Infectious

Road Trip

The lean, deep green pine trees seem to race by my window as we speedily drive towards our destination. I drum my thumbs against the rubber pieces attached to the steering wheel and hum to the tune 'Under Pressure' by Queen which is playing on the disc I've popped into the CD slot. There are the occasional cars that lie on the road which we check for extra supplies, yet other than that it's a desert. There's only enough food and gas for a two to two and a half day trip.

"How much time until we get there," a nasally voice inquires. I see Martha standing impatiently out of my peripheral vision.

"Around thirty six hours. Is that okay with you?" I ask her with a heated tone, her pursed lips teasing my annoyed side.

"Can't you go a little faster?" she asks.

"Not if you want the car to freakin explode!" I say in a that's-so-obvious tone. She rolls her eyes at me and I try to keep my cool.

"You should keep to the left la-" she begins to instruct.

"Thank you, Martha, I don't need a backseat driver!" I snap. She scoffs at me.

"Why are you the one driving?" she asks me, "in fact, why are you the one leading this expedition?" she raises her voice so the rest of the bus can hear her. Everyone glances up at her and attempts avoiding her question. My fingers curl around the wheel until my knuckles turn a ghostly shade of white.

"Actually, we're all listening to a sixteen year old girl who knows nothing about ... well... ANYTHING!" she tells everyone, "I have a family back there. A mom, a dad, and a sister. That's my entire family. She has nothing to be afraid of either, her parents are safe and sound and she has no siblings, so why does she risk her life knowing she might not come back? We're on the road to god-knows-where, chasing a cure that might not even be real!" she says. I snap. I stomp my foot on the break and everyone on the bus lurches forward. Martha quickly snatches hold of an emergency bar and stops herself from falling. I put the bus into park and bounce out of my chair.

"YOU WANNA GIVE ME A SPEECH ABOUT LOSS? I'VE LOST SOMEONE, EVERYONE HAS EXCEPT FOR YOU. YOU'RE JUST A PERFECT BITCH, AREN'T YOU?" I yell. I advance towards her. She gives me a stunned look and begins to be enraged. Griffith contemplates getting up and so does Mia.

"Please, like you aren't," she says, her voice quivering.

"MY DAD DIED!" I shout and take another step towards her. She slightly flinches away from me.

"Awe, someone has daddy issues," she says slyly, the corners of her mouth curling up. My anger boils over and I launch at her. We roll over the aisle of the bus. She attempts pinning me down on the floor and punches me in the jaw. I hear he knuckles crack against my bone and I take that chance to throw her off of me. I'm on top of her in two seconds flat, and I slap her across the face multiple times. Her cheeks are burnt red and her lip has been severely cut by my nail. It's split open and oozing blood. I finally restrain myself.

"Know your place," I practically bark. I get up and walk to the front of the bus and settle back down into my chair. I get a powerful denationalizing in the pit of my stomach which only grows.

"If you're not with me, you're against me. Get your priorities straight," I tell her. Everyone gives me a strange look with the exception of Griffith and Arianne, They know what needs to be done. Arianne slightly smirks. I start up the vehicle and continue on our long and tiring journey.

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Dawn begins to seep into the pastel sky and the sun glows a worm orange. Kind of like a campfire in the fall. Snow begins to float down from the sky like feathers gliding on the window. They touch the floor and melt instantly, second snowfall of December. My birthday is coming up, not sure how many days. I'll be 17 and counting. My eyelids begin to dangerously shut on me and a hand taps my shoulder.