"ROADTRIP!" Jasper bellowed, trampling Monty as he barreled through to get to the van. Monty shot him a dirty look as the rest of their friends laughed at Jasper's normal childish behavior. Everyone else clambered into the can behind him.

It was old, it was dirty, but it was theirs. Which was a lot more than most of them could say growing up. The ceilings of the 12 passenger van were coated in sharpie, and all the bases were covered. You could see around where Clarke sat an absurd amount of doodles to random phrases above Monty and Jasper that qwould cause them to burst out laughing and everyone else to stare at them quizzically.

This old thing had weathered their rebellious years, their high school years, and the group of friends was ready to go out with a bang before the majority of them left to go to different colleges across the country.

Everyone, as always, sat in their 'assigned' seat. It had been like this since day one, no one had ever changed their spot and no one had ever wanted to. There was Bellamy in the driver's seat, because he was the oldest and the most bossy (besides Clarke), Clarke as shotgun, because she was the only one to ever know where they were going or how to get there. Jasper and Monty always sat in the back, mostly because everyone did NOT want to get in the middle of whatever they were currently brewing up. Octavia and Lincoln also sat in the back, but rather than wanting to stay out of the way, Octavia wanted her and her boyfriend to be as far away from her protective older brother as possible. This didn't discourage Bellamy for slamming on the breaks whenever he saw blatant displays of affection from the back row, and everyone would turn back and glare at them like it was their fault. Which it kind of was, but whatever. Murphy and Miller sat in the next to last row, which usually ended up with some sort of riot going on, but it was good natured. The front row was normally occupied by Finn and Raven, the voice of reason and the fix it girl. The ones who were the most vital towards the group's charades sat closer towards the front.

It was hard on everyone when the seat next to Raven stayed empty.

No one mentioned it, however, in order to keep the mood light. Everyone was (finally) infinitely thankful for Jasper's antics, especially Clarke and Raven.

We will have fun on this trip if it kills me, thought Bellamy grimly. But as he glanced over at Clarke, a pained expression etched on her face, he silently added, it just might.

There was absolutely no sleep that night, everyone was too excited and high strung to even think about it. Music blasted through the ancient speakers, making the kids feel a lot cooler than they looked. They were still riding in a 1975 12 passenger van, and no amount of cool music could change that.

It also depended on what one would classify as 'good' music. If Bellamy, Miller, AND Murphy could all agree on one thing, it would be to listen to hard rock all the time. Octavia disagreed, tossing in her opinion ("Worthless," Bellamy remarked with a scoff and O glared at him) that pop WAS the best kind of music. Lincoln doesn't have an opinion as long as it isn't KPOP, Jasper and Monty liked soundtracks, and Clarke and Raven liked indie. Which, as much as he hated to admit it, wasn't the worst taste in music a person could have.

They finally decided to take turns, and Clarke went first, as she was shotgun. She shot Bellamy a wicked grin as she got her way, and Raven silently fist pumped in the back. Bellamy can't help but grin back, there's just something about the streetlights that soften her face just so in the 2 am darkness.

She bends down to reach in her backpack, which she carries with her everywhere ("Just in case," she would always say hastily) and pulled out a deck of cards. "Hey guys," she raised her voice. "Let's play mafia!"

This immediately has the back row's attention. Jasper has been the narrator since they were in junior high for that game, and it wasn't nearly as good if he didn't narrate it. Clarke passed the deck back to her geeky friend. "Deal us out!"

Bellamy desperately wants to play, but doesn't say anything because, well, he's driving. Like he doesn't have enough of a distraction sitting right next to him.

Monty dealt out the cards while Jasper did some sort of concentration thing, like that one scene from high school musical with Sharpay trying to warm up before the big show. Or whatever. It's not like Bellamy had seen that. (Okay, maybe O made him watch it with her. A lot. He knows all the words)

"Okay, now everyone look," said Jasper. He watches Clarke flip her card over in his peripheral vision. She furrows her eyebrows, as if trying to decide something. Bellamy immediately assumes she was the mafia. Princess had no poker face, which is why he was always the one who swept the floor with the gang at Texas Hold 'Em, although Monty was notoriously vicious in poker.

"EVERYONE GO TO SLEEP," Jasper orders loudly, and everyone complies, but Bellamy only laughs at how Raven grumbles behind him before she finally bows her head.

"Mafia, wake up."

Bellamy glances at Clarke, who shocks him by not lifting her head. He is puzzled by the turn of events, but continues to listen intently.

"Mafia, who do you want to kill?" He hears shuffling in the back as someone, probably the mafia, picks their next 'victim'. "Okay, go back to sleep."

"Doctor, wake up."

Clarke slowly raises her head, and Bellamy could practically kick himself for not realizing of COURSE she would be the doctor. She wasn't deliberating who to kill, she was determining who to save. However, he doesn't want to ruin the story that Jasper will recount in a minute, so he refocuses his attention on the road ahead.

