When EJ gets a voicemail from his father days after the show, asking him to visit the Caswell Success School, he has mixed feelings. On the one hand, he wants nothing to do with that place, or his neglectful father. On the other, he feels there's some unfinished business there--and he's always been one to do what his father asks of him.
This is Gina's first ever romantic road trip. To be honest, her entire life has been a road trip, so she's not that excited to be getting back in the car again. But when it comes to her boyfriend, EJ, she knows he's made something fun out of a potentially messy situation. Even if something goes a little off-script, it's not like it'll change everything...right?
Ricky doesn't want to go to Chicago, but he doesn't want to stand around at a gas station on the edge of town, either. He doesn't want to meet his mom's new new boyfriend, he doesn't want to stay home alone for days while his dad's on a work trip...some fresh air would probably do him good, even if that means going on the road with the two people in the entire world he currently has the most unwarranted romantic tension with.
//a post s3 AU in which EJ, Gina, and Ricky go on a road trip and fall in love with each other-because the show should acknowledge polyamory exists
For 17-year-old high school senior Evan Brooks, life could be better. He's a social outcast at school, stuck in a rural Alabama small town he never wanted to move to, and he's got a secret he's desperately trying to keep: he's gay. When he embarks on a weekend vacation to the Florida panhandle with his hypermasculine brother, homophobic stepdad, and aloof mother, none of them can anticipate how much a simple 3-day trip will change their lives forever...
CONTENT WARNING/TRIGGERS: Please note that this story contains very strong language at times and some mature themes. Some characters face emotional abuse. There is also a small amount of physical abuse, but it is mostly implied apart from one scene which is not extremely graphic. Some characters are homophobic, and a slur is used a handful of times.
**2025 Update: Hi! This was my very first attempt at crafting an entire story from scratch all the way back in 2020, and I'd like to think my writing has since improved. I will soon be revisiting this story and making some enhancements - most notably, splitting up current chapters into smaller ones so they are much more easily digestible. In addition, I'll be making some edits to grammar and formatting, as well as giving some of the dialog a refresh in an effort to be less...cringe. Lol. There are also a few plot points I want to smooth out. While all of this is happening, the story will still be available in full here on Wattpad, though you may notice some "construction" happening (i.e. one chapter is very long and then there's a super short chapter, one chapter is formatted differently than another, etc.) Thanks for your patience while I work to spruce up this story :) I hope you still enjoy it in the meantime!