Alone Together

2

"Do you wanna take the window seat or?" Kelsie asked Kathryn. The younger knew that Kelsie preferred the window seat. "I'm good, you take it," she pursed her lips. "Alright, just give me your bag so I can put it under the seat," Kelsie said as she put hers under. "Yes ma'am," Kathryn dragged her backpack on the floor. "Ugh, I have been gaining some weight these days," Kelsie told Kathryn as she sat down. "Yeah i've noticed," Kelsie looked at her and frowned, "Hah, just kidding Kels, I even thought you looked thinner than the last time I saw you." Kelsie sighed in relief, she knew Kathryn wouldn't lie to her.

"Hey K," Kathryn froze for a second before looking up. Aaron was smiling at her, one of his backpack strap on his shoulder. "Are you excited for the trip?" she asked, he sat on the row next to the two girls. "Of course I am, anything to leave home," he said lowly. Kathryn knew he was going through some things at home, but she also knew she sucked at comforting people so she just continued to stare at him.

To her luck, the members of the football team entered the bus. Everyone felt the bus physically shake when the four lads climbed in. They all made rowdy noises and made their way to the back of the bus. "Hey guys," one of them, Noah, greeted the girls and Aaron. They waved back and talked to each other again.

"Aw bro, I gotta move to the front of the bus now, Rita doesn't like sitting at the back of the bus, it makes her nauseous apparently," Chad informed his teammates, they were the closest in the whole team. " Dang man, you're like mature and shit now aren't you?" Fernand said. The three of them started cheering for Chad as he made his way to the front.

"We're still missing people according to my list, even Lee isn't here yet," Kelsie told Kathryn. Kathryn took the paper from Kelsie's hand, every name was highlighted except for three names. She looked out the window, "Oh Lee's right there!" Kathryn grabbed the highlighter in Kelsie's pocket and scratched the name off of the list. "You really just went for it K," Kelsie said as she took her list and marker back.

"Mind if I sit next to you?" Lee asked Aaron."Not at all man," Aaron shook his head. "Hey Kelsie," Lee called. Kelsie stood up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "That's really annoying, you guys should like, never do that in front of me," Kathryn broke them up and Aaron laughed. Kelsie pinched Kathryn's waist and smiled shyly.

"Miss president!" Kelsie and Kathryn both turn their heads towards the door of the bus, "sorry we were late, we had some stuff to fix." Marcus and his girlfriend, Scarlet, just got in. "You don't have to call me miss president everytime Marcus, just sit down already, we're already off sched," Kelsie said with an irritated tone. "You guys hate other so much it's almost funny," Kathryn whispered to Kelsie who rolled her eyes. The couple sat down and Kelsie did a head count again. "Ready to go Kels?" she nodded.

The driver came in and everybody got told to buckle up, usually those seatbelts do not last more than five minutes, but since they had to leave at dawn, everyone would probably sleep. "Romero isn't driving today?" Kelsie squinted her eyes to get a better look at the driver's unfamiliar face. "Doesn't look like it," Kathryn answers. "They didn't even bother to tell me beforehand, wow," Kelsie said. Kathryn couldn't bother less, as long as the dude can drive then go for it. The bus jolted a bit and then drove smoothly, Kathryn looked back and saw the other buses following theirs.

It's been about 15 minutes and about half of the people were asleep already. Some of the kids in the front reading books, some scrolling through their phones. At the back, the three jocks were sleeping with their heads resting on each others. Back at the front Rita was listening to music while Chad was sleeping on her shoulder and Scarlet and Marcus fell asleep while holding hands. Kathryn felt her eyes almost drooping down, then she looked to her right and saw Aaron sleeping and Lee as well. She tilted her head a bit to get a better look at his face, she smiled a little. Kathryn flinched when Kelsie gagged, "You alright Kels?" Kathryn held one of Kelsie's shoulder, who looked like she was gonna puke any second from then. "Plastic bag in my bag pocket," she managed to choke out. Kathryn hurriedly stood up and pulled the plastic bag. Kelsie started vomiting and Kathryn rubbed her back in attempt to make her feel better. She opened a water bottle and handed it to Kelsie who was wiping her mouth with a handkerchief. "Thanks K," she took a big gulp of the water. "You're getting motion sick again?" Kathryn asked, she remembered when Kelsie vomited in a perry ride when they were way younger. "Seems like it," Kelsie replied and closed her eyes. Kathryn took her earphones up to untangle them and then started listening to music. It wasn't so long before the two of them fell asleep just like everyone else in the bus.

Kathryn woke up when she heard Kelsie talking to the other guys in the bus. "What's happening?" she asked, her eyes still half-closed. Kelsie turns to her, "We are back home, apparently something happened in the national park and they don't allow campers as of the moment." Kathryn heard the frustration from her voice, she knew Kelsie was looking forward to this trip. "Everyone's getting off, get up now," Aaron told Kathryn and took her bag under the seat for her. Kathryn and Aaron got off while Lee and Kelsie were trying to help each other clean the trash made in the bus, they got off eventually too.

"Well," Kelsie claps her hands in hope to get everyone's attention, "let's just go home and see each other tomorrow then!" Kelsie was going to stay with Kathryn for tonight. Kathryn looked at Aaron, he looked really troubled, he hated being home. "You can stay with us for now, it's pretty late," she asked, that was an excuse so it wouldn't be awkward. He smiled and patted her shoulder, "Thanks K." "Take care guys," Kathryn waved goodbye at those who were waving at her.

"Come on now," Kelsie told the two.