𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘀. owen grady

⟩ 21

Flying Disasters ⤵

Dirt flew up in large clouds behind the Jeep. Zach remained on the road — for the most part. He rounded the occasional unrooted tree. Gray held tight onto the leather seats and the dash, saving himself from jerking forward.

We haven't been driving long. Gray and I searched for any nearby sign of the park, craning our necks to take a gander over the treeline. It turned to be almost useless, until I could see the point of the Visitors Center from afar. 

My fingers wrapped around Zach's shoulder. ''That way!'' I lifted a finger to point ahead. ''Visitors Center isn't far, we'll be there soon!'' 

They both cheered. Gray threw his hands in the air while Zach shared echoing shots of hope. The youngest threw a fist in the air, ''We made it! We actually made it!''

''Close!'' I shouted from behind. The roar of the engine overlapping most of my rasped tone. ''Don't jinx it now.'' 

It was silent for a moment. No words shared, only dirt lifted by the engravings on the tires and the engine wheezing as Zach continued to push it to its limits to get us to safety. A narrow dirt trail worked as a pathway back to the park, Zach taking a turn onto it and following it downwards. 

With his chin tilted towards us slightly, still to keep eyes on the road, he inquired; ''Hey! Can you imagine the look on Aunt Claire's face when we get back?''

Gray then went on to add, ''Do you think she'd actually look for us?'' It was darker than I had thought it'd be. From cheers to a shared shadowed emotion, Gray dropped his hand off the dash and into his lap. ''I mean, she didn't seem to want us around much; not when we arrived. Did she even know we were gone?''

It was a heavy silence again. I felt practically invisible from the back seat. 

''Look, bro.'' Zach lifted a finger off the wheel, keeping his gaze ahead but inching his right side towards his kin. ''If she hasn't noticed us missing for hours and we come back to her asking what we did all day, she's a bitch.''

He stopped his monologue early, feeling my hand smack his shoulder. I squeezed between the seats, dragging my injured shoulder around like a back of boulders. 

''I don't fully agree with Zach, but I'm not saying he's wrong, either.'' My words fell faint against the noisy car; though my point still stood. ''Claire can be caught-up in work all the time, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care for you. She is still your Aunt — she is still your family. Claire isn't heartless.''

Gray moved his head downwards, thinking over these words.

''If she hasn't noticed either of you missing, that's an issue to discuss on later terms. But I highly doubt she would've left the two of you out here to fend for yourselves.''

Another silence. Gray tangled his fingers together between his legs, brows furrowed and eyes hanging low. Being the youngest, it hit him the hardest to think that Claire never noticed him or Zach missing. 

I leaned back against the middle seat, feeling the leather creak beneath my spine. My shoulder ached still with every movement, little or not. Zach's jacket held well, paired with the last-minute medical job done by them both. 

Despite being held fine for now, it still needed treated sometime soon. 

Zach glanced in the rear-view ''Thank you. Y'know, for being here.''