The Decisions of Destiny

Chapter 2: Road Trip

     The bell rang as the gang all crammed into Chris's van. He dropped off Dylan first at his place as he quickly threw a bag together then carelessly threw it in the back. Same with Chris after at his house, then finally Zack. With all the boys stuff in the back of the van he drove to Renae's and the process repeated till they got to Charlie's. "Am I supposed to pack a bag as well guys?" Renae softly smiled and nodded "Well yea if you wanna have clean clothes." Charlie smiled back and got out going into the house. She jogged up to her room and opened the door starting to pack a simple bag, as Courtney started throwing more clothes in the bag. "Your gonna need a bit more than that.." Charlie lifted an eyebrow confused "Um..why if I make ask?" "Just shut up and pack."

She rolled her eyes and shoved clothes, toothbrush, feminine products, and other stuff. Courtney ran down to meet the boys at the van "Okay! So us girls are gonna stay here, Chris pick us up at our specific time okay?" She winked softly at Chris,but he rolled his eyes and nodded "Yea, sure." Renae, Courtney and Charlie walked up to Charlie's room. Renae sitting on the bed, Courtney leaning on the desk and Charlie at her window. "So do you wanna hear your surprise~" Courtney sung out as wiggled her eyebrows at Charlie. Renae sat up to listen but Charlie shrugged it off "Sure, why not. What was your wonderful scheme this time, short stack?"

Courtney smiled and pulled the 6 tickets out of her back pocket "We are taking a road trip!" The color from Charlie's face drained, as her hand started to shake a bit "R-Really? W-wow I'm so excited!" She hasn't really drove long distance since Jason's...accident. She kept a quaky smile to show Courtney she was alright as the memories ran through her mind.

The sounds of the sirens, her vision blurred as she called out for her brother "Jason....Jason!" She wiped her eyes, blood covered her hands and arms. The shattered glass from the windshield broke leaving shards stuck into her arms. She tried to clear her vision to get a clear sight of her brother. She saw his glasses hang from his face..his torso slightly caved from the the air bag...His limbs twisted in unnatural ways. As his head hung loosely, the whip lash clearly snapped his neck. As she felt herself pulled out of the car by the paramedics, as all she could scream for was her brother, forgetting her own pain. She only cared about Jason, knowing he was gone yet still not wanting him to go. As the doors the ambulance shut, she saw the white sheet be placed over her brother's body. The blood already soaking into the sheet, as the ambulance drove off.

"Charlie! Snap out of it!" Courtney snapped her fingers in front of Charlie's face as Courtney gave a worried look. "We don't have to go I...just thought it would be fun." Renae stepped in and said softly "Maybe it is for the best..She can see that it won't be that bad.." Charlie knew that what Renae was talking about would probably be for the best. So she nodded and softly and smiled. "Woohoo, road trip!" The girls all hugged and squealed. Charlie smiled as her worry slowly faded knowing she was with her friends.

The girls were fast asleep, Courtney and Charlie and Renae all in the queen size bed she had. Courtney's alarm went off as she shot up, drool dripping from her mouth and her hair a mess. As she kicked Charlie "Get up. We gotta go cmon" Charlie groaned and rolled out of bed. Getting Renae up as she brought her bag down stairs. Chris was sitting in his van as he rolled down the window. "Get in, before her mother wakes up lets go."

Charlie opened the back of the van and put her bag in. Courtney went in shot gun upfront with Chris. Dylan and Renae in the back and Zack and Charlie in the middle. Dylan already passed out from the time they got there, even before they got back on the road. Renae smiled softly at him, but buried her face back in her book. Courtney got buckled and looked at Chris. "Gas?" "Check." he answered. "Snacks?" as he motioned to the back seats "Check." She smiled "Already lets go!" Chris turned the keys as the engine rumbled. As they were on there way to Chicago. About an hour in, Renae and Dylan were snuggled under their jacket's and a blanket Dylan brought that they shared.

Renae's head rested softly on Dylan's shoulder. Of course Courtney had to take some pictures as she giggled about it. Charlie started to doze off as Zack looked over "Tired?" She mumbled a bit and softly put her head on his shoulder "I'm..just gonna take a small..nap." He chuckled softly and placed his jean jacket over her since her red hoodie was already tightly wrapped around her. As he pressed his face to the window shutting his eyes. Courtney yawned softly looking over at Chris. He was focused on the road but looked like a million things were going though his mind. She rose a brow as she softly spoke "Are...you okay?" He seemed to snap out of his thoughts, glanced over at her then back to the road "Yea, of course. Why?" She looked down at her lap, picking at her nails. "You look like something is on your mind, just making sure." He softly sighed then glanced in the rear view mirror to see everyone sleeping. He cracked a small smile. "I think we all needed this vacation."

Courtney looked at him puzzled "What do you mean?" Chris glanced back again "Well Dylan just needed to blow off some steam, Just actually take some down time for himself, since everyone was always is dogging on him." Courtney listened closely to what he was saying, but she thought back to the years she knew Dylan. The kid was smart as hell but was never really good at making friends. Since everyone thought of him as just a kiss ass smart kid. And that's is all his parents ever thought as well. They always told him he was not good enough, he could do better. Yet the kid tried his absolute hardest, but it was never enough. He just needed a break. Chris looked at Renae "Such a cute kid..it's sucks that those other girls pick on her so much. She does nothing ever freaking wrong. Yet everyone just uses her as a door mat." Courtney giggled a bit "Seriously I almost popped a girl once after I saw how they talked to her. " They laughed about it softly.

He looked over at Zack and sighed "He just needed a real smile..how he tries so hard to make everyone else happy but can't even take time to make himself. He cracks a joke or makes someone one laugh because it make's him happy. He just doesn't want to be left alone. God he will do anything to have someone. Heh the kid would loose his mind if he got left alone with his thoughts." Courtney went quiet as her eyes fell on Charlie. Chris and Courtney, hell everyone knew of her struggle. She barely left the house after the accident. Her older brother Jason died about a year ago. They were driving to go see their father in Massachusetts.

But on the highway her brother swerved off the road and down into a ditch. Her brother was dead before the airbag went off because of the whiplash. Charlie thankfully survived. He was only 20, barely half way through law school. He had such great plans. Courtney went quiet as she looked at Chris, his bangs slightly covering his eyes. "Why did you need this vacation?" He gripped the steering wheel hard as he said through gritted teeth "My father..I need a break away from him." Courtney fell silent again as she picked at her nails. Chris had never like his father, when she saw or heard of him he was either drunk, upset or just being a plain ass. He hated his father with a passion. He would show up with bruises or scars, yet he always said it was messing around or football, but we all knew the real reason. When Courtney tried to talk to him about it he either got mad or just avoid it all together. Chris kept his eyes on the road but cracked a smile. "Hey..it's okay short stack, we will have fun alright?" He blinked a few times and yawned "Around 7 can you switch over so I can rest a bit? You should take a nice nap now okay?"

She smiled softly and moved her red bangs out of her baby blue eyes as her lips curled into a smile. "Will do, Stay safe okay?" She curled up and laid her jacket over herself and mumbled a soft "Night Chris.." He cracked a small smile as he looked over at the small red head. He smiled wider and then looked back out to the road.