Hitchhiking

Part 7

Callie:
"Hi, I'm Scarlett."

"I- Yeah I- I know. I'm Callie," I stumble, shaking her hand nervously.

She chuckles at how awkward I am. "Would you like a ride? It's horrible out here, you look exhausted."

I anxiously grip my duffle bag's handle tighter. "That would be great," I squeak.

She then gestures to the inside of the limo and climbs in, I follow. I look down at the floor the whole time as I step into the car, being careful not to embarrass myself in front of the Scarlett Johansson. I focus on making sure to close the door all the way and, still looking at my feet, carefully make my way to a seat in the very rear of the limo facing the front. For the first time, I look up from the ground and I freeze, my mouth hanging open slightly.

Staring back at me, filling the rest of the cab, is the rest of the main Avengers cast. To be specific, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey Jr., Elizabeth Olsen, and Mark Ruffalo.

"Ready to go?" the driver calls from the front.

"Yes, thank you," Scarlett responds and just like that, we're pulling back onto the road and on our way to wherever they're taking me.

I'm completely at a loss for words so I let anyone else start the conversation. It doesn't help my anxiety that they're all staring at me.

"So what's your name?" Robert asks.

"C-Callie. Callie Atwood."

"Where are you from?" Chris Evans asks the next question.

"Uh, a town called Enterprise in Nevada. It's just south of Vegas."

"Where are you headed? Why are you alone? How old are you? And why are you hitchhiking?" Robert grills me with questions.

"I just turned eighteen, I don't have a destination, and I'm alone because... because..." I trail off when explaining why I'm out here alone.

I've been trying to avoid thinking about it but having to explain it requires thinking about it and suddenly, I can feel a lump in my throat form,

"Are you okay?" Scarlett asks, noticing my sudden change in body language.

"Yeah, just having a hard time, I guess. I'm alone because my parents kicked me out. They said once I turned eighteen, they wanted me gone so they finally kicked me out since I just graduated high school. I only had so long to prepare so I'm short on money and stuff. I don't really have anywhere to go and nothing to lose so I figured hitchhiking is the quickest way out of the area." I finish my explanation and see all of them just staring at me. "I'm sorry, I probably said too much. My bad."

"No, we're glad you told us. We want to help. We're on our way to an airport in Arizona to catch our flight to Georgia. We have to film there. If you have nowhere to go, why don't you join us?" Scarlett offers and I can't help but smile.

Here I am, just hours after being kicked out of my house forever, sitting in a fancy as-hell stretch limo with the Avengers cast and I just got offered to go to Georgia with them. Who would've thought this would happen? I sure as hell did not.

"I- I would love that. Thank you. That's so amazing." I smile big at them but look down at my phone to see I still have no service, putting a sting through my chest.

-

"We have another member to add to the flight. Callie Atwood." Scarlett sternly explains to a woman asking who I am since I'm obviously not on the list of people allowed on this flight.

After a couple of minutes of playing 20 Questions with the woman, I'm finally allowed through security.

"You're next to me if you want." Scarlett smiles at me as we're boarding the jet.