Living with the Millers

Chapter 4 - Bonding

Chapter 4 - Bonding

There was this nerve-racking, torturous music pounding through the car, assaulting my ear drums and making my head pound. I groaned for what felt like the millionth time, shifting my hands to massage my aching temples. "Could you please turn it down?" I growled through gritted teeth.

Ben's eyes flickered to mine through the rear view mirror, an evil smile flickering onto his lips. "Turn it up? My pleasure." He said, cranking up the volume. Sighing, I closed my eyes, praying that a bus would hit us to put me out of my misery.

Savanna had insisted Ben drive one of the vehicles to get us to our unknown location, just because he was the oldest and Jason wanted to ride with the others. I had tried desperately to fight my way into the van, but no, I was stuck in this hell with the boys. Ben's truck looked like it was from 1996; beat up and worn. One of the wheels even creaked when the music was low enough to hear it. I had been squashed in the backseat along with Ryder and Dallas. Every time I made a noise of pain, Ryder would squeeze my knee in an attempt to soothe my festering temper. I appreciated it, I really did, but at this point I wanted to punch everyone in the face.

We had been driving for what felt like hours just to get to town. The Millers lived so far away that it took an extra forty five minutes just to get anywhere. A few times I had considered choking Ben to death, but then I remembered that murder was a crime, and I didn't really want to end up in prison.

Mercifully, Ben's phone rang a few minutes later. He switched the radio off and I sighed in relief, relaxing muscles I hadn't known I had been clenching. "Sorry about him," Ryder whispered, giving me a sympathetic look. "I know that's annoying. I've just been putting up with this for so long that I'm immune."

"It wouldn't even be that bad if it wasn't heavy metal," I said, rolling my neck. A dull ache had settled at the base of my head, pounding like a drum. "Pop, I could handle. Even country would be okay. But listening to dudes scream at the top of their lungs for thirty minutes straight just gives me a headache."

Dallas snorted, giving me a look. "Dudes?" He questioned. I rolled my eyes, sticking my tongue out at him. If I was less exhausted, I would've given him a smart-ass remark.

"Could you guys keep it down back there? I'm on the phone," Ben exclaimed, shooting us a look. Pursing my lips, I flipped him off, not bothering to be discreet. Usually I wasn't so blatant with my anger, but Ben knew just how to push my buttons. Instead of responding, he blew me a kiss before returning his attention to driving.

"Ignore him," Ryder hissed, squeezing my knee again. Sighing, I let a breath out through my nose. He's just being an asshole, I reminded myself, popping my knuckles. Nothing would've made me happier than to kick him straight in the balls. Then again, that could have been the lack of sleep talking, but he was going out of his way just to annoy me. What had I ever done to him?

"Can you get it by five?" Ben asked, biting his lip. The phone was pressed between his ear and shoulder as he trailed his mother, trying to keep up. Savanna was a pretty reckless driver, even in a minivan. "No man, that's too late. I need it by five, no later." He paused for a minute, flipping on his blinker before exiting the highway. My heart jumped; maybe we were almost there. "I mean it, if you're not there, I'm coming to find you." And with that, he hung up the phone, throwing the phone at the passenger seat angrily. Gavin flinched when it hit him, giving Ben an angry glare.

"What has to be done by five?" I asked in a sing song voice, batting my eyelashes.

"Shut up," Ben muttered. I smirked to myself; point for Shiloh. Finally I found something that would piss him off. I knew revenge wasn't necessarily the way to go, but in this situation I couldn't think of any other way to defend myself. They say if you fight fire with fire, you get burned...I have to say, if I got to mess with Benjamin even just a little bit, I'd be okay with that.