Girls & Guns.

Johnny’s POV:

It’d been three hours since Jade had started driving so that Cherry could sleep. Three long, agonizing, torturous hours. I could hear “Animals” by Nickelback coming from Jade’s earbuds, but that didn’t stop her from constantly talking. I’m not completely sure why she was even listening to her mp3 player, there was music playing in the truck already. “Did you know that there are more plastic flamingos in America than real ones?” She paused, but not long enough for me to answer. “Don’tcha think that people would prefer real ones over fake ones? I know I would… But I suppose they might be expensive. But still! Why would anyone want fake ones?!” There was a pause. Wait, a pause? Silence? I whipped my head in her direction. She had just turned off her mp3 and was trying to put it away.

“Keep your eyes on the road!” God, this chick was going to get me killed.

“Geez! Don’t yell! You’re gonna wake her!” I quieted and looked to Cherry. She was curled against me and was actually kinda… cute. Jade sighed then looked at me.

“What? No more annoyingly useless facts?”

“Well, actually… Did you -”

“Gah! I don’t care! Can you just, I don’t know, not talk for a while?”

“Wow, hostile much? I was gonna say that twelve window-washers die every year on the job. But you’re obviously more interested in what the silence has to say.” I glared at her, “No, seriously though. I actually wanted to ask you if you really thought that me driving was going to be that horrible.”3 Hours Earlier:

It was obvious Cherry was getting tired. I was starting to wonder why she didn’t stop and sleep. I mean, I know they probably don’t trust me, I’d given them no reason to, but she could’ve stopped somewhere.

My thoughts were interrupted when Jade suddenly gasped and turned in her seat to face me. A smile slowly spread across her face as she asked, “Want to hear my impression of the most annoying sound in the world?” Before I could even open my mouth to tell her no, se took a deep breath and opened her mouth. “Gnaaaaa…” A sound, that sounded unlike anything else I’d ever heard in my life, began coming out of her. It was high-pitched and nasally. She didn’t stop for nearly five minutes, pausing only to take a few deep, over-exaggerated breaths when she had to. I was beginning to wonder why she’d called it an “impression” when it clearly was the most annoying sound in the world. I don’t think Syn could’ve even come close to this sound if he’d tried, and that’s definitely saying something. When that man wanted to bug us, all he had to do was pick up his guitar and play some ungodly notes. He was good at making horrible noises. “Gnaaa-” She was finally shut up when Cherry suddenly slammed on her brakes with a very, erm… not nice look on her face. The cab of the truck was silent then, except the music that was playing on the radio.

Cherry slowly inhaled a deep breath- eyes closed and hands clenching the steering wheel tightly- before she spoke lowly, “That’s it. I’ve got to fucking sleep. I can’t take the two of you arguing anymore.” She then began moving the truck to the side of the road and put it in park. “Jade, you’re going to have to drive…” She signed and Jade let out a loud, excited squeal. She opened her door and got out, dancing around and babbling excitedly in front of the truck. Cherry gave one, tired chuckle and said, “Quick, let’s leave her here!” I simply gave her a small smile in return and she sighed again. “Listen, there are a few things you should probably know before she gets behind the wheel.” As I looked at her then I noticed the bags under her tired eyes. It made me wonder how long it’d been since she’d gotten a good night’s sleep. The rush of sympathy I felt for her surprised me. She’d taken me from my home by force, but for some reason I couldn’t feel hate toward her. I couldn’t hate Jade, either, as annoying as she was. I nodded my ead, letting her know I was listening. “First of all, make sure she doesn’t get distracted by anything. That means no arguing, please. Also, keep your eyes on the road, too, just incase she does get distracted. Um… Be prepared to take the steering wheel if you need to. Don’t let her mess with my radio while I’m asleep, either. She can put CD’s in, just don’t let her move any of the dials. Please? And she shouldn’t have too much sugar, that could be dangerous. She gets way too hyper.” She yawned and rubbed her eyes, smudging her eyeliner a bit. She looked out the windshield to see her friend standing with her back to us, hands on her hips, watching some birds. “And, please, whatever you do, please don’t wake me up. I’m dead tired right now and I’m feeling bitchier by the second.”

