"Wait. So, you're just going to hang around campus during winter break?" Sienna asked Paige, as if Paige had just told her something in a foreign language that she was having a hard time deciphering.
"Not per say, we have to leave campus so I was thinking of maybe doing some light traveling. As a reward for finishing the semester my dad added a little extra fundage into my bank account." She replied, sounding unphased.
"Why don't you just go home to your family?" Sienna asked, wondering why anyone would choose to be alone during the holidays. She began to study Paige's face, something she felt she had done a lot lately. She felt like she was finally starting to read her emotions by just looking at her.
Sienna who was neatly folding some clothes and packing them into her open duffle bag couldn't help but feel bad for Paige. Behind the rough exterior and the sarcasm there was somebody there that was really hurting.
"They go skiing, if I see another fucking ski trip I swear I am going to puke. Besides, my dad is a dick and we always end up arguing. He loves to remind me of how disappointed he is in me and how I make poor decisions. I remind him that I don't give a shit and that he's an asshole and we do that the entire time. It's exhausting." She responded, sounding defeated.
Sienna couldn't imagine a world without the love and support of her family. They were her tribe, they stood by her through thick and thin. It's what families did.
"Fine then! Come with me." Sienna exclaimed, without giving the invitation much thought.
"No, I'm not cutting into your family time." Paige responded, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"You won't, I promise. They'd love to meet you, they love all my friends and you'd be no exception." She replied, offering Paige a warm smile. She watched as Paige thought the offer through and then noticed Paige's face soften.
"Yeah, ok. I'll go spend winter break with the Phoenix clan. I just hope they all aren't as neurotic and nerdy as you. Tell me there's at least one Phoenix family black sheep I'll be able to make fun of Andrew with." Paige responded, making no effort to hide her mischievous tone.
Sienna felt a rush of excitement come over her. There was no way she was going to let Paige spend break alone, even if it meant she'd have to sacrifice her own family time.
"How do you feel about catfish?" Sienna asked, using her most exaggerated southern accent.
Paige looked at Sienna and threw a pillow at her. "Listen, Arkansas, if I start using any of your insane southern idioms after this trip, I give you permission to kill me." She said, playfully.
--
"Do you think your truck will be ok on campus? It's literally the only one of the few vehicles left in the east lot" Sienna asked, as they loaded their duffle bags into the tiny trunk of her corvette.
"Yeah, she'll be fine." Paige answered, looking back at the green truck that was parked half way across the lot.
"What's the deal with you and that truck anyway? I'm sure you could probably get something a little more reliable if you wanted to." Sienna asked, suddenly realizing how judgemental she sounded.
They walked around the car and took a seat inside before Paige spoke.
"Well, I should be asking you the same thing, it's not every day a girl drives into your life in a classic car that even Prince wrote a song about. If you must know...." Paige said, taking a deep breath. "It was my dad's truck. My dad and I weren't always at each other's throats. There was a time he was like my best friend, then, I fucked it all up and his response was to become the worst version of himself toward me." Paige said, looking down on the dashboard. "Anyway, it was his dad's truck, they grew up very poor and it was what got my family out of poverty. Once my grandparents saved enough for that truck, they were able to slowly build up their farm and eventually their business. My grandpa passed it on to my dad, who later on passed it down to me. At that point the truck was just symbolic. I didn't care what it looked like, I just cared about what it meant and the story that came with it." Paige said, an air of melancholy surrounding her tone.
Fascinated by what Paige had just said and how she had just opened up to her, Sienna practically spit out her next question. "What happened to get you guys to where you're so dysfunctional?" Sienna asked.
"Life." Paige responded, looking at the dashboard that looked like it had been locked in a time capsule for 30 years. "What about you, huh? Why a corvette?" She asked, turning the tables on Sienna.
Sienna realized that this trip would either make or break her and Paige. As they got on the highway Sienna contemplated how she'd answer the question about her car.
