The only thing that could be heard was the sound of the gravel on the road outside as the RV drove across it. The radio was turned off which was surprising because Audrey figured her father would have turned on the radio at this point. Sighing, she rested her head against the wall as she stared out of the window and fought the urge to fall asleep. She had already taken two naps in the last four hours due to the overwhelming feeling of boredom.
At the sound of somebody sitting next to her, Audrey turned her head to find her younger sister, Kate looking pretty miserable. She offered her sister a weak smile in the hope of making her feel a little better. "You alright?" She questioned gently. Kate weakly nodded her head and shrugged her shoulders softly.
"Don't you think dad has been acting strange?" Kate asked. At the question Audrey nodded her head and replied. "I do. I doubt any ordinary parent just packs up all of their things and buys an old RV and takes their three children on a spontaneous road trip to Mexico."
Kate nodded in agreement until she looked down at her lap as her phone buzzed. Raising an eyebrow in curiosity Audrey wondered who would be texting her sister right now. "Anyone I know?" She inquired.
Kate raised her eyes to meet her sisters and nodded. "Just Kyle."
Though her answer was vague, Audrey knew who Kyle was. Of course she knew who he was, Kate was always telling her about him. "Why is Kyle texting you? I thought you two said your goodbyes. Long distance relationships are pretty hard to maintain, especially when you're in Mexico."
Kate looked a little upset at this and Audrey immediately felt bad but sometimes the truth was hard to hear. "I've asked him to come pick me up. You should come with me."
Audrey was taken aback at what her sister had just told her and she scrunched up her eyebrows and shook her head. "We can't just leave dad. Both he and Scott need us, especially since mum passed away not too long ago."
Before Kate could get another word in Scott emerged from the tiny bathroom and the smell that followed him out was absolutely atrocious. Audrey brought her hand up to her nose in hopes of blocking it out. "What have you been eating?" She exclaimed just as Kate had yelled out against the smell as well. Standing up, Audrey went and grabbed a bottle of Febreze out of one of the cupboards and sprayed it in hopes of getting rid of the smell.
Scott sat down opposite the both of them and shrugged. "It's only gonna get worse, by the time we get to Mexico this thing is gonna be running on a whole new type of gas."
"You're disgusting." Kate told him with a frown.
"I'm awesome." Scott stated. "Like these guys...the sacred one. The hurricane." He continued as he held up one of the magazines he had been reading. Audrey frowned as she inspected the magazine in his hands. "Can you even read that?" She asked curiously.
Scott dropped the magazine into his lap with a defeated shrug. "I like the pictures."
Audrey rolled her eyes playfully with a small smile. Kate looked down at the magazine. "You know that stuff is rigged right?" She asked him.
"Yeah but the rules are like way looser down there." Scott stated as though it were something they should both know. "Also! The more of a freak you are, the more popular you become."
Kate smirked. "Well then you're gonna fit right in." She told him before her phone buzzed again and her attention fell down to the phone in her hands. Scott quickly leaned over and grabbed the phone out of her hands before Kate got a chance to read the message. "Hey give me that! Give it back!" She yelled as she reached for it back.
Scott smirked as he read the message. "Psalm forty six, verse one." Audrey sighed. "Scott give her back her phone." She told him with a roll of her eyes.
Scott gave in and gave her back her phone. "You're like a classic freudian test case, you know that? Preachers daughter, in love with the boy who texts bible quotes." He mocked.
Kate glared as she fired back. "You write stupid Elvish poems."
"And you're basically dating dad." Scott told her. Audrey frowned as Kate shoved Scott slightly. "Gross!" She exclaimed. Audrey shook her head. "Maybe a bit to far then, Scott."
"Remind me again why mum and dad walked half way across China to adopt you?" Kate shot back with a glare. "Stop it you two, you're behaving like children." Audrey told them with a slight glare on her face. Audrey was only twenty-one and she didn't count herself as an actual adult yet but she constantly felt like she had to scold her siblings whenever they bickered.
"What's going on back there?" Their father called back.
"Uh...Bible study, dad." Scott quickly lied. The Fuller's family were very religious which sometimes made Audrey feel a little out of place due to the fact that in comparison to her family, she didn't believe in God and she didn't go to Church. She was never disrespectful of their beliefs but sometimes her father would constantly try and convert her into believing in a higher power and that got rather annoying after a while.
Kate leaned forwards as she stared at both of her siblings. "So has he told you where were going yet?" She whispered. Audrey shook her head. "I only know that it's somewhere in Mexico."
Scott shook his head and muttered out a disappointed "Nope." Kate sighed as she set her eyes on her two siblings. "Don't you wanna know?"
Scott shook his head. "Not really." He answered as he leaned back a little. It look Audrey a moment to reply before she finally answered. "I'm not really bothered anymore. I was looking for apartments out of town anyway so maybe I should count the fact that we have in fact, left town a blessing."