“I’ll try, but I’m not promising anything. I mean -”

“Jade. I know. I’m going to talk to her about this too.” Se smiled tiredly at me again. “Switching drivers shouldn’t have to be this complicated, should it?” We both laughed a little at that, because it was true. “Just let me sleep unless we’re about to crash. Wake me up if we’re going to die. Okay?” With that, Cherry climbed out of the truck and softly shut the her door.

I was getting a little nervous by then. Not only was Cherry about to go to sleep and essentially leave me alone with Jade, who would no doubt enjoy the time to talk as much as she wanted about anything she wanted. She was also going to sleep and letting Jade drive. After Cherry gave me those warnings, adding to them the obvious fact that Jade is very easily distracted, I was fairly certain her driving wasn’t that great of an idea.

All of a sudden, I heard yelling, albeit it was muffled, coming from outside the car. “God! I’m not that bad of a driver!”

“Oh, bull!”

Jade let out a noise that sounded somewhere between a sigh and a screech. “Look, I only drive crazy because I can do it with perfect control!”

“And that’s fine… In your car! Don’t do it in mine!” I couldn’t stop my eyes from darting back and forth between the two of them. This was better than any TV sitcom!

“Like I would crash! I mean, what if I got hurt?”

“Wow, way to think of Johnny and me!”

“That just gives me even more reason not to crash! Why in Sam’s hill would I want to crash? I’M NOT GONNA CRASH!”

“Okay, just make sure you don’t fucking crash!”

“Fine!”

“Fine!”

“Fine!” Both girls turned angrily away from each other and stomped to their respected side of the truck. Wow, that was the most I’d seen Cherry angry. Mental note: Don’t get on her bad side.

At the same time, in almost complete synchrony, the two chicks opened their doors, got in and slammed them shut with a loud bang. It was a deadly quiet, broken when Jade angrily started the car and pulled back onto the road. Cherry turned to me. “On second thought, don’t wake me up.” She then proceeded to get herself comfortable so she could sleep. The tension was still there and building as Jade began to drive faster and faster with a furious scowl etched on her face. Lord, help me…3 Hours Later:

“Hellooooo?” A hand waved in front of my face, breaking me out of my trance.

“Huh?”

“I said: do you really think that me driving is so horrible?”

To my surprise, it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be. Sure, she swerved a lot, sped and took corners way too fast, but… I’m still alive, right? So, I answered, “You could do better.” A smile broke across her face and she turned back to the road.

“I’ll take that,” but then she frowned again. “Hey Johnny…”

“Yeah?”

“You know I consider you a hero… Right?” What?! The entire trip she’d done nothing but get on my nerves! “I know I’m really annoying sometimes, but… I hope you can consider me a friend.” She turned and she looked so… hopeful. It didn’t help that she was wearing blue contacts. They made her eyes look bright and innocent.

“Well, I think ‘friend’ is a bit of a stretch, but I suppose maybe it could happen someday… Maybe.” I surprised myself with my answer, thinking again about how I should be absolutely hating both Cherry and Jade. I also shouldn’t have thought it was cute when Cherry suddenly cuddled up closer to me.

“’Cause I only do those weird, annoying things to make my friends laugh. I’m really a nice person once you get to know me. I’ve just got some strange antics that take some getting used to. Um… I also know that lying to you, throwing a canvas sack over your head and forcefully shoving you into the truck got us off on a bad start.” She chuckled nervously, “Are you still mad about that?” She sounded sheepish that time.

I shrugged my shoulders at her question, deciding not to let her off the hook on that quite yet.

“So, we good?

“…Yeah…”

“Good. So now we’re friends, and friends tell secrets!” What? No. I didn’t say we were friends! God, this is like kindergarten all over again.