Run Away With Me

Chapter 4 (Jack's POV)

I had a lot more room in the front. But Kathy is sitting there. Fine. Whatever. I took a three hour nap, and now Davey is driving. We've, (Davey and Katherine) decided to have a late lunch, considering we had a late breakfast. Which means our next stop will probably be at 3. When my shift starts. It's a little after 2:15. 45 minutes until my shift starts. Uuuggghhh. I look around to see what everybody else is doing to pass the time. Katherine is reading. Yawn. The back row seems to be in the middle of a very heated game of sticks. Crutchie seems to just be enjoying the scenery. Which is weird, because there is no scenery. We're still in Ohio. We'll pass into Pennsylvania not 5 minutes after I start driving. Supposedly.  And then it's just one more state until we're home. Or are we passing through New Jersey? I think we are. 

"Hey Davey, are we going through New Jersey?" I ask. 

"Y-y-ya," he yawns. He really needs to sleep. He's been up since 7am yesterday. It's been over 30 hours since he last slept. I think . . .. Either way, he needs to sleep. He technically has 30 minutes left on his shift, but I mind as well take over for him. He could use the rest. But he'll never let me. He'll go the whole way. But you know what they say. Desperate times call for desperate measures. So be it. 

"Pull over Davey," I say with a groan. "I think I'm going to be sick." This will do the trick. Davey loves his clean car. 

"Okay okay okay, hold on a sec, let me find a turn off!" he says with evident panic in his voice. To add to the illusion, I start breathing heavily. I put my head in between my legs so that no one can see the smile I'm trying to hide. I think Katherine may have seen it though. But if she does, she pays no heed. She just goes back to her book. Davey, slightly speeding now, can't seem to find a turn-off. I groan and clutch my stomach, just for good measure. 

"I'M LOOKING" Davey yells. "Oh finally," he says as he finds an exit. It's now 2:30. 

"We're stopping for lunch, and, . . . breaks," Davey announces. I get out, as does everyone else. I rush inside, not wanting to break the illusion. I figure I'll use the restroom, tell everyone that it's passed, and take over driving for Davey so he can sleep. No one would be the wiser. And it worked perfectly until Katherine. I swear, nothing gets by her! She was back next to the car early, and unfortunately, so was I. 

"I know you weren't really sick," she accuses. "Why did you make us pull off? You know we're only going to take longer because of this?! If you'd-"

"Kathy, I-"

"Don't, interrupt me, and don't call me Kathy. Now, if you'd just let us keep going we could have gotten to New York faster. Now then, what do you have to say for yourself?" At the dumbfounded look on my face, she said "Now's the time when you can talk."

"Oh, right, ya." I looked down at my feet. "Um, I faked being sick so Davey would take a break from driving and I could take over his shift," I say. 

"Oh. I didn't know," she said. 

"That's alright, Kathy. Now you do." Now it was her turn to look at her feet. I noticed that she didn't correct me when I called her Kathy. But I wasn't sure if it was because she was warming up to me or because she felt bad. I decided to go with the former, even though it was probably the later. I hoped it was the former. Standing here, looking at her. She really is quite beautiful.  Her red hair, her warm brown eyes, her . . .

"What are you staring at?" Katherine demands. Oh crap. 

"I, uh, um, the car?" I offer. 

"Ya, sure." She rolls her eyes at me. I thank my lucky stars she doesn't press the point the point any further. The backrow trio, a self-proclaimed name, comes out then. Race stops, looks at the two of us, and smirks. Sometimes I think everyone but me knows what's going on. Kathy, Katherine, goes and gets in the passenger seat, after another well earned eye roll. I follow suite, getting in the driver's seat before Davey can. He comes over and knocks on my window. I roll it down. 

"What are you doing," he asks. "I still have 30 minutes."

"Buddy, get some sleep. I want to make to New York in one piece." I pat him on the shoulder. He scowls, but gets in the back. I put the car in reverse and start backing out of the parking spot. As I pull out onto the off ramp, I look back to the back rows. As I thought, Davey is already asleep. The backrow is back to their usual antics. Crutchie is napping as well. Or trying to. I turn my eyes back to the road. Katherine is back to reading her book. I lean over to her. 

"Whatcha reading?" I ask. In response, she holds up the cover to my face. 

"Where the Red Fern Grows" I read. "One of my personal favorites." She sets down her book. 

"You've read Where the Red Fern Grows?" she asks skeptically. 

"Of course! It's a classic!" 

"Oh ya? What's it about?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to spoil it for you. Pretty big ending." Kathy gives me a once over. 

"Okay. I'm sure you'd love to discuss it when I'm done then!" I swallow. 

"Ya, of course!" She seems satisfied, and goes back to her book. I look over at her. She has about half of the book left. I make a mental note to find out what the heck Where the Red Fern Grows is about.