Kate stared at her before she shook her head sadly. "This whole trip is totally schitzo"
"Yeah, because you've been so normal since mum died right?" Scott defended their father. Scott sighed. "It's been just six months, you get weird when someone dies." He told her. Audrey nodded her head in agreement.
"Weird like cutting your hair off, or getting drunk and stuff...not buying a junkie RV, kidnapping your kids and running to Mexico." Kate pleaded desperately as she tried to make a point.
Scott shook his head. "Were not running, and he didn't kidnap us. He just...needs a break."
Audrey nodded in agreement with her brother. "Scott has a point. I know you want to go home Kate and see Kyle and your friends and go to prom but we're going to have to accept that isn't something that is going to happen, at least for right now." At her words Kate leaned back, feeling a little saddened by her response.
A few moments later and the RV came to a stop which made Audrey frown as she sat up properly. The three fuller children rushed to look outside of the window, both Kate and Scott pushing the curtains aside as Audrey sat in the middle. "Woah! So cool!" Scott exclaimed. Outside there was a liquor store on fire. Audrey shoved her brother a little. "Scott! People could have been injured there, nothing about this is 'so cool'" She scolded. Scott never answered her as he was too entranced with what was happening outside.
"I think I hear a fire truck!" Kate exclaimed as she stared out of the window.
"Well, we best get out of their way" Their father responded as he started up the engine again and began to drive. After that the three kids in the RV went back to doing their own thing. Scott went back to reading his magazines again and Kate was speaking on the phone, presumably to Kyle. Audrey played around on her phone for a while as she had her earphones plugged in. She had a colouring app on her phone which was good for passing the time but after a while she got bored of that as well. She sighed and put her phone down and took out her earphones as she yawned tiredly. She was pretty tired of seeing nothing but plain desert's out of the window as they drove and she wished they could stop somewhere for food since she was starving and Scott had eaten practically everything in the RV.
After what felt like an eternity their father pulled up into a small restaurant like building. Audrey got up and stretched her legs and opened the door to the RV when she found out that they were going to be here a little while to get something to eat. Scott followed her out of the RV and Audrey felt the force of the sun beat down on her skin. Their father came over to them and looked back inside of the RV at Kate who was still sitting.
"You want anything?" Scott asked her. Audrey looked back at her sister expectantly but Kate just shook her head. "I ain't hungry."
Their father nodded. "Suit yourself." He told her before Scott closed the door and the three of them walked inside. The place smelt like cooked food and a little bit of alcohol. Unlike her siblings who never drank alcohol due to the fact that their father never let them, Audrey had always been a drinker. Not to the extent that people would call her an alcoholic but enough that she had learnt how to handle her drink. Her father of course, didn't know about this.
When the waitress came over Audrey ordered herself an all day brunch with a cup of coffee. When the food was finally delivered her mouth watered at the site of it and she eagerly dug in.
"Thanks for the food, dad." She told him as she took a sip of coffee. Jacob smiled at his daughter and nodded his head at her. He felt like this had been one of few moments his children actually felt happy as of late. "You're welcome darling."
Audrey smiled and she continued to eat her food until it was finished which she then washed down with coffee. Half an hour later everyone had finished eating and all decided to head back to the RV. When the three of them noticed Kate wasn't in the RV Audrey's heart sank. She had left with Kyle. After realising that Kate wasn't there they all took off down a small path in the forest that lay behind the RV in hopes that she was still around.
At the sound of a car driving Audrey urged her family towards the sound which unsurprisingly was where they found Kate about to get into the car. "Kate, what're you doing?" their father asked, his voice sounding a little hurt.
The boy who Audrey recognised as Kyle jumped out of his truck and walked towards them all.
"Kate, what the hell?!" Scott exclaimed. Audrey could see that although he was trying to keep on a cool face, he was feeling panicked that his sister could leave them."You were gonna leave us too?" He asked as he referred to himself and Audrey, who stood next to him looking saddened. She didn't actually expect her to run away with Kyle in the end.
Jacob looked at his children, a look of realisation that his kids knew what was going on and he didn't. "What's going on here?" He asked them. "She texted him. I saw her." Scott told him.Kate crossed her arms. "Tattle-tail."
"Sorry you had to drive all the way out here son. I do appreciate your concern for my daughter. This is a family matter, it's none of your business." Jacob told Kyle. Kate turned to look at Kyle expectantly as she waited for his answer.
"With all due respect, Kate made it my business. She's died scared at the fact that you packed her up and took her out of her life like that."
"-Now listen, I've known your family for a long time now from Church. Now I don't wanna have to call them up on account of you giving me any kind of trouble out here." Kyle looked at him blankly. "Go ahead."
