A/N A long adventure is ahead of us. Well, them. Not us. We're just watching, like a tv show, or something, story book. Yeah.
...& Found...
Josh kicks his feet up, onto the seat in front of him, pulls out the game-boy, and starts playing Pokemon. As soon as he starts playing, he hears Vanellope yell his name. He looks out the van window, sees the four, groans, and ducks behind the seat. "I'm gone for five minutes, and they're already looking for me." Josh mutters. He peeks his head above the seat, and sees them walk past the van again. "I don't even know why I'm staying. I could easily run away right now. They'd stop looking eventually." He sits down again.
"Of all the houses I had to pick, I had to pick the one with these people!" Josh turns the game-boy off, sighs, thinking he could have picked a worse house, with worse people. "Gotta love these new clothes though. Vanellope's nice enough, I suppose. Felix is...well, nice." Josh lays down on the seat, drums on his stomach, and waits.
Ralph rubs the back of his head. "Maybe he just ran away." He says, ready to give up. Calhoun crosses her arms.
"The place was just a couple miles down the road." She says, looking down the road.
"Maybe that's why he ran." Ralph turns, and walks back to the van.
"Someone else's problem now." Calhoun mutters, a little glad he's gone. She turns, and follows Ralph.
"Hey! You guys are just going to let him leave?" Vanellope yells, shocked. Felix places a hand on her shoulder.
"He was not ours to take care of." Felix says, trying to comvice Vanellope to forget about him.
Vanellope crosses her arms. "Come on you two! We're going home!" Calhoun yells. Felix guides Vanellope back to the van, who reluctantly follows. Ralph opens the van door, and get in. Along with the other three. Josh peeks his head above the back seat. Vanellope sees him, smiles, and waves Josh slowly waves back.
"Where have you guys been?" Josh asks. The three adults look at him, startled, wide eyed. Felix sits down, slowly, still looking at Josh.
"Where have you been?" Ralph asks, angrily. Josh waves his hands.
"I've just been in here." Josh says, sitting back down. Ralph looks at Calhoun, who's face has turned into a scowl, just wanting to be rid of Josh. Felix on the other hand, smiles happily, wanting to help Josh as much as possible. Both with a different objective, different motives, yet Josh can't help but notice how well they get along.
Calhoun turns forward, starts the car, and pulls out of parking lot. She turns left, confusing Vanellope. "I thought, you said we were going home." She says. Ralph looks at her, using the mirror.
"What? No!" Ralph says, before chuckling nervously. Josh crosses his arms.
"I disappear, and you guys decide to go home?" He says, not at all hurt.
"It's not like that!" Ralph says, turning to face him. Josh looks away.
"No. I get it. I'm not your problem." Josh says quietly. Ralph opens his mouth to protest, but shakes his head, and turns forward again.
They all stay silent for a while, the sound of rain hitting the roof, does nothing but make everything seem...gloomy. It doesn't damper Vanellope's mood in anyway, as she sits their swaying her legs back and forth, she watches the adults, sit quietly, looking their own ways, while Josh keeps his attention on the game-boy. She puts her ear buds in, plays some music, and waits for their next stop.
After twenty minutes of driving. They come across a restaurant, making everyone hungry. Ralph tells Calhoun to pull into the parking lot, which she does. Josh looks up, wondering where they have stopped now. He sees the restaurant, narrowing his eyes, trying to remember why this place seems so familiar, he doesn't notice the others get out, and head inside. They stop just outside the door, to look at Josh, who is still sitting in the van.
"Maybe he doesn't wanna get wet." Vanellope says, looking up at the sky. Ralph rolls his eyes.
"It's just a little rain." He says, hoping Vanellope is wrong. She is. For Josh, it's just a mix of wondering why this place is so familiar, and not wanting to go with the four. He isn't their problem after all, at least, that's what he thinks.
Vanellope runs over to the van, covering her head, she opens the van, and jumps in. Josh ignores her, keeping his attention on the restaurant. Vanellope jumps into the trunk, searching for her umbrella. Upon finding it she, jumps back in front, next to Josh, pulls Josh out of the van, and opens the umbrella. Josh looks around, wondering what just happened. Vanellope hands him the umbrella. He reluctantly takes it, closes it, thinking that's what she wanted him to do, and gives back. Vanellope giggles, opens it again, and gives it back.
