Dead End >> c.h au

Chapter One

        "Of all the stupid ass things you've ever said, that has got to be the stupidest I have ever heard," Ashton cried out from beside Sally. Sally cackled with laughter next to him and pulled her feet off the dashboard to turn and look at Calum in the back seat. "Marvel is so much better than DC."

        "No way," Calum shouted against his Redbull can. He forced the can into the cup holder in the door and leaned forward to continue the argument. "DC has Batman, for one, and they have cooler backstories and-"

        "Yeah okay, but consider this," Ashton cut in. "Black Widow."

        Calum was silent for a moment. "Touché."

        "Guys, can we not argue about comic books for, like, ten minutes?" Luke whined from the back of the van. Sally laughed.

        "I agree with blondie," she called out and took the liberty of cranking the music louder. Alex Gaskarth's voice pounded through the speakers and filled the air in the van.

        Ashton blew smoke into Sally's face before tossing his cigarette butt out the window. Sally coughed obnoxiously. "Those things are gonna kill you, you know," she told him.

        "Doesn't matter, my funeral's going to be a massive party and everyone's going to have a great time," Ashton decided.

        "I won't," Sally scowled.

        Ashton simply laughed. "Make sure you bury me with my hands behind my head, like I'm just chilling. And put my sunglasses on, too. I want to continue being punk rock in the afterlife."

        "You're not even punk rock now," Sally replied.

        "Fuck you," Ashton cursed and flipped her off dramatically.

        Sally laughed before falling silent for several minutes. Eventually she spoke. "How much further?" she whined and let her hand fall out the window, dancing on the wind.

        "Not far," Ashton answered as they rolled down the freeway.

        "Thank you for that specific answer," Sally flicked him in the side of the head.

        "I don't have time for you sass, Scooter," Ashton retorted and flicked her back. "We'll get there when we get there."

        Sally laughed and looked forward out the windshield. She heard Michael singing along to the music in the seat behind her. The five friends were on a road trip across America the summer after they graduated high school. The moment they had got out of that hellhole, they all decided they wanted to get as far away from it as possible. So, naturally, they traveled halfway across the world, rented a van, loaded it with junk food and they were on their way.

        Their next and final destination was New York, New York. The friends had started in Los Angeles and had been making their way through the country for the past two weeks, stopping whenever they saw something interesting. Most of the time they stopped because Calum saw a hot girl and demanded they pulled over, but they managed to make the best of every moment.

        "If I die first out of all of us, you guys all have to come to my funeral dressed as ninja turtles," Luke yelled from the back of the van.

        Sally giggled and slipped a look to Calum. He was sitting in the seat behind Ashton, playing on his phone. She watched his lips mouthing the words to the song playing in the background. His foot was tapping to the beat. She smiled at the sight of him.