Chapter 2

“Alice will never get over how chill your parents are,’’ Nick snickers. “She told me hers threatened to change the locks before she came back. They fight a lot.’’ I laugh nervously, not knowing how to respond.

It seemed I always heard of Alice’s life when I was with Nick, which wasn’t surprising considering they had been best friends since kindergarten.

I did understand why Alice would feel jealous though. Mom and dad always supported my decisions, even when they thought I was making the wrong ones, which wasn’t too often.

I had always thought my parents were basically perfect. They never fought, raised me and cared for me through the toughest years of my life without complaint and gave me everything I needed. I had always wondered why they hadn’t had more kids. I knew they had wanted more. We had a couple of empty bedrooms.

As Nick pulls into a half-empty parking lot, I look around in search of long, curly red hair in the small crowd on the sidewalk. The lack of light from the sun setting makes it an impossible task. The passenger bus is already being loaded up with luggage.

I help Nick bring our suitcases to the bus and show our tickets to the driver. I scratch my neck nervously, looking around for Alice. I hear a knock from inside the bus window and look up.

“I saved you guys a seat’’ I faintly hear her scream. I can’t help but laugh at the scene. Once Nick is done placing our things under the bus, I pull him behind me and make my way to the entrance of the bus, my other arm holding a pillow and blanket for the ride. Alice squeals as we sit down beside her.

“I can’t believe I get to party on the beach for two weeks,’’ she cheers excitedly. “And no parents will tell us what to do!’’ I laugh at her remark and start making myself comfortable.

“You better not get us in trouble’’ Nick threatens. “Last time we went on a road trip, your ‘new friends’ ruined everything.’’ I feel my heart pinch a little, but still laugh with Alice.

When Nick and I had first started going out, he and Alice had been planning a big road trip to Los Angeles. Since I didn’t know them to well, I had passed my turn. I had been hearing stories from that adventure for a year and a half now, and I still didn’t know half of all that had happened.

“Hey, my ‘new friends’ are what makes all our adventures so interesting!’’ Alice teased.

I couldn’t help but hope this time would be just as crazy if not more as anything else they had experienced. I just wanted my own stories to tell and laugh about. The driver finally closes the door and starts the bus, and I hear Alice squeal again.

“Alright everyone, welcome aboard,’’ a voice from the speaker resonates. “My name is Grant and I will be your bus driver for the night and until we get to New Chicago, Montana. We will be making a short thirty minute stop every three hours, so be sure to get back on the bus before departure time, ‘cause I’m not waiting for no one.’’

A couple of chuckles run through the bus and I look out the window. Already, we are merging on the highway. My heart is pounding painfully in my chest and I consider asking to stop the bus and just walk home. Nick squeezes my hand and smiles.

“Don’t worry, baby, everything will be okay,’’ he tells me softly. I smile back and lean in for a small kiss. I feel his breath on my lip before he grips my waist and pulls me in.

“Gross, get a room!’’ Alice teases. I chuckle shyly and listen to the rest of the driver’s speech, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.

“Rule number 3: total silence between 11pm and 6am.’’ A wave of complaints rises in the bus. I look at my phone to see it is already 10:50 and ‘curfew’ is in just ten minutes. I am feeling pretty tired, so I am a little relieved at the announcement.

“This is so unfair,’’ grumbles Alice. “I did not pay almost three hundred bucks to sit silently in a bus for seven hours!’’

Nick is also quite pissed, which I don’t really get. It does suck we can’t make a noise for seven hours, but we can at least get a good night sleep.

“I mean, he did say not a noise, not that you had to sleep,’’ I say with a wink. “But I will gladly take a long, uninterrupted, seven hour nap.’’ I place my pillow behind my head under the looks of disbelief of Nick and Alice.

“You can’t be serious,’’ Alice whines. “You’re actually going to sleep in a bus?’’

“Yup! Good night...’’ I sing-song before closing my eyes.

“What a loser.’’ Alice teases, trying to provoke me. I can’t help a smile, but stay silent. Her giggle is followed by the driver announcing curfew.