FAKE

twelve

After leaving yesterday afternoon, we had driven until about 9 PM. Adam had gotten a bad cramp in his back and Aria wasn't confident enough to drive in the dark. Ross had grudgingly agreed to stop to let everyone rest, but Adam was up before the sun and all the rest of us to start driving again. I had only woken up hours after him when we went over a pothole. 

The rest of the day had gone too slowly. There really wasn't much to do besides sleep some more or try to converse. 

Of course, I wasn't feeling brave enough to strike up a conversation with Ross, so I ended up exchanging stories with Aria. 

She liked Harry Potter, lemonade, and sunny days among other things. 

But eventually, she and Adam switched places and the back of the truck had been quiet for a long time. 

I sit with my legs stretched out and arms crossed, slouching against a wall. Adam had closed his eyes for some sort of rest, but his breathing had slowly evened out and he didn't perk up at small noises from the truck. 

Ross had been unlacing his shoes and picking at the stitches in his jacket again, but turned to begin lacing his shoes back up. I watch him and unknowingly just zone out while my eyes focus on the fraying seam of his jacket.

I shake my head to clear it. He finishes lacing his shoes and just sits there finally. I clear my throat.

"Are you ever going to tell me what happened?" I ask. He looks over and studies me suspiciously without a word. 

I sigh in exasperation. 

"Please?"

He lifts his hand and runs his fingers through his hair as he considers. I can tell he's going to deny and lean back against the wall. I don't think he's ever going to trust me enough to know. 

"Four and a half years ago this guy approached me with a deal," he begins. 

Oh my God.

My eyes widen and I sit up a little to listen.

"He told me, I run this package for him to his customer, and he paid me. Not just a couple quarters for the candy shop, but good money. I needed it to buy equipment for the band, so I kept delivering the packages." He stares forward at the door as he pulls the memories to the surface of his thoughts. 

"I never asked what it was. I knew it was probably something bad. But I didn't want to lose the income. Then one day while I was delivering one of the bags tore.  A plastic bag of weed fell out. I guess I should have known from the start. I remember confronting the guy and telling him he was gonna get in serious trouble one day, and I had lost interest in aiding him. He told me he would double my pay. He needed me, because who could ever guess someone like me, Disney boy, could be playing so dirty?" His brows furrow in some sort of resentment towards this guy.

"I started going deeper. Not only did I run the drugs for them, I made sure the transactions were put through. If someone didn't pay, I ended up knocking on their door and kicking their ass if they didn't cough up the money. He started to call me a valuable asset to the team, and pretty soon I wasn't just working for him anymore. There were a bunch of them, all working together to create this well-oiled machine. I started to get tired of the job after a while. I had the money I wanted and I-" He pauses and looks at me hesitantly. 

His eyes are golden and helpless looking, just like I had known them before everything that had happened. Something flutters in my chest. 

I'm getting my Old Ross back, my heart sings happily. I bite the inside of my cheek to make myself focus on what he's saying again. 

"-I wanted to settle down. I didn't want to be apart of their operation anymore because I wanted a plain and simple domestic life," He explains, then adds, "I wanted to have that life with you." 

My heart about leaps out of my chest at the idea of getting Old Ross back, and not only that, but keeping him. 

"I told them I wanted to quit. They were beyond angry at me, too. They called you a distraction, they needed me, and I tried to leave. This guy there stood in the doorway." He looks at me, in awe at his own story. 

"I knocked him out cold and ran for it. And for a good month I thought I was in the clear, then-" 

He is cut off by a jolt from under the truck. It slows and pulls to a stop. Adam is sitting up, confused to be woken by the bump. Ross stands up and walks towards the sliding door. Adam gets up hastily. 

"Do you think it's who I think it is?" Ross asks him, waiting for someone to open the door. 

Adam shakes his head. 

"No idea, it shouldn't be taking Aria this long to let us out.." 

I rise to my feet and take a few cautious steps forward. Ross is clasping and unclasping his hands. 

We sit in apprehensive silence for too long. The door suddenly slides open.