Hold On To You ✵ {Apply Fic}

Chapter 9

 "ROAD TRIIIIIPP!" Lucy shrieked as she tossed her bag into the back of the van. "We're going on a road trip, we're going on a road trip..." She danced in a happy little circle, hopefully getting all her energy out before they were trapped in a car for the next two hours. Ivy danced with her, a bit more hesitantly. The two girls had grown quite close in the last day, probably because they were the closest in age out of everyone.

Luke tossed his pack in the back on the van on top of Lucy's. "I think that's everyone's stuff, unless y'all have even more bags you're not telling us about." He scanned the pile of luggage they'd amassed. It was probably enough to build a house out of.

"That's everything," Carter affirmed, opening the door to the rented van. "Everyone in! I call shotgun!"

"Oh no, you don't," Alvira said suddenly, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and pulling him backwards. "That's my seat."

Carter wasn't stupid enough to try to fight Alvira. She settled in the front seat and the rest of the gang arranged themselves in the back. Luke almost sat in the very back, next to all the bags, before Madison evicted him, insisting that she wanted to sit closest to where the food was being stored. That gave her a monopoly over them if anyone wanted a snack. Luke tried to refuse but she smacked him over the head with a magazine until he ceded it to her, and the only seat remaining was the one to Carter's right.

Sawyer assumed his rightful place in the driver's seat and closed the door. "Everyone ready? Well, if not, too bad, we're leaving." He started the car and began to roll them out of the driveway and onto the open road.

Mads pulled out her phone and tried handing it up to Alvira. "Can you plug this in? Shuffle my Taylor Swift playlist."

Alvira did as she was asked, and Lucy reached forward and cranked up the volume. Pretty soon, everyone in the van was screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs.

"SOMEDAY I'LL BE LIVING IN A BIG OLD CITY," Carter hollered from right next to Luke. Luke's ears probably would have burst if he wasn't also shouting. The seats were small enough that their shoulders were pressed against each other, and their hands brushed together every so often.

If he was being honest, Luke kind of wanted to grab Carter's hand in his own, if only to relieve the awkwardness of them lightly grazing every few seconds.

But he resisted the temptation, and went the duration of the ride keeping his hands to himself.

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Lucy hadn't been wearing her seat belt for the past hour and a half. The older kids made sure she was wearing it when they left, but about half an hour into their bad singing and Madison's snack hoarding, they didn't care whether it was buckled or not. Besides, Sawyer was probably good at driving and she trusted him not to steer them into a ditch or anything.

She got up on her knees and leaned over the seat back, looking at Seb. She was on her new phone, texting avidly with someone.

"Texting with Oliver?" Lucy teased.

Sabine kicked the back of Lucy's seat. "None of your business," she said, but the smirk on her face gave her away.

Lucy looked next to Seb at Carter and Luke, who were sharing a set of earbuds and watching something on Luke's phone. Both of them were awkwardly trying not to touch the other, and it made her feel embarrassed just looking at it. She decided not to bother them. Besides, they were cute together.

Lucy turned back to the front seat and looked at Atlas and Alvira. Alvira was turned around in the front seat so they could face each other, and both were deeply invested in a game of sticks. Alvira was tapping Atlas' fingers furiously as the latter appeared to be winning.