𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐋𝚰𝐎𝐍𝐒 - josie saltzman

8. Road Trip

Somehow in the silver van, Skylar had ended up squished in between Josie and Hope, even after Skylar's pleads to Hope that she shouldn't sit next to her.

"Dr. Saltzman, this van is very... white of you." Kaleb said from the front seat, who had called shotgun right before Skylar.

"It's retro."

"It's a gas-guzzling atrocity on wheels."

"I brought snacks." Hope sighed and handed some to Dorian and Emma in the back.

"Oh, sweet. Did you pack them before or after you and back flipper decided to FOMO your way onto our trip?"

"Like I'm gonna let you guys chase monsters without me?"

"I would've thought you wanted to spend the break canoodling with your hipster boyfriend."

"Sorry for wanting to protect the outside world from my mistakes. You know, there's currently an urn on a river cruise spreading plagues across America because I thought a unicorn was cute. It's called accountability. Maybe there's a bracelet for it." Hope assumed.

"Or maybe you just wanted to ruin yet another Saltzman spring break."

"When have I ever ruined a spring break?"

"Girls? We're gonna be in this classic automobile for six hours, all right? So, no bickering."

"It would help if it wasn't a thousand degrees in here. I'm burning up." Hope complained.

"You're burning up. Now, that's ironic."

"What does that even mean?"

"Don't play dumb. I see you. I see right through you."

"I don't know what you're talking about. What happened to playing nice?"

"Over. Done. I'm getting back to me. I am who I am. Right, Josie? Josie?"

"She's uh-" Sky motioned to her ears.

"Sorry?" Josie took out her headphones and turned to Lizzie.

"Josie, you cannot leave me alone with just them for company."

"Well, I get carsick if I don't listen to music." Josie put them back in.

"Josie!" Lizzie reached over and started a brawl between the four.

"Girls!" Alaric yelled. "Girls, there is no reason to be tense or awkward, okay? Now knock it off. We're gonna get through this together. God help us all." He muttered the last part as Skylar noticed that Josie's hand now lay on hers, which was set on her own thigh. She didn't want to move, but also felt as if it was an invasion of personal space, but also felt like Josie wanted it there, so she didn't move.

"I'm boiling."

"I'm freezing."

"I'm tired."

"I'm starving."

"Punch buggy!" Lizzie punched Hope in the arm.

"Alright, sandwiches!" Dorian yelled through the van as they tossed the sandwiches forward and the girls started complaining.

As Josie started to unwrap her sandwich she looked to Sky, who was staring at her sandwich. Josie could've sworn she had heard Skylars stomach growl before the sandwiches but Skylar simply passed on her sandwich to Hope. Hope gave her a pleading smile and mouthed please but Sky didn't budge so she handed the sandwich to the back.

Josie took a bite out of her sandwich when an idea appeared in her mind. She placed down the sandwich and opened her bag grabbing a bag of sliced apples and held them out to Skylar.