"Pick it up you two!" Calhoun orders. Vanellope grabs Josh's free hand, and drags him, the umbrella into the restaurant. Ralph and the other adults, enter the restaurant, while Vanellope and Josh, are just reaching the door, opening the doors the smell of food comes out of the restaurant, making Josh's mouth water. Inside is nicely decorated, small. A dozen or so tables, each surrounded by four, or five wooden chairs. All the tables are covered in white table clothes. The restaurant is empty, besides the five.
The waiter takes the five to a table in the corner. "Okay. Can I get you folks something to drink?" The waiter asks. Ralph picks up the menu.
"You kids want something to drink?" He asks. Josh looks up at the waiter.
"You guys got root beer?" Josh asks. The waiter nods, and writes it down.
"Milk shake!" Vanellope yells, excitedly. The waiter nods again, and writes it down.
After the drinks are ordered, the five order their food, and begin eating. Vanellope squeezes the ketchup bottle over her fries, the ketchup doesn't come out though. She squeezes harder, turning it sideways, she shakes it. A load of ketchup squirts out, covering Ralph in the red goo. They four look at Ralph, who looks shocked, ridiculous, Felix, Calhoun and Vanellope begin laughing. Vanellope lays her head down on the table, and starts hitting it. Ralph looks at them, scowling, arms at his side, as ketchup drips off of him. Vanellope looks at Josh, who has crossed his arms, and for the first time with the group, is smiling, making Vanellope grin ear to ear.
"Your smiling!" She says, giggling. Josh looks at her, and shakes his head.
"No." He says looking away. Ralph looks at Josh, making Josh start laughing. Josh leans forward and laughs even harder at Ralph. Calhoun crosses her arms, smiling, watching Josh laugh. She shakes her head happily.
They all laugh at Ralph, as he cleans the ketchup off of him. Things finally calm down after a couple more minutes, allowing everyone to finish eating.
"Okay. I guess, we should pay, and get going." Ralph says, calmly.
Ralph pays the bill. They all leave the restaurant, get back in the van, and hit the road.
Almost instantly Josh and Vanellope are asleep, Vanellope listening to her music. Calhoun pulls out her phone. She scrolls through the map on her phone. After a couple minutes of searching, she sighs. "What?" Ralph says. She doesn't respond. They drive a couple more miles, before Calhoun turns down a dirt road. Ralph narrows his eyes, and looks around the forest they have just entered. His shoulders drop. They stay silent, but Ralph knows what's happening. A couple more minute of driving through the woods, and they stop in front of a large metal gate. They wait for a moment, before the gate opens slowly, allowing them to enter. They drive into the round-about, and stop in front of a large, old looking, wooden "mansion" style building. Ralph turns to look at Josh, who is still sleeping.
"I'm not so sure about this. I mean, he ran away. If we turn him in...well, wont the same thing just happen? He'll still be scamming people, all of that." Felix says, quietly. Ralph sighs.
"Sorry Felix. We have to do this." He says. Ralph gets out of the van. The other two try too, but Ralph stops them.
"I'll take him in. Alone." Ralph says. Calhoun closes the door. Felix unbuckles himself, and leans backwards. He takes his pocket watch out of his pocket, and wraps it around Josh's neck, like a necklace. He tucks it into Josh's shirt, and sits back down.
Ralph opens the door, and gently grabs Josh. Felix unbuckles Josh, allowing Ralph to take him. Calhoun looks out the window, away from Josh and Ralph.
Ralph carries Josh up the stairs, to the front door. Ralph knocks with his foot, making him wince, forgetting what happened to his foot.
A moment later, an old looking lady, with white, short, curly hair. opens the door. Ralph looks her over. She's wearing a long blue wool skirt, that falls to her ankles, with a matching jacket. "Hello! My name is Betty! Welcome to the Right Path orphanage!" Betty chirps.
A/N Thhh. They made it. They just started liking Josh. But they made it. Stay tuned for the next chapter. Let me know what your thinking!