Counting the Miles

-> “Dude my sister is flipping out about you driving her. I don’t know why.” Mike mumbled over the phone. I was throwing clothes into my duffel bag to take with me on this trip.
In all honesty, I have no idea why I agreed in the first place to take her.
“I mean I’m more than grateful you’re doing this for me,” He added and I smiled.
“Of course bro, I don’t want anything to happen to her either. I just don’t understand why you can’t be the one to drive her.”
“I have to go back to Connecticut and get stuff moved out into storage. I was so eager to leave I kind of didn’t think it through.” I laughed and shook my head.
“Alright well I’ll be over in a bit, then we can go to Lily’s if you want. She texted me saying there was a party there.”
“Deal, see ya later.” He clicked the phone and I slid mine into my pocket. Looking around my room I knew I was done with my clothes. I grabbed my backpack and loaded my laptop, chargers, all the directions my mom had given extra money, the credit card that she gave me, and zipped up the backpack.

"Dude, my sister is a whack job." I laughed at Mike. He was always saying Bella was crazy for doing something.
"Why, what did she do now?"
"She wants to have her in car in New Jersey this summer." I frowned and turned my laptop off.
"How does she expect it to get there?" I looked at my room; Bella had framed a few photos from our past childhoods together and gave them to me when I moved to school. Mike had gone to school in Connecticut, while I chose school in Texas. We talked all the time, but as Bella put it, 'So you can remember every wonderful memory.'
"She has to drive it across the damn country. She's nuts. She said she would take the gas money instead of a plane ride. Then my parents asked me if I would take her."
"What did you say to her?"
"There's no way in hell that I am going. So now she's pissed as hell because my parents aren't letting her go alone."
"How did this even come up? You're not even home."
"This was all over skype. I swear my parents shouldn't know how to use technology." I laughed and shook my head. In about a month we would be both be home for the summer. I was going to meet the McCrery's at their beach house in New Jersey in August, then take a plan from there to go back to school.
"Well if she really wants to drive, I'll take her."

I parked my car in the driveway and grabbed all my stuff before heading up to the McCrery’s door. I rang the doorbell even though I have walked through the door so many times.
Mrs. M opened the door and smiled when she saw it was I.
“Hello Jacob, thank you again for going with Isabella.” I peeked to the side and saw Bella and her friend Kara sitting in the living room watching TV.
“It’s really not a problem, I know everyone would feel better if she had someone with her during the trip.”
She gushed more how I was her second son and then finally went into the kitchen to finish cooking.
“Hey Bells, hey Kara,” I said nodding as I passed the living room and towards the stairs.
“Hey Ace,” they said in unison. I smiled and walked up the wooden staircase and walked to the third door on the right.

“Dude finally,” I dropped my bags on his floor and smirked.
“Miss me much?” He rolled his eyes and threw a fist at my stomach.
“You wish,” he smirked and grabbed his towel. “Are we going to that party or what?”