Scars

Beach Bound

I packed, out of excitement, long before the day we left for the beach, so it wasn't very hard to get everything ready. Ren, on the other hand, was slightly more difficult. She had thrown a fit about not being able to bring all her Barbies to show Daddy. After almost thirty minutes of screaming, we managed to come upon the agreement that she could bring one and that I would get her ice cream on the way to Nick's.

"One scoop or two?" the woman behind the counter asked me in a monotone voice.

I looked down at Ren and she held up five of her fingers, smiling like crazy and clutching her Barbie doll tight in her fist. I looked back up at the bored cashier. "Two." Hey, she was 'Daddy's' problem now anyways.

By the time we had gotten to Nick's, Ren had finished one of the scoops and was covered in chocolate. "Where is my kid, Brin?" Nick said when he answered to door.

"Right here," I said sarcastically, enjoying his discomfort.

"This isn't my kid. It's covered in chocolate." I laughed at him. Ren laughed as well and gave her second scoop a dramatic lick for emphasis. "Really, Brin? Ice cream? In the winter?"

I shrugged my shoulders and turned to walk down the hallway. I called behind my shoulder, "No giving my kid alcohol, Nick."

Nick called to my back, "Can't guarantee that I won't." I rolled my eyes at him and flew down the stairs to the parking lot. This was it. I was free from Ren, from Nick, from this urban civilization, and it would just be Sam and I for what seemed like forever.

Sam waited for me, a wide smile prominent across his face, as he leaned against the hood of his car. It was the most perfect cliché moment that could possibly cross my mind and I couldn't help but loving every bit of it. His lips were cold against mine, "You ready?"

I laughed through my nose, "Like you wouldn't believe." Sam smiled and turned to get in the car. I did the same. He started the car and I let the heat hit my face. I instantly ditched my jacket and my shoes and got comfortable. Sam laughed. I sat up, "What?"

Sam gestured to me as I tucked my feet under me and curled up next to the center console. "Nothing. I'm just really glad we're going."

Smiled up at him. The cliché moment continued. "Yeah. Me too."

Sam pulled out of the parking lot and I watched outside the window, my breath fogging up the glass, as the apartment complex faded in the distance. I listened to the hum of the engine and the radio playing low in the speakers in the car door. Trees rushed by, as if they were in a hurry to get somewhere, but road signs passed much slower, as if they wanted to keep us here as long as they could. I closed my eyes, growing a headache from watching the trees travel by. My head was spinning and tugging me in all directions simultaneously.

I smiled again to myself. I still couldn't get over the fact that I was actually doing this. I was actually doing this. Nothing felt real at this point. It felt to me like I was intensely deep in a dream. I was rudely awakened when Sam spoke. "You hungry?"

My stomach growled, as if on cue, in response. I made grunted and repositioned myself so that I could fall back asleep again. But I could feel Sam's eyes staring at me instead of the road. I opened one eye and he smirked down at me. I frowned, "Watch the road, you idiot."

Sam laughed and refocused his attention on the road ahead. "Well I'm pretty certain you're hungry and frankly, I'm starving, so I'm stopping up the road. Is that okay with the princess?" Sarcasm was dripping from his grin and pooling on the floor below him.

I sat up. "I don't know. Is it good enough for me? There better be caviar wherever it is we're going," I said in my best 'snotty rich girl' voice. Sam laughed yet again at my attempt while pulling into a gas station.

The gas station had two pumps and looked as if it didn't have the capability to pass a health evaluation on even its best of days. There was only one car parked at the end of the weeded over concrete parking lot, guzzling with cracks. Inside the gas station, there was obviously a small diner in the back. Sam shrugged his shoulders, "Well there's probably not caviar, but by the looks of it, I'm sure hamburgers are close seconds. Plus, they come with..." Sam squinted to read the sign, "Fresh French Fries and one free refill."

I sighed sarcastically, "I guess that will have to do." My stomach growled again as we parked. It would have to do. I was sure I might die of hunger soon. I hopped out of the car the moment it was turned off. I stretched out on my toes, hearing the sickening yet pleasing sound of my joints popping. Sam walked around the side of the car and looped his arm around my waist, bringing me with him into the gas station.

The bell above the door jingled noisily as he pushed it open. The whole place smelled like dust and burgers, an odd combination. The place at least seemed vacant until a large woman in an apron bustled out from behind a counter. She looked taken aback to find the two of us standing in her presence.

She smiled, "Hi. Um, uh, what can I do for you?"

"Uh, well, we were gonna..." Sam trailed off, gesturing to the vacant tables in the diner part of the gas station. The woman stared at us for a moment, nodded, and reached as quickly as she could behind the counter for menus. She made her way over to a booth and placed them down neatly. Sam and I followed her and cautiously took a seat.

We ordered right away and requested that we take to the food to go. We silently agreed the food might taste much better in the car. The woman had a large smile on her face as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"It looks like it's going to rain," Sam observed, gazing out the window. I looked at the sky as well to find swirling grey clouds looming above us. The trees swayed slightly as if they were trying to run away. I nodded in reply to Sam's statement.