All the Missing Pieces (UNDER REVISION)

Sixteen

              Like promised, Marina is sitting on a bench out side of the school on Sunday at four with a duffle bag packed and her laptop. "What's good, Peyton?" She asks. I shrug. "Nothing."
"Aw, come on bro. It doesn't have to be like that. You're about to go on a road trip with the most awesome human on the planet aka me. How could nothing be good?" I sit down next to her. "I just want him back." I say. She grows really serious. "I know Peyton. Look, we'll find him, okay?"
"But what if we don't?"
"Peyton. We'll find him." I give her an unconvincing smile, and I can just tell by the way she looks at me that she knows it's not genuine. "So. Is Emily coming?" I ask. "I dunno. I haven't talked to her since Saturday."
"Really?"
"I think she was kind of pissed that I sided with you."
"You don't say?"
"Hey. I think you're right. You're admitting that you made a mistake when you were drunk and you're trying to fix it. That's responsible. If Emily doesn't want to come that's fine. She didn't do anything wrong, but James is still one of her best friends so the support would be nice." I lean back on the bench and sigh. "If only I hadn't fucking kissed him. Then none of this would be happening."
"What do you remember about that night, anyways?"
"I told him he has dolphin eyes." Marina laughs, "You said what? What does that even mean?"
"I don't know. Dolphins aren't even blue!" She and I both grin at each other. "Peyton. This isn't your fault. If he really has been gay it was bound to happen at some point."
"Thanks, Mar."
"Mhm."
              We sit on the bench and continue talking about life. Senior year, baseball, orchestra. The whole shebang. By 4:30 Emily still hasn't arrived. "I don't think she's coming." I say, letting out a disappointed sigh. "Yeah, I guess. I'll start getting my stuff in the car then?"
"Yeah go ahead." I get into the car and start the car while she throws her stuff into the back. "All right, Reyes, let's hit the road."
"Yeah." She shuts the door and climbs in shotgun. I start pulling out of the parking space I'm in when I see Emily sprinting across the parking lot. She has a backpack and a blanket in her arms. I roll down the window. "Wait! I'm coming!" She yells. Marina smiles. "Come on, loser." The enthusiastic blonde shouts. Emily jumps into the seat behind me and throws her stuff onto an empty in the back. "All right so, uh, lets go I guess?" I say.
"Fuck yeah it is. Lets go reunite some gay ass," Marina says. Emily looks closed off, with her arms crossed, but she nods her head when I look back at her. I pull out of the school and head towards the highway.

