Gone Again: World Hoppers {book two}

Habits

"Where's Naomi?" Naomi shot up, she was on the ceiling. "Dj!" Dj shifted uncomfortably in the bathtub, the door to the bathroom opened slowly. "What are you? What-? Oh," York shook Dj awake and helped her to get Naomi back to the floor. "We were loading up the car and we couldn't find you, and uh-" Naomi stared at her momentarily as Dj groggily walked past, she waited until she left to speak.

"What were you guys doin' in here?" She grinned as her face turned red, "Were you guys doing the smoochy-smooch?" Naomi didn't answer, "Uh huh, you guys do the same lovey-dovey eyes that Ollie and Cas give each other." Naomi kicked the door shut and collapsed in York's arms, "We didn't kiss," York laughed and pushed her away, "Ya whatever, no making out in the car. Let's go."

Noan wasn't really telling them where they were going and somewhere along the way Cas questioned this. "Where are we even going? How do we know this isn't some elaborate plot?" Ryan glanced back at him in the mirror and turned up the radio. York turned it back down and glared at him, "Cas we have to trust Noan here." Cas raised an eyebrow, opening himself up for debate, York simply settled back down into her seat and turned the radio back up.

"Natalie awake over there?" York answered the radio, she'd forced Ryan to take a break, he sat curled up in the driver's seat but perked up at the sound of the phone. "You're fine, go back to sleep," he stared at her momentarily before settling back down. "She's up, what's wrong?" There was some grumbling before he answered, "Pull into this gas station, Blue started crying." She nodded and followed him into the parking lot.

"Do you want to try and switch to our car or?" Natalie stared at him, "I can't switch," Noan just stared at her, "What do you mean you can't?" Natalie shook her head, "Cas, Ollie, and I have this thing where we just have to see each other, make sure we're all okay and this running situation isn't bringing back the greatest of memories. I'm sorry Noan but he's got to come to our car or they can go to your with me." Noan sighed but agreed, Cas and Ollie moved to their car with her. Aza and Honic moved to Ryan's car.

Cas and Ollie went back to sleep in the backseat almost immediately, meanwhile Blue sat in Natalie's nap sobbing. "I had another nightmare," Natalie nodded, flipping through her music. "Do you want to talk about it?" Blue shook his head violently, his whole body shook. "Okay bud here, just slow down now." He took the headphones and tried to steady his breathing out. "Thank you Natalie," he mumbling, leaning against her as she leaned against the wall. "Go back to sleep Blue, I got you."

They'd driven for hours on end before Noan finally came clean about where they were going. He'd said Cas's family had owned an apartment building in some big city, the entire top floor had moved out a while ago and they were to live there for the time being. For the the night though, they rented another hotel outside the city.

"Ryan?" York scanned the room, Ryan hadn't been doing all to well today and she could feel it, she wanted to do a final check-up on him before she went to bed. She found him in the bathroom, he had two bottles in his lap, neither of them opened. "What're you doing Ryan?" Ryan glanced up at her, "Thinking." York nodded, "About?" She reached down to take the bottle, he moved it out of her reach. "It's fine, you're here now-" he moved to remove the cap, York grabbed at it.

"I don't wanna watch you get drunk tonight Ryan. I'm going to sleep. Give me the bottle-" "Bottle?" Naomi poked her head inside the bathroom, York pointed at her. "Take it from him," Naomi looked at Ryan, "Why he's already been drinking," York stared at him, "No he hasn't-" she got closer, "Oh, well then." She snatched the bottle from his hands, he scoffed and reached for it. York held it high in the air, "Get your shit together." She smashed the bottle against the wall, everyone in the room flinched.

"Give me the other one, Ryan I want it." Ryan cradled to bottle, "No," The bathroom door was pushed open, "What's happening?" "Out Cas!" Naomi shut the door and locked it. "Ryan get up," York held out her hand expectantly, Ryan refused. She paused before withdrawing, she moved close and smelled his hair, "You've been smoking again too. Huh." She paced the small length of the bathroom, "You were supposed to sober up." She mumbled, "Let Naomi take care of you then, asshole. I was trying to help you." She left, shutting the door behind her as Noan pushed past.

She wasn't an angry person by any means it was just that she'd watched Ryan sober up maybe twice, this was the third. She was sure that he'd act like it never happened the next day. She didn't even know how he'd gotten it. She had a sickening thought, she marched back into the bathroom. "You didn't bring that garbage here did you?" Naomi shook her head, York left.

She returned long enough to drag Ryan out of the tub, a pack of cigarettes fell out of his back pocket. "Ryan what the- get in the car." "Nah," York glared at him. "Ryan Beckham-" Ryan laughed and left the bathroom.

"What happened?" Ryan stared at her for a moment, "Everything's great y'know?" York rolled her eyes, "What triggered this Ryan? I'm worried about you," Those words seemed to crack the code. "Y'know how they bing-popped our memories back? They brought up old ones?" York cursed, "Drug memories?" Ryan laughed with a nod, "I even got one where I was nearly ran over too, good times galore."

York groaned and snatched the cigarette he was spinning with his fingers, "You're not driving anymore. Now get out, I'm checking your pockets." Ryan rolled his eyes, when she checked him he had another pack of cigarettes and a flask. "Back in the car. Backseat, go to sleep." She wasn't taking any chances.

She woke up to someone fumbling around in the backseat. She immediately locked the car again. "York?" Ryan popped up in the backseat. "I'm mad at you." She said simply, he mumbled something before climbing into the front seat, "I know." They sat in silence for a bit.

"We're going to work through this again." Ryan nodded, "Yeah," York looked over at him, "Where'd you get it?" Ryan still refused to look at her, "When we stopped at the gas station. I still have some old id's." York nodded, "Anyone else get ahold of them?" He shook his head but then paused, "There was a bottle missing from my bag but I just took one from Noan's bag. Not even sure if it's alcoholic or not, I didn't drink it anyway." York nodded, waiting for him to look at her.

"So everything is in your bag?" He nodded, "I'm going to go inside and get it, stay here." He nodded and leaned his chair back as she left the car.

York found his bag and rifled through it. She got the weirdest looking bottle and went to Noan, "This yours?" She asked, he turned and his eyes went wide. "Yes, why do you have it?" York dropped it in his hands, took the bag and left. "Ryan and I will be in the car."

She took the other bottle and smashed it behind the hotel, withdrawing Ryan's laughter and letting the cigarettes burn away to nothingness as well before she finally returned to the car. "Is it gone?" "Yeah, Noan asked where I got the bottle from though," Now Ryan looked at her, "What did you say?" She shook her head, "Nothing," Ryan nodded and looked away again, "And the flask?" She checked her pockets, "Ah, I think I dropped it. I'll be right back."

She found it, Naomi had emptied it. "You didn't drink it?" Naomi looked up from the chair, "No, for Ryan." York nodded solemnly, crushing the flask in the parking lot and getting back in the car. "I'm sorry I smashed the bottle against the wall." "It needed to happen." York sighed and leaned against the steering wheel. "I won't always be here to stop you Ryan." He nodded and leaned against the window, unable to sleep.