Winter [Completed]

SEVENTEEN

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December 20th
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"When the memories hit you..."

—Unknown

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Imani POV

I groan, resting my head against the steering wheel. This cannot be happening.

"We stopped moving. Why did we stop moving?" Kelly asks and I roll my eyes.

"Because we're out of gas, Kelly." I frown, glancing out the window as the cars pass us by our spot on the shoulder of the highway. That should be me, zipping down the highway, but I'm stuck, in an immobile car, with Kelly freaking Price.

I groan a second time. How could I have been so stupid? This is all my fault. I was too engrossed in my thoughts to notice that we were low on gas and now we're stranded.

I pull out my phone and dial Ethan's number out of habit. I'm not surprised when it goes to voicemail after the third ring. I try him again. "Come on. Pick up...pick up."

When the phone starts going straight to voicemail, I figure he's turned his off, and I give up, turning to Kelly. "Can you call your dad or Cheryl and see if they can bring us some gas?"

Kelly frowns. "Um, I think Dad's at work, but Mom might be back from running errands. I'll give her a call." Kelly picks up her phone and dials the number with a concentrated focus. After holding the phone to her ear for a couple minutes she frowns, shaking her head.

"She's not picking up...Have you tried—"

"Ethan's phone is going straight to voicemail."

"Oh," she frowns, and I watch her call him anyways.

"You're right," she finally says when he doesn't answer he calls either.

"What? You thought I was lying to you?" I snap before running a hand along my face. Feeling like an asshole, I sigh. "Hey, I'm sorry—"

"Look, Imani I know you don't like me, but we're stuck here together so—"

"I never said I didn't like you." I mumble, turning towards her. "Do you really think that?"

Kelly frowns, peering at her shoes. "I mean, yeah. You only talk to me when Ethan's around, you avoid me at all costs. I think those are pretty obvious signs that you're not liked by someone."

I frown, feeling like a total jerk. I'd spent so much time focusing on me and Ethan and trying to act indifferent to Kelly that I really ended up giving her the opposite impression of how I really felt. No wonder she was always so catty with me. She was just dishing out what she took.

"Kelly look—"

"Honestly, Imani it's fine..." She turns her back to me and looks out the window. "Let's just make it through today and we can go back to not speaking to one another."

I chew my bottom lip and pull out my phone. "I um, I'm gonna call Jordan and see if he can bring us some gas."

I dial his number and he picks up on the second ring. After I explain our situation he agrees to help us out.

Sighing, I hang up the phone in relief.

"What'd he say?" Kelly asks, back still facing me.

"He can help, but it's gonna be a while. He's on the other side of town."