The Last Summer

Lucy

Packing is like my own personal hell. Sure I could fit everything easily in one suitcase, but that doesn't mean I want to fit everything easily in one suitcase. See unlike Cara and Juliet who are experts at packing and do it a few days before they leave I like to wait until last minute and have my ride laugh as I struggle to close the stupid suitcase.

"Sorry." I tell Amanda again.

"It's fine." she says jumping on top of the suitcase and sitting on it so I can zip it up.

"And there! All finished." I smile as she gets off.

"Good. Because we need to get that in the bed and go." Amanda says as we leave the house.

"Is everyone else already there?" I ask putting it in the bed of the truck and sitting shotgun.

"Yup." Amanda says as we drive across town.

"Sorry but I had to pack my shampoo and other shower stuff last and that always ruins the dynamic ya know?"

"Does it ruin the flow?" Amanda smiles. "Everything has to be feng shui remember?"

"Yes I remember." I laugh as we enter Cameron's neighborhood. "God I'm excited to get down there."

"I think we all are." Amanda says pulling up. "I'm just excited to go back down there. I haven't been down in a while."

"There you two are!" Isabelle shouts.

Everyone grabs Ruby and Heather's suitcases and puts them in the bed of the truck.

"Sorry." I say. "I didn't finish packing until a few minutes ago."

"Well at least we're all here." Juliet says before Isabelle could get any further in. "Hey can I put my suitcase in the bed? There's only so much room in the van."

"Not a problem." Amanda says helping Juliet.

"Everyone ready?" Cara shouts. "Alright let's go."

We all pile into the cars and Cameron follows Amanda onto the freeway.

^^^^

Around two I get a call from Sofia.

"Hey Sofia." I say turning down the music. "What's up?"

"We're all getting kind of hungry." she says. "Hang on. Guys! Shut up! Sorry about that."

It's fine. " I say. "Ruby passed out a few miles back and Heather's well on her way there now. So Amanda and I have been singing along to Broadway. So what's up?"

"Well we're all a little hungry by now," Sofia says. "Think we can make a quick stop a In-N-Out or something?"

"Yeah there's one in...two exits." I say pointing the sign out to Amanda who nods and switches lanes. "That work?"

"There's an In-N-Out in two exits!" She calls to Cameron. "Yeah that sounds good."

"We'll see ya inside." I tell her hanging up.

"You wanna wake up the sleeping beauties?" Amanda asks.

"Sure." I say turning around and poking Heather a few times.

"Huh?" she asks rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?"

"You need to wake up Dequan we're stopping for some In-N-Out." I tell her turning the music back up a bit.

Heather wakes Ruby up just as Amanda parks the truck in the lot. I jump out and stretch. Cameron parks next to us and I see a blur of Cara as she runs inside.

"She okay?" I ask Sofia.

"Yeah. She just really had to pee." She says.

"Don't we all." Amanda says. "So everyone's still alive?"

"So far." Cameron says as we walk inside. "I'm surprised no one fell asleep."

"Ruby was out right after we got out of Sac." Heather says.

"Was not." Ruby says. "I fell asleep around Fairfield. Just had my earphones in. I can only handle so much Broadway."

"Were you two really torturing these poor girls wiht Broadway?" Cara says finally joining us.

"Yep." Amanda and I smile.

"I didn't mind too much." Heather said. "But I did start getting tired aroudn the time Book of Mormon finished."

"I could make a joke." Ruby says. "But I'm not feeling it right now."

"Thank you." Heather says. "Besides I'm already making the joke."

We laugh at her Keep Calm and Morm On t-shirt.

"That's still one of the greatest puns I've seen." I admit as we come up to the cashier. "Do we wann go by car?"

"Sure." Juliet says.

"Why not." Amanda says. "I'll take a number two with no onions. Here's a ten I'll save a table or two."

The rest of us put in our orders and join Amanda at the tables.

"Thank god I need some soda." Amanda jumps up and goes to fill up her cup.

"So how is everything in the van?" I ask.

"Alright." Isabelle says with a shrug. "It could be better but it's fine."

"And how could it be better?" Cameron asks.

"We would've been there by now if we'd flown." Isabelle shrugs.

"Yeah, but not all of us had the money to do that." Sofia reminds her. "Besides this is more fun."

"She's right." Ruby says. "I'm catching up on all the sleep I missed this semester."