Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.
The next morning Rachel awoke with the sun streaming in through the window, a throbbing ankle, and a large weight on her chest. The room was unfamiliar, and it took her a few seconds to remember that she was somewhere in Illinois, and nobody knew she was here.
It was sort of freeing, if she was being completely honest with herself. She didn't have to stick to any of her routines. The elliptical was obviously out, if the swelling of her left ankle was anything to go by, and she didn't have any clean clothes to change into, so she didn't have to concern herself with picking out an outfit. She also wouldn't be going to school today, so she probably didn't have any slushy facials to look forward to either.
She did feel kind of grungy though, and decided to take a shower. Sitting up, however, was a bit of a struggle. She raised up onto her elbows and heard a hissing sound as something heavy landed on the floor next to her bed. Now sitting on the edge of the bed, she saw a disgruntled orange cat looking up at her.
"Sorry," she murmured. Carefully she put her feet on the floor and yelped as the weight shifted to her injured ankle.
Maybe she didn't need a shower after all.
She finger combed her hair as best she could and scooped all of it into a ponytail. It wasn't exactly her usual style, but nobody she knew would be seeing her anyway. Next she turned her attention to the woman sprawled across the second bed.
"Wake up," she demanded, tossing one of her lumpy pillows at the mass of blonde hair.
April groaned and rolled over, but didn't make any move to get up. Rachel threw her second pillow.
"Stop that."
"I'm throwing the cat next, and I'm betting that it will really piss him off."
April mumbled something Rachel didn't catch.
"Get up already. You're the one who thought a cross country road trip would be a good idea, so let's get moving. The sooner we get to LA, the sooner we can be free of one another."
That did it. April lazily tossed both of Rachel's pillows back at her. She then stretched her arms above her head as she sat up and all of her sleep matted hair fell unflatteringly into her face.
By the time the girls finally got into the truck, it was shaping up to be a beautiful day.
April drove up to the McDonald's drive-thru, ordered her meal and looked expectantly at Rachel, who removed a couple of dollar bills from her purse and asked for a hash brown and large coffee. April frowned as she repeated this and added an extra McMuffin to the order.
"You should really eat more than that. Neither one of us ate anything for supper last night." She told Rachel, who shrugged.
"This is a McDonalds and I'm vegan," the girl explained, "my options are kind of limited."
"Why didn't you say anything earlier?"
The conversation paused while April handed their money to the lady at the first window and then retrieved their food.
"When was I supposed to mention my eating habits?" Rachel laughed as they left the McDonald's parking lot, "When I was being kidnapped, or when I was trying to run away?"
"Fair point."
Veganism aside, however, as Rachel wolfed down her hash brown and sipped her cup of coffee, she had to admit that the extra McMuffin smelled amazing.
"Just take the toppings off of it," April suggested the third time she caught the girl staring longingly at the sandwich.
"I'd never be able to get all of the cheese off." Rachel replied sadly.
"Fine then. I'll eat the damn thing."
"You do that."
April stuck out her tongue, and unwrapped the sandwich. She'd just taken her first bite when her phone started ringing.
"Hello?" She said, answering and spraying her mouth full of eggs, cheese and bits of muffin all over the dashboard. "Oh hey, Will!"
"Mr. Shuester?" Rachel asked, only for April to hiss at her to be quiet. She didn't want to though, not when this could be her only chance to let somebody know where she was. Instead she repeated herself loudly.
April frowned and spoke into her phone; "There's nobody with me, Will, it's just me and my cat on our way to the City of Angels."
"That's only true if you've named your cat Rachel Berry."
April scowled and disconnected the call.
"Now see what you made me do?" she whined as she opened her window and tossed her phone out on to the road. Rachel watched in satisfaction as the device bounced and skittered across the pavement.
"We could just go back, you know."
"Aw sweetie, you know it's far too late for that now."
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