Chasing Fireflies

Before I know it, someone is poking my shoulder. I blink my eyes a few times and bring a hand up to wipe the sleep out of my eyes. It’s dark outside and the only light is coming from the inside of the car. I must have been asleep for a couple hours.

Apparently I am taking too long to wake up because my shoulder is being tapped again, this time with an irritated voice attached to the action. “Laurel! Wake the fuck up!”

I recognize the voice as belonging to Garrett and groan. “How about you shut the fuck up, Garrett?” I ask. I expect Garrett to make a sarcastic comment in retort, but he doesn’t. I turn around in my seat. “You seriously don’t have a response to that?” I give him an incredulous look.

“No,” he replies. “I don’t.”

Something is up with him, I think to myself. He always makes sarcastic comments to everyone, especially me; I’m the only one who can make equally sarcastic comments back in an acceptable amount of time before he assumes I can’t think of anything to say in response. On top of this, he won’t even make eye contact with me, which is odd; he’s looking out the window. When I think about it, he’s been acting weird ever since Phoenix. I push the thoughts aside and ask Garrett, “Why did you wake me up?”

Still looking out the window, he responds, “We need you to look at the map.”

“And no one else could have done that?" I ask incredulously. "I was sleeping peacefully until you yelled at me.”

Garrett finally looks at me. “Well excuse me for waking you up from your precious beauty sleep.” He scoffs.

I open my mouth to respond, but before I can, Pat speaks up. “I tried to tell him that I could read the map, or Kenny could, but he didn’t listen,” he says, responding to my previous question.

I give him a small smile, “Thanks for trying, but I’m awake now anyway. Where’s the map?” Jared hands me it, one hand still on the steering wheel. I take it from him and turn around in my seat. “What do you need me to look up?” I ask. “Where are we, anyway? Are we in Colorado, yet?”

“We just crossed the border,” Jared answers. I nod my head and flip to the Colorado map. “What exit do we need to take to get to the nearest hotel?”

I scan the map. “It looks like the first exit that goes to a sizable city is exit 13, Grand Junction.” The next mile marker says ‘3’ so we have ten more miles to go. I look at the clock on the dash; it says 12:42. I sigh, knowing I won’t be in a bed for at least another half an hour. I feel another poke at my shoulder and turn around. This time it’s John. “What?” I ask.

“Can you see if there’re any good places to eat in Grand Junction?” He has this look on his face, almost as if he’s pleading with me.

I sigh. “None of us have phones that have internet, John. Just look at the road signs; there will be a blue one with places to eat on it.” I turn back in my seat, but not before catching Pat rolling his eyes. I pull out my phone and text him. Will he ever stop eating?

Probably not. Pat texts back.

One can hope. I respond.

I wouldn’t hope too hard, Laur ;)

I bite my lip, hoping it’s dark enough in the car that no one will notice. Pat calling me “Laur” has never affected me before, but now that I’m in love with him (Oh God, I’m in love with him), it’s affecting me greatly. I have a feeling I’m blushing as well, which I probably am. I turn my head even more towards the window and will my blush to go away quickly.

Thankfully, no one speaks for a few minutes, and as we reach exit 13, the blue food sign shows up and John exclaims, “Food!”

Kennedy must have fallen asleep in the past ten minutes because he was awake when I woke up but he startles and screams when John yells out. Suckers is tucked under his left arm and it doesn’t take long for everyone to notice. “You’re sleeping with him?!” Garrett starts laughing hysterically.

“When did you even get him out of the back?” asks Jared. “I thought you threw him back there earlier.”

Kennedy shrinks down in his seat. “I got him out at the last rest stop, when you guys were all in the building.”

No one says anything else, probably because we are all super tired, but Garrett continues to chuckle. In the rearview mirror I can see Kennedy glaring at him and my lips turn upward in a smile as I remember how much I love my friends.

Jared turns off at exit 13 and soon we’re pulling into a Quality Inn. Everyone gets out of the car and we all trudge inside. There’s a clerk at the front desk, but he doesn’t’ seem to be excited to be working. “How may I help you?” he asks.

Jared takes the lead and asks the clerk for three rooms. We decided in the car that we’ll have the same rooming situations at every hotel: Jared, Kennedy, and John in one; Garrett and Pat in another; and Rebecca, Stacey, and me in the third. The clerk gives us all room keys and we head back to the car to get our stuff.

When Rebecca, Stacey, and I get to our room, Rebecca announces that she’s hungry and goes to find John to see if she can ride with him to get some food. A minute later, there’s a knock on the door and I assume it’s Rebecca; she probably forgot her room key. I open the door and am surprised to see Pat standing outside the door. He’s holding a Capri Sun (Fruit Punch, of course) and smiling. I tilt my head, confused, and Pat laughs. (I probably shouldn’t find his laugh so adorable, but I do.) “There was only one left,” he explains. “I know you like to drink them for breakfast, so I figured I’d give it to you now instead of waking you up in the morning.”

I grin, thinking about how thoughtful Pat is, and say, “Thanks, Pat.” I take the Capri Sun.

He shrugs and grins as well. “It’s no problem.” He takes a step backwards. “Have a good night, Laur.” He turns around and walks away.

I’m so caught up in Pat calling me “Laur” again that I almost don’t even register Rebecca walking past me, exclaiming that she’s going to get some Mexican with John, grabbing her purse, and leaving. Stacey comes up to me. “Are you okay, Laurel? You look kind of pale.”

I shake myself out of my reverie and smile at Stacey. “Yeah,” I reply as I shut the door. I look at Stacey. “I’m going to be just fine.”