The Roadtrip

twenty-one

We hastily climbed into the car. "Shit shit shit," Nick said pulling out onto the street. "What happened? Why did the place go on lockdown?" Nick asked. "Someone saw," I said. The adrenaline was making me shake in the backseat.

"I heard something on the radio," Nick said driving down the road. "Just now, in your car. Of course it's the first time I'm hearing it. My piece of shit car doesn't have a working radio," Nick said.

"Apparently a boy and a girl have been riding all through out Texas robbing places. Well actually it's just the boy, apparently he kidnapped the girl and they think he's using her to help him in his robberies. The whole state is looking for them. Said if they commit any crime out side the state then it becomes a federal investigation," Nick said speeding down the road.

"You know how they described the guy? Do you know Will?" Nick asked.

Will said nothing.

Nick beat the steering wheel. "Do you know how they fucking described the guy?" Nick screeched. "A six two brown haired motherfucker driving a 1970's Ford Mustang Boss 302, the fucking car I'm driving now!" Nick yelled again.

"What the hell? What is this? Do you know what the time is for armed robbery? And now, this shit," Nick said pulling into the parking lot.

"I can't believe how irresponsible you are Will. What's gonna happen? What are you gonna do about those kids? Huh? I can't believe this shit," Nick added.

"And you, darling you need to scream right now. I need to know if my cousin actually kidnapped you. Is he keeping you here against your will?" Nick asked.

"No, I chose to be here," I said. "So he didn't kidnap you?" Nick asked. "He did but-" I was cut off. "Are you fucking serious? You know thats just stockholm right?" Nick parked the car. He put his head in his hands.

"Your going away for a long time Will. Your gonna die in a prison cell," Nick said. "I just don't get it. Why did you do this if you already escaped Texas? Why? You just fucking doomed yourself and all of us," Nick said.

"Your the one who came to me about the job. It was your job Nick!" Will finally spoke bursting out of his lungs.

Will angrily stepped out of the car.

"Don't you turn this on me!" Nick screamed following him out of the car. "It's your fucking fault! Just in and out, you said. Your the one with the fucking jobs and the ideas, fuck. You dragged us into this," Will screamed at his cousin.

"I gave your stupid moron brain a choice! You made the decision to take it. I didn't force you to do anything, unlike the fucking girl you kidnapped!" Nick screamed.

"Fuck this, you know what? Take your fucking money," Will said opening the suitcase. He threw two bundles of cash at Nick.

I stepped out of the car. Nick rushed to pick them up. "Look at you, like a fucking sewer rat. You have a job and a family but you choose to do shit like this. Choose to go to jail because of your greed. Look at the mess were in. It was too good to be true and you knew it," Will said.

"I wanted to help you. Your so damn fucked in the head you can't even see that. You don't even want to see for even a second that someone could give a shit about you and want to help," Nick started.

"I have my motivations but I set this up for you. I looked for an easy job, one that you'd take and I handed it to you on a silver platter, your the one who not only ruined your life but her's too," Nick said. Will looked away from.

"You don't want to hear that? What? Because your fine ruining your own life. In the name of your family, your life doesn't mean anything and you never gave a damn in the first place but now look what you've done," Nick said, power in his voice.

"You ruined her's too," He said pointing at me.

"Go to hell Nick," Will said trying to hold himself together.

"You can't even admit it. Not because you don't want too. But because you know it's going to eat you alive. When your sitting in that cell for the rest of your life its going to fucking haunt you. You did this, you took an innocent person and dragged them down with you-" Will punched him in the face.

Nick flew back holding his ground.

"Will!" I screamed. I stood between them. Nick was grabbing his lip. He reached into his pocket for his own car keys and threw them at Will's chest.

"Take my fucking car you asshole, the both of you. Its a full tank and drive North and don't stop. Run, I mean it. You have twenty four hours until everything, your birthday, your baby pictures, the fucking hospital you were born in is plastered all over national headlines," Nick said turning to spit blood onto the ground. Then he looked over at me. "You need to stay the fuck away from him. Do not let him make this worse for you," Nick said.

Will picked up the keys.

"Now I gotta go burn this car and change my fucking name," Nick said.

"See you in hell asshole," Nick said getting back into the car. He speed off with vigor.

Will was breathing erratically. His eyes reddish. He was in clear distress. I think he was having a panic attack.

A helicopter flew by towards the direction of the hotel. "Will, we need to go," I said. He was disassociating, staring nothing while hyperventilating. "Will!" I called out. He didn't listen, like he couldn't hear me. I hit his chest. "There gonna find us we have to go! Will come on!" I screamed. His breathing became more erratic, faster. I beat his chest. "Will! Please, we have to go!" I screamed.

"Please, come on Will," I said now dragging his arm. "Will!" I yelled. We weren't getting anywhere. More helicopters flew over head, sirens in the distance.

I grabbed the sides if his head. I counted to ten in my head bringing my demeanor down. I soothed myself first. "Will," I said looking into his eyes. His pupils dilated. His focus was back on the outside, no longer lost in his head. "We have to go, snap out of it," I said. I saw him get lost in me, in my eyes.

Then he snapped back. Looking around sporadicly. "Shit, fuck. Shit," He said. He looked around locating Nick's car. He took off sprinting towards it. I followed.

We climbed into Nicks beat up old car and Will speed out of the parking lot. We got onto the main road, driving the opposite direction. Will weaved through traffic, it was dark now. Nothing for anyone to see. Fuck we were lucky it was dark.

He still had the suitcase, now it was just in the back of the car. My adrenaline rush wasn't wearing off, the Las Vegas light were making me dizzy. I was having a hard time processing anything. There was no life for me to go back to. There was no chance for be to build a new one. It was all gone, vanished into thin air. My dreams, although fleeting were gone. They had felt so tangible not to long ago and now, it was over. I was going to be rid of Will and any attachments I had but now we were stuck. All in a few moments of a stupid choice.

I watched as we stared to approach the end of the Las Vegas strip. Through the highway, we rode around the edge until we passed it. I watched as we passed the Las Vegas sign. I watched as the busy Vegas streets turned into desert road.

The familiar empty cactus filled landscape was the only thing to bring tranquility. North, we just had to ride north. Then what? Then where? What did North even mean?

Before when we were going place to place once we got far away enough it felt like the running was over. But now I knew wherever we went the running would never be over.

I looked at Will. Eyes focused on the road. Lost in the act of driving. It was like his whole world was crashing and he was working to conceal it.

Its like he was realizing that whatever he used to think rock bottom was, it now had a new low. The open free road allowed him to speed as fast as he needed to. His eyes stood still, fearful. We had to ride North, ride North and don't stop. He was exhausted, I could see it. But we couldn't stop. He was fighting the fatigue. Mentally, physically. I was too. But I was fighting two battles. His and my own.