Ripped and Stitched

30: On The Road Again

Maybe the teenagers should not have left. They caused quite the panic at home, but waking up in another state, it was the last thing on Julia and Max's mind.

"Did we drive all night?" Max asked as he rubbed his eyes and sat up.

Brady shrugged.

Julia could tell Max was getting annoyed with Brady's lack of answers, and the last thing Julia wanted was for them to fight. Even if she was upset with Brady still.

"Where are we?" Julia asked.

Brady pointed to a sign: Welcome to Kentucky.

"What the hell are we doing in Kentucky?" Max asked.

Brady waved off his questions.

"This is getting real frustrating, man," Max grumbled.

Julia agreed. Although she didn't say it. It wasn't Brady's fault he couldn't speak.

Brady just shrugged in response to their annoyance.

After another hour, they stopped at a diner.

"Are we here?" Julia asked, confused.

Brady nodded. He pulled out a couple napkins and a pen and then the three of them went inside. Max and Julia looked at each other with a hint of apprehension but they all sat down together. The diner was empty with the exception of a few people in the back drinking a morning cup of coffee.

"What are we doing here, Brady?" Max asked. "How is eating pancakes at a diner in the middle of nowhere going to help us find Alison?"

Brady ignored him and waved over the waitress.

"Hi, Brady!" the waitress said happily. "She's not here."

Brady nodded. He pointed to his watch.

"She's not doing too well, she's probably not coming in at all," the waitress explained. "I haven't seen her these past few days."

Brady tensed up, but then forced himself to relax again. He nodded once more.

"I can let her know you stopped by when I see her again," the waitress offered.

Brady shook his head and handed her a crisp hundred dollar bill out of his wallet. So swiftly that Julia and Max did not notice the note on the napkin underneath. The waitress smiled and walked off, reading the note off to the cook.

"What was that about?" Max asked. "Who's the girl the waitress was talking about? Is it Ali?"

Brady frowned and shook his head. He stood up to leave and Max grew angry, he shoved Brady.

"What the hell are we doing here?" he yelled.

Julia quickly pulled both boys out of the restaurant in fear of making a scene. Outside though, things were not much better.

"Do you know where Alison is or not?" Max said angrily.

Brady clenched his jaw. Finally, he shook his head. So, Max punched him.

"Max!" Julia shrieked.

She watched as Brady stumbled before angrily going back for Max. He then swung at Max.

"Stop it!" Julia yelled.

"Oh we're just getting started," Max said as he struggled under Brady's grasp.

Julia watched in horror as Max made Brady bleed.

"I can't believe I ever thought you were worth trusting, after everything. You're a terrible person," Max said harshly.