"Funny you ask, this was my grandma's car, too. I remember being tiny and every sunday she'd take me on a drive in this car. Sometimes, she'd even go over the speed limit and the exhilaration of those few times was something I'll never forget. My grandma was fun, she was smart and she was independent and determined. She was everything I've ever strived to be. So, when she passed away last year, I asked my mom if it was alright if the car was given to me and here we are." Sienna replied, while using her mirrors to switch lanes on the highway.
The rest of the drive was filled with conversation. Paige and Sienna got to know each other, they listened to podcasts together and sang along to Sienna's Road Trip Jams playlist. After 6 hours on the road, they stopped at the Holiday Inn Express that Sienna had booked weeks in advance. If there was something Sienna was good at, it was planning.
When they arrived at the hotel, Paige took a seat in the lobby, while Sienna went to the front desk to get them checked in. Being that it was way past check in time for most people, the lobby was empty.
When Sienna finished checking in she waved Paige over so they could get in the elevator. The small four story hotel was quiet as they walked the halls toward their room.
"So, we're going to have to share a bed. I wasn't really expecting a guest when I booked the room and the front desk said they didn't have any other rooms available that would allow us to have our own beds. Apparently there's a concrete convention in town." Sienna said, while looking at the room numbers trying to locate room 412.
"No biggie, Arkansas. I can sleep on the floor." Paige responded.
"That is disgusting, Paige. Sleep on the bed with me, I don't have cooties." Sienna replied, using her keycard to get in the room while simultaneously pulling Paige in by the hand.
The standard decor of the room was just that. Standard, probably the same uniform way all the hotels in that chain looked like. They both set their bags down and laid on the bed, exhausted from the past six hours of driving. Paige turned on the TV while Sienna took a minute to check in with Andrew and her best friend.
"I'm going to jump in the shower." Paige announced while Sienna wrapped up her phone conversation.
Sienna laid in bed thinking about the road trip and how much fun she had just had with Paige. She loved looking over at her and watching her smile when she didn't know she was watching. She loved how tenacious she was and she never held back from saying what she was thinking. That's when Paige walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.
"Hey, sorry, sorry! I forgot my toothbrush." She said, making a beeline toward her bag and then right back to the bathroom.
Sienna couldn't help but wonder what Paige's body looked like under that towel. Of course she had seen her in her pajamas and in workout clothes but never any other way. She began to think about the kiss between them once again, and suddenly she found herself curious as to what it would be like if it ever happened again. The taste of Paige's lips had still not left Sienna and she already wanted more. Then, she caught herself and instantly snapped back to what her reality was. Southern belle, who would marry her high school sweetheart, pops out a few kids and if she was lucky she'd be able to work on her art in between taking care of Andrew and the kids. It was the life that was mapped out for her, the life she didn't want and a life she absolutely did not look forward to. If Sienna could spend the rest of her life in this hotel, living this moment and this trip forever, she'd probably never be happier.
After Paige was done with her shower, it was Sienna's turn to jump in. Paige had neatly put her things away when Sienna realized Paige had forgotten her phone in the bathroom. Sienna didn't want to snoop but a text message was visible on the screen.
The text message read: I miss your lips, I miss the way you touch me. Let me know when you're back in town, I need you.
Sienna couldn't help but get upset. How could they be together, on a road trip back to Arkansas and Paige was texting back and forth with a girl who clearly wanted to have sex with her? Sienna knew that Paige wasn't her girlfriend or anything close to that. She was also certain that she was straight so why was she getting so angry at Paige for doing what Paige did best? She put the phone back on the counter undisturbed and took a shower.
Sienna didn't say much prior to falling asleep. She laid in the queen size bed with Paige next to her and as much as she tried to shake her mood, she was unable to. She knew Paige could tell something was wrong but she just couldn't hide what she felt. She went to sleep and hoped that tomorrow morning would come quickly.