Chapter 15 - Five Stars
"Ewww, let's get back in the car!" Gregg said, holding himself and shivering a bit, looking at Angus. It had gotten chillier as it got later in the day. "I hate the cold…"
"We're already at the motel," Bea said, looking over at them. Her voice was raised because the wind had picked up speed and was whipping around them. "Let's just get our rooms."
"What do we do with our stuff?" Mae asked, looking in the rear window at all of their things. Angus turned to Bea.
"What do you think?" he asked, "Should we take all the food in?"
"I think it'll be okay," she responded, looking in the back window as well. "We should probably get our suitcases so we have something to change into, though."
"What about the rooming situation? Who's rooming where?"
"We can figure that out in a second."
"Okay." He opened the trunk. "Alright, everyone. Get your things and let's meet in the office."
"I'll go wait over there," Lori said, already moving, having already gotten her backpack and satchel out of the backseat. She walked up onto the pavement and waited, feeling the rough textures of the uneven stones. She felt lucky that she had decided to wear her hoodie. Then again, she always wore it. The jacket had a nice soft inside that not only felt amazing, but kept you warm too. Unfortunately, it was too hot to wear in the summer, so Lori wore a thin flannel at that time.
"Let's hurry this up," Gregg said, reaching forward to pull his suitcase out. "I wanna get out of this effin' weather." When he nearly knocked things over, Angus was there to stop them from falling. It had startled the fox, and he pulled his paw back. His boyfriend grinned at him.
"Be patient, hon," he started, "Wait till there isn't a ton of shit on your stuff." He pushed everything back so that it was in place.
"Oh my gooooddd, you guys are taking forever," Mae groaned. "Can we hurry this up? I'm wearing a short-sleeved shirt and thin pants." Gregg turned and looked at her.
"That's your fault," he and Bea said in unison, making Angus chuckle.
"You know, Mae, if you weren't rushing, which is the lesson here, you would probably be nice and warm right now. And Gregg. In hindsight, you probably shouldn't have worn your leather jacket. It is winter after all," he explained.
The fox looked down at his black leather jacket and frowned. "It looks really cool though. This is my favorite thing I have to wear! I wouldn't not bring it…" It's not like you told me not to wear it or anything...
"Okay, I'm just gonna…" Mae said as she squeezed between them, grabbing her red suitcase and pulling it off of the pile, successfully knocking nothing over. "Alright, I'm gonna go wait with Lori." She walked off.
"Now you can get your things." Angus patted his head, and, frowning, Gregg grabbed his black suitcase, pulling it out and bringing it to his side. He extended the handle and moved a bit out of the way. He would go wait with Mae and Lori, but why would he do that when he Angus was right here? It may be cold, but if he didn't have to be more than a few feet away from his lover, he wasn't going to.
Angus moved a few things around so as not to crush the bags and boxes of food. He grabbed his rather large grey suitcase and pulled it out, then went to stand next to Gregg, putting an arm around him. The fox was smiling now. They were waiting for Bea because they weren't going to be dicks and leave her alone.
Bea got her green suitcase and then shut the trunk, looking at the duo. "Ready?" The boys nodded. The three of them, Angus' arm still around Gregg, walked to meet with the group on the pavement.
"It's so cold, can we please go inside already?" Mae asked, looking at the cozy looking office through the door's slim windows.
"You could have waited inside," Bea said.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Angus said to meet in the office."
"Lori, why didn't you tell me?" Mae turned to the young mouse, who was distracted by a weird looking bug on her boot.
"Why are we still out here?" Gregg asked, moving and pulling Angus along with him to the door. He reached forward and opened it, already feeling the warmth emanating from inside. The two guys repositioned so that they could fit through the opening, the group following, and soon they all sighed in relief at the heat that now replaced the chill in their bones.
"Oh, there's no smoking inside," A sweet voice said. The gang's heads all turned in the direction of the sound. Sitting behind the counter that had nothing but a bell on it was a small deer lady with an unfaltering smile. She wore a button-down with tropical flowers on it as if she was on vacation in Hawaii or something, which was ironic considering the weather. She had large gold hoop earrings that hung down from her ears and she was chewing gum, fortunately not smacking it like some people. She wasn't overweight, but she wasn't skinny either. Bea took the dummy cigarette out of her mouth.
