A/n: Anyone ever been the sole driver for a road trip? Then you will understand Herry's pain. Short, silly, but I found it entertaining. Hopefully you will too. Enjoy. ;)
The road trip had already not gone well, and Herry's patience was starting to wear thin.
Twenty minutes after the gang had left for their trip to the beach, Neil had declared he needed a bathroom. After taking an exit Jay had said he was sure there was a gas station just off, searching around for almost a half hour and eventually finding a gas station that had not been the one Jay remembered, it was revealed that Neil had simply needed a mirror. He hadn't done his hair properly before they'd left.
They'd gotten back on the motorway, and then Odie realised he had forgotten to charge his laptop's batteries. The computer had died, and all Herry could see in the rear-view mirror was Odie's pout.
Jay and Theresa had been whispering sweet nothings to each other for most of the trip, just loud enough for Herry, and only Herry, to hear. Evidently they thought the words reached each others ears only. This was probably due to Atlanta and Archie antics in the back seat. They were currently trying to outsing each other.
On top of all the problems inside the truck, Herry had nearly changed lanes into a motorcycle, and for the past ten minutes had been closely tailgated by a large semi trailer.
So he was not happy when his truck suddenly acquired a flat tyre. The steering wheel jerked in his hands and the truck axles squealed in protest. Herry was just able to bring the vehicle back under control, and pulled off to the side of the road.
The semi trailed roared past, horn blaring.
"What happened?" Odie asked from the back seat.
"I think we've got a flat tyre," said Jay, hanging out the passenger side window. It was the front tyre on his side that had blown.
"I thought we were going to die!" exclaimed Neil, shaking somewhat.
"It wasn't that bad," said Archie, rolling his eyes.
Herry slammed his head on the steering wheel, letting out a loud groan of frustration. The truck's horn went off in accompaniment.
Everyone was quiet for a brief moment.
"Who knows how to change a tyre?" asked Archie.
"I can!" declared Theresa.
No one else offered.
"… I shouldn't have volunteered so fast, huh?"
"Where's the spare tyre on this anyway?" Atlanta asked.
"I think under all the surfboards," offered Archie.
"Great…" muttered Jay.
"Is this going to take long!?" Neil asked.
"Ooo! I found the thing you use to take off the wheel nuts!" said Atlanta, pulling a long piece of metal from the bottom of the truck.
"Watch it!"
She'd nearly hit Archie.
"Okay, so how are we going to go about changing this tyre?" asked Jay, trying to restore order.
Everyone ignored him.
"Do we have to change the tyre?" grumbled Neil.
Herry took his head from the steering wheel, growled, opened the driver's door and stepped out onto the roadside.
"Which way do you turn the nuts to get them off again?" Theresa asked.
"Clockwise to tighten, anti-clockwise to loosen…" said Odie. Then he yelped.
The whole truck had suddenly been tilted up on its side.
"What's going on!?" screamed Neil, who now had three bodies pressing him against the window.
"I think Herry's jacking up the truck…" said Atlanta.
"You're not supposed to do that with people inside!" exclaimed Odie. "You'll exceed the jack's weight rating!"
"He's not using the jack…" muttered Archie, having finally managed to pull himself up and peer through his window.
"What!?" said Jay. He hung his head out the window. "Herry! Put the truck back down, we're on the side of a motorway! People will see you!"
Herry ignored him, and ripped off the damaged tyre.
"Can't… breathe…" choked Neil.
"You're not the only one!" grumbled Odie. "Don't sit on the laptop!"
"Gah! I'm sitting on the stick!" said Theresa.
"Herry!" Jay tried for the second time. "… well at least hurry up…"
The truck finally dropped back to the ground. With absolutely no warning, and little thought for the occupants. Theresa was flung on top of Jay. Archie got Atlanta, Odie and Neil straight in his lap. And the heel of Atlanta's palm right in the crotch.
"Argh!" Archie exclaimed wide eyed, and promptly doubled up.
"What…?" said Atlanta. "Oh… Archie, I'm really sorry!"
Archie moaned.
"… sorry."
"Eesh…" said Odie.
"Did he change it?" Theresa asked.
The driver's door opened, and Herry clambered back up into the truck .He started the engine, gripped onto the steering wheel, and stared straight ahead.
"Can we go now?" Odie asked.
Archie shifted uncomfortably, and moaned again.
"Herry," said Jay, "you can't just…"
"The next person who speaks," Herry snarled, his fingers tensing around the steering wheel, "gets to walk! Okay!?"
The entire truck was silent.
"Good…"
The truck pulled back into the traffic, and they continued on their way to the beach.
It was about five minutes down the road that Neil tentatively raised a hand. "Um… I have to go to the bathroom…"