The Great American Road Trip

Chapter Two

*** Author's Note ***

Hey guys! I'm back to writing this story after a very,  very long time, and I'm so glad you like the first chapter. I will try and update every week, so add this to your library or reading list to keep on track. If you notice any discrepancies to the first chapter, it is purely accidental, and I will correct them at the earliest opportunity. Please comment your views and suggestions, and vote if you liked the story. Thank you!

BEEP! BEEP!

When I woke up the next morning, the lightsaber-blue letters of my Star Wars alarm clock (complete with a ceramic millennium falcon) showed that it was 7:58 AM, or, as I realized with a shock, two minutes until Space Science, my first elective of the year. Bolting out of bed, I stumbled around the room blindly for a pair of pants and ended up tripping over Andy, who was sprawled on the floor with a blanket wrapped around him.

"Ow, dude. What the heck?" he groaned, rubbing his side. 

"Ahmlaefocla," I mumbled through a mouthful of blueberry pop-tart, then swallowed. "I'm late for class. Wait, didn't you sign up for Space Science too?"

"Crap."

By the time we made it to Room F34, on the other end of campus, it was 8:04, and I had officially broken my 10 year, unbroken early streak. When I pushed the door open, panting, I found rows of kids sitting at their desks, notebooks open, and a short, stocky man at the front of the room, presumably the teacher. When he saw us enter, he took a deep breath and marched over to us.

"Good morning. I'm Sam Fuller. What are your names?" he asked us politely, smiling. I looked at Andy, who just shrugged. Having apparently been appointed speaker, I answered for both of us.

"Uh, I'm Steven Rogers, and this is Anderson Anderson."

"Great. NOW WHY ARE YOU LATE FOR MY CLASS, MR. ROGERS AND MR. ANDERSON?" 

I took a step back, wiping a spray of spittle off my cheek.

"We're sorry sir, we just oversle-"

"SILENCE!" he yelled. "SILENCE. Now, I am a very nice man, Mr. Rogers, and I am very understanding too, BUT NOT WHEN YOU ARE FOUR MINUTES AND THIRTY TWO SECONDS LATE FOR MY CLASS. BRING ME 1000 WORDS ON THE ASTEROID BELT BY TONIGHT, AND GET OUT!"

Andy backed up, bewildered, so I sighed and we turned to leave. Just as I touched the door handle, I heard a sudden burst of laughter from behind me. 

"They're actually leaving! Both of 'em are leaving!" Fuller spluttered with laughter as I turned around, and waved me over. "Don't leave. Didja like my freaky teacher routine?"

Andy nodded nervously.

"Yessir."

"Good, then get yourselves over to the back. I was kidding! Relax," he grinned, but then frowned. "But not about the asteroid belt part. I want that done."

Quickly, we scarpered over to the back, as Fuller resumed.

***

Many, many grueling hours of class later, Andy and I were at the huge, chrome cafeteria, eating plates of what looked like spaghetti but tasted closer to, well, dirt. Or should I say, I  was eating. Andy, MacBook in hand, was surrounded by a cluster of girls gazing at him adoringly as he tapped on a keyboard, grinning. 

"And there you go. That's how Keynote works," he explained to a pretty brunette, who smiled at him lovingly and took her place further back the table, just as Quinn crashed next to me, looking tired. 

"Dude, you would not believe-" he stopped midsentence, noticing the crowd of girls at the table beside us. Suddenly, he spotted Andy in the middle of them, and stopped short.