Backseat Drivers

Plane 4

It took Sean until the next stopping point - a dirt-cheap youth hostel - to finally realise that something was wrong, as  he rooted through the car boot in the hopes of a reunion with his vice. The others were all inside, lounging in the communal area, but after enduring an hour of colourless, stale reality, he'd promised himself another dose of shrooms. So where the fuck were they? 

"Hey Aika!" he called, pushing Calum's bag aside to run his hands over the base of the trunk - empty, aside from the discarded belongings of his companions. He slammed the boot shut in frustration, before circling round and opening the back door sharply. Although nearly as hungry as he for a trip, Aika had grown tired of the rummaging and retired to the backseat where she lay tiredly, sighing. A murmur escaped her lips as Sean stared down at her, his eyes wide.

"I might sleep here a moment. You should ask Roy - he'll know."

Agitated, Sean just shut the door on the half-sleeping girl, before stepping back and running a hand through his hair - his mind racing. A hissed string of curse words came tumbling out of his mouth as he rested his hands on the car-roof, worn from the unnecessary stress.

"Come on," he muttered, squeezing his eyes shut - then opened them again. "Come on." 

-

A dark cloud followed the boy as he stalked through the communal area, the amiable buzz of travellers chatter simply a wave that brushed through his mind like a hum of electricity. As the set of familiar faces came into view he neglected to slow down until he reached them, at which point they were surveying him with confused concern. 

"Where are they?" Sean demanded, his eyes sparked. Roy's first mistake was failing to innocently question what Sean was talking about, instead jumping to a defensive suggestion.

"I think we finished them all. We were getting pretty low."

"Bullshit! You fucking chucked them!"

His tone was starting to attract some attention from people nearby, despite Roy's attempt to speak in a calming, hushed voice.

"There might have been some left when I did - but not many. Don't worry about it, we have some vodka and mixers left, enough to last us plenty. I have weed too."

"The 7/11 right? The midnight cafe? You chucked them there."

"Sean, please," Cindy beseeched, her voice laden with anxiety, out of fear of some rash, self-destructive reaction from him. "Come sit here, we're playing truth."

Calum hadn't spoken yet, he was simply watching his friend, with expectation or unease it was difficult to tell. 

"I will when I'm back, promise," Sean said reassuringly, pulling up the collar of his brown jacket as if to leave, but Cindy's quick retaliation stopped him in his movement.

"Don't go back! It's at least forty minutes away. Honest, Sean, they were nearly all gone. Please don't drive back."

Unable to deny the honey-voiced girl with her round eyes, and the deep angst that rested on Roy's face, Sean stayed paused, before dropping his head to the side. 

"Fine," he muttered, and a smile of relief spread across Cindy's face; Calum, however, remained in suspicious apprehension at the easy surrender. Roy was already shuffling up to make room, but Sean shook his head, nodding towards a green door a couple of metres away. 

"I'm gonna piss - then I might look around for Aika. Be back in a sec."

Cindy nodded as Sean walked towards the lime 'MANNEN' door; it swung open with a squeak and then closed on him. Roy pulled another card from the pile, and threw it on top but Calum's eyes were on the green door.