If Looks Could Kill

Chapter 2: The Hole and The...?

You know how people say, "you've waited this long so what's a little longer?" That's one of the most idiotic things I've ever heard. Anyone who has ever waited for anything in their lives knows that it's the little bit of time towards the end that feels the longest. That's how waiting for the morning to leave for this trip felt. The first thing I did when I got home was shower and change into the clothes I'll be leaving in (you guessed it, jeans and a faded t-shirt), not wanting any of that to be a morning task that could wake up mom and Dan if they decide to come back. I then tried to occupy myself with finishing last minute packing, cleaning up my room some, and even tried going to sleep early (the unofficial time machine to morning), but by around eight o'clock my attempts seemed futile.

It's always when you want to sleep that you can't.

I decided that I'd stay in my room, not wanting to have a possible run in with Dan and my mom before the trip. It's not like the two would notice or anything. If they come back tonight, they'll probably lock themselves up in my mom's room if you know what I'm saying.

Thinking about the three people that managed to weasel their way into this trip, I wonder where my backbone went. What happened to me just saying 'no'? With a sigh, I flop back onto my bed. Not even feeling like reaching for my phone, I lay in bed, staring at the wall it's pressed against. I guess there are worse people to take this trip with.

Like...like mom and Dan.

Comparing taking this trip with mom and Dan to Beth, Reggie, and Blake makes tomorrow seem a whole lot better. I figure leaving a note for my mom will suffice. It'll probably take like three days for her to notice my absence and an extra for her to decide to come check in my room. That being said, I'll probably tack it to the wall above my bed, so nothing blows the note away in the following days.

For example, wind. But an even more likely example, ghosts.

The sharp right my mind took on the idea of ghosts is what finally pulls me under into a semi-deep sleep.

The feeling I felt when waking up the next morning after my alarm clock went off at 4:40 cannot possibly be described in any other way other than exceeding that of a child getting up Christmas morning. There wasn't any lying in bed for a few minutes. I didn't even think about how I won't have to go to school for the next two and a half months, all I could think about was the trip, my trip. The thought of three other people joining me on this trip doesn't do anything to deter the good mood I'm in.

Climbing from my bed, I slip into some beat up converse I've probably had since I was thirteen and quietly slip into the bathroom across the hall to brush my teeth. Whether the tiptoeing is necessary eludes me considering there's a large chance mom and Dan are not here. Getting back into my room, I try to make any last-minute checks, making sure everything I need is shoved into the large duffle bag and book bag I decided to bring. Almost forgetting, I pull my map out of my school bookbag and put it into my trip one. Going through everything quickly one more time, I stop once I hear the sound of a car coming up my driveway.

Rolling into my driveway is one of those white vans most would associate with pedophiles. Grabbing my things, a go to meet who I know is Reggie outside.

"Feast your eyes on this beauty," Reggie tells me while rolling down his window. Besides a couple small dents on the side, the car looks to be in pretty decent shape. Sliding open the passenger side door once he's parked, I find that besides the driver and passenger seat, there's only one long seat behind that, the other two had been taken out leaving the back empty.

Throwing my bags in the back, Reggie turns his head to ask, "Glad I came along now?" He gives me what I suspect is supposed to be a charming smile but, I just staring back with a blank expression.