A Work in Progress

The Hitchhiker

"This is insane," I muttered, my forehead leaning against the cool glass window inside our Ford Edge.

Jason sucked in a breath, puffing out his cheeks and then letting it out slowly. "This isn't that crazy, I mean, we've done worse?" He asked, taking his eyes off the road to offer me a sheepish grin.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Speak for yourself."

He frowned a little, clearly put off by my abrasive attitude, and turned his attention back to the road.

"I have to pee," Paxton groaned from the backseat, breaking the silence.

I snorted, turning around to face him, and watching as he shifted uncomfortably from side to side.

"This will be the second time we've stopped for you," Jason muttered, looking at him through the rear view mirror.

I could tell that Jason was starting to lose his cool. His fingers were drumming absent mind-idly against the steering wheel in an erratic rhythm.

We were all pretty on edge. No pun intended.

Jason, Paxton and I, or the three musketeers as Jason liked to remind us, had been driving for what felt like eternity.

In reality it had only been an hour.

However, if you've ever gone on any type of road trip, you know that there is room to exaggerate.

A lot of room, actually.

And it wasn't like we had just spontaneously decided to go on this adventure. No, that's not how we worked.

We, how do I say this, had more of a 'do-or-die' type relationship.

And that's currently the type of adventure we were on right now.

A do-or-die.

"Jason, I'm going to pee all over the backseat of your car if you do not stop right now," Paxton exclaimed, the threat clear.

"Oh, not in the Edge, you know Grams would kill me," Jason muttered, pouting.

"The Edge, the seat, hell, I'm about to pee in Ellie's water bottle," Paxton all but yelled.

I blanched. "Paxton I swear to God—"

"Pull over," He growled.

Jason wiped a hand down his face. "Fine, fine, I'm pulling over right now."

Conveniently, there was a gas station not twenty feet away from us. Jason quickly turned in, and Paxton practically fell out of the car, heading towards the bathroom in a waddling sprint.

I busted out laughing at the sight of him, Jason joining in.

"Oh my God, he's such a light-weight," I said between laughs.

"Tell me about it, if only you were at Homecoming last year—" He began.

"You were saying?" I said, turning to look at him after he didn't continue.

Jason's eyebrows were furrowed, and I quickly looked in the direction he was staring.

"What are you—"

Then I saw him.

A tall, slender boy with gleaming black hair was leaning against a gas pump. Sobbing.

Like the uncontrollable-I-can't-breathe-or-move kind of sobbing.

I looked around, but the only car in the lot was ours.