To Hell and Back Again

Chapter Nine

"I'd be nice to have that RV right about now." Steve shoved the last bag into his trunk. Dustin and Robin got in the back seat. Eddie stood next to him with his hood pulled up.
"You shouldn't have to do this for me." Eddie grabbed the edge of the trunk and helped Steve close it.
"When we get to California, then you can complain." Steve pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and flipped through it. "This should be enough to get there. If we need more then I can sell my body on a street corner or something."
"You would." Eddie smiled and smacked Steve's ass as they headed to the front of the car. They got in and Steve looked through the rear view.
"Seatbelts on." He said looking right at Robin. She groaned and put her seatbelt on. "I think I locked up." He looked at the house and furrowed his eyebrows. "It should be fine."
"Onward!" Eddie yelled pointing forward. Dustin smiled.
"Yeah! Onward!" Dustin added on. Steve put the car into drive and headed forward. Eddie fiddled with a bag between his legs. He pulled out a cassette tape and stuck it in the radio. Steve watched as Eddie clicked the buttons on the radio. 'Like a Virgin' by Madonna started playing though the radio. Steve turned to Eddie with raised eyebrows. Eddie quickly scrambled to get the tape out of the radio.
"Like a Virgin?" Robin screamed from the back. "Eddie Munson listens to Like a Virgin?" She started laughing as Eddie took the cassette out of the radio.
"That was the wrong one." He quietly said to himself as he rummaged through the other ones.
"Eddie, it's okay if you like Madonna. Nobody is going to judge you... except all of us." Dustin patted Eddie's shoulder.
"I don't listen to Madonna!" He looked down at the bag.
"Next he's gonna play Blondie." Steve smiled and elbowed his shoulder. Eddie turned red and put a new tape in the radio. 'Head over Heels' by Tears for Fears started playing. Eddie pulled a plastic bag out of his bag and stuck a joint in his mouth. "You can't smoke that. It's illegal." Steve took the joint out of his mouth.
"And? We're already on the run from the law." Eddie took the joint back and lit it. He blew a puff of smoke in Steve's direction. Robin looked at Dustin who was already dozing off.
"Can you turn Madonna back on?" She leaned forward and looked at Eddie who had the joint hanging out of his mouth.
"No." Eddie smiled then his smiled quickly faded.

Steve pulled into an empty parking lot. He looked back at the two asleep in the back seat. Eddie was moments away from being asleep. His head kept bobbing up and down. Steve leaned over and opened the glove box. He pulled out a map and closed the box back up. He scanned the map looking for the quickest way to California. "Are you too tired to drive?" Eddie reached over and took Steve's hand.
"No I'm just trying to figure out where I'm going."'Steve responded. He rubbed Eddie's hand with his thumb.
"Gag." Robin said from the back seat. Steve looked at her through the rear view mirror.
"Maybe we should pull over for the night?" He looked down at the radio clock. "Oh it's only seven." He rubbed his face.
"Maybe just drive for two more hours then we can pull over." Eddie clenched Steve's hand. Steve nodded and continued to pull forward.

"Steve... Steve!" Steve opened his eyes and swerved around a car in front of him. "You're falling asleep behind the wheel." Robin and Dustin were peering over the seats and Eddie was holding onto the dash for dear life.
"Shit... shit, shit." He pulled over on the side of the highway and rubbed his face.
"Steve, let me drive.." Robin got out on her side and opened Steve's door. Steve looked up with his mouth open. He stepped out of the car and got into the backseat. Dustin leaned forward and looked at Eddie.
"Can I have shotgun?" Dustin gave Eddie a goofy smile.
"Fine. But I want it back the next time we stop." Eddie got out and traded Dustin places.
"Dustin, put in that Madonna cassette." Robin ordered as she turned back onto the highway.
"Are you okay?" Eddie grabbed Steve's hand. He looked at Steve's tired eyes. Steve was only tired because he had spent the night before they left trying to figure out every possible thing that could possibly happen if the police showed up. He would go to jail for assault, maybe kidnapping a minor. Eddie would go down for three counts of murder, even though he wasn't responsible. And they would be separated. They would be separated in two different places, unable to see each other for at least the next thirty years. Steve nodded to answer Eddie's question. He leaned over and put his head on Eddie's lap. Instead of sleeping he just sat there and thought. He looked up at Eddie.
"What if the police do get us? What if they find us? There will be nothing we can do to stop it from happening."
"Steve. Close your eyes and go to sleep." Eddie brushed through Steve's hair with his fingers. The only problem was, Eddie was also scared of what would happen. We wasn't concerned about himself. He was scared for the other three. He had come back in their lives to ruin them. He had an escape plan. A plan to take off in the middle of the night while the rest were asleep. He'd turn himself into the police, save Steve the trouble of having to go down with him. He'd leave behind his material possessions for the others to remember him by and he'd live out his days in a prison cell for crimes he didn't commit. He'd try to get a state appointed lawyer to defend him but without money he would be screwed. The car shook from the bumpy road.
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck me." Robin looked into the rear view mirror. "Eddie," Eddie turned to see red and blue flashing lights behind them. His heart suddenly sped up. He grabbed a hair tie and pulled his hair into a bun and put on a pair of glasses to hopefully change his appearance. He covered Steve up with a blanket so only his head was sticking out. Dustin looked back and started to sweat. Robin pulled over on the side of the road and started to roll down her window.
"Hello. We got some calls about reckless driving. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?" The officer smiled and peaked into the back seat. Steve was asleep. Eddie was pretending to be asleep.
"Well, my friend back there was starting to get tired from driving. He swerved a little bit so we traded off and he's sleeping." Robin smiled at the officer.
"Long drive? Where are you folks headed?" The officer looked at Dustin who was holding a map.
"California. Going to see the beach." Robin laughed and tried to seem not at all nervous. She was so nervous she could throw up.
"Alrighty. Well make sure your friend gets more sleep before getting behind the wheel next time. You guys have fun in California." He turned to walk away. "Wait a minute..." he stopped and looked into the backseat. "I have that same blanket! It's so soft. Great buy.." he left and got into his car and drove away. Eddie exhaled and opened his eyes. He turned around to see the cop was gone.
"That was too close." Eddie looked down at Steve who was still asleep. "That can't happen again."