"It's fake. I'm trying to quit," she explained, touching the tip to show it wasn't hot and that the usually lit end wouldn't crumble into black dust under the weight of her digit.
"Oh, sorry. Can I help ya'll?" the woman asked, her southern accent very apparent with the first words she had spoken. She looked at all of them, especially Lori. Why did these young folks have a young child with them?
"Give us a sec," Angus said, holding a finger and turning to Bea. "Me and Gregg in one room, and you, Mae, and Lori in another?" He raised a brow. Gregg looked up at him, smiling. His man seemed to be acting so mature, it was different in a good way. He hoped he'd be seeing more of that during the trip.
Bea was silent for a moment. "I was thinking I could have my own room, and Mae and Lori could share their own."
"Wouldn't it be more financially-" But Bea's eyes told him she didn't want to be alone with Mae and Lori in a small room all night. He nodded. "Sounds good." The mouse and the cat were sitting on chairs by the faux fireplace and having an indistinct conversation.
Bea stepped up to the counter, looking at the deer's name tag. "Hi, Sunny. We'd like three rooms."
"Awright," Sunny nodded, turning and typing something in on her old looking computer. "Who's rooming with who?"
"I'm rooming with Angus," Gregg immediately responded, even though he knew that would be the case from the beginning. He was just excited! Angus leaned down and kissed his cheek.
"For sure." Angus smiled as Gregg beamed at him. The lady made a face and put a hand on her heart, smiling.
"Well, now! Ya'll are just about the cutest darn couple that ever came into this office, bless your hearts," she squealed. "And trust me, I've seen a whole lotta 'em. Don't worry your sweet little faces about paying. The room's on me, yes sirree."
"Hehe, that rhymed," Mae chimed from where she was sitting. She turned back to continue listening to Lori talk about a plan to finish the movie they were watching before.
"Wait, really? You can do that?" Bea asked, pulling out her credit card from her phone case/wallet because it really was convenient.
"Naw, not really. But ain't nobody gonna find out," Sunny smiled, still looking at Gregg and Angus, who now felt a little uncomfortable because the only one that really ever fangirled over their love was Mae. This was new. Angus' stomach growled, and he placed a paw on it.
"Just go for it, Bea," he said, "I'm starving."
"It's a free room, Beatrice," Gregg said, shaking his head. "Might as well take it! I'm also hungry, so that's a thing."
"Okay, then I'll take two rooms. I'm rooming alone and those two," she gestured to Mae and Lori, "are rooming together."
"Oh, sorry, dear. Children gotta room with an adult," Sunny explained, looking at Mae. Gregg started laughing, looking over at her as well. He hummed the Windows closing theme.
"Do do do do…" And almost everyone in the room except Bea laughed. "Looks like momma Bea has some parenting to do," the fox smirked.
"Ugh, no. She's 20, okay?" The alligator looked at Sunny who shrugged and shook her head.
"I'm gonna need to see an ID from you, miss," she pointed to Bea, "and you, girl," she finished. Mae frowned, groaning, and got up, Lori observing from the comfort of her leather chair.
"I really am 20!" Mae argued. "I didn't bring anything on the trip…"
"You didn't think to bring at least an ID?" Angus asked, blinking. "I thought it was common knowledge to bring it everywhere, just in case." Meanwhile, Bea was showing Sunny her ID. The deer inspected it with observant eyes as if it were important evidence in a court case and she might miss something if she blinked.
"Good thing I have mine," Gregg said, holding up his wallet, smiling proudly.
"That's great, Gregg, but it's not going to help us in this situation," Angus said. The fox shrugged and opened his wallet to find none other than Mae's ID!
"Oh shit, where did I get this?" He blinked, holding up the card. It was a learner's permit, which Mae had gotten intending to drive a car, but the first time she tried, she ended up rear-ending a car in the parking lot she was practicing in. The experience shook her, and she pretty much avoided driving at all costs now. Besides, a person like Mae Borowski on the road? Are they just asking for the death count to go up in America? Her parents made her renew the card every time it expired, just in case she wanted to give driving another go.
Mae's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah," she plucked it out of his hand. "I gave it to you for one of our crimes, remember?"
"Oh, yeah! That was a good one!" He gave her a toothy grin, then looked at Angus. "See, crimes can be good! Now Mae has her ID."
