Hell Has A New Name

16

"So for real, where are you going? I've got all summer before the semester starts."

He'd been anxiously waiting downstairs in her living room, heart stopping for a moment when he heard her speak. He thought surly she'd come down and have changed her mind, but no. She stood on the bottom step like something out of a teen movie with her small suitcase.

He rubbed his hands over his face, sighing.
"Are you serious? You don't even know me Amber. If we were friends back home I'd slap you for being stupid if you ran off with me."

She laughed incredulously. "You are you though... so what's the problem?" She asked as if he were stupid for even thinking it.

"You don't have more stuff? I mean that's not nearly enough stuff for a girl right?" He was teasing.

"If you're coming with me, you'd better get off my couch." She walked out the front door waiting for his brain to catch up and his body to follow her. He ran out to catch up with her, laughing for one of the first times in a long time in uncalculated happiness.
"I do have another bag on my bedroom floor. Wanna grab that for me?" She batted her lashes at him jokingly.
He grunted but went back inside the house.

"I have no plan, no hotel reservations, just a destination you know that right." It wasn't a question but she opened the door and tossed her bag in the back seat.
"So you coming or staying here?" She teased him, obviously intending on going.

He nodded and got into the car, tossing the other bag in the back with his own and hers.
"Why are you so hellbent on going with me?"
He needed to know. It didn't make sense that someone like her would want to be anywhere near him.
"Look, I don't get out much. I'm the good girl ya know. I always do what's expected of me, blah blah blah. This is my chance for an adventure. Regardless of what happens, where we end up, whoever you are, I can tell you have a good soul. Hopefully in time you'll trust me enough to tell me more. Till then, I'll be the Bonnie to your Clyde."
She smiled, he hair falling freely around her face, the sun shone into the window lighting her up like an angel. Juice had a familiar urge, the want, he wanted to kiss her.

He was too fucked up for that though, he didn't want to give her false promises of anything they could be. He was living a lie on borrowed time and could go at any moment. That's wasn't fair to her, plus there's the complication of Tully and her assumption about him. He wasn't ready to go there. She also might not feel that way, who would like someone so fucked up anyway. She deserved someone better than a rat punk who was devoted to his rapist, with a death sentence. If he tried to escape Tully he'd be worse than dead. Didn't matter the man seemed surprised to hear from him or genuinely happy about it. Juice knew inside his soul Tully would never let him go.

He laughed with her and put the car in reverse. He chose a random address in Nebraska and set his phone map to start.
"Bonnie huh? You know she was the real bad guy in that story." He mused trying to imagine her in his old life.

"Yeah well, it's us smart ones you have to look out for." She grinned at him and then burst out laughing.
"I mean, I would be a terrible criminal. I would be too nervous. So Clyde, were gonna have to do this without the guns and crime. But we can keep all the drama. How's that work for you?"

He didn't even know what to say? Was she luck or a curse? "Keep the drama huh? I don't think I could do it any other way. I'm down to keep it legit... no one would ever see us coming." He winked, liking this hypothetical dialogue where he wasn't an actual criminal who'd done worse things than this girl could probably ever imagine.
She sighed quietly for a moment and then collected her thoughts.
"So your boyfriend isn't going to mind I'm with you?" Her feet were on the dashboard, and she was looking at him with a grin, he could see the nervousness in her eyes though.

Juice didn't know how to answer that. Hell he really didn't know the answer. Would Tully care? Why did he care if he did care? Why did his insides boil when she called him his boyfriend so jokingly? He should just brush it off, a normal guy would just brush it off.

" no."  He kept it simple. He really didn't want to talk about Tully and he was exhausted from talking about himself.  "Tell me about you?"

She agreed. "Okay. Nothing I've got to tell is as hard core as yours though. I mean you know the basics. I'm a waitress, I'm in school. Moved here because people suck."

He shook his head. "There's gotta be something. You an only child?"

"Nope. Three brothers. All military, Dad was a marine. We moved a good bit but eventually settled when Dad retired. Mom is a teacher. I was a surprise  kid. They were happy to have a girl but I was forbidden from joining the service. Dad hates my death machine. I grew up riding though, we all rode, I ride for sport. Dad had hoped id grow out of it and settle like a little lady. He'd love you." She shoved his arm playfully.

He did not laugh back, he had no doubts that her father would murder him upon visual.
"There it is... your entire family would hate me." He was smiling his megawatt smile and it didn't feel forced. He actually felt like even if they didn't like him, she would be good enough for them to stand down.

"We've been driving for like 5 hours. You wanna stop and eat?" She wiggled in her seat.

He cracked a smile now. "You have to pee don't you? Hardest thing about traveling with girls, you always have to pee."

She feigned insult. "Shut up Micheal. Yes I have to pee, but I'm also starving. We didn't exactly eat lunch ya know."

He sighed because she was right. He hadn't eaten lunch, he puked on her floor. He felt bad about that too, she cleaned it up for him and didn't even complain or question what had made him vomit. Something was wrong with this girl, there had to be.

"Fine. I'll buy. Pick a place? This next exit looks like it's got a few things."