Across the Universe

ii.

Finally, they pull up at O'Neil's. She looks at him, contemplating. On one hand, an extra person would weigh her down. But on the other, it would be nice to have company. Company who would pay. Company who was nice enough. Company with a nice, comfortable Jeep as a car, instead of a beaten up, second-hand Ford. Company who seems just as desperate to get out as she was.

"Food and gas," she finally says.

He looks surprised. "What?"

"You'll pay for food and gas. And we'll use your car," she says. As he continues to stare at her dumbly, she adds, "You go pack a bag and I'll meet you here in 15."

Without waiting for a reply, Nixon slides out of the car. Christopher drives away, and she goes to her own car, a worthless pile of crap she'd saved up for. Someone's written "SLUT" in big, black letters across the side of her car, and she's grateful that she'd be switching up her ride. She goes in, silently, and begins to pack all the little things she's collected along the way into the duffel bag she brought.

🍃

When Christopher Mckinney doesn't come back after 17 minutes, Nixon is half sure that he's backed out. She checks her watch, one of her favorite things in the world, and decides that maybe it's time to start the engine. She feels a strange pang of disappointment flicker through her. As much as she thinks she doesn't want company, she does. Because as pathetic as it sounds, she's lonely.

Just as her car finally starts, she sees a blue Jeep stop right beside her. Christopher rolls down his window, and she does the same.

"I thought you bailed," she says.

He shrugs. "I almost did."

At that, she climbs out of her car, armed with two duffel bags, and gets into the passenger seat of his Jeep. She throws her bags to the back, joining his two bags.

She looks at him and smiles. "Say bye to Pleasanton."

🍃

About half an hour into the drive, Nixon falls asleep. She knows it's probably the most idiotic thing to do, being in a car with a complete stranger, but she was almost delirious with exhaustion. After speeding out of San Francisco as fast as she could, her plan was to drive to somewhere obscure, rest for a day, before setting out again. But after the whole Pleasanton shebang, leaving there was probably the smartest thing she's done since she left Oakland.

When she wakes up, it's broad daylight and they're parked at the back of an iHop. She glances around and Christopher's asleep, making it the perfect opportunity to snoop. Quietly, she checks her seat - the back, the sides. It's empty, save for an old can of cola hiding under her chair and several takeout menus stored in the compartment. She manages to slip into the backseat, looking through his bags, which are full of typical boy things. And finally, she maneuvers her way back to the front, silently looks through the driver's compartment - and that's when she finds it.

A gun.

She breathes out steadily, pursing her lips. She flips it from hand to hand. It's strangely light, unlike the other guns she's held before. She looks at it, and then at Christopher, and contemplates what she should do next. She's always been staunchly anti-gun, and that's led to a lot of unfriendly situations that could've been dealt with that way.

But desperate times call for desperate needs.

She points the gun at Christopher and pokes him with it, jerking him awake. His eyes flutter open sleepily and then his shoulders jerk as he sees the gun in hand.

"Jesus!"

"What the fuck is this?" she demands. "I found this in the driver's compartment. Why do you have a fucking gun in the driver's compartment?"