Strings

Chapter Three | On the Road

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Chapter Three | On the Road

I'm sort of glad I'm sitting in the back of the van with everyone rather than the front with Nathan. The entire back of the van is open with a bench covered with pillows and blankets on either side of it, and the eight of us are sitting, four on each side. A tiny light bulb dangles from the roof, swinging to and fro with every bump the van hits, casting shadows across everyone's faces. There are no windows.

Meg is introducing me to everyone, and I've never met such a friendly and interesting group of people. There's Andie, an art major who twirls a long blonde dreadlock around her finger as she talks about a sculpting competition she participated in over the summer. She compliments my hair and tells me that it's the perfect thickness for dreads if I were interested. I politely declined.

Next to her is Forrest, another art major with a very expensive looking camera hanging around his neck like a tourist. I think he likes Andie, although from the looks of it, she's not interested in him. Cyrus and Brooklyn are twins, Cyrus a science major and Brooklyn a musician. She sings a song she wrote ove the summer for us, and man, is she good! Cyrus is really cool, he doesn't seem to have a big head just because he's intelligent, and I like that about him. Finally is Hailey, the girl who came with Makenna. She's an athlete, and she and Makenna have been best friends since they were freshman. Hailey tells me about how Makenna and Nathan had a thing for about a month last year, and then he just sort of fell off the face of the planet.

"Only because Makenna is crazy!" Meg exclaims loudly, pulling away from her lip-lock with Asher long enough to explain. "It's not his fault! He told me everything--don't you interrupt me!" 

Hailey had opened her mouth to sleep, but she closed it right away and leaned back. I saw her as someone like me, not big into conflict. I instantly decided that I liked her. Meg continued to talk loudly, telling a long story about how, apparently, Makenna and Nathan had gone on a date and she took him back to her dorm where she told him that she wanted him to be her first and only, that they could be together forever if he wanted. Then she tried to undress him. He freaked out and left, not ready for that sort of commitment.

Can't say I blame him.

"I mean, come on!" Meg says huffily, crossing her arms. "'I want you in my bed, let's get married,' after one month! You'd have to be crazy!" Asher has his arms around her waist and he kisses her temple. They really are cute together. Pretty soon they're making out again, and everyone continues talking amongst themselves.

"Makenna really isn't as bad as Meg makes her out to be," Hailey says to me. Her voice is soft. "I am probably biased because I'm her best friend, but still. She can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. She really liked Nathan." I nod. "You don't talk much, do you?"

"I'd rather just listen," I say as I shake my head. "I like hearing people talk, it's soothing." 

"I get that. What are you here for? You're a music major, I assume? Maybe arts?"

"Music. I play the cello. I'm not that great of an artist, I can do rough sketches but that's not enough to major in it." She's laughs, bemused.

"Oh, you'd be surprised at how good some of our art majors are. Some people only pick their major based on what kind of classes they want to take, a lot of art majors are really lazy and just want to get through with art classes. The same for some athletic majors, some kids just want it because it's a way to keep in shape. Some of my fellow dancers are really not graceful, it's aggravating. Most music majors aren't lazy though, except for a few of the singers, although I'm sure you already know who they are," she says. I shake my head.

"I just got here this morning, Brooklyn is the only person I've heard sing so far." She nods in the dim light. "You're a dancer? You look like a dancer," I muse, taking in her tall and lean figure. She's taller than I am, but rather than curves and flab, she's all bone and lean muscle.

"My mother enrolled me in ballet lessons when I was just a toddler, and it came so naturally to me. Gymnastics came next, but I've always gone back to dancing when I can. I also do swimming and track, but ballet comes first, always." I really admire her dedication, it's like mine with the cello. Before I have the chance to tell her, the van comes to a stop and turns off.

"We're here!" Meg says excitedly and slides out of Asher's lap, pulling him up by the hand. She unlocks the side door and slides it open, jumping out. "Wow, it's almost dark!" Asher steps out behind her, and everyone else follows. Nathan walks around to the side. He looks annoyed. I offer him a smile and he half smiles back, running his hands through his hair again and shaking his head. Makenna looks happy as she slides out of the passenger seat. I bite my lip. I find myself wondering why, I don't even know this boy. Or this girl, why should I care that she's obviously giving him a hard time?

Maybe because you might think he's cute, and you like him, a voice in the back of my head says. No. I don't. I can't. I hardly know him! Sure, he's cute, and he seems nice, but I've hardly had time to formulate an opinion about him, let alone that he'd be someone I'm into. 

Cyrus starts handing out bags and unpacking tents from the back of the truck. I grab mine, and once everything is out of the van, we start heading into the woods. The sun is about to disappear in the sky behind us, and I worry that we're going to get lost.