"'Scuse me? Crimes?" Sunny blinked, concerned.
"You guys commit crimes?" Lori asked, her ears twitching with the crackling of the fake fire. "I didn't expect that from Mae." Looking at how Gregg dresses as a bad boy, I'm not surprised.
"Yes, I knew the bad boy look was working," Gregg pumped his fist. "That's great."
"Anyways, crimes just means pranks," Angus told sunny, nudging the fox's shoulder. "It's nothing to be concerned about."
"Mae, just show her your ID so we can get on with it," Bea said, already having reclaimed hers from the deer, who was being very patient with them, thankfully. The cat did as she was asked and Sunny inspected it, then handed it back with a nod.
"Looks good. Sorry, you just look young," she said to Mae, who shrugged. It happened a lot. "Three rooms, coming up." She typed a few more things into that big chunky computer of hers and then handed Bea, Mae, and Angus keys. "Room 21, room 22, and room 4."
"Aw yiss, let's get the heck outta here," Gregg said. He had been wrapped in Angus' arm the whole time, and he still didn't move.
"C'mon, Lorianne," Mae said, beckoning to the mouse who was still in the chair.
"That's not even my name. Lori isn't short for anything," Lori explained, getting up and joining her.
"Ya'll are some characters, I'll tell ya," Sunny chuckled. "Ya'll have a good rest of your day, now."
"Thanks for everything, Sunny. We will enjoy the free room," Angus tipped his hat and with another "bless your heart" from the deer, he and Gregg exited the office after telling everyone they would meet at the car in fifteen minutes.
"Yeah, thanks," Bea said, moving to the door.
"See ya, Sunny," Mae waved, following the alligator out with Lori close behind. The mouse didn't say anything to Sunny because she had nothing to say.
The door shut behind them and they were once again out in the cold. It was still the middle of the day. The group could see Gregg and Angus in the distance, walking and talking. Mae smiled, hoping everyone's room was nice and the beds were comfortable.
The cat, the alligator, and the mouse began walking, passing doors with chipped paint and corroding knobs. The ground was uneven beneath their feet, making it a pretty uncomfortable texture to walk on. Their suitcases made loud grinding noises against the rocky pavement.
"I'm, like, so hungry," Mae said, rubbing her stomach. "I hope we get settled in quick."
"Yeah. Think about what we should eat," Bea said.
"I'm just tired," Lori said. "I can't wait for tonight so I can sleep."
"You can just take a nap when we get back," Bea suggested.
"Maybe," Lori shrugged. "I'll see how I'm feeling then." It didn't take long for them to reach their rooms.
"I'll see you guys in a bit," Bea said, approaching her door and sticking her key in the lock. It took a bit of wiggling and shaking and repositioning of the key, but the lock finally turned and Bea went inside, shutting the door behind her.
"That was funny," Mae said, smiling. "Yay, let's go!"
"Okay," Lori nodded, following her one door down. "Can I do it?"
"You don't need to ask me twice," Mae said, handing her the key. Lori inserted it into the lock and it opened much easier than Bea's did. Lori grabbed the knob and tried turning it, but the whole thing was loose and shaky and she had to get help from Mae to open it. Finally, the door swung open, revealing a rather empty room with two queen-sized beds.
Lori walked in, immediately turning her head to where a television would be, but felt a bit of disappointment as there was none to be found. At least they had GoMovi! She put her luggage against the wall and then immediately went to flop on the bed that was on the right side of the room. Comfort, here I come!
All hopes and dreams were shattered when she collided with rock that called itself a mattress. Lori laid there for a moment, blinking. "Well...The beds feel great." There was also that wonderful squealing noise of the metal frame.
Mae shut the door and put her suitcase next to Lori's. It was pitch black now, but Mae remembered where everything was. "Really? Aw, yeah." She ran and jumped to face plant on her own bed, and found all hope of comfort was lost when she also felt the rough mattress smack into her. "Shit...where has this amazing bed been all my life?"
"Yeah. What should we do while we wait for the others?" Lori asked, repositioning to sit on the edge of the bed, looking over at the jade colored lamp next to a small digital alarm clock on a mahogany nightstand. The red numbers were the only thing she could see in the blackness.
