Wayfarer [Bill Cipher x Reader] [REVISED]

Chapter Two: The Piano Knows Something I Don't Know

With a shake of his head, Bill climbed into the car.

"So," he said, plopping his backpack on his knees. "Thanks for having me along! Now, here, lemme get you your money..."

He began to dig through his bag's swollen pockets, his arm quickly being swallowed up by a mound of clothes as he rifled through them. "C'mon, it's in here somewhere... Ah-ha!" His fist emerged with a couple bent stacks of bills. "Should get around to cleaning this thing out," he muttered under his breath. "Okay, here's ten... twenty... thirty... forty... fifty!" He handed over a stack of bills. "Here ya go."

You took the money and looked it over. All one hundred dollar bills, and all pretty real-looking, at least by your standards. Dang. Where did he get all of these from? "... thanks," you said. You tucked the money into your purse.

"No problem. We gonna get going now?"

You nodded. "Just make sure to buckle up first."

"Yeah, I got it." With a click, he quickly strapped himself in. Then, leaning back, he gave you a little nod. "Ready now?"

You nodded back and changed gears. With a swish, your tires slid back off the parking lot and onto the highway once more. The two of you sped away from the old gas station, the soft blur of the rain and the shadows of the mountains quickly obliterating any trace of it as the road twisted and turned under the outstretched arms of the pines and firs.

The rain tapped out a soft rhythm on the windows as the warm sound of Bill's voice began to fill the car once more. "So," he began. "Tahoe and the Rockies and... wherever else. Sounds fun. Mind telling me why you're headed there?"

"For a road trip," you said. "I was planning on going out and seeing some national parks and museums and stuff with my roommate, but..." You sucked in a breath. "She kinda had to leave at the last minute."

"Wow, that must suck. Why'd she bail?"

You pressed your lips together. "Oh, one of her favorite great-uncles had a stroke or something right before we left, so she went back up to Oregon to help him out. Yeah, it sucks, but it is how it is. She can't help it, you know?"

Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Bill's face twitch slightly. "Yeah, I guess so," he said. "Well, looks like we're in a similar boat! The guy I was riding with also ditched me. Only, instead of nicely informing me that he had ta go, he chucked me out into the rain." He spread his hands. "Hence this."

"Oh, really?" You turned to look at him. "Dang. That must've been awful! Especially since, you know—" You gestured to the mountains. "—it's not exactly easy to get a ride out here."

He nodded and sighed. "Thought I was going to have to walk all the way back to civilization. Luckily..." He grinned at you. "Civilization found me first! Awful fortunate, us running into each other, innit?"

You nodded.

He nodded back. "Right! Anyways—" He cleared his throat. "What exactly do you do? 'Sides be a good Samaritan." His eyes fell upon your t-shirt, which bore your university logo. "You in school?"

"Yup! I'm a student. And a waitress—" You caught yourself. "Well, I used to be a waitress."

"Used to be?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I, ah, quit my job a while back." You pressed your lips together. "Graham—my old manager—wasn't exactly the best with respecting my schedule and all, 'cuz we were always understaffed, so... I left." You swallowed. "I'm kind of, ah... between jobs right now."

"Ah, I see." He snorted. "Well, at least you don't haveta deal with that guy anymore, right?"

You sighed. "Yeah. Thanks a lot, Graham," you muttered to yourself.