Once Upon A Road Trip

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 

Angie followed a red Dodge sedan as it wove through open farmland for half an hour before reaching a few dozen single-level houses clustered around a lone four-way stop sign. The car ahead hung a right, and then pulled into a driveway. She parked off to one side of it and got out. Though she’d stretched her legs at the gas station while waiting for her host family, her knees still ached with stiffness.

Alec’s mother, a plump woman with pleasantly rounded facial features, came spilling out of her driver’s seat. They’d only exchanged greetings through their car windows before setting off, and she seemed intent on making up for it by walking around Angie’s car with open arms.

“Glad you could make it back to see us!” The woman greeted. “Goodness you’re brave—all by yourself this time. We’ll have to have a chat later so I can instill a healthy fear of God in you!”

The maternal fussing was lighthearted, but Angie suspected the shorter woman was at least halfway serious as she stepped into the hug. “Don’t worry. I’ve already got a healthy fear of God. It’s a fear of people I probably need some work on.” She laughed. “Thanks for giving me a place to crash, Claire. I don’t want to impose at all.”

Claire stepped back to grasp Angie's forearms, casting a sincere look over the rim of her broad, square glasses. “It’s good to have the company. Charlie’s away on business the next few days, so the timing worked out. I didn’t feel like explaining to him where you came from, anyway.”

Angie felt a twisting pang of guilt at realizing the woman had needed to omit her existence from conversations with her husband. When she’d first visited them on her test run over spring break, she’d only met Alec and his mother for lunch at a mall in a nearby town. While their meeting had been enjoyable, she'd gathered that Alec’s father wouldn’t be thrilled with him having internet friends — let alone meeting them in person.

“Alec can show you around while I make you up a room.” Claire called over her shoulder as she headed for the side door of the house.

Alec was slower to extract himself from the passenger side of the car, standing off to one side while the women had their exchange. He looked uncertain, which Angie had come to expect. Alec had always been expressive and open online and over the phone, but in person she knew him to be painfully shy. She took the initiative of bringing the welcoming hug to him.

And there was plenty of Alec to hug. Though they stood at the same height, Angie guessed him to be at least a hundred pounds overweight. Or at least, she’d thought that if he were to lose a hundred pounds, he could be considered attractive. The thought gave her a sense of disgust with herself on one hand, and saddened her on the other. She felt hypocritical to reject the shallowness of society’s expectations only to continue bowing to them in her mind. But at the same time, the health ramifications of her friend’s condition seemed a valid concern. Not that she had any idea how to address it.

“Show me around the neighborhood,” she said as she released him. “I could use a walk.”

“Oh…okay. Sure,” Alec answered in a soft mutter, falling into step with her down the short driveway. “Not much to see.” He turned his head aside, looking at her through the shaggy, chestnut-brown bangs that obscured his dark gaze. “Sorry we had trouble finding you. I should have been looking at the plates, not the car color,” he said, sheepish.

“Hey, you found me. That’s all that matters.”

 They walked on past the stop sign for several blocks before the houses ended and they doubled back, turning right at the stop sign. It looked as though this would be the same sight down all four streets. That much, Angie didn’t mind. The awkward silence was another matter.