Take Me Home | ✔

Chapter Six

"Sorry, Vienna," he apologized. "I wanted to wake you up."

"A simple wake up could've sufficed," I offered a weak smile, feeling the stray fogginess still lingering from my nap.  

"It was only a generous pat. Wuss," he stuck his tongue out at me, smirking, and left me to take in my surroundings. The car had stopped which explained Elliot out of his seat belt and leaning over me ever too closely.  My neck craned and I realized we were in a Shell gas station. 

"I need you to watch the car while I go in the little shop for a while," he explained. 

"Where are we?" I muttered, rubbing my eyes and stretching out the cramps in my knees. 

"Winston-Salem, North Carolina," he replied quickly. "I'll be right back, I have to go to the bathroom real quick." 

In a split second, he ran from the car looking like he had a football wedged under his crotch, limping over to the station to empty his bodily fluids. I almost scoffed in laughter but realized how far we had actually gone in a matter of a few hours. Checking the map on "Angeline", we were already up in the mountains, on the complete other side of the state. 

I leaned forward to look out at the dashboard window to find a relatively flat area full of city trees and brick buildings and shoppes lining the streets. It seemed like it was just a few minutes ago, I was saying goodbye to the flat, sandy plains of the beach and the salty ocean .  

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a payphone near the entrance of the gas station. It suddenly occured to me that the class was already back from their flight, and my mother was probably freaking out when she saw that I didn't come out of the terminal. My throat was lodged with a mix of fear and guilt. I had to call her, or Kara, or someone, just to let them make sure I wasn't lying in a ditch somewhere. 

"Hey," the car door soon opened ten minutes later, and in came Elliot with two large bags. 

"I didn't realize there was a mall in the bathroom," I replied slyly, eyeing the bulging plastic bags. 

He chuckled. "I just thought we needed a few things." 

'Few' was certainly an understatement. As I peered into the plastic bags, I noticed the shitload of food he had acquired, ranging from jumbo bags of Doritos to three bottles of Powerade. Suddenly, something caught my eye.

Reaching into one of the bags, I pulled out an oversized pink sweater and a plaid skirt that was three sizes too big for me. Assuming he had gotten it for me. 

"What are these?" I ask him cheekily. "Do you have a fetish for pink sweaters and plaid skirts?" 

"Of course not," he told me. "Those are for you. You mentioned not having a change of clothes so I bought a little something to last." 

I stared at the sweater, wondering how long it had stood on that shelf, being permeated by dust bunnies and microscopic bugs, but grinned nonetheless. He was only trying to help me, and that in itself counted for a lot.

"They're pretty. Thanks, Elliot." 

He nodded, looking pretty proud of himself. He started to plug the key into the ignition when I stopped him. 

"Wait," I raise my hand and start to open the front door. "I have to make a phone call. Be right back, okay?" 

I run over to the payphone, fumbling in my lint-filled pockets for a quarter, when I realized there was a coin already stuck in the slot, probably left by some unassuming person whose call had been cut shorter than expected. Just my luck.