‹ Prequel: Early Sunsets Over Newark
Early Sunsets Over Newark
Crammed
I slept like the dead. Even with Sam's elbows and knees in my ribs and back. Somehow, all of the motions of the highway comforted me. It was like my own lullaby. When I woke up the next morning, Sammy had already crawled out of the bunk, and so i was left alone. I got up slow, dressed in my over sized "The Only Coke I Do Is Diet" shirt and a pair of boxer shorts over my Spiderman underwear. If I'd been any more immature, I'd have gum stuck in my hair.
I scuffled my feet, one after the other, out to the main room. Just in time to see everyone laughing and playing Monopoly. I scratched the crown of my head and yawned as Sammy collected her $200 rent fee from Mikey, who seemed pretty broke. It wasn't until I groaned that they all turned to look at me, almost sneering. Gerard immediately starting laughing, hopefully at my shirt, and Sammy smirked before getting up and crossing the room. She wrapped her long arms around me, patted my back comfortingly. "Are you hungry? Want some coffee?"
I grumbled, and Mikey seemed interested. Sammy scoffed. "Translation: Cigarette."
The bus pulled over to the side of the road, at a Kentucky truck stop. Gerard was the first off the bus and gave us rules. "One cigarette, then breakfast, then; if you would like, another cigarette. Then back on the bus. We have to be out of here in an hour."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and Sammy, Frank, and myself all piled to the side of a bus and passed a tiny bic around the circle. Frank stood back, trying desperately not to make eye contact with either of us girls. It was like he was scared I was Medusa. I tried to ignore his twitchy self, puffed away on my light while Sam took her time with her Newport. There was only silence between us. Until finally Frank spoke to us. "So, why California?"
Sammy ignored him, looked in the opposite direction as if she were alone. I inhaled deep, kept it tight. "Because. That's the place isn't it? The beach, the sun."
He seemed confused. "Yeah but you were in Florida. There's a beach and sun there."
I nodded.
"Do you ever visit your mom?"
He nodded, slow at first, then reassuringly. "Religiously."
I smirked. "But why? You have a bed, food, and good company here on the bus."
He shook his head softly. 'But it's not the same."
Sammy still avoided looking at him, took one last puff on her stick before throwing it to the ground and killing it with one heavy stomp of her foot. "Exactly."
I scuffled my feet, one after the other, out to the main room. Just in time to see everyone laughing and playing Monopoly. I scratched the crown of my head and yawned as Sammy collected her $200 rent fee from Mikey, who seemed pretty broke. It wasn't until I groaned that they all turned to look at me, almost sneering. Gerard immediately starting laughing, hopefully at my shirt, and Sammy smirked before getting up and crossing the room. She wrapped her long arms around me, patted my back comfortingly. "Are you hungry? Want some coffee?"
I grumbled, and Mikey seemed interested. Sammy scoffed. "Translation: Cigarette."
The bus pulled over to the side of the road, at a Kentucky truck stop. Gerard was the first off the bus and gave us rules. "One cigarette, then breakfast, then; if you would like, another cigarette. Then back on the bus. We have to be out of here in an hour."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and Sammy, Frank, and myself all piled to the side of a bus and passed a tiny bic around the circle. Frank stood back, trying desperately not to make eye contact with either of us girls. It was like he was scared I was Medusa. I tried to ignore his twitchy self, puffed away on my light while Sam took her time with her Newport. There was only silence between us. Until finally Frank spoke to us. "So, why California?"
Sammy ignored him, looked in the opposite direction as if she were alone. I inhaled deep, kept it tight. "Because. That's the place isn't it? The beach, the sun."
He seemed confused. "Yeah but you were in Florida. There's a beach and sun there."
I nodded.
"Do you ever visit your mom?"
He nodded, slow at first, then reassuringly. "Religiously."
I smirked. "But why? You have a bed, food, and good company here on the bus."
He shook his head softly. 'But it's not the same."
Sammy still avoided looking at him, took one last puff on her stick before throwing it to the ground and killing it with one heavy stomp of her foot. "Exactly."