Closer To The Truth

I laughed to myself after hanging up the phone with Roxie, I felt bad for her but frankly Craig had never been on my good side nor had he treated Roxie well in the past couple of years. I wondered why she put up with it, but I knew my bluntness upset her at the same time. I decided that now would be a good time to light up while driving, which is harder than it looks but a cigarette later I turned up the radio and drove and drove and drove.

After looking at the Arizona desert for a couple of hours I was bored and singing badly at the top of my lungs until I saw a road sign that read Phoenix 15 miles. I got giddy and fished through my purse in the passenger seat until I found my phone calling my number one speed dial.

"Hello?" I heard a groggy voice answer, I checked the clock and after seeing 2:07 I understood why, but I was still excited none the less.

"Guess who's 15 miles away from Phoenix!" I cheered enthusiastically, switching lanes to stay on I-17 and simultaneously pass up the grandma going forty miles-per-hour in the left lane.

"Alaska, I know you're my sister and I love you, but sometimes you make it very, very hard," She whispered, her voice still thick with sleep. I heard a door open and I figured she had an overnight guest of sorts.

"Aw well at least you love me anyways," I chirped, so excited to see her after such a long time I didn't really care that she had just insulted me."Why were you sleeping shouldn't you be out partying with your douchebag boyfriend?" I asked a coy smirk spreading across my face.

"Ha-ha," She said sarcastically, "He's not a douchebag and if you called me at two in the morning just to tell me that then you should turn around and go ask Mom to stash you in the basement," She chuckled before I could hear her light a cigarette, sighing loudly.

"Oh, why so cold big sis?" I laughed, pretending to be hurt before rolling my eyes. I saw the 'Welcome to Phoenix" sign pass me and I let out an excited squeal, "I'm in Phoenix! And that is why I called you, not just to insult your Craigypoo, but I would don't get me wrong," I laughed, a second wind came to me excited just to see her soon.

"God, why are you so happy and peppy?" Roxie asked sounding disgusted, I decided to just give her a free pass for the entire conversation since I had woken her up and called her early in the morning. "I'll stay up until you get here, boo. You know the address right?" Roxie asked a maternal tone came to her voice. Just like the time she taught me how to shave my legs or the time she taught me to shotgun a beer. Obviously those two events were spaced out, but she always looked out for me whether I liked it or not.

"Yeah, Mom gave it to me, I'll put it into the GPS," I nodded before realizing she couldn't see me. I tried multi-tasking, but some how most of the roads had cleared so I didn't feel that endangered.

"You little fucker! I still can't believe you got a car with a GPS for your eighteenth birthday," She chuckled as she exhaled smoke, I could hear the air rush past the phone.

"It's only because Mom and Daddy love me more than you," I joked, hoping she was awake enough to hear the sarcasm in my voice. I made an exit on to the 101 and from there it was a straight shot.

"It's because you call Dad, Daddy so he thinks your still his little girl," She said with a flat face, I could imagine her rolling her eyes at me. I laughed and she joined in, it was then I hoped she was okay with me barging into her life like this.

"Well, it works Little Miss Responsibility," I retorted before taking another exit into Tempe and attempting to navigate the streets at night. I could hear Roxie light up another cigarette just to stay awake probably and I felt bad. We stayed on the phone talking about all these people she wanted me to meet and she complained about a party the floor above her.

"I'm in your apartment complex where do I park?" I asked looking around and not willing to risk all of my belongings getting towed. I rolled down the windows to better my views, but I was greeted with a blast of hot, dry air.

"Uh, well its building A, so anywhere near that. I have to get you a parking permit in the morning," She said, I could've sworn she was writing it down somewhere. I parked and informed her before grabbing my backpack of my toiletries and pajamas and hopped out. "I'll be right down," she whispered indicating she was back inside and suddenly I felt a whole new anticipation to see Roxie and start a new life here.