Cruise Control

Chapter Four

Our group arrived at the Best Western motel about 15 minutes ago. We checked into a single-bed bedroom to save money; we'll all find somewhere to sleep, that is if we do sleep. Once we unlocked the door to our room for the night, we all dumped our overnight bags on the floor near the door and congregated in the small living area of our motel room. Genevieve, Niko, Gemma Harper, and I are occupying the floor around a small wooden coffee table; Genevieve and I leaning against the couch. Leo and Oakley are stationed on the loveseat on the opposite side of the table from the couch. Leo is uncharacteristically quiet; I look up at the loveseat to see him asleep with his head leaning on the armrest. And Avery is sprawled across the couch behind me and Genevieve, cuddled up with a blanket.

We are passing around a joint. The six of my friends around me are immersed in a genuine conversation, the marijuana making their words more philosophical by the second. Nova inhabits the small, grimy bathroom attached to our room, quiet words occasionally flowing from the restraints of the bathroom door. She's on the phone with her boyfriend, again. It appears she is always talking with him every moment she gets, phone calls and text messages. She never speaks to us anymore.

"Any input, Samantha?" Niko pulls me out of my thoughts. I lift my head to face the group of six teens.

"What were you talking about? I'm sorry." I speak. They all chuckle lightly.

"We were talking about friendship. Do you think we were all meant to be friends? Meant to find each other?" Gemma Harper summarized for me.

"What if in another universe we aren't friends? we aren't on this road trip?" Niko further elaborates. I think for a moment, letting their words.

"I think friendship is so beautiful, it's a family we chose. Those whom we rely on to make us happy; and we know they can. We know that we can turn to them if we are feeling down. As for you guys, you're my family! I hope we are friends in every other universe because I need every one of you." I tell them wholeheartedly. I observe their faces. They are each sporting a warm smile, I smile back at them and giggle quietly, bringing my knees up to my chest. Genevieve takes another hit of the joint between her fingers, parting her lips to blow the smoke out of her lungs.

"That was deep." She speaks. Gemma Harper takes the joint out of her grasp and inhales the smoke, coughing slightly when she exhales the smoke. The bathroom door opens revealing Nova, the sound causing us to avert our stares from each other and to her. She steps out of the boundaries of the cramped bathroom and stares at us with a blank face.

"I need to say something." Her voice is almost impossibly quiet. Genevieve nods, a look she only makes when trying to understand and comfort someone without saying words. Gemma Harper juts her chin up expectantly. Avery rolls onto her side to face Niko, they glance at each other, Avery then looks over at me, and we make eye contact. I turn my head to face Nova to see she is looking straight at me already. I start to play with my shoelaces, a nervous tick. I am nervous she will follow through with what Avery mentioned last night. We can't move forward and finish this road trip without one of the elements of our group, we all agreed to start and finish this journey.

"I don't think I can continue with this trip." She confesses. I stare at her blankly, not letting my emotions take over my face. Everyone else stayed silent, not knowing what to say. She seemingly gives up waiting for a response, "I just- Connor is going through a rough time and he needs me," she pauses, "I need to go back. For him." Her boyfriend always seems to be going through a tough time. We continue to stare at her. She stares back at us expectedly. She wants us to pity her, tell her it's okay and that we're not upset that she cares more for her boyfriend than us, her childhood best friends. She always has this need for people to feel bad for her.