DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me they belong to Stephanie Meyer's author of the wonderful book 'The Host'

Chapter 2: Truck Talk

"So, how'd you sleep?" Nate asked.

I groaned, "Was that what I was doing? It felt more like torture."

He nodded, "Brandon and Carmen again?"

I nodded. That was usually why I was in a bad mood. But little did he know the mind of a mother was always thinking about her baby. "I miss them."

"Well I should hope so. You were married to Brandon for what 6 years?"

"Yep."

"And Carmen was how old when you left?"

"Four. But I saw her when she turned 12 and I even spotted her on her 16th birthday." I still remembered all three days like they were yesterday.

"My guess is you still haven't done what I told you to."

I rolled my eyes. "And what would that be?"

"Forgive yourself for leaving." He said simply.

I didn't say anything. He was right; it was about time that I forgave myself for leaving. It was in their best interest anyway. And it was in both of their best interests that I divorced Brandon and Carmen forgets about me. But that didn't change the fact that I still love both of them so much.

"I wish I could help you." Nate said sincerely.

"Jesse still thinks we're hooking up secretly." I said to change the topic drastically.

"Jesse thinks all you girls get together and have lesbian sex. He is the world's biggest shipper." Nate laughed, "He told me once that he ships people because he doesn't have anything better to do."

I shrugged, "But why us I wonder."

"Probably because you're hot and I'm the leader of the group so that basically equals that we're hooking up."

We both laughed this time. Jesse was the oldest one of our 22. He was going into his 80's and entertained himself by starting rumors about people hooking up and telling the two kids we have stories that I'd bet are 85% fiction.

"I would hook up with you but I still feel like I'm married to Brandon."

"I totally understand." Nate said pulling onto the empty highway. I yawned. "How about you catch up on some sleep and I'll wake you when we get there."

I nodded, "Where're we goin'?"

"We're going to a shopping center." He rolled his eyes at me, "I'll just wake you up in a couple hours."

I nodded again and grabbed a mask out of the glove box, the kind you wear to take a nap on plains but mine had eyes on it. I thought it was cute.

I felt a lurch and woke up. I had to close my eyes real fast because the light of day was glaring into my eyes.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty." Nate said killing the ignition.

"What time is it?" I asked shielding my eyes as I opened them.

We were in civilization that was for sure. But it didn't have sky scrapers and it wasn't super populated.

"It's about noon." He said checking his watch.

"Where are we?"

"Just a stop on our way south."

I rubbed my eyes to get the sleep out of them, "Why are we going south?" Took me a minute then I remembered, "Is this about the group you guys ran into last time you were in Arizona?"

He nodded.

"Wait." I said shaking my head, "Didn't Burns go down there to help them with something? You said they have a soul like Burns too."

Nate rubbed the back of his neck; I'd known him long enough to know that meant he was nervous. "It's a bit more complicated than that."

I crossed my arms, "Then explain."

He looked around like we'd be overheard, "Let's go get some caffeine and then I'll tell you the story."

I shrugged, I'd been dying for a Pepsi for weeks anyway.

We went into a 'Maverick' and went back to the soda machines.

"Oh My God." I whispered.

I knew the souls had made changes but this was ridiculous. There was still Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Doctor Pepper, Mountain Dew, Root Beer and Sprite. But then they had Fruit Punch drinks, Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, a water dispenser with a bunch of flavors you could add and then they had a million 'Sugar Free' drinks.

I immediately reached for the Pepsi one pushed the button for a minute then took a sip; tasted the same as it always had. I shrugged and filled my cup up, the biggest one.

Nate got Doctor Pepper which I'd always hated. But Brandon had liked it so I'd had to cope with its constant presence.

When he was done we left and I sat in the truck while he filled up the tank with gas. When he got back in I rounded on him, "So you gonna tell me this story or what?"

He laughed and rolled his eyes at me, "You never have been the patient one have you." I shook my head while drinking. He nodded and started the truck. "Alright but I get to keep driving while I talk."

"So Burns got a call from a nice couple we met named Melanie and Jared they told us about how their soul, Wanda had sacrificed herself for the humans and they were hell bent on getting her back. And I think he has a bit of a crush on her so he raced down there to help them. Before he left he asked me to help them with food or anything they need. He called me while they were on the road to Washington to get her back and said he'd help them set up and then he'd go back to Arizona to help their group out."

I bit my lip, "Washington you say? What city?"

He shrugged, "I don't know he didn't say, he just said Washington." He took a drink, "Anyway, he called yesterday. Said that Wanda was 'rescued' and that we should try to beat them to Arizona and worn their humans that they're bringing two extra people with them."

I rolled my eyes, of course she, a soul, wouldn't really think that their party wasn't already big enough. Every human outpost struggles for food and shelter. I remember when they came back from a raid and told us that they'd found another outpost with 37 people in it. Now their place was going to have 39 what did this soul think she was doing?

"So we're going down there to help them adjust and help with raids." Nate said taking another drink.

I nodded. "Well I guess if you trust them. And Burns trusts the soul or souls there then I guess I can make an effort."

It'd taken me a while time to trust Burns, but he didn't have any wish like that. Go and bring back a few souls to convert them. I cursed this soul in my head, as one of the official/un-official leaders of Nate's group I understood to well how much how hard it was to keep our outposts secret and prepared with food, blankets, medicine and shelter. It was so uncharacteristically selfish of a soul to bring more souls back to a community that was already full.

"You've met this soul they rescued. What's she like?" I asked curious.

He shrugged taking a large gulp of Dr. Pepper, "She's nice. I mostly communicated with their leader, Jeb, and their community's important people. Burns was the one that stuck with the other soul. They actually have two souls but the other one doesn't really do raids. She's a shy one."

"Yea, yea, yea. So what did Burns tell you about the soul?"

"He said she was nice. She had interesting stories. Remember the one story that he told everyone about that one soul called…. Ummmm Oh yea Rides The Beast."

I nodded, I remembered that story, it was one of my favorites.

"Well wouldn't you know the soul we came across is that same soul. Though they call her Wanderer."

"Why Wanderer?" I asked

"Cause she'd been to 8 other planets and she'd never lived more than one life in each. Except Earth. She's on her second life here. She gave Melanie back to herself. It's an interesting story. They'll have to tell it to you when we get there."

I nodded and yawned. I drank some of my Pepsi and closed my eyes, "How long till we get there?"

"I'd say about 3 hours." He smiled at me, "We got an early start."

I groaned, "What do you want to bed I could sleep the rest of the way there." I said with a sly smile on my face.

He shrugged, "I know better than to bet against you."

I smiled and pulled out the iPod out of the side of glove compartment and plugged in the headphones, "I'm just gonna relax till we get there." I said turning it onto my playlist.

He nodded and I listened to Billie Joel, Bon Jovi, Journey, Alabama and a bunch of other songs that the souls had tried to get rid of when they got here.

I looked out the window and watched as the desert, a few towns and other stuff I didn't care about fly by.

I closed my eyes after a while; I tried and failed to not think about Carmen, wondering where she was now, how she was, if she was dating, wishing I could hold her close when she accidently gets her heart broken.

Time passed quickly and we soon found ourselves in the town of Tucson. I pulled out an ear bud, "Are we there?"

He chuckled, "No. We're stopping here for some food and stuff for them, at least for a couple of days."

I nodded and reached into the glove box again for the sunglasses. It wouldn't look weird here, it was really bright. This was going to be easy.

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