TWDG//

NINE

I fall asleep, even though the road is bumpy as we drive along. It's dark, after Willy turns his torch off. I lean down, and rested my head on my pillow, and go underneath the blanket, cuddling my Disco Brocoli plushie. I hear snoring throughout the dark truck, and even though I can feel myself squashing Willy everytime the truck bumps, he never says anything. And I'm too tired to move.
...
"Wake up, sleeping beauty!" Willy laughs in my face. I groan and sit up.
"Hey!" I exclaimed, rubbing my eyes. "Where are we?"
The back door of the truck was open, and the only person inside was Ruby, who was too busy writing something.
"No where, really. Just a toilet break, and then Clementine is swapping with Louis to drive." Willy says. "So if you need to go to the bathroom, go now." I nod, and step off the truck, and into the morning sun. The wet leaves and grass and mud makes my sneaker soppy and dirty. I see Louis walking back from a bush and he smiles at me. I walk into the trees, unsure, before nervously placing myself in front of a tree.
I was so rushed, I pulled my pants up, and raced back to the truck, Willy laughing as I slipped once before climbing on my bed.
"Stop laughing, it's not funny!" I said, but I too was laughing. So my blanket wouldn't get dirty, I took off my sneakers, and just had my plain black socks. I sighed. Louis moves out of the truck as Clementine steps up, Ruby helping Clem without her crutches. Clem groans, and takes them from Ruby, and moves toward the front of the truck, and sets herself down next to Violet. Clem catches my gaze, and waves.
I wave back, and take off my socks.
"Gee, they stink" Willy wrinkles his nose.
"Do you have any soap?" I ask.
"No."
"Then shh, I can't help it." I reply, before timidly putting my socks back on. Aasim shuts the door, and the room is sort of dark, but since its day, the sun from the window near the driver's shoot shines through. Better.
"Wow, last night was rough." Aasim sighed from his bed next to Ruby. "Has anyone slept in a truck before this?"
Ruby shook her head.
"No" Willy said. "Thank god."
"I did." Clem said. "I was...so young. We were taken as prisioners...from a, um...ski cabin."
"Wow." I said. "You never told me that Clem."
Clementine shrugged. "You were there too, AJ, In a way."
"How?" I asked, frowning. I don't remember sleeping in a truck before this.
"When your mum was pregnant with you." Clem smiled.
"My Mum was there?" I frowned. "Wow. You really were young."
"Yeah." Clem says. "But this is way more comfortable."
"If AJ hadn't been squashing my shoulder all night." Willy muttered.
"Sorry about that." I said, embarrassed.
"Don't be. You couldn't help it."
...
Ruby hands out leftover portions of fish, and everyone eats gratefully.
"How are we going to go with the food issue." Aasim asked.
"We hunt." Willy said. "That's what we did before. And maybe we can ration these?"
"Yeah, okay, but still." Clementine frowns. "We can't plan to improvise."
The truck stops, and we hear the door slam.
"What's going on?" Violet asks, waking from her nap.
Louis opens the door. He sighs, and takes his notepad and pen out.
"I'm starting to think maybe someone should sit with Louis when he drives." Ruby says. Louis stops writing, and hands Ruby the note. Ruby nods.
"We need to change the gas." She says, getting up.
"Already?" Willy asks.
"Just remember, the truck was only half full when we found it." Clem says.
"Oh, right." Willy says.
"And it's been a six hour drive, maybe we should swap." Violet stands up, and helps Clem up too. "I'll drive."
Clem laughs.
"You guys are gross." Ruby shakes her head. Willy and Aasim laugh too. I do too, even though I'm not sure what the joke was.
"We need to check the map." Aasim brings it out, and unfolds it. "Okay, 100km that way." Violet looks at where Aasim points. Louis gets in the truck, and sits next to Aasim, where Violet and Clem exit, Clementine on her crutches.
I sigh, and lay back down.
"I'm sleeping again, Willy." I yawn. Willy lays down too.
"Same." He answers.