Road Trip

Chapter One ~ Lucas

The loud buzz of my alarm startles me out of sleep. I reach over the fifteen drinks that sit on my nightstand and turn the sound off. It takes me all of two minutes to remember why I set it to wake me up so early. I sit up and take the device off its charger and turn over in my bed. I have a few notifications, including messages from a group chat. I open the chat and scroll up to reach the beginning of the conversation and start to read.

    Ash- alr so im picking everyone up at 8:30 so we actually get there on time

Reagan- sounds good!

    Maddie- k

    Gus- im bringing drinks and footballs

    Ash- im bringing the surf board so we all have to rotate

    I get excited at the mention of surfing and begin to sit up, careful not to give myself a headache in the process. I peer over at the mirror that sits across from my bed, and look up at the mess that is my hair. I run my fingers through it and try to press some of the wild curls out of my face but fail miserably. Another ping sounds from my phone and I tilt the screen to see the message.

    Harper- shit

    Harper- piss

    Harper- balls

    Harper- just woke up

    Harper- don't pick me up first ash

    Harper- sorry lol

    I smile to myself upon reading the texts and drop my phone into the mound of blankets that engulf my queen sized bed. The floor is cold on my feet as I stand and stretch my arms above my head. I avoid looking at myself in the mirror for too long and walk to the bathroom. The shower is cool as I turn the faucet and I let myself stand still for a moment, letting the water pour over my skin and hair. I reach down and graze my fingers over the scar that inhabits the whole right side of my abdomen, flinching where it feels tender underneath my touch. Some of the stitches are still visible, but the majority have dissolved completely. In a few months, it will hardly be noticeable from afar.

    Stepping out of the shower, I quickly wrap my lower body in a soft towel and wipe the fog from the mirror. I grab the small comb that sits on the messy counter and quickly run it through my hair. Once I partially tame the blonde mess, I set the comb back and brush my teeth.

    I head back to my room to dig through the mess of my dresser to pick out a clean shirt, and ultimately decide on a plain white one with a pair of sweatpants. As I walk down the stairs at 8:15, I open Instagram and start to scroll through my feed, pausing on a picture of Gus. He is standing next to his brother, both with lacrosse sticks in their hands. The second picture out of three is him with a whole team of boys, while the third is an action shot from behind. I like the picture and open the comments, snooping through what other people have said. Being the person I am, I start to type out my own comment and smirk when I click the post button.

    Lucascray44: nice ass ;)

    I set my phone face down on the counter and open the almost empty fridge, managing to find a somewhat not mushy banana. A few minutes later, a loud honk comes from in front of my house, and I saunter over to the pre-packed suitcase and backpack that sit by my front door. Rolling the suitcase out of the house, I can see the only people in the car so far are Reagan, Maddie, and Ash. I open the trunk and haul my bag in, and then make my way over to the side door. I slide it open and climb into the very back of the van, my usual spot for this trip. Maddie sits up in the front with Ash, and Reagan is sitting in the first row of the two that inhibit the back.

    "Hey, man. We're gonna get Harper and then Gus." I nod at him and smile at Reagan before putting my headphones in and switching on Way it Goes by Hippo Campus.

    We arrive at Harper's house in less than five minutes and Reagan gets out to help her with the extra bag she's brought full of snacks for the drive. Once they get everything in, Reagan and Harper slide into the seat next to each other and Harper gives me a tired wave. I wave back and turn up the music on my headphones, closing my eyes for the ten minute drive to Gus'.

    I take out my headphones and peer out of the window when the car has stopped, and wait for the brunette to come out of the house. He takes a little longer than usual because he has to bring towels and balls, but eventually, I see his black Vans step out of the front door and stumble tiredly to the car.