              By 6:30 we've made it to Baltimore, so we pull over to switch drivers. We decided that every two hours we'll switch and get gas if needed, so Marina volunteered to take the next leg. "I'm going in to the store. I want something to eat," Emily says. "Alright sounds good," I reply. Marina and I lean up against my grey Toyota 4Runner as it fills with gas. "Have you thought of what you're going to tell him?" Marina asks. "I dunno, honestly. I guess telling him that I like him back would be a good start."
"Really? That's all you got?"
"What were you expecting a Shakespeare level confession?"
"Nah. I just thought you'd have, like, a speech or something prepared."
"I think winging it works better for me."
"Whatever you say." She shifts her weight a little and brushes a strand of golden-blonde hair behind her ear. "Was it hard? Being in love with him all this time and having to hide it from us?" She asks. "I don't know," I say, "Honestly? I don't have a reason for why I was scared to tell everyone. There's a bunch of gay kids at our school. I guess I assumed that some people would probably still hate me or something. Not to mention, I don't want to be dragged into a GSA group or be brought into everyone's drama. But I guess that's conforming to stereotypes. I'm not girly or anything. I mean, I listen to a good amount of Beyoncé, but aside from that I really don't act gay. I just like boys, you know? I guess I was just scared that I might try and change myself or something. I wouldn't say it was hard though. I just didn't really want to talk about it I guess." Emily returns from the store with three sub sandwiches, a party-sized bag of Cheetos, and a hanging flower pot shaped like a llama with a succulent in the back of it. "Whatcha talking about?" She asks. "Homosexuals." Marina says with a deadpan face. "So what's with the llama?" I ask. "We are going to hang him from the rearview mirror and he will be our companion," She says, "Anyways, I got you guys sandwiches. Roast beef and cheese for Marina and Chicken for Peyton."
"Who knew they sold Llama flower pots and sub sandwiches at gas stations?" Marina says. "I know right?" Emily replies, "I love Maryland!" I'm glad that she appears to be back to her normal, bubbly self, though I can tell that she's still mad at me from the way she won't look at me and the way she turns her self away from me, at least she's trying. And I guess she has a reason to be mad at me, I did, after all, kind of ruin her life. "Anyone know how long until we get to North Carolina?" Marina asks. "I think we've got like four hours." I say. "Okay, I think we should spend the night in DC tonight, then drive all day tomorrow." She says.
"I think we can make it farther tonight," I say, "If we wait too long, we could be too late." "Peyton, I know, but for one thing, we're stopping every two hours to change drivers which adds an extra hour onto the trip, plus there's traffic 'n shit, plus we're all teenagers and I don't think it's a good idea for us to be driving for long hours at night, and finally it's supposed to start raining in like an hour. I rest my case."
"All right, we'll drive to DC then." Emily says. "Is everyone down for staying in motels, 'cause I don't think I have the money for hotels." I ask. "Yeah, sure." Emily says. "That's fine." Adds Marina. "All right. I've got a fake, so I can pay if they ask for an ID." I say. "You have a fake?" Marina asks. "Yeah, but it's mainly cause I had this rough period freshman year after I broke up with my girlfriend. I used to sneak out to gay bars to try and make myself feel better."
"Holy shit. For really? Did that even work?" Marina's eyebrows scrunch together. "Yep. I'm hispanic, remember? We all hit puberty when we're in middle school."
"Peyton!" Emily shouts. "What? I'm being serious, I started growing facial hair in seventh grade!"
"All right, gang, let's get this show on the road. To DC!" Marina says. I start to open to door to the passenger seat, but Emily grabs my wrist. "Uhn-uh," She says. "You're sitting in the back."
"What?"
"Whoever drove last sits in the back. Whoever's going to drive next sits in the passenger seat." She declares. "Okay, I guess that's fair." I hop in the back as Emily hangs her llama flower pot from the rearview mirror. "Perfect." She says. "All right, anyone need anything? Speak now or forever hold your peace." Marina asks. She pulls back onto the highway, and almost immediately, my phone starts ringing. "Oh shit!" I shout.
"What, did something happen?" Marina asks. "No, It's Sunday night. I'm missing family dinner."  answer the phone, "Hello?"
"Hola, mijo, are you planning on coming back for dinner?" My dad's voice rings through the phone as the blood drains from my face. "Okay, so, it's actually a funny story," I run a hand through my hair. "Oh?" He says, "Do explain?"
"You see, I'm kind of in Maryland right now."
"You're, where?"
"Uh, in Maryland?"
"Dios mío, porque la mierda estás en Maryland?" He rarely forgets to speak English. "Okay, please don't be mad."
"Tu necesitas tener un explicación muy bien, hijo."
"It's James." His voice softens a little bit. "Oh?"
"He thinks that he's helping us by running away. So we're going to bring him back."
"This is that boy you like, right?"
"Yeah. Yeah he is."
"Is there any chance I can convince you not to go?"
"I mean, we're all ready in Maryland." He sighs, I can practically hear him shake his head. "Fine, go. But you're mom and I are gonna have a chat about how to punish you when you get home."
"Okay, papá."
"Just come back safe."
"Bye." He hangs up without saying goodbye.
              As soon as I put my phone back into my pocket, Emily and Marina burst into laughter. "What's so funny?"
"You didn't tell your parents anything?" Marina criticizes me while laughing, causing the car to swerve a little. "No, I didn't think about it."
"Seriously?" Emily says, "Even I thought about it."
"What did you guys tell your parents?" Marina replies first, "I just said I signed up for a summer camp in South Carolina to work with foster kids," She says. "I told my parents I was going to the beach with Marina." Emily says. I rub my eyes with the back of my hands, "Jesus Christ, me jalé una tarta."
"Whatever that means, I agree." Marina says. Even by the time we make it to Washington, Marina and Emily haven't let up making fun of me. I guess I'll justify it by saying Emily has a right to because by existing I fucked up her high school experience.

              At eight we stop to get food at a Wendy's. By nine we've found a motel to Crash in. "Okay, you're gay and we're straight, so sleeping arrangements don't really matter, but if we get a room with two beds you can have one, and Em and I can share the other." Marina says. "That literally has nothing to do with me being gay," I say
 "All right, we'll take one room with two beds please." Marina tell the Lady at the front desk without actually responding to me. "That'll be forty dollars." She says in a sluggish voice. We split up the bill to fourteen dollars each, and I slide it to her across the counter. "Can I see an Id?" She asks. I give her my fake. She looks at the picture, to my face, and back to the picture. "Enjoy your stay." She says handing me a room key. Almost immediately after opening the door to our room, we all crash on our respective beds and fall asleep.

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sorry! I was late again 0^0 Saturday was busy as fuck!!!! love you guys as always

XOXO Joey