Adventure

Lara was walking down the aisle. The shopping aisle.

She was looking for a bag of tortilla chips and a bottle of salsa. She yawned loudly, and walked heavily. She was too tired to notice her untied bun. She would grab the chips, maybe try to pick up a puny fight for fun, and jog back to the car.

Five minutes later, she ran as though her life depended on it, while a security guard chased her with a... stick? Helena screamed at her to get into the car, and opened the door for her. And they drove away even before Lara was completely inside the car.

Their getaway was truly Hollywood-worthy. Lara panted like a fish out of water and Helena, clearly, was exasperated.

"What did you get?"

"Uhh... Froot Loops?"

"And?"

"A bar of Snickers?"

"And?"

"Okay, I'm sorry. The tortilla chips looked horrible!"

"I'm just surprised that you've no money."

"Whatever, man. Just drop me off at the next town."

And after that, it was complete silence. Lara opened up a bar of Snickers and gobbled it up, while Helena kept driving. And driving. Lara dozed off again, and she couldn't help but look at her and wonder how a brat like her survived for so long on her own. Lara's caramel face was blemished with dirt marks, and her streaked hair was messed up big time. And she snored. Lara was being as distracting as she could be.

By the time night fell, they were halfway through the city. Freedom was only a few hours away, and Helena would get back to living her own life again. She'd dealt with many passengers who'd ask for the most ridiculous of things, but Lara was a whole next level. Helena wasn't paid enough for her job.

The sky was painted violet, just like Helena's jersey. They were out of the damned city, and stars adorned the celestial sky. The road seemed endless, and there were only trees to their sides: big conifers throwing their shadows on the road. It was warm inside Helena's car, a rustic Mustang. The radio played all sorts of nostalgic country music while she drove swiftly, and the soothing howling of the wind could be heard as they headed towards what seemed to be endless.

It was a perfect night, minus the Sleeping Beauty next to Helena. She wondered what she dreamt of: castles and... Nah. She was probably dreaming of her next meal. Or maybe the family she left behind. Helena's mind always replayed that day's events, as though it wanted her to hold on to those memories.

It was a Sunday morning. She woke up from the comfort of her bed, and before she could grab a cup of coffee, she was called in for work. Working at RydeShare and balancing her life in university was pretty much sapping the life out of her.

Her phone rang.

"I need a fuckin' ride, right NOW!" She sounded panicked.

"Okay, but where do I pick you up from?"

"I'll send you the location, but be there in five!"

"Uh, okay... I guess. But-"

She hung up on her. Helena sprayed some deodorant and put on a coat, and was up and cracking in no time. She drove to the location. And that's when she saw her. She was wearing Christmas pajamas, a green pull-over, and slippers. She carried an expensive Prada bag stuffed with essentials.

She looked frantic and scary. She looked exopthalmic and overflowing with nervous energy.

Their eyes met, and Lara ran towards the car. It was an intense moment alright, but Helena's mind played the cello. She didn't even like that instrument.

"So I need to go to the next town. Like, any town will work!"

She just smiled and nodded.

"Are you even listening?" She nods again. "I can't pay you a lot, but I can help you out and stuff."

"Yeah, that's fine."

"How are you even fine with this?"

Helena was lost. She just smiled, and there started her trouble.

Her passenger, a lovely young lady in her early twenties, sat in the front, throwing her bag at the back. She smelled of fruits. Like, tasty tropical fruits. She looked like a person who made DIY videos on YouTube for a living, and she had this princess aura around her. Helena felt uncalled-for in her own job.

And it was a journey filled with political disagreements, until Lara decided to buy her some coffee. They talked about the weirdest of stuff over the most irrelevant of topics. They argued over the most debatable subjects, and Helena was taken aback by how deceiving Lara's looks were.

Helena smiled while she thought of those silly conversations again. She wished Lara was awake, and maybe...

"Take me away," Lara mumbled, half-asleep. And Helena, for once, was sure of her decision. It was destined to be an adventure of a lifetime.