Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Prison Break. No profit is made from this story.
Debra Jean didn't know what to make of this guy, Scott.
When she got his call on her cell, just as she was about to leave campus, she was ecstatic. She really didn't want to drive all the way home to Utah by herself. Especially since if she did, once she got home, her father would go on and on about how she shouldn't have done it, how it wasn't safe, a girl alone on the road, blah, blah, blah. As if her father had any say in her life any more. Hell, she was twenty-one now, and she'd be graduating next year. God, over-protective much?
Not that he'd be any happier that she was thinking about driving all the way home with a guy that she just met. A guy that she wasn't one hundred percent sure of herself after talking to him. Although, he did seem like a nice enough guy – and so cute even with the shaved head – and if he went to Tech, he must be okay, right? But, then again...
There was the strange way he talked. Not like any guy she'd ever met at college. Not the way college guys were supposed to talk. She wasn't stupid or ignorant. Even though she was just a small-town girl from Utah, she knew all about hip-hop, and she knew that was how he talked (from hearing it on TV and in songs and stuff). It was just too weird to hear it in person. And it wasn't like he was putting it on as a gag, to be funny or something – she didn't think – it seemed to be just the way he talked. Weird.
And then there was his story about sending his stuff ahead by FedEx. That just didn't make any sense. Well, sure, it was a pain to drag all your stuff back and forth, that's why she left most of her stuff behind in storage at her dorm for the summer. She didn't know why he didn't do the same thing. Well, maybe he was graduating, or something. Sure, that could be it...
After meeting up with him, and hearing his story, Debra Jean hesitated for a moment, deciding whether or not to take a chance on this guy as a traveling companion. But then she decided to. She really did need someone to share the driving with, and he was awfully cute and seemed nice enough, and the poor guy just lost his grandfather... So, she thought, what the hell, right? What's the worst that could happen?
As they were driving, Scott turned out to be quite the funny guy, and as they spent more time together, Debra Jean found herself becoming more and more attracted to him. They talked, and he told jokes and funny stories. Although, he did seem somewhat jumpy, and even downright nervous at times (which she didn't really understand the reason for), and he was even annoying sometimes.
Like the time she was trying to listen to the news report and he suddenly changed the station without asking. He claimed that he wanted to listen to a John Denver song, which just didn't seem to fit with him, at all (she would have thought he would be the type to prefer listening to rap). But then the next minute, before she had a chance to get too annoyed with him, there he was, singing along – with this terrible singing voice – to the John Denver song, although he said "country ho's" instead of "country roads". And she found herself laughing and shaking her head at his antics.
And then there was the time when he got real nervous when he saw the cops by the side of the road, and kept telling her to slow down, even though she was already going the speed limit. He made some excuse about not wanting to get a ticket. God, he could be such a mother hen.
But overall, it was a nice trip, and she was glad that she invited him along.
That is, until they stopped for gas. Debra Jean got out and went inside to pay, and while inside, she spotted a newspaper, the front page of which was all about those prisoners who had escaped from that prison in Illinois a few days back. She picked it up and leafed through it while the clerk was processing her dad's credit card.
And she couldn't believe what she saw. There he was! Scott. Right there on the front page with the others. What the? She took a closer look. It was definitely him. With longer hair, though. And it didn't say "Scott", it said "David Apolskis A.K.A. Tweener". She folded the paper quickly to cover up his picture, and glanced nervously out at the car. Phew. He was still out there. She was afraid for a moment that he was looking over her shoulder. She looked back at his picture in the paper. Oh my God. It was definitely him. She couldn't believe it. He seemed like such a nice guy. Not an escaped convict. She never would have thought that in a million years. Although it did explain a few things...
She was so engrossed in looking at his picture and reading the article that she didn't realize when the clerk was done with her credit card, but when he finally got her attention, she quickly ripped off the corner of the paper where it had an eight-hundred number to call if you had any information (for a one hundred thousand dollar reward!). Boy, did she have information! Now, she just had to keep her cool.
