ON THE ROAD

Hallie

I couldn't help but fall in love with every sight I saw. From the beach of white sand to the snowy mountain tops, I couldn't get enough. Maxine slept through most of the first day, only opening her eyes once in awhile to tell me where she wanted me to stop for the night. She changed her mind about seven times, but we ended up in a little town by the sea that reminded me of a cheap version of our hometown. Maxine must have seen it too, because she refused to look by the window, simply staring at the road ahead of us with her jaw clenched.

We stayed in a little motel that cost less than the price of the gas we used that day. When I opened the door, a strong smell of death invaded my nostrils.

"-Let's bet under which bed lays the body", roughly jokes Maxine.

I tried to smile, but couldn't shake the actual fear. Stuck alone in a one bed motel room made me realize the danger. Maxine was just out of jail for who knows what crime and there I was, touring around the United States all alone with her without telling anyone. What was I doing?

"-So, at what time should I set the alarm?" I asked to escape my thoughts.

"-An alarm?"she looked at me concerned.

"-I know I said that I didn't want to waste time, but we're still free. Let's wake up when we do and leave when we're ready, alright? Now let's change and go before it gets too late.

-Go... where?

-I don't know, a club or a bar? Whatever we might find in this... town."

I stared at her in disbelief. Going out? On a Wednesday night?

"-Don't look at me like that, you'll be fine. This might be uncomfortable for you, but get ready, because this is not a touristic road trip, you'll have to face difficulties and learn how to push yourself to your limits.

I understood what she meant, but I knew there would be better ways to go past my limits than by going out, which I didn't want to do at all.

"-I might just stay here and get some sleep."

She sighted.

"-You sure will be fun..."

She opened her tiny bag we had gotten at her house before leaving and took out a scandalously small piece of fabric. Without even turning around, she took off her pants and shirt and put on the tight dress. I looked away, uncomfortable.

"-You're really going to wear that?"

The way she looked at me made me realized I had messed up. She hadn't grown up with parents telling her to always cover above her knees and I needed to get used to that.

"-I mean, it's pretty but it's getting colder outside and I wouldn't want you...

-I'll be fine. Have fun."

And just like that, she was out the door and on the hunt for some nightlife.

I opened a window in an attempt to change the smell of our room and stared at the city lights for a second. They were far away, probably more than 50 miles, but the mountain the city was built on allowed me to see it perfectly. I wondered how many cities we would see, how many miles we would drive, how many clubs she would go out to.

And that's where it hit me: regrets. I never wanted to go out, but, once everyone were gone and I was left alone in my room, I always changed my mind. I would usually just take a book and get lost in the story, but tonight, I wanted to live up to the expectations of the trip Maxime had promised me. I could have an exciting two weeks, but only if I pushed myself like she had told me. Her speech suddenly made more sense to me: chances were I would have much more fun bu doing something I wouldn't usually do than by staying in my comfort zone.