Evangeline (Unedited)

19

R O A D   T R I P
(Double update because I didn't update last week... a little Andreas bonding! Can you guys tell the twins are my fav brothers, I love them so much.)

Instead of Alessandro and Wilbur hopping in the front for the rest of the drive to their house, Andreas sat in the driver's seat. Nobody was speaking. Nobody was on their phones. I pulled mine out to take a photo of the bridge we crossed, and I noticed Andreas' eyes drilling into my hands every time he looked away from the road. He and Leo made eye contact, and suddenly my phone was knocked out of my hand, and into the abundance of bags and pillows lying on the car floor.

"Oops, sorry." He said, diving down to reach it. I watched skeptically as he, somehow, pushed it even further forward, under the passenger seat. "I think I made it worse."

He sits up, eyes scanning my face.

I just look him dead in the eye.

"I... Actually, it's okay. I'll find it later..." I shrug, looking back out the window.

Andreas turns the radio up, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel. Noah stares out the window on the other side, completely ignoring his twin's weird behaviour.

The scenery rolled with perfect brushstrokes, creating a vast painting that one would kill to hang up on their wall. The bright greens clashed with the muddy blues, litter and dirt polluting the once vibrant colours. I watched as we passed other cars, and guessed the drivers and passenger's life stories as we did so. I leaned my head against the window, the glass cooling my head down in contrast to the heat in the car. The sun was no less harsh today than the past few, but this time, there were no clouds; it was just straight-up, blinding blue.

"Skip." Noah groaned from his position, making Leo laugh.

Andreas rolled his eyes and turned the volume up, which made Noah sit up fully. Leo watches the scene, kicking his feet up on the middle console.

"Ew, get your feet out of my bubble." Andreas whacks his socks, I unknowingly cringe at the idea of someone's feet being so close to my face, and I can't even control it.

"Your bubble?" Leo mocks.

"Yes, my bubble." He repeats. "My personal space bubble. Get in Noah's. Not mine."

"Um, I didn't agree to that?" He mumbles, slapping his brother in the arm.

The confined space seemed to have been getting to them finally, and I giggled as I watched every boy battle each other, Andreas cursing that they were going to get in an accident since the boys were bothering him. I thought he was joking, and partially, I think he was. But when we shared eye contact for a split second, a flash of something else entirely took over his face. Something between worry and regret, but I couldn't quite place a name on it.

Leo and Noah began bickering about something, but I paid no mind, my eyes drifting out the window again. Andreas had rolled my window down a smidge to let some air in, the humidity sticking to us.

"I wish Sandro was driving so I could sit in the front to get away from you, coglione." Leo groaned, leaning closer to me as he pushed away his brother.

I furrow my eyebrows at this.

"Why is it that the only Italian you know, is insults?" His older brother shakes his head, a tiny smile on his face.

My head flits to face his.

"What does it mean?" I wonder out loud, making Andreas' smile drop, rolling his eyes at his brother.

"Douchebag." Noah leans forward to see me, still glaring at his twin.

I nod with a small grin on my face.