Road Map (book 2)

Chapter 4: Off to the races

The car and the trip. The beginning of a new adventure.

The diamond ring on my finger. The beginning of another chapter in life.

I love Keith, really I do. And having him as my fiancé... It doesn't feel real...

I glance out the window as we drive. The boot is filled with camping supplies, and the car is filled with the four of us and food. We've been driving 6 hours already, but time seems to be standing still.

Keith got the first shift of driving and I got the first shift as being the DJ. The road was mostly isolated, except for the few cars driving by. On either side of us were trees, and more trees. And more trees.

We took a turn. Hey! Guess what! More trees!

"I need to pee!" Gemma complained from the back.
"You went an hour ago," I mumbled. Wasn't this supposed to be fun?

"Well, I have to go again!" She said.

"Pull over," I said quietly to Keith. There was a small picnic area on our right. Keith parked their and we all got out.

"I still need to pee!" Gemma complained. I didn't say anything. I only went to the back and got out a roll of toilet paper.

"Here," I said to Gemma and handed her the toilet paper. She took it and marched off.

"Do we have pain killers?" I asked Keith while rubbing my temples. I heard rattling from inside the car before Keith appeared with a bottle of pain killers. I held out my hand and he shook two out into my palm. I popped them in my mouth before taking a swig of water. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples once more.

"Ugh, never again!" I heard Gemma say. I opened my eyes and there she was. Discuss was plain on her face. "Let's go," she said before getting in the front. It was Steven's time to drive. Keith and I got into the back.

We waited.

Steven turned the key in the ignition.

We waited a bit longer.

Steven tried a couple more times.

Nope. Nothing.

"You broke it!" Steven yelled.

"No I did not!" Keith yelled back.

"Ally's the one who made us stop!" Gemma yelled.

"You had to pee!" I yelled.

We all started yelling at each other. The car made a loud cracking sound and we all went silent.

"The car died," Keith said as if he couldn't believe it.

"No fuck, Romeo," Gemma went before getting out and slamming the door shut. Steven got out with a sigh. Keith and I sat there in the silence.

What. The. Actual. Fuck!

"Why does these type of things always happen to us?" I asked Keith after a long silence.

"If I had the answer to that, I would've made sure we stayed indoors," he said before kissing me om my forehead and getting out of the car. I took a deep breath before joining them outside the car.

"There is no signal," Gemma said while holding her phone The Lion King style. I almost laughed. Almost.

"Okay, the most important thing is that we stay calm," I said and took Keith's hand, not sure who needs it more, me or him.

"And we should get someone's attention if anyone drives past," Keith said while pulling me closer.

Outside, I was cool and calm. Inside was a screaming mess. The little me in my head was running around panicking and pulling her hair out. After all the panicking and hair pulling she fell down and had a breakdown. And after the breakdown, it was mad laughter. I'm losing my mind...
*************

We stayed next to the road for almost five hours without anyone driving past. I was sitting in Keith's lap rocking slightly. Gemma was walking up and down and up and down. Keith just sat and stared. At what, I don't know. And Steven. Well, he was being Steven.

It was getting dark. And cold. Dark and cold.

"Let's start a fire," I said and almost immediately everyone sighed in agreement.

So, once again, there we were, collecting wood for fire. Lighting a fire to keep warm. And falling asleep next to the fire after telling silly stories.

I woke up early the next morning. My muscles were in pain from sleeping on the hard floor. Keith had used my backpack as a pillow and I used his stomach as one. Steven and Gemma did the same. I sat up and yawned. But my yawn faded when I looked at the car. I woke Keith up. He was blinking and yawning like a baby puppy. I didn't have time there appreciate his cuteness.

"Keith, the car. It's gone."