Azalea

Chips or Cookies?

**AZALEA**

   When I woke up, I was really confused. We were still in the car, but Collin was driving, and Finn was in the passenger seat... and I was in Duska's arms. I had no idea how it happened, but it did. I was against the door last I remembered, and now my head was on his chest. I slowly pulled away to see that he was still passed out. Finn turned around and smiled.
   "Morning sleeping beauty." He said, turning back to the front. My cheeks turned red, and I mumbled a morning back before turning to look out the window.
"How long until we're there?" I asked Collin, and he looked at the clock. 9:47 am.
"About fourteen hours. Fifteen if we stop and get something to eat." He answered, his eyes flicking to meet mine in the rear view mirror. I sighed, looking back out the window. Around twenty minutes later, Duska woke up, frowning as he got up, and looking at me weirdly. My heart skipped at the possibility of him knowing I accidentally fell asleep on him. He looked out the window, then at Collin.
"I'm hungry man, where's the nearest gas station?" He asked, side glancing me.
"The next exit is like seven miles away, but the one after that is twenty miles out." Collin said as he passed the semi truck slowing us down. Collin looked in his rear view mirror.
   "Do you want to stop now or can we go a little further?" He asked, and almost instantly we all cried out and told him to stop now, yelling that we were dying and that we couldn't wait any longer.
"Alright, alright, stop! I'll take the first exit." Collin said, switching to the right lane. Duska side glanced me again, and I couldn't take it anymore.
"What?" I asked him, crossing my arms. He looked at me, acting all innocent and surprised and just plain awkward.
"Nothing." He replied, looking out the window. He didn't look at me again until we pulled into the gas station. We got out of the car, and entered the tiny store. I needed to pee, my neck hurt from sleeping funny, and I was hungry. Finn laughed at my thoughts and I glared at him. He shrugged and walked off, grabbing a tiny hand basket and putting junk food in it. The store clerk watched us with wary eyes, then went back to reading his book. He had glasses and an overbite, his hair a mess. He had tiny wisps of adolescent facial hair and he breathed loudly. He seemed pretty cool. I walked around the store, eyeing food on the shelves and drinks in the fridge. I didn't know what I wanted, so I went to the bathroom instead. As I finished my business and washed my hands, I looked up at the mirror and cringed. My hair was an absolute mess, tangled and sticking up in some places. I had some strands in my mouth, and my eyes were dark and tired. I tried fixing my hair, nearly jumping into the sink when the bathroom door opened with a bang, a lady and four little girls walking in. I smiled at them, my heart startled, and walked out of the restroom, walking over to Finn.
"What sounds better, chips or cookies?" He asked as I got near.
"I dunno, chips?" I replied, looking at the options. He looked at me, and then he nodded.
"Both sounds pretty good." He said, grabbing potato chips and a knock-off brand of Oreos. I shrugged and followed him through the store. He stopped in front of the drinks and grabbed two Pepsi's and a root beer.
"What do you want?" He asked, and I squinted.
"Can't you like read my mind and know instantly?" I asked him, and he shrugged, grabbing a sweet tea, my preferred drink choice.
"I could, but you don't like me going through your mind." He said, taking it all to the front. Collin and Duska were fighting over Hershey chocolate and mike and Ike's.
"Azalea, would you come settle this debate for us?" Collin whined, and I walked over.
"Would you like yummy, sweet, delicious chocolate, or gross and sticky mike and Ike's?" Collin said, glaring at Duska.
"Mike and Ike's, we have chocolate cookies in the basket." I answered, and Collin rolled his eyes.
"You both suck." He said, putting the chocolate back. Duska grinned, putting the candy up with everything else. Finn smiled at the cashier, but there was something wrong with it, it was too... forced. I looked at the cashier, and took a step back. Visions filled my head, and I started shaking. I saw the clerk smoking outside in the parking lot, but it was strange, he looked younger, maybe two years, and he was wearing something different. A car pulled up beside him, a lady stepping out and nearly crying.

"Please sir, there's a man, and he's coming to kill me!" She said to him, but the clerk looked confused and laughed nervously.
"What do you want me to do?" He asked, putting his smoke out and throwing it away.
"Call the police, do something! Anything! He's only a few miles behind me, and..."
"Lady, look, we don't have good service out here, and I doubt that anyone would reach here in time to rescue you." He turned away and started into the store, the lady following and pleading.
"There's got to be something you can do!" She cried, grabbing his sleeve. He paused and turned back to her, rubbing his neck.
"Maybe, I could probably..." The man was interrupted by another car pulling up, and the lady nearly screamed, running back to her car. As she got in, she started talking to someone in the backseat, the baby car seat now apparent in the car that before. A man got out of the car calmly, bending down to his boot and grabbing a knife. He walked over to the car where the woman was fumbling with the keys and the ignition, and slashed her tire. The clerk stared wide eyed as she locked her car doors, crawling into the backseat with the child. She worked quickly, unbuckling the child. The clerk watched in horror as the man sighed, using his elbow and breaking the window. The lady screamed, grabbing the child, who looked to be two, and unlocking the farthest door from the man. She climbed out, stumbling as she ran away. The toddler looked back over the lady's shoulder, and pointed at the man.
"Daddy! Daddy!" She laughed, nudging the woman. The man smiled and walked calmly back to his car, pulling it to one of the pumps. As he filled it up, he called the clerk over.
"Hey man, I don't want any trouble, you hear me?" The man chuckled. The clerk laughed nervously.
"That lady that came by... well, she never showed up here, you feel me? And I was never here too, okay?" He said, pulling the nozzle out of the car. The clerk nodded slowly, seeming to understand.
"Why did you let her get away?" The clerk asked, looking in the direction the woman had run.
"Please, she has a toddler and she's on foot. I have a car. How hard can this be?" He laughed. He got into the car, pulling away with a nod, and leaving the pump unpaid.