She started inching her way towards the back of the store so she could make a call on her cell without Scott seeing her, but just then he called out to her from the car, asking if there was a problem. Debra Jean froze. There was no way she could do it now. So she took a deep breath, turned towards the car and called out that everything was fine and she'd be right there.
Debra Jean finally got her chance when they stopped by the side of the road, next to a stopped train, so that Scott could go in the bushes. While he was answering the call of nature, she made her own call, to the eight hundred number. It took a minute, but they finally believed her that she had "David Apolskis" with her, and they forwarded her call to what sounded like the FBI agent in charge, Agent Maloney or something. She told him that they were on the road. He told her to stop at a motel as soon as possible, get him set up in a room, then call them about the location and get the hell out of there quickly. He asked where they were right then, and she started to tell him, but then had to hang up quickly since Scott came back. When Scott asked who was one the phone, she quickly covered and said it was her dad. He seemed to buy it.
It took a little doing, but she finally convinced Scott to stop at the next motel. She was so nervous by now, that she was convinced for a minute that he saw right through her, and knew that she knew who he was. She was worried that maybe he'd take off, steal her car or something (it never crossed his mind that he'd hurt her). But no, he finally agreed to stop at a motel. Phew. She took a deep breath and got back in the driver's seat. Not much longer now, she told herself, just keep cool.
She drove carefully, watching Scott out of the corner of her eye the whole time. When he noticed, she tried to laugh it off, hinting that she just kept looking at him because she was attracted to him (which she was, or at least had been before she knew who he really was, so it wasn't hard to fake). It seemed to work. She let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. One more obstacle successfully navigated.
She was so relieved she couldn't even describe it when they finally came to a cheap motel along the road. She went into the office by herself and got them a room. Scott couldn't do it because – surprise, surprise – he didn't have any money or a credit card. She felt a little guilty putting it on her father's card. Well, maybe she could use the room after the cops came and got Scott. That way it wouldn't go to waste. Debra Jean laughed at herself when she realized what she was worrying about. Here she had an escaped convict in her car, and possibly one hundred thousand dollars coming her way, and she was worried about wasting fifty dollars of her father's money! Get it together, Deb.
As soon as they got into the room, she sent Scott out to get a couple sodas and some ice from the ice machine, giving her a chance to call that FBI agent back. She told him where they were, what town, what motel, but she was so nervous she couldn't remember what the room number was, and before she could check, Scott came back and again she had to hang up quickly. This time, he didn't even ask who she was on the phone with. She wasn't sure what that meant. It made her nervous, though.
He started asking her about if she had a boyfriend, and assumed she was a Mormon because she came from Utah. That always pissed her off. She just had to get out of there before she said something she'd regret, so she retreated back to the bathroom. She got a little more nervous when he pretty much followed her back there. But at least he didn't come in. She used the toilet, washed her face, and took a few minutes to calm herself down. She looked at herself in the mirror. You can do this, just chill.
After she got out of the bathroom, Scott went right in to take a shower. He seemed awfully excited to be able to take a shower. Of course she could guess why (he'd been in prison, and now was on the run), but she couldn't exactly let him know she knew. She knew she just had to get out of there quickly. The police were on their way, and she didn't want to get caught up in it. Nor did she want to chance that she'd give everything away before they got there.
She quickly put her stuff back in the car, and went back in to grab the rest of her stuff and her purse. She wasn't counting on Scott taking such a quick shower, and he caught her right before she went out the door for the last time. She was so nervous by now she was sweating, and Scott finally noticed. She had to do some quick thinking and quick talking to get him to stay behind while she went out. She guessed that he was sensing something because he tried to assure her that he was "one of the good guys". She smiled at him and told him she knew that.
Then she quickly slipped out the door and shut it firmly behind her. She stopped there for a moment and took a deep breath. It wouldn't be long now. The police would be there, they'd grab Scott, and she'd get her money. Debra Jean smiled. Her father would be so proud of her, helping to catch a wanted criminal. She couldn't wait to tell him.