How I Fell in Love (#3 How I Fell in Love Trilogy)

Las Vegas pt. 1

A hot breeze blew Sophie's hair into her face, obscuring her vision for a moment. She would be glad to leave for the day, the temperature was supposed to peak at 92 degrees. 

Biana motioned excitedly from the shady van Alvar had rented for the trip. Although the Vackers had a nice SUV that boasted eight seats, Mr. and Mrs. Vacker had firmly said it was off limits. 

Sophie was left wondering why they even allowed Alvar as their chaperone, if they didn't trust his driving skills. Of course, the Vacker's reasons for mistrust could lie with the passengers. Sophie remembered a time recently when Dex had gotten a stomach ache from eating too many Mike and Ikes, and (shockingly) had thrown up all over the car.  

Sophie lifted her small tote into the trunk, where the rest of the group had shoved their bags. It looked like she had packed light, compared to the others. Sophie suspiciously eyed a glitzy pink bag, stuffed so much the seams were stressing. 

"C'mon, let's get this show on the road!" Dex yelled out the window. From the corner of her eye, Sophie saw Mrs. Sencen glare out her window. 

She smiled to herself. If only she knew what we were doing. 

A side door slid open, and Sophie clambered in. Already, it looked like everyone had decided their seats. Linh and Biana sat together in the middle row, while Fitz had claimed shotgun. Dex and Tam sulked in the back. 

Sophie's eyes flicked from shot gun to the empty seat next to Dex. There were four seats to a row. Why didn't Fitz want to sit next to Dex and Tam? 

Alvar lifted his aviators to wink at Sophie. 

"Buckle up buttercup! It's a straight ride from here on out!" 

"Ugh, we are not going on a straight ride Alvar! It's like a five hour drive!" Biana objected. 

Alvar flicked his sunglasses down stylishly. "Not the way I drive." 

Linh's hand clutched at her seat belt, as if trying to protect herself from the oncoming ride. 

"Hey, you said you'd buy me a snack at the gas station if Sophie got into the van in under 5 minutes." Dex complained. He held up a stopwatch, which clearly displayed the digits 4:20 (heheheh). "So it's not going to be a straight ride buddy." 

Alvar tapped at the steering wheel menacingly. "How do I know you didn't just change the time?" 

"Can we at least start driving? We're burning daylight." Fitz said. 

Alvar pulled onto the road and wordlessly drove to a gas station. 

Dex smiled widely. "I know exactly what I'm going to get." He climbed out. 

Everyone else began to follow Dex's example. 

"Hey!" Alvar yelled. "I'm setting a timer! Five minutes and I'm going to Vegas with or without you!" 

Biana responded by blowing him a kiss. 

Sophie searched the store until she found the items she was looking for: An ice tea Snapple, a bag of hot cheetos, and a roll of Oreos. Sure, she'd bought snacks for the trip, but there was something about buying overpriced gas station foods. 

She set her haul on the counter next to Biana's and Dex's items. 

"How is Alvar going to pay for you stuff if he isn't here?" Sophie asked. Dex waved a five dollar bill. "He goaded me by saying I could hold the money while the bet was going, because he knew I was going to lose. So I already had the money when I left the car."