Chapter 2: Thursday Morning

Cece brushed her long loose auburn curls out with her fingers, and reapplied her lipstick. She pursed her lips.

"You look fine, Cece," Flynn reassured his older sister. Flynn and Cece had grown considerably closer as the years passed.

"Thanks kiddo. Sorry for dragging you on this trip. I just didn't want to leave you alone. I know you're fifteen now, and don't need me anymore, but..."

"Don't be silly. I'll always need you. Can you believe mum is still 'finding herself'?"

"Ugh."

Flynn stepped out of the car and pulled Cece's suitcase and his duffle bag out of the trunk. They were parked in Deuce's driveway, to the right of a large Winnebago.

Flynn raised an eyebrow. "Where did Deuce get that thing?"

Cece shrugged in response.

"Cece, Flynn," Deuce said as he emerged out of the small house. "Come in. You're the last ones here. Rocky and Gunther are inside. I set up a waffle bar. I figured we should eat up before the trip."

Flynn eyed the bags.

"Oh yeah," Deuce said. "Throw your bags into the Winnebago."

"It's huge. Where'd you get it?"

"I borrowed it from my cousin."

"The same one whose cabin were staying in?" Cece asked.

"Yep, the very same."

The first thing Cece noticed when she entered Deuce's house was Gunther. He was taller and broader than she remembered - his blond hair slicked back. He looked different, but sort of the same. He certainly had the same arrogant twist to his lips. He stood when she entered. "Hi Cece," he said softly. "Long time..." She wondered if she was imagining that his accent had blurred.

A part of her wanted to hug him, but a bigger part wanted to hit him. Why couldn't anything be simple? "Hi Gunther," she responded.

"Hey, hey, hey. Cece! Flynn! You're here finally." Rocky jumped up and hugged her best friend. "I am so excited, I'm totally on fire. We're going to have so much fun."

Rocky hugged Flynn next. "Damn, Flynn. You've grown up. You were just a little kid the last time I saw you."

Flynn bit his lip. "Thanks." Seeing Rocky again was so strange. Flynn had secretly been half in love with her pretty much up until Cece and Rocky graduated from high school. But, he knew that a six-year age gap was pretty much an impassable ocean.

Rocky felt Flynn's bicep and giggled. "You've been working out? How old are you now - like sixteen?"

"Almost," he answered. "I'm playing football, the - uh - muscles are an occupational hazard of the game."

"No kidding - football huh. I always thought you were more the academic type." She shrugged and walked back towards the food.

I'm that too, he thought to himself.

The five of them devoured every waffle before cleaning the kitchen and loading into the Winnebago.

"Have you ever driven one of these before? It looks hard," Rocky asked.

"I practiced a little yesterday. I'll be fine. Do you want to sit up front and help navigate?" He asked Rocky.

"Sure," she said. "How long of a drive is it?"

"In total about two and half hours. My cousin's cabin is about an hour west of Starved Rock State park."

"That's not a bad drive," Gunther said as he placed his guitar case with the other suitcases in the back. "Let me know if you want me to fill in if you get tired."

Gunther, Cece and Flynn climbed into the back. There was a pull down bed in the very back. "Do you guys mind if I crash?" Flynn asked. "I had a late night."

"Go for it," Cece and Gunther said in unison.

It didn't take long for Flynn to fall asleep, leaving Cece and Gunther effectively alone, since a solid panel separated them from Deuce and Rocky in the front seat.

"Is Tinka still dancing in Paris?" Cece asked, trying to break the ice.

"Yes. I visited a few months ago. She's quite the star."

Cece nodded, trying to rub the jealousy out of her voice. "I'm sorry about the last time I saw you. I should have been nicer to your girlfriend."

He laughed lightly. "I'm glad you were honest. It took me awhile to see her for who she really was. And once I did, I realized I didn't like her at all. By the time I realized you were just trying to be my friend, I felt too embarrassed to apologize."

Cece grinned. "Clean slate?" She asked.

"For sure."