Audrey sighed. She could already tell this was going to become an argument but still, she kept her mouth shut.
"Dad, don't you dare." She told him with a stern look on her face at the thought of their father getting Kyle into trouble. Kyle still had a blank expression on his face and Audrey began to think he was a little off. "Call them." Kyle dared.
Jacob frowned. "Kyle, you're a good boy. Don't do anything to betray that."
"You're the traitor, reveron. What kind of man up and abandons his congregation?" Kyle asked him harshly. At his words Audrey's eyes widened and she turned to look at her father in shock. She hadn't known that. Kate looked shocked as well. "Abandons it?" She questioned.
"What's he talking about dad?" Scott asked. It was then Audrey realised that maybe this supposedly vacation they were on was actually long term. Their father looked disheartened at the mention of what he did. Kyle raised an eyebrow. "He didn't tell you? I talked to my mum. He quit the parish for good."
Kate looked at her father sadly. "You said it was just a break. When were you gonna tell us?!" She demanded. Their father still looked saddened at the fact that his children now knew what he had done and Audrey felt bad for him. However she couldn't believe that a dedicated pastor like himself would up and quit like he did. There was silence for a moment before their father finally spoke up.
"As soon as the time was right." He said quietly. Scott looked upset now as well. "But why dad?! Why would you quit?" He asked. When he didn't answer Audrey sighed. "Answer him, dad." She said as nicely as she could.
When he still didn't answer Kate began to yell impatiently. "Answer him or I swear to god I will get in Kyle's truck and I will never look back!"
Jacob's heart felt heavy and his eyes were slightly glassy. Despite this he raised his head high and finally answered. "If you're a man of the cause, be it any cause, not a day goes by that you don't look in the mirror and wonder if I'm a fraud."
"What are you talking about, dad?" Kate asked him impatiently.
"The sheppard can't lead his flock if he's lost the path himself."
Audrey frowned at his cryptic answers. "Are you saying you don't believe anymore?" She asked him. She was shocked. Her father was always so religious and do dependant on God himself that she couldn't actually believe he could just stop believing. As she glanced at her father she noticed he looked sad and her heart broke a little. Her attention drifted from him though as Kyle began to drag Kate away to the truck. "C'mon i told you, let's go now."
Audrey's anger began to boil as she saw he was pulling her quite forcefully. "Hey! Let go of my sister!" She demanded as she began moving forwards. Jacob rushed towards Kyle with determination to get his daughter back. "Young man, let go of her!" He yelled but to no luck. He managed to grab ahold of Kyle's arm after catching up to them. "Let go of her young man!!" He yelled again. Kyle spun around and punched Jacob in the face and began punching him in the stomach. Kate began screaming at him to stop but he didn't listen.
Audrey stalked towards Kyle angrily and she grabbed his shoulder. "You fucking asshole how dare you-" She began to yell, not caring that she was cussing. However before she even finished her sentence Kyle turned around and backhanded her in the face. She sheer force of it sent her stumbling back a bit as she clutched at her cheek in shock. Kyle was always such a sweet boy and it made no sense he was getting this aggressive.
Scott saw this and he too tried to get Kyle off of his father but before he could Kyle pushed him down, just as their father fell down in pain. "Kyle stop it!!" Kate screamed as she saw what he had done to all three of her remaining family members. Since she was closest to their father she checked to see if he was alright, especially after taking a beating.
Scott and Audrey both walked over as well to assist their father and Audrey clutched her cheek still and could feel a bruise coming on. She never assumed he'd be so strong. "What has gotten into you!!" Kate screamed again is disbelief and anger.
"Don't let him fool you!" Kyle shouted. Kate looked at him in disbelief. "He's my dad!" She screamed at him. Kyle stood there for a few moments before Kate told him to leave.
"Fine. So long. You and your rice monkey brother and cheap ass sister." At these words Scott began to lunge for him but was held back by Kate and their father. Audrey almost lunged at him but he wasn't worth her energy, at least not anymore. "Bunch of freaks. You deserve each other." Kyle stated as he headed for his truck again.
Their father, who was now standing, ushered them off. "Lets go kids, c'mon." He said as the four of them began walking to the RV again. Their father began coughing and Audrey looked at him in concern. "Are you alright, dad?" She asked him. Jacob nodded his head. "I'm alright, sweetheart. Lets just get back." He told her and she nodded her head in agreement.
On the walk back everyone was pretty much silent. Kate was hurt and still in shock about the whole thing and Scott was angry about what had happened. Their father though shocked and angry at what happened still felt disheartened at the fact that his children now knew he left his congregation and were closer to figuring out the truth. Audrey's cheek still stung a little but she was alright. She was fuming at what Kyle had done just now but she knew that at least now the possibility of Kate leaving them wasn't an option anymore.
If the road so far had been this intense, she found herself hoping that from here on out things got better.