Rain or Shine (UnWilling Roommates book 2.5)

Road Trip: Chapter 1

More like bus trip, but saddle up anyway for my first of several multi-part mini-books!

(Y/N POV)

You'd been on the phone for forty minutes, and Bill and Will were starting to get worried.  Well, Will was worried at any rate.  Bill hadn't looked up from playing Metroid since breakfast.

"Wh-what's the matter?" Will asked when you hung up.

You hesitated.  "Guys, I have some news.  I have to go home and visit my family for a while."

Bill paused his game and looked up, suddenly interested.  "Why?  Is somebody dying?"

You shook your head.  "No, nothing like that."  Bill went back to his game, not interested anymore.

"S-so you're leaving us here alone?" Will asked nervously.

"What?  No.  You're both coming with me."

Bill paused his game again.  "We're what now?"

"You two haven't left town since you lost your magic, despite the fact that the Weirdness Barrier won't stop you anymore.  Besides, I want to check on Pacifica, what with the whole "Dipper" thing, and I need some backup."

Will paled.  "I d-don't know... maybe I could just stay here?"

You raised one eyebrow.  "You'd rather stay behind all by yourself for a whole week?"

Will gulped.  "N-no...  B-but I really don't want to go either..."

You pulled him into a tight hug.  "I'll be fine, Marshmallow.  I know you're scared of people, but most of my family is really nice.  Besides, Jasmine's going to be there.  You like her, don't you?"

"Y-yeah," he mumbled into your shoulder.

"Mabel's probably going to be there too," Bill added.

Will stopped breathing.  You led him carefully to the floor as his legs collapsed, shooting Bill a poisonous look.

"Do you remember that little talk we had about true but unhelpful comments?" you hissed to him before turning your attention to Will. 

"Everything's going to be okay, sweetie," you muttered softly as he gasped for air.  "I'll make sure you don't even have to see her, alright?"

It took him several minutes to compose himself enough to speak.  You sat with him on the floor, rubbing his back and waiting patiently.

"P-promise?" he finally whispered, clinging to you tightly.

"I promise.  Bill and I will be with you the whole time.  Do you really think either of us would let anything happen to you?"

He shook his head slightly, taking a shuddering breath.

"That's my Bluefin tuna."

Bill gave you a weird look.  "Your what?"

"Shut up, I'm running out of nicknames!" you snapped, your face turning pink.  "Anyway, I'll help you both pack after I drop off some paperwork with Eins.  We're leaving tomorrow morning."

"Eins?" Bill asked indignantly.  "What do you want with that stuck-up know-it-all?"

"He's my emergency contact," you explained, helping Will stand up.

"Why him?  What does he have that I don't?" Bill demanded.

You rolled your eyes.  "A legal identity, for one thing.  A car, for another.  Most importantly, a responsible attitude.  Besides, if I get into some sort of trouble, it'll most likely be your fault anyway."

Bill searched for a retort for a moment, then gave up.  "Can't argue with that logic," he muttered.

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The sun was high in the sky by the time you made it to the bus station.  Since Bill refused to stay on task and Will had packed and re-packed over and over due to his OCD, preparing for your trip had been a much longer process than you'd expected. 

Finally, though, you each had a suitcase and had made the brief hike to wait for the six-hour bus to California.  There were a few other people in the vicinity, including two teenage girls who kept shooting sidelong glances at Bill and giggling.

"Are they checking me out?" Bill muttered to you.  "I think they're checking me out."

"They obviously think you're... dreamy," Will suggested.  You and Bill both looked at him blankly.  "You know, because... dream demon?"

You facepalmed, shaking your head with disappointment.  Bill refused to dignify it with a response.

"Hey, you two aren't the only ones who can make puns!" Will said defensively, reddening slightly.

"Yes, but we're the only ones who are good at it," Bill retorted.

You were still laughing to yourself when the bus pulled up.  Bill gave the watching girls a half-wave and a wink, and they giggled as he stepped onto the bus.

You rolled your eyes and settled into a seat in a middle row, stowing your luggage on an empty row.  As usual, the bus was practically empty.  Bill quickly claimed the seat next to you, leaving Will to occupy the seat in front of you.

"Okay, boys," you said as the bus began its long journey.  "I know I'm probably- definitely- going to regret this later, but it's time you learned about car games."

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"I got bingo again!" Bill cried excitedly, popping up gopher-like from the seat in front of you.

"Bill, we stopped playing two hours ago," you groaned, leaning your head against the cold window.  Will was curled up in your lap, fast asleep.  You'd switched seats several times in the past four hours.

"YOU stopped playing," he corrected.  "Because you're both sore losers."

"Whatever," you sighed.  "Congratulations, you win again."

"Yeah!  In your face!" he cheered.  You rolled your eyes and went back to looking out the window.

You must have fallen asleep, because the next thing you knew, you were pulling up to the bus station in Piedmont, California.  You saw your sister Jasmine and your housekeeper Carla waiting for you.  There was no sign of your parents, but you hadn't expected them to come.

Luggage in tow, you threw yourself off the bus and into Jasmine's arms the same way she'd done for you.  She responded with a tight bear hug.

"Is everything okay at home?" you whispered, words concealed by her pink hair.

"No worse than usual," she whispered back.  You released her from the hug, arranging your face in the plastic smile that felt so familiar even after all this time.

"It's so good to see you!" you squealed, seeing her expression become a mirror of your own.

"I missed you so much!" she cried, her tone echoing yours.  You felt a pang of guilt that you'd taught your sister to copy you so well, always hiding her true feelings behind a mask of exuberance.

But then, that was the only way to survive in the Northwest household.

Bill stepped off the bus, distracting Jasmine's attention.  She launched herself into his arms and hugged him enthusiastically.

You laughed out loud at the comically shocked look on Bill's face.  He wasn't used to physical contact, much less hugs, from anyone except you and Will.  He stood there awkwardly for a moment before patting her head with one hand.  She released him and giggled.

Will sidled off the bus uncertainly, looking like he didn't want to be noticed.  Jasmine went to throw her arms around him too, but stopped herself when he flinched.

"May I hug you?" she asked politely.  He looked surprised, but nodded hesitantly.  After a moment, he even hugged her back.

"Excuse me, miss Y/N, would you like to get going?" Carla inquired.

You took a steadying breath.  Guess I can't put this off.

"Yes," you answered.  "Let's go home."