My jeep pulls into a rundown motel lit by a cheap, trashy sign. I ease out of the car and walk to the reception area; or should I say the only part with working lights. The man sitting in the booth sucks on his short cigarette and puffs the smoke out into my face as I come to the counter. I cough and wave it away from my face. The man leans towards me and smiles. His teeth are stained from the tobacco, and probably alcohol judging from his disgusting breath, and a fake gold tooth on the bottom dully shines.
"What can I do for you, sugar?"
A female voice floats from the back and the old man turns to face it, grinning. A tallish woman steps into view, her hips swaying back and forth as she approaches the man. Her tight mini dress hugs her and reveals a lot. Her sleazy blonde hair is teased and curled at the end. On her face a wad of makeup lays like it was slapped on. She chews her gum and twirls it around her finger, waiting for my answer. I clear my throat and step forward a little bit.
"I would like two rooms please."
The woman bends over and checks a logbook, her dress hiking up even further.
"Aww, I'm sorry, honey. We only have one room available. It has two single beds, if that helps." she says, her voice dripping with false concern.
I frown and bite my lip. Lucas comes running to my side and looks back and forth from the lady and I.
"Is there a problem?" he asks.
"No, not at all honey. We're just having a few problems with the rooms, that's all."
The woman leans closer to Lucas, putting on a show, but he turns to me and raises an eyebrow.
"They only have one room." I explain. "It has two single beds but..."
"We'll take it." The woman looks angry for a second, then smiles her sleazy smile and hands over a key.
"You guys have fun now." she shouts as we walk across the parking lot to our room.
I snicker before bursting out laughing, Lucas joining in with me. We get to the room and I slide the key into the lock. I shove the door open and shrug my shoulders.
"It isn't so bad." I say as I step in and survey the room.
Two twin beds lined up against the wall with a drawer in the middle and a desk on the other side. Lucas pokes his head out of the bathroom and gives a thumbs up. I sigh and bounce onto the bed. Something crawls over my foot and I look down. A cockroach clambers over my shoe and I yelp. The cockroach scuttles away and I grab one of the plastic cups from the desk, trying to capture it. I trip and fall on the floor, hitting my head in the process on the corner of the bed. Lucas comes rushing out of the bathroom to my side and kneels down. He helps me onto the bed and leans me against the wall.
"Ouch. You cut yourself pretty badly. Hang on."
He stands up and walks over to his bag. I touch where I hit my head and feel a warm sticky liquid. I wince and bring my hand down to see blood. Lucas comes back with a cloth soaked in water and daps the cut.
"Thank you." I say, looking at him.
He smiles and continues dabbing my forehead. He wipes it and takes out a band-aid, sticking it on. I smile and stand up, wobbling before regaining my balance. I take my toiletries and head to the bathroom.
"I'm just going to brush my teeth." I say turning into the room.
I lock the door and take out my pills. 5 different colours: blue, pink, yellow, orange and green. I take out the blue and green ones and hold them in my hand. I look down at them in disgust. Why was I born like this? I throw them into my mouth and gulp down my water bottle, flicking my head back to swallow. I lean on the sink and look at myself in the mirror. My blonde hair is greasy from the heat, and is pulled back into a tight ponytail.
I sigh and pull the hairband out, letting my hair fall before tying it up again into a bun. I brush my teeth and unlock the door. I walk out and choose the bed next to the window while Lucas takes a shower. I change into comfier clothes and slip under the sheet, staring out into the darkness. Lucas comes out after a while and gets into his bed. I turn to face him.
"I'm sorry for what I said in the car."
"It's fine. I should have explained."
I smile and close my eyes.
"Cassie?"
"Yeah?" I answer, my voice filling the room.
"Why did you ask me to come with you?" he says softly.
"I wanted someone to come with me on the trip. Because I knew I would get lonely." I say truthfully.
"Well thank you. For choosing me." he says, minutes later gently.
"You're welcome." I say before falling asleep too.
**************************************************************
"Wake up, Lucas. It's already 8:30." I shake Lucas's shoulder lightly.
He rolls over and pushes my hand away.
"Let me sleep for a few more minutes." he mumbles before falling back asleep.
I huff and stand up, kneeing his foot. He draws it back and I smile. I scramble through my bag and find my old cap at the bottom, waiting to be worn. I place it on my head, lace my ponytail through the back, and step out into the heat. The sun burns down onto my shoulders as I walk out from the coverage of the motel. Around me I see a few people moving about, their daily lives stopped for a night. Far away in the distance I can see a small town, the heat shimmering over it. Before it lies desert; a few tumbleweeds here and there but mostly sand and dirt. I stretch my arms and head over to the reception with my wallet. I see a new person in the booth and I let out a sigh of relief. The man from last night creeps me out. I walk to the front and smile at the receptionist. A girl with several face piercings looks at me with a blank expression.
"Hi. I would like to pay for the room please."
"Room number?" she says, her voice in monotone.
"23."
She hands me a sheet and I sign it, giving the right amount of cash.
"Thank you for staying with us."
Well she certainly seemed grateful, I think as I walk back to the room. When I walk in, Lucas is still asleep. I groan and pick up his boot. I throw it at his back and he yelps as it hits him.
"Wake up!"
"I'm awake. Gosh, there's a thing called being nice. You should learn it someday." he murmurs as he runs his fingers through his hair.
"Come on. We need to get on the road before traffic comes."
Lucas snickers.
"Traffic?" he replies. "What traffic? There's barely anyone on the road."
"That was yesterday. There's a town nearby with tourists who go to and from it. Hurry up and get dressed."
I throw his clothes at him and pick up my bag, grabbing my keys on the way to the car. I chuck my bag in the back and open the roof. I get in and wait for Lucas to come out of the room. He staggers out, pulling his shorts up quickly as he hops to the car. I laugh as he climbs into the truck, his bag thrown into the back.
"Well you didn't give me much of a choice did you?" he says when he hears me laughing.
"It's your fault for not getting up early enough." I say, turning on the engine and backing up.
"Well maybe if you'd actually sleep you would know why we mere humans need it so much."
"I sleep." I say, defending myself.
"Yeah, sure. Like I didn't notice you getting up every hour and walking around. Why is that, anyways?"
"Nothing. You must have dreamed it." I say nervously. He glances at me sideways and I give him a smile, showing him that I was good.
YOU ARE READING
Catching Broken Stars
Novela JuvenilCassie wants to escape. She wants to have freedom. She wants to live without her parents making every single decision for her. So she goes, travelling far away, with nothing but one place in mind. Along the way she meets new people who, like her, ar...
