The Road Between

Chapter 5: A Meeting That Was Long Overdue

I... am... screwed.

Hurricane Guilianna left a few hours ago, leaving me to wonder around like a lost puppy. I tried calling her, but she didn't answer. Tried calling my dad. Didn't pick up. Typical.

Most of my other friends were either in the Bahamas or Australia. I'm stuck in Nashville, in the streets with no way into my apartment since I forgot my keys, no money and no food.

Then it hit me.

I take out my phone. Four percent left. Hope it's worth it. I enter my contact list and scroll through it, looking for that one name that can help me. I press the call button and wait for him to answer. After I few rings, he picks up.

"What do you want, Kendall?" he asks harshly.

"Who's Kendall, babe?" someone says. I hear him curse under his breath and shuffling in the background.

"This better be good, Kendall," he growls. Once again, I tried to speak but was interrupted by a low growling noise.

"Luke, are you okay?" I ask. He didn't answer and he started to breathe loudly. My eyes widen in shock and I cover my mouth in realisation. "Are you having freakin' sex while I'm talking to you?"

"If I am, I am not in the mood for a lecture from my sister telling me that it's 'wrong' and I'm 'too young,'" he snapped, "goodbye!"

"No! Wait! I-" Dead. "Shemurr," I mumble to myself while looking at my phone. I groan. Two percent. Dammit. I was about to lock my phone when another name caught my eye. I take my chance and press the call button. It rings a few times before someone talks into it.

"What's up?" she asks.

"Lilly!" I say excitedly. It's good to hear my cousin's voice after two years.

"Dolly?" she asks shocked.

"The one and only!" I answer, "Now I need your help. Are you still in Memphis?"

"Yeah, why?" she asked.

"Can I stay at your place? I'll explain everything later, my phone is about to die. Just meet me at the apartment building I live in," I say hastily.

"You owe me one," she says. My phone dies before we could say anything else. I jog back to the apartment building, waiting for my cousin to pick me up and take me back to Memphis.

***

An hour was worth it. When the blue Audi stops right in front of me and the windows roll down, revealing a blonde known as my cousin, I run up to the other side and jump in.

"This meeting was long overdue," she says as we drive away. "So, Dolly, how did you get locked out of your own apartment?" I sigh and explain everything.

"I agree with Guilianna, though. You had to tell her," she says. I lay my head against the window and avoid looking at her.

"I know. I was wrong and stupid," I say.

"Yeah, you were," she says. My jaw drops as I look at her. She laughs as I punch her on her arm. "What was that for?"

"This is the part where you tell me I'm not stupid and that I just made a mistake," I say. She shakes her head and smiles.

"Who am I, your mom?" she says. Two seconds later, her eyes widen and she looks at me. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—"

"It's okay, Lilly. It was only a joke. I get it," I say. She sighs and looks back on the road. It was quiet for about three minutes except for some random dude talking in the background.