part-panic part-nervousness, anxiety settling in the air and on our awkward grins. I should've known we were terrible at this thing. Last time had proved to be almost lethal, and yet—
We never learnt.
"There's no way we are driving in this weather," Stella groaned. "Do you see the sky? It's going to pour tonight."
"Why must I always be face-to-face with death every time I travel with you guys?" Sean rubbed his temple, words strained. His hair was sticking out in all directions, a true personification of this series of unfortunate events. "Someone has to have hexed me."
Chloe sighed. "How does one not look up the weather report before travelling?"
You tell me. Leo huffed, chin on his palm. "If you're so in disbelief, why did you miss out on it?"
"Laura, look for hotels nearby," Xavier slumped his shoulders, cutting through a conversation which could possibly break out into a useless fight. "You should all be so glad I decided that we leave a day prior. We'd be done if he was performing today."
He got us there. If there was an ounce of logic left in us, it was all thanks to Xavier Henderson and his calculated plans. Without him, we'd probably be arrested for something illegal we managed to do but did not realize along the way.
The air was cold. As wind nipped at my skin harshly, thoughts often circled back to our exams, the preparation, or the lack thereof. We had ditched the last-minute preparation on impulse, whether or not anyone agreed to it. I only had slight trouble convincing my parents. Liam had a lot to say, but his views held no importance when mom and dad were around. Mom's face was mildly concerning—irises enlarging and lips pulling into the biggest grin, as if finally seeing her daughter do something right in life for once.
