Fast Forward

Chapter 3: Stroke of Luck

Chapter 3: Stroke of Luck

"Do you brain dead morons have anything to say for yourselves?" Landon asks us as he drives us back to work, putting his foot down on the accelerator -- he left his job to come and find us so I can't blame him for driving fast. 

"Yep. I'm awesome." I grin from beside Landon, my new best friend since ten minutes ago -- he saved my life.

Lan ignores me and peers at Dean through the rearview mirror accusingly. "I'm sure it's all your fault, pudding brain."

I immediately nod in agreement from the passenger seat. "It is, Lan. It really is all Pudding Brain's fault." I mean, I'm grateful that Dean walked in the wrong direction and, by a stroke of luck, found an old radio tower but that doesn't mean that I'll blame myself for any of this. I'm always innocent.

Dean gasps from the backseat and Tia, sitting on his lap, follows suit before giggling at him. "Don't listen to her, Lan," he argues in protest, absentmindedly playing with Tia's adorable curls. "Furby's the one who brought us out here. She's clearly a lunatic. She's the who decided to give me--"

Landon takes a hand off the wheel and places it up before Dean's face. "Enough with the excuses, idiot," he says, keeping his eyes on the bumpy road ahead. "You're always finding trouble. I'm surprised you haven't been orphaned by your family yet. Your dad deserves medals for putting up with you and I deserve a damn trophy."

Some one misses Xavier. Dean's his new punching bag.

"Yeah, what he said and worse!" I pipe up, siding with Lan -- it's my safest bet here.

"How can you take this girl's lies over me, your best friend?" Dean questions dramatically, keeping his arms secured around Tia as if to protect her from Lan's speedy driving.

"She's family," Landon replies back in nonchalance.

"I'm your family!" Dean raises his voice, offended.

"No, bud," Lan casually corrects him, unfazed, "I mean, she's literally family now. By law, she's my niece."

I'm never going to get used to him saying that.

"Well, your niece sucks!" Dean resorts to insulting me just because he's losing the battle.

"You suck!" I turn in my seat and reach back past Tia to hit him. He courageously swats back at me. It lands us up in a slap fight and I'd be winning more if my seat belt wasn't restraining me from getting to him.

I feel Landon shove me back into my seat. "Enough before Dean gets seriously hurt," he commands sternly. "His face was mere inches from your swing zone." He reaches back despite his 'concern' and taps Dean on the forehead roughly.

"Were you dropped on your head as a baby?!" I lash out at Dean in fury when I happen to catch a glance of my self in the mirror -- he's ruined my hair! He's dead to me!

"Yes, I was!" He shouts back almost immediately.

"Well," I pause, shocked and caught off guard, "sorry about that!" I yell, not knowing what else to say.

"It's fine!" He angrily shouts back a second time.

"This triad I'm stuck with," Landon mumbles, shaking his head. "The girl's not bad." He grins at Dean. "And by that, I mean Tia," he clarifies as if it's necessary.

"Looney tunes!" Tia laughs, pointing at all of us except herself.

I smile at Tia and send Dean an apologetic glance for being so hard on him. "I'm sure, despite being dropped on your head, that your family has tried their very best to raise you to be a decent human being."