Mae sat up and felt the cut on her cheek that she had gotten a few days before. She still had some bruises, and she really felt them when she landed on the bed. "I dunno, but there are no windows in this room."
"Yeah," Lori nodded. "Turn the light on." She heard the scrambling and squeaking sound of Mae getting up and the shuffling of her boots on the carpet. There was a clicking noise, followed by a pause, followed by multiple clicking noises. It was still dark.
"The light's dead," Mae said.
"Doesn't your phone have a flashlight?" Lori asked. "Or we could just tell Sunny something's up with the electricity.
"Nah, we've already paid for the room and stuff. Plus, we only have to deal with it for a night, so it's not like it's a big deal," Mae explained, the sudden wavering squeaks once again filling the room as Mae sat at the foot of the bed. She waited for the sound to decrescendo and then commented; "I really love how the metal squeaks every time we move."
"This is a top-notch room," Lori smiled, appreciating this strange shared experience between them.
"Definitely." The cat switched on the flashlight on her phone and turned around, illuminating the small figure of Lori Meyers on the other bed. "What's that look for?"
"Nothing," Lori shook her head. "I have to use the bathroom. Can I have that?"
"Sure," Mae held the phone out and Lori took it, thanking her and then shining the light on her face.
"After that, wanna continue that movie?" Lori asked, thinking the room's dark atmosphere was the perfect thing for horror movies.
"Um, hell yes," Mae nodded. "I really like the character that uses the bat. She knows how to eff shit up."
"Yeah," Lori agreed. "Okay, I'll be right back." She got off the bed and, holding the phone, used it to lead the way to the bathroom.
After she was finished (at least the plumbing worked), the two of them sat on the edge of Lori's bed, their feet dangling in the space between the two beds. They agreed not to take off their boots until they got back later since getting comfortable too early would be a mistake.
Mae and Lori were a few minutes late to meet up with the others, who were already in the car when they got there. The cat opened the door and Lori crawled in again, once again sitting in the middle.
"Hi, guys," Mae waved, shutting the door. She was now wearing a blue jacket and a red scarf that her mom had snuck into her suitcase. "Sorry we're late."
"Yeah, we got distracted," Lori said.
"It's fine. It's only been a few minutes," Bea said. "We were just talking about where we want to eat."
"I'm in the mood for onion pierogies," Gregg said, licking his lips. "That sounds so yummy."
"I already told him that we're trying to get away from town, so that's unlikely," Bea explained. She didn't have a dummy cigarette in her mouth this time, which was surprising to Mae and Gregg. It didn't really matter what she did to Lori or Angus.
"I suggested burgers," Angus said.
"What about pizza?" Lori asked, looking at Mae.
"Oh, yeah! We had tacos the other day instead of crappy diner pizza, remember?" Mae asked.
"I just got an awesome idea," Gregg clapped his now gloved paws together. He was wearing a proper jacket (still black) and a beanie.
"What's that, bug?" Angus asked.
"No pierogies," Bea said.
"I know, shut up," Gregg rolled his eyes. "What if we go around and try all these different pizza places and see which one has the best pizza?"
"I like that idea," Mae said. She could already taste the delicious pizza.
"I, too, think that idea isn't half bad," Angus said. He was still wearing the same clothes as always, seemingly unaffected by the cold.
"I bet there's a bunch of different kinds of cheese pizzas. Those are my favorite." Lori said.
"Maybe we'll even find a place with cheese stuffed crust!" Gregg said, giddy that everyone was latching onto his idea. The whole car filled with talk of how good stuffed crust pizza probably is. They didn't have any restaurants that served it in their little town. Everyone seemed hooked on the idea, except for Bea, who stayed silent.
"What you think, Beabea? Are you ready for pizzaaaaa?" Mae smiled, poking her shoulder.
"I guess, yeah, if everyone wants to," She looked out the window. Even though I thought we were trying to get our minds off the town...Might as well just have gone with pierogies. I can't say no, now. They've already built up Gregg so much.
Howls of excitement filled the car. Mae and Gregg chanted "Pizza" and everyone joined them. Angus pulled out of the parking space, beginning to tell a story about a kid obsessed with pizza in his scout days. Everyone listened, but it was too hard to resist thinking about the gooey cheese, the crispy pepperoni, and the stuffed crust…
It was pizza time.