"Who do you want to save?"

"Okay, go back to sleep." Bellamy does notice Clarke lower her head, though. Jasper goes through the same motions for the investigator, and then puts him back to 'sleep'.

"WAKE UP EVERYBODY," Jasper says as loud as he possibly can. Raven flips him off, and Jasper can only grin in response. Everyone waits eagerly for their goggle adorned friend's tale.

"In the little town of Arkham City…" he began.

"Jasper, this isn't Batman," Raven objects loudly, causing everyone else in the van to shush her.

"As I was saying," Jasper shoots Raven a pointed look. "In the little town of Arkham City, there was a serial killer who liked to strangle people to death, and leave them in various poses." Jasper demonstrates, and the kids try not to laugh, considering he's talking about dead people.

"This killer, he goes to the library to find a book…"

"What kind of book?" Miller asks skeptically.

"A self help book on how to get rid of a body. And it's late at night, so there are very few people in the library, but a boy sits at a table upstairs, reading some history book. This killer, sensing the opportunity, sneaks up behind the boy engrossed in the book and strangles him! Bellamy is dead and gone."

"Hey!" Bellamy protests, amidst the laughter of his friends. "I'm an innocent bystander! I'm not even playing!"

Jasper throws his hands up exasperatedly. "I'm not finished! You guys suck. You keep interrupting me."

Monty pats his arm. "It's okay Jasper, just keep going." Jasper shoots his best friend a look, but continues anyway.

"As soon as the killer slips behind the stacks, a doctor appears on the scene! And luck for Blake over here, Clarke knew immediately to save him."

Bellamy spares a sidelong glance at Clarke, waiting for her reaction. She turns toward him and grins. "I knew it!" she says matter of factly.

"You want to save my life that badly, princess?" he chuckes.

"No," she rolls her eyes. "You were the most logical choice because who would save the only non player?" Clarke smiles triumphantly, and both of them tune back into the tale unfolding.

"Unfortunately," Jasper says, "The Investigator was dumb and started questioning Octavia, who was an innocent bystander making out with her boyfriend in the nearby stacks…" Octavia looks indignant at the fact that someone chose to question her, and Lincoln rubs her back soothingly, rather platonically, as Bellamy is always watching from the driver's seat.

"The murderer got away. Give me all of your cards!" Monty takes them all, and makes quick work of shuffling them, then hands them to Jasper, who deals them out again. This time Bellamy isn't abhorrent to watching the drama unfold, and quickly finds out who the murderer is, and that Octavia is really bad at picking who to save, because she always saves Lincoln and no one even messes with Lincoln.

This round Raven was killed, because "the killer didn't like her potty mouth and her attitude." Octavia saved Lincoln (sigh) and whoever the investigator was didn't catch the culprit.

Miller and Monty are killed, narrowing down the suspect pool quite a bit.

After life changing decisions are made, Jasper wakes them up for the final time. "Alright, citizens of Arkham city…" He looks around the van. "Last night, the serial killer stepped up his game. He went for a poor innocent young girl….by the name of Octavia." Lincoln mock gasps in horror, and Octavia punches him. "Not cool," she whines. "I just died."

Jasper sighs heavily. "No, you didn't. You people have to ruin everything, don't you? A handsome young doctor by the name of Lincoln just so happened to be around the park when our killer tried to hang O from a tree." Octavia giggles in excitement and Bellamy can't help but roll his eyes.

"As the killer rounds the street corner, he runs smack dab into a fierce little blonde police officer, who doesn't hesitate to slap some silver cuffs on his wrists. " He grins at Clarke, who is smiling proudly.

"Murphy is arrested on the count of three murders, and two attempted murders. The jig's up, kid," He pokes Murphy, who scowls.

"And I woulda got away with it, if it weren't for you meddling kids!" He shakes his fist at the sky.

Monty shrugs. "This IS kind of the mystery machine…" Jasper hits him in the arm as partial payback for earlier.

"Good job, Clarke," Bellamy says, looking at his copilot. "How'd you figure it out?"

She smiles at him. "It was simple, really. Only Octavia, Lincoln, Murphy and I were left, and Octavia kept saving Lincoln, he had saved her once before, and I wasn't the mafia… it had to be Murphy."

"Way to be logical, princess." He grins and offers his fist out to her, which she hits with her own.

"That's how you win."

"Or you cheat!" Raven chimes in helpfully from the back.

"Yes, or that," Bellamy agrees, and Clarke laughs.

"Let's play another round!" shouts Jasper from the back.

He glances down at the stereo clock, and it's 3 in the morning. If there was any reason to be up at three in the morning, playing mafia in a 12 passenger van with your best friends on your way to Vegas sure was it.