"I need a break from this," Danny says to the freshly caught ghost in the thermos. He turns snide— "why are you here in the summer, anyways? Now's the time for relaxation and stuff."

He gives the thermos a vague shake in revenge, heading down to earth.

"You know, we can always just leave your parents to it for a bit and relax," Tucker says, slowly. "Taking a break doesn't sound bad."

"I'm the one who needs a break— I don't see you getting thrown into buildings," Danny snaps.

Tucker puts his hands up with an easy chuckle, nonverbally admitting agreement. "It's stressful enough watching," he hums.

"But really, you think my parents wouldn't bumble things up?" Danny asks rhetorically, resigned to his role as protector.

Tucker shrugs. "They've been getting more competent as of late."

"Guess they have been harder to dodge," Danny muses, offhand.

Tucker frowns a little, but nods. "We should talk to Sam and our parents about it! I'm sure they'd be cool with some small thing," Tucker hummed. "Or well, not Sam's parents— maybe she could come up with some excuse," he added with a laugh.

"Sure, sure," Danny huffed, still only half in agreement.

xXx

It's a whirlwind of discussion and excuses, but soon enough the three juniors are standing in front of a rickety looking truck.

"Pack," Mr. Foley instructs simply, smiling.

"Road trip!" Tucker caws.

xXx

"Sam," Danny says, the pauses, once again eyeing her giant bag, then looking at his own— a bag small enough to fit on his back. "I don't think that'll fit in the car," he decides on, gaze comparing sizes.

"We will have access to laundromats, you know," Tucker says, hiding a snicker.

Sam glares.

Danny tops it off and lights the fuse with, "you know, you didn't have to bring the entirety of that grunge-goth shop at the mall with you."

xXx

One giant purple bag lighter, the trio looks proudly on the car packed to the gills with cheap food and supplies. Danny sits on a sleeping bag, easily reclined, while Tucker taps at a game on his phone.

"What are we waiting for again?" the latter asks.

Danny rolls his eyes. "Sam said she had to grab her gothic cloak." He sighs, shaking his head.

"At least her pack is smaller," Tucker hums. Danny gives a nod— and then Sam emerges.

"Ready?" Tucker asks impatiently.

"Wait just one second—" Danny says, interrupted by a moan from Tucker. The halfa rolls his eyes and chortles a, "kidding," before sliding through the back door, intangible.

"Show off," Tucker grumbles as he and Sam open doors like humans and get in the front.

Floating in the back seat, Phantom shrugs and helps himself to a snack without even opening the bag.

xXx

Twenty-odd minutes later, they are outside city limits and pulled over on a shoulder of the road.

"Huh," Tucker, the driver, pauses. The group stares out at the deep forest, silent. "Guess we didn't plan where to go," Tucker says, finally.

Danny guffaws a laugh, floating up in the center of the front seats to look incredulously at Tucker. "I figured it was just a go where the road takes us dealio."

Sam gives a nod, looking amused as well. "We really are idiots," she hums neutrally.

"Guess I can't be too mad at that, since you included yourself," Tucker huffs. "And well, it certainly can be."

"Put your seatbelt on," Sam sighs, shoving Danny's white head of hair to the back.

He waves her off, making a show of tilting in the air of the back seat, above the things they've packed. The car gives a short wheeze, bumping Danny's back as it begins to drive and he remains stationary, in the air.

It rolls out onto the road, surrounded by the lush green of the East. And so they drive.