I'm SO SORRY that it took me so long to do this!!! I'll try not to procrastinate, going forward.

Here's the next chapter; thanks again to all my reviewers.

On The Road

"I promised I wouldn't kill him," he said. "I didn't say anything about keeping him from dying in the first place."

I blinked up at him, uncomprehending. "What… what are you talking about?" I stammered.

"You figure it out," he said. He leaned down and kissed me lightly on my frozen lips. "Good night, Suze."

Okay. Toothbrush… check. Fresh underwear… check. Frilly lace bra…

Wait a minute…

"ADAM!!! WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY BRA?!?"

Instantly my little brother burst into the room, carrying my new Coach purse in one hand and a bunch of makeup in the other. Needless to say, that pissed me off pretty bad, but after I registered the fact that he had my frilly Victoria's Secret push-up strapped around his chest (which was only reserved for special occasions), I both wanted to fall to the floor in hysterics or chase him around the room making threats about parental involvement.

"I FEEL LIKE A WO-MAN!!!!" The screechy sound out of my brother's throat topped it off, and I leaned more towards the hysterical fit of laughter than the tattletale option.

"Yeah, and you look like one too. Now take off all my feminine products or the guys at school might have something to say about you…"

At this, Adam immediately dropped all the stuff contained in his arms. He poked a finger at me and fixed me with a death glare.

"Hey. I am NOT gay, if that's what you're thinking. People are always saying that but it's NOT TRUE!!"

I have to say, that whole statement could not be taken seriously by me, due to the fact that he still had the bra strapped around his chest.

I told him this and he immediately ripped it off and stormed out of the room, muttering to himself.

"…those stupid football guys… calling ME gay and then turning around and patting each other's butts…"

I chuckled once more to myself as I picked the bra off the floor. Sadly, I'd have to run it through the wash again seeing as how it had Adam's seventh grader germs on it.

…Don't ask me why I was even bringing a lacy Victoria's Secret bra along in the first place.

Anyway.

After I finished packing for what could end up being a cross-Manhattan trip, I brought my bag into the living room and said goodbye to my mom, who thought I was going on a camping trip with my friend Sandra from school.

Funny how ignorant parents can be sometimes.

It wasn't a long ride to the street corner where Paul and I met the day before. We had decided to meet there at 8:00 AM today, and then the both of us would bike down to the train station. We were catching a train to Manhattan at 8:30.

When I got to the specified corner, I laid the bike down upon the grass and plopped down on the curb. Just sitting there, where I had been yesterday, got me to thinking. How are we supposed to find Suze in this huge city? We don't have any leads, or… where are we going to sleep, anyway?

But all that worry just melted away when I saw Paul emerge from the front of the house. He flashed me a quick smile, and he looked so sure and confident of the adventure we were about to embark upon, that I knew he had everything under control.

"Hey," he said to me, as he pulled up alongside me with his own bike and stuff. "Got everything?"

"Yeah, everything's in there."

Paul got up on his bike and motioned for me to do the same. "Okay, let's head out, then."

I hopped on the bike and strapped my few bags to the back. It wouldn't be a problem balancing it since I brought so little. We were on an adventure, not a vacation. Only what was absolutely necessary I brought along.

…stop looking at me like that. I know, I know, bra not exactly necessary, but still. Considering the circumstances (traveling to the city with Paul: inspiration of the PFC and all-over hottest bad-boy in town), I would consider it a necessity of its own kind.

Stop it. I know you're jealous but you don't have to make a big fuss about it.

Anyway. Back to biking.

As soon as I made sure everything was strapped on tight, I hopped on and started pedaling in the direction of the station. It would be about a five minute ride from here to there (despite the not-so-hot neighborhood, Paul's house was in close proximity to almost anyplace in town worth going to).

We got going and, with the wind in my face and Paul just ahead of me on my left, everything seemed perfect.

Perfect. Ha, that's kinda funny.